I made some accusations about Kimiko/Shrouded Dancer and her role in the 2010 Libre crackdown on scanlation groups in Nakama's website and Megori's DMG discussion thread.

I know it looks like I am launching some kind of personal vendetta against Kimiko by bringing up the past. Megori even states in her LJ that the past is irrelevant. To her, perhaps. But it has relevance to me, as it points to a disturbing pattern of behaviour. And it sure has relevance to the many BL scanlation groups who have been affected by her actions.

I kept silent about Kimiko's role in 2010 because I was scared. I thought if I kept a low profile, she would go away and things would go back to normal. Well, so much for that idea. As a DMG member, Kimiko has only become more brazen as shown by her DMCA notices to Mediafire and misrepresentation of herself as a copyright holder of certain manga.

Someone asked me for evidence. The evidence I have of Kimiko's involvement in instigating Libre's crackdown comes from her tweets. I admit it is only circumstantial evidence. Kimiko herself argues that she was caught in the middle. You can read the tweets yourself and make up your own mind.

Below is a montage of tweets dated 5 Sep 2010 to 8 Sep 2010. I've done my best to place them in chronological order. Names of people Kimiko were corresponding with have been blacked out to protect their privacy, with the exception of Deb Aoki. She is a respected manga commentator, and she makes some interesting observations about the unusual nature of the C&Ds at the time.

( Tweets dated Sep 5-8, 2010 )

On Sep 11, an individual involved in a scanlation group confronts Kimiko about her role in the Libre crackdown. By this time several BL groups had received C&Ds for scanlations of UNLICENSED titles. Kimiko responds, and flatly denies that she initiated contact with Libre.

( Tweets dated Sep 11, 2010 )

Yet Kimiko tweeted on Sep 5 that she "pointed the mangaka to them" (them being the Love & Voice scanlation group). At the time Animate had just set up the All About Nitta Youka website. I believe that Kimiko used the Contact Us form to inform the mangaka (i.e. Animate), which resulted in the details being passed on to Libre. Libre then contacted Kimiko, and she gave them links to manga aggregators, MangaUpdates - the works. Admittedly, I have no solid proof - this is just my theory based on the tweets. Only Kimiko herself knows what she really did. The rest is history.

Sure, it would be nice if we could all move forward and put the past behind us. But the events of 2010 are repeating themselves in 2012, and I've come to the conclusion that remaining silent in 2010 was a mistake. Kimiko has not gone away as I hoped. As a member of the DMG, she is still making a major nuisance of herself with BL scanlation groups. If speaking out makes me a bully, then that's fine by me. I'd rather be a bully than a doormat this time.

ETA May 23: hai_ne has sent me a screencap from a journal entry in which she criticises the DMG editor (Kimiko) who deleted the LJ of a scanlation group working on a licensed manga (Only the Flower Knows). Kimiko tracks down the entry, and makes a series of comments intended to change hai_ne's mind.

Screencap of LJ entry

Kimiko does come across as a nice person in her comments. She is persuasive and pleasant as she lays on the guilt trip about the evils of copyright infringement. But some of the claims she makes in her comments are suspect. DMG do not have much in the way of quality control. Translations are not checked by the publisher - Digital Manga have admitted previously they simply don't have the staff. So her reference to a mangaka giving their 'personal approval' for her work is somewhat ambiguous - it seems to refer only to the thank-you card she received for her localisation. It's hardly a guarantee that the work has been accurately translated or subjected to any kind of quality control.

The reference to the Japanese tsunami probably goes a bit too far though with the guilt trip. If you accept her argument, then buying ANY Japanese good or service is helping the tsunami relief effort! Surely the best way to help the tsunami relief effort is to donate directly to the relevant charities. Manga publishers, worthy businesses as they are, are not my idea of a charity.

The most important thing to note is how active Kimiko is in monitoring the scanlation community. She will search LJ and forums for comments mentioning her localised works. She will hunt down scanlation groups that are working on manga projects she considers to be 'hers.' As she freely admits on Twitter:

Blossoms and Blood, a very long YnM fanfic starring Tsuzuki and Muraki, has been updated. This new chapter is really a long talk-fest. I guess it's a reflection of how my imagination works. I find it a lot easier to imagine characters talking. Dialogue helps me to establish character. I probably depend on it too much though.

