365 Days of Manga, Day 177: King of the Lamp

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KING OF THE LAMP (Lamp no Ôsama, "King of the Lamp") (ランプの王様) • Takako Shigematsu • Go! Comi (2007) • Akita Shoten (Petit Princess, 2005) • Shôjo Romance • 1 volume • 16+ (nudity, sex)
Lovelorn girls seek help from a shirtless guy in a magic lamp (technically not a genie, but a legendary king cursed for his lechery), who provides them with magic breast enlargements, magic disguises, whatever they need to get their man. In return, however, he requires sexual payment. Nonconsensual elements and some really mean love interests leave this low-comedy bodice-ripper with an unpleasant aftertaste, although the sex scenes themselves are brief and flowery (albeit explicit enough). The sausage-fingered character designs, like the general mood of dirty thrills, feel like a B-list Mayu Shinjo (Sensual Phrase).

Today’s winner is Melissa P. of Georgia. Congratulations, Melissa!
Do you think of manga and anime as a wading pool of mysterious kink and sexuality? Did yaoi freak you out when you first found out about it? But of course, yaoi is just one subculture of anime and manga, and there are many other sorts of weird types of romance and sex in Japanese pop culture, just as there are in American (as if Americans can point fingers — impreg fanfic?!?!? “Secret baby” Harlequin romances?!?! What the heck, people?!) On that note, I’ve written an article on one particular facet of strange romances in manga: Incest: The Other Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name. Please check it out on comixology.com!