Archives for September 2013

Bookshelf Briefs 9/30/13

September 30, 2013 by MJ, Anna N, Michelle Smith and Sean Gaffney Leave a Comment

This week, MJ, Sean, Anna, and Michelle look at recent releases from Yen Press and Viz Media.

A Bride’s Story, Vol. 5 | By Kaoru Mori | Yen Press – A Bride’s Story is a series that has been, over the course of its first four volumes, alternately educational, moving, funny, and just plain lovely to look at, and here in volume five it manages to be all those things at once. Despite some shaky early moments for this former vegetarian, involving the careful, detailed slaughter of a small herd of sheep, the twins’ wedding is even more delightful than I had ever imagined (and I imagined substantial delight). Even more charming are the subsequent chapters, in which we are reunited with the series’ original protagonist as she grows slowly closer to her young husband. I hadn’t realized how much I missed Amir until she was back in front of me, and this volume’s last few poignant, slice-of-life chapters were the perfect follow-up to the twins’ general wackiness. This is my favorite volume yet. Highly recommended. – MJ

A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 11 | By Miyoshi Tomori | Viz Media – I thought there would be more emotional fallout from the events in the previous volume, but Shin and Maria move forward into the next phase of their relationship, somewhat distracted by the search for Maria’s real father. This series is always preoccupied with themes of forgiveness and redemption, and while part of me thought that Maria’s father was forgiven way to easily for past events, a single panel of Maria telling her father that he’s a terrible singer with a gentle expression on her face did a lot to sell this particular storyline. While Maria seems more settled, I’m now incredibly uneasy about what lies ahead for Shin. This series more than any other Shojo Beat series does a lot to instill disquiet in its readers, which is part of its unique appeal. – Anna N

Happy Marriage, Vol. 2 | By Maki Enjoji | Viz Media – I enjoyed the first volume of this series very much, and the second volume delivered up plenty of frothy fun. Newlyweds of convenience Chiwa and Hokuto are having difficulties navigating their new relationship due to their various communication issues, and things aren’t helped by the parade of handsome men that suddenly appear. First, there’s Chiwa’s new co-worker Yu Yagami, who uses his “nice-guy” whiles to become Chiwa’s confident. She’s so oblivious she is unaware of his feelings for her, and she ends up friend zoning him in an amusing way. More serious is the appearance of Chiwa’s old college senpei, who tries to woo her to his company. Hokuto begins to realize that he can’t be so complacent with his relationship with his new bride if plenty of other men are noticing her too. This continues to be a fun josei series. – Anna N

One Piece, Vol. 68 | By Eiichiro Oda | Viz Media – It’s pretty much routine for things to get crazy in One Piece as an arc nears its presumed end, but this volume is crazier than most. A manaical villain, human/animal hybrids, a rampaging slime monster, body swaps, samurai, giant kids, a Naval presence, and a pirate alliance… It’s a bit much, but Oda keeps it together. This may also have been the first time when I really and truly didn’t see any way out of their peril for a significant chunk of the volume. It’s a testament to Oda’s skill that he can still create something this exciting on volume freakin’ 68 of his series. One Piece has been running since 1997, and to still feel this fresh is nothing short of a miracle. I’ll never get tired of extolling its virtues. – Michelle Smith

Soul Eater, Vol. 16 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Yen Press – There are several cool moments for our heroes in this volume, particularly Maka and Soul, who get some good development over idealistic over practical, i.e. big fluffy angel wings vs. bat wings. They end up siding with practical, which is a good thing, as the enemy, i.e. Medusa, is ramping up her game. So much of this series has taken place right on the edge of madness – I mean, just look at the sun and moon, for goodness sake! – that it can take a while to realize just how far the madness has come since Vol. 1. Entire towns are now falling prey to Medusa’s influence, and Kid is still captured. And then of course there’s Crona, whose suffering Medusa seems to be deliberately pursuing for her own ends. I’m not sure how well that will end for her, but in the meantime Crona’s presence isn’t good for ANYONE. Another terrific volume. -Sean Gaffney

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

September 30, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

There were a few different things going on at Experiments in Manga last week. First off is the Arisa manga giveaway. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, so you still have a little time to enter for a chance to win the first and eleventh volumes of Natsumi Ando’s Arisa. The most recent Library Love feature was posted last week, too, which is basically a collection of quick takes of manga that I’ve borrowed from my local library. My quest to read all of Edogawa Rampo’s material available in English also continued. This time I took a look at The Edogawa Rampo Reader, which is a nice introduction to his life and work. The volume collects eighteen of his short stories and essays from over a span of thirty years.

A few interesting things found online: Brigid Alverson interviewed Charles Brownstein of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund about its new manga guide which will be released later this year. (I reviewed Manga: Introduction, Challenges, and Best Practices not too long ago and found it to be a great resource.) And speaking of the CBLDF, Keiji Nakazawa’s Barefoot Gen was recently highlighted as part of the Using Graphic Novels in Education feature. Finally, Vertical made some licensing announcements at Anime Weekend Atlanta: Tetsuya Tsutui’s manga Prophecy (interestingly enough, Tsutui approached Vertical directly about the license) and Shinobu Hashimoto’s biographical novel Compound Cinematics: Akira Kurosawa and I.

Quick Takes

Arisa, Volumes 8-11 by Natsumi Ando. The true King has been revealed! As has that person’s motivations and back story, which are suitably dark and dramatic. Arisa and its characters are all pretty twisted–the King isn’t the only one with serious issues. The most stable character in Arisa is probably Tsubasa, but sometimes I wonder about her, too. It’s not just anyone who would pretend to be someone else, after all. At times Arisa can be extraordinarily over the top with its action and melodrama, but that’s probably one of the reasons I find the series so absorbing. Some of it comes across as unintentionally ridiculous, though. But for every development that’s laughable, there’s another that is effectively disturbing. Arisa is a series that’s really easy to tear through. Despite all of the twists and turns in its plot (or maybe because of them) the manga reads very quickly. With only one volume left to go in the series, I’m very curious to see how things will play out.

Black Jack, Volumes 7-9 by Osamu Tezuka. Every once in a while I get the urge to read a bunch of Black Jack. Since the series is fairly episodic, it’s easy to pick up even if it’s been a while since I’ve read any of the manga. There were a couple of things that particularly struck me about these volumes. First of all, Black Jack should really stay away from cliffs as he seems to have a habit of falling off of them. Secondly, since Black Jack is an unlicensed doctor, it probably shouldn’t be too surprising that he would have a tendency to become involved with criminals. Often this works out quite well for him–he is able to demand his high prices and the other parties want to keep things quiet, too. However, on occasion Black Jack’s association with organized crime comes back to bite him and he ends up a little worse for wear. As always, I adore Black Jack as a character. I enjoy how much of a bastard he can be while still maintaining a strong sense of integrity.

