I have a new review over at Manga Recon this morning featuring Byun Byung-Jun’s Mijeong, a collection of short manhwa with a decidedly melancholy tone. This is the artist’s second published anthology and though the work still feels immature, it is clearly something special. For my full thoughts on the subject, read my review, but I’ll share here the last sentence which really sums up my feelings about this work. “Simultaneously dark and hopeful, Mijeong’s inconsistency and fretful tone may betray the early weaknesses of its creator, but its insight and uncommon beauty promise much greater things to come.”

I dearly hope that releases like this one will help push forward the publication of more and varied manhwa in English. Despite the medium’s 100 year history we still see so little of it here and I, for one, want much, much more!

Full House, Vol. 1
By Sooyeon Won
Published by NETCOMICS

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Ellie is a young, independently-minded, Oxford educated screenwriter living in London, far from her native Korea, on an estate called Full House, left for her by her recently deceased father. Having given up on romance with her childhood friend Felix, who became frustrated with her lack of interest in a physical relationship, Ellie is content to live the life of a single career woman in the house she so loves. Her happy existence is disrupted, however, when she is evicted from the house by its new owner, scandal-ridden matinee idol, Ryder Baye. Following her eviction, Ellie lingers on a street corner, pondering her future and vowing to complete the screenplay she holds in her hands. A gust of wind blows the pages into the street, and as Ellie struggles to gather them up, her foot is run over by a passing car, the driver of which turns out to be none other than Ryder Baye.

With Ryder already embroiled in scandal, he and his handlers pamper Ellie in the hospital, hoping to keep the accident out of the news. In a burst of anger and desperation, Ellie suggests that Ryder marry her so that she can recover ownership of her home, an idea which–much to her surprise–is pounced upon eagerly by Ryder’s manager, Miranda, who is anxious to prove that Ryder is not gay. Finally agreeing to a false engagement with a guarantee she can return to Full House (which she will share with Ryder, whom she hates), Ellie begins her new life in the public eye, for better or worse.

Though the setup is classic and so far predictable, Full House has a number of things working strongly in its favor. First of all, Sooyeon Won is delightfully wordy, crafting pages of pithy banter between determined enemies Ellie and Ryder as well as long pieces of narration that read more like a novel than a comic. Though this is the same style responsible for the deliciously overwrought melodrama of her well-known boys’ love series, Let Dai, here it reads as stylish romance with a vintage theatrical feel. Ellie’s quick wit and sharp tongue make her an unconventionally appealing heroine, more interested in her career than her appearance or any other traditionally feminine concerns. Ryder is thoroughly enjoyable as her foil, whose only goals are to do his work and carry on his affairs without hassle. That he is especially drawn to the house that Ellie would do anything to keep gives them one piece of common ground, though this romantic comedy is guaranteed to be volatile for a good long time before either of them recognize it.

Another point in this series’ favor is NETCOMICS’ English adaptation, which reads surprisingly well, even capturing a genuinely British feel in the dialogue, something that is helped along significantly by the decorous third-person narration that accompanies much of the volume. Not having read any of the volumes of this series released by its former licensee, Central Park Media, I can’t compare the two, but considering NETCOMICS’ poor early track record with translation, it seems important to mention how nicely they’ve done with this series so far.

Sooyeon Woo’s art, though not as detailed or beautiful to look at as her work on Let Dai, has a light, sketchy feel that complements the breezy tone of the series, aided further by her playful paneling which keeps the pace brisk despite the abundance of dialogue. Both art and dialogue look clean and crisp in NETCOMICS’ online reader, even at its lower-resolution setting, and even the smallest text is readable against the series’ backgrounds, something that can’t be said for Let Dai.

Despite its questionably believable plot and obvious setup, this series has enough spark and energy behind it to easily propel readers into its second volume. Its fast-paced banter and classic romantic comedy feel make Full House an appealing new addition to NETCOMICS’ manhwa catalogue.

Volume one of Full House is available from NETCOMICS online.

