!!!!!!

But Sudoh is really getting into it with poor Akihito

Weird as I am by nature, I wanted so badly the 8th volume to see the all 'rapey' part with Sudou and Aki, but- just as you said- all the spicy human parts were censored. I remember when a girl here posted the link to a facebook group which translated that part in Spanish. I remember that I could see everything. Did that people draw all the censored parts? I remember pretty well one of the ladies in that group who were making fun about Sudou an his small private part. She wrote something like this: " That 'thing' will only tickle Aki, he's used to something bigger." (⊙…⊙ )(￣∇￣")

Well, the white area in the image is not bad for size ... they must have drawn a bit in ... there is also more lovin' with Asami and Aki in the apartment right before the thugs break in ... but Sublime did a nice job on the volume and the translation is better (not dissing the scanlation group ... but the dialogue is smoother)

O.o Asami hits on Kirishima in this version (when Aki takes the aphrodisiac ...)

Oh, yes! That part made me laugh like crazy. (≧∀≦)

You know, I'm really looking forward to the rerelease/retranslation of volume 1 - 7. The scanlation in volume 1 and 2 was just a little rough around the edges at times (and like you, not dissing, loooove all the great work the different groups did over the years :) ), so it will be interesting to see a different translation. There have been so many heated discussions here over the years over a certain phrase or even a single word. ;) It will be fun to have a new "source" of translation, so to speak, and therefore (in a way) a new interpretation.

Speaking of which, is the start of rerelase in May still on? Do we have an actual date yet? I'm already sharpening my credit card. ;)

My friendly, manga-fanatic bookstore clerk told me that all volumes (except for 7 - oddly) are already available - I just have to ask and they will bring them in - but that is in Canada, so I can't speak to elsewhere.

But all those are the SuBLime books? I want the digital vol 2 so badly!

If you can read French, they are available on iBooks ...

I understand something but it's not the same. It means that I shall wait with patience for my Vol 2 cookie as a good girl. ;)

That's strange, I thought Sublime was going to retranslate them (English) and then rerelease the volumes one after another, every other month, starting in May (print and digital)? At least, that's what the press release said. *scratches head*
P.S.: Always nice to have a "friendly, manga-fanatic bookstore jerk", tehe.

Couple of things:

On the missing man bits, there's a letter from sensei in this volume about increased pressure to sensor erotic material in Japan. She's not happy about it. She feels our pain. And yes, some scanlator's redraw the missing bits. Someone was recruiting on Tumblr the other day, so if you're handy with a pen, the world needs you.

I agree about the translation. The dialogue is more natural. I have one big problem with it, though. In the scene where Sudou has Aki tied up in the warehouse and Aki thinks about what he means to Asami, in the scanlation, he has this big revelation where he finally realizes what he means to Asami, that he is important as a part of Asami's private life and so does not need to try to be useful to him in the other parts of his life.

That has always struck me as the turning point for his character arc, and it carried through to when they are back in the penthouse and Aki climbs into Asami's lap and basically claims him and vows to protect him.

But the new translation takes that revelation away. Instead, he's now thinking the same old, same old stuff like "I don't know what Asami thinks" and "Maybe he doesn't really give a damn."

Then back at the penthouse, that scene is different, too. He's questioning everything again. The added pages where Asami "inspects" him to make sure Sudou didn't rape him don't help. This kind of debases Aki again, where in the old version, he was the one initiating intimacy, taking control for once.

I suspect sensei was under pressure to add sexy scenes to what would have been a sex-free volume, otherwise. But this just kind of wrecks what was a powerful moment for Aki. Maybe she has plans to rebuild this part of his character arc in a different way in the upcoming chapters, what with him training with Hot Monk and hopefully giving him an opportunity to save Asami.

If not...well, I've toyed with the idea of buying extra copies, keeping one pristine and taking the other one and gluing in the translation I like over the ones I don’t. Maybe I'll do that and just cut out those new sexy scenes. Heh.

But otherwise, it's a beautiful new volume and I'm especially happy to have the birthday short included. It's perfect.

Ahem ... clerk, not jerk ... hehehe

First of all, thank you, eworth, for taking the time to point out all these differences, I really appreciate it! :)

Second, OH DEAR! :( I find that very, very disappointing, depressing and frustrating. I feel the same way as you do about Akihito's epiphany in terms of his feelings for Asami in that volume. That was one of THE strongest moments in all 8 volumes (and also one of my favourite moments of character development). And to take that all away? Wow, that is really, really bothering me. And what was the whole point of the whole kidnapping and confrontation with Sudou if not this? Akihito's lightbulp in terms of Asami's feelings for him? Without that, the kidnapping is just a bit of angst, followed by AxA sex.

I think I will go the same route as you are planning to, but digitally. I was going to order digitally anyway and I have more than enough software to edit and rearange PDF files the way I want to, including the context. So I'm going to "built" my own version, using the scanlation version where I'm not happy with the Sublime one and then print it out and bind it. Hey presto. :)

Again, thank you so much for posting this, eworth, because I had reeeeally high expectations in terms of the retranslation and will have to lower them... :/

Oh, and one thing: I remembered you said this earlier and mentioned this again just now, about sensei's note in terms of pressure on mangaka regarding genitalia. What I am wondering is: Why aren't they allowed to be more lenient and show more in the DIGITAL edition? I mean, I can understand why with the printed version. Kid walks into shop, grabs a copy, flicks through it, BOOM!, Asami's dick, kid spoiled for life. ;) But with the digital copy? I mean, you have to buy it online and to do so you need to have a credit card (aka be an adult). So wouldn't that automatically exclude minors = make it possible to show genitalia? Or am I completely missing something here? Maybye it's just the law and the medium doesn't matter, I don't know.

OOOOH my god... LMAO! I'm so sorry, tokodoki. That was a "Freudian slip", ey? I don't know what's wrong with me this week, honestly. Our instant water heater wasn't working properly, so I called our installer and left a message. As I was giving him our phone number... I got stuck in the middle. I couldn't remember our number. I actually had to call him again and leave another message with the full number. He was still in stitches when he called back, tehe.

It's okay, I thought it was rather funny ...
And I do the same with my postal code - I have learned to have it on hand when I have to give someone my address!

The store copies are plastic wrapped O.O

For some reason, I missed the fact that Akis revelation is missing ... LOL guess my head canon kept that in. There are quite a few other differences though, but they do call Kuroda a detective - which I understand is an error ... shame because the book was 19.99+tax #－.－)

Surely you paid a lot for the book (shipping + maybe custom taxes)! (￣∇￣")

Thanks a lot! (⌒▽⌒)