This week, Michelle, Sean, and Anna look at recent releases from Viz Media, Seven Seas, and Yen Press.
Manga the Week of 6/26
SEAN: Given that I got in Yen books this week but the rest of you get it next week, my own Next Week list is somewhat short. But not without interest.
First, I forgot this last week, but the 9th light novel of the Haruhi Suzumiya series, The Dissociation of Haruhi Suzumiya, is out this week. This one is part of a 3-book set (Books 10-11 are coming out here as one big book around Thanksgiving) that revitalized the franchise, giving the series a shot in the arm, as well as a new rival for Kyon’s affections… or is she? Good stuff.
MICHELLE: I think I read the first one of these a long time ago, but never managed to continue.
MJ: I’d like to read these light novels, because the manga adaptation has mostly not done a lot for me. Maybe I’ll like it better in its original form.
SEAN: Now on to 6/26 proper. Dark Horse has the third volume of OreImo. With Haganai, coming out via Seven Seas, it managed to be just interesting enough that I continued it despite its skeeziness. This title is just skeezy enough that I dropped it despite its interestingness.
MICHELLE: Ugh.
MJ: So much skeeze these days, it seems. What’s up with that?
SEAN: Kodansha is still speeding up Fairy Tail. Vol. 26 ended with out heroes in a bad spot. Will they continue to get the crap kicked out of them here as well? Oh, probably, this arc is 7 books long and this is only Book 4 of that.
MJ: This is one of those long series I keep thinking I’d like to try (Hiro Mashima is such a charming guy!) but I’m perpetually intimidated by its length. Should I start it anyway?
SEAN: There’s also a new Negima omnibus for those who missed it, this one taking us into the Magic World arc that proved to be much better than anyone was really expecting.
MICHELLE: An omnibus cannot tempt me to read Negima.
MJ: What she said.
SEAN: Lastly, and most important, we have the 2nd volume of Gundam the Origin. Vol. 1 blew me away with how cinematic it looked, how easy it was for a Gundam newbie to get into the story, and how much care went into its design – this is a gorgeous book intended to stay on shelves for long periods. Get it now, it’s also a limited item.
MICHELLE: Finally, something to look forward to, and I agree with you completely, Sean. My only complaint is the focus on plot over characters, but that’s not enough to dissuade me from picking up volume two.
MJ: Same here. I thought the artwork in the first volume was absolutely stunning. I’m looking forward to more!
ANNA: I agree, Gundam the Origin is the only thing I’m excited about this week. Given the limited print run for this special edition, I’d advise fans to pick up their copy sooner rather than later.
SEAN: What manga makes you go three times faster just to get it?
Weekly Astro Boy Magazine Vol. 1
Weekly Astro Boy Magazine Vol. 1
I was intrigued when Emanga.com announced that they would be releasing an Astro Boy magazine. I’m feeling a bit nostalgic for manga magazines at this point, with the demise of print anthologies. I’ve read some Tezuka, but I’m definitely not familiar with all of his works. The magazine format for Tezuka works very well, because his art and storytelling style varies so much with the titles presented in the magazine, it is interesting to compare and contrast the differences between his different titles in this format.
I haven’t read much Astro Boy before, but the storyline for inclusion in the first issue of this manga magazine is a strong one, as it is “The Greatest Robot on Earth,” where the robot Pluto created to battle all the other great robots that exist, until he is hailed as the supreme robot. This storyline is what Naoki Urasawa used for his manga series Pluto. Astro Boy tangles with Pluto for a little bit, but his creator calls him off. Astro Boy responds to the existence of the new robot by requesting an upgrade of his own power. Astro Boy really displays the virtue of simplicity. The robot designs are so distinct, and the action in Astro Boy is so clear and easy to follow, it makes me think that some of the detail and opaque action in modern manga has really missed the mark.
Phoenix is the next title featured in this magazine, and this is a real treat because I believe some of the print volumes released by Viz are now out of print. The story comes from the fourth volume of Phoenix, called Karma. It is easy to see why Phoenix is often called Tezuka’s masterwork. This chapter featured the story of a boy who was injured just after being born, becoming a monster due to the harsh treatment from his fellow villagers. He encounters a sculptor in the woods and damages one of his arms. The sculptor finds refuge in a temple and begins to reach a different stage of consciousness as he attempts to take up art again. Reading Phoenix itself is a bit of a philosophical experience, as the characters encounter each other in this fable-like story, with stylized depictions of nature inter cut with both action and personal reflection.
The rest of the book is rounded out by shorter chapters for Dororo and Black Jack. It was a bit difficult for me to get a handle on Dororo just due to the small page count. Black Jack, I automatically read with feelings of affection, because the two-fisted surgeon is one of my favorite Tezuka characters. Overall, I really enjoyed the opportunity to read different Tezuka works back to back. It is a bit different than diving into a full volume of manga, but it really gives the reader an appreciation for the variations in art and theme that is expressed in Tezuka’s manga. This is definitely worth checking out if you don’t have an extensive Astro Boy collection and especially if you want an accessible way of reading Phoenix.
