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Hunter X Hunter

The Manga Review, 5/27/22

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Everybody’s talking about Tokyopop this week, as the publisher that brought us Mixx, Sailor Moon, and Rising Stars of Manga celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary. To mark the occasion, Brigid Alverson interviewed Tokyopop founder Stu Levy about the company’s history. “Not a single person believed it would work—and frankly many called us crazy,” Levy recalled. “Even internally, most of my team was against it—or at least wanted to test it. My view was we either had conviction and went all-in or we didn’t. Testing wouldn’t work because retailers would always favor the left-to-right reading books if they had a choice—so there would never be a true test of its potential. So, I bet the company on it.” Over at Drop-In to Manga, Tony reflects on how Tokyopop titles such as Chobits and GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka helped introduce him to the joy of reading manga. “I know there’s a lot of criticism towards its founder, Stu Levy, and a lot of it is warranted,” he observes. “But I still respect Tokyopop for showing Japanese manga publishers that America can be a hotspot for manga during a time when that wasn’t the case.”

NEWS

Moto Hagio has just published a new installment in her on-again, off-again vampire saga The Poe Clan. The newest storyline, Poe no Ichizoku: Ao no Pandora, takes place in present-day Munich. [Anime News Network]

Mari Yamazaki’s Olympia Kyklos will resume serialization in Grand Jump next month. The story follows the adventures of an ancient Greek potter who’s accidentally transported to the 1964 Tokyo games. C’mon, this needs to be licensed STAT! [Anime News Network]

Are new chapters of Hunter x Hunter on the horizon? [Variety]

Brace yourself for more H.P. Lovecraft: Dark Horse will be publishing Gou Tanabe’s adaptation of The Shadow Over Innsmouth in a single omnibus edition. No word yet on a release date. [Anime News Network]

Earlier this week, the employees of Seven Seas Entertainment announced that they’d formed their own union, United Workers of Seven Seas. In a statement on their website, union organizers explain the rationale for their decision: “The company has grown exponentially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But with rapid growth comes growing pains, and we, the workers of Seven Seas, have been shouldering much of that pain. We find ourselves overworked, underpaid, and we do not currently receive the benefits otherwise typical of the publishing industry.” [ICv2]

FEATURES AND INTERVIEWS

Are you interested in learning more about the roots of contemporary Japanese culture? Kathryn Hemmann offers a great list of “popular-audience books that are smart and specific yet still accessible to a casual reader,” from Matt Alt’s Pure Invention: How Japan’s Pop Culture Conquered the World to Tara Devlin’s Toshiden: Exploring Japanese Urban Legends. [Contemporary Japanese Literature]

Jocelyne Allen swoons over the gorgeous artwork and soapy plot lines of Ashita Niji ga Denakutemo. [Brain vs. Book]

Over at Women Write About Comics, Carrie McClain highlights some of Seven Seas’ best new releases. [Women Write About Comics]

The folks at Anime Feminist want to know which unfinished or cancelled Tokyopop series you’d like to see rescued. [Anime Feminist]

Bill Curtis wins the award for best headline of the week with How to Ease Your Big Burly, Hairy, Glistening, Beer Swillin’, Iron Pumpin’ DUDE Self Into the Wonderful World of Shojo & Josei Manga. Amen! [Yatta-Tachi]

Speaking of josei, the Mangasplainers dedicate their latest episode to an in-depth exploration of Fumi Yoshinaga’s All My Darling Daughters. [Mangasplaining]

Congratulations to the Manga Mavericks crew: they just celebrated their 200th episode with a roundtable discussion about Tatsuki Fujimoto’s one-shot Goodbye, Eri. [Manga Mavericks]

Lucas DeRuyter revisits Death Note, a series he “took super seriously” as a teen viewer. “When I watched Death Note as a teenager I definitely hadn’t lived enough to recognize it as camp; nor did I have as firm of an understanding of my own sexuality as I do today,” he observes. “I thought I’d be returning to a problematic fave, but was delighted to realize that Death Note is camp. Accidental, ostentatious camp that, in its attempts to create a dark and edgy power fantasy, stumbles so spectacularly that it tears down some of the worst kinds of people and beliefs around today.” [Anime Feminist]

