Ash Brown

Whispered Words, Omnibus 1

May 23, 2014 by Ash Brown

Creator: Takashi Ikeda
U.S. publisher: One Peace Books
ISBN: 9781935548454
Released: May 2014
Original release: 2007-2008

Whispered Words is a nine-volume yuri manga series by Takashi Ikeda published in Japan between 2007 and 2011. It’s probably his most popular work, or a least his best-known work, and the early part of the manga was even adapted as a thirteen-episode anime series in 2009. Despite my interest in yuri manga and the series’ following, I actually didn’t know much about it until I discovered that One Peace Books had licensed the work for English release. Whispered Words, Omnibus 1, released in 2014, collects the first three volumes of the series originally published in Japan between 2007 and 2008. Considering that comparatively few yuri manga have been released in English, I was happy for the opportunity to read more in translation. Because of the excited murmuring from fans surrounding the licensing of the series, I was particularly glad for the chance to read Whispered Words. And, except for some poor editing and lettering by One Peace Books, generally I was not disappointed. Plus, it even has karate in addition to yuri!

Sumika “Violence” Murasame, a high-school first year, is in love with her classmate and best friend Ushio Kazama. Ushio likes girls, too, but the problem is that she only likes “cute” girls. Unfortunately, Sumika has come to the conclusion that she is decidedly un-cute. She’s taller than most people, athletically and academically gifted, and a genius at karate (which is what earned her her nickname). But Sumika would gladly give all of that up to become small, delicate, and cute in order to fit Ushio’s type. That’s not really a possibility, though. So instead of admitting her feelings to Ushio and potentially ruining their friendship, Sumika has chosen to keep them to herself. It’s difficult and can be painful at times, but more than anything else Sumika wants Ushio to be happy. Eventually, other classmates become aware of Sumika’s feelings for Ushio, so it seems that it’s only a matter of time before they become obvious to Ushio as well.

Although at its heart Whispered Words has a fairly serious story about friendship and unrequited love, there is also a very strong comedic element to the series. Personally, I found the silliness of the manga and the characters themselves all to be very charming. For the most part, the underlying story and relationships in Whispered Words are actually fairly realistic. However, Ikeda regularly throws in something completely outrageous, such as an impeccably timed exploding SUV or indulging in his penchant for finding any excuse to dress everyone up in maid costumes. Whispered Words can admittedly be a bit ridiculous at times, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Ikeda strikes an excellent balance between the series’ humor and its more serious aspects, making for a read that is both entertaining and heartfelt. Ikeda’s artwork also reflects this duality. He effectively captures the more emotional moments–the tears, the pining, and the heartbreak, as well as the happiness and joy–but he can just as easily slip into a more comedic mode with over-the-top reactions, dynamic expressions, and exuberant poses.

The characters in Whispered Words are what really make the series work for me–not only the two leads, but their friends, families, and classmates, too. I am particularly fond of Sumika and her development, though. She so desperately wants to be something the she’s not, but it’s when she allows herself to really be who she is that she shines. This growth and the evolution of her relationship with Ushio is explored in stages in Whispered Words, often through her relationships with other characters. Tomoe Hachisuka and Miyako Taema, with whom she becomes friends, are a couple that show a lesbian relationship is not something to be ashamed of. Akemiya Masaki and Azusa Aoi are classmates who prove that others already think that Sumika is cute and admire her. The petite Charlotte Munchausen is devoted to karate, follows Sumika’s guidance, and provides an example that strength and cuteness aren’t inherently mutually exclusive. Even when played for laughs, all of these relationships are incredibly important to Sumika and are what allow her to grow as a person and will hopefully allow her to grow even closer to Ushio.

Manga the Week of 5/28

May 22, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, Anna N and MJ 3 Comments

SEAN: Do you like stuff? Of course you do. Let’s look at some stuff!

ASH: I like stuff! I like lots of stuff!

MICHELLE: Stuff and junk and stuff!

ANNA: Stuff is awesome!

MJ: Bring on the stuff!

SEAN: If you’d wondered what the fuss was all about with Attack on Titan, and also wanted something heavy enough to beat small children to death with, have we got the release for you! Attack on Titan: Colossal Edition collects the first 5 volumes of the series into one massive, thousand-page TOME. And of course, it apparently has some added content so that obsessives must buy the whole thing again. If you haven’t seen this series before, get ready to see what all the fuss is about and ask “why is the art so crappy?”

ASH: This thing is going to be a HUGE monster of a book. I’m happy with my individual volumes, but I would be curious to see the the Colossal edition in person.

MICHELLE: Ugh. I must say the thought of hefting this thing doesn’t entice me to catch up on the series.

ANNA: I’m sort of tempted by this, since I bought the first book when the kindle version was on mega sale but haven’t gotten the subsequent volumes.

MJ: Hmmm… I’m tempted here. Kind of. Not sure I have a shelf big enough.

SEAN: Cage of Eden trundles along with Vol. 14. Will this be a monsters eating people volume? A fanservice-laden nude girls volume? A ‘I really liked Lost and want to rewrite it with Japanese students’ volume? Who can say? Most likely all three, I suspect.

My Little Monster was a lot of fun, even if I had issues with the male lead being a manic pixie dream guy to a certain degree, and I look forward to seeing how he and our heroine develop.

ASH: I rather enjoyed the first volume of My Little Monster. Plus, there’s a pet chicken!

MICHELLE: I love the pet chicken with every fiber of my being.

MJ: Pet chicken! How did I not buy this?

SEAN: Remember back in February when I discussed Wallflower 32 and they bumped it back to May without telling me? Well, here it is, still in May for now.

I apologize to Tokyopop. The fact that their one Japanese series is only available via Right Stuf now means I forget to add it to these lists, EVEN WHEN IT IS SITTING NEXT TO ME AS I MAKE THEM. Aheh. Anyway, Hetalia Axis Powers 6 was out last week.

ASH: I really do wonder how well this partnership between Tokyopop and RightStuf has been doing, and what other projects we might see because of it.

ANNA: Demon Sacred! Shinobi Life! Sky Blue Shore! Oh, how I miss you, but I have no hopes of reading you in English.

MICHELLE: Silver Diamond!

MJ: *sigh*

SEAN: BTOOOM! continues to make me count the number of O’s in its title, even now that Vol. 6 drops.

And now I want to add a third o to Goong, whose 15th volume is out, to the delight of the rest of the Manga Bookshelf team.

MICHELLE: Yay!

ANNA: Woo hoo!

MJ: Me me me me me me me!!

SEAN: In general, I have a better record with Yen than Seven Seas when it comes to otakubait series. And yet High School DxD – with its harem plot, promises of fanservice, and ‘angels and demons’ fantasy worldbuilding – seems to worry me. I’m watching you warily, Vol. 1.

MJ: That sounds… well, probably not for me.

SEAN: Jack Frost 10! Wow, how many decapitations have happened by now?

Kadokawa has decided they don’t want the manga to come up with new content that the novel hasn’t covered (bar the odd original short chapter), so The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya will be ending its manga version soon while they wait for the next novel to appear. Here’s Vol. 18, featuring new character Yasumi on the cover.

Kazumi Magica has been one of the longer franchise spinoffs of the Puella Magi-verse, but it comes to an end here with Vol. 5. Will it have a happy ending? Our good friend Kyubey says he’s very happy!

Soul Eater has gotten up to Vol. 20, and I think is getting closer to its massive final arc. More to the point, this volume contains one of the scariest manga chapters I’ve ever seen – full stop, any series.

MJ: Really? Hm. Maybe I should check it out.

SEAN: Triage X has hit Vol. 6. See above about why I can’t always trust Yen when it comes to fanservice-laden series. At least I don’t think this is based on a series of light novels…

Lastly, we get another omnibus of Until Death Do Us Part, which features characters named Mamoru, Haruka, and Wiseman, yet is not actually like Sailor Moon at all.

MICHELLE: I need to catch up on this. I liked what I read of it.

SEAN: Stuff? Stuff!

