Renai Idenshi XX

Otoko ga inai no ka?

As someone who has read quite a lot of different shôjo-ai & yuri -themed manga, I recommend this to all those who like that genre AND admit to ever have thought "I wish there was only one gender in the world". It is sort of a refreshing piece as the world is very different from our normal one, without too much focus on the details of ethics so far.

@God Ginrai
Indeed, they are entirely dependant on the remaining sperm samples now that the men are all gone. But doesn't that add the element of being on the brink of total extinction and thus add a new layer on realization that maybe, maybe, they are focusing on the wrong things entirely...

I don't find the idea of such a system implausible, but the fact that it does not allow freedom of choice. You would think that they would determine Adam & Eve roles in some less structured way. Also, wouldn't this civilization fall apart eventually? (Since they still need sperm)

Whiptail lizards are interesting, but I fear I will have to keep up the disbelief suspension. I don't think the author thought all that much about the setting. The main character wonders about the two kissing, but she grew up in that world not in the current japan, shouldn't she know whether it's common for engaged adam - eve couples to kiss? Even if she doesn't socialize much.

I don't mind, it doesn't hinder my reading enjoyment. I just don't find it likely and think that the MC sometimes act like she didn't grow up in a world like that.

@Purple Library Guy

I wasn't referring to an entire female species that is implausible. I meant it more as that they have dual roles. Whiptails literally segregate themselves into 'male' and 'female' roles, with distinctive physical differences even though they are all female. It is very primitive, of course, I don't mean to say that humans aren't capable of more, but it is certainly plausible.

Indeed it is, PLG. There's a lot of drama potential in this, and I look forward to that.

Though it's really funny to see that they've maintained the "going to the bathrooms in groups" thing as a poke towards the gender in chapter 8.

Well, agreed, desiant, but that's the interesting thing, eh? Unlike most manga with such elitist setups (and there are plenty), in this case the main character is dedicated to overthrowing that social order. It's not unusual for the main character in such things to be low-class, but normally they just get brought in to the aristocratic order by the top aristocrat they fall for. So that's cool IMO, plus it builds in a major conflict that can drive story, plus it makes the main character more active, less passive than many of the protagonists in these elite-school setups. Win-win!

Lucide, just to be lucid, I never intended to suggest a women-only, parthenogenetic-reproduction society was implausible. What's odd is the re-creation of dual gender roles when there's only one gender. I mean, why bother? Finally a society without sexism, and they go and recreate it from scratch! But it's interesting--the stark artificiality of the gender roles, and of any taboos about love between people from the same role, reflects somewhat satirically on our real-world taboos about same-sex love. To me, that's a good SF element. It's rare for manga to actually make any use at all of the social-commentary strengths of SF, so that's cool.

This story hits too close to home for me.

@Cirith & Purple Library Guy

This is pretty much a whiptail lizard story. It happens. No more heavy lifting to suspend that belief.

@Cassanova

He'd die. Like them brown antechinus.

Interesting, though I'm not really ecstatic about the whole nobility shtick they've got going on in the school.

I mean, we ditched that stuff for a reason. And not only because nobles (like Erika-"sama") are just entitled jerks who like to flaunt their power a little too much.

Nearly all manga/anime SF settings are kinda silly. But if it was the Japanese I can imagine them being bloody-minded enough to actually do that--"Tradition and the social roles of our culture require that we have men. If we have no men, we'll just damn well pretend, and nobody will be rude enough to mention it!"

The setting is kinda silly, "hey all men are dead, let's create an artifical two gender system because it's totally necessary".
Seriously who would create such a stupid system.
But whatever I will just have to rise my "willing suspension of disbelief" level.

OK, I wasn't expecting much, even though I like Yuri. But this is great. There are a lot of interesting elements. A more or less workable SF premise, a dramatically driven main character, drama, forbidden romance, enough comedy to be fun but not quite enough to undermine the plot, even politics. The characterization is decent--not deep, but good enough to give you a feel for different people. The mangaka has a nice light touch, getting things across without hitting you over the head too much. And the whole thing moves along at a good pace; kept me reading. Gets a thumbs up from me.

and here it thought this is about a last man in the world and his superrrrrrrr duperrrrrr haremmmmm
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