Sugarholic, Vol. 2
By Gong GooGoo
Published by Yen Press

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Thanks to the power of guilt and her desperate need for cash, Jae-Gyu finds herself being reeled in by Whie-Hwan’s proposal that she pose as his girlfriend for a month. Meanwhile, childhood “friend” turned pop idol Hee-Do is dreamy-eyed over a photo of himself with Jae-Gyu, snapped by a fan during their recent encounter (to the extreme dismay of his handlers). Unfortunately, things continue to be difficult for Jae-Gyu in this volume as she faces her new life in the big city. First, she is easily lured into a quasi-prostitution scenario by some unscrupulous coworkers of her friend Hyun-Ah. Later, her brother’s borrowed apartment falls through, leaving her on her own. With all circumstances leaving her more and more dependent on Whie-Hwan for her survival, Jae-Gyu begins to feel a bit attached, but is she in over her head?

Nothing earth-shattering or even truly unexpected happens in this volume, yet the story’s characters remain quirky, charming, and generally fun to read about, which is definitely its primary draw. Jae-Gyu’s childlike tactlessness and oddly random sense of responsibility make her a unique heroine even within a common manhwa mold, and Whie-Hwan’s frequent loss of cool keeps him from fully becoming a genre cliché. It is Hee-Do, however, who provides true mystery in this series with a personality that, at least at this point in time, is just too weird to unravel. This is not a liability by any means. Though his single-minded devotion to Jae-Gyu (who is apparently still anticipating some kind of revenge) is undoubtedly a tad creepy, it is also inexplicably sweet. Lingering over the cell phone photo of himself with Jae-Gyu running away from him he muses over how little the photo does her justice, thinking, “You’re the kind of person who sparkles most when you’re moving.” He’s a character who lives so completely in his head it’s astounding that he’s able to function in the world at all, let alone as a public figure, which may be the secret to what makes him so fascinating.

Further insight into Whie-Hwan’s past is still too vague to be quite compelling in this volume, though it certainly promises future intrigue. The same could be said for the brief sidestep into the story of Jae-Gyu’s brother, which fades into the background all too quickly. Yet, even without major plot development, the volume maintains momentum, thanks to its messy, likable characters.

Though so far lacking the heavily addictive quality of Goong or One Thousand and One Nights or even the fantastic strangeness of 13th Boy, Sugarholic remains a fresh, fun addition to Yen Press’ lively lineup of girls’ manhwa titles.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Like many of you I’m a sucker for a sale and though I missed the recent sale on Vertical books while I was out of town (*snif*) I’ve perked up a bit over this week’s specials at rightstuf.com from Digital Manga Publishing, whose eclectic mix of titles (on sale through tomorrow, October 22nd) offers something for everyone. Taking a look at my review index, I realize I’ve actually reviewed very few of these, but my recommendations are as hearty as ever!

At the top of my list are a couple of titles from the brilliant Fumi Yoshinaga, Antique Bakery and Flower of Life, both wonderfully quirky series as only Yoshinaga can produce. She has a great gift for painting her characters through dialogue that is uniquely hers and it is this that draws me most to her work. Also, she’s funny–really, really funny, yet simultaneously poignant and frequently deep. If that alone is not enough to sway you, check out Michelle Smith’s lovely review of Antique Bakery and Shaenon Garrity’s hilarious overview of Flower of Life. As Shaenon says at the end of her write-up, “Thank you, Fumi Yoshinaga, for continuing to be better than everyone!”
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Today I have a short review of xxxHolic, Vol. 14 in a special Tuesday edition of Manga Minis. This series is so wonderfully rich and there is much I might have said about this volume, given more space. I’ll try to include some of it here.

First of all, one of the things I discussed in my mini is the level of warmth this series has taken on. The “sweet” moment I mention between Watanuki and Mokona, for instance, is so adorable one could die, and when Kohane asks Doumeki why he remains with Watanuki, the image Doumeki calls forth–Watanuki by the river on a particular rainy day–is enough to break one’s heart. That this is followed by Kohane asking Doumeki to “Take care of Kimihiro-kun… please?” is truly the final nail in the coffin.