Strong in the Rain

May 21, 2014 by Ash Brown

Author: Lucy Birmingham and David McNeill
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 9781137278944
Released: April 2014
Original release: 2012

Lucy Birmingham and David McNeill’s Strong in the Rain: Surviving Japan’s Earthquake, Tsunami, and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster was initially released as a hardcover volume by Palgrave Macmillan in 2012, a little more than a year and a half after the country’s threefold crisis that began on March 11, 2011. Both Birmingham and McNeill were established correspondents based in Tokyo who covered the March 2011 disaster–Birmingham writing for Time and McNeill writing for The Independent, Irish Times, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Strong in the Rain, deriving its title from a poem by Kenji Miyazawa which became something of an anthem for the country and the disaster’s survivors, was later released as a trade paperback in 2014. It was this edition that I had the pleasure of receiving for review through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program. I had heard very good things about the original release of Strong in the Rain and so was looking forward to finally reading the work.

On March 11, 2011 an extraordinarily powerful earthquake occurred off of the northeast coast of Japan. Later estimated to have registered at at least a magnitude of 9.0, the earthquake was extremely violent. It moved the main island of Japan as much as eight feet in some areas and shifted the Earth’s axis. Aftershocks from the quake continued to be felt years later. However, the tsunami that was triggered by the earthquake accounts for much of the immediate damage associated with the March 2011 disaster. It wiped out entire communities along the coast and reached much further inland than anticipated. Japan has been subject to massive earthquakes and tsunami in the past, but what made the events of March 2011 particularly devastating was the resulting meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, culminating in one of the world’s worst nuclear crises. Japan’s recovery continues to this day; the country will have to deal with the impacts of the disaster for years to come.

Strong in the Rain is an excellent volume touching on many different parts of the March 2011 disaster. It’s written in an incredibly engaging manner but without sensationalizing the subject matter. Birmingham and McNeill incorporate their own personal experiences and have also conducted a great deal of research and investigative journalism. The narrative of what happened during and after the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster relies heavily on their interviews with six survivors: Katsunobu Sakurai, mayor of the coastal city of Minamisoma, who would become one of the most publicly recognized figures following the disaster; Kai Watanabe, a pseudonym of one of the maintenance workers at the Fukushima plant; Yoshio Ichida, a fisherman from Soma; David Chumreonlert, an American elementary school English teacher in Higashi-Matsushima; Setsuko Uwabe, a cook at a public nursery school; and Toru Saito, a recent high school graduate who was looking forward to attending Tohoku University that following April.

In addition to the personal accounts of the events surrounding Japan’s threefold disaster, Strong in the Rain also provides a scientific, historic, and cultural context for the catastrophe. The volume includes charts, maps, photographs, as well as a helpful index. Told in ten chapters (in addition to a prologue and epilogue), Strong in the Rain addresses many of the aspects and complexities of the March 2011 disaster: the quake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis themselves, but also the failure of the floodgates and other protective measures, the reaction of the imperial family, how news coverage was handled domestically and by the international media, the evacuation of foreign citizens, rescue and recovery efforts, how survivors dealt with the tragedy and death tolls, and the spirit and resilience of those living in the affected Tohoku region. Strong in the Rain forms a comprehensive overview of the March 2011 disaster and its ongoing effects. Even years after it was initially published, Strong in the Rain remains an approachable and informative work.

Thank you to Palgrave Macmillan for providing a copy of Strong in the Rain for review.

Pick of the Week: Shoujo & Seinen

May 19, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Anna N, Ash Brown and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: My pick of the Week is definitely the 10th volume of DMP’s Itazura Na Kiss. I know it’s bad for me. I know I will spend half the volume asking why Kotoko can’t think before she acts or apply herself to any chosen path. And I will spend the other half wondering how Naoki plans to be a doctor when he has all the empathy of a rock, and has the complete inability to understand how people with emotions might function. I will get annoyed and frustrated. But I don’t care. It’s Shoujo Manga Classic time.

MICHELLE: I don’t know how I could possibly describe the joys and frustrations of Itazura na Kiss better than Sean has done, so please allow me to say “me too, all the way!”

ANNA: I’m really torn, because this is one of those weeks where a ton of great manga is coming out! I’m happy to see Itazura Na Kiss being released in print again! Gangsta is becoming slightly addictive for me whenever I want a seinen fix. But since Itazura Na Kiss seems to be getting plenty of love I’m going to have to go with Volume 2 of What Did You Eat Yesterday?.

ASH: I’m torn this week, too, but since Anna chose What Did You Eat Yesterday? (which I’m looking forward to a great deal) I’ll pick Gangsta to make sure it gets on the list. It’s not so often you get a manga with such a diverse cast in addition to interesting characters and plenty of action. I enjoyed the first volume immensely.

MJ: I’ll go with Anna this week, because though I’m interested in these other series, there is really no option for me that could eclipse the second volume Fumi Yoshinaga’s What Did You Eat Yesterday? I finally picked up a copy of the first volume a week or so ago, and I’ll never wait that long again (yes, I pre-ordered volume two). This series is an amalgamation of everything I love best about Yoshinaga’s work—lovingly-written dialogue, charmingly believable relationships, and FOOD. This is a book I will likely consume the second it hits my front porch. It’s absolutely my week’s must-buy manga.

What looks good to you this week?

My Week in Manga: May 12-May 18, 2014

May 19, 2014 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Well, it was my intention to review the first omnibus of Whispered Words by Takashi Ikeda last week, but then Sean reviewed it the day before I was planning to post my review. So, to avoid making the Manga Bookshelf front page look a little strange, I decided to bump my Whispered Words review to later this week. But never fear, I had other posts in reserve! First up was my Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2014 recap, which is very, very long. If you don’t feel like reading the whole thing, that’s fine, but I do want people to know that TCAF is an amazing festival. A month or so ago I had the opportunity to attend a presentation given by Natsuki Kikuya, a sake sommelier and from a centuries-old family of sake brewers in Tōhoku, about the brewing of sake, its history, and current trend in the industry, so I posted some random musings about that as well–Cultures of Japanese Sake. I was quite pleased to discover that I actually had already had a strong introduction to the subject from reading manga, specifically Oishinbo, A la Carte: Sake and Moyasimon.

Now, going back to TCAF for a moment: Heidi MacDonald has an excellent summary of the festival at Publishers Weekly; the Beat has audio for a selection of the panels available for listening; and Okazu’s Erica Friedman has a great recap of the est em panel, which she moderated. Unrelated to TCAF, but still worth reading: Marvel, Yen Caught in Amazon-Hachette Crossfire; an interview with Leyla Aker, the editor at Viz Media responsible for Kohske’s Gangsta series; and Tokyo Government Declares Imōto Paradise! 2 Manga Unhealthy. Also, Deb Aoki has started updating her site Manga Comics Manga with some interesting new material, including Japanese to Spanish Manga Translation: Readers Speak Out and What Would Make Manga More Appealing to Comics Fans? + 24 Manga for New Readers.

Quick Takes

Dictatorial Grimoire, Volume 3: Red Riding Hood by Ayumi Kanou. The first volume of Dictatorial Grimoire, as ridiculous as it was, entertained me. The second volume was no less ridiculous, and it had some great moments, but I was frustrated by how trope-based it was. Fortunately, the series’ originality largely returns in the third volume and Dictatorial Grimoire once again becomes a glorious mess. The plot actually starts to make a little more sense and even becomes somewhat interesting, but just as things start to really get going the story is quickly brought to an end. It feels very abrupt and truncated, as if the series was initially supposed to be much longer. Still, I think the third volume of Dictatorial Grimoire was actually my favorite in the series. The demon from which the story Red Riding Hood comes is thoroughly introduced and he’s pretty great–a mix of the Wolf, Hunter, and Red. (He’s actually a decent guy once he gets his werewolf problem under control.) I also get a kick out of Snow White’s animal companions. Instead of the cute woodland critters that might traditionally be expected, he always has some poisonous creatures hanging about. Dictatorial Grimoire is far from the best manga out there, but it can be fun in all of its ridiculousness.

