Ash Brown

Bookshelf Overload: May 2015

June 7, 2015 by Ash Brown

So, over the last few years, I’ve come to expect that May will have a very large number of comics and manga that I want to buy and I try to plan accordingly. I generally fault attending the Toronto Comic Arts Festival for most of this. Being exposed to so many great creators makes me want to bring home their work. And on top of that, I have the usual slew of preorders to deal with in May, too. I made some great out-of-print finds last month as well. I was very happy to finally complete my collection of Yayoi Ogawa’s Tramps Like Us, for one. Although I believe it was technically released in April, my copy of Menatiko Itto’s Priapus arrived in May (which I promptly reviewed). As for other May preorders, I was very excited for the beautiful license rescue of Kaoru Mori’s Emma. Though I haven’t read it yet, I was also pleased to see Tadao Tsuge’s Trash Market, a collection of short manga from an important Garo mangaka, released. I continue to be incredibly grateful that Shimura Takako’s Wandering Son is being translated into English. I have no idea when the next volume is scheduled to be published, but the eighth volume is now available. (Review to come soon!) I’ll be reviewing Kaiju’s The Ring of Saturn in the very near future as well since it was recently released in print. May also saw the publication of two of the best comics that I’ve read so far this year: Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona and Yoshitoki Oima’s A Silent Voice, Volume 1.

Manga!
Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz, Volumes 6-7 by Mamenosuke Fujimaru
The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Volume 1 by Kore Yamazaki
Aquarion Evol, Volume 2 written by Shoji Kawamori, illustrated by Aogiri
Attack on Titan: Junior High, Omnibus 3 by Saki Nakagawa
Black Rose Alice, Volume 4 by Setona Mizushiro
Cretian Cow by Gengoroh Tagame
Dorohedoro, Volume 15 by Q Hayashida
Dream Fossil by Satoshi Kon
Drug and Drop, Volume 2 by CLAMP
Emma, Omnibus 1 by Kaoru Mori
Fairy Tail, Volume 48 by Hiro Mashima
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Volume 6 written by Yuto Tsukuda, illustrated by Shun Saeki
Gangsta, Volume 6 by Kohske
The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Volume 3 by Hiromu Arakawa
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 1: Phantom Blood, Volume 2 by Hirohiko Araki
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past by Shotaro Ishinomori
Love Stage!!, Volume 1 by Eiki Eiki
Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, Omnibus 3 by Satoshi Mizukami
Maria the Virgin, Volume 2 by Ishikawa Masayuki
My Little Monster, Volume 8 by Robico
My Neighbor Seki, Volume 2 by Takuma Morishige
Noragami: Stray God, Volume 4 by Adachitoka
Peach Girl, Volumes 1-8 by Miwa Ueda
Peach Girl: Change of Heart, Volumes 1-10 by Miwa Ueda
Priapus by Mentaiko Itto
Say I Love You, Volume 7 by Kanae Hazuki
A Silent Voice, Volume 1 by Yoshitoki Oima
The Seven Deadly Sins, Volume 8 by Nakaba Suzuki
Terra Formars, Volume 6 written by Yu Sasuga and illustrated by Ken-ichi Tachibana
Tramps Like Us, Volumes 7-10, 13-14 by Yayoi Ogawa
Trash Market by Tadao Tsuge
Wandering Son, Volume 8 by Shimura Takako
What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 8 by Fumi Yoshinaga
Witchcraft Works, Volume 4 by Ryu Mizunagi
xxxHolic: Rei, Volume 3 by CLAMP
Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Volume 2 by Miki Yoshikawa

Manhwa!
Give to the Heart, Volume 3 by Wann

Comics!
Bookhunter by Jason Shiga
Cry to the Moon by Various
An Entity Observes All Things by Box Brown
Hot/Cold by Alisha Jade
I Grew Up Beautiful by Alisha Jade
Ink for Beginners: A Comic Guide to Getting Tattooed by Kate Leth
King City by Brandon Graham
Mighty Star and the Castle of the Cancatervater by A. Degen
MTS by Alisha Jade
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Sea Urchin by Laura Knetzger
Second Quest written by Tevis Thompson, illustrated by David Hellman
Shades of A by T. A. Kimpton
A Stray in the Woods by Alison Wilgus
Sunstone, Volume 1 by Stjepan Sejic
The Ring of Saturn by Kaiju
Towerkind by Kat Verhoeven
Usagi Yojimbo: Senso by Stan Sakai
Valor edited by Isabelle Melançon, Megan Lavey-Heaton
Weeping Flower, Grows in Darkness by Kris Mukai
Wonderland written by Tommy Kovac, illustrated by Sonny Liew
Wuvable Oaf by Ed Luce
Zero by Ken Nimura

Light Novels!
The Devil Is a Part-Timer, Volume 1 by Satoshi Wagahara

Novels!
The Master Key by Masako Togawa

Nonfiction!
Gay Erotic Art in Japan, Volume 1: Artists from the Birth of Gay Magazines by Gengoroh Tagame

Anime!
Free!: Iwatobi Swim Club directed by Hiroko Utsumi
Ghost Hunt by Rei Mano
Golden Boy directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo
Horus: Prince of the Sun directed by Isao Takahata

Maria the Virgin Witch, Vol. 2

June 5, 2015 by Ash Brown

Creator: Masayuki Ishikawa
U.S. publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9781632360816
Released: April 2015
Original release: 2011

I was somewhat wary when I picked up Masayuki Ishikawa’s manga series Maria the Virgin Witch to read. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from it, especially considering part of the story is explicitly focused on the heroine’s virginity and sexuality. No that that is necessarily a bad thing, it just has the potential to go very wrong, very quickly. But because the series is by Ishikawa, whose Moyasimon I enjoy immensely, in the end I decided to give Maria the Virgin Witch a try. (At some point, I’ll likely take the time to watch the manga’s recent anime adaptation as well.) Although there were a few things that bothered me about the series’ first volume, by and large I was intrigued and enjoyed the manga, certainly more so than I had initially anticipated that I would. I liked the basic premise of the manga, particularly the quirky characters, and so I wanted to see what Ishikawa would do with the rest of the series. Maria the Virgin Witch, Volume 2 was first released in Japan in 2011. The English-language edition of the volume was published by Kodansha Comics in 2015.

