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Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

a bride's story

Off the Shelf: Beer, cheese, & a bit of fluff

December 15, 2011 by Melinda Beasi and Michelle Smith 12 Comments

MELINDA: Hi! Hi. Um… hi. I had a beer.

MICHELLE: I had string cheese!

MELINDA: Have you had manga?

MICHELLE: I have had! Relatively “fluffy” manga, comparatively, but manga all the same!

MELINDA: Tell me more!

MICHELLE: Well, one thing I read was the fourth volume of Kakifly’s moe comedy, K-ON!, which is about as fluffy as it gets.

I’m not sure how it happened, but K-ON! has gradually won me over. When I read the first volume of this four-koma series about a group of girls who form a pop music club at their high school, I was not impressed, finding the fanservice awkward and some of the characters gratingly stupid. Now, true, some of the characters are still gratingly stupid, but I seem to have become more accepting of the less-than-perfect aspects of this manga. Or perhaps I’ve simply lowered my expectations. In any case, I have finally come around.

This volume finds the four original band members studying for college entrance exams in an effort to attend the same school. For two of the girls, this isn’t a challenge—in fact, the wealthy girl is never actually seen studying and there’s a subtle implication that she might have a secret “in” on account of her status—but the other two are not very good students, so there is a lot of focus on their comical failures. Meanwhile, the youngest member of the group, Azusa, drops her stoic demeanor and gets weepy at the thought of being alone but is joined by a couple of new bandmates right at the end of the volume.

Okay, you know what? This isn’t the most original stuff out there. There’s also a high school festival involving a performance of Romeo and Juliet, and another instance of the girls giving a concert that happens entirely off-panel. But I kind of don’t care anymore. I like Azusa and I like “seemingly cool yet easily flustered” Mio and, Heaven help me, I even like the slashy potential in this series. (There must be mad troves of K-ON! fanfic!) Reading it cheered me up, and that’s what a comedy is supposed to do.

I guess what I’m saying is that I’ve done a 180º on this series.

MELINDA: I’m actually pretty glad to hear you say that! I’ll admit that I haven’t yet gotten into the manga (I missed the first volume, and never caught up after that), but I was pretty well enamored with the anime series, so I come to it all with a pro-K-ON! bias. I’m probably still more in touch with my young teenaged self than a lot of women my age (this is likely not a good thing), so I can still relate to these girls, and I suspect I wasn’t much less stupid, even if I was more school-smart than most of them. In any case, I’m happy this has turned into something enjoyable for you!

MICHELLE: Me, too. I’m still sad that we never actually see them playing anything, but a segment in which various members try their hand at writing song lyrics was pretty amusing. I’m not sure whether there’s more of the series or not—I’d originally thought it was complete in four volumes, but it doesn’t seem like it from how this volume ends.

Anyhoo, what’ve you been reading?

MELINDA: Well, I suppose you could classify my first read as “fluff” as well, but it’s classic fluff, so it has a very different feel. I’m talking about volume one of Osamu Tezuka’s Princess Knight, finally released in this country by Vertical, much to the delight of us here at Manga Bookshelf. I had a good idea of what to expect from this series, especially after Kate’s Manga Artifacts tribute last year, but my own reaction to it was still a bit of a surprise.

As Kate’s article makes clear, this is a lively, swashbuckling fantasy, and it’s very enjoyable as such. She covered the premise too, in which Princess Sapphire is born as a girl being raised as a boy, thanks to a pre-birth snafu that gave her both a girl’s and boy’s heart. I’ll admit, I wasn’t quite prepared for my own reaction to this.

I’m perfectly capable of viewing this manga in the context of its time, yet I’m still jarred by the notion that Sapphire’s strength and bravery are due only to her accidental ownership of a boy’s heart. I get that this may have been the only way Tezuka (or his readers) could deal with the idea of a swashbuckling heroine, but I wish he didn’t feel the need to keep bringing it up. There’s even a fight scene in this volume where Sapphire’s boy’s heart is momentarily removed, rendering her suddenly weak and afraid. Then her bravery and skill returns as soon as she gets the heart back again. That really bothered me, I have to admit.