Dorohedoro, Volumes 10-12 by Q Hayashida. I continue to enjoy Dorohedoro immensely. It’s a strange, weird manga, and one that I find difficult to coherently explain to people. Dorohedoro is bloody, violent, and grim and yet at the same time it is also incredibly endearing, charming, and funny. It can even be heartbreaking from time to time. Occasionally something feels a little bit off about Hayashida’s artwork in the series–body proportions don’t always seem to be quite right–but for the most part I really enjoy the gritty look and feel of Dorohedoro. I was particularly impressed by how effectively dizzying and disconcerting the artwork could be when Aikawa’s magic comes into play. There’s quite a bit of plot development in these volumes and several of the characters have their backstories filled out–more is learned about the pasts of Nikaido, Asu, and the various members of the Cross-Eyes. There’s plenty of action in this part of the series, too, including excellent fight sequences and brutal battles. There are some significant deaths, as well, though it’s never certain that someone will stay completely dead in Dorohedoro. There are seven more volumes to go in the series; I really hope that Viz will be able to stick with it through to the end.

Hotblood!: A Centaur in the Old West, Volume 1 by Toril Orlesky. While at TCAF, I made the point to pick up a few things that I hadn’t heard about before or was otherwise unfamiliar with. One of those random splurges was Orlesky’s Hotblood!, a webcomic that currently updates twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am absolutely loving it–the characters, the art, everything. The first print volume collects the series’ prologue and the entirety of its first chapter, as well as an exclusive appendix and other additional bonus material. Tremendous thought and care has been put into the worldbuilding of the comic–a sort of alternative history–especially in regards to the relationships and interactions between humans and centaurs and their cultures. The story begins in Wyoming in 1873 with James Rook, the titular centaur, and Asa Langley a steel magnate on the run as wanted men. It then jumps back two years in time to when they first met. In the prologue the two are obviously very close, but at the beginning of their relationship they didn’t get along much at all. Langley is a bit of a jerk, frequently making jokes in poor taste at Rook’s expense, but Rook needs a job so he puts up with it. He has been assigned to be Langley’s secretary; neither one of them is particularly happy about it, though.

No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, Volumes 2-3 by Nico Tanigawa. Overall, I do enjoy WataMote, but I will be the first to admit that it can be a harsh and uncomfortable read. (I get the feeling that the creators largely didn’t enjoy their high school years and that they don’t have many fond memories of that time in their lives.) WataMote can be very funny, but it’s not always very pleasant. So far the series has been fairly episodic, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage, but a few characters have been introduced in these volumes which may change that. I would like to see some actual character development in the series, though. Right now it seems as though Tomoko, her family, and classmates are stuck in a rut. This works in terms of the series’ premise–Tomoko is a misfit to put all other misfits to shame–but it’s a little painful and sad to not see her learn from her mistakes and experiences. Which, I suppose, is actually probably one of the points of the manga. Tomoko can be endearing in her extreme awkwardness, but that awkwardness can also be fairly alarming and embarrassing. WataMote is definitely not a series that everyone will be able to enjoy or even appreciate, but I do plan on following it further.

Random Musings: Cultures of Japanese Sake

May 16, 2014 by Ash Brown

I enjoy sake. I don’t have the opportunity to drink it very often, and I don’t really know much about it, but I do enjoy it and have an interest in it. Fortunately, I recently had the opportunity to hear Natsuki Kikuya, the founder of Museum of Sake, give her presentation “World of Sake: How It’s Created, and Where It’s Going.” Kikuya is from a family of sake brewers which is part of a collective in the Tōhoku region of northern Honshū. She currently works with chefs in the United Kingdom as a sake sommelier and is in the process of developing a sake documentary; her personal mission is to introduce and promote sake across Europe and the rest of the world. The craft and culture surrounding sake and sake brewing is broad and deep. A comparison can easily be made with wine culture, but Kikuya has found that in the West a “translator” is often needed for sake. Whereas wine has an extensive vocabulary already established to describe it, traditionally sake has had only two descriptors: dry and sweet.

So, what is sake? In Japanese, “sake” is a word that simply means “alcoholic beverage.” However, when the term is used in English, generally it is specifically referring to what is known in Japan as nihonshu. Sake is a fermented and filtered alcoholic beverage that is no more than 22% alcohol by volume. Typically, sake is brewed using only four ingredients: rice, water, yeast, and koji. Approximately 1% of Japan’s total rice production is devoted specifically to the brewing of sake. Though still edible, the rice used in sake is very different from table rice meant for consumption. When making sake the outside of the grains of rice is polished away, leaving behind the starches. In the highest quality sake, more than half of the rice is polished away. (In one exceptional case, only 7% of the rice remained after polishing.) Water is a particularly important ingredient as sake is made up of around 80% water. Water from different sources can significantly change the taste of the sake; generally water with softer qualities is desired. Up until the 20th century, sake production primarily relied on wild yeast, however more than 90% of sake fermentation now uses cultivated yeast. Koji is sake’s “magical ingredient”–a type of mold spore that transforms the starches in the rice into sugars for the yeast to ferment. Sake is often described as being “grown in breweries”; its quality very much depends on the human techniques involved and there is less emphasis placed on vintage as a result.

During her talk, Kikuya outlined a brief history of sake and its development in Japan. Sake had its beginnings over 2,500 years ago, originating as the “drink of the gods” and was associated with Shinto shrines. Between the 7th and 12th centuries, sake came under control of the court. During that time there were thirteen different grades of sake appropriate for the different ranks of nobility. In the Middle Ages the center of sake production moved to Kōfuku-ji in Nara and other Buddhist temples. At this point in history distilled spirits from abroad began to be introduced to Japan as well. The Edo period saw the rise of brewing specialists and the center of sake production once again moved, this time to Itami and Edo. Previously sake had been made year-round, but as the brewing techniques were refined during the Edo period it became a winter-specific process. The Edo period also saw the establishment of izakaya and the culture of eating outside of the home; sake was no longer just for nobles. Homebrewing was prohibited in 1899, mostly for tax reasons, and so sake brewing became more of a corporate affair during the Meiji era.

Oishinbo, A la Carte: Sake

The 20th century brought the “era of synthetic sake.” When rice was not readily available (during times of war, for example), techniques were developed to compensate for this lack, such as the introduction of syrups. The quality of the results were not always particularly good. And then there is sake industry today, which is focusing on modernization, localization, and globalization. This includes the creation of “new gen” sake, such as sparkling sake and sake with low alcohol content, as well as the use of sake in mixed drinks. At one point there were over 4,000 breweries in Japan. Sadly, the industry is dying and only around 1,200 breweries currently remain. Of those, the top twenty account for 80% of the sake production in Japan, however local breweries are beginning to gain increased support. There are several theories as to why interest in sake is declining in Japan: the continued Westernization of the country, the aging and shrinking of the population, and the fact that younger generations simply don’t seem to be drinking sake. Although the sake industry is still dominated by men, Kikuya knows of at least ten women heads of breweries. Interestingly enough, in addition to Japan, the United States is also a leading producer of sake and currently has seven to eight breweries of its own.

Prior to the Kikuya’s talk, my knowledge of sake had primarily been gleaned from what I myself had tasted as well as from manga like Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki’s Oishinbo (especially the volume Oishinbo, A la Carte: Sake) and Masayuki Ishikawa’s Moyasimon. I was quite happy to discover that those series have actually provided me with a fairly strong introduction to and basic understanding of sake and the sake industry, including some of the more unusual and interesting historical tidbits. So, even if you don’t have the chance to take advantage of the knowledge of a sake expert, picking up a copy of Oishinbo, A la Carte: Sake and following it up with a bit of Moyasimon (the manga or the anime) is not a bad place to start. (Toko Kawai’s short boys’ love series The Scent of Apple Blossoms also features a sake brewer, though I haven’t read it yet to be able to say how educational the manga might be.) For those interested in learning more about sake, Kikuya’s Museum of Sake is also worth a look, as is Discovery UK’s series Discovering Sake. And sometimes the best way to learn about something is to simply experience it for yourself. Have a taste!

Manga the Week of 5/21

May 15, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Anna N, MJ, Michelle Smith and Ash Brown 3 Comments

SEAN: Some newer series, some old favorites, and some back from the dead in Week 3 of the month of May.