Having drawn too much attention to herself by dramatically interfering with the affairs and wars of humankind, the young, idealistic witch Maria has been given an ultimatum by the Archangel Michael. Maria as been forbidden to display her powerful magic in front of humans or else forfeit her life. Additionally, should she ever lose her virginity she will lose her powers as a witch, putting her in a position where she must either choose her own happiness or the happiness of others. Since Michael has better things to do than spend all his time watching over a rogue witch, he leaves his messenger Ezekiel behind to ensure that Maria follows the rules. Whether Ezekiel is actually successful is another matter entirely. Maria still feels very strongly about aiding those who ask for her help and bringing an end to the war between England and France. With some assistance from her familiars Artemis and Priapus, she is able to take advantage of a few loopholes in Ezekiel’s charge, but it’s likely only a matter of time before Michael puts a stop to that, too.

Maria the Virgin Witch continues to be a strange combination of crude humor largely revolving around sex (or the lack thereof) and more serious philosophical and theological questioning. The introduction of Ezekiel allows Ishikawa to more fully explore Maria’s motivations and her view of the world and all that she believe is wrong with it. If God and his angels won’t step in to put an end to humanity’s wars and violence—even when people are praying for just that—Maria sees it as her responsibility to fulfill that role since it is within her power, albeit in a much more limited fashion. She acknowledges that she is no god; she is not omnipotent, neither is she omniscient. She can only do what she can. The second volume of Maria the Virgin Witch reveals that Maria is very much an outlier in her way of thinking. Other people and other witches who have the ability to influence the course of the war actually want to drag it out as long as possible. To do so is to their advantage. They believe the position held by Maria to be incomprehensible and incredibly naive. But some, including Ezekiel, find that their assumptions and beliefs are challenged by Maria’s idealism and earnestness and are forced to reexamine them.

Although the series is set during the Hundred Years War and references actual events and people, the second volume of Maria the Virgin Witch makes it very clear that the manga is less historical fiction and more fantasy fiction. While interesting, the worldbuilding of the series is actually a little confused, or at least not thoroughly explained. Magic has always been a large part of Maria the Virgin Witch, as have demons, monsters, angels, and other divine beings (including Valkyries for some reason), but the second volume introduces a mythical and mortal non-human race to the mix. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, but it seems to come out of nowhere and means that the manga loses some if its focus, which is something that is particularly important for a short series like Maria the Virgin Witch to maintain. With only one volume in the main series remaining, I’m afraid that Ishikawa may not be able to fully develop all of the elements and themes that he is trying to incorporate. Even so, I still find Maria the Virgin Witch to be an intriguing although somewhat uneven series; I’m very curious to see how it ends.

Manga the Week of 6/10

June 5, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: Thank you for all those who bought manga to bring rain to the Northeast. You can stop now (keep buying manga, I just mean no more flash flood warnings). Meanwhile, what have we in this small week?

Kodansha gives us an 8th volume of shosei (I just coined it, whaddya think?) romance Say “I Love You”.

MICHELLE: Yay!

ASH: Shosei. I like it.

ANNA: I’m behind on this series, but I do enjoy it!

SEAN: Something that could not remotely be mistaken for an angsty teen romance is the 5th volume of D-Frag! from Seven Seas. Betcha it’ll be funnier, though.

Barring any further spinoff licensing (unlikely, I suspect), we also get the 4th and final volume of sweeter than I expected tank manga Girls Und Panzer.

Sublime is still Starting with a Kiss, but it’s Vol. 3, so perhaps they’ve gone further.

ASH: Perhaps, perhaps…

SEAN: (Amazon lists The World’s Greatest First Love 2 as well, but I understand from a Viz press release that this has been delayed to late July.)

Viz proper, meanwhile, has the 22nd Arata the Legend volume. Man. So many more volumes than Fushigi Yuugi.

MICHELLE: Yeah, that is really hard to believe. I like Arata, but it’ll never approach Fushigi Yuugi‘s iconic status.

ANNA: I feel bad constantly comparing Arata to Fushigi Yuugi, but I can’t help it.

SEAN: And a 9th volume of slice-of-life prison comedy Deadman Wonderland. (Spoiler: it is not a slice-of-life prison comedy).

MICHELLE: Heh.

MJ: Wow, I have fallen behind!

SEAN: Lastly, Magi hits a dozen volumes. And hasn’t slowed down its release schedule, a major accomplishment for Shonen Sunday titles.

MICHELLE: Yay, Magi! This one is already in my Amazon cart!

ANNA: Nice! I enjoyed the first few volumes of this series a bunch.

SEAN: Do you have a favorite here?

Manga Giveaway: Ema Toyama Twosome Winner

June 3, 2015 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the Ema Toyama Twosome is… Coco!

As the winner, Coco will be receiving two manga by Ema Toyama: Manga Dogs, Volume 1 and Missions of Love, Volume 1. Both of those series feature protagonists who are professional storytellers, a mangaka and cell phone novelist respectively. So, for the manga giveaway, I asked participants to tell me a little about their favorite characters in manga who are writers. Check out the Ema Toyama Twosome comments for all of the characters mentioned, and check out the list below for all of the manga mentioned and then some!

