MJ Review: All Nippon Air Line

[Eric]

Title: All Nippon Air Line: Paradise at 30,000 Feet
Mangaka: Kei Azumaya
Originally Serialized in: Shosetsu June (Magazine Magazine Co., Ltd.); dojinshis “A.N.A.L.”, “Betsu Ana”, “Tsubaka no Oukoku”, and “Jet Stream”
Genre: Yaoi, Parody, Comedy
Licensed by: DMP
Price: $12.95/US

All Nippon Air Line, or A.N.A.L., is a unique company. Completely run by men, from the baggage handlers to the stewards to the “kings” (directors of the company), A.N.A.L. promises exquisite service to its customers. Catering to every whim, or fetish, is no small matter for this airline. Come try A.N.A.L. today—you’ll love it!

Azumaya’s manga manages to parody both yaoi and Japanese business manga, while also poking gentle fun at homosexual stereotypes, and does it all well. From the title onward, the bad sex jokes and puns abound, making me wonder a little at DMP’s 16+ rating, but I soon forgot that as I laughed my way through what little plot there is. A.N.A.L. is a collection of short stories—some as little as one page—all focusing on one aspect or another of the airline’s policies or staff. Some of the stories are actually from doujinshi that Azumaya did of her work, but they don’t have any of the out-of-context feel that one might expect from a doujin.

Azumaya’s art perfectly fits the feel of the book. Sparkles and screen tones are everywhere, as are dramatic poses and silly sound effects. Her characters tend to run together slightly, as most of them look very similar, but since there is little or no actual plot, that isn’t really a downfall. Not having a full plot is also not a downfall as the stories are funny enough to stand on their own.

My one real complaint is that A.N.A.L. is published on a very thick weighted paper and does not want to open easily without the spine cracking. This makes for frustrating reading if you prefer, like I do, a book that opens more completely or if you try to read your books without damaging them.

The book, as it is sold in stores, comes with the PC version of the cover which says All Nippon Air Line. There is also a “real” version, which has the A.N.A.L. logo on it. DMP is giving away a limited supply of the “real” version at conventions and through mail in requests. For more information visit their news archive here.

For readers with a sense of humor and yaoi fans who love cracky storylines, A.N.A.L. is great!

Reviewer: Snow Wildsmith
Proofer: Eric Turner
Editor: Lissa Pattillo