It is here, too, that I must mention CLAMP’s effective use of paneling, because it is not so much the dialogue that does the work here, but the imagery. Doumeki doesn’t respond to Kohane with anything more than the squeeze of a hand, but the way that moment is built up–with a flashback to Yuuko’s ominous words about hesitation, individual profiles (cut narrowly within wide horizontal panels) of Doumeki and then Kohane, then a single page consisting only of a larger, fuller profile of Doumeki followed by a close-up of his hand squeezing Kohane’s–draws out the moment perfectly, giving it enormous emotional weight. Similarly effective means are used in the story’s next scene too, in which Watanuki confesses his new resolve to remain in this world. The panels are clean and heavy on contrast as is usual for CLAMP (especially in this series) and this deceptive visual simplicity, much like simplicity of language, allows for stronger statements than could ever be made with more verbose visual language.

This volume is filled with foreshadowing, which I suppose is no different than the rest of the series to this point, but at this point the foreshadowing contains a sense of urgency and immediacy that has not been present before, at least to this extent. That a customer arrives in the middle of it all–something we haven’t seen for quite some time–might appear to break the momentum, but it actually seems to be a part of it somehow, with Watanuki taking on Yuuko’s usual role. A later scene with the voices (but not the bodies) of Maru and Moro only strengthens this feeling, and the book’s final scene sets an uneasy, anticipatory tone for the next volume, despite the unearthly calm of its participants. Will it be Watanuki who is able to grant Yuuko’s wish after all, just as he has hoped to do? It seems likely that we will find out soon.

What read as cold philosophy at the beginning of this series has become intimate personal drama fourteen volumes in, and even Yuuko can’t pretend to be detached from the story’s outcome, particularly as concerns Watanuki, whom she obviously loves. Though I think it goes without saying at this point that reading Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle has become an essential part of understanding this series, there is something deep at the core of xxxHolic that stands entirely on its own, and nowhere is that clearer than in this volume.

Click here to read my miniaturized thoughts on the subject (I’m not lying about the food thing; I made rice balls immediately after reading this volume). And please, read xxxHolic. It is truly a thing of beauty.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Boys Over Flowers Jewelry Box
By Yoko Kamio
Published by Viz Media

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Though Boys Over Flowers‘ main story finally concluded after 36 volumes, neither fans nor mangaka Yoko Kamio were quite content, thus the release of Boys Over Flowers Jewelry Box featuring two side stories set after the series’ final volume. The first of these follows heroine Tsukushi Makino, now out of high school and working as a clerk in a real estate office to pay her family’s bills. With boyfriend Tsukasa still in New York, former love interest Rui has taken to visiting Tsukushi’s family regularly, becoming so familiar he even addresses her father as “dad.” When the whole group is assembled in Paris to witness the wedding of Rui’s former crush, Shizuka, Tsukasa clearly demonstrates his jealousy by asserting control and throwing money (and insults) at Tsukushi, as usual. The second story focuses on Rui, his uncertainty over his future, and his difficulty letting go long-held feelings for Tsukushi.

Unlike many fans, I felt quite satisfied with the way things were left at the end of volume 36, with true love finally settled (at least for Tsukushi and Tsukasa) but not so settled that the character’s futures were unnecessarily narrowed. After all, the story’s heroine was still in high school at the end of the series, and I think I’d have felt incredibly uncomfortable if things had been left any more certain than they were. That said, there is something decidedly comforting about sneaking a peek into Tsukushi and Tsukasa’s future lives and seeing them still bumbling along in their fiery-yet-conservative romance, as awkward and volatile as ever. Though it is disconcerting to see Tsukasa falling back into his worst, most controlling self at the first twinge of insecurity, demonstrating very little personal growth since the end of the series proper, if there’s one thing that has been made clear over the course of the series, it is that Tsukushi can handle herself regardless of his behavior.