DMP is releasing print volumes again, including two of their old non-BL series. Takasugi-san’s Obento gets a 2nd volume, and continues to charm readers and make Bunny Drop fans stare at it warily.

ANNA: I liked the first volume a lot, and I really hope it doesn’t go into Bunny Drop territory.

MJ: Agreed!

SEAN: And we have at last the return of Itazura Na Kiss, everyone’s favorite bitter black coffee of the shoujo manga world. Will its leads ever stop being so… themselves? Probably not, but here’s more of it, and I can’t wait.

MICHELLE: Yay yay yay yay yay!

ASH: I’ve heard nothing but good things about Itazura Na Kiss; I really should get around to reading it one of these days!

ANNA: A classic! I’m so glad to see more print volumes coming out from DMP. I need to order this!

MJ: Nice to see this back!

SEAN: Kodansha has the 3rd Air Gear omnibus, with 3 more volumes of the roller blading superhero-ish manga for your perusal.

They also have the 5th volume of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, which I should really try to catch up on.

ASH: It’s actually a pretty decent adaptation.

SEAN: Seven Seas has a pair of titles for their readers who prefer the more ecchi-oriented catalog of Seven Seas. Dragonar Academy has Vol. 2, and still reminds me of Zero’s Familiar too much – the annoying points of Zero’s Familiar.

Meanwhile, Kanokon has a 3rd omnibus, which ends the manga release. And thank goodness, as this is the last time I will have to avoid saying something about it.

MICHELLE: Nothing for me here.

SEAN: If I had to drop a series after Vol. 1 merely as I found the lead unlikeable, I’d never be reading a lot of series. Thus I will look forward to Vol. 2 of Vertical’s What Did You Eat Yesterday? and its very prickly lead guy – being a good cook only gets you so far with the reader, though.

MICHELLE: Yay yay yay yay yay!

ASH: I’m excited to see this one, too!

ANNA: My shopping list is growing this week! So excited for more great foodie manga!

MJ: MORE MORE MORE.

SEAN: Lastly, Vol. 2 of Gangsta drops, and I’m hoping it keeps to the high standard set by Vol. 1, as I enjoyed the debut volume quite a bit.

ASH: I really enjoyed the first volume of Gangsta and so look forward to reading more soon!

ANNA: I’ve read this already and enjoyed it! Gangsta is rapidly becoming one of my new favorite ongoing series.

SEAN: What manga are you rebelling against?

Random Musings: Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2014

May 14, 2014 by Ash Brown

©Michael DeForge

Last year I attended the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) for the very first time. It was an event that I had wanted to go to for years and I had such a fabulous time that I immediately began planning to return. TCAF is the only comics festival that I have ever been to so I can’t really compare it to others, but it is fantastic and I can’t recommend it enough. I certainly plan on going every that I possibly can at this point.

Last year I was only there for the main festival on Saturday and Sunday, but this year I pulled into Toronto on Thursday evening which gave me plenty of time to explore the city itself. After figuring out how to use Toronto’s streetcar system (I’ve never ridden a streetcar before) my “early” arrival allowed me to attend the opening reception of Toshio Saeki’s art exhibition at Narwhal Projects. Saeki is described as the “Godfather of Japanese Eroticism.” The gallery was a showing of a selection of his original drawings and silkscreen prints. They were beautiful, disconcerting, erotic, and surreal works. I’m very glad I had the opportunity to see them in person.

Friday was my “free” day in Toronto. While I was wandering all over the city, I made sure to make my way down to The Beguiling Books & Arts. Last year I got there a few minutes before it closed, so I was looking forward to spending a more reasonable amount of time exploring the store this year. The Beguiling is one of the best comic stores I’ve ever been to. It has a fantastic selection of materials and a marvelous staff. I highly recommend anyone visiting Toronto to check it out. The event that I was looking forward to on Friday was the Manga Mixer Night hosted by Sparkler Monthly at the TRANZAC Club. I sadly missed out on the gathering last year, and one of my TCAF goals for this year was to overcome some of my anxieties and to try to be a little more social, so to the mixer I went! And I’m glad that I did. I had a good time and Kuriousity‘s Lissa Pattillo and I were beautiful wallflowers together. We had a very nice conversation about manga, blogging, and TCAF.

Over the course of the festival I had the opportunity to briefly meet several other of my online friends in person: manga translator and all around awesome person Jocelyne Allen, my fellow Manga Bookshelf cohort Sean Gaffney, and the great A-run Chey who somehow managed to pick me out of a crowd. I certainly made some progress this year in the socialization department, but I still didn’t have the nerve to introduce myself to Deb Aoki and Erica Friedman, who were both kept very busy moderating various panels, or to Vertical’s Ed Chavez even though I was standing next to each of them at some point during the festival. Next time I’ll make it happen! I know there were at least a few other manga and comics bloggers at TCAF—like Brigid Alverson and Alexander Hoffman, among others—but I missed them, too.

“Ureshidaruma” by Toshio Saeki

Saturday was when the main festival actually began. Last year I didn’t get to spend as much time in the exhibitor area as I would have liked, so I got up bright and early on Saturday in order to visit as many artists and publishers as I could first thing in the morning. This turned out to be a good decision, because the exhibitor area seemed to only get busier and busier throughout the day. I couldn’t see everything before the Saturday panels started, but by the end of the day I managed to visit most of the tables that I wanted. Sadly, there were a few things that I was hoping to get that were sold out by the time I was able to make my way to the artists’ respective tables. But at least that meant that the creators were doing well, and I was very glad to see their success. While I went into TCAF knowing there were certain things that I wanted to pick up, I also allowed myself the opportunity to splurge on a few random items that I hadn’t even heard of before and discovered some great comics in the process. And of course, I also managed to compile a rather lengthy list of things that I wanted to check out later, too. I continue to be very impressed by both the quality and variety of creators and art at TCAF.

I attended four panels on Saturday. “What Do Women Want? Writing Comics for a Female Audience,” was moderated by Chromatic Press’ Lianne Sentar and featured Laura Lee Gulledge, Kate Leth, Joan Reilly, and Noelle Stevenson. It was an excellent panel looking at men and women and masculinity and femininity in comics and the North American comics industry. Generally, comics readers are assumed by the industry to be both male and straight and so that audience is the one that has traditionally been catered to. There have always been female readers but recently there have been more demands for a wider variety in comics, perhaps due in part to what the panelists called the “Sailor Moon Generation.” These are the women, and men, who were exposed to female-friendly Sailor Moon when they were younger and who are now old enough to create the types of comics that they want to see or are in the position to support and encourage other upcoming creators who want something more than the industry’s default. The key to the discussion was the importance of variety in comics and that great stories will attract all sorts of readers regardless of their intended audience.

“Comics Design and History” focused on the physical design, production, and presentation of graphic novels. The panel was moderated by Chris Randle and included designers Tracy Hurren from Drawn & Quarterly, Fawn Lau from Viz Media, and Chip Kidd, who has designed books for Vertical and PictureBox among many other publishers. They each chose three book designs to discuss and talked about some of the decisions that go into the design process. For example, one of the first steps when a comic is being translated into another language is to determine whether the original cover is suited for the new demographic. Unflipped manga has the potential to be accidentally displayed with the back cover as the front, so Kidd very deliberately created a design for Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan that was interesting and informative regardless of which direction the book was facing. One of the series that Lau discussed was Taiyo Matsumoto’s Sunny, talking about the choices that went into its deluxe presentation. One of the biggest challenges in book design is achieving a balance between production values and the budget, and then finding a printer that can actually produce it.

TCAF 2014 Queer Mixer presented by MASSIVE

Considering the fantastic lineup—Jess Fink, Michael DeForge, C. Spike Trotman, HamletMachine, Graham Kolbeins, Katie Skelly, Ryan Sands—I should have known that “Contemporary Erotic Comics” was going to be a popular panel. It was held in one of the smallest venues and was completely packed, but it was absolutely worth squeezing into the crowd. Chris Randle was the moderator for this panel as well. The panelists discussed their first experiences with erotic comics (manga and doujinshi were frequently cited), the challenges of working in and making a living off of pornography, and some of the current trends in sex comics as a genre. The panel’s emphasis on the need for variety and different perspectives dovetailed nicely with parts of the “What Do Women Want?” discussion. Kolbeins, who has been critical to the efforts to bring gay manga to English-reading audiences, was able to provide fascinating insights into some of the difference between Japanese and Western porn comics industries. In Japan, pornography is often meant to exclusively be pornography; adding any sort of message or social commentary can be seen as watering it down. On the other hand, in the West sex comics often allow creators to address issues other than sex; as long as certain plot requirements are met, they are more or less free to do whatever they want with their comics.