Cyborg 009 written by F. J. DeSanto and Bradley Cramp and illustrated by Marcus To and Ian Herring. Working closely with Ishimori Productions, Cyborg 009 is a single-volume, hardcover graphic novel adapting Shotaro Ishinomori’s Cyborg 009 manga with a Western audience in mind published by Archaia. The comic is in full-color with updated character designs closer to some of the more recent anime adaptations than the original manga. Actually, the artwork was one of my favorite things about the Cyborg 009 graphic novel. Story-wise it would have benefited from either being a little more focused or a little bit longer. As it is, the graphic novel is very compressed and not all of the plot lines introduced are adequately developed. But it is fun and quickly paced, not to mention beautifully presented; hopefully it will encourage readers to seek out the original material. Also of note: the back cover indicates that Cyborg 009 is “Ishimori Universe Book 1.” I know that I’d be very interested in seeing more collaborations between Archaia and Ishimori.

The Day I Become a Butterfly by Sumomo Yumeka. Although The Day I Become a Butterfly was released under Digital Manga’s Juné imprint, two of the six collected stories aren’t at all boys’ love and a few of the others could be argued not to be as well. Yumeka describes the short manga in The Day I Become a Butterfly as inexplicable (she also admits to not liking them), but I think I would call them poetic. Instead of being straightforward narratives, the stories are quiet and almost impressionistic. They tend to be fairly introspective and melancholy; the desire for acceptance from others is a recurring theme throughout the volume. Yumeka’s artwork is lovely, although some of the character designs seem to be reused from one story to the next. Normally this might not be much of a problem, but because some of the stories in The Day I Become a Butterfly are interrelated it was sometimes confusing when the characters from an unrelated story looked like some of the recurring characters.

Akagi Akagi, Episodes 1-13 directed by Yuzo Sato. I love mahjong and Akagi is one of the mahjong series. I was thrilled when Crunchyroll picked up the anime for streaming. (I hold no illusions–mahjong manga and anime is very niche and unlikely to ever receive a physical release in North America.) Watching Akagi has actually improved my game a bit. It has also taught me how to cheat…not that I would. People who are at least vaguely familiar with mahjong will probably get more out of Akagi than those who aren’t, but it’s not necessary to understand the minutia of mahjong to enjoy the anime. The series can be surprisingly brutal at times and the games are intense–high stakes, crooked cops, yakuza, violence, manipulation. A huge emphasis is put on the psychological elements of the game. Akagi is a brilliant player and absolutely ruthless, both at the table and away from it. He seems to be afraid of nothing and is extremely ballsy. I’m really looking forward to watching the series’ second half.

Pick of the Week: Totoro & More

September 30, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Anna N, Ash Brown and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: There’s a lot of good Viz stuff this week, including many long-running series, and a debut by an artist I enjoy. But I’m throwing my pick behind a novel, albeit with illustrations by one of the giants of the industry. Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro is a movie that I hope by now every parent shows their child when they’re young, to instill a sense of wonder in them. That wonder is, I’m anticipating, carried over in this novel by children’s author Tsukigo Kubo, with Illustrations provided by Miyazaki. I have a copy, though I haven’t delved into it yet, and the illustrations evoke a very A. A. Milne, Pooh Corner feeling for me. Buy two copies – one for your child, and one for yourself.

MICHELLE: There are a couple of not-the-greatest-but-I-enjoyed-it shoujo releases this week, and I reckon I’ll have to pick one of those. So, I guess I’ll go with Happy Marriage?!, volume two. In the absence of new manhwa, I will accept something manhwa-esque in its place!

ANNA: I’m going to have to go with Slam Dunk Vol. 30, because any appearance of this basketball manga is a cause for celebration. I can’t believe it is almost over. I would happily read 30 more volumes of this series.

ASH: I’m with Anna on this one. Slam Dunk is a long series, so I’m glad that Viz is seeing it through to its end. (Only one more volume to go!) Plus, I’m always happy to have more of Takehiko Inoue’s manga in English.

MJ: And I’m with Sean. I was feeling a bit torn and wishy-washy this week, until Sean invoked House at Pooh Corner, and that sealed the deal. Now I must have it. And by “it,” I mean My Neighbor Totoro. Totoro is my favorite of Miyazaki’s films. It’s warm, whimsical, and just the right kind of story to deftly sidestep Miyazaki’s resistance to writing endings, which I expect might translate nicely to prose as well. This novel sounds just lovely. I’ll follow Sean’s advice, too, and buy one for my niece, then one for myself.

What looks good to you this week?

Vertical and One Peace Books announce new licenses

September 30, 2013 by Brigid Alverson

Wow! The first volume of Sailor Moon Short Stories tops the New York Times manga best seller list, and four volumes of Attack on Titan make the top ten as well.

There were two new license announcements at the Vertical panel at Anime Weekend Atlanta this past weekend, and one is a manga: They will publish Tetsuya Tsutui’s Prophecy (Yokokuhan), a story about the Tokyo police department’s cyber crime unit pursuing an arsonist. The other announcement was Shinobu Hashimoto’s novel Compound Cinematics: Akira Kurosawa and I.

Here’s another new license, from the small independent manga publisher One Peace Books: Takashi Ikeda’s yuri manga Whispered Words.

Erica Friedman rounds up the week’s yuri news in the latest edition of Yuri News Network at Okazu.

Lori Henderson discusses this week’s new print and digital releases and the first two volumes of Cross Manage in her latest Manga Dome podcast at Manga Xanadu.

Ryan Holmberg explores the origins of the name “Garo,” which was the title of an indy manga magazine in the 1960s.

News from Japan: Honey and Clover creator Chika Umino is putting her current series, March comes in like a lion, on hiatus while she undergoes hospitalization and surgery for an undisclosed condition. Fight Ippatsu! Jūden-chan!! is coming to an end. And is this something we should be watching? Miki Yoshikawa’s body-swapping manga Yamadakun to Nananin no Majo has sold 2 million copies.

Reviews

Matthew Warner on vol. 10 of Blue Exorcist (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 11 of Dawn of the Arcana (The Comic Book Bin)
Michael Buntag on vols. 1-3 of Give My Regards to Black Jack (NonSensical Words)
Kristin on vols. 1 and 2 of Happy Marriage?! (Comic Attack)
Justin on vol. 1 of Magi (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)
Matthew Warner on vol. 68 of One Piece (The Fandom Post)
Kristin on vols. 13 and 14 of Oresama Teacher (Comic Attack)
Erin on Please Save My Earth (Gagging on Sexism)
Matthew Warner on vol. 2 of Puella Magi Kazumi Magica: The Innocent Malice (The Fandom Post)
TSOTE on vol. 33 of Q.E.D. (Three Steps Over Japan)
Richard Bruton on vol. 4 of Summit of the Gods (Forbidden Planet)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Vinland Saga (A Case Suitable for Treatment)

Vinland Saga, Vol. 1

September 29, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Makoto Yukimura. Released in Japan as two separate volumes by Kodansha, serialized in the magazines Weekly Shonen Magazine, then Afternoon. Released in North America by Kodansha Comics.