Electronic access provided by the publisher
Pick of the Week: Subverting Expectations
MJ: My obvious pick this week would be volume 16 of Pandora Hearts, and I am sure that’s what everyone expects (you can read about how much I love this volume in today’s Bookshelf Briefs). But sometimes it’s the unknown that has the greatest allure, and I’ll admit that I’m most anxious to get a look at Asumiko Nakamura’s Utsubora: the Story of a Novelist, out this week from Vertical. I’ve had a shaky relationship with Vertical’s titles from Manga Erotics F—the magazine this title comes from—but Vertical’s track record with me overall is pretty stunning (and the magazine has housed some of my favorites as well), so I’m more than willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Familiar favorites are a wonderful thing, but nothing beats the mystery of the unknown. I can’t wait to see what this manga has in store!
MICHELLE: I was so sure that you were going to pick Pandora Hearts that I was all set to pick Utsubora myself. I’m definitely looking forward to checking it out, but I’ll go ahead and give Pandora Hearts my official love, as I’m really looking forward to getting caught up with that one.
SEAN: I’m deciding to go with the manga that’s down to a yearly release rather than the quarterly one, so despite my Higurashi obsession, my pick of the week is for GA Art Design Class. There’s an awful lot of 4-koma series about girls in high school out there, and this is one of the ones that makes me smile the most. The cast is amusing in just the right amount, it’s filled with cute, funny and heartwarming moments, and it’s taught me a hell of a lot about art. It’s likely not for you unless you enjoy moe 4-koma manga, but if you do it’s one of the best.
ANNA: I’m also going to have to throw in my vote for Utsubora: The Story of a Novelist simply because it is the only manga this week that I felt compelled to pre-order! The premise about an upcoming novelist who is suddenly found dead also sounds very intriguing. I think a bit of mystery will balance my usual shoujo and sci-fi manga reading habits.
What looks good to you this week?
Bookshelf Briefs 6/17/13
This week, Sean, MJ, and Anna look at recent releases from Viz Media, Yen Press, Kodansha Comics, and Vertical, Inc.
Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 2
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 2 by Tsutomu Nihei
As I was reading the second volume of Knights of Sidonia, it occurred to me that Nihei ably manages a narrative balancing act of giving the reader just a little bit more information in each volume, but not so much that everything feels completely filled in. My curiosity about the history of Sidonia was fulfilled with a bit of backstory about why the massive ship seems to be moving through space alone, isolated except for occasional attacks by the Guana. I’m still intrigued to learn more about Nagate Tanikaze and why he happens to be so good (in a somewhat bumbling way) at piloting the Tsugumori. He also seems to be continually singled out by those in command.
I enjoy the general sense of scale expressed with the illustrations of interior of the giant spaceship – it does really seem massive. The human cost that occurs when it has to maneuver itself suddenly makes it clear that even safely inside a spaceship death can come at any instant. Reading this manga, I get the sense that Nihei plans out all the details of his worlds very meticulously. One negative thing is that generally the characters in this manga suffer a bit from samefaceitius, making it sometimes difficult to sort out who is who absent any extreme differences in hairstyle. However, this is a minor quibble next to the general awesomeness of seeing the Guarde units fly through space in their ringed locked arm formation.
This is not a happy manga about giant space robots fighting aliens. The evolutionary capabilities of the Guana give some scenes a horror comic vibe, and bad things certainly happen to good people. But there’s enough humor in the strained interpersonal interactions of the people aboard the Sidonia that when finishing up a volume of this manga, I’m not feeling oppressed by tragedy but very interested to see what happens next.
Also, for those of you reading this manga solely for talking bear appearances, there is some talking bear in this volume!
Manga the Week of 6/19
SEAN: Sometimes the images we feature with this post work out perfectly. And sometimes we have weeks like this. Where the images I want to use are all in a row next to one another. Sigh. By the way, my shop’s getting in Yen early, so WE ARE AS WELL!
Kodansha has the final volume of their Kitchen Princess omnibus. If you hadn’t picked this up earlier, it’s now available in 4 handy volumes! And there are recipes!
MICHELLE: I regret to say that I still haven’t managed to read Kitchen Princess, despite owning the original edition in its entirety. I wonder how it compares to Arisa… is it less ridiculous?
MJ: This is one of those series I planned to catch up with in omnibus form, but have yet to pick up. Someone want to tell me how foolish I’ve been?
ANNA: Kitchen Princess is cute and sweet and a little bit weird. I need to finish the series too.
SEAN: And there’s the 28th volume of Air Gear. Which is a whole lot of Air Gear.
Vertical has a done-in-one series coming out. Utsubora: the Story of a Novelist is a psychological drama that comes from the pages of Manga Erotics F, a magazine that has given us more polarizing titles than any other, I believe. Will this one also divide readers who love it and hate it? Find out by reading it!
MICHELLE: Looks interesting!
MJ: I will usually try anything Vertical thinks I should–their track record is pretty good. So I will definitely check it out.
SEAN: Viz has the final volume of Children of the Sea, which was one of its first Ikki titles but ran up against the dreaded “the final volume isn’t out in Japan yet”. It’s been two and a half years, and honestly I think I may have to re-read. But I do recall being very fond of this series about love, loss and the sea.
