Ash Brown

Manga the Week of 1/15

January 9, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Melinda Beasi, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith and Anna N 2 Comments

SEAN: This is it, folks! The 27th and final volume of Excel Saga ships next week! There will be laughs! Romance! Resolution! … Perhaps less resolution than we would like, but hey! Everyone in the entire world will be buying this volume!

MELINDA: Or we will at least pretend to, in order to keep you smiling.

SEAN: So, what are you reading this week?

…

Oh right, there are other releases as well, which are being nice enough to share their release date with the majesty that is the final volume of Excel Saga, so I suppose I should discuss them.

Kodansha has the 6th volume of Missions of Love, which keeps riding the edge between trashy good and trashy bad, but as long as it keeps riding that edge, I’ll keep reading.

ASH: As will I!

MICHELLE: I read the first couple of volumes last year and just never went back to it.

SEAN: There’s also the 3rd Sherlock Bones volume, combining mysteries and cute dogs as only Japan can.

And for those who enjoyed Tokyo Mew Mew and wish it had a followup, well, here’s Tokyo Mew Mew A La Mode in one omnibus. It is not controversial at all, and is beloved by all TMM fans. Really. Trust me.

SubLime has the 6th volume of His Favorite, whose cover is slightly less silly looking than previous ones, but which hopefully is still just as much fun for BL fans. I’ve heard good things about this series.

MELINDA: I’ll be looking forward to see how well this series wears, six volumes in.

SEAN: A brief reminder that NONE of these series are Excel Saga. Ask your local bookseller for EXCEL SAGA 27 by name. Accept no imitations!

SubLime also gives us a short story collection with the oddly capitalized title NightS. The S stands for… who knows. Seme? Sadist? Saucy?

ASH: I have no idea, but I do know I love Kou Yoneda’s work. I’ve been looking forward to this release.

MICHELLE: Me, too. I really liked No Touching At All.

MELINDA: Apparently, it stands for $. I’ll be picking it up, too.

SEAN: Vertical has the 3rd volume of Medieval manga Wolfsmund, which I have no doubt will continue to be depressing as hell, but I know some others on the Bookshelf enjoy it.

ASH: Yeah, that would be me. The first two volumes were extremely dark and intense to say the least.

SEAN: Viz has the 8th volume of 07-Ghost, still packed with ghosts, gods, and bishops, and still featuring heavily in my “I need to catch up with that” list.

MICHELLE: And mine, as well.

MELINDA: And mine!

ANNA: Mine too. I need to schedule a catch up with 07-Ghost day, because I did really enjoy the first few volumes, and the subsequent volumes keep piling up.

SEAN: And there’s Vol. 49 of Case Closed, which began in Japan in 1994, and thus manages to be the only series on this list older than Excel Saga. It is also 22+ volumes longer than Excel Saga. And it also has some very well written mystery and suspense… which, by the way, Excel Saga also had, to the surprise of those expecting what the anime gave them.

So, to sum up, Excel Saga. Final Volume. Get It. And some other stuff. What are you getting next week (hint: Excel Saga)?

MICHELLE: *snerk*

MELINDA: Yep. Totally Excel Saga. Yep.

ANNA: What is this about? I’m assuming it is about office workers and spreadsheets.

SEAN: You will all be first against the wall when Il Palazzo conquers the world. Hrmph.

Oishinbo, A la Carte: Fish, Sushi & Sashimi

January 8, 2014 by Ash Brown

Author: Tetsu Kariya
Illustrator: Akira Hanasaki
U.S. publisher: Viz Media
ISBN: 9781421521428
Released: July 2009
Original release: 2005
Awards: Shogakukan Manga Award

With over one hundred volumes, it is very unlikely that the award-winning food manga Oishinbo will ever be licensed in its entirety in English, especially considering that the series is still ongoing at this point. However, seven volumes of Oishinbo, A la Carte have been released by Viz Media under its Signature imprint. These volumes are thematic collections which select stories from throughout the series proper. Fish, Sushi & Sashimi was the fourth Oishinbo, A la Carte collection to be published by Viz and was released in 2009. However, in Japan Fish, Sushi & Sashimi was actually the fifth volume in the series and was published in 2005. As a lover of both food and manga, it probably shouldn’t be too surprising that I enjoy Oishinbo immensely. And I’m not the only one. The series, written by Tetsu Kariya and illustrated by Akira Hanasaki, has been in serialization since 1983 and in 1987 the creators received a Shogakukan Manga Award for their work.

Because Oishinbo, A la Carte is a selection of stories from Oishinbo, the overarching story of the original series is obscured. Instead of the ongoing plot, the focus of Oishinbo, A la Carte is very much on the food itself. Fish, Sushi & Sashimi collects eight different stories centered around fish. Sushi rolls are probably one of the first things that come to many people’s minds when considering Japanese fish dishes, but not a single one will be found in Fish, Sushi & Sashimi. Generally, the fare tends to be simpler and fish the primary ingredient. The fish specifically featured in Fish, Sushi & Sashimi include white trevally, chub mackerel, sweetfish, tiger blowfish, freshwater goby, flounder, salmon, and shinko, many of which are considered to be some of the best and most desirable or delectable fish in Japan. There is also a wide variety of preparations shown, everything from raw sashimi to fried tempura.

When dealing with fish as a source of food, freshness is key. This is true for most seafood, too, and is something that most people probably know. However, Fish, Sushi & Sashimi shows that there is much more involved in the freshness of fish than just how long it has been since it has been caught. Fish are very sensitive to changes in the environment in which they live. Simply put, quality fish come from quality waters. The healthier and less polluted those waters, the better the fish. Additionally, the same fish can taste significantly different due to seasonal changes, where it is caught (and how far it has traveled afterwards), or when in its life-cycle it is eaten. As is often the case in the Oishinbo, A la Carte stories that I have so far read, Fish, Sushi & Sashimi emphasizes the importance of locally sourced and sustainable foods, which is particularly true of fish.

One of the highlights of Oishinbo, A la Carte is Hanasaki’s artwork. The people tend to be stylized but the food is always realistically drawn. The catching and cleaning of the fish, the steps in the various dishes’ preparations, and the skilled knife-work employed are all important to Fish, Sushi & Sashimi. Because Fish, Sushi & Sashimi focuses on aquatic life both in and out of its natural environments, Hanasaki also has the opportunity to beautifully illustrate Japan’s oceans, rivers, and other waterways. Another thing that particularly struck me about this volume of Oishinbo, A la Carte was how many young people were included in the stories. Family drama has always been a part of Oishinbo with the intense father-son rivalry between Kaibara Yūzan and Yamaoka Shirō. It’s extremely entertaining to watch them battle it out over and with food, but it’s also nice to see some more wholesome family relationships in the series, too.

