G Taste Vol. 4
Hiroki Yagami
G-taste (ジィ・テイスト, G-taste?) is an hentai manga series illustrated by the artist Hiroki Yagami 八神ひろき (Yagami Hiroki, 八神ひろき?) and serialised in Young Magazine Upper's. The "G" in "G-taste" is used symbolically as the letter between "F" (for "Fetish") and "H" (for "hentai"). The anime has been licensed in the US by Softcel Pictures. However the rights have since expired and now Critical Mass have since bought the rights. It should be noted though that not all of the series has been licensed as only the first five episodes have been released in the US. Episodes 6 and 7 have, to date, not been released in the US at all.
Hiroki Yagami places a great deal of emphasis on character design, and some of his female characters have become cult figures in Japanese anime. The G-taste comics consist of a collection of four scene erotic vignettes, which typically each focus on a particular female character. Characteristically, they feature very little male involvement in sexual acts, which contributes to the voyeuristic atmosphere. They are not usually very graphic, abiding by the Japanese legal restriction on not showing the lower genital areas. Some of the activities shown include masturbation, bondage, lesbian sex etc. Like most anime, it features female characters with highly improbable proportions. The comics seem to thrive on fetishes, and motifs of long legs, heels and short skirts are continuously recycled. Nevertheless, G-taste can be said to be artistic in terms of presentation, with slow and deliberate scenes showing close-ups of anatomy and of movement. Its art is relatively unique in Japanese anime.
The characters of G-taste include the stock figures of Japanese pornography, including the school girl, office clerk, secretary, nurse, waitress, receptionist, campaign girl, maid, doctor, teacher, and wife.
G-taste has also released a number of short films, mostly dramatisations of its comic stories. It has also spawned a number of computer games, including G-taste Mahjong for Arcade and PlayStation 2. But far and away the most successful part of the G-taste franchise is the resin figurines modelled on G-taste characters, which enjoy mainstream appeal in Japan and overseas. Some of the resin statues sell for up to USD $150 each. To an extent, the G-taste franchise demonstrates the crossover occurring between hentai, anime and comics.
Characters
Characters of Vol. 1 Moe Yagisawa
Moe Yagisawa (八木沢萌) - office lady
Characters of Vol. 2 Nana Morimura & Vol. 3 Mai Kanazuki
Nana Morimura (森村奈々) - maid who answers directly to Mai Kanazuki
Mai Kanazuki (神無月舞) - manager of the maids and private secretary to Baron Masquerade, whom she secretly loves
Risa Mizutani - (水谷理沙) maid who befriends Nana
Ayaka Konno (紺野彩香) - race queen/maid
Mayu Hoshino (星野麻由) - student/maid
Baron Masquerade (マスカレード男爵) - mysterious masked nobleman?
Characters of Vol. 4 Sayaka Mizukoshi & Vol. 5 Misuzu Kawamura
Sayaka Mizukoshi (水越沙耶香) - high school teacher
Misuzu Kawamura (川村美鈴) - high school student/swimmer in love with her mentor
Touka Fubuki (風吹東花) - doctor for a high school and twin sister to Kyoka Fubuki
Characters of Vol. 6 Asuka Senou
Asuka Senou (瀬能明日香) - young nurse
Kanae Aizawa (相沢香苗) - young nurse, senior colleague of Asuka
Kyouka Fubuki (風吹京花) - doctor in a local hospital and twin sister to Touka Fubuki
Characters of Vol. 7 Yuna Shingyouji FINAL
Yuna Shingyouji (真行寺由奈) - news announcer
Manga Characters
Yuki Shihodo (四方堂由姫) - young wife
Riona Kisaragi (如月里緒菜) - "woman in red"
Toko Nogami (野上東子) - event companion
Jun Kusakabe (草壁純) - policewoman
Kotomi Amano (天野琴美) - museum curator
Aoi Nishina (仁科葵) - bus tour guide
Elena Sradoka (エレーナ・スラードカヤ) - model
Kyoko Hachioji (八王寺京子)
Yui Jougasaki (城ヶ崎唯) - student/waitress
Marina Kisaragi (如月麻里菜) - elder sister of Riona who works as a shrine maiden
Yoko Takaoka (高岡陽子)
Ren Hasumi (蓮見蓮) - nurse
Mayu Saiki (斉木まゆ) - waitress
Leotard Highheel (レオタード・ハイヒール)
Fumika Kamizono (神園史華)
Emiri Tsuchiya (土屋絵美理)
Asami Ikegami (池上麻美)
Lady O (龍梅) - magician
Keiko Saotome (早乙女慶子)
Sayuri Kawamura - policewoman
Tomoyo Hanasaki - nurse
Hiroki Yagami - nurse
Miki Endou - high school student
Mika Sawatari - bunny girl
Mizuki Nomura
Serika Kitahara
Aya Takigawa
Asami Akiyama
Shoko Okazato
Reiko Nagai
Ryoko Fujisawa
Yuka Egawa
Ayumi Miura
Izumi Joban
Kana Mochizuki
Yui Kizaki
Ronmei
Mio Mouri