At last, after years of fans begging for a license, we have one of the most anticipated titles of the year. Makoto Yukimura was released over here previously with his sci-fi garbage scow series Planetes, but that was another “critically acclaimed poor seller” that fans love and publishers hate. Nevertheless, the author’s skill is demonstrable in that series, and his art and storytelling have only improved since then. This tale of Thorfinn, a reluctant Viking warrior/prisoner-of-war and his tragic backstory is absolutely riveting, and makes you yearn for the next book in the series to come out so you can read on. Honestly, if it weren’t already in an omnibus (a handsome, hardcover one, by the way, looking very nice), I’d feel even more impatient.

We open with Thorfinn already a young adult, then flash back to tell his backstory. This helps to amp up the tragedy as we can see what a cold-blooded killer Thorfinn can be… and how he pales in comparison to the captain who controls him, Askeladd. For all that this series may be Thorfinn’s, Askeladd is the one who captures the reader’s attention right off the bat, and I suspect he won any reader polls Japan had. Cheerful, clever, sly, and ruthless all in one, Askeladd makes a great anti-hero to contrast with Thorfinn’s sullen warrior. He even has his own moral code, such as it is – one we see in the second half of the book, when we find out just how Thorfinn lost his father Thors and was captured.

By the way, for those who love Berserk, you’ll love this too. It’s not QUITE as bleak and ultraviolent – at least not in this first volume – but there’s a lot of the same feel, and the battle scenes are fantastic (despite the presence of one of the worst Star Wars jokes I’ve ever seen). The art isn’t only good in the battle scenes either – the author has taken great care to be as historically accurate as possible in a fictional manga world, and I loved the attention to detail we see here.

I was expecting this to be a totally male-dominated book – and honestly, it still may end up that way – but there are two very good female roles here. First of all, the book’s only light relief is provided by Thorfinn’s older sister Ylva, a tsundere trapped in 11th century Iceland, who has all the boys of the village falling at her feet but would much rather stomp around and be grumpy. As for Thorfinn’s mother, she mostly exists on the sideline supporting her husband… till we see a flashback to Ylva’s birth, where Thors is prepared to simply nod and leave, and his wife looks like she’ll leap out of the bed and throttle him unless he names their child. The manga is filled with little moments like this.

This is not going to be a cheery romp – expect the majority of the cast to die – but it’s gripping stuff, and incredibly hard to put down. I really enjoyed Planetes, but you can see how Yukimura has evolved further here. The story carries you along effortlessly, makes you care about these people even as it then hurts them horribly, and is simply filled with badass men being badass. It was worth the long wait to get this.

The Edogawa Rampo Reader

September 29, 2013 by Ash Brown

Author: Edogawa Rampo
Translator: Seth Jacobowitz
U.S. publisher: Kurodahan Press
ISBN: 9784902075250
Released: December 2008
Original release: 1926-1956

The Edogawa Rampo Reader, edited and translated by Seth Jacobowitz, was only the third volume of Edogawa Rampo’s work to be released in English, following Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination (which I have read and thoroughly enjoyed) and The Black Lizard and The Beast in the Shadows. Published by Kurodahan Press in 2008, The Edogawa Rampo Reader collects eight of Rampo’s short stories and ten of his essays selected from 1926 through 1956. In addition to these eighteen selections, The Edogawa Rampo Reader also includes a preface by Tatsumi Takayuki and an extensive introduction by Jacobowitz. Prior to the release of The Edogawa Rampo Reader, none of Rampo’s nonfiction work had been translated into English. In fact, all of the selections in The Edogawa Rampo Reader made their first appearance in English in the volume.

After the preface and introduction, The Edogawa Rampo Reader is divided into two sections: The Stories and The Essays. The stories include “The Daydream,” “The Martian Canals,” “The Appearance of Osei,” “Poison Weeds,” “The Stalker in the Attic,” “The Air Raid Shelter,” “Doctor Mera’s Mysterious Crimes,” and “The Dancing Dwarf.” Selected from throughout his career, the works exhibit Rampo’s skills as a mystery writer as well as a writer of the strange. The essays primarily fall into two different categories, those that are at least somewhat autobiographical–“The Horrors of Film,” “Spectral Voices,” “A Passion for Lenses,” “The Phantom Lord,” “My Love for the Printed Word,” and “Confessions of Rampo”–and those that deal with mystery fiction–“Fingerprint Novels of the Meiji Era,” “Dickens vs. Poe,” “An Eccentric Idea,” and “A Desire for Transformation.” Although there are more essays than stories in The Edogawa Rampo Reader, the nonfiction selections tend to be shorter than the fiction and so the section isn’t quite as long.

Whereas Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination basically amounted to a “best of” collection of Rampo’s short stories, The Edogawa Rampo Reader was deliberately curated to be representative of the different stages in Rampo’s career. Additionally, the volume emphasizes recurring motifs and themes that Rampo was fond of incorporating into both his fiction and nonfiction. The Edogawa Rampo Reader is meant to be comprehensive, single-volume exploration of Rampo and his work. As much as I enjoy Rampo’s short stories (which I do quite a bit) the real draw of The Edogawa Rampo Reader for me was the essays. Rampo is not only a fascinating author, he is also a fascinating person. His love of reading and writing comes through very clearly in his nonfiction. It was also interesting to see where he found his inspiration as a writer. His own life and imagination were sources, but literature from Japan and the rest of the world were also important influences.

The Edogawa Rampo Reader is a valuable resource. Rampo is an important literary figure in Japan, often cited as the father of modern Japanese mystery and crime fiction. His influence can still be seen today. Rampo is a noteworthy and intriguing creator; it really is a shame that more of his work isn’t available in English. Although they are all very good, I didn’t find the short stories in The Edogawa Rampo Reader to be quite as immediately engaging as those in Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination. However, overall the selection is broader in terms of genre and style. My favorite story was probably “The Stalker in the Attic,” which features Rampo’s detective Akechi Kogorō. (I would love to see an entire collection of Akechi stories in English.) But, as already mentioned, Rampo’s essays are really the highlight of the volume. I hope to see more of Rampo’s work released in English, but The Edogawa Rampo Reader makes a fine introduction to the influential author’s life and writing.

