Recommendation: ULTRAS [NSFW]

To avoid confusion, I normally refer to soccer as fútbol to distinguish from American football, so I will do the same here. After all, Ultras is a manga with a passionate focus on fútbol and a beautiful Spanish flair ♥ It features five different stories: a pair of star-crossed lovers, a thief and an ex-con, a scorned pair of screenwriters, a perverted peeping tom, and a Japanese and Spanish duo who find themselves lost in translation. Please enjoy this image-heavy post, because the artwork really speaks for itself. (Although I showed the cover image – the preview image – to Bass and he said they looked like mummies… “orz) ¡Viva España!

Ultras
est em
Genre: Yaoi, Comedy, Drama, SportsDownload Volume @ MOON IN A BOX

Premise: After a drunken night of championship celebration, Leon finds himself in the room of Alfonso, a Liberta Madrid fan – FC Madrid and Leon’s rival fútbol team. Alfonso, unaware that Leon’s a Madrid fan, wishes to continue their relationship, but Leon has major qualms about putting something ahead of fútbol.

Two men of the same profession meet.

A former powerhouse film-making duo have an unplanned sleepover together.

A man with a fetish for uncleanliness spies on the messy writer from across his building.

Spanish playboy Ángel faces a golden opportunity, but being a foreigner in Japan has its disadvantages.

Leon & Al get to know each other a little more. Typical couple stuff. Well, not really.

First and most important, if you are only interested in reading smutty stuff, you’ll be disappointed, although I can say that the story and art is good enough without pr0nz. Out of all five stories, you’ll only have to see a dude’s dick once, so no worries. I suppose you should watch out if you’re sensitive to these sort of things though, but below the spoiler is the most you’ll ever see. Look anyway and appreciate est em’s ability to draw accurate, manry male anatomy. Under this spoiler is the only visually inappropriate material in the present in the manga.

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「Ultras 」

Ultras is the main reason you’re reading Ultras for, aside from the unique, raw artwork. The others are one-chapter stories that are interesting and executed well considering they’re only a chapter long, but as the title dictates Ultras is the main story that makes the manga worth the read, the story that makes you fall in love. The premise is interesting, at least to me – apparently fútbol is a huge fucking deal, and die-hard fans are the norm in Spain, so much so that opposing teams are almost the equivalent of rival gangs.

It sounds silly, but the main character’s devotion to fútbol is almost unsettling, in a good way. The answer seems so obvious, so obvious that just because he’s a fan of Liberta it doesn’t mean the relationship won’t work out, that they’re in love with each other. Leon doesn’t seem to get it, and usually that sort of obliviousness to the answer is frustrating and cheap. But the way est em draws expressions and the way she’s able to build up tension, and the characters themselves seem to bat away any sense of clichéd nonsense.

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The story has some pretty cute moments, despite the brevity and Romeo-&-Juliet-style plot. The way “Ultras” is written is almost like a movie – progressively builds up, with scenic yet important moments in between. These scenes influence the characters as events influence us in real life, or as scenes should in movies, eventually leading to the moment of acceptance or resolution. The dialogue, perhaps a little dramatic at times, also has a movie-like quality to it. Every character says the perfect thing, nothing extraneous or too cheesy.

「Say Hello to Mr. Smith 」

Say Hello to Mr. Smith is the least impressive out of the five couples to me, maybe because they aren’t really much of a couple. “Say Hello to Mr. Smith,” as well as “The Onlooker” and “Who Killed Oscar?,” have nothing to do with España or fútbol, which is a total bummer and a little confusing. Why is this included? Maybe it’s because they’re two unlikely lovers, or rivals, or something. There isn’t an obvious reason though.

Although fairly unimpressive, it’s not to say “Say Hello to Mr. Smith” is boring. There’s no love involved, but it takes conversation to a different level. Not a My Dinner with Andre level, but there’s still merit to this story: there’s a monkey, men dressed nicely in pressed suits, and use of different screentones than the other chapters.

「The Onlooker 」

The Onlooker wins for being the weirdest story, and oddly compelling, if not just a little disgusting. The main character, The Onlooker, is strangely turned-on by his neighbor’s horridly messy habits and eating style. (Here is a useful chart in case you’re not sure you can eat something you dropped on the floor. The neighbor should consult it.) He also plays with his thingy while he’s peeping…….. :I

I particularly like “The Onlooker” not because it’s the most perverted or it reminded me of Rear Window, but because the main character portrayed so perfectly as a neat-freak pervert who dreams about having ice cream over him (NOOOO what a waste of ice cream! Aaggghhhhh). Most of all, even though the conversation is one-sided, this chapter still manages to establish some sort of bizarre relationship.

「Who Killed Oscar? 」

Who Killed Oscar? The main characters did. Sorry for the spoiler. This story is about the night a duo who made an award-winning film together as scriptwriters. Now, one makes crappy movies while the other acts in minor television roles. Unlike the other stories, which involve strangers who meet for the first time or acquaintances who don’t know each other very well,  these two have a history together; you can see it through their actions, their words.