MICHELLE: I have actually been hoarding Children of the Sea, so now I’m glad of a chance to read the series all in one go.
MJ: I have missed this series! Though, like Sean, I may have to start from the beginning again at this point.
ANNA: I’ve read a couple volumes of this and it is lovely.
SEAN: And the rest is all Yen. I am very fond of GA Art Design Class, which has a very entertaining cast of moe stereotypes, but more importantly, due to this series I have learned SO MUCH MORE about art. Vol. 5 is out. (And yes, it is still not Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro.)
At least, what we’ve been waiting for: the home stretch of the main Higurashi Storyline. Not to spoil or anything, but this is, finally, the one with the Good End. Festival Accompanying Arc starts with this omnibus, which gives us Miyo Takano’s backstory, and needs a giant TRIGGER WARNING: ABUSE applied to it. But still good stuff.
MICHELLE: I just can’t make myself read Higurashi. It’s like you said in your recent Umineko review, Sean. We’re not supposed to like these people or care what happens to them personally; we’re just supposed to care about the mystery. But I guess I can’t simply stick around for that if I don’t like the protagonists at least a little.
SEAN: I’d argue that the big difference between Higurashi and Umineko is, in fact, that the characters ARE more likeable in Higurashi. Sure, they can be horribly screwed up, particularly in the earlier arcs, but we get to see them learn from past iterations and grow as people. Umineko is more about trying to figure out what’s going on and solving the mystery, and the development of a bunch of gold-happy adults is quite secondary. (The kids fare a bit better.)
MICHELLE: That does sound more like something I’d enjoy.
SEAN: Kingdom Hearts has a new volume out, called Chain of Memories. I still don’t know much about this except it has Donald and Goofy in a fantasy game world setting.
Pandora Hearts 16! MJ? Tag!
MICHELLE: How have I gotten so far behind on this one?! I’ve only read through twelve!
MJ: I’m sure nobody will be surprised to hear that I CAN’T WAIT. Seriously, though, things have really gotten intense. Every volume at this point is a source of great anticipation. So. Y’know. GIMME.
SEAN: For those who enjoyed the mindscrew that was Madoka Magica and want more, here’s the first of two spinoff manga licensed by Yen. Kazumi Magica features a different lead, but no doubt will still have the same old Kyuubey lurking around.
MJ: I found the manga to be a little disappointing, but I’ll probably give this spinoff a shot.
SEAN: Soul Eater has a big artbook coming out. Considering that one of the top three reasons I read Soul Eater is the amazing art, this is a pretty big deal. Even casual fans should give this one a look.
Spice & Wolf! Did you know it had a manga as well, to go along with the light novels? It does! It’s also caught up to Japan, so be prepared to wait a bit.
And lastly, there’s volume 3 of Triage X. If you like BTOOOM! but wanted more motorcycles, try this series.
MICHELLE: Ugh. I am very tempted to christen BTOOOM! “the-manga-that-must-not-be-named,” that’s how little I’d like to think about it in the future.
MJ: Heh.
SEAN: What manga are you getting for your father? (Please don’t say Triage X.)
Drama Diary: IRIS Episodes 1-5
I tend to watch mostly romantic comedies when I am viewing k-drama, but IRIS is a bit different. This is a decidedly action-oriented series, and while there is a little bit of romance and comedy, more than anything else this series resembles a k-drama take on the Bourne Identity. Iris is also notable because it stars Byung-hun Lee, who is currently making a crossover bid to Hollywood movies this summer with his roles in GI JOE: Retaliation and Red 2. This series also has some interesting shifts in timeline as the plot unfolds. While in my more cynical moments I might think that the circular nature of the first few episodes was designed to provide an excuse to reuse footage of an expensive location shoot, the opening of the series certainly caught my attention.
A young Korean agent in Hungary is given a solo mission, and told that it is very important. We see him scouting everything out and positioning himself to carry out an assassination. He carries out his mission, killing the North Korean Prime Minister. But he’s shot by a North Korean agent as he makes his getaway! He manages to get back to his safehouse and requests assistance, only to be told that he’s on his own. All of this happens in the first eight minutes of the episode!
Our hero is injured again in a confrontation with North Korean agents, and he passes out. The episode flashes back to the past, where we meet a slightly younger and more idiotic version of Kim Hyun Joon, training as a member of Korean Special Forces and attending college classes, where an attractive woman, Choi Seung Hee, basically makes him look stupid over and over again. Our hero is the type to relentlessly pursue any woman who seems disinterested in him, but she’s able to fend off his advances and drink him under the table.
Hyun Joon trains with his best friend Jin Sa Woo aka “Second Lead Guy”. Sa Woo goes out for drinks with a man from his hometown, who brings along a beautiful female colleague, who just happens to be the student Kim Hyun Joon is crushing on. They talk, and Sa Woo also decides that he’s met his ideal woman.