Fortunately, the issues I’m having with the manga’s discussion of gender roles are largely overshadowed by the likeableness of its lead character. I really like Sapphire, and though she dislikes having to live as boy while her girl’s heart longs for everything she’s not allowed to have, she doesn’t reject the qualities that make her able to pass as male. She wants to wear dresses and she wishes she could crush on the neighboring prince a little more openly, but it’s hard to imagine her enjoying a life without the adventure her “male” role offers her.

Things take an interesting turn in the last few chapters of this volume, and I expect I might enjoy the second volume more than the first, if those chapters are any indication. But even if the premise continues to bother me, I suspect I’ll continue to enjoy this series. Sapphire is just too much fun to let go of.

MICHELLE: Oh man, that fight scene you speak of seems guaranteed to make steam come out of my ears. But still, this is a title I long wished for, despite not knowing very much about it aside from its premise. (I’ve been waiting for the release of volume two so I could read the whole series at once.) I suppose I will try to overlook this aspect, or at least consider it a sign of the times.

MELINDA: It really is worth making the attempt, and honestly I’m looking forward to volume two. I hope your experience is the same!

So what else have you been reading this week?

MICHELLE: Well…. it’s something I have to be in the mood for, but when I am, it can really hit the spot!

I am talking about Gosho Aoyama’s long-running shounen mystery, Case Closed. This series is pretty unique because its Shonen Sunday stylings—by which I mean largely episodic but with a story-spanning arc that will only really be resolved at the conclusion of the series—make it an ideal candidate for “popping in to see what’s going on.” The first volume I ever read of Case Closed was volume 25, then I went back and read some of the beginning, and then this week was inspired to check out the current happenings in volume 41.

Immediately, one can drop right in and figure out what’s going on. The basic premise of the series is that hotshot teen detective Jimmy Kudo had a run-in with some mysterious “men in black” and is now trapped in the body of a first grader who goes by the name Conan Edogawa. He’s not as able to help the bumbling local police force in this form, but with the help of some handy gadgets, he makes do.

As the volume begins, Conan’s mom (a famous actress) has been sent by her husband to help solve the case of a wealthy widower who’s been receiving threatening letters under his pillow. The culprit is revealed within a few chapters and, as is usual for Case Closed, used an incredibly elaborate murder method. Next, some dude is stabbed. After that, some dude is garroted in a Porsche. Conan always happens to be nearby and always manages to use an adult as mouthpiece for the solution he devised.

If you’re looking for a gritty, compelling murder mystery, you’re not going to find it here. Go read some Elizabeth George or something. Case Closed consistently treats death like a puzzle, and no one is ever too distraught about what has befallen their loved ones. It’s a game, and usually not one that the reader has any chance of figuring out on their own. But man, I really had fun with this volume! I liked that the cases were short and that the volume was nicely seasoned with some stalking courtesy of the “men in black.” Because the series is up to volume 73 in Japan and still ongoing, I don’t really believe anything big will happen with them soon, but that doesn’t prevent me from being really keen to read volume 42!

MELINDA: I’m not often a huge fan of truly episodic storytelling, but I admit this does sound kind of fun!

MICHELLE: Like I said, it’s all about being in the right mood for it. Really, it’s another manifestation of the “everything is simple” brain-balm effect that I enjoy from some shounen manga.

Anyhoo! Thus concludes my fluff. What else have you got?

MELINDA: My second selection can’t rightly be called “fluff,” though it does have a slow, gentle quality to it that is perhaps a completely different kind of brain balm. This week, I read the second volume of Kaoru Mori’s A Bride’s Story, beautifully produced and packaged in hardcover by Yen Press. I know I brought up Yen’s production values when I discussed the series’ first volume, but it just has to be mentioned again. This is a gorgeous book, and that alone gives it an air of gravity. Still, there is a lightheartedness here that makes this a really smooth read.

Things take a dramatic turn in this volume, when Amir’s clan returns again to take her back with them in order to remarry her into another tribe. It’s an ugly scene, and not lacking tragedy, but the real outcome of all of it is that Amir begins to view her very young husband as a man, which, interestingly, is more uncomfortable for her than it is for the reader.

