Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Anna N

Strobe Edge, Vols 5 and 6

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One of the reasons why I keep reading manga is that it still has the capacity to surprise me. I found the fifth volume of Strobe Edge exciting to read, because it went in a totally different direction from what I was expecting. I’d always expected that the love triangle between Ren, Mayuka, and Ninako would have to be resolved somehow, but I wasn’t expecting a big change to come from Mayuka this early in the series. Ren is deliberately holding himself back from developing feelings for Ninako due to his sense of duty towards Mayuka. She’s emotional fragile and stressed out with the demands of her modeling career, school, and her parents’ divorce. Ren has a finely honed sense of integrity and wouldn’t do anything to hurt another person, with the expense of actually subverting his own feelings in the process.

I always expect anyone in a shoujo manga with a modeling career to be evil, but Mayuka shows that she’s been slowly picking up on Ren’s distance, coming to terms with her own goals for how she wants to live her life, and she realizes that she’s the one who is going to have to take a big step forward on her own. The change in Ren and Mayuka’s relationship isn’t without pain on both sides, but everything is handled with a degree of emotional maturity and sensitivity that is notable. It is fun to read a shoujo series that explores the shifting relationships between characters with such nuance.

In the meantime Ninako and Ando are in the grips of adorable teenage awkwardness, as she attempts to bury her own feelings for Ren and Ando tries to show her that he’s the better choice for her. Ando’s shifted from the cheerful flirtations personality that he displayed in the first few volumes to showing Ninako just how much he cares about her. There was a fun bonus story in this volume that delved into the past friendship between Ren and Ando, and just where it went wrong. This is the type of bonus story that I really enjoy, as it gives the reader a glimpse of the characters in a slightly different context, and provides more background as the manga moves forward.

There’s emotional turmoil ahead in the sixth volume of Strobe Edge, as Ando’s antagonism towards Ren resurfaces and Ren is dealing with the aftermath of his breakup with Mayuka. The burden of popularity and extreme handsomeness weighs heavily on Ren, as he is girlfriendless for barely a day before the girls at school start circling him. Ninako assumes that Ren is sad, and doesn’t want to do anything to add to his stress. Even with Valentine’s day coming up, she doesn’t want to add to the mountain of chocolate he’s going to be receiving from all the other girls.

There are some fun action scenes as Ren and Ando (mostly Ando) work through some aggression on the basketball court. The antagonistic relationship between them takes a turn towards the hilarious as Ando gets injured and when he wakes up and spots Ren he yells “You’re what I have to wake up to?” If Strobe Edge was only focused on the relationship between Ninako and Ren, it has the potential to get boring fairly fast. But seeing Ren and Ando start to work through their issues feels like an important emotional breakthrough. Ando instructs Ren not to smile, and Ren assumes that it is because his smile is somehow hideous, but really Ando doesn’t like the inadvertent effect a smiling Ren has on all the people in his vicinity. The end of volume six offers the promise of a new beginning at the start of a new school year, with Ren and Ninako being assigned to the same class.

Strobe Edge is a good example of why sometimes it is good to give a manga series a few volumes to develop before giving up on it. I was a bit on the fence about this series after reading only the first volume even though I generally enjoyed it. I wouldn’t have thought from just the first volume that Sakisaka would have built up the interesting relationships between the characters and handled some emotional journeys without relying on some of the standard shoujo plot elements. In some ways Strobe Edge is a less angsty successor to We Were There, as both series explore similar nuanced psychological territory.

Review copy of vol 6 provided by the publisher.

Pick of the Week: Something for Everyone

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potw-9-9-13MICHELLE: Even though I’m not completely sold on the idea of packaging the Sailor Moon Sailor Moon Short Stories separately, I am nonetheless going to appoint the first volume of them as my pick for this week, since it’s my penultimate chance to mention Sailor Moon in this column. I can’t believe the series is really nearly complete in English; it seemed to happen so fast!

ASH: Another series that is slowly nearing the end of its release in English is Hiroaki Samura’s long-running Blade of the Immortal. It’s a personal favorite of mine, so I’d be a bad fan if I didn’t choose it as my pick of the week. The Man of Tango is also very tempting, though…

SEAN: Normally I would be all over Sailor Moon as well. However, this volume of Hayate the Combat Butler, as well as the two that follow it, are a peak that I’m not sure the series has ever quite reached again. It’s especially a rewarding volume for Hinagiku fans, at least until the final page. For fans of romantic harem comedy, this is still one of the funnier ones. At least till 2014, when we’ll see the two action-oriented thriller volumes.

MJ: I’m going to pick up where Ash left off and give my vote to Tetuzoh Okadaya’s The Man of Tango. BL one-shots are not often for me, but based on everything I’ve read about this book, even down to the cover design, I’m going to guess that this one will be. It’s definitely one I’m willing to take a chance on. So there you have it!

ANNA: I’ll have to go with the sixth volume of 07-Ghost. There are many great manga shipping this week, but I’ll likely read that manga first. The mystical fighting priests reel me in every time!