Manga available in English featuring writers of various types:
Author’s Pet by Deathco Cotorino
Awaken Forest by Yuna Aoi
Bakuman written by Tsugumi Ohba, illustrated by Takeshi Obata
Barefoot Waltz by Romuko Miike
Blood Alone by Masayuki Takano
Fairy Tail by Hiro Mashima
Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya
Gerard & Jacques by Fumi Yoshinaga
Gravitation by Maki Murakami
Honey Blood by Miko Mitsuki
Junjo Romantica by Shungiku Nakamura
Kiss All the Boys by Shiuko Kano
Kinoko Inu: Mushroom Pup by Kimama Aoboshi
Kodocha: Sana’s Stage by Miho Obana
Liberty Liberty! by Hinako Takanaga
Love Machine by Amayo Tsuge
Manga Dogs by Ema Toyama
Me & My Brothers by Hari Tokeino
Missions of Love by Ema Toyama
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun by Izumi Tsubaki
No One Loves Me by Yugi Yamada
Not Love But Delicious Foods Make Me So Happy! by Fumi Yoshinaga
Otomen by Aya Kanno
R.O.D.: Read or Die written by Hideyuki Kurata, illustrated by Shutaro Yamada
R.O.D.: Read or Dream written by Hideyuki Kurata, illustrated by Ran Ayanaga
The Times of Botchan written by Natsuo Sekikawa, illustrated by Jiro Taniguchi
The Strange Tale of Panorama Island by Suehiro Maruo
Two of Hearts by Kano Miyamoto
Utsubora: The Story of a Novelist by Asumiko Nakamura
La Vie en Rose by Sakurako Yamada
Welcome to the N.H.K. by Kendi Oiwa
Yukarism by Chika Shiomi

The above list isn’t quite comprehensive, but it does include most of the manga available in print that I know of that have characters who are writers. While compiling the list I was struck by how many boys’ love titles feature authors. I’m not entirely sure why that profession seems to be particularly popular in that genre, but there you have it. Thank you to everyone who shared your personal favorites with me; I hope to see you again for the next giveaway!

Pick of the Week: Natsume, So Cute It Hurts

June 2, 2015 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: So many of my favorites have new volumes coming out this week! I will definitely be devouring the latest Food Wars! and Voice Over! as quickly as possible, for example. But, as ever, my heart ultimately belongs to Natsume’s Book of Friends, whose eighteenth volume comes out this week, just as I was seriously starting to pine for a new one. I will try not to think about the fact that the next volume isn’t due ’til November.

SEAN: I’m going to go with So Cute It Hurts!. Because twins. Because cross-dressing twins. Because I wanted to see Suki Desu Suzuki-kun!! by the same author licensed, so this is the next best thing. Because cute!

ASH: I’ll admit, cross-dressing twins has me intrigued. Also, juvenile delinquents. So Cute It Hurts! it is!

ANNA: I also agree that the combination of cross dressing and juvenile delinquents has me looking forward to So Cute It Hurts! the most!

MJ: I’m going to have to go with the majority vote here. So Cute It Hurts! looks potentially awesome in a delightfully goofy sort of way, and I’m nothing if not an optimist when it comes to new shoujo manga. Also, I fell off the Natsume wagon a while back (perhaps prematurely). Sorry, Michelle for leaving you all alone this week!

What looks good to you this week?

My Week in Manga: May 25-May 31, 2015

June 1, 2015 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week was the last week of May, which means the most recent giveaway at Experiments in Manga is currently underway. There are still a couple of days left to enter for a chance to win an Ema Toyama Twosome, i.e. the first volume of both Missions of Love and Manga Dogs. I also posted a couple of in-depth reviews last week. The first review was of Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Volume 8: Operation Odessa, which is the first volume to take place after the series’ extended flashback arc. It’s not my favorite volume in the series, but Kai gets his moment in the spotlight which I was happy to see. The second review was of Kazuki Sakuraba’s award-winning novel Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas, which I enjoyed immensely. Sakuraba is probably better known as the creator of Gosick, but Red Girls is a fantastic multi-generational epic.

I was actually at a conference for work most of last week, so I wasn’t able to keep up with news and announcements to quite the same extent that I’m usually able to. However, I still did come across some interesting reading. Aya Kanno, for example, has recently had some interviews posted. Over at Barnes & Noble’s Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog, Brigid Alverson talked with Kanno about defying expectations and Rebecca Silverman’s interview of Kanno was posted at Anime News Network. A couple of weeks ago I reviewed the first volume of Wayward which I quite enjoyed, so I found Katriel Page’s essay about how Rori embodies liminality to be particularly interesting. And over at Organization Anti-Social Geniuses, Justin wants you all to Meet the Man Who’s Translated a Thousand Manga Chapters—Dan Luffey.

Quick Takes

Cipher, Volumes 7-11 by Minako Narita. Despite being twelve volumes in Japan, for some reason the English-language edition of Cipher was collected in eleven. (It is the complete series, though.) I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of the series, and the sixth volume ends with a fairly dramatic twist, so I was anxious to read the manga’s conclusion. Cipher and Siva, being nearly inseparable growing up and at one point even sharing an identity, are now living apart with the entire country between them. Wracked with guilt, Cipher has moved from New York to Los Angeles, leaving his girlfriend Anise behind along with his twin brother. In general, this second half of Cipher tends to be somewhat more believable than the first, though there are still plenty of parts that aren’t especially realistic. However, Narita does an excellent job of exploring the emotional fallout and the changes in the characters’ relationships with one another that come about as a result of both Cipher and Siva learning to live their lives as individuals and each becoming his own person. New characters are introduced who play a very important role in this evolution, including Cipher’s Los Angeles roommate Hal and Siva’s fellow model Alex. In the end, Anise’s story ends up being secondary to that of the brothers, but she shows growth and development as well.

Cry to the Moon by Various. I discovered Love Love Hill relatively recently, but the collective releases some great comics, so I’ve been making a point to pick up its anthologies. Cry to the Moon, based on the theme of delinquents and animals, is the most recent Love Love Hill comics anthology. The volume includes contributions from eight different creators. I was especially looking forward to Saicoink’s “To My Dear White Dove: A Quiet Love,” a sort of alternate universe side story to her series Open Spaces and Closed Places (which I absolutely love), but I enjoyed the other works that were collected as well. Cry to the Moon has a nice variety of comics that range from the comedic to the bittersweet to the tragic. Many of the stories are based in reality while a few of them incorporate more fantastical elements. Some are only a few pages while others are more lengthy and involved. But no matter the length or the tone of the story, each of the comics collected in Cry to the Moon exhibits heart. What I love about anthologies is the opportunity to experience the different art styles and storytelling techniques of the creators involved. I also appreciate that the individual creators are given space in Cry to the Moon to write about their influences and inspirations for their stories and how they decided to interpret the anthology’s theme.

