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Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

library wars

Library Wars: Love & War, Vol 15

April 3, 2016 by Anna N

Library Wars: Love & War Volume 15 by Kiiro Yumi and Hiro Arikawa

When I started reading this series, I admit I was drawn to it more due to the premise than the execution, because it is a rare thing for there to be a manga about librarians organized as a fighting force to combat censorship. But as the series continued to grow, the simple slowly developing romance between Kasahara and Dojo became more and more interesting, and the supporting characters began to be more multidimensional, causing Library Wars to be one of the most emotionally satisfying Shojo Beat series, even if it doesn’t have terribly flashy art.

There’s never really any question where this series will end up, and with the ending telegraphed from the start the focus is much more on how the characters all get a version of a happy ending. For a character that struggles with being competent, with her main advantage being on improvisation and action, Kasahara’s strategic thinking is the main focus of the final story as she ably plots a way for an author to defect and save himself from censorship. She’s all alone, and manages her mission capably, finally showing that she’s grown up and can take care of herself and others. It is fitting that the final romantic confession and resolution only happens after Kasahara has fully realized her true potential.

lw15

The resolution is everything that fans of the series would have hoped for, and there are enough cameo appearances from the supporting cast that everything feels nicely wrapped up. Library Wars will always have a special place on my bookshelf not only for the awesome but slightly silly images of librarians fighting off censorship with automatic weapons, but also because the romance in the manga is genuinely heartwarming.

Filed Under: REVIEWS Tagged With: library wars, shojo beat, shoujo, viz media

My Week in Manga: January 25-January 31, 2016

February 1, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

A couple of different things were posted at Experiments in Manga last week in addition to the usual My Week in Manga feature. First up was the first manga giveaway of the year, and there’s still time to enter for a chance to win Fuka Mizutani’s Love at Fourteen, Volume 1. Last week I also reviewed the first omnibus of Hiroaki Samura’s Die Wergelder, which is brutal and intense to say the least. The manga is greatly influenced by violent, erotic Japanese films from the 1970s and it shows. And speaking of explicit manga, Digital Manga’s Project-H imprint is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to publish Yamatogawa’s Vanilla Essence hentai collection. It seems like Digital Manga is now relying on Kickstarter projects for just about everything, and I have no idea how long the publisher will be able to last like that; it’s a bit concerning.

Quick Takes

The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 3The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Volume 3 by Kore Yamazaki. I continue to love The Ancient Magus’ Bride and look forward to future volumes a great deal. The series has this sort of atmospheric melancholy to it that I really like along with touches of horror and darkness that have yet to become overwhelmingly bleak. In large part, The Ancient Magus’ Bride seems to be dealing with loneliness and the intense longing and need to belong somewhere. It’s only after being purchased by Elias that Chise feels as though she’s actually wanted and that is a dangerously enticing feeling to have. Their relationship is a peculiar one, but it is also compelling. For better or for worse, Chise still knows very little about Elias. He seems very reluctant to reveal his true nature to her, whether out of fear that he will be rejected or for some other reason entirely. What is clear is that Elias is very powerful, very dangerous, and not entirely honest. Despite this and despite the warnings of others, Chise remains devoted to him. She, too, is powerful and dangerous, though she has yet to learn how to completely control and claim that power for her own.

Dog X Cat, Volume 4Dog X Cat, Volume 4 by Yoshimi Amasaki. I believe Dog X Cat is up to six volumes or so and still ongoing in Japan, but it seems unlikely that more of the series will be released in English any time soon if ever. It’s been a few years since I read the first three volumes of the boys’ love series, but it didn’t take very long to get reoriented with the manga. The fourth volume is actually a fairly self-contained story, too. Atsu and Junya used to only be best friends but now they’re also well-established lovers. Junya is the more adventurous and demanding when it comes to sex to the point of ignoring Atsu’s needs and desires which is unfortunate; otherwise their relationship is quite good and they obviously love each other. Keeping with the rest of the series, Amasaki finds plenty of opportunities to include sex scenes. However, their vacation-cum-research trip to the mountains takes an extremely unfortunate turn when an earthquake traps them under a burning building. Though there are sweet moments, most of the forth volume of Dog X Cat deals with this traumatizing event and its lasting aftermath.

Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 11Library Wars: Love & War, Volumes 11-14 by Kiiro Yumi. I’ll readily admit to enjoying Library Wars and its dramatic and fantastical portrayal of librarianship. I don’t think that librarians will militarize themselves any time soon in the fight for freedom of expression and information, but it does make for an interesting story that does actually explore some of the complexities of the debates surrounding censorship. Library Wars has two sides to it that don’t always mesh with each other very well, but I do like them both. There’s the romantic and comedic side of things as many of the characters come to terms with their evolving feelings for their colleagues and then there’s the more action-oriented part of the story, complete with shootouts and attempted kidnappings. These particular volumes have some pretty exciting developments on both fronts. Although Iku’s ineptitude is often emphasized, which is something that I dislike about the series, she continues to prove her reliability in dangerous situations when it really counts. I didn’t realize that there is only one more volume left in this series, but I’m really looking forward to it; it should be a good one.

Filed Under: FEATURES, My Week in Manga Tagged With: Ancient Magus' Bride, Dog X Cat, Kiiro Yumi, Kore Yamazaki, library wars, manga, Yoshimi Amasaki

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

September 23, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Well, I somehow managed to post three reviews last week. This is a little unusual for me as normally I only have one or two ready to go. The first review was for Hinoki Kino’s No. 6, Volume 2. The pacing, characterization, and world-building improves on the first volume, which I was very glad to see. (I’m really hoping that the manga will have a better ending than the anime.) The second review was for Yoshiyuki Tomino’s Mobile Suit Gundam: Awakening, Escalation, Confrontation, an omnibus of a trilogy of early Gundam novels–the first part of the Gundam franchise to be officially released in English. (To be honest, though, I much prefer Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s manga series Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin.) I also reviewed Sherlock Bones, Volume 1 by Yuma Ando and Yuki Sato. I was very skeptical going into the series, but found the first volume of the manga to be surprisingly entertaining.

As for a few interesting things found online: Comic Natalie has announced the winners of its first annual manga awards. If you don’t read Japanese and can’t identify manga by their covers, Vertical compiled a list of the winners currently avilable in English (in addition to posting a hint for an as of yet unannounced Vertical license.) As reported by the Business Standard, Viz Media is apparently entering the market in India–Top Manga publisher set to make India entry. And if the relationship between Kodansha Comics, Del Rey/Del Rey Manga, and Random House has you confused, Kodansha posted a brief explanation/clarification of the situation on its Tumblr account.

Quick Takes

Attack on Titan, Volume 7Attack on Titan, Volume 7 by Hajime Isayama. The terror in Attack on Titan has started to shift. At the beginning of the series the fear was much more about the unknown–the titans were these terrifying creatures beyond comprehension. But now the fear is coming from the knowledge that other humans may very well have a hand in what is happening. There have been plenty of deaths in Attack on Titan, but when those deaths involve characters who you’ve gotten a chance to know instead of just being nameless faces, suddenly the casualties carry even more weight. It makes the terror, frustration, and utter despair experienced by the characters even more palpable. Attack on Titan is dark, and it has been from the start, but the developments in the seventh volume pack quite a punch. I’ve had my doubts about the series in the past, and the artwork is still terribly inconsistent and occasionally difficult to follow, but I am hooked on it.

BoxersBoxers & Saints written and illustrated by Gene Luen Yang, colors by Lark Pien. Boxers & Saints is easily one of the best comics that I’ve read this year. The two graphic novels that make up the duology can be read separately, but together they are even more powerful. The work is a retelling of the Boxer Rebellion–a violent uprising against foreign and Christian influence in northern China that took place at the turn of the 20th century. Boxers follows the life of a young man who becomes one of the leaders of the rebellion while Saints shows the conflict from the perspective of a young Chinese woman who converted to Christianity. Although very different in their details and narrative style, the two volumes follow a similar story arc as the characters come of age and find something to believe in, but are then challenged by those beliefs and conflicted over their decisions and actions. The Boxer Rebellion was a complicated and tragic event for both sides of the dispute. Boxers & Saints is a fictional account, but Yang put in a tremendous amount of research into the work. Highly, highly recommended.