Hyun Joon and Sa Woo are inducted into a secret branch of the Korean government, but not before they are subjected to some cloak and dagger shenanigans. Hyun Joon isn’t having any of that, and ends up proving his value as a secret agent due to his ability to resist the effects of mysterious injections, throw chairs against interrogation glass windows, and look like a seething badass in a wifebeater. It turns out that Seung Hee is actually an extremely gifted profiler and her interactions with the two men were part of a process to evaluate their suitability as secret agents. To make things even more complicated, Seung Hee is now their superior officer.
No one to take rules about fraternization between agents very seriously, Hyun Joon pursues Seung Hee relentlessly. They have a successful first mission and take off on a secret vacation together to Japan. The blissful lovers are called back to duty though, and Hyun Joon is given the solo mission that introduced the whole series at the start of the first episode. Hyun Joon is stranded, wounded, and accused of being an enemy agent by his country and a target of North Korean agents!
IRIS has much better production values than the typical k-drama, and the action scenes are well-directed. IRIS also inspired two related series, IRIS II, and Athena: Goddess of War. If you’re looking for an action-filled drama to enjoy over the summer, you can’t go wrong with IRIS.
Pick of the Week: Loveless & More
MJ: It’s a bit of an odd week in the shipping department, and though I’m certainly tempted by volume four of SuBLime’s adorable His Favorite, and intrigued by Kodansha debut series No. 6, I going to do the predictable thing by choosing the latest volume of my beloved Loveless. Though I won’t be able to dig into my copy until next month, when Viz’s omnibus releases finally catch up with their single volumes, I’ll be treasuring it all the while. For an emotionally complicated, morally challenging, and thoroughly engaging read, you can’t do better than Loveless.
MICHELLE: While I’m also anticipating being able to get caught up on Loveless, I’ll award my pick this week to Kano Miyamoto’s Sleeping Moon. Some of her works were previously published by Deux Press (remember them?), and I found Lovers and Souls in particular to be touching and memorable. And I also like it when BL attempts to have a genuine plot, so this supernatural historical mystery seems to be right up my street.
ANNA: There’s not much on the print manga front that truly excites me. I’m going to pick Alice 19th #1, since it is newly released on Viz’ digital platform. This is one of my favorite non-Fushigi Yuugi Watase series, and as you might expect the art is gorgeous.
SEAN: Hrm. Yeah, it’s one of those weeks. I guess I’ll pick Atomcat. It’s one of Tezuka’s sillier ideas (as well as a horrible pun, something I’m sure he loved), but it sounds like a lighter, fluffier Tezuka title, which makes for a wonderful change of pace from his more serious stories we’ve seen Lately. Heck, even Unico was a bummer most of the time. Let’s hope Atomcat cheers me right up.
What looks good to you this week?
Bookshelf Briefs 6/10/13
BTOOOM!, Vol. 2 | By Junya Inoue | Yen Press – No, sorry. You don’t get to have vivid shots of “cool violence”, showing lingering closeups of blown-up corpses and a young deviant raping dead women, culminating in a teaser for the new volume whose entire point is “will this hot girl get naked and raped? Tune in to find out!” … you don’t get to do that and then have the hero go on about how violence is wrong and that it’s self-evident that Kira is a psycho. The manga itself is not practicing what it preaches, and there’s basically no reason not to identify with Kira rather than Ryouta if you’re a typical fan of hentai doujinshi where things like this happen. This *isn’t* hentai doujinshi, but it’s aiming for a similar market – guys who like sexy danger, sexy corpses, and sexy assault – and it’s pretty much lost me. Sorry, BTOOOM!. I’m sure your backstory is interesting, but bye. – Sean Gaffney
Limit, Vol. 5 | By Keiko Suenobu | Vertical, Inc. – I admit I’m starting to hit my limit with Limit, and I’m a bit relieved that it’s wrapping up with Vol. 6. My main problem is that I don’t like Hinata that much – yes, he’s not supposed to be likeable here, but I don’t even sympathize with him in a “what a broken guy” way. I was bored to tears during his long monologue. Luckily, Konno is a far more interesting protagonist, and when she’s in control of the narrative things get quite good indeed – particularly the attempt on her life, which was probably the best scene in the book. I’m not entirely sure how this is going to end – it cold go either way, despite the occasional page or two we get devoted to the grieving families – but I’m hoping the final volume has put murder and long, tortured monologues behind it and gets back to a fight to survive. -Sean Gaffney
New Moon, Vol. 1 | By Stephenie Meyer and Young Kim | Yen Press – Now several volumes in to Yen Press’ adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s incredibly popular Twilight saga, I’m more convinced than ever that graphic novels are the ideal format for her storytelling. Though Bella’s obsession with her controlling undead boyfriend is no less disturbing than it ever was (and New Moon, in particular, suffers from one of the most trying cases of Guy #2 in YA fiction history), without Meyer’s cringe-worthy prose dragging them down, these books are vastly more palatable than I ever dreamed they could be. Young Kim’s TV-pretty artwork continues to suit the story’s tone, and though some of the italic text in this volume is questionably readable, it’s possible we’re better off missing some of Bella’s internal narrative. If you’re looking for great girls’ comics, there are far better series available. But if you’re determined to read Twilight, this is absolutely the way to go. – MJ