What looks good to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 9/9/13

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This week, Anna, MJ, & Sean look at recent releases from Viz Media, SuBLime Manga, and Swedish publisher Nosebleed Studio.

demon4Demon Love Spell, Vol. 4 | By Mayu Shinjo | Viz Media – Part of me reads Shinjo’s recent works with a feeling of wistful nostalgia for the more melodrama-filled antics of her earlier series. However, each volume of Demon Love Spell becomes more hilarious and disarming. This volume of the comedic supernatural romance features Miko and incubus Kagura temporarily becoming parents to a boy who appears from a peach, and Miko’s trip to the demon world features her being confronted with a parade of Kagura’s siblings, each more gorgeous than the next. This is one of those series that leaps up to the top of my to-read stack whenever a new volume arrives. Highly recommended. – Anna N

Demon Love Spell, Vol. 4 | By Mayu Shinjo | Viz Media – Now that Mayu Shinjo is no longer at Shogakukan and can’t just have everyone fall into the sack after 2 chapters (though you’d never know it by that seductive cover), she’s forced to find ways to have our heroes not going there. It’s especially amusing in this volume as the last few obstacles that are stopping them are getting removed; Miko now admits that she desires Kagura and is ready to give herself to him, and Kagura has admitted that she is different from his other conquests and he wants to marry her, not just screw her. Of course, this doesn’t mean anything happens. Between peach babies, bodyswaps, interfering fathers on both sides, and a swarm of amazingly sexy in-laws, Miko has her hands full here. But I’m OK with that, as this is the most fun I’ve ever had with a Shinjo series. – Sean Gaffney

hideandseek1Hide and Seek, Vol. 1 | By Yaya Sakuragi | SuBLime Manga – Despite some decidedly positive experiences with the works of Yaya Sakuragi, I can’t deny that my intense dislike of Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love caused me to approach this spin-off with great apprehension. With that in mind, I’m happy to report that I’ve been pleasantly surprised! Though Hide and Seek‘s carefree single dad, Shuji Tanihara, and reserved doctor, Takafumi Saji, represent fairly typical BL types, their characterization feels fresh and their slow-building relationship reads as nuanced and unpredictable, even within the predictable confines of the genre. Furthermore, the sex scenes actually enhance characterization and move the plot forward—something I’ve long stopped expecting in BL romance. If anyone ever told me I’d one day consider revisiting Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love, I’d have scoffed heartily. Yet here we are. Unexpectedly recommended. – MJ

kimi17Kimi Ni Todoke Vol. 17 | by Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – Kimi Ni Todoke is one of those longer series that deserves to be whatever length the author wishes to stretch it out to, simply because the length of the series allows the reader to build up an affinity for all the characters and the manga as a whole is so well-executed. Sawako and Kazehaya’s relationship is under a bit of a strain, as he attempts to maintain distance between them out of respect for her naivete and she begins to worry that he doesn’t want to be around her anymore. Usually this type of storyline where the characters are kept apart because they aren’t really communicating can cause me to feel highly impatient, but Shiina’s slow, emotionally delicate handling of the situation just wants me to follow along with the progression of this relationship.
– Anna N

slamdunk30Slam Dunk, Vol. 30 | by Takehiko Inoue | Viz Media – When most long-running series come to a close after 30+ volumes I usually read the final volumes with a bit of relief, looking forward to the conclusion. I am actually extremely sad that this is the next to last volume of Slam Dunk, because I feel like there are so many other stories that could be told with these characters, 31 volumes is just scratching the surface. There are hints of a conclusion, as Akagi looks back over his career during a timeout and Rukawa continues to evolve on the court. I’m going to be sitting here impatiently waiting until December, because I’m worried that Sakuragi really did injure his back making a key play in the game. It is a shame that sports manga isn’t more commercially appealing in North America, but at least with this series we have the opportunity to read one of the best examples of the genre. Highly recommended as always. – Anna N

Omslag1-300x420Swedish Manga Anthology | By Catarina Batista, Natalia Batista, & Joakim Waller | Nosebleed Studio – This anthology of three global manga comes from Nosebleed Studio, a group of Swedish artists who are not only influenced heavily by Japanese manga, but who have, in some cases, pursued publication in Japan. I mention this, because even in this anthology, which is deliberately Swedish-themed, there is a sense that the authors are writing for Japanese audiences. The book’s second two stories, Natalia Batista’s “Hearts of Midsummer” and Joakim Waller’s “Leo” both read right-to-left, as they would if they’d been intended for publication in Japanese. “Leo,” in fact, doesn’t read as something particularly Swedish at all, aside from the characters’ names, and could just as easily be set in Japanese school. The volume’s standout is Catarina Batista’s “Crying Wolf,” an anti-wolf-hunting story that manages to be more charming than heavy-handed, though all three are well-constructed and enjoyable to read. – MJ

Eat for Your Life vol. 1

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eatforyourlife

Eat for Your Life Volume 1 by Shigeru Tsuchiyama

This book is available on emanga.com

I do enjoy food manga now and then, and since unfortunately this is a genre that we only get a small sampling of here I’m always interested in a new title. While there are plenty of manga that I’ve read devoted to particular dishes or types of food, eating with friends, or in the case of Toriko eating incredibly weird things, this is the first eating competition manga that I’ve read. I found the combination of sports manga plot structure and endless drawings of bowls of katsudon compelling.

Ohara is a salaryman with a reputation as a gourmet. Perpetually broke due to his habit of going on food tours, he stumbles across an eating competition and decides to try his luck. Ohara fails, but he catches the eye of a professional food competitor named George. I could tell at a glance that George was going to be Ohara’s eccentric mentor because he was wearing a fringed leather jacket, sunglasses, and a ponytail. George appreciates Ohara’s ability to savor what he is eating as well as his rudimentary but sound eating technique.

Ohara begins to be pulled into the world of competative eating, but with some informal coaching from George, he might be ready to take his love of eating to the next level. The situations and characters in Eat For Your Life follow the “try your best” theme of most sports manga, except here one tries to conquer insane serving amounts of food as opposed to facing an opponent on the sports field. Eat For Your Life was amusing. The art was well executed, but not particularly distinctive, and there wwas a decent amount of humor as Ohara reacts with a rookie’s amazement to the world of competitive eating. I recommended this title for foodie manga fans.

Electronic access provided by the publisher.

Manga the Week of 9/11

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SEAN: Manga is here, let’s to’t.