Genshiken: Second Season, Volume 1Genshiken: Second Season, Volumes 1-3 by Shimoku Kio. The Genshiken has turned into a fujoshi club. This doesn’t really bother me (I also enjoy BL and yaoi), but to an extent I do miss the greater variety of otaku that were represented in the original series. Still, even the fujoshi have their quirks and differences–the Genshiken has always attracted weirdos. And then there’s the cross-dressing Hato-kun, who for me is really stealing the show in the second season of Genshiken. The only male first-year to join the club, he’s created a very complete and convincing female persona. I find him to be the most interesting new character in the new series and he seems to be the focal point for much of the drama. I’m also particularly enjoying Yajima’s character development. She is uncomfortable with Hato’s cross-dressing but becomes very protective of him. As for the older characters, I was very happy to see Madarame return as he remains one of my favorites. Put him and Hato together in a scene and it’s just perfect.

Library Wars, Volume 9Library Wars: Love & War, Volumes 9-10 by Kiiro Yumi. Perhaps it’s because I’m a librarian, but I can’t help but be fond of Library Wars even when it’s not always the strongest series. Sometimes the characters and their interactions are fantastic, and sometimes it seems as if they’re all acting like a bunch of high school students when they’re supposed to be mature, capable adults. Granted, there are some delightfully awkward scenes now that Iku has come to the realization that Dojo is her “prince.” He’s known for quite a while, but he doesn’t know that she knows, yet. It’s all rather amusing. I am very glad that Iku seems to be more competent now than she was at the beginning of the series. I don’t care how enthusiastic a person is, if they don’t have the needed skills for the job there’s not much hope for them. Library Wars is a fantasy, but it actually does address some real issues encountered in the library world. Censorship is the biggest one and at the core of the series, but things like sexual harassment and dealing with inappropriate patron behavior come up, too.

Totally Peeking Under the Sheets, Volume 1Totally Peeking Under the Sheets, Volumes 1-2 by Hajin Yoo. Totally Peeking Under the Sheets is a collection of side stories relating to Yoo’s boys’ love manwha Totally Captivated. It’s definitely intended for those who have read and enjoyed the original series. The first volume contains quite a few short manhwa, some of them only a few pages long. Many of these stories emphasize the more humorous aspects of Totally Captivated and its characters. And as might be expected from the title Totally Peeking Under the Sheets, several stories are also rather racy–what little plot there is is used to get Ewon and Mookyul into bed with each other. (Not that that’s very difficult.) The focus of the second volume is a much longer sequel manhwa called “The Final Chapter.” Although there were some great character moments, the story felt forced to me. Ewon suddenly has to deal with his family, particularly the mother who abandoned him. I’m not sure the situation would have really played out in the way that Yoo presents it. Overall, I much preferred the first volume.

Fist of the North Star, Collection 2Fist of the North Star: The TV Series, Volume 2 (Episodes 37-72) directed by Toyoo Ashida. While the first collection of the Fist of the North Star anime series had quite a bit of filler, the second collection starts to really dig into the plot and characters. The series is much better for it. Plus, the anime has now reached a point in the story beyond the manga that was released in English. Some of the fights do still get to be a little repetitive, especially when the protagonists face off against large groups of unnamed bad guys and minions, but there’s always something about each battle that makes it stand out from the rest. The best fights, though, are those that occur between two martial arts masters. But Fist of the North Star isn’t just about power, skill, and strength (although that’s certainly an important part of it). The series is also about destiny, loyalty, friendship, and love. Kenshiro is a tragic hero who continues to lose those who are close to him. Fist of the North Star is a post-apocalyptic martial arts epic, and I’m loving it.