Pick of the Week: Wandering Son & More!

January 6, 2014 by Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Anna N and Melinda Beasi Leave a Comment

ASH: Well, as Sean put it, I hope you like manga! Seems like there is a ton of guilty pleasures and other great manga being released this week. But even though there are plenty of titles that I’m interested in reading, my heart belongs to the most recent volume of Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son. It’s such a beautifully written and drawn series and I love the deluxe treatment that Fantagraphics has given it. Wandering Son is an incredibly important series to me personally; I’m still thrilled that it’s being released in English at all.

MICHELLE: I’m so behind on Wandering Son that I feel like a hypocrite picking it, so instead I’m going to pick a shoujo favorite: Natsume’s Book of Friends, now in its 15th volume. This series doesn’t come out too frequently, as we’re almost caught up to Japan, so each new installment is like a treasured gift. The series is warm and lovely, but not without its dramatic moments. I recommend it most highly!

SEAN: And I too will go with a shoujo favorite, as I pick the 18th volume of Kimi ni Todoke. Seeing the character development of the five other main leads (yes, yes, even Kento, though I admit it grudgingly) has been excellent, but seeing Sawako’s growth has been positively sublime. Every new volume of this series always gets devoured the day I get it, and this one will be no exception.

ANNA: I’m going to have to go with DMP’s Takasugi-san’s Obento. Food manga is one of those underrepresented genres for translation, so I always feel compelled to highlight it. This slice of life story centered around bento is sure to entertain anyone who enjoys the demonstration of care that goes into a well-designed lunch.

MELINDA: To bring this column full-circle, I’m going to go back to Ash’s pick, because it’s mine too. Though I’m thoroughly enjoying a number of the series whose latest volumes are being released this week, including Strobe Edge, Midnight Secretary, and the shoujo favorites mentioned by my colleagues, nothing comes close to my feelings for Shimura’s Wandering Son. Not only is it lovingly translated and produced, but I find it very personally gratifying—perhaps differently than Ash does, but with similar strength. This series made my list of best continuing series in 2012, and you can count on it appearing in 2013’s list as well.

What looks good to you this week?

In case you missed it, check out our Pick of the Year – 2013!

My Week in Manga: December 30, 2013-January 5, 2014

January 6, 2014 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week I announced the 4-Koma for You Winner. In case you’re looking for something to read, the post includes a list of yonkoma manga that have been released in print in English, too. I also posted December’s Bookshelf Overload last week, for those of you interested in following my adventures in buying way too much manga and other media. Finally, over the weekend I posted a review of Delavier’s Mixed Martial Arts Anatomy. This is one of the most tangentially related reviews I’ve written at Experiments in Manga. Why is it here? Simply because I’m a karateka and found it to be a useful book. It’s a great strength training resource for any martial artist. Plus, it has lots of illustrations.

I’ve more or less been on vacation for the last two weeks, so I haven’t been online much except to make sure that things were updated here at Experiments in Manga. Even so, there were two things in particular that caught my eye recently. First and foremost, the Massive anthology of gay manga originally scheduled to be published by PictureBox has been picked up by Fantagraphics! Right now, it looks like we should see the release sometime in October 2014. The other news that I was excited to hear about is that we’ll be getting a second season of the Mushishi anime nearly ten years after the first season aired. I loved Yuki Urushibara’s original manga (which is now unfortunately out-of-print in English) and I loved the first anime series so I’m looking forward to the second season a great deal.

Quick Takes

A Bride’s Story, Volume 5 by Kaoru Mori. The art in A Bride’s Story always blows me away. Mori’s illustrations are so beautiful and detailed that it’s no surprise that there’s such a long wait in between each volume’s release. Most of the fifth volume of the series is devoted to the wedding between the twins and their husbands-to-be. The best word that I can think of to describe this volume is “joyous.” Mori shows the preparations that both families make for the happy occasion–a celebration that lasts an entire week. There’s dance and song, levity, plenty of food, and numerous guests. It’s extremely satisfying to see the entire community’s participation in the event. The manga as a whole is a gorgeous work, but the wedding itself is quite lovely. I enjoyed seeing the twins’ story develop. Their outgoing personalities might be annoying for some readers, but in the end I found the two of them to be quite endearing. Now begins the long wait for the next volume of A Bride’s Story.

Castle Mango, Volume 1 written by Narise Konohara and illustrated by Muku Ogura. Despite what the cover and title page of Digital Manga’s release indicate, Konohara wrote Castle Mango while Ogura was responsible for the artwork. Konohara is the same author who wrote About Love, which I quite enjoyed, so I was interested in reading Castle Mango. Both manga are slightly atypical boys’ love stories. Instead of being straightforward man-meets-man romances, the stories are more layered. There is an emphasis on well-developed characters and actual plot; it’s not just about getting guys into bed with each other. The leads of Castle Mango are rather unusual as well. Yorozu’s family owns and runs a love hotel while Tagame is a well-known porn director. Yorozu more or less blackmail’s Tagame into a relationship in order to keep him away from his brother, but he doesn’t even really like the older man. Their story is concluded in the second and final volume of Castle Mango. I’m very curious to see how things unfold, so I’ll definitely be picking it up.

A Centaur’s Life, Volume 1 by Kei Murayama. One of several “monster girl” manga recently released by Seven Seas, A Centaur’s Life is far less ecchi than the other titles. Plus, this one includes plenty of monster boys in addition to the monster girls, which I greatly appreciate. The manga is definitely centered around the series’ young women, though. The titular centaur is Kimihara Himeno; the manga is mostly a slice-of-life story which follows her and her other high school friends. (As a side note, I adore Himeno’s wild mass of hair on the cover.) Some people might find reading the first chapter a little uncomfortable as the story revolves around the girls’ privates, but following chapters are much less questionable. Overall, the manga was rather charming. And I am interested in learning more about the world that Murayama has imagined; it seems that some significant thought has been put into it. Although not the focus of the series, politics, law, cultural differences, disputes between races, and history have all been taken into consideration.

Ranma 1/2, Volumes 15-20 by Rumiko Takahashi. It’s been so long since I’ve read any of Ranma 1/2 that I had forgotten how much I love the series. After the main characters and basic premise are established, the manga becomes fairly episodic so it’s easy to pick up part way through the series and still know what’s going on. I find Ranma 1/2 to be hilarious and particularly enjoy the absurd martial arts that Takahashi comes up with. These particular volumes feature martial arts based around eating food extremely quickly and cheerleading, just to give two examples. I like the characters and I like the story, as silly and superfluous as it can be. Akane and Ranma seem to be no closer to getting married than they were at the beginning of the series. They argue quite a bit, but there are moments of genuine affection, too. Granted, those moments are frequently interrupted and don’t tend to last very long. The series’ off-the-wall comedy won’t be to everyone’s taste, but for me Ranma 1/2 is highly entertaining and a lot of fun.