The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Volume 3 by Hiromu Arakawa. I am largely enjoying The Heroic Legend of Arslan, it’s a great fantasy story with exciting battles and interesting worldbuilding, but I do wish that the characters and plot had a little more complexity and nuance to them. By the end of the third volume, I have some hope that this will eventually happen as the series continues to develop, but right now it’s just not quite there. Characterization in the manga tends to be painted with a fairly broad stroke and heavy hand. Some of the humor, while amusing, doesn’t always mesh well with the overall tone of the series, either. However, there are other things that The Heroic Legend of Arslan is doing well. I particularly like the series’ approach to action scenes and battles. There are plenty of examples of extraordinarily strong fighters showing off their incredibly powerful skills, but strategy and tactics are also incredibly important to how a battle plays out in the end. In the third volume, Arslan and his small contingent of supporters face off against more than a thousand soldiers, but thanks to careful planning, psychological manipulation, and effective use of the geographical terrain, for the most part they are able to come through unscathed.

Showa: A History of Japan, 1944-1953 by Shigeru Mizuki. This third and penultimate volume of Showa: A History of Japan addresses the time period of that era that I already knew the most about—the end of the Pacific War and the following occupation of Japan by Western forces. Even so, there were things that I learned reading the manga that I never knew before. Showa: A History of Japan continues to be told using two closely intertwined narratives. Mizuki outlines the larger developments of the war and Japan’s reconstruction, but he also incorporates the story of his own experiences and the experiences of his family. It’s this personal touch that makes Showa: A History of Japan especially compelling and hard-hitting as it drives home the tragedy of war and the dire circumstances faced by the soldiers and civilians on both sides of the conflict. Part of the third volume deals with some of the same events found in Mizuki’s Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, so I was already familiar with some of the story, but that didn’t make its impact any less effective. This volume reveals how Mizuki survived during war against all odds as well as how he survived after the war (another difficult feat), including his beginnings as a kamishibai and manga artist.

A Silent Voice, Volume 1 by Yoshitoki Oima. If the volumes that follow the first are anywhere near as strong, A Silent Voice is likely one of the best series to be released this year. (At least in print; technically, the manga started being officially released digitally on Crunchyroll last year.) The first volume of A Silent Voice is both powerful and heartbreaking. The story follows Shoya, a somewhat unlikeable young man and a terrible bully. He learns that his actions have consequences not only for others but for himself as well when he decides to make Shoko, a deaf transfer student, his next target. A Silent Voice doesn’t sugarcoat school bullying, showing just how vicious and cruel kids can be and how quickly they can turn on one another. Perhaps even more tragic is that some of the teachers do very little to put an end to it or to discourage the behavior. In some cases, they seem to even encourage it, or at least allow the bullying to flourish. There is a stunning lack of empathy from almost every character in the series. The majority of A Silent Voice, Volume 1 takes place during Shoya and Shoko’s middle school years. This actually occurs six years before the start of the manga, establishing the complicated nature of Shoya’s feelings toward Shoko and the exploring developments that led him to become the person he now is.

Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas

May 30, 2015 by Ash Brown

Author: Kazuki Sakuraba
Translator: Jocelyne Allen
U.S. publisher: Viz Media
ISBN: 9781421578576
Released: April 2015
Original release: 2006
Awards: Mystery Writers of Japan Award

Kazuki Sakuraba is probably most well-known as the creator of Gosick, a series of light novels which would later be adapted as a manga series, an audio drama, and an anime series. Two of those novels were released in English by Tokyopop. After her success with Gosick, Sakuraba would go on to write and publish mainstream novels and essays as well, several of which would earn her awards and nominations for her work. Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas is one of those novels. Originally published in Japan in 2006, Red Girls won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 2007. That fact caught my attention as I have thoroughly enjoyed other novels that have won that particular award, as did the striking cover design of the English-language edition of Red Girls. The novel was released in English in 2015 by Viz Media’s speculative fiction imprint Haikasoru with a translation by Jocelyne Allen. Although Red Girls is the third novel by Sakuraba to have been translated, it was actually the first one that I read and was my introduction to her work as a whole.

For a time, the village of Benimidori, found in the western reaches of Japan’s Tottori Prefecture, was largely controlled by two rival families: the Akakuchibas, known as “red above” and who operated a steelworks factory, and the Kurobishis, known as “black below” and who were prosperous shipbuilders. While the Kurobishis were nouveau riche, the Akakuchibas were an old, upstanding family, and so quite a stir was caused when a young mountain girl who had been abandoned in the village was selected to marry the family’s heir. That was Manyo, a clairvoyant whose ability to see the future would help guide the family through a number of crises, including the tragic death of her firstborn son. The responsibility to carry on the Akakuchiba name then fell to her daughter Kemari, a wild young woman who would also die young, leaving behind a daughter of her own. By all appearances, Toko, unlike her mother or grandmother, seems to be an ordinary girl, but she is the only person to whom Manyo confessed a closely kept secret—she once killed someone.

Red Girls is divided into three parts, each one respectively devoted to the retelling of the lives and legends of Manyo, Kemari, and Toko. Eventually it is revealed that Toko is the novel’s narrator, recording the stories that she has been told by and about her mother and grandmother in an attempt to identify the person whose death Manyo claims to be responsible for. People associated with the Akakuchibas have a tendency to die in unexpected or peculiar ways, and so Toko knows of several individuals who could have been potential victims. As with any family story passed on from one generation to the next, there is a certain amount of fiction and embellishment that is added to the retelling of events. As she investigates the unusual circumstances involved in the various deaths, Toko must also closely reevaluate everything that she has been told about her family, teasing apart the stories in order to determine what exactly is the truth, what has been exaggerated, and what details continue to remain hidden and unsaid.