Despite the characters’ jarring age difference, the author is clearly allowing them a romance, and is executing it so deftly, it actually doesn’t feel jarring at all. Amir’s new feelings for her husband are really… sweet. It’s quite lovely to watch their relationship grow, and I found that surprising.

The author also has a real gift for teaching us about the story’s setting without becoming didactic or distracting from the story in any way. There is a lovely section in this volume that is entirely about the importance of cloth and embroidery in the lives of the tribe’s women, and it may even be my favorite part of series so far.

Though we’re not allowed into the mind of any one character, there’s an intimacy with the tribe as a whole that reveals the author’s affection for them and helps to draw us in to their lives. Despite the distance in our POV, this is probably one of the warmest comics I’ve read, and more compelling in its quietness than I would ever expect.

Really, I love this series.

MICHELLE: That sounds so lovely. Maybe over Christmas break I’ll actually have the opportunity to read these two volumes, which have been sitting here beside me for ages now. And I definitely think it’s worth mentioning when a publisher has excellent production values; they should be praised for doing something well that other entities (*cough*Kodansha*cough*) can’t seem to manage.

MELINDA: It’s nice when a beautiful package like this is just as beautiful inside as well. A Bride’s Story was the perfect choice for this kind of treatment.

MICHELLE: Indeed!

Filed Under: OFF THE SHELF Tagged With: a bride's story, case closed, k-on!, princess knight

Off the Shelf: the good & the great

July 14, 2011 by Melinda Beasi and Michelle Smith 4 Comments

MICHELLE: Hey, Melinda. How is a majestic field different from a gaudy shrimp?

MELINDA: Hmmm, I don’t know, how *is* a majestic field different from a gaudy shrimp?

MICHELLE: One’s a proud lawn and the other is a loud prawn!

MELINDA: Ba-dum-dum *chick*

MICHELLE: That one can be blamed on Stephen Fry. Now that I’ve done my obligatory bad joke, want to get on with the real reason why we’re here?

MELINDA: Sure! My turn?? Me, me, me??

MICHELLE: You, you, you.

MELINDA: Okay! I’m actually pretty excited to talk about both of my selections this week (in case you couldn’t quite tell), as both of them really embody the beauty and power of the medium.

I’ll begin with Kaoru Mori’s A Bride’s Story, published in hardcover splendor by Yen Press. The story is set in nineteenth-century Central Asia, along the Silk Road, where 20-year-old Amir, daughter of the semi-nomadic Halgal tribe is meeting her betrothed, twelve-year-old Karluk, for the first time. Karluk is the oldest son of the Eihon tribe who are settled near the Caspian Sea, and whose culture differs significantly from that of the Halgal. Though the age difference is a shock for both of them, the greater challenge for Amir is finding her place in her new tribe and proving her worth to Karluk’s family.

So much about this manga is beautiful and refreshing, it’s difficult to know where to begin. Though there is some tribal drama here in the background, with Amir’s tribe determined to take her back from the Eihon in order to marry her more advantageously, the story’s focus is much more on the day-to-day, as Amir and Karluk adjust to their marriage and to each other—a much more compelling subject in my view.

Though Amir is clearly the center of things (she is the title character, after all), the story’s narrative remains staunchly objective, with no particular insight into anyone’s inner thoughts or feelings. While a lesser writer might easily lose the thread without a clear point of view to cling to, Mori uses the opportunity to focus on detail. No expression or bit of dialogue is wasted. Every moment is deliberate and carefully crafted to eke out these characters and their burgeoning relationships. As a result, we feel that we’re getting to know the characters just as slowly as they are becoming comfortable with each other, something I found to be incredibly effective as a reader.

This is a quiet, slow-moving manga, with an emphasis on character development, yet it also has some of the most thrilling moments I’ve experienced in my comics reading to date. Perhaps most spectacular is a scene early on, in which Amir has gone off to catch the ingredients for rabbit stew (something her new family has never eaten). Concerned for her welfare, Karluk follows after her, only to witness her deftly hunting rabbits from horseback with a bow and arrow, a skill his tribe has long forgotten. Amir is full of moments like these, quietly winning Karluk’s heart (and ours) with her knowledge and ability, so different from anything he’s grown up with. More tentative are her efforts towards consummating her marriage, which obviously requires some patience and delicacy.