Even nicer is the look into Rui’s world, something that remained largely mysterious throughout the series particularly in terms of his feelings for Tsukushi and, really, women in general. With its thoughtful, melancholy look at Rui and his place both in Tsukushi’s life and within the F4, this volume’s second story is quite plainly the best reason to buy it. I’d consider it a must-read for any fan.

Though this manga offers nothing on the level of Boys Over Flowers‘ greatest drama, that is perhaps the secret to its charm. Short but not too sweet, Boys Over Flowers Jewelry Box provides a nicely quiet postscript to this deliciously melodramatic epic.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Just a couple of quick links this morning as I sit in the Salt Lake City airport waiting for my flight home. First of all, the third installment of the NANA Project is up, in which Danielle Leigh, Michelle Smith and I discuss volumes five and six of NANA. In this installment, we focus heavily on the addition of Trapnest to the regular cast of characters, and particularly Hachi’s involvement with Takumi. If you’re new to the Project, check out our discussion of volumes one, two, three, & four and please, join us in comments!

In other offsite news, check out my review of Kamichama Karin Chu, volume 4 in this week’s manga minis, and look for my review of the second volume of Rasetsu soon in an upcoming On The Shojo Beat column to be posted over the next couple of days. (ETA: Rasetsu review is up!)

Homeward bound!

Legend, Vol. 6
By Kara & Woo SooJung
Published by Yen Press

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As the confrontation between No-Ah and Toh (the fourth blade of the Seven Blade Sword) continues, Toh reveals his true mission–to keep the blades of the Sword from being collected together, thus preventing world chaos, a consequence of which No-Ah was previously unaware. When Eun-Gyo arrives in the middle of it all, it becomes clear that she is not herself but instead Joo-Ji, the central blade of the Sword, who chose to be reborn as human in order to be reunited with her lover, which unexpectedly turns out to be No-Ah. When No-Ah meets her, however, he is only concerned about what has happened to Eun-Gyo, whom he is determined to protect in this life. Meanwhile, Ho-Dong searches frantically for Eun-Gyo, revealing his own past-life agenda–to reunite with Joo-Ji before No-Ah can steal her away from him again–as well as his current allegiance as a spy working for the same side as trickster Poong. Horrified to discover that No-Ah has reached her before he could, Ho-Dong reverts into a young man, the true form he has been hiding all along. As the volume continues, the web of past loves becomes even more tangled when the true identity of No-Ah’s sister, Seo-Hee, is revealed.

This volume is simply packed with new revelations, each contributing to this series’ sudden burst of new life. After several somewhat tepid volumes, this series is finally coming together and the effect is quite stunning. Each of the characters has gained new depth with further revelations regarding their past lives, particularly No-Ah and Ho-Dong who are being pulled in multiple directions by the often-conflicting motivations of their past and present selves. No-Ah’s lack of clear memory makes his position particularly complex, while Ho-Dong’s clear, painful memories make his especially poignant. “You must be more furious than sad,” teases the ever-smug Poong upon Ho-Dong’s return to his original form, “Isn’t that why you’ve decided to stop being a spy? You want to try to steal Miss Eun-Gyo from No-Ah, right?” adding cruelly, “Didn’t have the confidence to seduce her as a kid?”

Both No-Ah and Ho-Dong are in unenviable positions–No-Ah becoming more and more aware of the fact that the quest necessary to save his sister may have grave, far-reaching consequences and Ho-Dong being continuously faced with the same heartbreak time and time again–and with the lines between “sides” blurring further with each chapter it’s difficult to judge either of them by their choices. That the story’s creators have managed to paint all of this in such varied shades of gray is largely responsible for the success of this volume, and though their decision to withhold so much until this far in may have cost them some readers earlier on, the payoff is substantial. Even Eun-Gyo’s dense single-mindedness has taken on a newly rich tone as it becomes clear that she is, on some level, being manipulated by emotions generated by her past life. Only No-Ah, from his unique perspective of being both aware of and detached from his past life, is able to truly separate the feelings of his past self from his own, giving him a peculiar advantage over most everyone else.