Dark Horse has the 27th volume of Blade of the Immortal, one of Dark Horse’s long-running prestige manga titles. It’s still badass.

ASH: That it is! Blade of the Immortal was one of the first manga series that I started reading and I’m still hooked on it.

MICHELLE: I read the first volume and was really impressed by the art, and I own a bunch more of it, but I’ve still never continued. The same thing happened with Vagabond too, actually.

ANNA: I read the first three volumes or so and really liked it. If I ever stumble across a library with a good chunk of this series, I would check it out again. Vagabond as always has my eternal devotion, I think I might be behind with one or two of the VizBig editions.

MJ: I wish I’d gotten hooked early on. At this point the length feels so daunting! Yet I feel I’d probably love it.

smss1SEAN: They also have the 4th volume of OreImo. No spoilers in the comments, bitter fans of the anime. (I wonder if OreImo will pull a School Rumble in terms of sales now that the ending is out in Japan?)

DMP have a BL title coming out called Priceless Honey. Seems to be a short story collection from the author of Punch Up!.

MJ: I’m not big on BL anthologies, but I did like Punch Up!…

SEAN: Kodansha have the 2nd to last Arisa, which I got very, very behind on. Luckily, it’s out digitally now, so I can try to catch up!

ASH: I’m a bit behind on Arisa as well, but it had a great start and I’ve been meaning to read more of it.

MICHELLE: I’ve read through volume ten. It’s become rather snickerworthy, as I noted in brief back in June, but I’m still planning to see it through to the end.

ANNA: I haven’t read this, for some reason Kodansha’s current shoujo releases don’t appeal to me very much, but I’m looking forward to some of the new series they’ve recently announced!

Not out digitally (here or in Japan) but certainly out in print is the first collection of Sailor Moon Short Stories. These ran in Nakayoshi’s sister magazines throughout the run of the manga, and originally were interspersed through the original volumes. The re-release collected them all at the end. This first of two volumes collects the Chibi-Usa side stories, and the Exam Battles starring the other Inners. It also has my 2nd favorite Sailor Moon manga moment.

MICHELLE: I’m not sure how wise it was to put the short stories in their own collection. True, this way they don’t interrupt the main flow of the narrative, but when I read the Japanese edition this way I was sort of… underwhelmed. Maybe they’ll fare better in English.

manoftangoANNA: One of these days I will marathon Sailor Moon, I feel like I should block out a day and stock up on Sailor Moon reading supplies. I’m envisioning a lot of sweet milky tea and many star-shaped cookies.

SEAN: I’ve come to love His Favorite without ever reading it, just for the look of disgust on the face of the uke on every single cover. It’s an absolute delight, and I hope he’s just as grouchy in the manga itself. Vol. 5 is out this week.

MJ: I’m a volume behind on this now, but the manga really is as delightful as its covers, in my experience. And that character is pretty grouchy. It could sort of read as an AU xxxHolic fanfic, if that gives you some sense of what you’re in for.

SEAN: Also out from SubLime is The Man of Tango, which sounds like it should star Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. The cover art for this is easily the best design SubLime’s ever done (their cover design has been a very weak point to date), and really looks smokingly passionate. This apparently has previously unpublished content as well.

ASH: I’m very excited about the release of The Man of Tango! Originally licensed by Aurora but never released, I was thrilled to see SuBLime pick it up.

ANNA: I don’t read a ton of yaoi, but this was one manga that I actually pre-ordered when Aurora was supposed to release it. Glad this is coming out finally, I found the title and cover of this manga very intriguing.

MJ: I’m looking forward to this as well!

SEAN: Udon still puts out manga, and not just artbooks. Today, it’s Disgaea 3: School of Devils 2. Next week, Arsenal 4, Tottenham nil.

arata15And a trio from Viz. 07-GHOST just ended in Japan last month, but fear not, there’s still a lot to go before we catch up. Here’s Vol. 6.

MICHELLE: It seems like volumes of this series are appearing like bunnies! Soon we’ll be caught up with Go!Comi, if we’re not already!

ANNA: ACK, I’m three volumes behind now! I do like this series, though.

MJ: I am too, yikes!

SEAN: Arata: The Legend is about a year and a half behind Japan, which is not uncommon for a Shonen Sunday mid-list title, even if it is by Yuu Watase. Here’s Vol. 15.

MICHELLE: I do enjoy Arata, even if I can’t get as squeeful about it as, say, Genbu Kaiden.

ANNA: Genbu Kaiden deserves all the squees!

MJ: Agreed, re: Genbu Kaiden. I’m iffy on Arata.

SEAN: And Vol. 22 of Hayate the Combat Butler, which is 3 1/2 years behind Japan and growing farther away every biannual release, but sadly, sales. The manga is still in Greece, and this volume has what may be one of the best romantic heartbreakers of the entire series to date.

Anything strike your fancy?

Pick of the Week: Too Many Books

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potw-9-2SEAN: My pick of the week is the third and final Young Miss Holmes omnibus from Seven Seas. I remain impressed at its ability to shoehorn a precocious 10-year-old girl and her killer maids into the Holmes canon, and there’s a minimum of fanservice given that it runs in a Media Factory title. This third volume introduces some original stories not based on the Holmes canon, including its finale, the Giant Rat of Sumatra, which Watson always felt the world was not yet ready for. Kudos to Seven Seas for this title.

MJ: I’ve been procrastinating on this, because I was honestly torn about what to choose, though in retrospect, it seems so simple. This week offers up new volumes of a couple of my favorite addictive shoujo series, Strobe Edge and Demon Love Spell, as well as the (potentially addictive) supernatural romance Midnight Secretary. But they’re all standing up against the latest volume of one of my favorite continuing series of 2012, Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son, and there aren’t many series that would stand a chance against that. So I’m going for volume five of Wandering Son. It’s this week’s must-buy, at least for me.

