I have a review offsite this morning in today’s Manga Mini’s column, for the final volume in Koge-Donbo’s Kamichama Karin Chu, published by Del Rey. Though I have found plenty to enjoy in this series during its run, things fell apart a bit over the last few volumes, limiting its appeal for adult readers, in my view.

What this series mainly suffers from, however, is inevitable comparisons between it and Del Rey’s other currently-running magical girl series, Shugo Chara! which unfortunately blows it away on pretty much every front–plot, characterization, art, you name it. Perhaps the most obvious disparity between the two, however, is in its depth of messaging, especially for female readers.

Karin’s focus throughout the series is to grow up to be a wife and mother… and a powerful god, of course, but a wife and mother first.
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My contribution to this morning’s Manga Minis is a short review of Tactics, Vol. 8. I had high hopes when I first began reading this series, expecting it to be a sort of cross between Mushishi and xxxHolic, but though I eventually found that mixture in Viz Media’s Natsume’s Book of Friends, Tactics continues to disappoint me. Neither the folklore nor the personal drama goes quite deep enough to satisfy, save for a few rare moments scattered throughout the series. Fortunately, at least one of those moments occurs in this volume, so though it suffers from uneven writing overall, there is enough substance to save it in the end. This series’ very pretty artwork is always a draw. I only wish that was matched consistently by its dramatic content.

Check out my review for more. I know this series has its share of loyal fans, so feel free to disagree with me in comments!

For today’s review, I’ll point you to Manga Recon’s On The Shojo Beat column, where I reviewed volume eight of Yuki Obata’s We Were There. When I go into a new volume of We Were There, it’s always with a bit of trepidation. I know that the writing is likely to be extraordinary–thoughtful and unusually nuanced for high school-based shojo–beautifully enhanced by the author’s wispy, sparse artwork (re-reading my review of volume one, I can’t believe I thought then that the art was weak). What I’m also expecting, however, is that I’ll be an emotional wreck by the end of the volume and, true to form, that was certainly the case yesterday evening. It was almost a relief to be constrained by the column’s style and word limit, which restricted me from spewing my emotional responses all over the page as I have occasionally done in the past.

That said, this is an exceptionally moving series that provokes strong responses, not through the use of practiced formula or calculated emotional manipulation, but by the power of good writing and genuine insight. This is a series that constantly compels me into introspection and confession, even in a review. Part of that is due, I think, to my own life choices, which have resulted in a state of perpetual vulnerability more typically associated with a teen than an adult. While other readers my age may view this series as something that hearkens back to the trials of their youth, I’m frequently identifying with it in a more immediate way. On the other hand, the realities that Obata’s characters face–the ambiguity of concepts like “truth” and “love,” and the contradictory nature of the human heart–are not confined to youth by any means. They loom over us throughout our lives, no matter how earnestly we strive to construct secure walls around us. If there is a truth in this world, it can be found in the wavering heart of a lonely teen, something that Obata has captured with stunning accuracy.

If my rambling personal monologue has still left you in doubt about the emotional impact of We Were There, I urge you read it for yourself. Meanwhile, you can check out my review.

The big news in my world today (and what kept me working down to the wire last night) is Our Favorite Manga of 2009, a list of the worst/best manga of the year as perceived by those of us on the Manga Recon staff. As I reflect on my list this morning, I’m mainly struck by all the fantastic series I was unable to find room for, both continuing series like NANA, Nodame Cantabile, We Were There, Goong, and Fullmetal Alchemist, as well as new series like Children of the Sea and Detroit Metal City. If only I could have mentioned Flower of Life, which finally concluded its short run this year, charming me at every moment!

The best thing about these lists, however, is how greatly they vary. Sure, there are a few titles that appear over and over but there are more that don’t, and some on which we quite pointedly disagree. Take Yen Press’ Nabari No Ou, for example, listed by me as “Best Manga That You Thought You Would Hate” and by Michelle as “Biggest Disappointment.” Wanna watch us duke it out? Check out the list for yourself!

To start things off, I have a review of volume fifteen of Claymore in this week’s Manga Minis column at Manga Recon. Before the eye-rolling begins over the high grades I’ve given recent volumes of Claymore, I’d like to say that I think it has really come into its own as a strong dark fantasy series and that those who dismissed it after the first few volumes are genuinely missing out. It’s true that I’m a patient reader and may enjoy a slow-burning series more than most. I love to watch multiple layers revealed over time, forcing me to continuously re-evaluate what the story is really about, and though it may seem a bit late in the game for the author to begin revealing those layers twelve or thirteen volumes in, in this case I think it’s well worth the wait. There aren’t many series from Viz’s Shonen Jump Advanced line that have endured for me as well as this one. It’s definitely worth a second look.
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Just a quick link this morning to point to today’s Otaku Bookshelf column over at Manga Recon, which includes my review of Shoujo Art Studio, a book that claims to contain “Everything You Need To Create Your Own Shoujo Manga Comics.” You can see what I think about that over in the review and also find the very silly one-page comic I made using the book’s tools and instructions.