New BL for Digital, more Tiger & Bunny for Viz

September 27, 2013 by Brigid Alverson

Digital Manga announced two new Makoto Tateno licenses this week: A Waltz in the Clinic (Kenshūi wa Koakuma to Odoru) and A Murmur of the Heart (Toaru Gekai to Naikai no). Both will be released in both digital and print format.

Good news for Tiger & Bunny fans: Viz will release the movie Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning on October 1 and the manga on October 8.

The crack Manga Bookshelf team discuss their Pick of the Week and take a look at next week’s new releases.

Lori Henderson looks at this week’s new releases, eManga’s September Switch promotion, and Backstage Prince in her latest Manga Dome podcast at Manga Xanadu.

News from Japan: Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama says the series will end after 20 volumes. Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei creator Kôji Kumeta has a new series in the works. Peacemaker Kurogane will be back in December. Sakamoto desu ga?, by Nami Sano, has won the Comic Natalie Grand Prize. ANN has the latest Japanese comics rankings.

Reviews: Carlo Santos checks out the latest releases in his newest Right Turn Only!! column at ANN. Ash Brown looks back on a week’s worth of manga reading at Experiments in Manga. The Manga Bookshelf team review all that’s new (well, most of it anyway) in their Bookshelf Briefs column.

Carlo Santos on vol. 6 of 07-Ghost (ANN)
Ken H. on vol. 5 of Attack on Titan (Comics Should Be Good)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 7 of Attack on Titan (The Fandom Post)
Daniel Briscoe on vol. 1 of Berserk (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 17 of Black Bird (The Comic Book Bin)
Chris Kirby on vol. 1 of Durarara Saika Arc (The Fandom Post)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 30 of Fairy Tail (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 22 of Hayate the Combat Butler (The Comic Book Bin)
Sakura Eries on Helter Skelter: Fashion Unfriendly (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 9 of Ikigami (I Reads You)
Erica Friedman on vol. 3 of Kimi no Tame Nara Shineru (Okazu)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 9 of Loveless (The Fandom Post)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 10 of Naruto (Blogcritics)
Ash Brown on vol. 2 of No. 6 (Experiments in Manga)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 68 of One Piece (The Comic Book Bin)
David Brothers on One-Punch Man (4thletter!)
TSOTE on vol. 28 of Q.E.D. (Three Steps Over Japan)
Derek Bown on the September 16 issue of Shonen Jump (Manga Bookshelf)
Chris Kirby on vol. 1 of Sunny (The Fandom Post)
Sean Gaffney on Tropic of the Sea (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Anna N. on vol. 1 of Voice Over! Seiyuu Academy (Manga Report)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 1 of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s (Blogcritics)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 2 of Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal (Blogcritics)

Library Love, Part 17

September 27, 2013 by Ash Brown

Support manga, support your library!

Here’s what I’ve been reading:

Arisa5 Arisa, Volumes 5-7 by Natsumi Ando. As ridiculous and unbelievable as Arisa can be, I’ll have to admit that I actually am rather enjoying the series. The number of plot twists that Ando works into the manga is astounding. I know that they’re coming, but I have no idea where Arisa is going. I’ve learned not to stress out about it and just sit back and enjoy the absurdity as it develops. However, I can’t help but wonder where all the adults are in all of this. Occasionally a teacher, parent, or guardian is seen, but none of them seem very involved in the students’ lives at all. But then again, that might be part of the point of the series. The students in class 2-B have issues (they have a lot of issues) and King Time began in part because their needs and concerns weren’t being addressed elsewhere. More and more of their secrets are being revealed, but I’m not sure we’re any closer to actually learning who the King really is. Arisa continues along its dark and twisted path and I can’t help but be oddly mesmerized by the whole thing.

Cowa! by Akira Toriyama. Cowa! had completely slipped under my radar until just recently. It’s a shame that I didn’t read it sooner because it is a terrific and highly enjoyable manga appropriate for kids as well as adults. The first few chapters are fairly episodic and start out with Paifu, a young half-vampire/half-werekoala, and his best friend and ghost José Rodriguez getting into all sorts of trouble. But then the manga develops a continuing story–Paifu’s hometown of Batwing Ridge is suffering from an epidemic of the Monster Flu. It’s up to Paifu, José, their not exactly friend Apron, and Maruyama, a grumpy ex-sumo wrestler, to save the day. Together they travel in search of the cure and it ends up becoming quite an adventure. There’s action and danger, bad guys and monsters. The interactions between Maruyama and the youngsters are simply marvelous. The manga is a lot of fun and funny, too. It may be silly at times, but it’s also heartwarming and has a good message. Cowa! is an absolute delight and definitely worth a look.

Slam Dunk, Volumes 7-10 by Takehiko Inoue. I am a huge fan of Inoue’s manga. While Slam Dunk isn’t my favorite of his series, I still find it to be a great manga. Slam Dunk was Inoue’s breakthrough work and is immensely popular and influential. The basketball games in Slam Dunk are extremely well done, but so far what appeals most to me about the series is the characters. I particularly enjoy all of the delinquents that show up in the series and on Shohoku’s basketball team. The guys are just as capable in a fist fight as they are on the court. Granted, Sakuragi still has a lot to learn about basketball. He has some natural ability and potential, but I’m not sure anyone has actually taken the time to explain all the rules to him. Realistically, this is somewhat unbelievable, but it does provide a certain amount of humor. In general, Slam Dunk is much more comedic than Inoue’s other manga available in English. However, there’s still some seriousness and plenty of heartfelt passion in the series, too.

Time Lag written by Shinobu Gotoh and illustrated by Hotaru Odagiri. I didn’t realize it at first, but Odagiri is also the artist for Only the Ring Finger Knows, which I quite enjoyed. Time Lag is a slightly older work, and not quite as memorable, but still enjoyable and rather sweet. Satoru and Shirou used to be very close growing up, but after junior high they’ve grown apart despite Satoru repeatedly professing his love for the other young man. Satoru can’t seem to figure out what went wrong, but when a letter from Shirou arrives three years late he may have one last chance at setting things right. However, complicating matters even further is a love-triangle involving Seichii, another classmate. Plots that revolve around a giant misunderstanding often annoy me, but in the case of Time Lag I think it was handled very well. Some of the smaller misunderstandings were still frustrating, though. Granted, those deliberately created by Seichii and his jealousy make a fair amount of sense in the context of the story and the resulting drama is understandable.

Manga the Week of 10/2

September 26, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ, Ash Brown, Anna N and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

SEAN: Hope you like Viz, that’s all I can say. They have this week all to themselves.

Now that Bakuman is all over, there’s a giant Bakuman box set for those who missed it. Discover the secrets to Jump manga, and look askance at that line about a man’s dreams all over again!