One Piece, Vol. 67 | By Eiichiro Oda | Viz Media – When I recently talked about the first arc of the “New World” segment of One Piece for Off the Shelf, I described it as fun, but not the series as its best. The problem was that the characters weren’t invested with what they were doing. Happily, that changes with volume 67, which manages to not only be genuinely funny and absurd in several places—not the least of which is the fact that four members of the crew wind up swapping bodies—but also involves injustices that fire our heroes up (particularly Chopper). This is the best volume in a while, and on top of that, there’s some juicy political intrigue at the end when a fellow pirate proposes an alliance with Luffy in his plan to depose one of the Four Emperors. I have no idea if Luffy will go for it, but that could really take the story in an exciting direction! – Michelle Smith
Oresama Teacher, Vol. 14 |By Izumi Tsubaki | Viz Media – This is my favorite stress-relief manga. The ridiculous comedic set pieces in Oresama Teacher entertain me so much that I don’t even mind the lack of forward -moving plot. In this volume Mafuyu manages to restore Kanon’s faith in the male species by saving her while dressed up as Natsuo, a scrappy boy student. Takaomi gives Mafuyu a lift back home for a school break, resulting in a ridiculous scavenger hunt on her old stomping grounds as a juvenile delinquent. We get a brief and hilarious glimpse into Mafuyu and Takaomi’s past, as we see her hanging out with him when she was a young girl and he was the revolutionary gang leader who united rival high schools. Overall, this was a fun volume to read, and Takaomi has been absent from recent volumes, so it was nice to see him more present in the story again. – Anna N
Skip Beat!, Vol. 31 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – I wonder if this arc is coming out due to Nakamura missing all the awesome blood and violence she used to draw with Tokyo Crazy Paradise? In any case, they’re still filming as Cain Heel and his sister Setsu, and Ren is still having tremendous difficulty dealing with it. The timing of the chapters here is quite interesting, really – several scenes are flashbacks later on, which allows us to get the maximum drama when Setsu walks in on a murder attempt. (Again, I note I have genuine issues with how the cast handles method acting, but pretty much have to let that go.) I’m also pleased we’re still seeing Sho here – he’s an immature brat, but as a character I love how he interacts with Kyoko. Far more than Kijima, who I merely find a smarmy bastard. Ah well, Skip Beat! 31 is fantastic as always. – Sean Gaffney
Soul Eater, Vol. 14 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Yen Press – Another chapter of fighting, but things are starting to get a bit desperate – indeed, our heroes suffer a major loss (not a death, I don’t think, and I have no doubt this will be the next major “arc” of the series. The cover is quite stark and memorable, and reminds me that it’s the weird art that drew me into this series in the first place – indeed, the scenes with Soul and Maka as puppets is some of the creepiest stuff I’ve seen in Soul Eater, and this is from a series that had a snake crawling down a little girl’s throat. But they’ve finally hit Arachnae’s base, and Black*Star seems to have emerged victorious, so I suspect we may be nearing an ending of sorts. Excellent shonen with lots of fights, great characters, and weird stuff going on all the time. No surprise this is running in the same magazine that Fullmetal Alchemist did. -Sean Gaffney
Thermae Romae, Vol. 2 | By Mari Yamazaki | Yen Press – Thermae Romae‘s debut volume was enjoyable, no doubt, but even as I reveled in Mari Yamazaki’s playful humor and detailed artwork, I’ll admit to having harbored grave doubts regarding its sustainability as a series. Gag manga in general tends to wear quickly with me, and I couldn’t help but wonder how much mileage a single gimmick could possibly provide, however beautifully drawn. I must now apologize for my lack of faith. With much study and obvious passion, Yamazaki-sensei has created much more than a gimmick with her time-traveling Roman bath engineer, and his story remains both genuinely funny and oddly moving—especially during this volume’s last few chapters in which Lucius has found himself trapped in modern Japan with no apparent means of return. And is romance on the horizon as well? Thermae Romae succeeds as both comedy and long-form storytelling—a rare combination indeed! Highly recommended. – MJ
Manga the Week of 6/12
SEAN: Between Amazon and Diamond, I’ll sort out this release date schedule yet! (cries) So confusing…
Dark Horse has a 3rd Trigun Maximum omnibus. This was, I seem to recall, right around the point where the art during the fight scenes made me jump ship, but maybe it reads better in a 600-page shot.
ANNA: I couldn’t get into more than three volumes or so of Trigun as a manga, but I did enjoy the anime.
SEAN: Digital Manga Publishing has the 2nd of their Tezuka 3-fer with the done in one Atomcat! It combines Astro Boy and cats. What more is there to say?
Kodansha Comics has two debuts this week. The first, No. 6, looks fairly serious and science-fiction oriented, and invokes the popular plot of “nice, popular guy discovers the secret facade behind everything he’s ever known”. I suspect his popularity will not last long.
MICHELLE: Possibly interesting!
MJ: Count me in! I haven’t loved many of Kodansha Comics’ debuts, but this one sounds genuinely interesting.
ANNA: That does sounds interesting. If Michelle and MJlike it, I might check it out!