And “delicacy” is the key word here. While there are any number of things that could be either completely creepy or played for laughs in a story about a 20-year-old bride and her child groom, there is absolutely no trace of either in this manga.

Have I mentioned, too, that it’s just completely gorgeous? From the meticulous period details to the truly adorable livestock, this series is a feast for the eyes. It’s really just a treat in every possible way.

MICHELLE: That sounds wonderful indeed. I love stories where the introduction to the world and its people feels completely organic, especially when you’re able to see how the way they’ve lived has influenced the person they are now. My copy is literally six inches from my left arm, so I will definitely be reading this soon.

MELINDA: It’s really the loveliest thing, Michelle. I think you will love it. I should also note that I am one of the two manga bloggers still in existence who hasn’t yet read Emma, but seeing this, I feel I have to rectify that immediately.

MICHELLE: I’ve only read part of Emma, though I own all of it.

MELINDA: So what have you got for us tonight?

MICHELLE: I’ve also got a story about a skilled and awe-inspiring young woman making her way in a new environment, though this one is played for laughs. Oresama Teacher is up to its third volume now, and though I can’t honestly call it the greatest thing I’ve ever read, it definitely makes me giggle.

As you’re aware, Oresama Teacher revolves around the struggle of Mafuyu Kurosaki, a former gang leader expelled from her old school for fighting, to stay out of trouble at her new school and make the best of her second chance. This isn’t easy, since she doesn’t feel at ease around girls (they just seem too fragile) and so instead develops a friendship with the class delinquent in addition to reuniting with her childhood love, the guy who basically groomed her for gang life in the first place, who is now her homeroom teacher.

In volume three, Mafuyu laments the state of her larder and decides to go home for the weekend, where she immediately finds herself in the middle of gang strife once again. But, y’know, funny gang strife. A rival gang sets a trap for her by staging various crimes—knowing that Mafuyu will rush to the rescue—and she ends up tied up in some building with two of her former underlings.

One of my favorite things about the series is mangaka Izumi Tsubaki’s impeccable comic timing, as illustrated by the following scene:

Mafuyu: *discovers similarly bound underlings*
Underling #1: Oh.
Underling #2: Oh.
Nice big pause emphasized by a large airy panel.
Underling #2: Did you cut your hair?

End of chapter.

I can totally imagine this happening in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In fact, it probably did.

Wacky hijinks ensue, but unlike most wacky hijinks, these are actually amusing. By the end of the volume Mafuyu has met a new nemesis, the bishounen student council chairman whose beguiling charisma makes others do his bidding. It’s not all hilarity, of course, and there are some very nice scenes as Mafuyu confronts the unpleasant fact that things have gone on pretty much unchanged without her around.

Really, I can’t recommend the series enough. And I’m finding it harder and harder to believe that Tsubaki’s previous Shojo Beat series, The Magic Touch, was really as bad as people said.

MELINDA: Having been a one of the people who hated The Magic Touch, I’m kinda bowled over by how hilarious this manga sounds. I enjoyed the first volume, certainly, but I hadn’t quite decided whether to carry on. That exchange you quote, though… that’s definitely my kind of funny.

MICHELLE: Do you remember what was so bad about it, or has too much time passed?

MELINDA: Probably too much time has passed, but I do remember feeling that it was very tedious. Which can’t possibly be said for Oresama Teacher.

MICHELLE: Hm. Well, I may need to check it out anyway, if only to appreciate how Tsubaki has improved at her craft.

So what is your second incarnation of “beauty and power”?

MELINDA: My second subject is actually the manga I’ve been most looking forward to discussing with you this week, and that would be Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son, also in hardcover, from Fantagraphics.

This manga tells the story of two elementary school students, Shuichi Nitori and Yoshino Takatsuki, who, besides navigating everyday pre-teen challenges like siblings and school friends, are also slowly becoming aware that they are transgender. It’s a gradual and individual process for each of them, but the two bond quickly when Shuichi is seated next to Yoshino on his first day at her school, and it isn’t too long before they begin to suspect that this is something they have in common.

There has been a lot of really eloquent discussion of this volume already (David’s review from just this morning comes immediately to mind, along with your early review), so I won’t attempt to do anything here but explain some of the reasons why I personally loved this manga, and I really do have quite a bit to say on that front.