The last panel that I attended on Saturday, moderated by Deb Aoki, was “Women in Manga!” The panel included all of this year’s mangaka who were featured guests at TCAF: Moyoco Anno, est em, and Akira Himekawa (A. Honda and S. Nagano, a two-women team). All four of them admitted that they brought their work along with them on the trip; they may be traveling, but they still had deadlines to meet. Even though they are women, they said that they are largely treated the same as their male counterparts when working in seinen. (In many cases, readers don’t even realize that they are women!) However, working in shounen used to present more hurdles, though it’s not as difficult now as it once was. In the end, readers care more about the content than the mangaka’s gender. Regardless of the genre or demographic that they are working in, the panelists normally receive respect. The exception to this would be boys’ love which is somewhat looked down upon. est em felt this was because that instead of the more usual manga contests which award the creators with a series, boys’ love mangaka often become professionals through their doujinshi and this is seen as a sneaky, backdoor way of breaking into the manga industry.

One of the heartbreaking things about TCAF is that there is so much great programming that it’s impossible to attend it all and hard decisions must be made. Sadly, “Women in Manga!” conflicted with the “Queering Comics – LGBTQ identity in comics and graphic novels” panel which I really wanted to attend. Since I couldn’t make it to the queer comics panel, I decided to show up for the TCAF Queer Mixer at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre instead. Now, I don’t generally go to things like parties and mixers, but I was enticed by the promise of on-stage presentations and interviews. And I wasn’t disappointed. Anne Ishii of MASSIVE made a fabulously entertaining host and more than a dozen of the queer creators who were at TCAF this year were spotlighted as part of the event. I was already familiar with some of them and their work, but others were new to me. And I’ll admit, it was pretty awesome to just be in the same room with a bunch of other amazing queer folk. One of the best things about TCAF is how marvelously inclusive it is, and the annual Queer Mixer is representative of that.

My 2014 TCAF haul

Then came Sunday, the last day of the main festival. Also known as “Ash’s day of manga.” I made it to three events, each one focusing on the festival’s featured mangaka. First thing in the morning was Moyoco Anno’s Spotlight with Ed Chavez. Probably not too surprisingly, Vertical’s releases of Anno’s manga—Insufficient Direction, Sakuran, and the soon to be published In Clothes Called Fat—were used as a jumping off point for the discussion. Anno talked about her approach to writing seinen, choosing to focus on what she as a woman can bring to the demographic rather than trying to compete in the same areas where men could do just as well. As for shoujo, she doesn’t feel that it has changed much over the last twenty years; it still follows the same unrealistic tropes, especially in regards to love. She feels that the large gap between real relationships and how they are portrayed in manga can sometimes be problematic for readers. When asked, she sweetly replied that her favorite character to draw was Director-kun, her husband Hideaki Anno (who also happened to be in attendance).

Those who stayed for the entire Moyoco Anno Spotlight were at a slight disadvantage when it came to the signing that immediately followed. I was the first person put in the rush line for her signing, but sadly I still didn’t get the chance to personally meet Anno. However, this did mean that I had time to walk over to Toronto’s Japan Foundation in time for Akira Himekawa in Conversation. The two women, who are best known for their Zelda manga, are celebrating their thirtieth year of collaboration and were being interviewed by Deb Aoki. They were both incredibly engaging and enthusiastic about their work. I actually haven’t read very much of Himekawa’s manga, but I’ll certainly be making a point to now. And after seeing examples of some of their current series, I really hope that more of their manga will be licensed in English in the future. I love the Zelda franchise, but Himekawa’s recent work, much of it in full-color, simply looks gorgeous. While I was at the Japan Foundation, I was also able to see the Seiji Ozawa Photography Exhibition—a showcase of archival materials focusing on the young, Japanese music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 1965 to 1969—which was great.

The Japan Foundation also sponsored an interview with Yohei Sadoshima, whose literary agency represents Moyoco Anno among many other creators, about the future of the manga industry. Unfortunately this conflicted with the est em Spotlight. As a huge fan of est em, there was no way I was going to miss her panel. Erica Friedman was the moderator and it actually ended up being one of the best interviews that I attended at TCAF this year, making it a great way to end the festival. est em got her start as a professional mangaka through boys’ love after being approached by an editor who was intrigued by her doujinshi. Interestingly enough, she hadn’t actually read much mainstream boys’ love, which may partly explain why her manga tends to be somewhat unusual. Although est em is probably best know for her atypical boys love manga, her current series—Golondrina and Ippo—are both seinen manga. I think that Viz is probably my only hope, but someone please license Golondrina for a print release! est em explains that the reason her work is quirky is because it incorporates what she personally finds to be beautiful or interesting. She especially enjoys exploring and working with themes that address the spaces in between two opposing forces. (Over at Okazu, Erica recently posted an excellent and much more thorough write-up of the est em Panel at TCAF.)

So there you have it! And that’s just scratching the surface of this year’s festival experience. In short: TCAF 2014 was phenomenal. The guests were amazing. The programming was fantastic. I hope that I’ll be able to go again next year. That’s the plan, anyway!

My Week in Manga: May 5-May 11, 2014

May 12, 2014 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week was a busy week for me, especially as I was travelling to and from Canada for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, but I still managed to post a few things. The Fullmetal Alchemist Giveaway Winner was announced, for one. The post also includes a select list of some shounen and seinen manga written and/or illustrated by women mangaka. I reviewed Hinoki Kino’s No. 6, Volume 6 which is a particularly important volume in the series as it starts to approach its climax. And I also reviewed The Battle Royale Slam Book: Essays on the Cult Classic Novel by Koushun Takami, the first nonfiction book to be released by Haikasoru. I thought it was pretty great.

No links this week as I have been completely preoccupied with TCAF and all its goings-on. I’ll have a lengthy write-up about it later this week, but I’ll just say now that I absolutely adore TCAF. Since est em was one of the featured guests, I spent quite a bit of time with her manga last week. The quick takes below feature most of her manga that are currently available or have been licensed in English. (Granted, some are out of print now.) I hope that there will someday be even more est em manga translated; I really love her work. Plus, having now met her, I can say that she’s a very cool and interesting person, too!

Quick Takes

Age Called Blue by est em. Originally released online in English and then in print by NetComics, Age Called Blue is also now available digitally from Digital Manga. Most of the volume focuses on Billy and Nick who are bandmates, roomates, friends, as well as something a bit more. Age Called Blue further develops the story and characters introduced in the manga “Rockin’ In My Head” which is included in est em’s earlier collection Seduce Me After the Show. I love the music connection in Age Called Blue. Their band, The Idiots, is something that is incredibly important to Billy, but Nick is incredibly important to him as well. Unfortunately, Nick isn’t the most responsible person and is constantly disappearing or getting into some sort of trouble, which threatens to tear the band apart just as they have the opportunity to make something of themselves. With all of the chaos caused by Nick, Billy struggles with his feelings for the other young man which can be at odds with his passion for his music. Also included in Age Called Blue is the story of how the two of them first met, which is incredibly charming. Two unrelated stories are also collected in the volume, both exhibiting their own sorts of passion.