Otome Yokai Zakuro directed by Chiaki Kon. The Otome Yokai Zakuro anime is based on an ongoing manga series by Lily Hoshino (which hasn’t been licensed in English.) The story takes place in an alternate version of Japan’s Meiji Era in which yokai and humans coexist. The office of Spirit Affairs is created in order to improve relations between the two groups. It’s made up of a small contingent of military officers and half-spirit girls who team up to work together. I’ll admit, I liked the first part of the series which explored the concerns over Japan’s Westernization and loss of traditions through the conflicts between humans and yokai much more than I did its end. Seeing as the opening has a bit of a spoiler in it, the series’ major plot twist was clearly planned well in advance, but it just didn’t seem to flow well as a whole as the narrative suddenly changes direction. The romantic subplots are broadcast from the very first episode–it’s obvious who will be falling in love with who–so none of those developments were particularly surprising or unexpected, either.

Delavier’s Mixed Martial Arts Anatomy

January 4, 2014 by Ash Brown

Author: Frédéric Delavier and Michael Gundill
Illustrator: Frédéric Delavier
U.S. publisher: Human Kinetics
ISBN: 9781450463591
Released: October 2013
Original release: 2012

Delavier’s Mixed Martial Arts Anatomy was released by Human Kinetics in 2013. The volume is a translated and revised edition of Frédéric Delavier and Michael Gundill’s Musculation Pour le Fight et les Sports de Combat, originally published in France in 2012. Delavier and Gundill have collaborated with each other on many works focusing on strength training, bodybuilding, and anatomy, several of which have been released in English by Human Kinetics. I was particularly interested in Delavier’s Mixed Martial Arts Anatomy since I myself am a martial artist. I have had some cross-training in other styles (namely tai chi, aikido, and hung gar), but my primary focus in the martial arts has been on traditional Okinawan karate, specifically Shōrin-ryū and Shūdōkan, as well as kobujutsu. Even though I’m not currently active in mixed martial arts, I anticipated that Delavier’s Mixed Martial Arts Anatomy would still be applicable to my own martial arts training. I was very pleased when I was selected to receive a review copy of the work through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program.

After a short introduction that establishes why martial artists should pursue strength training, Delavier’s Mixed Martial Arts Anatomy is divided into three major parts: “Principles of Strength Training,” “Strength Training Exercises for Fighting,” and “Training Programs.” The first part covers the basics of strength training and how it can be applied by martial artists to complement their martial arts training. The section specifically focuses on techniques used to increase strength, power, and flexibility, to improve conditioning and endurance, and to prevent injury and support recovery. The strength training exercises are arranged by their practical applications: strengthening the neck, jaw, and core, improving punches, strikes, and kicks, and developing better grabs, pulls, chokes, and throws. The section devoted to training programs provides examples of basic, specialized, and customized strength training programs and circuits.

Delavier’s Mixed Martial Arts Anatomy could have just as easily, and perhaps more accurately, been called Strength Training for Martial Artists. The book outlines strength training principles, exercises, and programs that have been modified for use within any martial arts or combat sports context, and not just specifically in mixed martial arts. Traditional bodybuilding exercise have been modified to mimic fighting conditions to more effectively develop muscle strength and endurance for practical rather than simply aesthetic applications. There is also an emphasis on compound exercises over isolation exercises since martial arts require the use and engagement of the entire body instead of individual muscle groups. Delavier’s Mixed Martial Arts Anatomy focuses on five goals: increasing muscle mass and weight, increasing strength, increasing power, improving isometric endurance, and improving muscular endurance.

Fighters and martial artists who are just beginning to supplement their regular practice with strength training will benefit the most from Delavier’s Mixed Martial Arts Anatomy. However, those who are more experienced should also be able to find useful information and valuable recommendations in the volume. Delavier and Gundill do assume at least some basic familiarity with the use of weights, bands, and other equipment, but for the most part the book is suitable for beginners. All of the exercises described include variations which allow them to be adjusted to better suit a martial artist’s particular fighting style, body type, or current level of experience or strength. The risks and martial benefits of each exercise are also included which further helps to customize and tailor a program for a martial artist’s individual needs. Delavier’s Mixed Martial Arts Anatomy is a fantastic volume–accessible, well-organized, as well as practical. I know that my own training has already benefited from what I’ve learned by reading it.

Thank you to Human Kinetics for providing a copy of Delavier’s Mixed Martial Arts Anatomy for review.

Bookshelf Overload: December 2013

January 3, 2014 by Ash Brown

I’m pretty pleased with my manga haul in December. I finally gave in and bought a complete set of Yumi Tamura’s series Basara on ebay. I ended up paying a little more than I really wanted (some of the volumes are very out of print), but the fact I had a couple of gift cards to use made me feel a little better about the whole transaction. Plus, the seller threw in copies of the two Basara artbooks as a bonus. As for preorders this month, my copy of Gengoroh Tagame’s Endless Game arrived which made me pretty happy. The English translation is actually the manga’s debut; it hasn’t even been collected in Japan yet. The next volume of Q Hayashida’s Dorohedoro was also released in December. We only get three Dorohedoro volumes a year, so I’m always excited when a new volume comes out. I got a great batch of queer comics in December which I’m looking forward to reading, too.

Manga!
Attack on Titan, Volume 10 by Hajime Isayama
Basara, Volumes 1-27 by Yumi Tamura
Between the Sheets by Erica Sakurazawa
Dorohedoro, Volume 11 by Q Hayashida
Endless Game by Gengoroh Tagame
Fairy Tail, Volume 33 by Hiro Mashima
Hetalia: Axis Powers, Volumes 4-5 by Himaruya Hidekaz
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 6 by Tsutomu Nihei
Lies Are a Gentleman’s Manners by Marta Matsuo
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Volume 4: Jaburo by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
No. 6, Volume 4 by Hinoki Kino
Otomen, Volume 17 by Aya Kanno
Pink by Kyoko Okazaki
Red Colored Elegy by Seiichi Hayashi
Sankarea: Undying Love, Volume 4 by Mitsuru Hattori
Sekine-kun no Koi, Volumes 1-3 by Haruka Kawachi
Smuggler by Shohei Manabe
Soul Rescue, Volumes 1-2 by Aya Kanno
Wild Com. by Yumi Tamura

Manhwa!
Evyione: Ocean Fantasy, Volume 1 by Young-Hee Kim

Comics!
Flutter written by Jennie Wood, illustrated by Jeff McComsey
QU33R edited by Rob Kirby
Queerotica edited by Allie Kleber
What’s Normal Anyway? by Morgan Boecher

Artbooks!
Basara: Earth by Yumi Tamura
Basara: Flame by Yumi Tamura
The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy by Yoshitaka Amano

Anime!
Sword of the Stranger directed by Masahiro Andō

Film!
Zoo directed by Various

Manga the Week of 1/8

January 2, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Melinda Beasi, Anna N and Michelle Smith 3 Comments

SEAN: Well, the holidays are over. HOPE YOU LIKE MANGA. We have, between Amazon and Comic Shop sources, 26 titles coming out this week (some of which have already shipped from certain distributors, yes). Buckle up, folks, we’ll be here a while.