Filed Under: FEATURES, My Week in Manga Tagged With: anime, attack on titan, Boxers and Saints, comics, Fist of the North Star, Gene Luen Yang, Genshiken, Hajime Isayama, Kiiro Yumi, Lark Pien, library wars, manga, manhwa, Shimoku Kio, totally captivated

Off the Shelf: Re-evaluations & Adaptations

April 6, 2013 by MJ and Michelle Smith 5 Comments

MJ: Good morning, Michelle! Having a happy birthday week?

MICHELLE: Reasonably so! I’d grouse about my age, but since you’re older than me, I’ve decided to be sensitive.

MJ: I appreciate that, I really do. So, have you read any birthday-worthy manga this week?

MICHELLE: I have!

library9Since we’ve been doing this column for nearly three years (!), I thought it might be interesting to start revisiting some series that I first talked about in early days. Library Wars: Love & War had its second volume featured in our September 8, 2010 column, and at the time I was not complimentary. I found the concept “ill-defined,” the military ridiculous, Iku (the heroine) “annoying” and “inept,” and the series overall “sloppy and generic.”

So, how do I feel about the series in volume nine? Surprisingly benevolent! The concept is still very silly, as is the super-shoujo-riffic depiction of a military unit, and Iku is still inept in some areas, but somehow I have grown tolerant about all these things. Throughout the volume, she deals with things like a pervert in the library, testing to move up to Sergeant (which involves the arduous task of reading aloud to children), a plan to get the government to retract some of its censorship laws, and her knowledge that her commanding officer, Dojo, is the “prince” she has idolized since high school.

I admit, summarized like this, it doesn’t sound like Library Wars has overcome its sloppy and generic origins, but somehow I have started to honestly enjoy it. I just stopped expecting it to be something it wasn’t, or for certain elements of the story to make any sense, and decided to simply enjoy the romance unfolding between a shoujo heroine who is one part typically clueless and one part occasionally competent and a shoujo love interest who is your pretty standard gruff/stern guy with a soft and mushy center, except he’s short.

I can’t claim Library Wars has itself made a huge dramatic turnaround, since I suspect the real change has been in my mindset regarding it, but it’s a nice bit of fluff, and sometimes I like that.

MJ: Wow, has it really been that long?! I’m quite impressed by our dedication!

I remember well your initial reaction to Library Wars, and I have to say that I’m quite loving the fact that you’ve come to enjoy it! I think one of the best aspects of this kind of serialization is that so often this can happen. I’ll usually (usually) give any manga series at least three volumes (and often five) before giving it up, and I’m constantly surprised at how often this leads to readerly happiness.

MICHELLE: There must have been something about it that kept me coming back, despite my initial complaints, and I’m glad I didn’t give up on it!

What have you been reading this week?

Kenyon_DarkHunters_V1MJ: Well, this week, I dug into volume one of Dark Hunters: Infinity, Yen Press’ graphic novel adaptation of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s The Chronicles of Nick, which is a sort of YA prequel to her popular Dark Hunter novels, with art by JiYoung Ahn. I’ve never read any of Kenyon’s hugely epic series; I really never thought they’d be my thing. And despite the more appealing (to me) YA vibe of this particular corner of Kenyon’s universe, I’m afraid the graphic novel adaptation may only be reinforcing my original impression of her work.

Fourteen-year-old Nick Gautier is in a tough spot. Though his greatest priority in life is trying to do right by his mom, who works herself to the bone as an exotic dancer to keep him fed and clothed, an unpleasant combination of school bullies and unwanted peer pressure are pushing him hard down a destructive path. And unfortunately, these aren’t the only forces seeking to wreak havoc on Nick’s life.

As his neighborhood falls victim to an infestation of living zombies, it becomes clear that Nick is much more than an ordinary human, and two warring supernatural factions are making a play for his soul. With a host of mysterious figures vying for his loyalty, young Nick struggles to figure out who he can actually trust—all the while, his future self looks on, desperately seeking to change his own path.

If the paragraph I just typed above was the total sum of what goes on in this series’ first volume, that would be a lot to handle in a single installment. Still, I wish that were the case—because the truth is, there’s soooo much more. So much, in fact, that I came out of the volume feeling utterly at a loss as to how to process what I’d read. This volume throws so many characters and supernatural concepts out at once that I think I might have done better if I’d stopped to take notes. And though I actually like being tossed in the middle of a complicated universe and certainly I’ve loved and even praised jam-packed openings like this in the past—the first volume of Pandora Hearts springs immediately to mind—what Pandora Hearts had that Dark Hunters: Infinity lacks is a set of characters so immediately compelling that anything else is rendered a non-issue.