Chapter 33: Song of the gold raven
Muraki reveals Watari's dark secret, and his ties to Enma. Tsuzuki offers Watari an opportunity to break free.
FF.net | website

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I'm going to scanlate again. I still have to finish the last chapter of Nanahikari vol6, plus the rest of Kechonpa. My computer has been struggling a lot lately, but I find that if I am very patient, it does get the job done - eventually. So let's see how long it will take.

BTW, the Nanahikari series is finished at last. I read on Takaguchi's website that vol7 is coming out in late March, and it will be the final volume. Phew!

I began watching this year with a sense of fragile optimism nurtured by the ever-hopeful commentators on SBS, and found myself glued to the screen. Stage 4 made me so happy - a narrow win at last. The BMC Team were always prominent at the front, working hard. The signs were really good.

Stage 14 to Plateau de Beille was when I started to get excited. Frank Schleck accelerated to come third. But there was this brief but impressive aerial shot showing Cadel accelerating around Contador, Andy S, Basso, Voeckler to come fourth - and he was finishing much stronger than Frank! I couldn't sleep after seeing that. I am no cycling expert, but I was in awe of the way he charged to the line. That was when I started to believe he could do it.

Stage 16 to Gap was pivotal. Pouring rain, a technical descent...and Cadel Evans proved himself to be a mudlark, thriving in the wet. It was a joy to watch. Andy Schleck got much flak for criticising the dangerous descent, but Evans freely admitted it scared him too. The media, keen for a juicy news story, have a bad habit of blowing things out of proportion.

Andy Schleck had conceded more than a minute. So he had to go on the attack on the way to Galibier in Stage 18. It was incredibly daring to launch so early. I was terrified Evans would crack in his lone pursuit. Voeckler became a villain in my eyes for not allowing teammate Rolland to take turns leading. Arrrgh! Why didn't anyone help? Because they couldn't. Rider by rider fell away. Only Frank Schleck had the energy to make a final attack and claim 2nd ahead of Evans. But the way Cadel doggedly charged up Galibier, grim determination etched in every crease of his face, left an indelible impression. Forget panache. Forget brilliance and talent. This was true grit and indomitable willpower striving at the very limit of human endurance.

I think that's when I fell in love. Give me a steady diesel locomotive over a flashy sports car any day.

Of course, there was more drama in Stage 19. Cadel suffers a mechanical that was a blessing in disguise. It saved him energy that Andy wasted in a wild goose chase after the mercurial Contador. I saw some amazing footage of Cadel descending Galibier. He leans back so far off his seat that the front wheel lifts off the ground. Another memorable moment was Cadel organising the chase, directing others to take turns at the front. He reminded me of a sheepdog snarling at recalcitrant sheep. I half-wished he had a stock whip to urge them on.

I could go on, but there's no need. The rest is history.

Now that it's over, I'm elated yet sad. I've been scouring photo galleries and cycling blogs to satisfy my desire for more. The photos below are a selection of my faves (make sure to visit the links for oversized originals). Photos with captions included are from PezCycling.


Evans with ever-reliable George Hincapie, BMC teammate, during Stage 3. Hincapie seems unflappable. Even when he admitted to being nervous prior to the stage 20 ITT, he still sounded cool as a cucumber: "I don't even know if I can watch (Cadel's ITT) tomorrow. I might just sit back and drink some beers while he's racing, and hear about it afterwards." Photo from BMC Pro Team Picasa


"Big" George Hincapie's varicose veins. In Australia, he was nicknamed 'The Leg' based on this photo. From Boston.com


If looks could kill... Evans glares as Contador raised his hand in victory after Stage 4 to Mur-de-Bretagne. Contador did cross the line faster, but Cadel got there first in a photo finish. As some fan quipped online, El Pistolero Prematuro! Photo taken by Sirotti, from CyclingTipsBlog.


Cadel during Stage 5. When asked him what goes through his mind when he's in 'the zone' during a race, he tweeted back: "Oh s&@t - Oh f$&k - You idiot - This is nuts - I'm hungry - Are we there yet? - Oh s&@t - Oh f$&k - You idiot - This is nuts - Are we there yet?" Photo from ABC online.


From one World Champion to another: Evans congratulating Thor Hushovd on retaining the yellow jersey after Stage 8. Hushovd had a great Tour, winning two stages and wearing yellow for a week. From steephill.tv


Thomas Voeckler making sheep eyes at a podium girl after retaining the yellow jersey at the end of Stage 10. Hmph! French or not, he's supposed to be a married man! From The Atlantic.


