This is a box. A magical box, playing a magical tune.

I saw this headline in the geeks group at Propeller, and it blew my mind for a few minutes.

Gene Hunt Hints at Cause of Bipolar Disorder

If you’re not a Life on Mars fan, that probably means nothing, but if you are, you may be able to imagine the several minutes I spent trying to figure out how Gene Hunt was involved with Bipolar Disorder. Heh.

Links! Johanna Draper Carlson reviews Kasumi vol. 1 at comicsworthreading. Now, you may remember back when I was lamenting on shojo manga (yes, this was before I lamented on boys’ love), I mentioned this comic as one that I’d looked forward to until I saw its official write-up. The review brings me back a little more toward hope. It still sounds fluffier than my original expectations, but maybe there’s a little substance after all? Or at least some genuine whimsy? I hope so! I’ll try to pick this up soon.

Rambling about OEL manga to follow: I’ve been feeling the need lately to try to do my part to support the OEL manga industry, though it’s a pretty rough time for me, financially speaking, to buy a lot of comics. Still, this article at Shuchaku East has strengthened my resolve even more. I’m not interested in getting into an argument over whether OEL is manga, etc., so don’t even bother bringing it here. What I am interested in is a world filled with more comics that I like, and I really don’t care where they come from. It is clear that Japanese comics (and those influenced heavily by them) resonate with me much more than most of the western-style comics I’ve read. I’ll admit, however, to having some persistent issues with certain things (gender roles, for instance) that keep coming up for me the more manga I read. It occurs to me, then, that if only the OEL manga market was stable enough to support the kind of epic stories that I particularly enjoy, it might just be the perfect mix of Japanese and western sensibilities for me. I mean, this is why I let myself get so excited by Kasumi to begin with, isn’t it?

I’m newer to all this than most of the people who have come by lately to read, and I know it. I fear that half the time I must sound audacious at best (and idiotic at worst). I’m constantly complaining that there isn’t enough of (insert my preference here) out there, when, truthfully, I probably haven’t yet read enough to know. Despite the fact that I read manga constantly, I’ve still only been reading it for about a year. Obviously I would not be doing this if I wasn’t rabidly in love with manga. And I am. Completely, stupidly in love. But my greedy mind wants more, more, more of all the elements I love best, and I’m ungrateful enough to complain when I can’t find it fast enough.

I’m not completely sure what I’m trying to get at here (if that wasn’t obvious), but I just feel like there’s this amazing potential in OEL manga (and okay, yes, I do think it is important to recognize that these are comics written by and for readers who enjoy manga, because there are very specific reasons why manga appeals to a lot of readers who are not drawn into western comics), perhaps even potential that is completely unique to OEL manga, and it breaks my heart that it is being held back the way it is. I’m not suggesting that publishers should throw money into something that will sink them. I’m just lamenting that this is the case, and wishing there was some magical solution, I suppose.

It’s getting late (for me), and I’m getting less and less coherent. Maybe I’ll try again tomorrow. :)