SEAN: Three weeks this September have a huge pile of manga, one is merely a small pile. This is that week. (Though some may get Yen titles one week early via Diamond.)
Genshiken has continued to prove that if you have a good enough ensemble cast, it doesn’t matter who the ‘lead character’ or stars are. It rotates students in, it rotates students out. Well, OK, Madarame and his not-quite-harem continue to be the focus of the 2nd Season. Vol. 3 is out this week.
MICHELLE: I must admit that I have never read any Genshiken.
ASH: I haven’t read any of the second season yet, but I did rather enjoy the Genshiken omnibuses. Guess I’ll need to catch up!
MJ: I’ve always been interested in this title, but missed picking up the first season, so I’ve never managed to get into it. I would like to rectify that at some point!
SEAN: The other Kodansha title, Sherlock Bones, you may at first glance think is meant for younger readers, especially once you see the premise “Sherlock Holmes reincarnated as a dog”. That said, I think there may be something I can do to tempt old-school mystery and manga fans to get this volume: “From the creator of Kindaichi Case Files.”
MICHELLE: … and also !!! That certainly tempts me!
MJ: What she said!
SEAN: Everyone knows that old-school manga titles are not really looked at by companies anymore. UNLESS… they’re by the late director Satoshi Kon, aka Perfect Blue, Tokyo Godfathers, etc. Tropic of the Sea was a single-volume manga he did for Kodansha’s Young Magazine in 1990, and it’s at the start of his career, before he became famous for other things. It promises to be riveting, from what I hear.
ASH: I’m really looking forward to Tropic of the Sea. That cover is simply gorgeous and the interior art I’ve seen is also striking.
MJ: I’m very interested in this as well.
SEAN: Bokurano: Ours must still have cast members to kill off in a tragic yet heartwarming and life-affirming way, as the series is still going. Here’s Vol. 9 from Viz, whose continued support of the SigIKKI line I will always appreciate.
MICHELLE: I’ve fallen somewhat behind on Bokurano: Ours, but I do like it.
SEAN: Lastly, Ooku: The Inner Chambers has a new volume. We’re caught up with Japan, and the series doesn’t come out all that rapidly anymore. But this just makes this alternate world tale of court intrigue a rare treat.
MICHELLE: Yay, more Ooku!
ASH: Indeed! Hooray for more Ooku!
MJ: Insert additional cheers here!
SEAN: What manga dost thou wish to acquire on the morrow?
Damn, this is a good week! I need Bokurano, Ooku, and especially Tropic of the Seas! I’m still annoyed I can’t find Paranoia Agent for a decent price….
Still psyched Vertical got more Fumi Yoshinaga! Also, I haven’t read Ooku since volume 4 maybe, but I plan to read the whole things once it’s out (in like two years probably). But it’s Yoshinaga, and I trust all money to Yoshinaga. I also haven’t read Bokurano in a while, but have seen the anime. I’m still annoyed that Viz is so slow with IKKI things that are already complete because they’re doing their online thing (if they could’ve done two chapters a month for Bokurano, since it was already done and chapters are short, that would’ve been a massive help)
I’m broke at the moment, so I’ll have to put off Ooku for another day, but nothing will stop me from getting Genshiken. Over its run Genshiken switched focus from “guy nerds who you, the nerdy male audience, could relate to” to being “girl nerds who you, the nerdy male audience, could date”. The new series is pretty much The Hato Show, with Genshiken in it (especially the anime), because Hato hits both camps; there’s a lot of dude-otaku who want to be girly and hang out with the girls, and there’s also a lot of dude-otaku who have a certain interest in a cute crossdressing guy who is maybe not entirely adverse to making out with other guys (and of course some dude-otaku are both). And of course he brings in the fangirls, because dayum. So anyway: Hato rocks, Genshiken rocks, must buy.
Om a side note, I am continually amused that every single fujoshi in Genshiken rabidly slashes all her male acquaintances (and boyfriend, should she have one). I don’t think that’s as common in real life as Kio thinks it is…
Uh, VIZ is on volume 8 of Ooku now. Volume 9 came out in Japan at the end of last year, with volume 10 scheduled for next month too. So even with a new volume once a year, the U.S. (and France btw) is still behind.
I’m looking forward to Tropic of the Sea too. Hopefully I will get my copy since the store I usually buy from recently said they couldn’t guarantee a copy, even though I ordered it awhile ago.