SEAN: There’s also Vol. 1 of Sankarea: Undying Love. I reviewed this title already here, but suffice it to say this should please fans of both romantic comedies AND zombie films, and shows some promise that it won’t be just another harem series.
MICHELLE: I have to say, I am really weary of zombies.
MJ: And I am weary of harem series, but I’ll give it a chance to follow through on that promise.
ANNA: I am also weary of harem series. Not reverse harem though, that will always entertain me.
SEAN: His Favorite 4… I can’t with you. Seriously, that cover. That face. Those eyes. This is the best BL series ever. Based just on how the covers make me laugh. Also because it’s Luffy and Rule 63 Robin getting it on. >_>
MICHELLE: *snerk* I haven’t actually read any of this one yet.
MJ: I have read *all* of this series so far, and it is exactly as charming as it looks. It is one of my favorite SuBLime releases so far.
ANNA: That does look hilarious.
SEAN: There’s also a new BL series, Sleeping Moon. The cover is far more serious and broody, which likely suits its time-traveling angst shenanigans. The author had 3 one-shots come out from Deux back in 2008, so this is a grand return!
MICHELLE: I liked the oneshots, as I recall, so I’m looking forward to this one!
MJ: I am optimistic as well!
ANNA: Huh, this was not on my radar at all, but it looks intriguing.
SEAN: Arata: The Legend hits Vol. 14, which means it only has a few to go before it passes the original Fushigi Yuugi. I understand there are god swords.
MICHELLE: I enjoy Arata in a very Shonen Sunday kind of way.
ANNA: It is very well executed, I just really like Watase’s other series more.
SEAN: And oh look, I bet this gets some Pick of the Week. Loveless has Vol. 11 coming out, in which Seimei reveals that this has all been a wacky scheme to buy Ritsuka the perfect birthday present. Or something.
MICHELLE: Hooray! Except… I can’t read this (or volumes nine and ten) until the omnibus of seven and eight comes out next month. But I’m still happy about it. But perhaps not as happy as *somebody* in this post…
MJ: Aaaaaand that would be me. Like Michelle, I won’t be able to catch up to this volume until the fourth omnibus edition comes out next month, but I am pretty much DYING over that.
ANNA: This is another series I need to try – I have the first omnibus somewhere in my house.
SEAN: What’s your June Manga Bride?
Sunny, Vol. 1
It makes me feel good that there are still new series coming out from Viz in the Viz Signature imprint. Sunny by Taiyo Matsumoto is also an addition to the trend of nicely packaged manga hardcovers. With a slightly larger trim size (the same as the other IKKI titles) and color pages before most chapters, this is a volume that will delight manga collectors looking for something nicer than the average paperback. I’ve only read Blue Spring by Matsumoto before, I really need to get around to reading Tekkon Kinkreet.
Sunny is written in one of my favorite fiction formats – a collection of interrelated short stores with shifting main characters that are all tied together. The Sunny of the title of the book refers to a broken down old Nissan Sunny car that sits in the back of a group home for abandoned children. The Sunny is a secret hideout, place to stash porn and other illicit materials, and a means of escape for a group of kids that doesn’t have much security or fun in their daily lives. The volume opens with a brief glimpse of foster home chaos, quickly inter cut with a scene showing the imagination of Haruo, who sits in the car imagining that he’s bleeding out in the desert like a tragic movie tough guy. Haruo’s reverie is abruptly interrupted by Junsuke, an overly hyper snotty-nosed kid who eagerly announces that there’s a new arrival in the house. The readers of Sunny and the new kid Sei both get an abrupt introduction to the children’s home as Sei goes through the house and sits in the Sunny with Haruo and Junsuke. When Sei says that his mom is going to pick him up before summer Haruo says, “No way you’re goin home. You got dumped.”
Sunny captures Haruo’s frustration and anger about his own situation, combined with his helplessness about being able to change anything. Junsuke struggles with his instinct to grab anything shiny, even stealing from his classmates at times. While Haruo is a central viewpoint character, Sunny fluidly moves among different points of view, showing Megumu’s concern for a dead cat and the real-world concerns of older kid Kenji. While there’s a lot of hopelessness in the lives of the kids who live at the home, they also stick up for each other and come together when one of them goes missing.
Matsumoto has a scratchy pen and ink style in his drawings, which incorporate cartoonish elements like circles for rosy cheeks. Washes of ink in varying intensity and hand-drawn textures instead of screentones give Sunny a hand-crafted feel that stands out among more corporate glossy manga. Matsumoto’s detailed backgrounds firmly establish the neighborhood the kids live in, as well as the run-down environment of their house. Overall, Sunny is exactly what I’d expect from the Viz Signature line – a nuanced work that is set apart from more commercial manga due to its artistic and literary value .