MJ: Perhaps in the new set, that line will have been magically rewritten. :D

ASH: I actually haven’t read any of Bakuman, yet. Sounds like this would be a good time to get around to doing that.

SEAN: It’s been a while since we’ve seen Black Bird, and it’s ending soon, so I’ll be nice. It’s a powerful manga with the ability to win the hearts of many readers. Excellent pickup for Viz.

ANNA: I’m glad this is so popular for Viz, and also glad I stopped reading it because I didn’t care for it. There’s other, better supernatural manga out there, most of it also published by Viz.

MICHELLE: Oh, is it really ending soon? I had no idea. I really used to keep better track of these things!

MJ: I want to say “good riddance,” but… what will I have left to hate now? I feel bereft.

SEAN: (Dr. Forrester voice) Who… Who Will I Kill?

Bleach is up to Vol. 58. Expect the usual Bleach shenanigans, but I will note this volume had one of the best reveals in the entire series about a character’s past.

MICHELLE: I periodically get caught up with Bleach, but I probably wouldn’t if my local library didn’t carry it.

MJ: Well, now I wanna read it. Hm.

SEAN: Claymore has hit Vol. 23, which means everyone has to buy it, or Robert Anton Wilson will be sad.

MJ: Heh. (Also, I will be sad, but not because of 23.)

SEAN: I lost track of Dawn of the Arcana, apparently right about when it got really good. But I’m sure the others will tell me what I’ve been missing.

ANNA: It is good! It has an interesting low key vibe for a fantasy series. It reminds me of some of the stuff CMX used to put out, in a very good way.

MICHELLE: I can see that comparison!

ASH: I’ve been meaning to give Dawn of the Arcana a try. Comparing it to CMX’s series just moved it up on my list.

SEAN: The 6th Hana-Kimi omnibus has Vols. 16-18, so we’re about 3/4 of the way there. Had enough reverse harem shenanigans yet?

ANNA: There can NEVER be enough reverse-harem shenanigans!!!!!

SEAN: I was pleasantly surprised at Vol. 1 of Happy Marriage?!, whose lead male was not as jerk-like as I expected, so am looking forward to seeing if Vol. 2 can develop the heroine some more as well.

ANNA: This was like volume 1 except with additional super handsome men. No real reverse-harem shenanigans though.

MICHELLE: I liked it more than expected, and it’s quite manhwa-like!

MJ: I’m looking forward to this as well, to my own surprise.

SEAN: My Neighbor Totoro is one of the best and most beloved children’s movies of all time. What better present for your young child than a translation of the Totoro novel, with original illustrations by Miyazaki?

ANNA: This sounds nice!

MJ: Agreed!

ASH: Oh! I had completely forgotten this was coming out.

SEAN: Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan is in the middle of a smaller, quieter arc after the long, long, LONG Kyoto arc, so I’m expecting a calmer, gentler yokai with Vol. 17. I firmly believe my expectations will be ruthlessly shattered.

One Piece Omnibus 7 has some of the best volumes of the Alabasta arc, which is one of the best arcs, so you know that you have to get it if you haven’t already.

Rosario + Vampire II 12 is another of those very popular shonen series that I never really got past the first volume of so have nothing to say about.

And Sakura Hime 11 is the exact same thing, only on the shoujo side.

Slam Dunk 30, everyone! The penultimate volume! I’m going to guess there will be a basketball game of some sort.

ANNA: The most awesome basketball game ever! Seriously I love Slam Dunk.

MICHELLE: Me, too. I have been hoarding the recent volumes even though I’ve been so tempted by them. Is there any other sports manga now running? I can’t think of one…

ASH: I am so far behind with Slam Dunk, but it really is great. The only other sports manga I can think of that’s currently being published is Real, also about basketball and also by Takehiko Inoue (and one of my favorite series!)

MICHELLE: Oh, I had forgotten about Real! Possibly because it’s seinen, it doesn’t feel like traditional sports manga to me. I’d dearly love more Mitsuru Adachi, and I’d even buy the Prince of Tennis sequel, no matter how stupid it is.

SEAN: I’m not sure Adachi’s done basketball… he tends to stick with his one sport, although my own license dream, Rough, is a swimming manga.

MICHELLE: Oh, I definitely wasn’t thinking only basketball. Rough is the one I most want, too! :)

SEAN: Toriko 18 will no doubt make me hungry, have plausibly deniable homoerotic content, and feature some truly ridiculous animals.

ASH: I’m behind with Toriko, too, but I do get a kick out of the series.

SEAN: Lastly, and to the frustration of my trying to get the side images to look cool and not dangle off the edge of the article. we have the debut of the new series from Special A’s Maki Minami! Voice Over: Seiyuu Academy, is from Hana to Yume, so it already has a head start with me. Can’t wait.

ANNA: I liked this more than I thought I would, considering I did not care much for Special A.

MICHELLE: I enjoyed it, too. It’s pretty generic, but there was still something about it that compelled me to want to read volume two.

MJ: I’m with Michelle and Anna here, too.

SEAN: Is your favorite manga a voice actress?

Tropic Of the Sea

September 26, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Satoshi Kon. Released in Japan as “Kaikisen” by Kodansha, serialized in the magazine Young Magazine. Released in North America by Vertical.

I must admit, I’ve never really been into Satoshi Kon’s directing work. I saw Perfect Blue years ago, but never got around to his other movies. I do know that many of them are considered works of art by anime fandom, though, so it was intriguing to see this title licensed, a manga that he wrote before he did any of the titles he’s now famous for. I liked what I read, too. This is a solid, mellow, and sometimes preachy story of a young man growing up by the sea in a small town, having to deal with progress, tradition, friendships becoming romance, and mermaids. Most of us have dealt with the same things. Well, maybe not that last one.

The story is quite simple, and fits very well in this single volume release. Yosuke comes from a long line of priests, whose job it is to care for a mermaid egg – and return it to the sea every 60 years, as part of a pact to keep the sea filled with life and healthy. His father is a modernist, and thinks that they could also raise some money with the publicity of this egg. His grandfather is a staunch traditionalist. Yosuke, meanwhile, seems to fall in between the two camps – much like the rest of his life, where as a teen getting ready for exams he can’t quite decide if he wants to escape his hometown or not. This is not helped by the return of Nami, an old friend who had gone to the big city, and who has an obvious bond with Yosuke.

I really liked the way this manga kept a balance between everything it’s trying to do. There’s lots of reflective, quiet scenes, but there’s also several exciting action pieces and a big chase climax. Yosuke can be reserved, but he’s not repressed or anything, he’s just a normal kid who is dealing with a lot right now. I loved the not-quite-romance with Nami, which has just the right touch, and his relationship with his little sister also rang true. Essentially, despite this title involving mermaids, the fact that your suspension of disbelief never comes into play is the most praiseworthy thing.