REVIEWS

Reviewing volume five of Kageki Shojo!!, Yuri Stargirl raises a good question about the state of shojo and josei licensing in North America. “Has the industry just become dominated by trite, superficial storytelling and bland art that can’t decide if it’s moe or realistic?” she asks. “Or is what gets translated to the US market so limited, that they pick lowest common denominator titles to publish even though there are a lot of higher quality ones in Japan going untranslated?” Meanwhile, Megan D. takes a look at one of the weirder titles DMP ever licensed, Bambi and Her Pink Gun, while Rebecca Silverman reviews Erica Friedman’s new book By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga. “If you are a fan of yuri or simply want to understand what the deal is with any of the genre’s elements or major texts, I’d highly recommend reading this book,” Silverman argues. “It’s both an analysis of and a love letter to the genre, both academic and accessibly readable, and worth your time.”

My Week in Manga: December 26, 2016-January 1, 2017

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My News and Reviews

Happy New Year, everyone! 2016 may now be over, but there’s still a little time left to enter Experiments in Manga’s December giveaway. Tell me a little about your favorite tournament manga or tournament story arc by Wednesday for a chance to win the first omnibus of Tadatoshi Fujimaki’s Kuroko’s Basketball. Also posted at Experiments in Manga last week were my random musings about some of the notable manga, comics, and other books that debuted in 2016. Despite there being three posts last week (which hasn’t happened in a very long time!) I actually wasn’t online much at all. As a result, I probably missed out on some interesting reading and announcements, so do let me know if there was anything particularly cool. One thing that I did see though was an interview with Kabi Nagata, creator of My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness which is scheduled to be released in English by Seven Seas later this year (and which I’m really looking forward to).

Quick Takes
Bungo Stray Dogs, Volume 1Bungo Stray Dogs, Volume 1 written by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by Sango Harukawa. The Armed Detective Agency specializes in the dangerous cases that the Japanese police and military either won’t or can’t handle. It’s a team of uniquely skilled individuals who have abilities that seem to come right out of fiction, but the “good guys” aren’t the only ones with formidable powers. While there are names that a more casual reader might recognize—Osamu Dazai, Edogawa Rampo, Junichiro Tanazaki, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, and so on—others, like the lead Atsushi Nakajima, are less well-known in English. (I actually happen to be a pretty big fan of Nakajima’s work.) Their supernatural talents and personality quirks are all based on their namesakes. For example, Dazai’s power is named No Longer Human and he has a penchant for attempting suicide. It’s off to an intriguing start, but I’m not sure if Bungo Stray Dogs will appeal quite as much to someone not as familiar with the literary references being made. It’s not necessary to understand them to enjoy the manga, though. So far, I am getting a kick out of the series and look forward to seeing how it develops.

Hunter x Hunter, Volume 1Hunter x Hunter, Volumes 1-8 by Yoshihiro Togashi. I’ve been somewhat reluctant to start reading Hunter x Hunter (it might have something to do with the manga already being over thirty volumes long), but I’ve seen so much excitement and fan art for the series recently that I finally gave in. And I’ll admit, there’s a tremendous amount that I found appealing about the beginning of Hunter x Hunter. The setting is interesting, too, especially the concept of Hunters. These are people who, after putting their lives at risk to pass a grueling series of tests, are granted access to resources and information that others can only dream of. The manga largely follows Gon, a boy who wants to become a Hunter in order to find his father Ging, himself a hunter of great renown, as well as the friends and enemies Gon makes along the way. I really enjoyed the first story arc in which the candidates are trying to pass the Hunter exam. The second arc, while it serves an important purpose, I found to be a bit tedious as some of the world’s metaphysics are overexplained. However, the series quickly recovers its momentum again with clever action, intriguing characters, and drama.

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, Volume 1Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Volume 1 by Coolkyousinnjya. Out of Seven Seas more recent monster girl manga, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is the one that I was most interested in. For one, I happen to really like dragons. It also doesn’t hurt that the series is yuri-esque and that the titular Miss Kobayashi is an adult woman working as a systems engineer. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid features some nudity and bawdiness but for the most part it doesn’t tend to be overly-sexualized which is also refreshing. The manga can actually be surprisingly cute,  charming, and sweet. Hotaru is a dragon who has taken it upon herself to act as Kobayashi’s maid after Kobayashi saves her life. For her part, Kobayashi thought it was all an alcohol-induced dream and so is very surprised to discover that a dragon girl has made herself at home in her apartment. Why a maid specifically? It turns out that Kobayashi is a bit of a maid otaku (which becomes very clear when she goes off on drunken rants on the subject). Hotaru, who loves Kobayashi dearly, wants to do anything to make Kobayashi happy even if her efforts are somewhat awkward and frequently miss the mark.