ASH: As much as I love Baku Yumemakura and Jiro Taniguchi’s The Summit of the Gods there is absolutely no question as to my pick of the week: the fifth volume of Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son. The series is incredibly important to me on a very personal level in addition to simply being a great manga. It’s a wonderful story about personal identity and growing up. I’m absolutely thrilled that Fantagraphics is bringing Wandering Son to English-reading audiences and the series is receiving a beautiful hardcover release.

MICHELLE: Seeing as how Wandering Son has safely earned its place, I’m going to go for volume six of Io Sakisaka’s Strobe Edge. Of volume five, I wrote, “This is what good shoujo drama is like when you don’t have to result to tired old clichés… It actually reminds me a little of We Were There, which is high praise indeed.” I’m certainly looking forward to volume six!

ANNA: My pick is Midnight Secretary. This paranormal romance set in the business world sets up an intriguing relationship with an interesting heroine in the first volume, with some touches of both humor and angst. I’m already feeling impatient looking forward to the next volume.

What looks good to you this week?

Midnight Secretary, Vol. 1

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While I enjoy reading paranormal romances set in high school as much as anyone, I attended high school more years ago than I’m willing to admit. So I’m happy to see a romance title that swaps out a twenty-something office lady for the typical teenage manga protagonist. Kaya is an Executive Secretary who is reassigned to the Managing Director at Tohma Corp. Kaya dresses severely, with her hair pulled back and sports fake glasses in order to combat her naturally youthful appearance. Her new boss Kyohei Tohma is an absolute boor, asking that she be reassigned as soon as he sees her because her appearance offends him. Kyohei spends long hours at the office, but he seems to take frequent breaks during the day as a parade of women keep visiting him at his office only to leave looking disheveled and pale.

Kaya is very dedicated to Tohma Corp. and her job, so she does a bit of sleuthing as she is worried that her new boss is doing drugs. She ends up discovering that he is in fact a vampire. Kyohei decides that Kaya’s discovery is a good thing, because she can be his secretary for real if she knows about his condition. He threatens her mother’s employment with the company to ensure Kaya’s silence and assures her that she won’t become his next victim because he only drinks from the finest of women.

As a heroine, Kaya has a bit of a subversive streak. She decides to subtly test vampire theories through her job duties by giving one of Kyohei’s women a silver cross and trying to see if he has a reflection in a mirror. Kaya figures out that the senior director, Kyohei’s older brother, is aware of Kyohei’s vampirism yet isn’t a vampire himself. Kyohei seems amused by Kaya’s detective attempts, and she resolutely resists his arrogant suggestions for her to improve her appearance. When Kyohei gets weakened and needs blood Kaya decides that her secretarial duties extend to becoming food, announcing that “Even if you’re a spoiled, arrogant philanderer…even if you’re sarcastic…and even if you’re a vampire…I want to protect you!”

Kaya and her boss gradually become a bit closer as he begins to trust her with more details of Tohma’s business dealings. Her protective streak is very strong, resulting in some goofy antics at an office Christmas party. I enjoyed the packaging for this manga, as all the extra purple scroll-work makes Midnight Secretary look appropriately gothic. Ohmi’s art is attractive, with believable shifts in the characters’ appearance and mannerisms when Kaya loses her glasses or when Kyohei is in the grips of vampiric compulsion. We see the couple’s professional facades begin to crack more and more as the volume progresses. I enjoyed this first volume of Midnight Secretary very much, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

Review copy provided by the publisher

Manga the Week of 9/4

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SEAN: As I’ve noted before, Diamond Comics and Amazon’s street dates are looking farther apart than ever before. As a result, this list is a fusion of Amazon (the major, book-company publishers) and Midtown Comics (the comics-first publishers).

Dark Horse brings us the 4th volume of Blood Blockade Battlefront, the alliterative series from the Trigun creator.

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There’s also a new Evangelion spinoff coming out as well, with the first volume of Shinji Ikari Detective Diary. From the description, it sounds like this is aimed squarely at the BL Evangelion shippers, in much the same way that the Raising Project manga is aimed at harem fans.

Fanfare/Ponent Mon has the 4th volume of mountain climbing manga Summit of the Gods, one of those “blogger popular” titles I keep meaning to catch up on but have never quite done so. It is supposed to be excellent, though.

MICHELLE: Oh, nice! I really like Jiro Taniguchi, but have been waiting for this series to come out in full before reading it. I think there’s one more volume still.

ASH: Oh! I’m one of the reasons this is a “blogger popular” title. Summit of the Gods is easily my favorite Jiro Taniguchi collaboration; I’m very happy to see that Fanfare/Ponent Mon is continuing to release the series. Only one more volume to go after this!

MJ: Count me in for this one as well!

SEAN: Amazon has Wandering Son 5 listed for November 2nd. If Kodansha is the publisher that is consistently always arriving at bookstores first and comic shops later, Fantagraphics is the classic example of the opposite. Here’s Wandering Son 5, hitting comic shops. In this volume, I believe we get to high school and introduce some new supporting players.

MICHELLE: I am lamentably several volumes behind with Wandering Son, but it’s still nice to see new volumes make their appearance!

ASH: We actually have a few years of junior high to get through before reaching high school, but you’re right about the new supporting characters.

ANNA: I really need to catch up on this series!

MJ: I adore this series, and I can’t wait to read volume five, whenever it appears!