After waffling on this series for so long, it is a pleasure to be able to finally recommend Legend. Though it gets off to a slow start, this series is a great choice for fans of shojo adventure manga and may appeal especially to those who have had difficulty embracing the art style in much of Yen Press’ manhwa catalogue. Though I personally prefer the clean, solid look of manhwa titles like Goong and One Thousand and One Nights, or even the quasi-alien look of something like 13th Boy, many manga fans consider those style to be hard or flat–words that could not possibly be used to describe Kara’s artwork here. With its flowing, wispy, undeniably cute art style and new air of romantic drama, Legend finally establishes a strong place for itself in Yen’s current lineup of girls’ manhwa.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

NANA, Volume 18
By Ai Yazawa
Published by Viz Media

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After a quick opening set in the future, where Hachi, Yasu, Nobu, and Shin contemplate how best to track down Nana whom they’ve determined must be in England, the story returns to the present where everything is finally coming together the day before Blast’s tour is ready to launch. Nana is pumped, her voice is solid, she’s got Hachi in her corner, and even her home life with Ren, newly returned from recording overseas, is humming along nicely. Unfortunately, Shin’s personal turmoil is taking a toll, driving him into the arms of sugar mama Ryoko, with whom he gets arrested for marijuana possession, causing the tour to be canceled at the last minute. The rest of the volume focuses mainly on the aftermath of this–how the members of Blast will move on, particularly Nana, whose newly re-established easiness with Ren collapses quickly under the stress. Meanwhile, Takumi tries to figure out how to help Reira deal with the situation, finally addressing her relationship with Shin in a realistic way, in a scene that is tied closely to the Takumi-centric side story included at the end of the volume.

One thing that is particularly striking in this volume is that the forced breakup of Blast and subsequent events places Nana in an isolated enough position that the gap between the present and the future narration suddenly seems much less wide than it has up to this point. Also, with implications made about Shin in the opening “future” chapter (in which Yasu tells him he should be grateful his agency let him back in the business) being explained in this very volume, it really feels like the series of events immediately related to Nana’s eventual disappearance are finally unfolding before our very eyes.

There are a few really interesting reactions amongst the characters here in this volume, which feel unexpected and completely realistic all at once. Displaying just how well-suited she is to Yasu, Miu, tasked with giving the news to Hachi and Takumi, is the voice of reason, dispensing rock-solid advice to Nana (and harsh truth to Takumi) when it is most needed. Takumi, usually poised to step up in any kind of crisis, actually seems rather sad and helpless when he’s faced with the demise of Blast, despite the fact that it isn’t even his band. He is unusually warm throughout this volume, watching other people’s worlds falling apart around him, and his offer to help Reira find a place where she can meet up with Shin after he is freed is almost touching. “It’s not your fault. I drove you to it. I drove Shin into it,” he says to her with uncharacteristic emotion and candor. “But I didn’t mean to take away your happiness. I didn’t start Trapnest to do that to you guys!”

Almost comical is the reaction of the sleazy press guys, who seem to feel somehow hurt by the whole situation, as though they have an actual stake in the success of Blast whose members they’ve tormented with threat of scandal since the beginning. Nana waffles between selfish (if understandable) anger, regret, raw ambition, and abject terror over the prospect of being on her own as a performer. That she is eventually able to recognize that Yasu’s pain over it all must be as great or greater than her own and is able to actually act on that realization (by determining to go solo to keep not just herself but Blast in the public consciousness) is a huge sign of growth for her.