Reindeer BoyReindeer Boy by Cassandra Jean. I am a fan of Jean’s illustration work, and so I was very excited to learn that an original graphic novel was in the making. Reindeer Boy is based on a series of character drawings that Jean has been creating (and that I’ve been following) since 2013. The comic follows Quincy, a young woman whose life takes an unexpected turn when a group of students, all of whom have antlers, transfer into her high school. They seem to take particular interest in her, especially the flirtatious Cupid who claims they are Santa’s reindeer. Quincy’s not sure what to make of it all, but the more she gets to know them the more she likes them. Admittedly, the story of Reindeer Boy does feel like it was made to fit the characters rather than the other way around. It’s kind of a strange comic, but it’s fun, goofy fluff with a bit of romance, delightful characters, and beautiful, sensual artwork. Reindeer Boy, while telling a complete story, does seem to end rather abruptly. I’m not sure if there are plans to release any additional reindeer comics, but I’d love the opportunity to spend more time with the characters and learn more about the mythology that Jean has created.

Yuri!!! on IceYuri!!! on Ice directed by Sayo Yamamoto. It’s been a long while since I’ve had the time and opportunity to marathon an entire anime series, but I knew that once I started Yuri!!! on Ice that I wouldn’t want to stop. And I was right; I love this series so much and hope that there will be a nice physical release that I can purchase in the future. The underlying story is fairly straightforward and simple: After a miserable performance at the Grand Prix, the career of Japanese figure skater Yuri Katsuki is falling apart when his idol Victor Nikiforov unexpectedly quits competing to become his coach. Yuri!!! on Ice is a series about love, passion, and inspiration in many forms. It’s also about people struggling against their selves, fighting through failure and realizing their self-worth. Yuri!!! on Ice is a tightly written and immensely satisfying show, but I do think it would have been even better if there were just a few more episodes to allow the characters and story more room to breathe. That being said, there is still some impressive character development with the series’ short span and the psychological elements are handled particularly well. Understandably, the leads receive the most attention, but I’d really like to know more about the supporting cast, too.

What’s Your Favorite Weekly Shonen Jump Title?

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Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha Weekly Shonen Jump

So what do you know? It’s been over a year since Viz’s Weekly Shonen Jump has been around. With it out of the “Alpha” phase and now moving forward with simultaneous releases, it’s doing what I don’t think many would have thought years ago—and it’s pretty impressive. And while maybe the content is not like Japan’s Weekly Shonen Jump, the lineup that’s appeared since the magazine began is nothing to sneeze at. So I’ll ask you all to share what’s been your favorite Weekly Shonen Jump title serialized since January 30, 2012. Here’s a reminder of the works that have appeared in WSJ so far:

Bakuman

Bakuman

Created By: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

Publisher’s summary: “Average student Moritaka Mashiro enjoys drawing for fun. When his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. Can these two boys turn their dreams into reality with all the challenges they must face in the manga-publishing world?”

Run: January 30 to May 7, 2012

Serialized: Weekly
Barrage

Barrage

Created By: Kouhei Horikoshi

Publisher’s summary: “Spunky slum kid Astro gets the chance of a lifetime to end the chaos ripping apart his alien-invaded home planet when the playboy prince switches places with him. Now Astro has become Prince Barrage, a boy charged with the duty of restoring peace to the planet…and given an all-powerful magical spear to do it!”

Run: June 4 to September 2012

Serialized: Weekly
Bleach

Bleach

Created By: Tite Kubo

Publisher’s summary: “Ichigo Kurosaki never asked for the ability to see ghosts — he was born with the gift. When his family is attacked by a Hollow — a malevolent lost soul — Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper, dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured spirits themselves find peace.”