It’s not perfect, of course – something I’m sure Kon would be the first to acknowledge. The lead villain comes from a stock template of ruthless businessmen who will get what they want without thought of the little people or environment that get trampled underfoot. I suspect Kon didn’t want to end this volume with anyone actually being killed, but that makes the villain’s conversion – oh, I’ve seen what really lives in the sea, and it has made me a better person – the one thing here that’s really hard to swallow. The ending also does seem a bit rushed, for all of its excitement.

But those are just quibbles. Tropic of the Sea is simply evocative, and makes the reader want to walk out along the beach at night and smell the salt water. It’s no surprise that the creator went on to big things.

Manga Giveaway: Arisa Giveaway

September 25, 2013 by Ash Brown

It’s just about the end of the month, which means it’s time for another manga giveaway here at Experiments in Manga! This month’s giveaway is for not one, but two volumes of Natsumi Ando’s manga series Arisa–both the first and the most recent volumes published in English. (I’ll explain my odd thought process for this below.) As always, the contest is open worldwide!

Okay, so why the first and eleventh volumes? Because Arisa has a set of twin sisters. Volume 1, because it’s the first volume. (In general, I like to give away first volumes.) And what do you get when you have two 1s? 11. And there you have it. (I told you I’m a bit odd.) Anyway.

People are fascinated by twins. It’s probably not too surprising that twins, both fraternal and identical, make frequent appearances in manga, often with an important role to play in the story. Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, Yumi Tamura’s Basara, and Rei Hiroe’s Black Lagoon are just a few examples off the top of my head. It wouldn’t take me long to come up with even more. (And I will next week.) In Arisa we have Tsubasa Uehara and Sonoda Arisa, identical twin sisters who have been separated by their parents’ divorce. Tsubasa takes Arisa’s place at school to try to discover why her sister would attempt to commit suicide, uncovering some very disturbing goings-on in Arisa’s class in the process.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of Arisa, Volumes 1 and 11?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about a set of twins that you have encountered in manga and in which manga they appear. (If by chance you’ve never come across twins, simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

It’s as easy as that. For this giveaway, each person can earn up to two entries. As usual, there is one week to submit comments. If you have trouble leaving comments, or if you would prefer, you can e-mail me your entries at phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com and I will post them in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on October 2, 2013.

VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address (which if you submit through the comment form won’t be publicly displayed), a link to your website, Twitter username, or whatever. If I can’t figure out how to get a hold of you and you win, I’ll just draw another name.

Contest winner announced–Manga Giveaway: Arisa Giveaway Winner

Voice Over! Seiyu Academy, Vol. 1

September 24, 2013 by Anna N

Voice Over! Seiyu Academy Vol. 1 by Maki Minami

This was a book that I thought I wouldn’t like very much, but as I read through the entire volume I found myself begrudgingly enjoying it more than I expected. I ordinarily enjoy manga set in the world of show business. Here, the setting here of a specialized voice over training high school had the potential to both be a bit interesting due to the possibility of learning more about this specialized acting niche in Japan but it could also be somewhat infuriating if the plot devolved into the arcane hierarchical clique hijinks that tend to plague many a shoujo title. Also, in terms of the plots that I tend to enjoy over and over again, I will happily read multiple manga about office ladies forced to marry their harsh yet irresistibly handsome bosses, but high school clique wars tend to make my eyes glaze over unless I’m distracted by other plot elements like space aliens, juvenile delinquency, or magical powers. As I was reading Voice Over, I did think it would have strong appeal to younger teen readers.

Hime’s idol is a famous voice over actress on the anime Lovely Blazers named Sakura Aoyama. Hime’s accepted into a special voice acting school, but she has to fight against her natural tendencies towards emoting in a deep raspy voice. She’s quickly singled out and placed in the “stragglers” group that makes up the bottom students in her class. To add to Hime’s stress, Senri, the son of her idol is in her class and he is both incredibly gifted and a grouchy snob.

Hime is as plucky and determined as you would expect a shoujo heroine in her situation to be, even though she is promptly nicknamed Gorilla Princess by her classmates due to her deep voice. Hime’s motley crew of stragglers includes the super adorable Tsukino who can’t project her voice, an ex-juvenile delinquent named Sho, and boy with horrible nerves and an unfortunate accent named Mitchel. Hime’s initial overtures to Senri are met with determined rudeness. There is a voice over battle (isn’t there always) between the stragglers and their more high-class competition. Hime ends up using her deep voice to surprising effect when she subs in for Mitchel and ends up doing a superb job as the prince in a Snow White play. Hime and Senri keep running into each other, and she gradually sees his more human side. I found Senri’s habit of adoring kittens contrasted with his horrible manners to be lacking a bit of nuance. But I was very amused by some of the visual techniques Minami uses to portray the voice over acting of the cast. Little old ladies and old men appear in the background of the panels whenever Hime acts, providing an amusing way of showing how mismatched Hime’s voice is with the lines she’s speaking. I also enjoyed the glimpse of the almost too close to each other male idol duo at school with their legion of female fans who want to ward off any girl from getting close to them so they can continue to get their yaoi fix.

As I was nearing the end of the volume, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, simply because all the elements of humor were almost enough to distract me from a plot that I’m not particularly interested in. This manga doesn’t have the manic energy of an Oresama Teacher that makes the plot almost irrelevant though. If future volumes lean more on the high school clique fighting and less on wacky voice over antics, I expect I’ll be less entertained. I do think that readers less jaded than me would enjoy this manga quite a bit.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Attack on Titan explained; new Jiro Taniguchi manga on the way

September 24, 2013 by Brigid Alverson

MTV Geek has posted my picks for the most anticipated manga of the fall, and to go along with ’em we have some special content:
A preview of a short story from the first volume of Sailor Moon Short Stories
A preview of Satoshi Kon’s Tropic of the Sea, definitely one of the outstanding manga of the year
An interview with Charles Brownstein of the CBLDF about their guide to manga
An interview with Pancha Diaz, the editor of Voice Over: Seiyuu Academy
A interview with Nancy Thistlethwaite, editor of the Christmas-themed manga Sweet Rein
Everything you need to know to jump in to Attack on Titan with volume 6

This is pretty cool: Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama was interviewed on Nihon TV’s Zip! and explained how he got the idea for the Titans (an inebriated customer in the internet cafe where he worked) and how he draws them so well (with the help of a reference book of facial expressions).

Fanfare/Ponent Mon will publish Jiro Taniguchi’s Furari, which sounds like an Edo-era version of The Walking Man.