ASH: Excellent. I happen to love manga.

MELINDA: Yes, yes, yesssssss.

SEAN: Dark Horse has the 2nd Trigun Maximum omnibus. I’m hoping that in larger form the art will somehow make more sense.

Digital Manga Publishing has had a slow return from Print Hiatus, but they seem to be back with a vengeance this week. First we have A Century of Temptation, a vampire/barista romance. The author is best known here for Brave 10 (from DMG) and Sengoku Basara (from Udon).

ANNA: Wow, vampire/barista romance? I am somewhat intrigued.

ASH: Indeed! I had somehow missed that particular detail.

MELINDA: Well, huh.

SEAN: Volume 2 of Depression of the Anti-Romanticist wraps things up, hopefully with less depression and less anti-romance. Given its BL demographic.

Mr. Mini-Mart certainly wins the cute cover of the week award. A NEET shut-in tries to hold down a job at a convenience store, but must deal with his loud, outgoing coworker. Will romance develop? (Spoiler: yes.)

MICHELLE: Heehee. I approve of the presence of a kitty. I wonder if it figures into the story?

MELINDA: I’m completely on board with this. I almost don’t care what’s inside.

SEAN: Also with a cute cover, President Momoi-kun is, I inform my fellow Manga Bookshelf writers, an Opera manga. It also looks to be very silly indeed, with lots of funny gags in among the BL. Intriguing.

MICHELLE: I like that the lead dude is crushing on an older, married coworker!

MELINDA: Anything from Opera deserves a look, so count me in!

SEAN: And in DMP’s one non-BL title, we have – finally – Volume 1 of Takasugi-san’s Obento, which feels like it was pushed back about eight times. A grad student has to take in his cousin after her mother dies, and they learn to bond through cooking. The cousin is twelve, so I think this is meant to be more of a family bonding. It’s 7+ volumes in Japan, and runs in one of my favorite magazines, Comic Flapper, so I definitely want to try this out.

MICHELLE: Me too!

ANNA: I read this when it was available digitally, and liked it! We get food manga so seldom, titles like these are a treat.

ASH: More food manga is always a good thing.

MELINDA: I’m so glad to see this in print!

SEAN: Fantagraphics shipped the 6th volume of Wandering Son when I wasn’t looking, so most of you may have it already. We’ve talked before about why this should be a must-buy title for all of you.

MICHELLE: I am so dreadfully behind on Wandering Son. Catching up will be one of my resolutions, methinks.

ANNA: Ugh, me too! Too much manga!

ASH: I am still eagerly waiting for my copy to arrive. I can’t wait!

MELINDA: Same here!

SEAN: Kodansha has Fairy Tail 34, still in the Grand Magic Games arc. I’m falling behind on my Fairy Tail, need to catch up.

Seven Seas expanded greatly in 2013, and this shows no sign of stopping now that it’s 2014. We start with the 2nd and final volume of Alice in the Country of Hearts: The Mad Hatter’s Late-Night Tea Party, which continues the romance between Alice and Blood Dupre.

Dictatorial Grimoire has the 2nd in the Snow White arc, featuring its Alice in the Country of Hearts genderswap-esque plot. I was more interested in Vol. 1 than I expected, so will check the 2nd out.

ASH: I haven’t read the first volume yet, but I am tempted.

SEAN: Monster Musume was a giant hit, and everyone except me seemed to love it. Proving, if nothing else, that I do not drive the taste of most manga readers. Vol. 2 should make even more people happy.

ASH: Monster Musume was a huge success for Seven Seas! I had no idea it was such a popular series.

SEAN: Zero’s Familiar wraps up with the 3rd omnibus, containing Vols. 6-7. Fear not, though, the sequel has been licensed and is coming in the spring.

Flowers of Evil has gotten to Volume 8. Is it still just as twisted? I’m curious.

ASH: The cover art for this story arc is absolutely beautiful.

MELINDA: I’m still pretty well engaged with this series, so bring it on!

SEAN: And there is the traditional Pile Of Viz. Bleach has a 7th 3-in-1 omnibus, getting towards the end of the Soul Society arc, which many people feel it has never bettered.

Hana-Kimi also gets its 7th 3-in-1. If I recall, it should wrap up with the 8th. Bleach, not so much.

ANNA: I love Hana-Kimi!

SEAN: I adore every single volume of Kimi ni Todoke that comes out, even now that it’s at Volume 18. The cast start to think about their futures around this point, as graduation is near.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one, too. It’s a definite favorite.

ANNA: Viz does great shoujo.

SEAN: Midnight Secretary 3 continues to combine office lady romance with vampire romance, and is doing a damn fine job of it. I expect more intrigue to happen here.

ANNA: I do enjoy this series.

MELINDA: As do I.

SEAN: Oh look, another 3-in-1 Volume 7. This is Naruto.

Natsume’s Book of Friends 15! Another series I always love to read. I wish it had more Taki in it, but I’m happy to accept whatever gentle, melancholy yokai antics it will give me.

MICHELLE: Another definite favorite!

SEAN: I reviewed Nisekoi Volume 1 when the digital volume hit, and it’s now coming to print. It’s a fairly typical Shonen Jump romantic comedy, which will appeal to those who like tsunderes, yakuza, and lots of shouting.

MICHELLE: Which is not me, I’m afraid. I found the premise and characters tiresome.

MELINDA: I’ll be checking this one out for sure, despite Michelle’s reservations.

MICHELLE: I look forward to seeing what you think of it!

SEAN: Otomen 17, completing a trilogy of addicting shoujo I always read first whenever the new volumes come out. Last time we had a nasty cliffhanger, are things going to get worse?

MICHELLE: Someday I will catch up on Otomen.

ASH: I’ve been saving the last few volumes to read in one go; I really enjoy this series.

SEAN: Psyren 14 barrels on to its finale, and will presumably be bringing all the major players together back in the Psyren World for a big battle royale.

Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration has now fulfilled its purpose of advertising the recent movie, so it can end with Vol. 2, which indeed it does.

MICHELLE: Ha! Really? I wonder if it was always intended to be so short! Does this mean it doesn’t attempt to rewrite the Kyoko Arc, which needed no rewriting? I am relieved!