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SEAN: Seven Seas has the final volume of one of my favorite series from them, Young Miss Holmes by Kaoru Shintani (of Area 88 fame). This omnibus, containing Books 5-7, is even larger than the previous two, and is filled with mysteries, mayhem, and killer maids. There’s a sequel in Japan, featuring 17-year-old Christie continuing to solve crimes. Seven Seas has noted its possible license (Slightly Older Miss Holmes?) depends on sales of the first, so go get it! Also, there’s only one Conan Doyle story in here (the rest are originals based on ‘unseen cases’, so less danger of offending Holmes purists.

ANNA: I somehow missed that this was by the mangaka of Area 88! I still have all my ancient Eclipse Comics/Viz editions of Area 88 stashed in a box somewhere. Now, I might finally pick up Young Miss Holmes. I hope there are scenes of people in flight suits with floppy hair looking incredibly emo in Young Miss Holmes, because Area 88 was awesome at that.

SEAN: There’s also a 2nd omnibus from Seven Seas, with Vols. 3-4 of Zero’s Familiar. I was surprised that the dark shroud of fan opinion surrounding the tsundere heroine turned out to be more of a off-white silk scarf more than anything, and wonder if my opinion will stay the same as we go further into this fantasy harem series.

I presume that those who read Bleach either have done so for years, or are likely never to do so. But if you’ve been catching up via the omnibus, the 3 volumes collected in the 6th one are some of the very best, and remind me of those olden days when Kubo could pace properly.

MJ: Agreed. I have much nostalgia for those early volumes, and this is a particularly strong little set.

SEAN: Demon Love Spell has been one of Shinjo’s best titles at walking that fine line between ‘sexy, forceful guy’ and ‘complete ass’, and I’m hoping that Vol. 4 continues that balance.

ANNA: I have just read this and it was hilarious. This is rapidly becoming my favorite Shinjo series, despite my long-standing fondness for Sensual Phrase.

MJ: I’m absolutely addicted to this series.

SEAN: Dragon Ball has an omnibus as well, and it’s hit Vol. 2. New Dragon Ball readers are born every day! This omnibus is probably for them more than those of us who bought the VIZBig, or the original volumes. Or the digital volumes. And stay tuned for Dragon Ball cranial ports, coming in 2015.

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Midnight Secretary has a lot of good buzz. So much good buzz, in fact, that Viz has already licensed another title by the same author before this one has even come out. You know they trust it will do well. And why will it do well, you ask? One word: vampires. That said, the heroine is also apparently an excellent draw, and is not your usual Petit Comic office lady. I’m very intrigued about this one. Can’t wait.

ANNA: I think this will be a must get for paranormal romance manga fans. I am also looking forward to this. I mean, the title alone is fantastic.

MJ: Agreed on all counts!

SEAN: The 6th Naruto omnibus is out. I still need to catch up on this title. So… ninjas?

ASH: Yes. Ninja. Lots and lots of ninja.

SEAN: One Piece has reached Vol. 68. There is an awful lot of fighting happening here, and several of our heroes continue to be in the wrong bodies, leading to humorous situations. Recommended as top-drawer entertainment.

MICHELLE: I continue to love One Piece.

SEAN: Last time, Psyren turned its attention to our villains, and did a damn good job of fleshing them out. I expect it will go back to the heroes this time, as we’re getting near a climax (I think we’ve only 5 volumes to go).

MICHELLE: I need to catch up on Psyren. So many books (and responsibilities), so little time.

SEAN: And Strobe Edge hits its second half with Vol. 6. We may have resolved one of the obstacles standing between our two lovebirds last time, but the course of true love definitely doesn’t run smooth in this title. Something bad’s going to happen, I can feel it. Be there to read it when it does.

MICHELLE: I really love Strobe Edge, and I admit I kinda wouldn’t mind seeing something bad happen.

ANNA: This is one of those shoujo series that just seems to get better as it goes along.

MJ: This is a strong week for addictive shoujo, I see. Lovely, lovely.

SEAN: Any manga jump out at you this week?

Pick of the Week: Chi & More!

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potw8-26MJ: It’s a bit of a slow week for me coming up, filled with things I’ve fallen behind on, things I don’t read, and things I might read but haven’t just yet. And then there’s Chi. If there’s any manga guaranteed to bring a smile out of me, even in my crankiest moments, it’s the warm, funny, occasionally sad, but consistently adorable Chi’s Sweet Home. Volume ten gets my pick this week. There’s simply nothing else that will do.

MICHELLE: I’m in the same boat, and feel just the same about Chi. It’s a guaranteed mood-lifter, and something that I not only like, but my coworker’s elementary-school-aged daughter likes, too. Perfect gateway manga for kids!

SEAN: I’d love to make it a unanimous pick this week, but oh no, Chi, you have to suit up and fight the Titans so you can defend your family! Attack on Titan has become one of the biggest hits of this entire year, partly due to a strong anime, but mostly due to a great story, and the author finally fleshing out his characterization of our desperate heroes. I’d argue Vols. 4-5 are where it really began to kick in, and the new Vol. 6 will probably only ramp up the tension further. Now if only the art could get a little better…

ASH: My initial reaction was to select the most recent volume of Chi’s Sweet Home as well. It’s been nearly a year since we’ve last seen that delightful little kitten romping around. But, I think I might have to join Sean in picking the sixth volume of Attack on Titan this week. The artwork has admittedly been inconsistent and even downright bad at times, but I have been thoroughly engaged with the story and worldbuilding from the very beginning of the series.

ANNA: I’m going to go with Crimson Empire just because I do plan to pick it up soon, and based on the first volume I suspect it is a good manga to read when you want to turn your brain off. Also, I find the assassin maid reverse harem scenario amusing.

What looks good to you this week?