In addition to providing an intriguing mystery that Toko feels compelled to unravel, the narrative found in Red Girls serves another, very important purpose. It is a way for Toko to come to terms with the history of the Akakuchiba family and her position within it, allowing her to take her place in a line of powerful matriarchs. It’s not something that she is initially prepared to do, feeling inadequate when compared to her grandmother and mother and their various accomplishments. Red Girls also situates the legend of the Akakuchibas—and a legend it is, full of peculiar and fantastical elements—within the greater context of Japan’s economic and social histories. As Japan changes over time, so must the Akakuchiba family and its members, and so must the way they think about themselves, their relationships, and their stories. Red Girls is a tremendous multi-generational epic, sometimes strange and sometimes mysterious, but always engaging and oddly compelling. I enjoyed the novel immensely.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Vol. 8: Operation Odessa

May 29, 2015 by Ash Brown

Creator: Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
Original story: Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Yatate
U.S. publisher: Vertical
ISBN: 9781939130686
Released: December 2014
Original release: 2011

Although I was vaguely familiar with Gundam before reading Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, the manga series was my first real introduction to the ever-expanding franchise. I was actually more interested in The Origin because it was created by Yasuhiko than for its Gundam connection, but I’ve been enjoying the series so much that I’ve started to look for other manga, novels, and anime set in the universe. Operation Odessa is the eighth volume in Vertical’s English-language release of The Origin. Published in 2015, the volume is based on the Japanese collectors’ edition released in 2011 and includes an essay by Makoto Yukimura in addition to a gallery of some of Yasuhiko’s color artwork for the series. The Origin is a reimagining of the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime from 1979. The last several volumes of The Origin have been an extended flashback not found in the original anime series, but with Operation Odessa the manga returns to the story’s current timeline.

After successfully defending itself from Zeon forces at Jaburo—though not without significant casualties—the Earth Federation has set out to reclaim more of the planet and its aligned space colonies. The key to its plans is the newly developed and highly advanced Gundam mobile suit which the ragtag crew of the White Base was somehow able to deliver to the Federation’s headquarters mostly intact. The Gundam prototype will serve as the basis for a mass-produced mobile suit that will hopefully be able to rival those developed by Zeon. Up until this point in the devastating conflict between the two factions, Zeon’s impressive technological achievements have given it a distinct advantage over the Federation. But now the tide of war seems to be changing. However, neither side will remain unscathed. The battles are still incredibly destructive and the loss of life continues to be immense. Even so, the end of the war may still not be coming anytime soon.

The Origin began in space and has since moved Earthward, the space battles giving way to air and land battles. And now with Operation Odessa, sea battles have an important role to play in the conflict as well. With new arenas of warfare come new weapons, mobile suits, technology, equipment, and vehicles. It can actually be a little overwhelming at times, this sudden introduction of very specialized tools that don’t have much more explanation given beyond a name and a visual design. Inundated, readers are mostly left to glean the details of the differences in the capabilities and purposes of the individual units from their context within the manga. Much of Operation Odessa seems to be devoted to showing off these new toys of war in a way that is probably more meaningful to someone who is already well-versed in Gundam lore. Especially in the last half of the volume, the narrative tends to be jarring as it jumps from battle to battle, or from different points in the same battle, without much connecting material to smooth the transitions.

While Operation Odessa could arguably be considered overly focused on equipment and technology, it is important to note that the manga still has a prominent human element to it, which is what makes The Origin such a compelling series. In particular, Kai, one of the young pilots connected to White Base, is heavily featured in Operation Odessa and develops significantly as a character. For the most part he has largely been a secondary character who provides a fair amount of comedic relief in the series. Except now he’s quite seriously fed up with all of the fighting and even tries to leave, only to find himself drawn back into battle and the tragedy of war. As Yasuhiko has shown repeatedly throughout The Origin, those who are directly involved in the conflict aren’t the only ones who are impacted by it. Civilians and non-combatants must also take action out of necessity, doing whatever they can to survive and protect those they love. It’s a lesson that Kai must learn the hard way in Operation Odessa if he is to understand his own role as a soldier.

Manga the Week of 6/3

May 28, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: It has been hot here recently, so I am hoping that this Manga the Week of can serve as a rain dance. Doesn’t make much sense, but the heat has addled my brain.

Fairy Tail 48 seems like a lot, till you remember it’s nowhere near One Piece. Which honestly applies to Fairy Tail in general.

MICHELLE: *ba-dum ching*

SEAN: Also from Kodansha, My Little Monster 8 features actual plot progression, slow and incremental though it may be. Progress!

MICHELLE: I recently procured volumes 5-7, so I am ready to get current with this series again!

ASH: Enjoy! I think it’ll probably read better in a larger chunk.

SEAN: The rest is our standard Giant Pile O’ Viz (TM). Assassination Classroom gives us a 4th volume of heartwarming comedic antics about training young children to be trained killers.

ANNA: I still need to read volume 2! I do like heartwarming assassination.

MJ: Agreed.

SEAN: Now that we’re caught up with Blue Exorcist, waiting for the next volume can be frustrating, especially when there’s as much going on as there in in this series. However, here is Vol. 13, hooray!

If you aren’t caught up with Dragon Ball via its original releases or the three or four re-releases we’ve seen, here’s another one, with the 9th 3-in-1.

ASH: (I still haven’t actually read most of Dragon Ball.)

SEAN: I now feel kind of bad for my initial review of Food Wars!, given I’ve been enjoying it so much. Here’s a 6th volume, and I will try to ignore the orgasm faces.

MICHELLE: I unabashedly love this series now.

ASH: I’ve… actually always kind of liked it…

ANNA: I like it, although it took some time to win me over due to the orgasm faces.

MJ: I have avoided it, and now I feel like I’m missing out.

SEAN: Kamisama Kiss has finally come back to the present, but I suspect that new problems will arise in this 18th volume, as, well, otherwise the series would be over, and it isn’t.

ANNA: This series can go on as long as possible, as every volume is mega-charming.

SEAN: Kimi ni Todoke 21 will have, I suspect, four more chapters filled with adorable, though I do wonder if the drama quotient might be upped on the Ayano front.

MICHELLE: I’ll be reading both of these as well.

