365 Days of Manga, Day 124: Pleasure Dome

PLEASURE DOME (Kanrakukyû, “Pleasure Dome”) (歓楽宮) • Minami Megumi • Kitty Media (2007) • Houbunsha (Hanaoto, 2000) • 1 volume • Yaoi, Science Fiction, Historical, Fantasy • 18+ (violence, nudity, graphic sex)
There is content in Pleasure Dome to make even the most seasoned veteran of Boy’s Love Manga raise an eyebrow. Unapologetically raw and dramatic, each story depicts some sort of crazy and over the top sexual act–hardcore bondage, bestiality, group sex, incest, rimming, foreign objects, rape–all set against lush sweeping backgrounds. The title story takes place in a medieval fantasy world ruled by sadistic despot. “Desire on Fire” is a highly imaginative account of a British officer’s rude sexual awakening at the hands of an Indian rebel during the British takeover of India, while “Cantarella” is a melodramatic murder mystery in the style of Victorian penny dreadful. The pacing and dialogue are somewhat convoluted, but the real strength of Pleasure Dome is the art: the characters and costumes are lavishly detailed and elegant. In a train wreck sort of way, Pleasure Dome is worth picking up if you are able to get past the graphic scenes of a man being sexually interfered with by a team of trained bloodhounds. (Review by Leia Weathington)

Pardon the late post, everyone, I just got back in town from Seattle! Today’s lucky winner is Sean G. of Florida! The review of “Pleasure Dome” is by Leia Weathington.
Today we have a new photo from Angela, who won a couple of volumes of Yuu Watase’s “Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden”!

I’ve always liked Yuu Watase. Some people find Miyaki (the main character of Fushigi Yugi) to be too much of a ditz, unworthy of being a true heroine. But I think Fushigi Yugi is a great series with lots of melodrama and good plot twists. Ceres: Celestial Legend is possibly even better. She has done some bad manga, but I’m generally a big fan of her storytelling… actually, if Watase has one weakness, it’s her art, which I like at the beginning of Fushigi Yugi but which looks increasingly stiff and mechanical in her later works. She looks like the archetypal “artist who uses too many assistants”, as if her work was all drawn by a factory except for the faces. But as far as writing? Oh yeah. She’s good.
Be here tomorrow for even more manga excitement!