Red River, Vols. 1-7

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When manga publishers first started their digital programs I was hoping for more backlist titles to become available, especially from Viz. I was particularly happy when Red River started coming out in a digital edition. I’ve long regretted not just buying this series when it was coming out, because I suspected I would really like it. At the time though I was buying a ton of other manga and I was leery of committing to a 28 volume shoujo series. I’ve been piecing together volumes of this series here and there, and I have a decent amount of both the first several books and a few concluding volumes, but nothing in the middle. I was glad I could switch back and forth between print volumes and my iPad to give the first part of this series a try. The arresting cover image of the first volume provides a nice overview of the series. A girl in modern clothing is being menaced by a bunch of people holding daggers, against a backdrop of a blue sky and stone buildings from another era.

The girl who is about to get stabbed on the cover of Red River is Yuri, a cheerful high school student who had just received her first kiss from her classmate Satoshi. Yuri goes to school and hangs out with her younger sisters, but a number of odd things seem to happen when she’s close to water. A glass bubbles over and hands reach out to her from a school fishtank. The incidents get worse and worse, to the point where Yuri is carried away in the middle of a date when she steps near a puddle. Yuri finds herself in a bathhouse in the capitol of the Hittite empire. Chased by armed men whose language she doesn’t understand, Yuri runs into a courtyard and encounters a handsome man who promptly sweeps her off her feet and kisses her. Prince Kail distracts the men and sends them on their way, claiming he knows nothing about a woman in strange clothing running through the city. Yuri can suddenly understand the language of the place she’s in, as princely kisses seem to serve as a universal translation device. Kail offers to swap Yuri in for the woman he was originally waiting for. Yuri concludes that he’s a jerk and runs off in the strange city yet again, only to be captured by Kail’s extremely evil stepmother.

Kail’s evil stepmother wants to use Yuri for a virgin sacrifice to work some strange magic to place her son as heir to the empire instead of Kail. Kail is an extremely quick thinker and prevents the sacrifice by showing up at the last minute to announce that due to his masterful powers of seduction, Yuri is no longer a virgin, and thus not suitable to be a sacrifice to anyone. Throwing her over his shoulder, Kail announces that he’s going to remove his “sullied baggage” from the room. Kail and Yuri start gradually falling in love, as he begins to appreciate her articulated moral sense and intelligence. Yuri soon realizes that Kail is doing the best he can in an extremely hostile court environment where his stepmother is doing whatever she can to plot his demise.

While there are a few references to magic here and there, Red River is much more of a historical adventure than it is a fantasy story. Yuri doesn’t really have magical powers, but she might as well have them due to the effect she has when Kail decides to announce that she’s the incarnation of the goddess Ishtar and uses her to inspire his troops as a gambit to protect her from his stepmother. While Kail gives Yuri the position of his concubine and they sleep in the same bed every night, she still remains a virgin, since he backs off when she mentions her boyfriend back home. The “will they or won’t they” tension that appears in the first few volumes is mainly due to Kail keeping his distance from Yuri because he knows he needs to send her back to his own time, and Yuri is determined not to care for Kail too much when she has to go back to her family.

While Yuri seems to have an unfortunate habit of getting kidnapped fairly often, she’s also extremely level-headed and pragmatic. Kail rescues her, but she also uses some quick thinking to rescue him a number of times. She throws herself into training when she’s given the role of Ishtar to play, determined not to embarrass herself and Kail. When she’s stolen away by a prince from a rival country, she spends her time improving the sickroom for prisoners of war that are deemed near death, and her introduction of modern sanitation helps the prisoners heal as well as providing herself with a slightly sick troop of soldiers inside the enemy walls.

Shinohara’s art has a bit of an old-school feel to it. This series was first published in 1995, so the character designs might look a tad old fashioned. But the many action scenes and the historical settings and costumes are handled with great clarity. Even when the paneling might focus more on the character’s emotions and interactions, there’s usually an architectural detail or background element that grounds the reader in the scene. Yuri believably shifts from tomboy to gorgeous depending on the situation and clothing she finds herself in, and Kail transforms from a slightly arrogant prince to a person who is much more kind and concerned.

I read these volumes over the weekend, and was very entertained! I think Red River is one of those series that benefits from being able to read many volumes at once, because the story lines are fast-paced and interesting, with plenty of cliff-hangers at the end of most volumes. While Red River is certainly a romance, it focuses much more on the expansion of the Hittite empire and the political machinations of the royal family. Yuri and Kail are a sympathetic couple, even if some of their issues would be solved if they were only able to sit down and have an honest conversation about their feelings. Fending off witchy evil stepmothers, dodging kidnappings, and dealing with bronze age military tactics do take up quite a bit of time. One thing I did miss in these volumes was author’s notes. I don’t know if there just weren’t any attached to this series, or if there was a decision made not to include them, but I would have found it interesting to hear about the author’s research. It seems like most of the historical shoujo manga that gets translated for English audiences tends to focus more on Japan as a setting, so Red River is certainly unique in that aspect. While there’s certainly enough romance to keep most shoujo fans happy, the setting and emphasis on action and adventure make this a very appealing series for readers.

Manga the Week of 8/28

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SEAN: As the month of August draws to a close, it’s a quiet week for manga. Peaceful. Let us see what mild, calming titles we have out. But soft, lest we disturb the young ‘uns!

titan6We have a trio of titles from Kodansha. First is Attack on Titan 6, beginning its speedup! Oh dear, this doesn’t seem quiet and peaceful at all. In fact, it may involve people getting killed messily. Despite that, it really is a fantastic title that deserves your attention. Perhaps if you whispered the dialogue as you read.

MICHELLE: I still haven’t read any of this one, and now six volumes is seeming like quite an investment. I dunno…

MJ: I’m thinking that when I finally get around to restarting this series, I’ll definitely whisper the dialogue in my head.

