From Eroica With Love 13
Posted: June 29, 2008 Filed under: From Eroica With Love 9 Comments »I’m not sure why I feel compelled to comment on the cover every time, but CMX chose my favorite image for this cover. It replaced this really terrible one from the original volume 13. We came out way better in that deal.
This story sort of started last volume, but it took me a bit to remember the last one ended with the Major snoozing on his roof. Things get underway here, and the Major winds up in Liechtenstein trying to locate a KGB cover company to access a Swiss bank account, while Dorian is there to steal the principality’s royal art collection. Things get off to a good start with Dorian in a suit attending a social function in London with a Lawrence look-alike trying to gain his favor since he’s apparently some sort of celebrity, being an Earl and all. Dorian doesn’t like it, and he also doesn’t like the fact that faux Lawrence got invited to the party in Liechtenstein that he was going to crash. Bonham points out, rightly so, that the Queen in his own country has never even invited him to anything, so why should he be invited out to another country? He also warns about not becoming too popular, which seems important.
Also important is the fact that Dorian crashes the Liechtenstein party dressed as a woman for no real good reason. He was the belle of the ball.
Klaus finds him.
Much of the second half of the volume is pretty serious and basically just deals with Klaus and his men tailing the KGB. Their mission morphs into one where they have to rescue a computer technician (one from an agency which I suspect is IBM) who is being kidnapped along with stolen technology to fix sabotaged Soviet computers. Mischa’s back, and both Klaus and Dorian have run-ins with him. The reactions for the various German agents being back at work are also pretty humorous. There are various jokes mixed into the espionage bits, but the plot without Dorian is quite good, and Dorian’s promise of revenge was enough to tide me over for the next volume.
Well, that and the fact that the volume’s cliffhanger, which involves Klaus needing to disrobe while passed out with certain key characters present.
God I love this series. I love it hard.
Okay, I’m ignoring the majority of this review for the time being, considering that I had the release date of July 9th in my mind, and didn’t realize that the date had been bumped up until last night. I had just placed my order for this a moment ago, so, hopefully, I’ll be reading this sometime soon.
Anyway, I agree with you about the cover change. Even though Dorian is wearing a cool hat on the Japanese version of volume 13, the cover is meh otherwise.
I’m glad you got to review 13 for us. I just recently purchased it myself.
Volume 12 to me was hilarious, and rightly so. 13 was a bit more serious this time around, but then again last volume was almost all filler/side stories, so I guess it’s back to the grind for our heroes. It only sucks we have to wait until September for the next bit.
I’m not sure if you got the message I sent you about Love*Com, but I think it’s worth looking into.
Actually yes, right as I was looking over this post again before I logged in, I thought about editing it to allow for the hat. It is pretty swift.
Most of it is pretty serious stuff focusing on Klaus, and some serious stuff for Dorian too, but the beginning bits with Dorian are pretty good, and any scene with him and the Major together is to die for, as always.
I’m sorry, I just now realized I archived your message instead of answering it. I have a bad habit of just archiving everything in my inbox, I don’t really get that much e-mail. I appreciate the recommendation, though ^_^; I’ll answer it properly tonight.
=) Thanks. I think you’ll enjoy it alot.
I’ve reading your raving reviews on this series and dragging my feet on checking it out because of the art and I didn’t think it was my cup of tea. I found out that my library had 13 volumes, so I borrowed them and I absolutely enjoyed the series so far. It’s so funny and wonderful. I like it a lot and have ordered vol 13 and 14. I will add all the previous volumes to my collection for rereading purposes. Thank you for your links to the author’s website.
I’m thinking of getting the art book. Since you mentioned that you have a few, I was wondering if you have this one (「エロイカより愛をこめて」の創りかた – ISBN-10: 4838770405) and would you recommend it? Thanks.
Oh, I’m so glad to hear you liked it! I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and I didn’t think I’d like it either after the first volume or so, but it does suck you in after awhile.
That particular book you linked, the title’s something like The Making of From Eroica With Love, is more like an essay collection than an artbook. There are some cute illustrations to go along with the articles (that one I linked on one of the reviews that was a parody of Mars Chastising Cupid was from this book), and there’s a short crossover comic she draws in the back with a few other 70s artists, but it’s mostly text. The edition you linked is a very small bunkouban, the larger edition of that book does have about a dozen color illustrations and a few photos in the front, but I think the bunkouban only reproduces them in black and white.
If you’re looking for one that isn’t too expensive, there’s the unusual Eroica Nurie, 4838717504. The book itself is magazine sized, and there are around 15 or so color illustrations in the front, I think, with a few sliding in from her other series. The second half of the book includes line drawings of the same illustrations, followed by black and white clothing for Klaus and Dorian, and a couple color paper doll templates in the back, with the idea that you’re supposed to “color” the illustrations. The paper is really thick and glossy, not coloring book paper, and the paper dolls are printed on the same paper with no punches or anything, so I’m not entirely sure what you’re supposed to do with it other than look. There are illustrations of the characters offering commentary in the margins of all the pictures, too. It’s really, really weird.
The huge, regular-type artbook for the series is called Plus Ultra, 4835441869. It’s huge, and has around 200 color illustrations from Aoike’s entire body of work. It’s expensive though, around 5,000 yen.
Thank you so much for the info. It’s a good thing I ask. Looks like I need to save up for Eroica Nurie and Plus Ultra :)
The funny part in this volume is when the Earl ran away from the Major, usually it’s the other way around :D This series is so awesome. Too bad there will be no more English volumes after 15.
I was trying to remember the scene where the Earl ran from the Major, and wound up re-reading most of volume 13. I really just can’t get enough, and no matter how many times I read it, it’s still funny. I’m so glad you are enjoying it, and I envy you your first time through.
And I’m glad the artbook info was useful! There are a bunch more that were published through the years, but all the nicer ones are still in print. It’s really amazing seeing how much her art has changed since the series started.
Great post! I’ve also noticed a huge craze in Facebook quotes, there were a few sites that would get millions of likes just on a single quote.