First of all, this is a elegantly-crafted, character-driven story that lets us into its characters’ private worlds with both candor and delicacy. We are brought into their lives completely, and though we’re privy to their some of their most private thoughts and fears, there is never a sense that we’re observing them as “subjects” or invading their privacy—something I often feel when experiencing “issue”-focused fiction. the real secret to this is that they aren’t treated as though their gender is all that they are, despite how much weight that aspect of their identity is being given in their thoughts and hearts over the course of this volume.

Many of this volume’s most affecting moments are its most quiet and private—Shuichi buying himself a girl’s headband, Yoshino (more commonly referred to by her classmates as “Takatsuki-kun”) riding the train out of town in her brother’s old school uniform—with very little in the way of Big Dramatic Moments, which helps to maintain the silent tension growing in the hearts of both of its leads as they begin to let themselves think more and more about their feelings. Shuichi’s realization that he really should have been born a girl comes not as some kind of melodramatic epiphany, but rather as a private moment of honesty. And these kinds of moments—these quiet bits of realization—don’t magically fix anything or create any kind of grand determination within the characters’ hearts to be themselves or do their best. They simply add to the characters’ growing self-awareness and (to an extent) their bond with each other.

I could go on here, but actually I’m pretty eager to talk with you about this manga.

MICHELLE: It’s been four months since I read this, but so many moments remain indelibly stamped on my brain, like when Shuichi has dressed as a girl while home alone and ends up passing as a girl in an interaction with a solicitor, or the absolutely wrenching scene in which Yoshino experiences her first period. Each of these moments is quiet and understated, but so vastly important in the lives of the characters.

MELINDA: Oh, the scene with Yoshino and her period… it’s the ultimate betrayal of her body against her, and yet as you say, it’s not at all overstated. It doesn’t have to be, because it’s important without the author having to telegraph that to us. Even when Yoshino leaves school crying after some boys accidentally reinforce exactly what the period means for her, it’s not played for drama in the least.

MICHELLE: I also liked that the story is so completely innocent. Thus far, the children have not been concerned with sexuality; what they’re feeling has simply to do with their own personal identity, uncomplicated by any other factors.

MELINDA: I don’t think bringing sexuality into the picture would necessarily damage the story’s innocence. But they have plenty to think about as it is, so I’m not bothered at all that it has not come up in a major way.

Mostly, I’m just completely charmed by this story, and content to take it as it comes. I feel like I’m in very sure hands.

So Michelle, what’s our final volume for the evening?

MICHELLE: Well, as you know, I’ve spent the last week catching up on Pandora Hearts, and wanted to talk about the sixth and most recent volume.

It’s actually a lot more simple plot-wise than recent volumes have been, as Oz’s uncle, Oscar, decides to give his nephew a fun diversion by whisking him off to visit his little sister (who, thanks to the ten-year time lapse, is now older than him) at school. Much forced hilarity ensues, with Oscar pretending to be daft in order to encourage Oz to enjoy himself, and Oz playing along to avoid worrying others. Along the way he meets a couple of other students, engaging in a lengthy bickerfest with one of them, and a girl who spirits him away to a Baskerville lair.

The most interesting aspect of Pandora Hearts is its characters, and in this volume it seems that everyone—even near total strangers—is coming down on Oz for his tendency to accept things as they are. Oz makes no effort to protect himself—getting easily nabbed by the Baskervilles, for example—and so inconveniences others when they have to save him, but there’s such a solid backstory reason for his behavior that it never comes across as annoying. I don’t know if some of the words Oz hears in this volume will have a lasting effect, but it looks like some may have gotten through, at least.

Even more interesting to me is the brief snippet of background we get for Xerxes Break, the Shigure-like figure in the story who is friendly and silly but extremely capable of manipulating those closest to him for his own goals. What’s so interesting about him is how honest he is about what he’s done after the fact, and everyone just keeps on trusting him. Still, he does seem to have his own code of honor, and downplays his own actions when making a personal sacrifice to save someone he cares about. He’s extremely hard to figure out, and thus quite intriguing.

But, of course, Raven is still my favorite.