Cadel leading Andy Schleck (left) and Ivan Basso (far left) during Stage 14 to Plateau de Beille. Believe it or not, the agonized look on Cadel's face is how he normally looks during a climb - even when he's keeping up nicely with the other GC contenders. The sudden acceleration he unleashed at the very finish was thrilling to watch. From ABC online


All eyes on Alberto Contador as he begins his merry 'dancing on the pedals' in Stage 16. Note the collective jawdrops from the peloton. From steephill.tv


Cadel with Contador and Sammy Sanchez (rear) breaking free of the peloton during Stage 16. Shortly after he launches an attack on the descent that gives him valuable time over the other GC contenders. From PezCycling News


Cadel after his mudlark turn in Stage 16 to Gap. He has a great smile, but he rarely shows it during a race. I really like the wet weather gear with the long sleeves. If I could draw, I'd draw him in this outfit, but with the rainbow stripes on his cuffs as well. From PezCycling News


Andy Schleck climbing his way up Galibier in Stage 18. By the end of it, he was a wreck. It was a miracle he had enough energy left to follow Contador the next day. Then again, maybe Contador was leading him on a wild goose chase. From steephill.tv


Cadel leading the charge up Galibier in pursuit of Andy Schleck in Stage 18. Gorgeous alpine scenery, but everyone's in too much pain to appreciate it. Photo from BMC Pro Team Picasa


Cadel Evans descending Galibier in Stage 19 as he pursues Contador and Andy Schleck. As Age journalist Martin Flanagan describes him, Evans is 'like the horse in Banjo Paterson's The Man from Snowy River, he's "something like a racehorse undersized... hard and tough and wiry, just the sort that won't say die."' Photo from steephill.tv


Alberto Contador punching a spectator dressed as a surgeon as he climbed Alpe d'Huez in Stage 19. The spectator had tried to put a stethoscope on his chest. In no other sport are spectators allowed to get so close to the action. From The Atlantic.


From left to right: Andy Schleck, Frank Schleck, and Cadel Evans doing battle on Alpe d'Huez during Stage 19. From ABC online.


Cadel Evans in wet weather gear warming up on the Grenoble circuit. The rainbow bands on his wrists and upper arms are a nice touch. From steephill.tv


Doing the individual time trial for real. I'm reluctant to post more photos of Cadel racing because he looks as if he's in agony most of the time. At least here he looks absolutely focused and in control. From Oakley


Cadel hugging George Hincapie (left) and Marcus Burghardt (right) after crossing the finish line. Cadel credits the team, but makes special mention of both men for their efforts in his Stage 4 win in Velonews:

"My hero today is Marcus Burghardt. Someone ran into my rear derailleur, and (after a bike change) Burghardt brought me all the way through the peloton right to the front. I didn’t even know if I would see the front again."

(...)

Evans, who said the "gears were changing on their own," drifted back to his team car, where the mechanic leant from the back window, spraying lube on the chain to try to stop the chain jumping. That seemed to solve the problem, but once he was back in the fast-moving peloton he spoke about it with team captain George Hincapie, riding his record 16th Tour.

"At the moment, my bike worked, but you have to have everything perfect for the finish so I took a moment and George, with his experience, told me, 'Change bikes now!'"

(...)

When Zabriskie pulled to the side, after pulling for 16 minutes straight, six Omega-Lotto riders took over and then world champion Fabian Cancellara went to the front for Leopard-Trek’s two leaders Frank and Andy Schleck. It was during this rapid pursuit — which closed the break down just inside 5km to go — that Burghardt was pulling Evans through the splitting peloton, working his way from group to group until delivering his leader to the head of affairs as they reached the streets of Mur-de-Bretagne with 4km to go.

Evans said, "I didn’t think it would be possible for the final because the effort we made was a big deal to come back and pass 180 riders at those speeds on the narrow roads. But the team did a great job to tow me back to the front. And everyone saw George Hincapie there [Ed. note: pulling at the front like a man possessed] with 3km to go."

Photo from PezCycling News


BMC Team celebration. Cadel is being hugged by Italian teammate and friend Ivan Santaromita. Quotes from Velonews:

Evans’s triumph makes it nine Tour wins for the team’s road captain, George Hincapie. For two weeks critics doubted the team’s strength and accused them of working too hard in the race’s opening stages.

"We love to hear that," said Hincapie. "They only talk about other teams and when they talk about us, they say we worked too much in the beginning. For us it’s kind of motivation to hear that our tactics aren’t right, we’re working too much, but I think I have a little bit more experience than the journalists saying that we’re working too much because I have won a bunch of Tours.