Kenyon’s characters look like they should be compelling from the outset—a scrappy, underdog hero, a long-suffering mom, and a large collection of attractive, mysterious supernatural beings, each with his or her own unique abilities—but the further in you get the more generic they feel.

I’m suspect this reads more coherently as a novel—and maybe the characterization is deeper as well. But as it stands, I’m unimpressed.

MICHELLE: I reckon it makes business sense for Yen Press to produce these graphic novel adaptations, and sometimes they’re genuinely worth reading—Soulless is pretty fun, for example—but sometimes the original is just too sprawling and complex for it to work. And when the original is something that didn’t appeal much to me in the first place, I’m afraid I just can’t get excited about an adaptation.

MJ: Well said, on all counts. I expect I’ll continue with this series for at least one more volume, but I admit that the prospect feels a bit like a chore.

So, speaking of adaptations, our mutual read this week happens to be one as well! Want to give as an introduction?

tigerbunny1MICHELLE: Sure!

Due out this Tuesday from VIZ is the first volume of Tiger & Bunny, which is, as the front cover proclaims, “based on the hit anime series!” Before I began reading, I knew two things about Tiger & Bunny—1) it was a popular anime and 2) it involves superheroes. After I finished… I still pretty much knew only those two things.

In the metropolis known as Sternbild City, there’s a popular reality show known as Hero TV, which bills itself as “rescue entertainment” and broadcasts heroes’ attempts to save civilians and foil criminals and rates them on their efforts. One such hero, Wild Tiger, has been around a long time and declined a great deal in popularity with the audience (he also has a ridiculous costume) and clashes pretty quickly with Barnaby Brooks, Jr., the newcomer who bucks tradition by showing his face to the audience. Practically immediately, the corporate bosses behind the show have paired them up and they’ve got to work together to stop a bullied kid with the ability to animate giant statues.

The volume goes by really quickly, and it felt to me like an episode of some Saturday morning cartoon.

MJ: I had very much the same reaction as you did here, Michelle. The volume whips by so quickly, my first thought when I finished it was that I really wished we were getting it in omnibus editions, because I felt like I didn’t have a chance to get to know the characters or story at all beyond the basic premise.

On the upside, unlike Dark Hunters: Infinity, what little we did get to see in these characters gave me a lot of hope that we have something more to learn. Right from the get-go, it’s clear that Wild Tiger, who is dangerously close to becoming a has-been, is at odds with the studio regarding more than just his declining ratings. Unwilling to strategically delay his heroic acts to coincide neatly with commercial breaks, Tiger appears to be the only hero in the bunch to still prioritize minor details like actually saving people over maintaining corporate sponsorships. And though Barnaby (whom he irreverently nicknames “Bunny” near the end of the volume) has been set up as his superior (Tiger is actually referred to as his “assistant” at one point), one can assume that he’s got a lot to learn from idealistic Tiger.

It’s not the deepest stuff, perhaps, but I’ll admit that the end of the volume left me genuinely wishing for more, rather than simply shrugging at its incompleteness.

MICHELLE: Although the ending is a bit hokey, it is true that Tiger’s the one responsible for saving the day for everyone in the situation. I admit to actually being a bit more curious about the supporting cast, some of whom are very quirky. At this point, I think I’d rather know more about Rock Bison than our two protagonists.

MJ: I guess we’ll just have to wait for the next installment to see if we can truly grasp the source of the anime series’ popularity. Fortunately, there’s enough here to keep us curious, at least for now.