ANNA: I didn’t realize that it was going to be so short either, but it makes sense. The original manga was so good, it didn’t really need a reboot.

SEAN: Strobe Edge is nearing the end of its run with Vol. 8, and so surely the two leads will finally start to work out their angst and get closer… no, huh? Oh well.

MICHELLE: Soon!

ANNA: I hope so! I do enjoy this series, but am ready for it to wrap up.

MELINDA: This series continuously surprises me with its ability to keep me engaged… but I do hope we’ll see some movement here, finally.

SEAN: Lastly, Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal 4 does whatever it is Yu-Gi-Oh volumes do these days. It could have become a wacky 4-koma about high school girls for all I know. :)

How much of this pile appeals to you?

Manga Giveaway: 4-Koma for You Winner

January 1, 2014 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the 4-Koma for You manga giveaway is…Cassandra!

As the winner, Cassandra (who currently writes at The Huge Anime Fan) will be receiving the Yen Press omnibus of Kiyohiko Azuma’s yonkoma manga Azumanga Daioh. For this giveaway, I asked entrants to tell me a little about the four-panel manga that they had read. Check out the 4-Koma for You comments for all of the details. And if you’re looking for some yonkoma manga to read, I’ve taken this opportunity to pull together a list of some of the titles that have been licensed in English.

4-Koma Manga in English (in print)
.hack//4Koma by Koichi Sumimaru
Azumanga Daioh by Kiyohiko Azuma
Bloody Brat written by Yuuki Kodoma, illustrated by Kanata Yoshino
ChocoMimi by Konami Sonoda
Crayon Shinchan by Yoshito Usui
Dojin Work by Hiroyuki
GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class by Satoko Kiyuduki
Great Place High School by Naduki Koujima
Hetalia: Axis Powers by Himaruya Hidekaz
Ichiroh! by Mikage
K-ON! by Kakifly
Lucky Star by Kagami Yoshimizu
Neko Ramen by Kenji Sonishi
Palepoli by Usamaru Furuya (excerpted in Secret Comics Japan)
Oh My Goddess!: Adventures of the Mini-Goddesses by Kosuke Fujishima
Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro by Satoko Kiyuduki
Shugo Chara Chan! by Peach-Pit
S.S. ASTRO: Asashio Sogo Teachers’ Room by Negi Banno
Sunshine Sketch by Ume Aoki
Suzunari! by Shoko Iwami
Tori Koro by Hairan
Welcome to Wakaba-soh by Chaco Abeno

My Week in Manga: December 23-December 29, 2013

December 30, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week I posted a review of Hinoki Kino’s manga No. 6, Volume 4. The series has been getting better with each installment and things are starting to get really good. I also wrote a little bit about some of the manga, comics, and fiction releases that for me were particularly Notable in 2013. It’s not exactly a “best of” list, and it isn’t exactly a list of my favorite manga of the year, either. Basically it’s a list of interesting releases from 2013. And speaking of 2013, there’s still time to enter the last manga giveaway of the year! Check out the 4-Koma for You manga giveaway for a chance to win the omnibus edition of Kiyohiko Azuma’s yonkoma manga Azumanga Daioh.

Quick Takes

Fairy Tail, Volume 33 by Hiro Mashima. It’s the second day of the Grand Magic Games and it’s still not looking good for the two Fairy Tail teams, although some of their members have surprising victories. Unfortunately, considering their prior string of defeats, it’s not enough to make much of a difference this early in the tournament. There are some great battles and moments of humor in this volume, but I still don’t find the tournament arc to be as compelling as the arcs that came before it. New characters continue to be introduced; I particularly enjoyed the addition of Bacchus, a powerful wizard from the Quatro Cerberus guild. Personality-wise, he can be a bit of a drunken jerk and isn’t always particularly likeable. What caught my interest is that his style of magic is based on Piguaquan, a legitimate Chinese martial art. Not too surprising considering his name, Bacchus combines this with Zui Quan, or “drunken fist.” Granted, it’s the fictionalized version of drunken fist that requires the practitioner to actually be intoxicated, but this is fitting and meshes well with the existing magic systems in Fairy Tail.

Smuggler by Shohei Manabe. Originally released in English by Tokyopop, Smuggler is now available in a new edition from One Peace Books. I missed the manga the first time around, and since it also received a live-action film adaptation, I was particularly curious to read it. Kinuta is a failed actor who has accumulated a fair amount of debt. In order to pay back what he owes he has been smuggling and illegally dumping cargo outside of Tokyo. What he didn’t initially realize was that he was helping to transport and dispose of dead bodies for the yakuza. And now that he does know, Kinuta owes the mob his life as well as his money. When a job goes terribly wrong and an extraordinarily dangerous assassin escapes on his watch, Kinuta suddenly finds himself pulled even deeper into Japan’s underworld. Smuggler is a dark and violent manga, quickly paced, and unrelenting. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart. Smuggler held my interest, and there were some marvelously gut-wrenching scenes, but in the end I can’t say that the manga left much of a lasting impression on me.

Swan, Volumes 4-9 by Kyoko Ariyoshi. I am still completely in love with Swan and am astounded that it has taken me this long to actually get around to reading it. The series is incredibly well done–it’s just so intense and passionate, not to mention beautifully drawn. I’m also learning a bit more about ballet and its history as I read, which I count as a bonus. There are quite a few themes being addressed in these particular volumes. One of the themes that is especially prominent deals with sacrifice and what people are willing to give up in order to pursue what the truly love. It’s not always an easy decision. As someone who was deeply involved in the performing arts (in my case music, not dance), it’s a conflict with which I can personally identify. The characters in Swan all have to struggle to find the balance between their lives as dancers and their relationships with other people. Matters of love and romance complicate things greatly, but they also serve as a source of inspiration for creative expression. Swan piles on the drama and it’s fantastic.

Wolfsmund, Volume 2 by Mitsuhisa Kuji. While the first volume of Wolfsmund was violent and intense, the second volume is arguably even more so. In response to the rebellion gaining strength and numbers, the questioning of those trying to cross through the Wolf’s Maw at Sankt Gotthard Pass has become even more invasive and thorough. The gate’s overseer Wolfram–who is almost always shown with a terrifyingly pleasant smile on his face–seems to take particular delight in this. In order to get the information he needs, he’s more than willing to order the death or torture of a person no matter who they are. Cruelty isn’t limited to Wolfram. Even the rebellion’s heroes are capable of terrible deeds. I am a fan of dark historical manga, so Wolfsmund is right up my alley. Wolfsmund is definitely for mature readers. Considering its brutal nature (women and girls in particular suffer greatly in this volume) it’s not a series that I would recommend to just anyone. That being said, I am looking forward to the next volume.

