Hot Gimmick?

[sarea]

I've never read manga before. But last night I stayed up until 4am reading all 8 (available) volumes of Miki Aihara's Hot Gimmick. It is wrong in so very many ways. And yet I could not put them down. I also know I won't stop reading them, when she comes out with more. It's like the guiltiest guilty pleasure reading EVER. It's even racier than Georgia Nicolson, which is a British series about a teen that I sincerely hope is not directed at teens. I hope the same is true of HG, but I have this fear that I am wrong.

I shouldn't think Ryouki is hot. He might even be more horrible than Draco (at least, fanfic Draco). He physically and mentally abuses Hatsumi all the time! And he's completely clueless! And what's with her trampy sister?? A 14-year-old who sleeps with all the boys she likes? I'm sure that's reality somewhere, but it's still a bit horrifying to contemplate, particularly in the breezy way the subject is dealt with in this series. A 'childhood friend' who nearly gets Hatsumi gang raped, and now they're still 'friends,' and Hatsumi might even still crush on him? And what about Shinogu, who is madly in love with Hatsumi and perfect in every way ... except that he's Hatsumi's brother?! (Okay, adopted or something, but still. They were raised as siblings.)

Typing that all out, I don't even know why I can read it. And yet ... like I said, I couldn't put them down. Seriously, am I totally alone on this one? Has anyone else read these???

Ryouki catches Hatsumi with Shinogu in the stairwell, but gets the wrong impression (or does he?). BTW, this image I found was the original Japanese version, but obviously I'm reading HG in English. <g>

Comments

[elle-blessing.livejournal.com]

I've yet to indulge in this particular guilty pleasure because I'm too ashamed to be seen in the library or bookstore browsing through them. Sometimes I stop and take a peek, but when someone walks by I can be found innocently looking at the ever-so-interesting travel section...riiight. Some of the plot lines sound horrible, but it's all the drama that makes it interesting (and probably the fact that it's so different from our lives). Anyways, now that you, fanfiction goddess, have succumbed to manga, I am a bit more tempted to read some myself :)

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

I totally ordered them online, no browsing publicly for them. :D

As for the premise, HG is very guilty indeed:

Hatsumi is an average high school student who gets caught in the act while trying to cover for her little sister's pregnancy scare. Unfortunately, the one who catches her is the person she hates most in the world: Ryouki, the son of a vice president at her father's company (and Hatsumi's childhood tormentor). Knowing that if the secret were to be revealed it would make life hell for her family in the company housing community where they live, Hatsumi agrees to become Ryouki's "slave" in exchange for his silence. Ryouki believes the pregnancy test is Hatsumi's, and he is sure he's got the upper hand in this relationship.

On the other hand, there's Azusa, Hatsumi's childhood friend who has returned to town. Azusa is a model and everything Hatsumi has always wished for... but is he perhaps too good to be true? Included in the mix is also Shinogu, Hatsumi's older brother, as well as a couple of family secrets that keep bouncing around and murking the relationships between all the characters. Will Hatsumi discover her true feelings for Ryouki? Or will she stay with her dreamboat Azusa? And what about poor Shinogu?

[elle-blessing.livejournal.com]

Internet shopping is a god-send in this type of situation :) Makes indulging way too easy.

As for HG, It all sounds really interesting actually...may have to check them out myself *sighs, shakes head* I am such a lemming.

"slave"...he he he, the possiblities are endless here :)

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

"slave"...he he he, the possiblities are endless here :)

HA, not so much, there's really only one possibility Ryouki is interested in -- he makes it very clear that what he wants is sex. O_O

[elle-blessing.livejournal.com]

I figured as much. Sometimes it's just fun to wonder though...I think you talked about this before in fanfic discussions...that readers always want to know exactly what happens, but sometimes the beauty of the story is the mystery and figuring out an ending that suits you. You know, instead of being told what to think.

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

There's already a D/G fic out there based on this premise. I think it's on FIA, since I haven't been reading much other than what I'm absolutely obligated to.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Auugghhh. No. Nonononono. It's already too much like fanfic all by itself. It'd be like, guilty pleasure overload.

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

Well, it's only one chapter so far. Ginny was buying a pregnancy test for either Luna or Hermione, who Ron might have knocked up, and Draco caught her at it.