Run: January 30, 2012

Serialized: Weekly
Blue Exorcist

Blue Exorcist

Created By: Kazue Kato

Publisher’s summary: “Raised by Father Fujimoto, a famous exorcist, Rin Okumura never knew his real father. One day a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto forces Rin to face a terrible truth — the blood of the demon lord Satan runs in Rin’s veins! Rin swears to defeat Satan, but doing that means entering the mysterious True Cross Academy and becoming an exorcist himself. Can Rin fight demons and keep his infernal bloodline a secret? It won’t be easy, especially when drawing his father’s sword releases the demonic power within him!”

Run: July 30, 2012

Serialized: Monthly
Cross Manage

Cross Manage

Created By: KAITO

Publisher’s summary: “Talented but aimless Sakurai just can’t find a place to belong. After trying (and failing at) one extracurricular activity after another, his life changes thanks to a chance encounter with lacrosse fanatic Toyoguchi, who thinks Sakurai has just what it takes to propel her girls’ lacrosse team to victory!”

Run: October 1, 2012

Serialized: Weekly
Dragonball

Dragon Ball (full color)

Created By: Akira Toriyama

Publisher’s summary: “The legendary classic manga series Dragon Ball is back…in full color! Relive the incredible Saiyan Saga with this special re-release.”

Run: February 4, 2013

Serialized: Weekly

 
Hunter X Hunter Special

Hunter X Hunter Kurapika’s Memories

Created By: Yoshihiro Togashi

Publisher’s summary: “Hunters are a select group of people who track down rare and priceless items. Many people have tried to become one, but most give up or are killed during the exam. This special one-shot is the story of one such Hunter, named Kurapika. His people were wiped out because their eyes turn a fiery red color and are sought by collectors. This is the story of Kurapika before he lost his clan…”

Run: December 17 to Decemeber 24, 2012

Kintoki

Kintoki

Created By: Akira Toriyama

Publisher’s summary: “Once upon a time, the Kinme Clan were an extraordinary tribe best known for their incredible physical strength and golden eyes. Because of that they were revered as gods of war, but now the clan is slowly dying out due to a short lifespan. And just when most everyone has forgotten about the clan, a mysterious golden-eyed boy enters the scene…”

Run: January 28, 2013 (one-shot)

 
Naruto

Naruto

Created By: Masashi Kishimoto

Publisher’s summary: “Naruto is a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He’s got a wild sense of humor, but Naruto is completely serious about his mission to be the world’s greatest ninja!”

Run: January 30, 2013

Serialized: Weekly
Nisekoi

Nisekoi

Created By: Naoshi Komi

Publisher’s summary: “It’s hate at first sight…rather a knee-to-the-head at first sight when Raku meets Chitoge! Unfortunately, his gangster father arranges a false love match with their rival gang leader’s daughter, Chitoge! However, Raku’s searching for his childhood sweetheart, with a pendant around his neck as a memento, and is surprised to discover three candidates with keys: Chitoge, Onodera (his current crush) and Tachibana (the police chief’s daughter)!”

Run: November 26, 2012

Serialized: Weekly
Nura

Nura: Rise of The Yokai Clan

Created By: Hiroshi Shiibashi

Publisher’s summary: “At first, no one thought that Rikuo, who is only one-quarter yokai and three-quarters human, could handle following in his grandfather Nurarihyon’s footsteps as the leader of the most powerful yokai clan. But now Rikuo has proven he can unite both humans and demons. He’s building the ultimate Night Parade of a Hundred Demons to ward off the legendary onmyoji, Abe no Seimei, and his descendants, the Gokadoin clan, who plan to take over the world with a master strike called The Purification.”

Run: January 30, 2012 to January 14, 2013

Serialized: Weekly
Nura Special

Nura: Aoi Spiral Castle Specials

Created By: Hiroshi Shiibashi

Publisher’s summary: “While the day belongs to humans, the night belongs to Yokai, supernatural creatures that thrive on human fear. Caught between these worlds is Rikuo Nura. He’s three-quarters human, but his grandfather is none other than Nurarihyon, the supreme commander of the Nura clan, a powerful yokai consortium. Now Rikuo’s on his way to taking over that command!”

Run: August 27, 2012 (Part 1), October 29, 2012 (Part 2)
One Piece

One Piece

Created By: Eichiro Oda

Publisher’s summary: “When Monkey D. Luffy accidentally ate the cursed Gum-Gum Fruit, he gained the power to stretch like rubber…at the cost of never being able to swim again! Despite this, he’s vowed to someday become King of the Pirates and find the legendary treasure known as “One Piece” With his large crew of powerful and unique characters and his advanced pirate ship, the Thousand Sunny, Luff’s out to become the greatest pirate that’s ever lived!”

