A while ago I backed the Kickstarter campaign for Battan's The Golden Fly (Kinbae) doujinshi to be translated into English and distributed by The Beguiling's BDP Press. Having discovered it by happenstance I didn't back it for any particular reason; I simply liked the artwork and this description:
"The Golden Fly showcases Battan's dreamy art and writing perfectly, a short story that showcases all of her talents. In her gorgeous, inventive layouts and breathless art The Golden Fly tackles class, yearning, loathing and the subtle, complex eroticism within, proving yet again she is one of the most important creators in yuri manga today."
It turns out that Battan is also behind the manga series Run Away with Me, Girl (Kakeochi Girl) which had already caught my eye when it came out in English a little while ago. More recently, I've been enjoying the localisation of Secondhand Sisters (Kemutai Ane to Zurui Imouto), which also tells a tale of yearning and loathing; it's a story about feuding sisters and the unresolved romantic entanglement at the heart of their mutual hatred. Battan has a knack for portraying messy feelings and relationships in a sympathetic yet brutally realistic manner. The result is dramatic without resorting to escalating melodrama like some other titles, and her dreamy artwork wraps it all up perfectly.
The Golden Fly (Kinbae) - a metaphor for the arrogant female lead, who is likened to a pretty-looking common insect - is the story of a spoiled courtesan living a life of luxury, viewed through the eyes of her maid. There's nothing explicit shown in spite of the subject matter but the lead isn't shy about wearing loose, transparent clothing; the cover artwork gives an accurate idea of what to expect inside. I found The Golden Fly to be an excellent one-shot, deftly immersing the reader in the world Battan created and asking them to consider the central relationship - undeniably toxic but extremely relatable - before whisking it all away again, like waking from a dream. Those who enjoy complicated tension between women or works like Anno Moyoco's Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen should find something to enjoy here.
I originally backed the campaign at the "The Golden Fly plus two TCAF doujinshi!" level, which meant receiving the printed book plus two previous TCAF (Toronto Comic Arts Festival) zines. Unfortunately, an inventory problem meant that the team were unable to source enough of the old zines to fill all of the pledges, so they gave me a different translated doujinshi instead: Est Em's Carmen. No problem! All three books made it safely across the world via international shipping and arrived in the UK in perfect condition.
The TCAF zine is great, with contributions from Furuya Usamaru, Ono Natsume, Konami Kanata as well as other prominent international artists. Carmen is also an interesting read, described by the author as "What if José and the bullfighter in Carmen were lovers?". While I'm not especially well-versed in the original Georges Bizet opera, it's easy to follow this tale of doomed lovers ripped apart by passion. It's dark, scrappy, sexy and moody, and twists the original love triangle in a creative way. Carmen is probably not something I would have picked up on its own - but that's the joy of short stories.
Needless to say, I'm interested in any future campaigns to localise doujinshi relevant to my areas of interest. Thank you to everyone involved in running this campaign!
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