Kine In! by est em. The first est em release by Digital Manga Guild, the main story in Kine In! is about Ken and Mari, who are twins, and their neighbor and close friend Joe. The three of them share an interest in films and film-making and so frequently go to the movies together. However, things become a little awkward for them after a couple of love confessions are made–Mari admits to her brother that she likes Joe, Joe tells Ken that he likes him, and Ken isn’t sure how to respond to either of them. And so he chooses to figure out his feelings and express himself by making his own film with Joe and Mari’s help. Three shorter one-shot manga are also included in Kine In! One of the themes that is prominent throughout the volume has to do with familial love and the importance of those family bonds. Many of the families shown in Kine In! are unusual in some way. “The Salvia and the Barber” features another trio of friends whose relationship goe beyond friendship while “The Scenery of that Summer” follows a young man meeting his step-brother for the first time after his father dies. “Mixed Juice,” which focuses on the relationship between a college student and his professor, is the only story that breaks from this thematic pattern.

Red Blinds the Foolish by est em. Although I have always enjoyed est em’s manga tremendously, it’s Red Blinds the Foolish that made me absolutely fall in love with her work. The main story in this volume is about Rafita, a brilliant young bullfighter, and Mauro, a butcher who processes the bulls killed in the arena. The two of them become intimately and passionately involved which has dramatic repercussions. Bullfighting is a crucial part of the manga and of their relationship; it is used to explore the paradoxes, complexities, and nuances of the connection between the two men. est em’s artwork is exquisite and the details she puts into the matador’s costumes are especially gorgeous. Even when dealing with heavier subjects like death and violence, Red Blinds the Foolish is beautiful and sensual. The afterword of Red Blinds the Foolish is a short travelogue of est em’s research trip to Spain to see the bullfights. Two of the other stories collected in the volume, “Baby, Stamp Your Foot” (about a novelist and his lover who makes shoes by hand) and “Tiempos extra” (about a violent soccer fan and a security guard), were actually first released in a gay men’s manga magazine as opposed to a boys’ love magazine. I particularly appreciate est em’s manga because of this crossover appeal.

Seduce Me After the Show by est em. Seduce Me After the Show was est em’s professional debut in Japan and was likewise the first of her manga to be licensed in English. The volume was my introduction to her work, and I’ve been collecting her manga ever since. Even so early in her career est em’s storytelling was already very sophisticated and mature. Her artwork is beautifully expressive, elegant, and sensuous. It suits the main story, which features a dancer, particularly well. Backgrounds are either simple or nonexistent which makes the characters and their relationships the focus of the short manga collected in the volume. There’s no overarching plot connecting the stories found in Seduce Me After the Show but atmosphere-wise many of the manga share a sense of melancholy and loss. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are sad or depressing, though they are thoughtful and contemplative. Another similarity is that most of the characters in Seduce Me After the Show are artists of one sort or another–dancers, actors, painters, musicians, and so on. Also of note: “I Saw the Blue”, the prequel to the story “Café et Cigarette” in Seduce Me After the Show, is collected in Age Called Blue.

Tableau Numéro 20 by est em. The most recent est em manga to be released in English is her collection Tableau Numéro 20, which includes five unrelated boys’ love, or boys’ love-esque, stories. Like many of her other manga, the stories in Tableau Numéro 20 frequently feature music, art, and dance. The titular manga and its related story “Le Visiteur” include a beautiful man who literally emerges from a painting, making them the most fantastical manga by est em that I’ve read. So much of her work and all of the other stories in Tableau Numéro 20 are based in reality, so it was interesting to see another side of est em’s creativity. Perhaps because both est em and I share an interest in Spanish culture, my favorite manga in Tableau Numéro 20 was “Rasgueado” which is about a flamenco dancer and guitarist. I’m always impressed by est em’s artwork and how expressive it is. The passion and energy on the page is almost palpable. Even when there is no dialogue there is a narrative being told through the characters’ body language and facial expressions. In “Rasgueado” in particular there are sequences of music and dance that are completely wordless that are brilliantly effective.

Ultras by est em. Along with Red Blinds the Foolish, as a whole Ultras is one of my favorite manga collections by est em. Currently it’s only available digitally, but I really do hope that it gets a print release sometime in the future. (As unlikely as that may be.) The titular “Ultras” is a story about Alfonso and Leon, two soccer fans who, after a drunken night of celebration when Spain wins the European Championship, end up in bed together. This wouldn’t necessarily be an issue except that it turns out that they are hardcore supporters of rival local teams. It’s refreshing to have a story where the plot’s anxiety isn’t about the characters being gay; in this case it’s the problem is that they’re fans of the “wrong” team. I also appreciate that the characters are well-developed and have lives outside of their relationship and soccer (though those are indeed both very important things in the manga). Al, for example, is actually an elementary school teacher and it’s adorable. And when Leon’s grandfather finds out about the two of them it’s simply one of the best scenes ever. “Ultras” and the related “Tiempos Extra” are my favorite manga in Ultras, but I enjoyed the other four stories as well. They all have a contemporary, modern sort of feel to them.

Pick of the Week: Short & Sweet

May 12, 2014 by Anna N, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Sean Gaffney and MJ Leave a Comment

ANNA: Did you get your mother manga for Mother’s Day? Is it time to go shopping for yourself? There are a lot of mid-series volumes coming out this week, does one of them end up in your shopping bag? In the absence of any new series to pounce on, I’m probably going to have to highlight 07-Ghost which I’ve fallen shamefully behind on.

MICHELLE: Same here. I wish I could extoll its virtues more enthusiastically, but at least I haven’t given up on reading it someday!

ASH: There may be fewer manga to choose from this week, but one of those choices is Blade of the Immortal, so I’m happy!

SEAN: I’ll go with the debut of Monster Soul, which looks very shoneney.

MJ: I am also going to go with Monster Soul! As I mentioned in this week’s column, I so enjoyed Hiro Mashima as a person during his last appearance at New York Comic Con, I’ve regretted never really getting into his work. It seems to me that this is my chance!

What looks good to you this week?

The Battle Royale Slam Book: Essays on the Cult Classic by Koushun Takami

May 11, 2014 by Ash Brown

Editor: Nick Mamatas and Masumi Washington
Publisher: Viz Media
ISBN: 9781421565996
Released: April 2014

Battle Royale has recently seen something of a revival in North America in recent years. Koushun Takami’s controversial novel was originally published in Japan in 1999. Both the novel and its manga adaptation illustrated by Masayuki Taguchi first appeared in English in 2003. The novel was released again with a slightly revised translation and additional supplementary material in 2009 by Viz Media’s speculative fiction imprint Haikasoru. (This tenth anniversary release was my introduction to Battle Royale.) However, it wasn’t until 2012 that the film version of Battle Royale and its sequel Battle Royale II: Requiem received an official release in the United States. And now, in 2014, we’re seeing the releases of a new English translation of Takami’s novel by Haikasoru, the recent Battle Royale: Angels’ Border manga illustrated by Mioko Ohnishi and Youhei Oguma, and The Battle Royale Slam Book: Essays on the Cult Classic by Koushun Takami, which is also notable for being Haikasoru’s first foray into nonfiction. Takami’s original novel left a huge impression on me, so I was very excited to read all of these new Battle Royale releases.

The Battle Royale Slam Book, edited by Nick Mamatas and Masumi Washington, collects sixteen essays (seventeen including the introduction by Mamatas) which examine various aspects of the entire Battle Royale franchise. The core of that franchise is of course Takami’s original novel, but The Battle Royale Slam Book also explores many of its manga and film adaptations as well. The contributors to the volume include award-winning writers, academics, fans, and many others from around the world–the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and even Japan itself are particularly well-represented. I was specifically excited to see an essay by Toh EnJoe included in the volume, but the rest of the lineup is great, too: Nadia Bulkin, Carrie Cuinn, Raechel Dumas, Isamu Fukui, Sam Hamm, Masao Higashi, Brian Keen, Gregory Lamberson, Kathleen Miller, Konstantine Paradias, Jason S. Ridler, Adam Roberts, John Skipp, Steven R. Stewart, and Douglas F. Warrick. All of their essays were written specifically for inclusion in The Battle Royale Slam Book.