Pick of the Week: Kisses, Lone Wolf, Skip Beat
SEAN: My pick of the week is definitely the omnibus edition of Morinaga Milk’s Kisses, Sighs and Cherry Blossom Pink, a collection of short stories (complete in one volume here) revolving around an all-girls’ school that the artist wrote for Yuri Hime magazine before moving on to the slightly more lucrative waters of Futabasha, where they created the similar Girl Friends. (Indeed, I think the 2nd half has Comic High! stories.) I seem to recall that, since it focuses on several young couples, this volume is allowed to have a more varied shape of story – including some where the ending isn’t so happy. For yuri fans, or even those who just like cute romance, this is a great pick up.
MJ: Wow, this is a tough week! With new volumes of such a wide variety of favorites tugging at my sleeves, from Knights of Sidonia to Demon Love Spell, it’s difficult to know what to choose! But in the end, I’ll go with Dark Horse’s new omnibus edition of the classic series Lone Wolf and Cub, which I’m experiencing now for the first time. Michelle and I both read it for yesterday’s Off the Shelf, and I was stunned by how quickly 700 pages could fly by. It’s tense, action-packed, and incredibly thought-provoking. I’ve become an instant fan!
ANNA: I’ll have to go with Skip Beat 31, it is my absolute favorite long-running shoujo series currently coming out. The Heel siblings storyline has really reinvigorated the book, placing Kyoko and Ren in some interesting and unexpected situations, showing how they continue to develop their acting and insight into each other.
MICHELLE: I really liked Lone Wolf and Cub and I’m looking forward to reading Kisses, Sighs, and Cherry Blossom Pink and a bunch of the VIZ stuff, but the heart wants what the heart wants. And what my heart wants is Skip Beat!.
Manga the Week of 6/5
SEAN: Can’t talk, too much manga!
The 2nd Blood-C from Dark Horse. CLAMP’s character designs surrounding another storyline. I was bored to tears by Vol. 1. Does it improve?
MICHELLE: No clue.
ANNA: I cannot bring myself to care about this, and as someone who read a bunch of CLAMP back in the day, that makes me a little sad.
MJ: I think that doesn’t actually compromise you as a CLAMP fan, Anna, because it’s not really CLAMP… just someone else’s storytelling with CLAMP-looking characters in it. And. Yeah. I can’t get into it either.
SEAN: Lone Wolf and Cub has been a quiet perennial for Dark Horse over the years, and it’s getting an omnibus release to introduce it to those who missed it the first time round. Which would include me.
MICHELLE: Oh, interesting! I was unaware of this.
ANNA: Yay! I read the first 6 or so volumes of this, and I’m happy it is getting a rerelease.
MJ: I’m definitely excited about this. It’s one of those series that has intimidated me with its length, so I’m thrilled to have a second shot at it!
SEAN: Kodansha has Vol. 5 of Attack on Titan, which is now officially Huge In Japan, and with the appearance of the anime I suspect will get even bigger in America. Get in on the ground floor now, kids, this is a keeper.
MJ: I’ve seen this series getting incredible buzz on Twitter, Tumblr, and other fannish spaces, that’s for sure.
SEAN: Seven Seas has another (another!) Alice in the Country of _____ spinoff. Well, given they’ve all hit the bestseller lists, you can’t fault their logic. This one stars Ace (the “of Hearts” in the title), who is possibly the most unhinged character in the series. Mmmm, can’t wait.
MICHELLE: The Ace pairing is the hardest for me to imagine, but we shall see!
ANNA: Ace is my favorite Alice character just because of the ever growing body count that piles up wherever he goes (I’m sure that says something about me but I’m not going to speculate what that means). I’m sure I’ll be buying this.
MJ: I’m really lukewarm on this series, yet even I am intrigued by the thought of an Ace-centric spinoff.
SEAN: I’ve been surprisingly entertained by Haganai, the best of Seven Seas’ ‘Moe Fall of 2012’ series, which digs deeper for both its comedy and sympathy, and is not afraid to make its horrible people deeply lonely and somewhat broken. That said, it still is a bit creepy. Fair warning.
If you want to talk about the touchstones of Yuri Fandom in North America, among the Maria-sama Ga Miterus and Utenas of the world, Kisses, Sighs and Cherry Blossom Pink was the first big hit from Ichijinsha’s “Yuri Hime” magazine. It’s actually an anthology of stories based around a high school, and the various girls’ love passions within. This was the precursor to Girl Friends, which came out over here first. Everyone I know read the scans. Now buy the manga, dammit. :)
MICHELLE: Ooh, somehow I missed this one, too!
MJ: I did too! Count me in!
SEAN: Vertical has the third volume of Knights of Sidonia, which surely has run out of ways to make everything bleak. Of course, I look forward to it proving me wrong.
MICHELLE: I don’t normally go for bleak, but Tsutomu Nihei has got my number.
ANNA: Another “yay!” from me for bleak mecha manga!
MJ: Yes, yes, YES. I’m all about this series.
SEAN: And then there’s Viz. Dawn of the Arcana has hit the big 1-0. And leaves me even further behind.
MICHELLE: I continue to enjoy this one.
ANNA: This is one of those series that gets better as it goes along, for sure.
MJ: Indeed.
SEAN: Demon Love Spell continues to be the Mayu Shinjo book of choice for those not fond of her Sensual Phrase/Ai Ore types of heroes and heroines. I want more fun, more cute romance, and perhaps more hot semi-consensual dream sex, because Shinjo has to have SOME kinks in there.