SEAN: Fairy Tail has proven to be loud and boisterous in the past, and I suspect that Volume 29 will be no different, meaning it’s really not adding to the appeal of this quiet, peaceful week of manga. Still, it has a good heart, and is a great title for those who love a strong sense of loyalty and justice, the bonds of family and friendship, and punching things.

MICHELLE: Hee.

MJ: I *heart* punching things. You know. Quietly.

SEAN: The second volume of Sankarea is also shipping. I’m afraid that zombies are really never mellow and friendly. I blame their upbringing. That said, the first volume was funnier and more heartwarming than I expected, and has a father character who looks to explore a dark side to overprotective anime dads. A very dark side.

MICHELLE: That upbringing line is priceless.

MJ: What can I say? You’re weirdly making me feel like reading this.

chi10SEAN: Seven Seas has the second volume of Crimson Empire. I suspect the main reason this series was licensed is so that the company could release more volumes of the far more popular Alice in the Country of Hearts, whose one-shots tend to have Crimson Empire short stories in the back. Nevertheless, it’s filled with swordplay and battles, so absolutely does not meet our criteria at all.

MICHELLE: Zzzz.

MJ: What she said.

ANNA: I enjoyed the first volume, but I have a high tolerance for reverse harem titles.

SEAN: Lastly, there’s Chi! Yes, perfect! Chi’s Sweet Home 10 from Vertical gives us an adorable cat and her adventures with her family! It’s like floating downstream on a quiet river. Everyone loves Chi.

MICHELLE: I certainly love Chi!

MJ: A lovely addition to the week! Every week could use a little Chi.

SEAN: A perfect way to end this quiet, peaceful week of manga. Well, except for those other four titles. What looks good to you?

Pick of the Week: Helter Skelter

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helterskelterSEAN: Yeah, it’s Vertical again. Sorry, but josei from Vertical has proven to be something to be cherished in the past, and I’m not expecting that to change with the release of Helter Skelter: Fashion Unfriendly. I expect this to be a somewhat different take on modeling from what we saw in Paradise Kiss. Good times.

MICHELLE: There are a couple of things out next week that I’ll definitely be reading—Bunny Drop 9 and Pandora Hearts 17—but I’ll not miss the chance to rally behind a done-in-one josei release. Count me in for Helter Skelter, too!

ANNA: I’m going to have to pick Helter Skelter too, because new josei from Vertical makes me happy.

MJ: I have to agree with everyone else here. I’ve been interested in this title since Vertical first announced it, and it’s absolutely my must-buy for the week. There’s nothing else that comes close.

What looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 8/21

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SEAN: Third week of the month, which is traditionally Yen Press time, and that’s true this month as well. But before we get to Yen, we have a few choice tidbits.

Kodansha has the 11th volume of Cage of Eden. Now that it’s getting serious enough to kill off some of its main cast, will things continue to take a turn for the deadly? And what will this mean for the female cast’s ability to strip naked and bathe in rivers? (Likely not much.)

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Vertical continues to dip its toes into the josei market, this time with Kyoko Okazaki’s Helter Skelter: Fashion Unfriendly, a done-in-one manga volume from the pages of Shodensha’s Feel Young. The premise reminds me of the movie Death Becomes Her, though I suspect this won’t be as funny as that was. It’s still a highly awaited release.

MJ: I’m absolutely looking forward to this, and have been since the announcement last year at NYCC. I’ll be picking it up for sure.

MICHELLE: Me, too!

ANNA: I am looking forward to this as well! I think Vertical putting out more josei is a great thing, and I’ll absolutely be picking this up.

SEAN: Viz has its annual release of Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit, but it’s almost over, as I think the series ends with 10. I’m not sure if it’s still doing the ‘let’s see how people deal with impending death’ thing or if it’s moving into a big climax. Honestly, it was a bit too depressing for me.

MJ: I haven’t read this in a long time, and had actually thought it was already over. Oops?

MICHELLE: I have a bunch of volume of this but I haven’t read beyond volume two ‘cos it was too depressing for me, too.

SEAN: And now about that Yen. There’s Vol. 3 of BTOOOM!. Indeed. There is that.

MJ: Um. No.

MICHELLE: Big fat no.

SEAN: We have reached Vol. 9 of Bunny Drop, which ends the main storyline, though there is one more volume of side-stories coming out next year. This is the biggie, and now at last everyone can discuss THAT spoiler. Though not till next week, please. (It’s also still quite well-written, but I fear any discussion of it tends to be dwarfed by THAT.)

MJ: I’m diving in… with a little fear, I’ll admit, but I wouldn’t miss this for the world.

MICHELLE: I definitely feel that I have to read it for myself before formulating an opinion, but there is definitely some trepidation.

ANNA: I honestly stopped reading this because of THAT spoiler, I think I stopped at volume 3 or so.

SEAN: For those who liked the Doubt omnibus, we have Vol. 1 of Judge. I didn’t, so will be passing. But hey, more students trapped in a survival game who die one by one. We can never get enough of that. Apparently.

MJ: Heh.

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SEAN: Pandora Hearts 17 will no doubt excite MJas much as 15 and 16 did. Or perhaps even more. One day I’ll read it. (Likely whenever Squeenix titles are available digitally again.)

MJ: Definitely more! After volume 16, I’m pretty much dying for what comes next. DYING, I say.

MICHELLE: Big fat yes!

ANNA: Everyone is such a fan of this, one of these days I’m going to have to check this series out.

SEAN: Puella Magi Kazumi Magica is apparently the fluffier of the two spinoffs, but that’s really not saying much. Any series with Kyubey in it is guaranteed to get very dark, very fast. Vol. 2 is here.

Spice and Wolf’s 9th novel drops. Wolves. Economics. Econowolves.