MELINDA: There was a point in this volume where I began to worry that it was going to let itself linger too long in school-based silliness, but I was relieved to discover that it was all really a ploy to lead us into some terrific character development for Oz. I developed an immediate fondness for the volume’s new characters too—another son of the Nightray household and his outspoken valet.

Also, I’m a pretty big Break fan, so I definitely agree on that point. Even if Raven is still the best. ;)

MICHELLE: To continue on with Fruits Basket comparisons, much like Manabe was essential for challenging Yuki and drawing him out of his shell, I think someone like Elliot is essential for Oz. Sure, I didn’t much enjoy their protracted arguing, but at least Oz was reacting passionately to something.

MELINDA: That’s an excellent point. Oz needs someone to make him mad, and though Alice seems pretty well-equipped to serve that purpose for just about everyone else (or maybe it’s just Raven), Oz identifies with her too strongly for her to fulfill that role in his life.

MICHELLE: Exactly. But she’s also very important in other ways, like seeing through his feigned good humor to the fear of meeting his sister again that lies beneath. Really, just about every character in this series represents something vitally important to Oz, which is pretty impressive.

MELINDA: Agreed! Though with a plot-heavy series like this, it would be easy to focus on all the events that are going on, I think Jun Mochizuki’s greatest strength is with characterization, and you’ve pointed out one of the reasons why.

MICHELLE: Now that I have caught up with the series, I vow never to fall behind again!

MELINDA: Hurrah!

Filed Under: OFF THE SHELF Tagged With: a bride's story, oresama teacher, pandora hearts, Wandering Son

Bookshelf Briefs 6/6/11

June 6, 2011 by Melinda Beasi, Katherine Dacey, David Welsh and Michelle Smith 4 Comments

This week, Melinda, Kate, David, & Michelle take a look at a variety of manga from Viz Media, Vertical Inc., Digital Manga Publishing, and Yen Press.

 


 

Bakuman, Vol. 5 | By Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata | Viz Media – The theme for this volume may as well be “Everyone makes progress toward making their dreams come true!” Not that everything is smooth sailing. Mashiro and Takagi finally have a series in Shonen Jump, but along with that comes new editor, Miura, who is rather inexperienced. It takes him some time to gain the confidence to steer the boys in a direction that will keep their series popular with readers. Meanwhile, other friends and rivals aim for the same goal and even Miho experiences a rejuvenation in her dedication to become a voice actress. It’s a thoroughly shounen setup, which is only fitting for a story about making shounen manga. I wish we actually got to see some of this manga they’re creating, though! Maybe in due time… -Michelle Smith

Black Bird, Vol. 8 | By Kanoko Sakurakoji | Viz Media – If there’s one thing that can be said for Kanoko Sakurakoji’s Black Bird, it’s that it stays unflinchingly on message, volume after volume. “Girls, always obey what the menfolk tell you,” it says over and over, in a thousand different ways. “They’re smarter and stronger than you are, so they always know what’s best.” That’s the overwhelming message of this series, though there’s an equally consistent side note attached, “Be grateful and understanding when your man punishes you for your mistakes. After all, it’s for your own good.” Volume eight personifies these messages without fail, as always, with the added bonus of the much-anticipated consummation of Misao and Kyo’s sexual relationship, which is of course preceded by extra gratitude, humility, and expressions of flushed desperation from our heroine. Yay? -Melinda Beasi

Bleach, Vol. 35 | By Tite Kubo | Viz Media – Despite its status as a hit battle manga, for a reader like me, the best of Bleach exists between battles, when Tite Kubo is able to utilize his (not insignificant) talent for writing quirky, compelling characters. Unfortunately Kubo tends to excess in this area, creating a never-ending stream of brand new characters, leaving less room and page time for those we already love. With that in mind, volume 35 reveals both the best and worst of Kubo’s habits, providing some genuinely satisfying moments with some of our favorite characters while leading us into another series of battles with an array of new foes. If I could deliver one message to Kubo, it would be that when it comes to supporting characters, sometimes less is more. 35 stacks up in the “win” column, but the future looks far less bright. – Melinda Beasi