Something I didn’t get into too deeply in the review, but which really bothered me while working with this book, is the author’s discussion of the history and nature of shojo manga which claims that “there are really no limits on what can be shown in a shoujo manga,” but then goes on with statements like, “Some heroines are still damsels in distress, but most are independent and successful in their own right. However, supremacy in school or magical combat rarely translates to confidence around boys!” Both the instructions and provided art reinforce the most overdone shojo clichés and it’s difficult to imagine what real fan of the genre could possibly enjoy this or find it of much use. With the background scenery provided–the school, amusement park, girl’s bedroom, etc.–it is a toolkit geared toward creating a parody of shojo manga more than anything else. I can’t even bear to discuss the outfits.

Check out my review for more information on this instructional book. You’ll also find reviews from Michelle Smith and Jennifer Dunbar on two other books of this kind!

Today I have a short review of xxxHolic, Vol. 14 in a special Tuesday edition of Manga Minis. This series is so wonderfully rich and there is much I might have said about this volume, given more space. I’ll try to include some of it here.

First of all, one of the things I discussed in my mini is the level of warmth this series has taken on. The “sweet” moment I mention between Watanuki and Mokona, for instance, is so adorable one could die, and when Kohane asks Doumeki why he remains with Watanuki, the image Doumeki calls forth–Watanuki by the river on a particular rainy day–is enough to break one’s heart. That this is followed by Kohane asking Doumeki to “Take care of Kimihiro-kun… please?” is truly the final nail in the coffin.

It is here, too, that I must mention CLAMP’s effective use of paneling, because it is not so much the dialogue that does the work here, but the imagery. Doumeki doesn’t respond to Kohane with anything more than the squeeze of a hand, but the way that moment is built up–with a flashback to Yuuko’s ominous words about hesitation, individual profiles (cut narrowly within wide horizontal panels) of Doumeki and then Kohane, then a single page consisting only of a larger, fuller profile of Doumeki followed by a close-up of his hand squeezing Kohane’s–draws out the moment perfectly, giving it enormous emotional weight. Similarly effective means are used in the story’s next scene too, in which Watanuki confesses his new resolve to remain in this world. The panels are clean and heavy on contrast as is usual for CLAMP (especially in this series) and this deceptive visual simplicity, much like simplicity of language, allows for stronger statements than could ever be made with more verbose visual language.

This volume is filled with foreshadowing, which I suppose is no different than the rest of the series to this point, but at this point the foreshadowing contains a sense of urgency and immediacy that has not been present before, at least to this extent. That a customer arrives in the middle of it all–something we haven’t seen for quite some time–might appear to break the momentum, but it actually seems to be a part of it somehow, with Watanuki taking on Yuuko’s usual role. A later scene with the voices (but not the bodies) of Maru and Moro only strengthens this feeling, and the book’s final scene sets an uneasy, anticipatory tone for the next volume, despite the unearthly calm of its participants. Will it be Watanuki who is able to grant Yuuko’s wish after all, just as he has hoped to do? It seems likely that we will find out soon.

What read as cold philosophy at the beginning of this series has become intimate personal drama fourteen volumes in, and even Yuuko can’t pretend to be detached from the story’s outcome, particularly as concerns Watanuki, whom she obviously loves. Though I think it goes without saying at this point that reading Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle has become an essential part of understanding this series, there is something deep at the core of xxxHolic that stands entirely on its own, and nowhere is that clearer than in this volume.

Click here to read my miniaturized thoughts on the subject (I’m not lying about the food thing; I made rice balls immediately after reading this volume). And please, read xxxHolic. It is truly a thing of beauty.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Just a couple of quick links this morning as I sit in the Salt Lake City airport waiting for my flight home. First of all, the third installment of the NANA Project is up, in which Danielle Leigh, Michelle Smith and I discuss volumes five and six of NANA. In this installment, we focus heavily on the addition of Trapnest to the regular cast of characters, and particularly Hachi’s involvement with Takumi. If you’re new to the Project, check out our discussion of volumes one, two, three, & four and please, join us in comments!

In other offsite news, check out my review of Kamichama Karin Chu, volume 4 in this week’s manga minis, and look for my review of the second volume of Rasetsu soon in an upcoming On The Shojo Beat column to be posted over the next couple of days. (ETA: Rasetsu review is up!)

Homeward bound!

I have a review up today at Manga Recon, for the first volume of Svetlana Chmakova’s Nightschool. I’ve been hanging on to this for a while, reluctant to read it for some reason, but I’m really glad I finally did. I think it retains a lot of the charm of her earlier short series, Dramacon, but also has lots of fantastic new elements that are more common in long series, like a truly intricate plot, fantastic world building, and a large cast of characters, many of whom are already well-established in this volume.

It’s a fast-paced read with a lot left unsaid (something I tend to like) and some readers may feel bewildered by how many questions are left hanging at the end of the volume, but I enjoyed myself immensely. Check out my review here.

I have a review in the most recent installment of On The Shojo Beat over at Manga Recon for volume three of The Magic Touch. I previously reviewed the first volume and unfortunately it’s become less interesting to me as the story has progressed. I still have hope, however, that this series could gather up its perfectly good shojo romance elements and make something better of them.

Also in this column, Michelle reviews volume one of Blackbird, a manga I also found myself enjoying against my better judgement.

Enjoy!