ANNA: I really enjoy Demon Love Spell! This volume was fun.
MJ: I’m definitely looking forward to more of this! It’s pretty adorable.
SEAN: A Devil And Her Love Song 9 is spinning out its new subplot, and rapidly running out of ways to break up its hero and heroine. Will we get more love triangles? Will Maria be snarky? Will that irritating teacher finally get his comeuppance? My guess is yes, yes, and no.
MICHELLE: I recently got caught up with this one, so I’m looking forward to staying current. Surely that teacher must get his due eventually!
MJ: We can only hope.
SEAN: For those who missed Dragon Ball, and the Dragon Ball VizBIG editions, there is now a Dragon Ball 3-in-1. There are ALWAYS new fans of Dragon Ball.
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan 15 is STILL. IN. KYOTO.
One Piece 67 means we are 2/3 of the way to 100 volumes. And we’re also starting the Punk Hazard arc in earnest. There is some comedy gold in this volume I don’t want to spoil.
MICHELLE: Yay, One Piece!
SEAN: There’s also an omnibus of One Piece, featuring Chopper’s introduction.
There’s two Pokemon books, which I usually ignore here despite them selling very well indeed. So: Black and White 10 and Diamond and Pearl 8.
And there’s Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration’s debut, which I am… not optimistic about (my favorite Kenshin character is Kaoru, so I’m used to disappointment) but will give a shot.
MICHELLE: I read the first few chapters for a Going Digital column a while back. It’s not horrible, but I am rather afraid of what will become of the glorious Kyoto Arc.
ANNA: This is OK, but reading it made me want to reread the original series more than it made me interested in this revised parallel series. I need to unearth it from my storage closet.
SEAN: Sakura Hime is edging towards a conclusion, but Vol. 10 is not it. Tanemura fans are sure to love it.
ANNA: I need to fill in the gaps in my collection and just mainline this series sometime. Tanemura is fun when you are in the mood for super-girly shoujo.
SEAN: Skip Beat! 31 continues to edge closer to Ren and Kyoko’s inner demons. This volume is still mostly Ren’s, as Cain Heel’s persona, as well as BJ’s, continue to distance him from his current ‘role’ as Ren Tsuruga.
ANNA: The Heel siblings storyline in this series fills me with glee.
SEAN: Slam Dunk is basketball! 28 volumes of it! (Must catch up one of these days…)
MICHELLE: Slam Dunk and Skip Beat! are two of my absolute favorites. I will definitely be procuring them both.
ANNA: A new volume of Slam Dunk is always an excuse to celebrate.
SEAN: The last Toriko split Komatsu off from Toriko and Zebra, and rescue seems a very long way away. Since Komatsu has become the main reason I read the series, I’m intrigued to see how he manages to survive this.
And lastly, there is Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal 3, whose title is so representational of its content that to summarize would only seem vulgar.
Does anything in this huge pile interest you?
Demon Love Spell, Vol. 3
Demon Love Spell Volume 3 by Mayu Shinjo
It is nice being able to read a Mayu Shinjo series that I can wholeheartedly enjoy. There are so many overly serious paranormal romance stories out there, it is still refreshing to visit Demon Love Spell for a bit of a comedic spin on the genre. Bumbling shrine maiden Miko and overly alpha male incubus Kagura are just goofy enough to be funny but not ridiculous, and their relationship has enough character-based humor that it is easy to root for them as a couple.
This volume opens with the overly theatrical banishing of a demon by Sou Yamabuki, a former pupil of Miko’s father. Kagura in chibi-form gets jealous that Miko is crushing on Yamabuki on TV, but she assures him that she thinks he’s the coolest. At school the next day Miko gets a bunch of attention from other guys and excitedly assumes that she’s now popular with boys. Miko and Kagura go on an actual date with some great moments where Miko blackmails Kagura into ignominious activities like eating hamburgers by threatening to shrink him again. The ending of the date is interrupted by Sou, who promptly banishes the source of Miko’s new found charms – a weak succubus demon. With Sou, Shinjo explores the old standby “sudden fiance” as he decides that he needs to marry Miko in order to take her away from Kaguya. Sou also reveals that while Miko’s ability to apply her power might not be the best yet, she’s actually extremely gifted. Sou’s desires seem to center more on gaining demon fighting power than truly caring for Miko. Kaguya decides upon an extremely unorthodox method to fend off his rival, but it does show how much he actually cares for the priestess. The next main story in the volume focuses on the sudden appearance of a handsome snow demon who spends some time protecting Miko when Kaguya storms off in a huff.
I still sort of wish that some of Shinjo’s other, earlier series would be translated over here. Sensual Phrase has most other English-translated shoujo beat for unadulterated melodrama. But Demon Love Spell is a nice substitute. It has the humor of Ai Ore without going too far out into left field, and the relationship between Miko and Kaguya is nicely balanced due to the power imbalance inherit in him spending a good portion of each day as mini-figure clipped to her handbag. This was a satisfying volume of this series, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with Miko’s newly revealed power in future volumes.