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 2 | By Kazue Kato | Viz Media – In discussion of this series’ first volume, I said, ” I’d like to see more … with Rin actually learning the craft under Yukio’s tutelage, because watching the two of them together is the most compelling aspect of the story so far.” The good news here is that we do see more of this, and it indeed remains the series’ greatest strength. The less good news is that the bulk of this volume is spent introducing the class’ other students, including hotheaded Suguro and by-the-book tsundere Izumo. Though there’s obviously a self-formed family of young exorcists being nurtured here, it’s a shame to have so much of the volume’s focus stolen away by it, when we’ve only just begun with the series’ two main characters. Still, this remains the most compelling new shounen series to travel westward this year. I look forward to seeing where it goes from here. – Melinda Beasi

A Bride’s Story, Vol. 1 | By Kaoru Mori | Yen Press – This is one of those books where I’m convinced I could pass off random page scans as a review, possibly followed up with, “See? See?!” I can’t quite decide if it’s more gorgeous than Mori’s Emma (CMX), but I can say without question that it’s one of the loveliest manga you’re likely to find in current release. It’s also as quietly moving and packed with absorbing details as Emma was, so you really can’t lose. In this tale set in central Asia in the 19th century, a 20-year-old woman enters into an arranged marriage with a 12-year-old boy. We see quietly forceful Amir adapt from her nomadic lifestyle to the more settled state of affairs with her young bridegroom. There’s the whispered promise of an actual plot, but I could read dozens of volumes of nothing but Mori’s meticulously researched, breathtakingly drawn slice of life. Really, what more do you need? -David Welsh

Chi’s Sweet Home, Vol. 6 | By Konami Kanata | Vertical, Inc. – After five volumes of cute kitten antics — including Chi’s first visit to the vet, Chi’s first bath, and Chi’s first excursion beyond the safe confines of home — I thought Kanata Konami would have run out of material. I’m pleased to report that volume six of Chi’s Sweet Home is just as appealing and fresh as the previous installments, offering plenty of awwww-inducing moments as well as some genuinely funny scenes. (Don’t miss the chapter in which Chi stalks a parakeet; Chi’s reaction to the parakeet is priceless.) Konami continues to expand the scope of the story to include more animals, more people, and more settings, neatly mimicking Chi’s growing awareness of her surroundings while preventing the story from becoming too cutely claustrophobic. As in previous volumes, the illustrations are simple but effective, capturing Chi’s surprise and delight in discovering new things: vacuum cleaners, Kleenex, birthday cake. Recommended. -Katherine Dacey

Chi’s Sweet Home, Vol. 6 | By Konami Kanata | Vertical, Inc. – Whenever a new volume of Chi’s Sweet Home comes into my possession it automatically vaults to the top of the to-read pile. The first five volumes all offered colorful, cute, and (mostly) cheerful stores about Chi, an adorable tabby kitten, and the sixth is no exception. Kanata has a knack for depicting scenarios familiar to any cat owner, like massacred houseplants and the species-wide fascination with climbing into boxes, while imagining what the world must look like to a cat. Chi’s nocturnal journey to the local park is a particular standout. My one complaint is that Chi’s owners, the Yamadas, continually do frustrating things like leave cakes unattended and store breakable objects at the top of a flight of stairs, then proceed to freak out when Chi messes with them. You’ve got a cat now, folks. You either put things away or get used to the gnaw marks. -Michelle Smith

Itsuwaribito, Vol. 2 | By Yuuki Iinuma | Viz Media – In this volume, Utsuho proves himself trustworthy to the implausibly youthful Dr. Yakuma by rescuing him from the clutches of a bizarre fellow whom I shall christen “Freaky Dude.” Not only that, he correctly deduces the cause of Freaky Dude’s killing spree and helps him to see the error of his ways. The display convinces Yakuma to invite Utsuho on a journey to Nadeshiko Island, where he suspects a treasure of life-extending medicine awaits. It also happens to be the location of many exiled criminals. I’m still not enraptured by Itsuwaribito, but I found this volume a lot more entertaining than the first. For reasons I cannot quite pinpoint, it reminds me of Black Cat, in a simple shounen adventure kind of way. Plus, there’s an adorable twitchy-eared talking tanuki! I’ll definitely be checking out volume three. -Michelle Smith