Planning on going to New York Comic Con? Sean Gaffney has pulled out the manga panels and a few others that may be of interest.

Helen McCarthy gives us the rundown on Daiji Kazumine, who drew manga versions of popular television shows such as Ultraman.

Here’s a look at the Original Algerian Manga scene, where homegrown manga in French, Algerian, and soon, Berber, are selling briskly, but not so well that creators can make a living from comics alone.

News from Japan: Eight years after it was originally announced, Hideo Azuma’s sequel to Disappearance Diary will be published next month; the title is Shissō Nikki 2: Al-Chū Byōtō (Disappearance Diary 2: The Ward for Alcoholics).

Reviews

Sean Gaffney on vol. 7 of Attack on Titan (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Helen on vol. 1 of Eat For Your Life (Narrative Investigations)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 1 of Midnight Secretary (The Fandom Post)
Connie C. on Midori Days, Pretty Face, and Genkaku Picasso (Comics Should Be Good)
TSOTE on vol. 29 of QED (Three Steps Over Japan)
Erica Friedman on Rira to Shion (Okazu)
Ash Brown on vol. 1 of Sherlock Bones (Experiments in Manga)
Manjiorin on vol. 1 of Takasugi-san’s Obento (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)

It Came From the Sinosphere: State of Divinity (Part 3)

September 24, 2013 by Sara K. 3 Comments

Yue Buqun

Yue Buqun in soliloquy mode.

When I first read the novel, Yue Buqun did not leave such a strong impression on me, and I did not understand why so many people consider him to be the character that the entire story turns on. As I’ve read/seen more adaptations, I have gotten a better understanding of his importance, but it is this adaptation which really drove home to me what a great character he is.

What really distinguishes State of Divinity’s Yue Buqun is that, unlike any other version of the story I’ve seen/read, we get to see his inner thoughts.

In the original novel, everything we know about Yue Buqun comes from Linghu Chong or Lin Pingzhi, and since Yue Buqun never reveals his private thoughts to these two characters, we can only understand him based on his actions. By contrast, State of Divinity offers Yue Buqun ample opportunities for soliloquy.

What really struck me is that Yue Buqun’s thoughts as depicted by State of Divinity are very different from what I expected – yet entirely consistent with canon. This, of course, is a reflection of just an enigma Yue Buqun is – though we know what he does, the reader never knows what he says to himself.

Yue Buqun … vulnerable?

And State of Divinity shows Yue Buqun being vulnerable. This is something I have never seen in any other version of the story. One of the principles of Yue Buqun’s personality is that he *never* shows vulnerability (at least not in Linghu Chong or Lin Pingzhi’s presence). To be honest, vulnerable!Yue Buqun shocked me.

I now think that Yue Buqun is one of Jin Yong’s finest characters.

Lin Pingzhi

I ended up really liking Lin Pingzhi in State of Divinity.

I’m not just saying that I thought he was well-written and well performed (though I do think that). I actually ended up liking the character himself.

Lin Pingzhi with his mother.

While most versions of the story note that Yue Buqun and Lin Pingzhi have similar personalities, State of Divinity really emphasizes that Lin Pingzhi = young!Yue Buqun. Thus they reinforce each other’s position in the story.

Laughing on the Wind introduces Lin Pingzhi as being privileged, coddled, and spoiled, which of course sets him up for being disliked by the audience. It’s almost satisfying to watch him suffer.

State of Divinity, by contrast, makes it really easy to love Lin Pingzhi. This was hard for me, because I knew what happens to Lin Pingzhi at the end. I wanted to hope that State of Divinity would show some mercy to Lin Pingzhi … but I already knew that hope was in vain.

Lin Pingzhi is experiencing a Horrible Revelation.

In this adaptation, it is Lin Pingzhi who breaks my heart the most.

About the Music

Well, a lot of the music used in the show is not original (for example, it borrows the soundtrack from Ashes of Time, among other sources). I still found it a bit jarring to hear music pulled from other contexts. Then again, borrowing really good music was probably wiser than composing original-yet-mediocre music – and what original music the show has is mostly uninteresting.

There is one original song which actually stands out is the tune of “The Laughing Proud Wanderer” itself. According to the story, it’s the more beautiful song the characters have ever heard, but I don’t think the audience actually expects that of the makers of the TV show.

The song works because it fits the atmosphere story. Bach it is not, but it does a pretty good job of condensing 43 episodes of story into a single tune. That is much more important than being a great music in its own right.

A Shift in the Ending

This scene wasn’t in the original novel, so where have I seen this before … oh that’s right, it’s just like that scene in Shēn Diāo Xiá Lǚ

Every adaptation (except Lee Chi-Ching’s manhua) alter the ending.

To be fair, the ending of State of Divinity is actually mostly the same as the ending of the novel. But there is one crucial change.

In the original novel, Linghu Chong is helpless at the end. There is practically nothing he can do to change the course of events. His must experience whatever fate sends his way.

Linghu Chong experiences utter despair.

And that is what State of Divinity tweaks. At the end, Linghu Chong does change the course of events.

That doesn’t make it a bad ending. But I find it interesting that most adaptations feel that have to change that part.

Comments on the Acting

Overall, I think both shows have very good acting. Even when they did not cast the most suitable actor, at least it is somebody competent enough to make the part work anyway.

That said, these are the highlights for me (from both shows)

Xu Qing as Ren Yingying and Wei Zi as Yue Buqun

Xu Qing as Ren Yingying (LitW) – I think it’s a bit unfair to compare Xu Qing and Fiona Leung’s performances as Ren Yingying, since the script of LitW gives Xu Qing a lot more to work with. Nonetheless, I think Xu Qing does a better job of exposing Ren Yingying in her most vulnerable moments.

Wei Zi as Yue Buqun (LitW) – It is really hard to decide whether Wei Zi (LitW) or Wong Wai (SoD) is a better Yue Buqun, but my gut says that Wei Zi’s acting is a little better (though as far as the script, Yue Buqun is definitely better written in SoD).

He Meitian as Yilin and Jackie Lui as LInghu Chong

Jackie Lui as Linghu Chong (SoD) – This is an example of great casting. To quote a review (which I can’t find right now) ‘Jackie Lui is Linghu Chong’. Li Yapeng’s performance in LitW is also good, but he fails to embody the character as fully as Jackie Lui.

He Meitian as Yilin (SoD) – If casting Jackie Lui as Linghu Chong is great, then casting He Meitian as Yilin is perfect. In a show which sets a very high bar for acting, it is Jackie Lui and He Meitian who really stand out. He Meitian also plays Qi Fang in another of my favorite wuxia dramas, A Deadly Secret, where she is once again a highlight.

Small Evil is Scarier than Great Evil

One of the messages of this story (and most of Jin Yong’s work) is that good cannot defeat evil.