Lastly, Umineko: When They Cry wraps up its 2nd Arc, Turn of the Golden Witch. In case you needed reminding, this manga contains some scary scenes that may not be suitable for children. PARTICULARLY the tea party. (shudder)

MICHELLE: I gave up on this a while ago. Has that kid stopped going “Uuuuu! Uuuuu!!” yet?

SEAN: Pretty much no, though we do eventually find out why she does that.

What manga are you reading with your tea and cake?

Escaflowne Eps 1-4

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It was a funny coincidence that I decided that I would embark on a rewatch of The Vision of Escaflowne and finished the first disc the day before Funimation announced that they’d acquired rights to make this classic anime available again. I haven’t watched a ton of anime, but Escaflowne is by far my favorite series. Every two years or so I decide to watch it again, and I’m generally fine with just watching a show once or twice. This show really rewards those who see it multiple times, as the characterization, setting, and storyline are so rich and complex, I often feel like I find something new to appreciate with each viewing. I’ll see if I can work through my old Bandai DVDs by the time the new edition from Funimation comes out, and feel free to dig out your copies of Escaflowne and join me in a rewatch in anticipation of what Funimation decides to do with the rerelease.

Hitomi the heroine of the show is sympathetic without being cloying. She’s a bit of a jock, as she’s dedicated to her track team. Hitomi also indulges in a bit of mysticism as she’s her school’s resident tarot card reader. She has a goofy crush on the captain of the boys’ track team at her school, and she spends plenty of time with her best friend awkwardly blushing and obsessing about him. Hitomi starts seeing visions as she’s running of destruction, giant metal monsters, and a young boy fighting. Her visions become true as Van Fanel appears on the high school track, pursued by a dragon. Hitomi and her friends narrowly escape while Van kills the dragon, but Hitomi and Van are carried off to to his world Gaea, where Earth appears as a second moon in the sky.

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Van is the reluctant prince of the country Fanelia, a place with a strong martial arts tradition, a missing older prince (this is significant), and a hazardous habit of sending out future rulers to slay dragons as a rite of passage. Van has a habit of initially addressing Hitomi by yelling “Hey Girl!” (and not in a Ryan Gosling sort of way) but he seems to call her by her first name whenever she’s in danger. Van seems to be doing the best he can in a role he doesn’t want, but he’s affected by violence and doesn’t particularly want to fight even though he can be good at it.

The world of Gaea is an interesting place. It is quasi-medieval, but people have ancient mecha called Guymelefs. There’s a bit of a steampunk and mystical vibe to the technology shown on Gaea, as you see cogs and gears snap into position, and the mecha seem to have the creaky joints of old machines. In addition to humans, there are humanoid animals that live on Gaea as well, with the most prominent being Van’s catgirl Merle. There’s trouble for Fanelia as the Zaibach Empire has cloaking technology for their mecha (like the Romulans!), and an insane military captain in the form of the androgynous and dangerously emotionally unstable Dilandau. Fanelia is razed to the ground and Van is suddenly a prince without a country. He manages to escape with Hitomi and his country’s greatest treasure – the Escaflowne Guymelef.

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As Van and Hitomi try to figure out what to do, they fall in with Allen Shezar, whose talents as a swordsman are rivaled only by the puffiness of his sleeves. Alan is a Knight of the country Asturia, and he leads a somewhat piratical crew aboard the airship The Crusade. Hitomi promptly develops a crush on Allen, while Merle jealously guards Van’s attention. One of the things I enjoy about this series is that the world seems so rich, and there is plenty to think about between viewings. What were Allen’s adventures aboard his airship? How did Van and Merle develop a close bond? The world of Escaflowne just seems to exist in a special place where there’s space to ponder the history and relationships between the characters going beyond just the animated episodes.

The show was developed in 1996, but despite the limitations of animation at the time, it doesn’t feel all that dated. The rich setting combined with the strong orchestral and vocal score give the series an epic feel. The theme of the horrors of war and violence is established early, as the fighting provoked by the Zaibach Empire is portrayed as devastating, not glamorous. Even though I’ve probably seen Escaflowne already 5 or 6 times, it sill seemed fresh and interesting when I watched it again, which is the mark of a series that is just timeless. I’m looking forward to watching the rest of my old DVDs now and finding out more about the new edition of this series coming soon.

Pick of the Week: Variety

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potw-8-12MICHELLE: This week, I’m awarding my pick to the second volume of Shoko Hidaka’s Blue Morning. As I wrote back in June, “Complex, dark, and a bit twisted, Blue Morning is the best BL I’ve read so far this year.” With praise like that, you can bet I’ll be back for volume two!

ANNA: There’s a ton of manga coming out this week, but I think that what looks most interesting is the latest Tezuka release, Triton of the Sea. I think it is great that we’re getting so many manga translated from this prolific author.

SEAN: This week hurts my soul, with a promising manga debut I’ve wanted to see for ages in Magi, and one of my favorite experimental series in Dorohedoro also coming out. But I have to stay true to my core principles, otherwise I’m just no good as a man. Thus I have to pick Excel Saga this week. It’s arrived at the climax of the entire story, and is actually getting around to giving us answers. Well, some answers. I absolutely cannot wait.

MJ: Well, okay, my first choice this week is probably Blue Morning, as I loved the first volume quite a lot. But since Michelle has already spotlighted it so nicely, I’ll give my vote to the sixth and final omnibus volume of CLAMP’s X. These large-trim omnibus editions have turned me around on this series to a rather stunning extent, mainly on the strength of its gorgeous, shoujo-rific artwork. Viz’s omnibus collection is a must-have for any fan of CLAMP, or frankly any fan of early 90s shoujo. It’s a mess, in many ways, but it’s a beautiful, beautiful mess.

What looks good to you this week?