This entire volume contains enough emotional complexity to inspire an essay almost as long as the volume itself, but perhaps the most compelling bit of all is the Takumi side story at the end. He’s always been a character who is pretty easy to hate, particularly for readers who identify strongly with Hachi, and though the side story does not ease any of that Hachi-related resentment (and in fact, makes it quite a bit worse) it does humanize him in a way I would not have thought possible, making sense of his actions, even the worst ones (perhaps especially the worst ones). This side story, more than any of the others that have been included so far, is crucial to understanding the deep disfunction at the core of Trapnest and provides a huge amount of insight into Takumi, Reira, and even Yasu, and how their mutual history continues to shape the present.

The more I examine the way Ai Yazawa has conceived and developed these characters and the complex web of love and pain that binds them all together, the more impressed I become. This series remains fantastic and utterly addictive in the best way possible.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

The Battle of Genryu: Origin, Vol. 1
By Shoko Fukaki
Published by CMX

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Jin is a normal, happy-go-lucky high school student with unusually strong fighting abilities, something which has caught the attention of his friend Fusano, who suspects there is something “a little bit different” about him. As it turns out, what’s different about Jin is something his father and sister are determined to keep secret, especially from Jin’s estranged brother, Soichiro, who makes a living displaying his own abilities for the entertainment of the masses. When Soichiro approaches Jin’s sister, Toko, with a view towards bringing both her and Jin into his world, it becomes clear that their family relationships are not what they seem. Toko rejects Soichiro’s advances, appalled by his use of secret techniques for show and clearly terrified of what could happen to Jin should she be unable to protect him. Undaunted, Soichiro finds his way to Jin through more devious means, setting up a fight he’ll be unable to refuse.

When I first read this manga several months back, my impression of it was “competent but unremarkable.” Now on my second read, my perspective has changed a bit, and I find myself quite drawn to these characters and their world. I’m especially partial to the women, Toko and Fusano, and their mutual ability to take care of both themselves and the primary object of affection in their lives, Jin. This story doesn’t quite pass the Bechdel Test (at least not yet) but these women are strong, smart, and tender, and they can hold their own against the fairly terrifying men around them. Toko, particularly, displays such stirring affection for Jin, even now I find myself returning to the book’s middle chapters to catch a glimpse of it once more. That Fusano, one of the most skilled young fighters in the story is used by Soichiro as helpless bait to lure in Jin is truly unfortunate, though it is such a common occurrence in manga of this kind, I can’t quite bring myself to get worked up over it as I should. There is a lot of talk, even from Soichiro, about Fusano having the potential to be a “real martial artist.” I can only hope this will be developed more as the story goes on.

What remains a great mystery, even by the end of the volume, is any hint as to the origin of Jin (and Soichiro’s) power, aside from a vague implication that they may not be fully human. With the true relationship between them yet unexplained, it is also unclear exactly why Soichiro is so anxious to bring Jin to his side or even what that really means. After all, Soichiro seems to be mainly using his abilities to attract money and fame, at least on the face of it. What hidden truth makes Toko so desperate to protect Jin from him? The man is sleazy, there’s no doubt about that, but what’s behind it all? It is these questions that most drive me to want to pick up the next volume.

Another thing The Battle of Genryu: Origin has going for it is the fact that its fight scenes are both fairly intense and easy to follow, a combination that is often difficult to find in this type of manga. I expect the fighting only appears realistic to those of us who honestly know nothing about it since even I must question some of the physics involved, but realism is pretty far from the point. If you’re looking to escape shonen battle clichés or for any kind of sincere insight into the martial arts, this is definitely not the book for you. The artwork overall is generally attractive, if not unique, and there are some unexpected touches here and there in backgrounds and a few bits of paneling that actually evoke a shojo-esque feel.

Though it would be difficult to shift my assessment of this manga as “unremarkable” at this point, there is definitely a warmth and charm to it that I did not pick up during my first read which makes that a real possibility in the future. With this in mind, I’ll be genuinely interested to see where it goes from here and whether the elements of it that I’m most drawn to remain enough of a focus to continue. Though I can’t quite recommend this series’ first volume, fans of light-hearted battle manga may find something here to hook them, along with a hope of better things to come.

Review copy provided by the publisher.