Pick of the Year – 2013

December 30, 2013 by Melinda Beasi, Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N 2 Comments

MELINDA: 2013 was a pretty dramatic year for manga in many ways, both good and bad. I can’t help but feel pangs of sadness and regret when I look back at last year’s column, in which I named now-defunct digital publisher JManga as my Pick of the Year. Their titles dominated both my BL and digital “best of” lists as well.

Despite that tragedy, I gaze fondly back at 2013, as the year that brought me new favorites like Knights of Sidonia and Sunny. When thinking about my final Pick this year, however, I guess I’ve little choice but to sound like a broken record, because for me, there can be no other than Moto Hagio’s The Heart of Thomas. When Michelle and I discussed this book back in January, I wrote:

“In case it isn’t obvious to anyone reading this, I loved this manga with my whole heart. And I’ll admit that’s not exactly what I expected. I expected to find it visually beautiful and worthy as a classic, but I also expected it to be very dated and I thought the story might not appeal to my tastes as a modern fan. Instead, I found it to be both beautiful and emotionally resonant to an extent I’ve rarely experienced—especially in BL manga. This is a book I’d wholeheartedly recommend to any comics fan, without reservation. It’s an absolute treasure.”

We were working from digital review copies at the time, and though I’d clearly fallen in love, it wasn’t until my own print copy finally shipped later that month that I realized just how much of a treasure this book truly is. It is glorious to behold. As the year passed, nothing else has come close.

SEAN: There was a lot of great manga released in 2013, even if you just stick with titles that began this year. My mind keeps drifting over to one title in particular, and that’s the deluxe hardcover release of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin from Vertical. Leaving aside the fact that it looks expensive and fantastic with lovely paper and color and everything, it’s a terrific story. Gundam wouldn’t be what it is today without that original story, and reading about the slow maturation (very slow at times) of Amuro Ray, the increasing leadership abilities of Bright Noah, and the political backstabbing of everyone on the Zeon side (but particularly Char Aznable) is as addicting as anything.

With 4 hardcover volumes out so far this year and more on the way, this has to be the Pick of the Year for me.

MICHELLE: I am finding this profoundly difficult. I picked Taiyo Matsumoto’s Sunny for our gift-giving edition last week, so I obviously love it a great deal and think it’s something every manga fan should check out. But if we’re talking about the new-for-2013 manga that pushes my personal buttons the most, it would have to be Tsutomu Nihei’s Knights of Sidonia. Quite simply, I love everything about it, especially Nihei’s art and how the interior nooks and crannies of Sidonia are depicted. It’s also the most accessible of his works that I’ve read, with an endearing cast thrown into a desperate, seemingly impossible conflict.

I very much want to read more Sunny, but I’m kind of desperate to read more Knights of Sidonia, and so it gets the edge and becomes my official Pick of the Year.

ASH: Oh, this really is difficult! I always have a hard time choosing bests or favorites, but I did recently manage to write about some of the manga from the last year that were particularly notable for me. As for my selection for Pick of the Year, I’m actually going to cheat a little and choose the publisher PictureBox. Sadly, PictureBox will not be releasing any new titles, but I was greatly impressed and intrigued by all of the manga it published in 2013.

PictureBox was taking manga publishing in some very exciting directions. The releases were high-quality, too. I was especially interested in the two series helmed and edited by Ryan Holmberg: Ten-Cent Manga (which brought us The Last of the Mohicans by Shigeru Sugiura and The Mysterious Undergound Men by Osamu Tezuka) and Masters of Alternative Manga (which brought us Gold Pollen and Other Stories, an anthology of short manga by Seiichi Hayashi). Plus, PictureBox actually had the guts to release The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame: The Master of Gay Erotic Manga. So, while PictureBox may not be releasing any more manga, I’m very grateful for the risks it took in 2013.

ANNA: I’m relieved that Sean picked Gundam: The Origin because that gives me room to pick something else. And I’m happy that Ash decided to cheat a little, because I’m going to do that too!

My pick of the year isn’t a manga volume or series, but a genre. I want to highlight josei manga! Just when I was about to give up hope of seeing much more josei manga published in English, 2013 ended up being a great year for manga targeted at older female readers. Viz Media had the commercial but incredibly addictive Midnight Secretary and Happy Marriage, Vertical highlighted more challenging and edgy fare by translating works of Kyoko Okazaki, and Digital Manga Publishing released a ton of Harlequin manga on emanga.com. This makes me a very happy reader! I hope for more josei in 2014.

Readers, what manga made your year?

Random Musings: Notable in 2013

December 28, 2013 by Ash Brown

Despite having written at Experiments in Manga for over three years, I have never once attempted to create a “best of the year” list and I’m not about to start. However, I thought it would be interesting to write a post reflecting on what I have read in the past year. This isn’t a best of list. It’s not even necessarily a list of my favorite releases of the year (although, some of them certainly are). Instead, it’s a collection of manga, comics, and fiction from 2013 that, for one reason or another, were particularly notable for me.

I’ll start out with Moto Hagio’s The Heart of Thomas. Fantagraphics released the entire series in a beautiful, hardcover omnibus. Technically, I think it was published at the end of 2012, but I wasn’t able to get my hands on one until 2013. I adore Hagio’s manga and wish more of it was available in English. The Heart of Thomas in particular is a historically significant work and one of the precursors to the boys’ love genre. Plus, it’s a wonderful work in its own right.

The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame: The Master of Gay Erotic Manga probably couldn’t be more different from The Heart of Thomas, but I anticipated its release just as much. Tagame is an incredibly influential gay comics artist. The volume was not only the first collection of his work to be released in English, it was also the first collection of bara manga to be released in print. Happily, it won’t be the last. More of Tagame’s manga is already scheduled to be published.

I have become increasingly interested in yokai over the last few years. And so I was thrilled when Drawn & Quarterly released Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki. The volume collects stories from the first few volumes of Mizuki’s GeGeGe no Kitaro which is the yokai manga that started it all and which continues to influence creators to this day. I found Kitaro to be utterly delightful and can understand why it’s so well-loved. I hope more of the series will be translated.

I picked up Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin for one reason–it was written and drawn by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. I’m not at all a Gundam fan, but I am a fan of Yasuhiko’s work. Even so, I didn’t anticipate how much I would enjoy The Origin. The manga ended up being an extremely well done space opera. It doesn’t hurt that Vertical’s edition of the series is one of the highest quality manga releases available in English, either. I’m still not a Gundam fan, but I am a fan of The Origin.

Another manga that I was pleasantly surprised by was Osamu Tezuka’s Unico. As much as I appreciate Tezuka’s work, I will admit to have grown a little tired of it. (I wish that other classic manga received the same amount of attention in English.) I approached Unico more as a curiosity than anything else; the full-color artwork and unusual page layouts had caught my attention. It turned out to be an endearing manga that is both heartbreaking and charming.