Good can avoid evil. Evil can self-destruct. Good can even, rarely, persuade evil to change. But good cannot defeat evil.

Ren Woxing holds a puppy in his arms as Ren Yingying rushes up to him.

Evil can also rescue puppies.

Some adaptations (including Laughing in the Wind) try to turn one of the villains into the Big Bad, which the heroes can then take down and triumph over. That’s not how the original novel works. In the original novel, all of the villains are narrow-minded men (none of the villains are cis-female). Though they can fall individually, they can never be eliminated as a group. If you take down one petty tyrant, another will emerge.

This is scary.

Ren Yingying and Linghu Chong look really scared.

Yep, they’re scared.

If you think in terms of great evil, at least there is the hope that, after taking out the Big Bad, you will be free once and for all. But if evil is like a weed which will grow back from the soil of human nature as soon as you pull it out, then it will be with you forever.

The villains are horrible not because they are inhuman, but because they are human.

My Encounter with the TV Show

I had been in Taiwan for a short time, and I was just starting to feel out Chinese-language media. As a starting point, I would channel-surf. During my channel-surfing, the wuxia dramas caught my eye the most, since they were quite different from what I was familiar with.

However, even with my lack of listening comprehension skill, I could tell that wuxia TV dramas follow Sturgeon’s Law.

There was one wuxia drama which stood out. I could only understand 10-20% of the dialogue, so of course I couldn’t follow the story, but it still drew me in. Without understanding it, I still felt that what was happening mattered.

I remember one scene where a certain nun killed another character.

This nun has just killed somebody.

Now, I understood enough to know that the nun was horrified by the fact that she had just killed somebody. I also knew that Buddhist nuns are generally not supposed to killing living creatures. I did not know the broader context – for example, I did not know what the nun’s relationship to the victim was – but I *felt* it.

Scenes like this made an impression on me, even though I didn’t know what they mean.

Well, I had to find out what this TV show was – and I learned it was State of Divinity, adapted from a novel by Jin Yong.

Yep, this TV show was my gateway drug, both to Jin Yong specifically and the wuxia genre as a whole (I’ve even written about this before).

Now, even if I hadn’t caught reruns of this show, I would have almost certainly encountered Jin Yong and wuxia anyway. But if my first encounter had been, say The Book and the Sword, I might have concluded that it wasn’t for me, and left it at that.

And if I hadn’t gotten hooked on wuxia, this column would be really, really, really different.

Linghu Chong, Xiang Wentian, and Ren Woxing by a bonfire on the beach.

I remember watching this scene on Taiwanese TV.

It also made for a weird experience when I finally read the novel. As I read a scene, images from the TV show
would emerge in my head, and I would have lots deja-vu moments -‘This seems oddly familiar’, ‘So, this is what that was actually about’, ‘Oh shit, this is the scene where she dies!’

Availability in English

As far as I know, this show is currently not available in English.

It is listed on Dramafever as ‘coming soon’, but there are so many Hong Kong dramas which are listed as ‘coming soon’ that, unless Dramafever has a gigantic army of translators/subtitlers/etc. at its command, not all of those dramas can ‘come soon’. My guess is that ‘coming soon’ means ‘we have a license to stream this show, but we’ll only actually translate it if we think it will generate a lot of interest among our viewers’.

So if you would like to see this show with English/Spanish subtitles, tell Dramafever.

Conclusion

Okay, in some ways, Laughing in the Wind does kick State of Divinity‘s ass. Yet I think it should be obvious that I love State of Divinity much more.

I think most people agree with me. While both shows get onto many people’s ‘best wuxia TV show’ lists, everybody who has compared the two (including a Laughing in the Wind fansite!) says that State of Divinity is better.

I would take it a step further. There are many classic wuxia TV shows I have yet to see – as well as many classic Chinese-language TV shows in other genres. But of all of the Chinese-language dramas I have seen, State of Divinity is the best. That’s right, it is better than every other single TV show I have discussed here at Manga Bookshelf.

This show is so highly recommended that I think I have just wrecked the roof.

Sara K. made some comments about Shén Tōu Tiānxià by Zheng Feng (who also wrote Passionate Wastrel, Infatuated Hero and Spirit Sword) over at her personal blog.

Fairy Tail, Vol. 30

September 24, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Hiro Mashima. Released in Japan by Kodansha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Weekly Shonen Magazine. Released in North America by Kodansha Comics.

It’s been a long time since I last did a full review of Fairy Tail. In fact, the last time I did the blurb above said “released by Del Rey”. But this is a pivotal volume of the series, for many reasons. It also suffers from the same problem that has plagued the series since it began, one that many fans, particularly in the West, have trouble getting past: it feels like a One Piece ripoff. What’s most interesting about this volume is that Mashima, who surely must have heard this about five thousand times, goes ahead and duplicates one of One Piece’s most famous moves… but with a slight twist. He is embracing the One Piece-ness of his manga.

But before we get to that, let’s take a quick look at Gildarts and Cana. I’ve always liked Gildarts, who is a great way of showing that goofy grinning shonen boys grow up to become goofy grinning shonen men. This shows in Cana’s confession to him about her parentage, where he can’t resist making jokes about it, till he realizes that this is exactly what she doesn’t need right now. After that, it’s all heartwarming. It also ties in tragically with the end of the volume, where Lucy has to deal with the death of her own estranged father, who she discovers wanted to make amends with her. Lucy’s emotions, where she’s sort of at a loss and vaguely sad at first, are handled in a mature and understandable way.

This brings us to the timeskip. Yes, a timeskip, just like One Piece. This one is a full seven years, though. What makes this one interesting – and divisive – is that in those seven years our heroes were held in a sort of stasis bubble of magic, so that the outside world has aged but they haven’t. This was quite upsetting to many fans, who wanted to see older, non-teenage versions of their heroes start beating things up. But Mashima defends his choice, and I see his point. Fairy Tail as a guild has spent 30 volumes building itself up from a minor laughingstock of a guild to the very best in the land… and now everything is right back to where it started, with our heroes having to climb up once more.

This does lead to a few issues. Most of the main cast whose faces we see a lot were on the island, so for a while when we’re back at Fairy Tail 7 years later we’re following some characters that we haven’t really focused on since Volume 1, like Romeo. It’s meant to be heartbreaking, but lacks the emotional resonance simply as we haven’t seen any of these people enough to feel their frustration. Fairy Tail’s cast is huge, but Mashima sometimes expects us to have an encyclopedic knowledge of it.

So Fairy Tail has done a timeskip, and honestly there’s really only a few shonen cliches it hasn’t gone through yet. I’m not quite sure what could be left to go over in the next volume… oh hey, did someone say tournament arc?