Run: January 30, 2012

Serialized: Weekly
One Piece X Toriko

One Piece X Toriko: Taste of the Devil Fruit

Created By: Eiichiro Oda and Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro

Summary: Crossover one-shot between One Piece and Toriko.

Run: Available to subscribers who signed up before April 30, 2012

 

 
One-Man Punch

One-Punch Man

Created By: ONE and Yusuke Murata

Publisher’s summary: “From illustrious illustrator Yusuke Murata of Eyeshield 21 fame and the maniacal mind of up-and-coming mangaka ONE comes a manga series that packs quite the punch! Follow our hero Saitama through his hilarious romps as he searches for the baddest guys to challenge. Let’s get ready to rumble!”

Run: January 21, 2013

Serialized: Weekly
Bakuman Otter #11

Otter #11

Created by: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

Summary: A gag manga series created by Kazuya Hiramaru in Bakuman.

Run: Published in the SJ Alpha Yearbook 2013

 

 

 

 
Road To Ninja Naruto The Movie

Road To Naruto The Movie

Created By: Masashi Kishimoto

Publisher’s summary: “To commemorate the latest Naruto Shippuden movie hitting Japanese thaters, Shonen Jump Alpha presents a special chapter that chronicles the events right before Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie. See the Naruto characters in an all-new light as they deal with Tobi’s dark trap!”

Run: August 6, 2012 (One-shot)
Rurouni Kenshin Restoration

Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration

Created By: Nohiburo Watsuki

Publisher’s summary: “Action, romance, and historical intrigue help make Nobuhiro Watsuki’s Rurouni Kenshin, the tale of a wandering swordsman set against the backdrop of the Meiji Restoration, one of the most popular Shonen Jump titles among fans to date. Himura Kenshin, once an assassin (or hitokiri) of ferocious power, now fights to protect the honor of those in need.”

Run: May 21, 2012

Serialized: Monthly
Sachie Chan Good!!

Sachie-Chan Good!!

Created By: Akira Toriyama and Masakazu Katsura

Summary: A collaboration between Akira Toriyama and Masakazu Katsura.

Run: Published in the SJ Alpha Yearbook 2013

 

 

 

 
Sakuran

Sakuran

Created By: Toshiaki Iwashiro

Publisher’s summary: “A special one-shot from the creator of Psyren.”

Run: April 1, 2013 (One-shot)

 

 

 
Takama-ga-hara

Takama-ga-hara

Created By: Jyuuzouu Kawai

Publisher’s summary: “Yamato Yamada’s family is famous for their physical strength, but Yamato doesn’t want to follow in his four brothers’ footsteps — all he wants to do is draw manga and win the Tezuka Award! Life for Yamato taks an unexpected turn, however, when his right hand becomes even stronger than usual…Does Yamato actually have godlike powers?!”

Run: July 23, 2012 to November 19, 2012

Serialized: Weekly
Toriko

Toriko

Created By: Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro

Publisher’s summary: “In a savage world ruled by the pursuit of the most delicious foods, it’s either eat or be eaten! While searching for the tastiest foods imaginable, Gourmet Hunter Toriko and his bottomless stomach travel around the world facing every beast in his way.”

Run: January 30, 2012

Serialized: Weekly
World Trigger

World Trigger

Created By: Daisuke Ashihara

Publisher’s summary: “A gate to another dimension has burst open, and invincible monsters called Neighbors invade Earth. Only a group of elite warriors who co-opt other-dimensional technology can defend life on Earth as we know it.”

Run: February 11, 2013

Serialized: Weekly

 
Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal

Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal

Created By: Shin Yoshida and Naoto Miyashi

Publisher’s summary: “In a futuristic city, augmented reality Duels are all the rage. Duelists, using devices called D-Gazers, can interact with the environment and their opponents as never before. With more awesome monsters and unbelievable cards, the future of Yu-Gi-Oh! starts right here!”

Run: July 9, 2012

Serialized: Monthly

Justin Stroman is the founder of Organization Anti-Social Geniuses, a Japanese Pop Culture Blog that covers anime, manga, games, and more. You can follow him on Twitter and like the Facebook page to get updates and links to Japanese Pop Culture Related content.