After years of delay, Suehiro Maruo’s The Strange Tale of Panorama Island was finally released by Last Gasp in 2013. The manga is an adaptation of Edogawa Rampo’s novella Strange Tale of Panorama Island which, coincidentally, was also released in English in 2013. I cannot think of a more perfect artist to adapt Rampo’s work; Maruo’s exquisite, sensual, and erotically charged illustrations with hints of the macabre are an ideal fit. The Strange Tale of Panorama Island was worth the wait.

As for continuing series in 2013, Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son remains a manga that is incredibly important to me on a very personal level. I’m pretty sure that I’ve mentioned it before, but Wandering Son has quite literally been life-changing for me. In addition to that, I simply think it’s a wonderfully sensitive and sincere look at personal identity. Fantagraphics released both the fourth and fifth volumes of Wandering Son in 2013; I’m looking forward to reading more of the series great deal.

2013 also saw the release of Ai Yazawa’s Paradise Kiss, Part 3–the third and final volume in Vertical’s edition of the series. I missed out on the manga when it was originally licensed by Tokyopop and I’m very glad to have had the opportunity to read it. Over the last year, I have been extremely impressed by Yazawa’s work. I don’t have a particular interest in fashion, but the complex characters and complicated relationships in Paradise Kiss were extraordinary.

The One Trick Rip-Off + Deep Cuts is a fantastic anthology which collects fifteen comics by Paul Pope, including those he created for Kodansha while in Japan. The volume makes a great introduction to Pope’s comics, exhibiting a nice range of styles and stories selected from nearly a decade of his work. The influence of manga can be seen in the collection, but Pope definitely has his own approach to comics. I’ve become very fond of his work and the quirkiness of his stories and characters.

Written and illustrated by Gene Luen Yang with colors by Lark Pien, the Boxers & Saints duology is honestly one of the best comics that I read in the past year. It’s a powerful retelling of the Boxer Rebellion–a violent uprising in China that began in the late 1800s–from two different sides of the conflict, neither of which were entirely in the right. Yang put a tremendous amount of research into the work, making it historically accurate while still maintaining a very human element to the story.

I already knew that I enjoyed Toh EnJoe’s short stories and essays and so I was excited for the release of Self-Reference Engine, the first book-length work of his to be translated into English. It’s not quite a novel, and it’s not quite a collection of short stories, but whatever it is it’s good stuff. I expected Self-Reference Engine to be intellectually stimulating as well as entertaining, and it was, but I wasn’t prepared for how funny and mind-bending it would be.

No. 6, Vol. 4

December 27, 2013 by Ash Brown

Creator: Hinoki Kino
Original story: Atsuko Asano
U.S. publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9781612623580
Released: December 2013
Original release: 2012

Hinoki Kino’s manga series No. 6 is an adaptation of a series of nine science fiction novels written by Atsuko Asano. The fourth volume of the No. 6 manga was originally published in Japan in 2012. The English-language edition of No. 6, Volume 4 was released by Kodansha Comics in 2013. My introduction to No. 6 was actually through the anime adaptation, but I have been enjoying the manga’s rendition of the story as well. I have had a fondness for dystopian fiction ever since I was introduced to the genre in high school and so I am particularly pleased that a manga series like No. 6 is being released in English. I did find the first volume to be a little rushed and disjointed in places, but each subsequent volume has continued to improve and the series has settled into an excellent pace. The characters and world-building have also been developing rather nicely. Because the series keeps getting better, I was looking forward to reading the fourth volume.

Shion’s close friend Safu has been arrested by the Security Bureau of No. 6 and taken to the Correctional Facility, which may very well mean her death. Rat has known about Safu’s predicament for some time, but it’s something that he has been keeping a secret from Shion, concerned that he would put his own life at risk in order to rescue Safu. Rat is soon proven correct when, by chance, Shion discovers that Safu has been taken. Shion is prepared to do anything that he can to save her, even if that means doing it alone. But, despite his reservations, Rat isn’t about to let that happen. Infiltrating the Correctional Facility won’t be easy. Both Shion and Rat have been classified as dangerous criminal fugitives by No. 6’s authorities which severely limits their movements outside of West Block. Simply getting information about what is happening in No. 6 is a difficult task which will require all of the connections and influence that the two young men can muster. They are at a definite disadvantage and their situation is nearly impossible, but Rat and Shion are determined to come out of it alive however unlikely.

While the previous volume or so took time to further establish the relationships between the characters in the manga, No. 6, Volume 4 ratchets up the pace again, moving the plot forward quite handily. This is not to say that Kino has forgotten the series’ main players for the sake of the story. In fact, there are some absolutely wonderful character moments in the fourth volume. These are critical for the development of both the plot and the characters themselves. It is quite clear by this point in the manga that Shion and Rat deeply care about each other. But in No. 6, Volume 4 Shion is forced to confront just how vicious Rat can be, something that he has been avoiding. Rat has never hesitated to intimidate or threaten other people and is a master manipulator. Though up until now he has largely (but not completely) kept his overt violence in check, when given a reason and opportunity he can be absolutely terrifying. Rat’s actions in this volume are nominally for Shion’s sake, but he also has an intense, deep-seated hatred and anger towards No. 6 which lends to his brutality.

West Block has always been a violent place, but at least its residents are honest and forthright about it. They hold no delusions as they often literally have to fight to survive. On the other hand, there’s No. 6. The city is presented as a perfect society even though it is anything but. Granted, most of No. 6’s citizens are completely unaware that anything untoward is going on and those who do suspect find themselves conveniently disappeared. Because of this, No. 6 is actually the more terrifying of the two places. What exactly is going on in No. 6 has yet to be made clear. There have been some hints, and Shion and the others have uncovered a few clues, but even some of No. 6’s highest ranking officials aren’t privy to that information. All that is known is that some sort of terrible experiment is being conducted on the city’s population. However, the goal, purpose, and motivation behind that experiment hasn’t been revealed yet. With plenty of questions remaining to be answered and the story increasing in intensity, I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next volume of No. 6.

Manga the Week of 1/1

December 26, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Melinda Beasi 1 Comment

SEAN: Attack on Titan 10.

Thoughts?

(sorry, couldn’t resist)

(Happy Holidays all)

MICHELLE: *snerk* Same to you!

ASH: I have thoughts! I have lots of thoughts!

MELINDA: I see that the manga gods have taken this opportunity to remind me how out of step I am with the world, having let this series go after the first volume. Perhaps I’ll rectify this in the new year?