ANNA: I need to get caught up on this. It is such a well-executed shoujo series.

SEAN: Is Naruto done yet? (checks) No, not quite yet. But here’s Vol. 70.

I have resigned myself to very few Natsume’s Book of Friends volumes having my OT3 involved in the plot, but this does not reduce my love of this series at all.

MICHELLE: Somehow, I had not realized there was a new Natsume coming and I had just been wishing for one!

SEAN: One Piece’s 12th 3-in-1 is the Water Seven arc, I think. I love that arc.

As for Seraph of the End 5… um… vampires? (shrugs)

It’s very rare to see a long-running Sho-Comi series over here that isn’t drama and questionable consent. But I have high hopes for So Cute It Hurts!! (Kobayashi ga Kawaisugite Tsurai!!), which debuts next week. The author’s been on my ‘keep an eye on them’ list for a while now.

MICHELLE: Yeah, this is intriguing! Seems like a while since we’ve had a new Shojo Beat series, but that’s probably not true.

ANNA: Looking forward to reading this.

MJ: Same!

SEAN: Toriko continues to feature more fighting and less weird food. I hope that changes, but I suspect it won’t be changing for Vol. 28.

Lastly, I was wrong about it being last. Voice Over! Seiyu Academy apparently has one more to go after this 11th volume. I should be used to this with Hakusensha series, to be honest, which tend to have 80 epilogues.

MICHELLE: I think I am going to hoard volume eleven ’til twelve comes out so I can read them back-to-back.

SEAN: Did it work? Is it raining yet? (checks) No! You must BUY MORE MANGA!

Manga Giveaway: Ema Toyama Twosome

May 26, 2015 by Ash Brown

June is almost here, and May is almost through, so it’s once again time to hold a manga giveaway at Experiments in Manga! This month you will all have the opportunity to win not one, but two manga created by Ema Toyama and released in English by Kodansha Comics: Manga Dogs, Volume 1 and Missions of Love, Volume 1. As always, the giveaway is open worldwide!

So far, mangaka Ema Toyama has had three of her original series released in English: I Am Here!, Manga Dogs, and Missions of Love. She was also one of several contributors involved with Shugo Chara Chan!. My introduction to Toyama’s work was through Missions of Love (which I find to be incredibly addictive with all of its over-the-top melodrama and twisted relationships). The only other manga of hers that I’ve read is the three-volume series Manga Dogs. The two series are very different from each other, but I find it interesting that they both feature young women as protagonists who are creative types. In the case of Missions of Love, Yukina Himuro is a cell phone novelist while in Manga Dogs, Kanna Tezuka is a shoujo mangaka. Though both Yukina and Kanna have other things to deal with in their lives, at least part of each manga series deals with their careers as professional storytellers.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win two volumes of Ema Toyama’s manga?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about your favorite character in a manga who is an author, novelist, or some other type of writer. (If you’ve never come across one in your reading, simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

It’s as easy as that! Each person participating in the giveaway can earn up to two entries and has one week to submit comments. If you prefer, or have trouble leaving comments, entries can also be sent via email to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com. I will then post the entry here in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on June 3, 2015.

VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address in the comment form, 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: Ema Toyama Twosome Winner

Pick of the Week: Taniguchi & More

May 26, 2015 by Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney and MJ Leave a Comment

ASH: Although there are some great manga being released this week, I’m actually (and probably unsurprisingly) going to pick the most recent volume of Wandering Son. I suppose it was technically released last week since it suddenly appeared without notice, but I’m always happy to see a new volume whenever it arrives. And I’m still thrilled that this series is even being released in English at all!

MICHELLE: Speaking of wandering, I reckon I’ll go for Jiro Taniguchi’s Furari this week. I tend to like Taniguchi’s works a lot, though it’s been a long time since I read one, and having a stroll through Edo with someone equipped with an “inexhaustible capacity for wonder” sounds pretty wonderful!

SEAN: I’m going to go with A Silent Voice this week. Yes, I may have disliked most of the cast, but that was the point for a series like this, where the entire plot is about how difficult it can be to redeem yourself after doing something truly loathsome, and if it’s even possible. It’s also a good look at disabilities that shows how difficult it can be for a child with hearing loss to fit into a peer group.

MJ: I’m very happy to see the latest volume of Wandering Son and I’m definitely interested in A Silent Voice, but I’ll throw my vote in with Michelle’s this week for Jiro Taniguchi’s Furari. These treats from Fanfare-Ponent Mon are so rare and wonderful, it’s hard to let one slip by without making a fuss. So consider this my fuss. Gimme, gimme.

What looks good to you this week?

My Week in Manga: May 18-May 24, 2015

May 25, 2015 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Well, it was a little later than I initially intended, but I finally finished writing and posted my random musings on TCAF 2015 last week! It’s a long post which includes some of my general thoughts as well as write-ups of the panels that attended while at the festival. Even considering its length, people still seem to like it or at least find parts of it interesting, which makes me happy. Tangentially related to TCAF, I also posted and in-depth review of Wayward, Volume 1: String Theory, the first collection in an ongoing comic series created by Jim Zub and Steve Cummings. (Zub was one of the exhibitors at TCAF, though I picked up Wayward long before that.) The comic is heavily influenced by stories about yokai, but it definitely has its own modern twist on Japan’s myths and legends. String Theory is a great start to the series and I’m looking forward to reading the next volume.

Last week seemed to be oddly quiet on the news and licensing front. I’m sure there must have been some interesting things posted, but at least I didn’t come across very many. However, speaking of yokai, The New York Times recently published the article “Reviving Japan’s Dreaded and Beloved Ghosts” (or, “Pokémon’s Spooky Ancestors” if you try to look it up in the print edition) about some of the recent and forthcoming books being released in North America about the creatures. Vaguely related, Seven Seas announced that it has licensed Yoshihiko Inui’s Tomodachi x Monster, a dark parody manga series about kids and their pet monsters. Otherwise, if I’ve missed some particularly good reading, please do let me know!