Filed Under: OFF THE SHELF Tagged With: dark hunters: infinity, library wars, tiger & bunny

Pick of the Week: Saiunkoku conclusion & more

April 1, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Anna N and MJ 1 Comment

potw-4-1SEAN: It’s rare that I go off of my own reservation, especially in a week with so much stuff piling in. But my pick of the week just arrived in the mailbox, and will be hitting stores soon: Unico, the new release of Osamu Tezuka’s put out by DMP’s Kickstarter label. Unico is a children’s title (in full color) about a unicorn who can bring others happiness; that said, it’s not as happy and fluffy as you’d expect, and can be quite tearjerking. It’s great to see, and I can’t wait to dig into it.

MICHELLE: Despite the presence of favorites like Sailor Moon, Dawn of the Arcana, Kimi ni Todoke, and Slam Dunk on Sean’s list, I am going to have to give my pick to a beloved series that’s ending this week: The Story of Saiunkoku. I’m very glad we got the chance to read this, but I’m so sad the manga has ended already, when there’s so much story in the light novels that we will never see! Still, that’s no reason not to read the part of the story that we did get, because it’s utterly charming.

ANNA: Since I can’t pick Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin two weeks in a row, I will highlight Library Wars Vol. 9, which is reaching increasing heights of romantic adorableness as Dojo and Kasahara seem to spend most of the volume blushing, lost in thoughts about their feelings for each other, and occasionally fighting the evil forces of library censorship. This shoujo manga isn’t very deep, but it is consistently enjoyable and always makes me smile.

MJ: There are a lot of strong titles on this week’s list, including all those mentioned above, but given that it’s reached its eighth and penultimate volume, I feel I must continue to root for Toru Fujisawa’s GTO: 14 Days in Shonan. When I placed this at the head of my Top Five New Print Manga of 2012, I talked a lot about Onizuka’s status as a genuine badass, and after volume seven’s terrifying blow against the kids he’s worked so hard to protect, I’m counting on his stubborn, badass nature to see us through. This is a series I’ll savor to the end.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Filed Under: PICK OF THE WEEK Tagged With: gto: 14 days in shonan, library wars, the story of saiunkoku, Unico

Library Wars: Love and War, Vol. 9

March 19, 2013 by Anna N

Library Wars: Love and War, Vol 9 by Kiiro Yumi

This manga is one of my go-to comfort reads. As a librarian, I am always happy to read about Library Wars‘s slight goofy premise of librarians becoming a paramilitary force to fight censorship, and while the development of the inevitable romance between overly tall rookie recruit Iku Kasahara and her intense, slightly short, and ever capable instructor Dojo might not be filled with much suspense, there are plenty of adorable and amusing moments along the way.

Iku now knows that Dojo is her fabled “Prince”, the long lost officer from her past who inspired her to join the Library Force. Dojo doesn’t yet know that she knows, but it is growing more and more difficult for the would-be couple to hide their feelings for each other. This volume is fairly episodic, but the stories do serve to push Iku and Dojo closer together. Iku takes part in a sting operation to catch a pervert that is preying on disabled women in the library, and Dojo isn’t very happy that she was placed in harm’s way even though she does manage to finish off the mission capably. Most of the volume centers around the skill test that Iku, Tezuka, and Shibazaki must pass to move up a level. Tezuka and Shibazaki don’t need to worry about passing the written part of the test, but Dojo volunteers to subject Iku to some merciless tutoring to make sure that she’ll be able to advance in her chosen profession. The skills test is where Iku will shine, because it involves leading a storytime for little kids. Tezuka has a bit of a child phobia, and he isn’t sure how to handle it. Iku seems incredibly casual about the situation but as she wanders around going on extra walks, she’s actually designing an incredibly successful active learning activity that ensures she’s going to pass the skill test with high marks. There are some great moments of awkwardness as Dojo apologizes to Iku for not having more faith in her, and she tries to give him a present in thanks for his help on the test.

In many ways, Library Wars is a standard sort of shoujo title, but Yumi’s art easily shifts between showing details of blushes and cartoonish negative emotions as the characters experience the agony of unexpressed love. The paramilitary library plotlines are amusing if one doesn’t think too hard about them, and Iku and Dojo are such a cute couple that I’d happily read many more volumes of the manga.

I didn’t realize that a live action movie adaptation was going to be released in Japan next month! Check out the trailer, what do you think?