The Battle Royale Slam Book includes several types of essays ranging from academic ruminations to literary and film criticisms to the authors’ more personal experiences with Battle Royale in all of its iterations. The topics of the individual contributions are also varied, though some recurring themes do emerge. Many of the essays focus on some of Battle Royale‘s most controversial aspects, such as extreme violence and the deaths of school-aged youth, gender portrayals and sexism, and so on. Other essays position Battle Royale within a greater context, exploring its place within and relationship to not only Japanese popular culture but Western popular culture as well. School literature, professional wrestling, teen films, and other similar subjects are all addressed. The volume also examines the historical context of Battle Royale and its themes. The Battle Royale Slam Book shows how the Battle Royale phenomena has been influenced by, uses, and challenges literary and genre conventions in addition to showing its impact and continuing influence on individual people.

Several assumptions are made with The Battle Royale Slam Book, primarily that the readers are adults already familiar with Battle Royale, have a basic understanding of the novel’s premise, or have been exposed to at least one of its adaptations. It’s also helpful but not absolutely necessary to have some grounding in literature and film, and especially with speculative fiction and horror. The Battle Royale Slam Book will probably appeal most to those who are already interested in or who have already experienced Battle Royale in some form. Though the contributors don’t hesitate to point out the flaws and challenges presented by the Battle Royale novel, manga, and films, it is very clear that they are all either fans or are fascinated by the material and the responses to it. There is criticism to be found, but in general the volume tends to take a positive approach. The Battle Royale Slam Book was written for people like me who want to learn more about Battle Royale, its influences, and impacts. I found The Battle Royale Slam Book to be utterly fascinating and would highly recommend the volume to similarly minded individuals.

No. 6, Vol. 6

May 9, 2014 by Ash Brown

Creator: Hinoki Kino
Original story: Atsuko Asano
U.S. publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9781612623603
Released: April 2014
Original release: 2013

I was rather pleased when Kodansha Comics licensed Hinoki Kino’s manga adaptation of Atsuko Asano’s No. 6. The original No. 6 was a nine-volume series of science fiction novels written between by 2003 and 2011. (Sadly, they haven’t officially been translated into English.) Also in 2011, two adaptations of No. 6 began–Kino’s manga series, which also ended up being nine volumes long, and an eleven-episode anime series directed by Kenji Nagasaki. The anime was actually my introduction to No. 6. Parts of the anime’s original ending frustrated me a great deal, but I was so taken with the characters and setting that I wanted to explore another interpretation of the story. No. 6, Volume 6 was originally published in Japan in 2013 while the English-language edition of the volume was released in 2014. The series has now passed its halfway point and is approaching its climax. The fifth volume ended in the middle of a critical scene, so I was particularly anxious to read the sixth.

The Security Bureau of the city of No. 6 has arrested Shion’s close childhood friend Safu and is currently holding her within the Correctional Facility. Shion is willing to do almost anything he can to rescue her, but he won’t be able to do it on his own no matter how hard he tries. Instead, he must rely on those he has met in West Block, a large population of refugees living outside the city walls. Rat has devised a daring plan to infiltrate the Correctional Facility. Shion and Rat allow themselves to be rounded up during the Manhunt–an effort by No. 6 to forcibly control and instill fear into those living in West Block–and are thereby able to gain access to the least secured area of the facility. If they hope to proceed any further they will have to depend on outside help and bribery; nothing is free in West Block, especially when those who give their aid may very well lose their lives for doing so. Everyone involved in the rescue have their own motives and agendas against the holy city of No. 6 so, at least for the time being, they are comrades.

No. 6, Volume 6 is a particularly important volume in the series for several reason: more of No. 6’s dark secrets are uncovered, a part of Rat’s past and the reason behind his hatred for the city is revealed, and the characters, specifically Shion but also Rat, have reached a crucial turning point in their development. All three of these things are interrelated and tied closely together. Shion grew up living an extremely privileged life in the supposedly perfect and pristine No. 6. However, the Manhunt and his experiences in West Block have shown him the terrible things that the city is capable of. Shion’s innocence is shattered further when he discovers that even the foundation of No. 6 was based on the blood of others. This history and Rat’s connection to it is something that up until this point in the series Rat has kept hidden from Shion, partly because he tends to distrust and close himself off from other people, but also because he was trying to protect the other young man. However, these are terrible truths that Shion must now face and come to terms with.

Seeing Shion begin to really change in the previous volume was heartbreaking, but here in No. 6, Volume 6 the difference between who Shion is now and who he was before is terrifying. The violence he is willing to commit with such eerie calm is chilling. His mother, still inside the city, is understandably worried about her son and his survival. However Rat, who is with him, is less concerned with Shion’s physical safety and more concerned about the potential loss of Shion’s personality and his very self. It’s almost as if the two of them have changed roles. Never before has Rat appeared so vulnerable or exhibited such kindness. He fears for Shion and is afraid of who Shion is becoming. At one point in the sixth volume the question is asked “Who do you want so much that it kills you?” In many ways, that question is the crux of No. 6. Rat is changing. Shion is changing. For the better and for the worse. For themselves and for each other. As a result the dynamics of their relationship is also evolving. They may or may not survive their confrontation with No. 6; tragically, even if they do, it is likely that they will be so different that little of their past lives and selves will remain intact.

Manga the Week of 5/14

May 8, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: Ah, blissful quiet 2nd week, when I can catch up on stuff from the first week. Not that there aren’t titles of interest here.

There’s a new Blade of The Immortal, Vol. 29. I’ll just let Ash chime in here.

ASH: Oh, Blade of the Immortal? That’s my cue! We’re now down to the final few volumes as the series approaches it’s ultimate climax. It’s been one heck of a ride and I don’t expect that Samura will let up on the intensity just because the series is coming to a close.

SEAN: And if you missed Dark Horse’s Samurai Executioner back when it came out around 10 years ago, well here’s a new omnibus release for you to see what you missed. It’s pretty much pure Koike, you know what you’ll see here.

DMP has the 4th volume of Dog x Cat, another of those series whose last volume came out so long ago that I don’t think even its biggest fans remember what was happening.

MICHELLE: I utterly forgot that series existed.

MJ: I had sort of… blissfully forgotten that it existed.

SEAN: I’ll be honest, I like Fairy Tail a lot, but I’ll be glad when the monthly releases are in the past. I’m all Fairy Tail‘d out right now. For those who aren’t, here’s Vol. 38.

SEAN: Speaking of Hiro Mashima, we get the debut of one of his few remaining unlicensed series, Monster Soul. This is what he wrote in between Rave Master and Fairy Tail. Best of all, I think it’s only 2 volumes long.

MJ: Perhaps this is my chance to finally jump onto the Hiro Mashima wagon! I liked him so much as a person when he appeared at NYCC a couple of years back, but I’ve never really gotten into his work. I should try!

SEAN: In other shonen news, we get the 2nd volume of The Seven Deadly Sins, which will presumably feature a few more sins.

And Sherlock Bones hits Vol. 5, with more sleuthing and probably more dog jokes as well. I miss Kindaichi. Dogs just aren’t the same, even if they are reincarnations of Holmes.

SEAN: Vol. 4 of From the New World comes out from Vertical. Has the series gotten into the dark SF aspects even more?

ASH: Yes, it has! It’s fantastically creepy and ominous, although the fanservice can still be a little much at times.

SEAN: Lastly, double digits for Viz’s 07-GHOST, which we now know will be 17 total, as it ended a few months ago in Japan.

MICHELLE: Like I say every time a new volume of 07-Ghost comes out… I really will catch up on this someday!

ANNA: I feel like Michelle and I are 07-Ghost procrastination twins, because I do enjoy the series and do want to get caught up on it someday. I recently took the step of searching through my house for unread volumes and putting them in a pile, so I can see where I need to fill in to get a complete run. Progress!

SEAN: Is there a series here that speaks to your heart?

Manga Giveaway: Fullmetal Alchemist Giveaway Winner

May 7, 2014 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the Fullmetal Alchemist Giveaway is…Naomi!

As the winner, Naomi will be receiving a copy of the first Fullmetal Alchemist omnibus released by Viz Media which collects the first three volumes of Hiromu Arakawa’s excellent manga. Because Fullmetal Alchemist is such a great series, and because Arakawa is such a great mangaka, for this giveaway I asked participants to tell me about some of their other favorite women mangaka. The responses were fantastic and I highly recommend reading the Fullmetal Alchemist Giveaway comments for all of the details. As usual, I also took the giveaway as an opportunity to compile a list. In this particular case, a list of some great shounen and seinen manga which are written or illustrated by women and are available in English.