Quick Takes

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. Originally an award-winning webcomic, Nimona was recently released as Stevenson’s debut graphic novel. The comic has been slightly revised for the print edition and additional content, including a new epilogue, has been collected in the volume as well. Nimona is one of my favorite comic releases so far this year. In the beginning it’s silly and very funny. But, while it never loses its humor, the comic does become more serious and even heart-wrenching as it progresses after some of the characters’ personal struggles and backgrounds are fully revealed. Nimona is a young shapeshifter who has decided that she will become the sidekick of Lord Ballister Blackheart, a supervillain whose plans are always being foiled by his arch-nemesis Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin. (The two men share a history together and deeply care about each other.) Nimona does manage to convince Blackheart to allow her to join his team, but finds his strict code of ethics frustrating to deal with. Likewise, he often frowns upon her excessively wild nature and propensity towards violence. Despite their differences, over time the two of them grow very close to each other. Nimona is an incredibly delightful and charming comic. I look forward to reading more of Stevenson’s work in the future.

Noragami: Stray God, Volume 4 by Adachitoka. Even though Noragami seems to have been doing fairly well for Kodansha Comics, I haven’t really heard many people talking about the series. Initially I thought that Noragami was primarily going to be a comedy but the last few volumes, though they have their moments of levity, have actually been pretty serious. The fourth volume largely focuses on the plight of Bishamonten, a warrior god (technically goddess in Noragami). Though outwardly very strong and aggressive, she is having difficulty controlling and supporting the numerous shinki under her care. This does strike me as a little strange since Tenjin also has a large number of shinki without there seeming to be any negative consequences, but perhaps Bishamonten’s group is significantly bigger. It is interesting to see the differences in the relationships between the shinki and their respective gods in Noragami. After some strife in the last couple of volumes, Yato and Yuki have managed to forge an impressive partnership. Probably most importantly, they are at a point in their relationship where they can be honest with each other, airing their grievances and sharing their pain. The same cannot be said of Bishamonten and her shinki, which may be the source of their problems. Even though it is out of concern, hiding their true feelings is actually more damaging in the long run.

xxxHolic, Omnibus 5 (equivalent to Volumes 13-15) by CLAMP. I’ve come to the realization that I much prefer xxxHolic when it isn’t being tied down with its association toTsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles. Fortunately, even though its connection to the other series continues to solidify in this omnibus, for the most part this portion of xxxHolic remains its own story without too much interference. Oddly enough, it even becomes a food manga of sorts, which I really wasn’t anticipating. Perhaps it’s not so surprising, though. Throughout xxHOlic Watanuki has always been shown to be cooking, making bento and snacks for the people who are important to him. But in the fifth omnibus of xxxHolic the cooking becomes critical to the story itself rather than just being a part of his character. (CLAMP also has a way of making the most mundane thing extraordinarily melodramatic to such an extent that a character’s very life seems to hang by a thread from it.) Watanuki teaches Kohane to cook because he wants to, but then he is hired out to fulfill the wish of one of the shop’s clients by providing instruction to her, too. Though at first he halfheartedly puts up a fight, he takes this task very seriously, eventually uncovering the woman’s true fears and desires. (All through the power of food!) There is also a sense of ominous foreboding in this volume as the series prepares for its finale.

You & Me, Etc. by Kyugo. After I finished reading You & Me, Etc., I was extremely surprised to note that the boys’ love manga had been rated mature by the publisher. Honestly, nothing more than a few kisses and perhaps a little bit of cuddling happen in the manga. (The fact that it’s between men shouldn’t make a difference.) I believe You & Me, Etc. is the only manga by Kyugo to have been released in English. You & Me, Etc. is not an especially memorable collection of short boys’ love manga—none of the selections really have any sort of “hook” per se—but the stories are executed very well and it’s a very enjoyable volume. The stories included are quieter with a strong focus on the characters’ relationships and interactions. Some of those relationships aren’t even particularly romantic in nature (which will likely disappoint readers expecting or hoping for something a little steamier from a manga with an “M” rating), but nonetheless they are still very important and most often deal with some sort of love or affection. The volume features three couples (broadly defined) who must navigate and develop their relationships in the face of difficult circumstances, whether it be a life-changing accident, a shared secret, or a death in the family. Based on the volume’s strengths, I would certainly be interested in reading more of Kyugo’s work.

Manga the Week of 5/27

May 25, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N 2 Comments

(This is late. Very late. I’m so sorry.)

SEAN: The final week of May brings us a manageable and tasty selection. If this week is too much manga, next week is juuuuuust right.

When the Evangelion Comic Tribute came out, one of the more popular contributing authors was Tony Takezaki, who long-time manga fans may recall from a manga called Genocyber. His take on Evangelion, though, which Dark Horse puts out next week, is pure gag format.

Technically this is out this week rather than next, but as always I never know when a Fantagraphics title comes out till I get a shipping notice. But who cares if it means an 8th volume of Wandering Son, woo hoo!

MICHELLE: I feel like a poseur for saying “Woo!” when I am so far behind, but “Woo!” nonetheless.

ASH: I just got my copy! It makes me so happy that this series is being translated.

ANNA: I will join Michelle in also saying “Woo!” and being behind in reading this very worthwhile series.

SEAN: Kodansha keeps putting out Air Gear omnibuses, here is the 5th.

And there is also an 8th volume of The Seven Deadly Sins.

The big debut from Kodansha, though, is the first volume of coming of age story A Silent Voice. I reviewed the first volume here, and will definitely be reading the whole thing.

MICHELLE: Interesting. I wasn’t aware of this one, at all. Not sure I could stomach that many hard-to-like characters, though.

ASH: I’ve heard very good things about this series.

SEAN: One Peace has a 2nd Aquarion Evol, which is spelled correctly and also not a villain after all.

ANNA: The first one for sure seemed like it would appeal to fans of the anime, but the volumes are a bit slim on the page count.