Filed Under: REVIEWS Tagged With: library wars, shojo beat, viz media

Bookshelf Briefs 4/4/11

April 4, 2011 by MJ, Katherine Dacey, David Welsh and Michelle Smith 6 Comments

This week, MJ, Kate, David, & Michelle take a look at seven ongoing series from Viz Media and Yen Press.


Bakuman, vol. 4 | Story by Tsugumi Ohba, Art by Takeshi Obata | Viz Media – After an unsatisfying summer, Mashiro and Takagi call it quits, only to discover that they’re more suited to each other than they thought. Meanwhile, girlfriends Azuki and Miyoshi make their own choices about how best to move forward in their careers and relationships. Though this series’ two leads are its least sympathetic characters, a bit of petty jealousy between friends goes a long way towards making them into people we can care about, or at least understand. Azuki and Miyoshi become more fully realized too, and if Miyoshi’s decision to chuck her own plans in favor of her man is depressing as hell, it’s depressingly realistic. Though the series’ inside look at Jump is still its most compelling aspect, it’s nice to feel that characterization is beginning to catch up. Gender politics aside, Bakuman is still the most interesting new shounen series I’ve read in the past year. Oddly recommended. – MJ

Laon, vol. 5 | Story by YoungBin Kim, Art by Hyun You | Yen Press – By all rights, Laon should be awesome: it’s the story of a tabloid reporter who gets the scoop of his life when he accidentally stumbles across a gumiho, or fox demon, who’s living among humans as she tries to collect her missing tails. Unfortunately, Laon tries to be too many things at once — a horror story, a journalism satire, a mystery, a romance — resulting in a narrative hodgepodge. Artist Hyun You shows a remarkable gameness for drawing whatever crazy scenarios dreamed up by YoungBin Kim, but struggles to make these scenarios feel like an organic part of the narrative; an underwater fight scene involving sea monsters and demonic piranha is undeniably cool, but serves little dramatic purpose. The frenetic pacing is a further detriment, making it hard for the reader to develop an affinity for any of the characters. File under “Unrealized Potential.” -Katherine Dacey

Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 4 | by Hiro Arikawa and Kiiro Yumi| Viz Media – SLibrary Wars: Love & War is the story of Iku Kasahara, a corporal in a military task force set up to protect libraries from government censorship. In its purest essence, the series can be perfectly summed up with this line from the back cover of volume four: “What Iku lacks in training she more than makes up for in gumption.” In this latest installment, Iku has been taken hostage by a group protesting the transfer of sensitive materials from a private museum to library custody. While I’m still disappointed that Iku isn’t at least a little bit smarter, she’s definitely courageous, and when her commanding officer expresses absolute confidence in her ability to emerge from the situation unscathed, I found it easier to buy into their burgeoning romance. Too bad I can’t buy any of the characters as actual soldiers! – Michelle Smith

Natsume’s Book of Friends, vol. 4 | by Yuki Midorikawa | Viz Media – The fourth volume of Natsume’s Book of Friends finds Natsume and Nyanko assisting a pair of guardian spirits, one of whom has been so corrupted by her deep anger towards the local villagers that she’s destroying the woods and fields she once protected. The story is eerie and poignant, a sobering reminder of how quickly faith can curdle into despair. The subsequent chapters prove nearly as good as the first, with Natsume falling victim to a demonic painting, and Nyanko reluctantly aiding a child who falls down a well. For all the heart and imagination behind these stories, however, Natsume’s Book of Friends could be better. The art is sometimes flat and lifeless, and the dialogue too pointedly obvious for readers who want to draw their own conclusions about how they’re supposed to feel — in short, it’s perfectly respectable comfort food, but lacks a truly distinctive flavor. – Katherine Dacey

Rosario + Vampire Season II, vol. 4 | by Akihisa Ikeda | Viz Media – This was my introduction to the Rosario + Vampire franchise, and I strongly suspect it will also be my farewell. For those who don’t know, it’s a harem fantasy-adventure about a human boy who ends up going to a school for monsters and has drawn the romantic attention of a bunch of different supernatural girls (the titular vampire, a succubus, a fairy, and a couple of witches). It’s nowhere near as offensive as harem manga can get, but it’s ploddingly average in so many ways that you almost hope it will start offending you to keep your attention. I have no idea why these powerful girls are so smitten with dull Tsukune. Maybe it’s because he’s the only boy in the book. – David Welsh