This story is a little more predictable – hell, they’re all pretty predictable – than the rest, but it best demonstrates how est em can tie things together in her works, even though it’s in a fairly simple way. It’s like this throughout the manga, but it also highlights a great utilization of paneling – clean, simple, and uses all of the space available.

「Local y Visitante 」

Local y Visitante is the cutest aside from the main story and the main story’s gags at the end (the reason why Ultras is also part comedy). There’s no sexy tiems but I’m sure you guys won’t mind at all! It’s a simple story of misunderstanding resulting from the language barrier between a Japanese local, Taka, and a Spanish playboy, Ángel. Despite their ethnicities, there’s just a minor difference between their noses though… ;;

With this chapter is the return of the fútbol theme, because fútbol’s a big deal everywhere! (Who knew?) The best part is that our cute Al from “Ultras” makes a cameo, even though he’s a bit of a dick. The Japanese local, Taka, is so tsundere too, d’aaaaw. There’s almost a disjunction between fútbol and the characters’ relationship, but its apart of the bigger picture that brings them together.

Wow, reading this and actually recommending this NSFW manga, I really feel like  a grown-up now! Awesome. Be sure to check it out at least, seeing it’s only eight chapters long, and please tell me how you feel about it – great, okay, overhyped, horrible, ugly. It might actually take you less time to go through it than to read this post, sorry about that! If you feel the same way about it, you’ll love it for its great artwork, simple but effective stories, sensible sexiness, and its undertoned atmosphere.

/ 15 Commentsleave a comment /

• xyanderex says:

  March 26, 2011

  Now I have to read this…

  a-and it's totally not because of the porn or anything >////>
  My recent post Tofu’s Top 10 Anime of 2010

  Reply
  • Vivi says:

    March 26, 2011

    Of course, the porn wasn't why I e-enjoyed it or anything…
    It was because of fútbol ! Yeah, that's it.

    Reply
• Fuu says:

  March 26, 2011

  I was sold on the concept initially. C’mon, footie + Spanish influence? FUCK YEA. Then I saw yaoi. -_____________-”

  Reply
  • Vivi says:

    March 26, 2011

    ¿No le gusta? qué lástima, jajaja

    They could have upped the Spanish culture a bit.

    Reply
• Bass says:

  March 26, 2011

  Oh dear god I'm never opening spoilers in your posts again >_<

  But I find it weird how anime loves to use AC Milan (teams with red/black striped jerseys), considering Man Utd is the most popular in asia.
  My recent post Recommendation- ULTRAS NSFW

  Reply
  • Vivi says:

    March 27, 2011

    Were you thinking, "Hey, the rest of these images are pretty okay, let's check what's under this spoiler." ? LOL

    Maybe because black & red are bold colors? idk. I should probably be cool and get into fútbol, but there would have to be more headbutts and stuff for me to be interested…

    Reply
• Ness says:

  March 26, 2011

  Yes yes, futubol… indeed. :3

  Reply
  • Vivi says:

    March 27, 2011

    Yep, fútbol….
    >_>
    <_<

    Reply
• morri says:

  March 27, 2011

  I'm in no way a yaoi fan, but its nice to see the NSFW tag used for something other than the male-targeted hentai I usually post.

  Speaking of which, there's a somewhat BL Sengoku Basara doujin I've been meaning to rec here. I should probably start writing a post for it or something.

  Reply
  • Vivi says:

    March 27, 2011

    OOOH what pairing? Which circle? ♥♥♥
    I've never thought about rec'ing doujins. The one you're talking about must be really something!!

    Reply
    • morri says:

      March 29, 2011

      I don't know what the circle is. Either it doesn't say on the scans or I didn't see it if it did.

      The main character is Sasuke. The pairings are Sasuke x Yukimura and Masamune x Katakura. You know, the usual Sengoku Basara pairings.

      It actually takes place in a modern high school, which works for some reason. And the art is pretty damn good. There's also a non-BL Sengoku Basara doujin I really like too. Actually, it might not be a doujin because I think the company behind the games puts it out. It focuses on Keiji and Masamune and, like most manga I read, the art is amazing. The art is what got me reading it in the first place.

      If I can find the time, I'll do a post on both of them. Or maybe a post for each since one is BL and one isn't. I don't want to freak out people like Bass who are awfully sensitive to teh ghey in their manga.

      Reply
• Kyokai says:

  March 28, 2011

  Good one Vivi, I will definitely read for the love of uh– fútbol….

  Also, looking forward to that dj post now, Morri. I'm a sucker for anything Sengoku Basara. xD

  Reply
  • morri says:

    March 29, 2011

    All the more reason for me to write it, I guess. <3

    Reply
• kluxoriouss says:

  March 29, 2011

  if i ever get around of reading this, it was because I'm fantasizing my football players being gay and fuck each other's butt. How romantic.
  My recent post Diary of a tard- Week 4- March 2011

  Reply
• Namika says:

  March 29, 2011

  O_O
  That's something fairly new… >.>
  *tempted*

  Reply