Manga Sutra: Vol. 1

(aka Futari H)
by Katsu Aki

Synopsis
Makoto and Yura just got married... and they have a lot to learn!
At the age of twenty-five, newlyweds Makoto and Yura are still virgins. But not for long! That is, if they can figure out how everything works. Will the sweet -- and voluptuous -- Yura enjoy her first "experience"? Or is Makoto not yet savvy enough to light her fire? Follow the hot young couple as they step up into love and experiment with getting it on... and on... and on!


Review
First off, this is more mature than anything I've reviewed yet. This manga is for adults only, as it has explicit sexual content.

This is supposed to be a sex guide (sorry, I think it's only for heterosexuals). But far from being a dry boring manual, it's actually interesting as it follows a couple (and friends and family) though their adventures with sex and each other. I'm not going to review this manga as a sex guide, as that's not really my place, though it is quite informative; I will review it as how it works as a manga.

This manga reminds me of hentai, only better. The problem with hentai, and porn in general, is that whatever the plot is, it's always a cheap excuse for sex scenes. Some people like this, obviously, but I am not really one of those people. My problem with it is that it's so shallow and superficial. I never get to know the characters, or find out why they're having sex, or if they like each other, or any other reason to get attached to the characters. I obviously love romance. When I read romance stories, I always feel cheated when the characters get intimate, but the author doesn't follow them into the bedroom. This is because I've invested myself in the characters, but I can't know what they're doing sexually. So in essence, this manga gives me what I want: characters to get to know and care about, and the sex that they have.

The story begins appropriately with a newlywed couple, neither of which have any experience sexually at all. This is a good place to start, because everyone always begins with no experience. This also gives us the opportunity to watch the characters change and grow, as they gain experience with each other. Their first few times together were kind of funny, embarrassing, and confusing, as I'm sure everyone feels on their first time. Actually, as silly as it seems, I thought it was refreshing, as nobody, ever, in any media, shows how confusing and complicated having sex really can be.

This series also introduces a bunch of eclectic family members who think they can help Makoto and Yura. Usually their advice is quite good and practical, as it's information that the couple didn't have before. Of course, this brings up the question of how extremely odd this is, that people talk about sex so casually. But then, it made me think about our society (and the Japanese society) and how prude we really are. Why? Why don't we talk about sex? Why is it so taboo? I don't really have any answer to that, as I am not a sociologist, but I can't help but think how much better off we might be if we did. We might have fewer diseases, pregnancies, and not to mention how people might not have so many difficulties and misconceptions about sex in the first place.

One thing that really struck me is how embarrassed Yura is about everything. She's embarrassed when Makoto looks at her naked, when he takes her clothes off, when they're trying new positions, whatever. With this kind of embarrassment, it's obvious that she has little sex drive, or even interest. Again, with this stereotype. (To be fair, it might get better.) But as annoying as that is, at least she does make an effort to have fun with Makoto. Also, something that's probably going to grow and change, she's never had an orgasm. Ever. I've heard about this problem with women, and frankly, it's shocking. Why are women not taught to explore and appreciate their bodies? Again, I don't know. Anyway, this is likely a goal for the couple to achieve, so I guess we'll see what happens.

This manga does a good job, I think, at joining character development with porn, and a little education thrown in for good measure. (I like to call meaningful porn erotica, but that's just my definition.) Really, it's quite well done, and doesn't feel like smut at all. It's a bit too bad that some diagrams aren't terribly detailed, but I'm sure that was for the obscenity laws in Japan.

Final thought: I'll pick up the next book!