"I’m really proud of the way the guys rode. Sure, maybe we worked more than others at times, but that’s what it takes to keep Cadel out of trouble and keep him up front and confident in his team."

Italian strongman Manuel Quinziato took a harsher line with the team’s critics.

"I think somebody has to think about that and shut up next time, maybe," he told VeloNews. "It’s true. We worked really hard; we were a really strong team in the flats. We were so dangerous in the first part of the Tour de France. We spent a lot of energy, but we kept Cadel in a safe condition, which was really, really important."

Photo from MSNBC


The Schleck brothers celebrate their podium finish, while Cadel and Tina Arena look into each others' eyes and...awwww! Words cannot describe how much I love this photo. Just look at the way they are staring at each other! There are other more widely-circulated shots that show Cadel with his head bowed, as if he's too embarrassed to return Ms Arena's adoring gaze. It's just too sweet for words! Why the hell didn't France TV film this instead of zooming in so early, dammit?! If it wasn't for the fact they're already attached to other people, I'd be pairing them up in het fanfic!

This photo was nicked from www.cbgphoto.com. It's actually a watermarked flash image I had to photoshop. I contacted the photographer about using the image legally...and it was going to cost me $50USD for 'editorial use.' Now I adore this photo, but my LJ is no editorial. Still, I really want this photo to be circulated more widely - it's too gorgeous to be hidden away. Maybe I can leave a message in Tina or Cadel's guestbook with a link to the photographer's site. They may know about it already, but it doesn't hurt to give it a plug. (ETA: It was published in Woman's Day!)


Evans from a SMH interview: "In the Tour de France you start with 180, and one wins while 179 lose. Whether you're on the second step or the 179th, it's...cycling can be a bit mean in that regard. So there I was on the top, enjoying it." Photo from Daylife.

It's finished. I already x-posted it to free_manga and yami_no_matsuei. I also tried to include it on MangaUpdates, but they initially refused it because they don't accept unscanlated oneshots. When I told them I had scanlated it (as an Oriya/Ukyou scanlation - visit the site for DL links), they told me to announce it first then add it to the database - and they'll approve it when they're good and ready.

So it might appear on MangaUpdates, or it might not.

Although it's only 40 pages, it felt like a lot of work because it was crammed with a lot of text. A few of the sfx struck me as redundant, because the images spoke for themselves. So I left them out. But it was only a couple. The majority are in there, and most of those had to replace the original Japanese. It would've been way too cluttered otherwise. As it is, it's already very cluttered due to page count constraints.

I think Shinri's battle to prove himself equal - and eventually superior - to Iruka has echoes of the lines from YnM vol 8, when Tsuzuki assures Hisoka that one day he will overtake Muraki (I think). So to me, the Shinri/Iruka battle of wills is a tamer version of the unresolved Hisoka/Muraki conflict - a younger character defiantly doing his best to prove himself better than an older manipulative bully, yet driven by a gnawing sense of insecurity.

DMI finally came through with an official announcement about their initial batch of licensed titles for the Guild. They're all BL by Taiyou Tosho, and the oldest is from 2007. Most are 2010, with a few from 2011. I think only a couple have been fully scanlated according to MU (Interval and Only the Flower Knows Vol 1).

Hmm. So older series before 2005 might be safe. This gives me hope.

Crayon from DMP has finally made a post about the deadlines expected of localizers in the DMG...and it's a lot more reasonable than initial estimates mentioned in the teleconferences.

Localizing groups will get a bundle of approx 600pages to work on. It may be 3 tankoubon or an 'omnibus' and a shorter tank - but the total will be about 600 pages. Groups will have 1 year (I assume this is from the date of issue) to complete the bundle. They will be expected to complete a book in roughly 3-4 months, depending on the size of the book.

Phew! This sounds a lot better than a bundle a month. It's the kind of schedule an amateur could complete in their spare time.

But I still wish we could select the 'bundles' ourselves. The lack of choice bothers me a lot. What if I get a manga on a theme I know nothing about, like sci-fi mecha or Japanese history or baseball? What if I get an 'omnibus' that bores me? I know I won't have the same enthusiasm to work on a random manga as something I've chosen myself.

Given a choice between scanlating something that interests me for nothing vs 'localizing' something I may have zero interest for an uncertain (possibly zero) return...I'd rather scanlate. I don't think I really have the time to do both. I'm also unsure about this strategy on DMP's part - is flooding the market with random manga going to save the industry? As a consumer, I don't see how.

So the DMG still isn't really for me...although I can understand why others may be drawn to it.