SEAN: Meanwhile, Ponent Mon has another Jiro Tanaguchi volume, this one set in the Edo period, called Furari. Every Tanaguchi release should be greeted with joy. (I could swear this has come out before in some way, shape or form. Am I wrong? Ponent Mon does tend to re-release…)

MICHELLE: I’m not sure. I know it’s been sitting in my Amazon cart for ages, but possibly that was because it was supposed to come out a while back, but never actually showed as “In stock.” In any case, yay for more Taniguchi!

ASH: I believe it was initially planned to be released last year or the year before and that we’re only now just seeing it after a significant delay. Should be good, though!

SEAN: Seven Seas gives us another Alice volume, this one with the Twins as the boyfriend du jour. I hated the last volume focusing on them; hopefully this will be an improvement.

They also have an 8th volume of gaming fantasy World War Blue.

Vertical has a new Attack on Titan novel, Kuklo Unbound. This one will seem more familiar to those reading the Before the Fall manga.

ASH: Yeah, I’ll probably be reading this one.

SEAN: Lastly, there’s a 6th volume of Cardfight!! Vanguard, still filled with teenage youth and exclamation marks.

What leaps out at you from this list?

Wayward, Volume 1: String Theory

May 22, 2015 by Ash Brown

Creator: Jim Zub and Steve Cummings
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 9781632151735
Released: March 2015
Original run: 2014

Wayward is an ongoing comic series created by Jim Zub and Steve Cummings and published by Image Comics. Zub, a creator from Canada, is primarily responsible for writing the story while Cummings, currently based in Japan, is the series’ line artist. Along with Tamra Bonvillain, Ross A. Campbell, Josh Perez, and John Rauch, Zub also worked on the comics’ color art with additional flats done by Ludwig Olimba. Wayward was first brought to my attention due to Zub’s involvement—I had previously read and enjoyed some of his other work—but my curiosity was piqued even more when I learned that Zack Davisson was writing bonus material for the series in the form of background information on yokai. It’s not a secret that I have a particular fondness for yokai; I was very interested in seeing what sort of role Japan’s mythological and legendary creatures would play in the comic. The first trade collection, String Theory, was published in 2015. It includes the first five issues of Wayward originally released in 2014 as well as additional essays written by Davisson.

Not long after her parents divorced, Rori Lane left Ireland to be with her mother in Japan. Living with her father just wasn’t working for any of them. Of course, this does mean that Rori will have to start her life over again in a county she’s never even visited. Her mother may be a native Tokyoite, but the city is unlike anywhere else she’s ever been before. For a loner like Rori, and for a young half-Japanese woman such as herself, fitting in and feeling comfortable in Japan and at her new school won’t be an easy task. To complicate matters further, she has a curious but occasionally useful ability that allows her to see the patterns connecting people, places, and events. And to some small extent, she can even control the world around her because of it. By following those threads of destiny, she finds herself drawn to several young people who are also gifted in peculiar ways. It’s good to have found a small group of friends, people around whom she can feel a little more at ease, but it’s not long before they are all pulled into a dangerous power struggle within the city that they don’t even understand.

String Theory provides a fantastic start to Wayward, a contemporary fantasy action series with prominent influences drawn from traditional Japanese folklore with modern twists. Rori encounters various yokai throughout String Theory, beginning with a trio of monstrous and extremely dangerous kappa. Although the designs, abilities, and basic natures of the yokai in String Theory are directly inspired by their original counterparts, they are also distinctive to Wayward. It all works very well. The series is action-packed, with dramatic supernatural battles, but it also has more introspective personal conflicts as well. Rori finds herself overwhelmed, thrust into circumstances to which she brings very little knowledge. As String Theory progresses, more and more is revealed about how the world of the series functions as Rori herself begins to piece together how it works. As Rori learns more so do the readers, but there are still plenty of mysteries that have yet to be fully explored.

The worldbuilding in String Theory is excellent. Even with the phenomenal powers of the main characters and the presence of yokai and monsters, the supernatural Tokyo of Wayward looks and feels like a real place. A large part of this is due to Cummings’ wonderful illustrations and the work of the series’ colorists. I love the colors in String Theory. They range from muted and subdued palettes to colors that are flashy and vibrant, almost appearing to glow. String Theory can be violent and grotesque and includes elements of horror, but it is also beautifully illustrated. I also particularly liked the visual representation of Rori’s abilities, reminiscent of the concept of the red string of fate found in Japanese culture. The characters introduced in String Theory are great, too; I’m very curious to see how their fated destinies will continue to weave together. I thoroughly enjoyed the first volume of Wayward—it has chaotic action as well as quiet moments, humor as well as drama—and look forward to the next installment a great deal.

Pick of the Week: Three By Yen

May 20, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N 6 Comments

SEAN: Let’s see… Goong, Emma, Emma, Goong… so I’m the tiebreaker, huh? Good thing I pick first! Won’t be breaking the tie, though, because it’s time for Sean to highlight another of his pet series. Umineko: When They Cry is technically halfway done, at least in terms of arcs – in terms of actual volume count we have a bit more to go. I’m particularly excited for End of the Golden Witch, as most Umineko fans agree that it’s the best of all the manga adaptations.

MICHELLE: Predictably, I pick Goong, especially since it’s my final chance to do so. I’m in the midst of a reread of this series, and it’s pretty much the quintessential manhwa, with plenty of arguments, true feelings concealed, and true feelings revealed, along with its own special blend of “sweet moments interrupted by really unfunny comedic bits with ugly art.” Really, it can’t be missed.

ASH: No question about it, my pick this week is Emma. Ever since Yen Press started releasing Kaoru Mori’s A Bride’s Story in a gorgeous hardcover edition, I’ve been hoping for a rescue of Emma. And now it’s here! My local library had a run of most of the old CMX volumes, so I’ve read the series before, but I’m thrilled that I’ll finally be able to own it. And in a beautiful deluxe omnibus release, no less!

ANNA: I have to agree with Ash, it is time to celebrate the rerelease of Emma. I’m thrilled for the folks who weren’t able to collect the series before, especially since Yen does such a great job on their deluxe editions.

SEAN: MJhas been busy moving into a new home, but trust me, if she were here to pick she would agonize between Emma and Goong but pick Goong. We all know this.

What looks good to you this week?