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

Oh, I found it on Portkey. It was Luna, and in the second chapter, Neville wants to get revenge on Ginny for Arthur having slept with his mom (Neville's, not Arthur's), and then Ginny is checking Neville out and that's the point at which I bailed.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Haha, apparently she's putting Neville into the role of Azusa. I would have put Harry in the role of Azusa, actually -- or maybe, personality wise, Zacharias Smith or Blaise Zabini. Purely academically, I'm curious to know whether she'll do the Shinogu storyline, with Ron in the role. It's a bit difficult, to say the least.

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

Here. In case you want to go look.

[akscully.livejournal.com]

OMG, I can't believe you.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Yes you can. You're just not trying hard enough.

[lielabell.livejournal.com]

I have never read Hot Gimmick but I totally understand about becoming addicted to manga.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Really? Are there any you'd recommend? Obviously I've arrived late on the scene here, and I don't want to read EVERYthing that's out there, but they're definitely fun brain candy.

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

Ranma 1/2 is an awful lot of fun, and a good starter, as it's complete. THere's both manga and anime, but the manga is much better.

[lielabell.livejournal.com]

I agree with mynuet. Ranma 1/2 is great. My personal favorite is Megatokyo which can be found at Megatokyo.com. I have a couple of others I really like as well. I will look them up for you asap.

[(Anonymous)]

as a long time lurker of your journal and an avid fan of your stories i figured its time i actually commented. lo and behold, the time i decide to comment it's about something i know nothing about, i'll just leave it at a question...do you read your manga in japanese? it look like japanese in that picture you have there. hehe.

Janine

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Hee, actually, I did admit right above the image that I don't read them in Japanese -- I have the English volumes. I wish I did read Japanese, though; like with anything, I think something gets lost in the translation, no matter how good it is.

[rainpuddle13.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, the joys of manga... I'm so immune to that stuff now that it doesn't even phase me anymore. After all I deal with crap like Amputee Love, Cannibal Porn, Big Ass Comics, Jiz, Snatch, Little Book of Big Tits and the like every day.

Seriously, no guy could ever do my job. They'd never get past the porn :P

I'm glad you're enjoying comics though! Whee!

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Haha re: comics. So you know how I'm not used to it, as I haven't read very many comics? I was getting a bit turned around sometimes when I was reading, because I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be paying attention to, first, on the page. The added complication is that the volumes read right-to-left, which is typical of Asian literature, but just made it ever so slightly confusing for me at times. (The panels also read from right to left.) But obviously I got over it. ;)

And OMG @ those titles.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi! Just another lurker like Janine. :) I totally understand about reading mangas. My friend let me read a couple of hers and next thing I knew I was hunting for series that I liked. I would suggest for you to try reading Kare Kano when you're done with Hot Gimmick. Have never read HG but I may take a look. Good day!

Sheila

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

It's totally fun brain candy. Thanks for the rec!

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

Totally OT, but...

SQUEE! Hyacinth Bridgerton's book is coming out on July 1!

How sad is it that I'm looking forward to it with more squeefulness than HBP?

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Dude, it's already out. I bought it two days ago! :D

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

Meep! Must get money and go to a bookstore!

Unless it's not worth paying retail for?

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I've read the first few chapters and have been really underimpressed. I might not waste the money. But then again, maybe it'll get really good later, I don't know. But with the past books, even with the ones that I didn't think were going to be any good, Julia Quinn managed to charm me anyway, and fairly quickly. With this one, it seems kind of tired and trite, and so far, there hasn't been anything really compelling. The fact that I can put the book down without much qualm kind of speaks for itself. <g>

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

Well, let me know when you're done whether to rush out and buy it or wait until it's discounted.

just a fan :D

[(Anonymous)]

I recommend reading Paradise Kiss by Ai Yazawa.

http://tokyopop.com/dbpage.php?propertycode=PKS&categorycode=BMG&page=introduction

[(Anonymous)]

just got into the series a week ago and have already read up through volume 9. =) haven't read any manga for nearly four years and somehow just started reading this series.

totally guilty pleasure. =) still can't decide which guy I'm rooting for.

I shouldn't love it as much as I do, but it's so addicting.

It is the best!

[yapiyupi.livejournal.com]

It is so cool that you like HG too. Man, that series is completely F-ed up but it is amazingly addicting. They are also publishing another series of hers that is equally good. Suncoast is the best place to get them, especially when they have their BOGO sales.

See you around and just to bug you, when will you update your fanfic next???

Linda