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ABC (Australia) have a short but provocative article on their site:
Should Japanese cartoons count as child porn?

It was triggered by the reclassification of a video game because of some schoolgirl panty shots, but the article broadens the scope to include manga and anime, and the cultural differences between countries. The article itself generalises a bit, but the aim is to be provocative and start up debate.

A scanlation of SWITCH 1 & 2, two bonus chapters from Takaguchi Satosumi's PINK, is now available @ Half-Baked. Included are HQ colour scans from Volumes 1 and 3, and a BW scan of Papa Usaki with translation (couldn't read the writing on the LQ raws).

If you enjoy it, please consider purchasing the digital Japanese version for only 100 yen from Booklog (credit card required). I've improved the tutorial (thanks to yblees) so I'm hoping more people will be motivated to give it a go. 70% of the proceeds will go directly to the mangaka.

Started scanlating a josei manga by Hijiri Chiaki - KECHONPA. I really liked her one volume work Heptagon (scanlated by Dragon Voice), especially the way she portrayed female characters, flaws and all. But what drew me to Kechonpa was the cover. It's a gorgeous artwork of the heroine dressed to the nines and charging at the reader with a wooden sword.

The scans are HQ...but there is gutter warping. Queen's Comics seem to have a smaller inner margin than other manga I have. Scanning is a real pain. I could crack the spine but I normally don't bother. It's easier for me to just leave the warping as is - it's too much trouble to fix.

I hope the language doesn't get too slangy. First chapters are normally the worst because I'm trying to get my bearings with the setting. I find it hard to write casual dialogue. It's not the way I normally write. I'm also wary about making it so slangy that no one else can understand it. Thank goodness for the internet, and the foreign Gals who have explained Gal Style for the rest of us in forums and websites.

Heard the news about a new extra YnM chapter coming out June 25. Sounds like another sidestory. Will look out for it in my local JP bookstore.

Takaguchi-sensei has actually put the PINK sidestories SWITCH 1 & 2 for sale in digital format for only 100 yen. Pretty silly and smutty, and at a fantastic price.

I made a promise that I would rescanlate PINK by Takaguchi Satosumi if I ever got hold of HQ scans. mer1973 kindly sent me her copies of Takaguchi Satosumi's PINK Volumes 1 & 3 a few months ago, so I have no excuse...except that I'm still waiting for the DMP to announce which publishers are involved in their Guild venture. If Tokuma Shoten is one of the publishers involved, then I might leave PINK be.

Anyway, I thought it would be nice to at least make HQ colour scans of the covers and colour inserts while I was waiting. Click on the thumbnail to view the HQ scan.

PINK Volume 1


Cover


Back illustration enlarged


Colour insert

PINK Volume 3


Cover


Back illustration enlarged


Colour insert

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Takaguchi Satosumi is selling digital copies of a Sakende Yaruze/Shout Out Loud bonus story featuring Tenryuu and his cute 10 year old daughter: Nayamigoto, attara ne? [Worries, me?] It was previously published in doujinshi format. The price is pretty reasonable: 200yen for 80 pages. But it's not that easy for non-Japanese users to sign up. You have to submit your credit card details to make a purchase, and I think a non-Japanese user might run into problems (one compulsory field asks for your name in kana). Might sit and procrastinate about giving it a go.

Anyway, it's a promising development. I hope other mangaka will follow suit.

I really liked Here is Greenwood, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Yukie Nasu has done some BL works. There is a certain deftness about her storytelling that I admired a lot in Greenwood. The couple of English reviews I've found of her BL work were pretty damning though...but I had the feeling the critics were sinking their teeth into the BL genre with their references to plot cliches and glowing cocks (yeah, yeah, get over it).

Those negative reviews motivated me to work on this. It's light-hearted, with a little angst. But the ending is what I'd expect from this mangaka - she has a unique way of turning what others would perceive as tragedy into a triumph of sorts.

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Mafuyu no Secret (from Akatsuki ni naku Kaze ni naku Choral)
Mangaka: NASU Yukie
Genre: BL, humor, drama
Publisher: Dear Plus Comics, Shinshokan
Year of publication: 2001
Status: complete oneshot scanlation. MQ online scans used.
Summary: Police officer Ahane is exasperated when he is assigned to guard Prince Laronne, a young exiled prince who has no regard for his own safety. However, his frustration turns to horror when he discovers the infatuated prince is more interested in using him as a personal escort!

Download (12.5MB ZIP): 4Shared | Mediafire | Divshare