Slam Dunk, vol. 15 | by Takehiko Inoue | Viz Media – I’m a devoted fan of Inoue’s Real (also from Viz), his saga about wheelchair basketball players. While his illustrations for Slam Dunk are absolutely dazzling, practically charging off the page, this series always strikes me as a sports manga where it’s necessary to be interested in either the sport, sports manga as a genre, or both. It’s an impressive achievement that he manages to stretch 90 seconds of play over six chapters, but I keep wishing I could find out more about these characters as something other than athletes. It’s kind of like yaoi where you don’t see anything but romantic trauma and sex. That said, I don’t think you’re likely to find action sequences that are drawn better in just about any comic from any country. – David Welsh

We Were There, vol. 12 | by Yuki Obata | Viz Media – With Yano’s sudden reappearance in Tokyo, “anxiety” is the real essence of this volume, with no ready relief in sight. And though this is not a bad thing by any means, it certainly left my stomach in knots. Obata’s talent for emotional torture is formidable indeed, but to focus on that would do a great disservice to her real talent, nuance. There is no absolute truth in We Were There, no certainty about right and wrong in the hearts of its characters or its author. Yet Obata proves that “gray” is not the same as “cold,” which is part of what makes this a great shoujo manga. Like the series’ light, wispy artwork, every moment is as fragile as a scrap of antique lace, and every bit as beautiful. Still recommended. – MJ

Filed Under: Bookshelf Briefs Tagged With: bakuman, laon, library wars, natsume's book of friends, rosario + vampire, slam dunk, we were there

Off the Shelf: Beyond the Cat Incident

September 8, 2010 by MJ and Michelle Smith 17 Comments

Welcome to another edition of Off the Shelf with MJ & Michelle! I’m joined, once again, by Soliloquy in Blue‘s Michelle Smith.

This week, we talk about four fairly disparate titles from Vertical, Inc, Viz Media, and Yen Press.


MICHELLE: Well, even though it feels like Tuesday, the calendar informs me that it’s Wednesday. Which can mean only one thing!

MJ: Dawn’s in trouble? No, wait… I have that wrong.

MICHELLE: Haha! You have beaten me to the Buffy reference! What is the world coming to?

MJ: No good, no good at all!

MICHELLE: Every single week, the same arrangement, we talk about a lot of books… o/~ (There. Now I have redeemed myself.)

What’s on your plate this time?

MJ: Sorry to have upset the equilibrium like that right from the start. I don’t know what I was thinking. :)

So, yes, books! Well, after last week’s focus on manga for kids, I guess I must have felt the need to remember my age (or at least feel it). It’s been all dark, broody shonen and dark, thinky josei for me this week. I’ll start with the one I feel guiltiest about, volume ten of Black Jack.

I’ve had this volume for several months (with two more in the stack still waiting–hence the guilt), but despite the fact that everybody told me it would be no big deal to just jump in anywhere, “it’s totally episodic, blah blah blah,” I was determined to work my way up from the beginning (thank you, local library system), and honestly I’m glad I did. While I can see that it would not be at all difficult to catch on to the premise from any given point, there’s really so much nuance to this series, and much of that I would have missed. Even some fairly major bits of characterization go all the way back to the first volume, like the origins of Pinoko (Black Jack’s childlike companion) for one. Something like that, though it’s not essential to the plot of this volume, is still a pretty significant factor when it comes to understanding Black Jack and his general worldview.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I like to start from the beginning whenever possible, even when it isn’t absolutely necessary. Case Closed, for example, is perfectly enjoyable if one hops right in to volume 25, like I first did, but once I realized I liked the series I went back to volume 1. (Again, thank you, local library system!) …

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Filed Under: OFF THE SHELF Tagged With: black jack, gossip girl, library wars, ooku

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