Twin Spica, Vol. 7 | By Kou Yaginuma | Vertical, Inc. – In the seventh volume of Twin Spica, Kou Yaginuma explores Marika’s childhood, as well as Marika’s struggle to create her own destiny, rather than the one for which she was created. Though Marika’s story is emotionally compelling, Yaginuma strains too hard to show us that Marika, Asumi, and Fuchuya have a shared history; there’s a tidiness to the connection that feels a little false, as if the characters’ shared memory of the Lion disaster wasn’t grounds enough for bonding. The volume’s final chapters are more dramatically persuasive, giving the three female leads a chance to demonstrate just how smart, resourceful, and tough they can be under duress. N.B. Beginning with volume seven, Vertical will be releasing Twin Spica in a longer omnibus format of 300-400 pages (roughly 1.5 volumes). -Katherine Dacey

Your Story I’ve Known | By Tsuta Suzuki | Juné Manga – It’s rare that I find the sex scenes in a boys’-love title to be the most interesting, but that’s definitely the case in the title story of this book. Suzuki laces the physically intimate moments with intriguing, revealing observations. Unfortunately, those kinds of notes are largely absent in the rest of this tale of a gangster who takes up with the son of one of his ex-girlfriends. It’s drawn well, but the characters and their dynamic aren’t very engaging. The back-up stories compensate for the centerpiece, though. One’s about a young man dealing with his lover’s irritating reticence. Another is a love story between a kid and a goofy, centuries-old ghost. The last describes the awkward early courtship between two salarymen. Each has a distinct, quirky charm, making the book a worthwhile investment overall. -David Welsh

Filed Under: Bookshelf Briefs Tagged With: a bride's story, bakuman, black bird, bleach, blue exorcist, chi's sweet home, itsuwaribito, twin spica, your story I've known

Pick of the Week: A Bride’s Story & Others

May 23, 2011 by Katherine Dacey, Michelle Smith, David Welsh and Melinda Beasi 8 Comments

New manga from Kaoru Mori (unsurprisingly) steals the show at Midtown Comics this week, but check out our recommendations for additional picks as well!


KATE: A new Kaoru Mori manga is always cause for celebration, so I’m getting this week’s party started by recommending A Bride’s Story, which debuts on Wednesday. Like Emma and Shirley,A Bride’s Story is as much about the historical period — its customs, its social hierarchies, its clothing — as it about the characters. In this case, the setting is the Silk Road in the nineteenth century, and the characters are Amir, a twenty-year-oldwoman, and Karluk, her twelve-year-old husband. Their union is one of political expedience, but their growing respect for one another suggests that their marriage has the potential to evolve. Not a whole lot happens in the first volume, but the artwork is lovely, and the gently meandering storylines allow us to see just how capable and complex Amir really is. I’m already pining for volume two!

MICHELLE: I’m keen to read A Bride’s Story myself, but my pick this week goes to the second volume of Natsume Ando’s Arisa, back from a long hiatus as publishing rights shifted from Del Rey to Kodansha Comics. Volume one served up delicious shoujo creepiness as a tough girl named Tsubasa disguised herself as her more refined twin to figure out what in her school life caused her to attempt suicide, and ended just as she was on the verge of discovering the identity of “the King,” a mysterious person with the ability to grant any wish. Not only is the series back, it’s also on a bimonthly schedule from this point on.

DAVID: I’m going to have to second Kate’s pick of A Bride’s Story. I’m such a fan of Mori’s Emma that it would seem treasonous to do otherwise. (Though I’m also very much looking forward to Arisa.)

MELINDA: You can add me to the list of Manga Bookshelf-ers eagerly anticipating A Bride’s Story, but I’ll also take this opportunity to give a shout-out to one of my favorite shoujo series, Peach Pit’s Shugo Chara!. Kodansha Comics brings out volume 10 this week, following its long run with Del Rey Manga, and I can’t wait to pick it up! I’ve written a lot about this series (including a heartfelt plea for lowering its age rating) much of which can be accessed via my Shugo Chara! Evangelism post. After all that, can I pass up the chance to recommend it one more time? I think not!


Amazon.com Widgets


Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Filed Under: PICK OF THE WEEK Tagged With: a bride's story, arisa, shugo chara!

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