Manga Giveaway: 4-Koma for You (Azumanga Daioh)

December 25, 2013 by Ash Brown

2013 may be nearing its end, but there’s still time for one more manga giveaway here at Experiments in Manga before the year is over! For December’s giveaway, you all have a chance to win a copy of the Yen Press omnibus edition of Kiyohiko Azuma’s yonkoma manga Azumanga Daioh. The entire series collected in one convenient volume! As always, the giveaway is open worldwide.

If I recall correctly, Azumanga Daioh was the first yonkoma manga that I ever read. Yonkoma, or 4-koma, is a four-panel format frequently used for gag manga. I know several people who consider Azumanga Daioh to be one of the best examples of yonkoma manga currently available in English. Yonkoma tends to be fairly hit-or-miss for me, but I was consistently entertained by Azumanga Daioh–it’s a goofy yet charming series.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of the Azumanga Daioh omnibus?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about a four-panel manga that you have read and why you did, or didn’t, like it. (Haven’t read any? You can simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

And there you have it! Each person can earn up to two entries for this giveaway. As usual, there will be one week to submit comments. Entries may also be sent via e-mail to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com and I will post them in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on January 1, 2014. Good luck and a Happy New Year, everyone!

VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address, a link to your website, Twitter username, or whatever. If I can’t figure out how to get a hold of you and you win, I’ll just draw another name.

Contest winner announced–Manga Giveaway: 4-Koma for You Winner

My Week in Manga: December 16-December 22, 2013

December 23, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Two reviews were posted last week at Experiments in Manga. The first review was for Yaya Sakuragi’s boys’ love manga Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love, Volume 3. Although the series isn’t my favorite work by Sakuragi, I tend to enjoy her manga and Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love has been growing on me. The second review was for Tales of Moonlight and Rain, the most recent English translation of Ueda Akinari’s Ugetsu monogatari, a collection of short stories about ghosts and other mysterious happenings that was originally published in Japan in 1776. It may be over two centuries old, but it’s still a great read.

I came across quite a few interesting things online last week: The Advocate posted its 10 Great Graphic Novel Gifts. It’s a great list of queer comics that came out this year and it includes a few excellent manga selections as well; Some Fog uses Kazuo Umezu’s Drifting Classroom as an example on how to creat comics–Lessons from Umezu; Voting has opened for the second Manga Translation Battle; The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund reports that Core Magazine Pleads Guilty in Japanese Obscenity Case, feeling that a “guilty plea would be a better option than a protracted legal battle.; On a happier note, the Toronto Comic Arts Festival has announced it’s initial list of featured guests. Among other great comics creators, Est Em will be coming to TCAF 2014!

Quick Takes

About Love written by Narise Konohara and illustrated by Tomo Ootake. Despite his family’s misgivings over his choice of career, Asaka has become an enthusiastic wedding planner. But recently things haven’t been going so well–several of the couples that he has been working with have canceled their weddings. That’s when he reunites with his first client, a man by the name of Sasagawa who has the perfect marriage and serves as an inspiration to Asaka. However, his marriage isn’t nearly as perfect as it seems. About Love is a slow-burning romance; Asaka and Sasagawa’s relationship takes a great deal of time to develop and solidify, but it’s a natural progression from acquaintances, to friends, to possibly something greater. About Love focuses on the emotional connection between the two men more than it does on their physical intimacy, although that has a role to play as well. In addition to their evolving relationship, About Love addresses some issues of same-sex marriage and there are other gay and lesbian couples important to the story as well.

Attack on Titan, Volume 10 by Hajime Isayama. I’m not entirely sure how Isayama pulls it off, but it’s rather impressive how many twists and turns Attack on Titan has been taking lately. I went into this volume expecting a respite from major plot reveals since there have been so many recently. I was wrong. The focus of the tenth volume is on 104th’s struggle to survive against a massive titan attack on the castle in which they were hoping to hide and recover. They are without weapons or maneuvering gear, making their situation particularly precarious. This alone would have been enough to carry the volume and there are some very exciting moments in the fight. But no. After an extended action sequence, Isayama throws in not one but two (well, maybe three depending on how you’re counting) major story twists. Although there are still plenty of questions that need to be answered, the titans themselves are becoming less of a mystery. I actually kind of miss when they were beyond humanity’s comprehension, but I’m still interested in seeing how things play out.

Baron Gong Battle, Volumes 1-6 by Masayuki Taguchi. Only six out of the nine volumes of Baron Gong Battle have been released in English. After his girlfriend is horrifically murdered by a Neo Hume, Baron is determined to seek revenge against those who killed her. The Neo Hume’s are extraordinarily powerful creatures born out of the Nazi’s biological experiments. Baron Gong Battle is an utterly absurd and violent action-packed manga series that can be a tremendous amount of trashy fun when it’s not being completely offensive. Baron is an over-the-top badass and the dialogue is extreme. However, the more that I read, the less enamored I became with Baron Gong Battle. The manga’s utter ridiculousness is highly entertaining, and it becomes more and more outrageous as the series progresses, but I soon became tired of the role that the women play. Occasionally they can be very competent fighters, but more often than not they seem to only be a part of the series in order to fawn over Baron and to run around mostly if not entirely naked.

Pink by Kyoko Okazaki. While I didn’t find Pink to be as brutal or as hard-hitting as Okazaki’s later work Helter Skelter, I still think that the manga is an excellent work and I enjoyed it a great deal. Pink is rather curious manga filled with rather curious characters. In general, they are much more likeable than those in Helter Skelter, but they are definitely an odd bunch. Yumi works as a part-time call girl in order to feed her pet crocodile Croc. Although Yumi’s on great terms with her younger stepsister Keiko–a precocious girl with a bottomless stomach–she and her stepmother hate each other. Things get a little complicated when Yumi becomes involved with Haruo, her stepmother’s manstress and wannabe novelist. I was actually surprised by how much of the Pink was told from Haruo’s perspective. His strange relationships with these three women, and Croc, forms the basis for much of the story. But even so, it’s Yumi who really seems to be the focus of the manga. Pink has a very cynical and oddball sense of humor which I could appreciate.

From the New World directed by Masashi Ishihama. Overall I really liked the story and setting of the From the New World anime, an adaptation of the novel by the same name written by Yusuke Kishi (which sadly has yet to be licensed in English.) However, I frequently found the series’ pacing and narrative structure to be frustrating and somewhat disjointed. Saki, the main protagonist, also had an annoying habit of echoing back whatever was being said to her by someone else. I did like that the story focused on the characters at several different points in their lives. From the New World takes place in what is eventually revealed to be a post-apocalyptic environment. I actually would have liked to have seen more about how society reached the point that it is at in the series; most of the past events are merely hinted at. From the New World deals quite a bit with the terrible lengths humanity is willing to go to when driven by fear. It’s very well done in places. The anime also gets bonus points for the nice use of music from Dvořák’s From the New World symphony.