Some great shounen and seinen manga by women mangaka:
Angelic Layer by CLAMP
Afterschool Charisma by Kumiko Suekane
Black Butler by Yana Toboso
Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato
Blood+ by Asuka Katsura
Bloody Cross by Shiwo Komeyama
A Bride’s Story by Kaoru Mori
Code: Breaker by Akimine Kamijyo
Chobits by CLAMP
Chi’s Sweet Home by Kanata Konami
D. Gray-Man by Katsura Hishino
Deadman Wonderland written by Jinsei Kataoka, illustrated by Kazuma Kondou
Dorohedoro by Q Hayashida
Drug & Drop by CLAMP
Emma by Kaoru Mori
ES: Eternal Sabbath by Fuyumi Soryo
Flowers & Bees by Moyoco Anno
Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
Gangsta by Kohske
Hikaru no Go written by Yumi Hotta, illustrated by Takeshi Obata
House of Five Leaves by Natsume Ono
Inu x Boku SS by Cocoa Fujiwara
InuYasha by Rumiko Takahashi
Kekkaishi by Yellow Tanabe
Lament of the Lamb by Kei Toume
Magi by Shinobu Ohtaka
Maison Ikkoku by Rumiko Takahashi
Mermaid Saga by Rumiko Takahashi
Mushishi by Yuki Urushibara
Nabari no Ou by Yuhki Kamatami
Noragami: Stray God by Toka Adachi
Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki
Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi
Reborn! by Akira Amano
Saiyuki by Kazuya Minekura
Sakuran by Moyoco Anno
Tactics by Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama
To Terra… by Keiko Takemiya
Tsubasa by CLAMP
What Did You Eat Yesterday? by Fumi Yoshinaga
Wolfsmund by Mitsuhisa Kuji
xxxHolic by CLAMP
Zombie-Loan by Peach-Pit

This list is by no means exhaustive! Phenomenal women mangaka have created tons of great manga, far to many for me to list here. Also, thank you to everyone who shared their favorite women mangaka creators with me! I hope to see you again for the next manga giveaway, too.

My Week in Manga: April 28-May 4, 2014

May 5, 2014 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

I was in Texas for much of last week, attending a conference for work, but I was still able post a few things here at Experiments in Manga. The most recent manga giveaway is underway, for one. This month you all have a chance to win the first omnibus of Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist. All you have to do is tell me a little about some of your favorite women mangaka. April’s Bookshelf Overload was also posted; there were all sorts of great releases last month. And finally, the first in-depth manga review of May goes to the very recently released Vinland Saga, Omnibus 3 by Makoto Yukimura. Vinland Saga is one of my favorite series currently being published in English. The entire series is epic and third omnibus is awesome.

Because I was traveling and caught up in conference goings-on, I may have missed some news. (If there’s something that caught your interest last week, do let me know!) However, I did come across a few things that made for good reading. I particularly enjoyed Tony Yao’s post at Manga Therapy, The Ambiguously Amazing Hange Zoe which discusses things like Attack on Titan, gender, and ambiguity. I recently reviewed Jen Lee Quick’s Off*Beat, Volume 2 in preparation for the release of the third and final volume. The series’ editor Lillian Diaz-Przybyl offers some Editorial Thoughts on the End of Off*Beat, one of Chromatic Press’ flagship titles. RocketNews24 offers a list of the twenty most popular manga in Japan, based on publication numbers. Justin Stroman interviews Eric Eberhardt (Viz Media’s Director of Digital Publishing) about Viz’s new digital imprint VIZ Select.

And for those of you in the Toronto area next week and weekend, do be sure to check out the Toronto Comic Arts Festival! There will be some phenomenal programming and incredible creators in attendance (including Moyoco Anno, Est Em, and Akira Himekawa among many, many more), and it’s free! TCAF is the only comic festival/conference that I go to and I highly, highly recommend it.

Quick Takes

Constellations in My Palm written by Chisako Sakuragi and illustrated by Yukine Honami. I happen to really enjoy Honami’s artwork–a somewhat softer style with light but expressive lines–so I’ve slowly been getting around to reading the various boys’ love manga that she’s worked on. As far as I know, Constellations in My Palm is the only manga that Sakuragi has written. It’s a fairly realistic romance and tends to be somewhat quiet and subdued. It’s narrated by Mizuho, a college student, whose younger cousin Enji moves in with his family as he is about to start college, too. When they were younger they were very close, but it’s been seven years since they’ve been in contact with or seen each other. Mizuho and Enji both care about each other, but their relationship has become awkward and strained. Constellations in My Palm has some wonderful moments in it, but I was largely frustrated by the manga. So much of the story is driven by misunderstandings, and many of them aren’t even the result of miss-communication. Generally, it’s Mizuho who’s the culprit–even when he’s told something straight to his face, repeatedly, he simply can’t or chooses not to believe it. As Mizuho has some self-esteem issues this does fit his character, but it doesn’t make it any less exasperating.

The Flowers of Evil, Volumes 7-9 by Shuzo Oshimi. I’ve been waiting for the entirety of the third arc of The Flowers of Evil to be released before reading it. I’m glad that I did, because once I started I didn’t want to put the manga down. After the resolution of the incident at the summer festival, there is a timeskip of three years. Kasuga and his family have moved to a different town in order to start over, but he is still haunted by his past. His relationship with his parents is broken and almost nonexistent. His new classmates tolerate him, but he remains distant and disconnected (and understandably so). But then he meets and, despite his weirdness and strange behavior, is befriended by Tokiwa–a popular and attractive girl whom all of the boys have a crush on. Like Kasuga, she’s hiding parts of herself from others, too. On the surface, the third arc is almost tame when compared to what came before it, but it is still extremely effective. It has a very different sort of intensity than the previous arcs. The story has become more subtle but retains a constant undercurrent of dread. Even when good things happen it seems as though they could only possibly be a prelude to some sort of disaster. The Flowers of Evil is an incredibly engaging series and just keeps getting better and better.

Say I Love You, Volume 1 by Kanae Hazuki. I didn’t really know much about Say I Love You before reading the first volume; I was vaguely aware of the series because of its recent anime adaptation (which I haven’t seen yet), but that’s about it. There’s not really much of a “hook” per se in Say I Love You. The characters are fairly normal. The story isn’t particularly unusual. The the two leads are Mei Tachibana–who although she avoids making friends is very aware of others and their feelings–and Yamato Kurosawa–whose popularity stems from his good looks but who otherwise is extremely average. So far the manga is simply about a group of teenagers living out their high school years. This includes all of the cliques and the bullying, the stress caused by interpersonal relationships, the self-consciousness and the issues of self-esteem. But that realism is probably the series’ strength. Say I Love You has some humorous moments, but I wouldn’t really describe it as a comedy at this point since in general Hazuki takes a more serious approach with the series. I’m actually very curious to see how Mei and Yamato’s relationship continues to develop, as well as how the relationships between the other characters evolve as well.

Wolfsmund, Volumes 3-4 by Mitsuhisa Kuji. At first Wolfsmund seemed to me as though it was going to be an episodic series, but with the third and fourth volumes the manga has focused in on an overarching narrative. However, the bleakness and brutality that has been present from the very start of Wolfsmund remains constant. These volumes see the beginning of the Swiss rebellion against the Austrian occupation and all of the violence and death that entails, including the incredible siege of the Wolf’s Maw at Sankt Gotthard Pass. The uprising has been in the planning stages for quite some time, but now the rebels finally have the opportunity to take action. 14th-century warfare is not pretty. There are very good reasons why attacking an overtaking a fortress are difficult tasks to accomplish–they are built to withstand assault and are designed to allow defenders to wreak havoc on invading forces and to cause tremendous amounts of damage. The rebels must face skilled soldiers, traps, fire, molten lead, boiling water, and more. And on top of that Wolfram, the bailiff of the Wolf’s Maw, is a vicious and sadistic leader who is not above torture. In fact, he seems to delight in it. Wolfsmund continues to be a dark and intense manga that is definitely meant for maturer audiences.