Ash Brown

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.

Pick of the Week: Beginnings & Endings

May 5, 2014 by MJ, Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Anna N and Ash Brown Leave a Comment

MJ: I’m going to surprise myself a bit here by going for a title I hadn’t even heard about before this week’s column! That would be volume one of Whispered Words, out this week from One Peace Books. What this basically boils down to is that pretty much every yuri manga that Sean has ever recommended has turned out to be something I loved. So why would this be any different? This has quickly become my must-buy item for the week!

SEAN: Whispered Words is fantastic, and you won’t regret it, particularly as it gets more serious. Your picking it allows me, even though my real POTW is obviously that as well, to pick the final volume of Otomen. I’ve enjoyed mocking it almost as much as I have reading it, but the fact remains that this series has been filled with tons of funny, romantic, heartwarming moments about how men and women can do whatever the hell they want without worrying about gender roles. Also, Ryo. Ryo forever in my heart.

MICHELLE: It is Whispered Words 100% for me! I’d actually heard of Sasameki Koto, but missed the news of its license, so this is a very pleasant surprise for me, too. I hope it does well enough for One Peace to publish the full series.

SEAN: The 2nd omnibus, with Vols. 4-6 is scheduled for November and available for preorder! My guess is the last 3 volumes will be in a 3rd omnibus in Spring 2015.

MICHELLE: Ah, there it is! Somehow I missed it! Even more securely my pick of the week, then!

ANNA: It seems like everyone else has the yuri fans covered, but I couldn’t help noticing that there’s a great shoujo series ending with the 10th volume of Strobe Edge. This is one of those series that got better and better as it went along, and the concluding volume is very satisfying. It is my pick!

ASH: I’ll be joining Sean this week in picking the final volume of Aya Kanno’s Otomen for all of the reasons that he outlines. Also because Ryo carrying Asuka princess-style on the cover is one of the most perfect things ever. Hopefully the series has done well enough for Viz that the publisher might consider releasing more of Kanno’s work–I’ve particularly got my eye on her manga inspired by Shakespeare’s Richard III.

What looks good to you this week?

Vinland Saga, Vol. 3

May 3, 2014 by Ash Brown

Creator: Makoto Yukimura
U.S. publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9781612624228
Released: April 2014
Original release: 2007-2008
Awards: Japan Media Arts Award, Kodansha Manga Award

Vinland Saga, an award-winning manga series by Makoto Yukimura, is a title that I’ve been wishing for a release in English for years. Thanks to Kodansha Comics, it’s finally available, and in a deluxe hardcover edition no less. I couldn’t be happier. If I loved the first omnibus, I loved the second omnibus even more. Vinland Saga has easily become one of my favorite manga series currently being released in English. The third Vinland Saga omnibus, published by Kodansha in 2014, collects the fifth and sixth volumes of the original Japanese edition, released in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Vinland Saga, Omnibus 3 also includes a brief section of questions answered by Yukimura about the series which is exclusive to the English release. Vinland Saga is Kodansha’s first foray into deluxe manga releases and features color pages as well as a slightly larger trim size than most of its other manga which allows Yukimura’s artwork to present itself as strongly as his storytelling skills. Vinland Saga is an excellent series and has won both a Japan Media Arts Award as well as a Kodansha Manga Award.

The Danish invasion of England is steadily progressing. The English forces are preparing to surrender, which doesn’t sit well at all with Thorkell the Tall. A Viking mercenary fighting on the side of the English with an insatiable thirst for battle, he would much rather see the war continue indefinitely. One way he can encourage the conflict to continue is by taking Canute, the son of Denmark’s King Sweyn and second in line to the throne, captive. Canute is currently being escorted by Askeladd and his band of mercenaries. They initially escaped Thorkell’s pursuit by fleeing to Wales. Askeladd planned to rejoin with the main Danish force, but to do so required traveling through English-controlled territory. To make their situation even worse, winter and a heavy snowstorm forced them to halt their march in a small English village. Their presence behind enemy lines is discovered far sooner than they had wished or expected. Askeladd and his men are once again faced with confronting Thorkell and his mercenaries in bloody battle.

The struggle for the control of Canute and his fate is pivotal to the story of Vinland Saga. It also provides a phenomenal opportunity for battle sequences and they are brutal. Yukimura doesn’t hold back or spare any details, depicting broken bones, severed limbs, crushed skulls, blood and gore as needed or required. Askeladd’s plans are falling apart around him and his men are beginning to lose confidence in their leader. Already in disarray, they are in an extremely bad position when Thorkell and his band catch up with them. The battle as a whole is intense, but then comes the fight between Thorkell and Thorfinn. Their confrontation in the second omnibus was impressive to begin with, but their duel in the third is even more so. Thorfinn is skilled, quick, small, and volatile while Thorkell is a literal giant of a man who primarily relies on his strength. Their fight is incredible to watch unfold. Thorfinn holds his own against Thorkell surprisingly well, but Thorkell’s physical feats are astounding.

The battles and duels in Vinland Saga are well-executed and thrilling, but just as important to the series is the development of the story and of the characters. Particularly astonishing in Vinland Saga, Omnibus 3 is the remarkable growth of Canute. Up until this point he has seemed sheltered and coddled; he abhors the senseless violence around him which makes the others view him as weak. However, Canute is all too aware of his unfortunate situation. Askeladd and Thorkell are surprised to discover that Canute carries very little value as a hostage, nor will his survival necessarily be appreciated by the king. Ultimately, it is up to Canute himself to take control of his own destiny. His true strength is revealed and it is utterly magnificent. This marks a turning point not only for Canute but for the entirety of Vinland Saga. Yukimura mixes historical fiction with meticulously researched historical fact and the results are extraordinarily engaging. Vinland Saga is the epic that I’ve been waiting for and I can’t wait to read more.

Bookshelf Overload: April 2014

May 2, 2014 by Ash Brown

Well, I knew at the beginning of the month that April was going to be rough on my wallet, what with all of the preorders and such that I had in place. Fortunately, I also had a couple of gift cards to burn, which alleviated some of the pain, but the month still ended up being a little embarrassing when it came to the amount of manga and other delights that made their way into my place of residence. April had some great releases, though. The manga that I was most excited for was the third Vinland Saga omnibus by Makoto Yukimura. (Review to come very soon. That is, most likely tomorrow.) My copy of the first omnibus in Takashi Ikeda’s series Whispered Words from One Peace Books arrived earlier than expected, which means it will likely become the next entry in my Year of Yuri review project. Comics-wise, I was delighted to see the nice, hardcover release of Mike Richardson and Stan Sakai’s 47 Ronin. (Also of note, Lone Wolf & Cub‘s Kazuo Koike served as the series’ editorial consultant.) Battle Royale is seeing a resurgence in English, including the release of the The Battle Royale Slam Book (it’s great; expect a review of this one soon, too) and a completely new translation of Koushun Takami’s original novel. Oh, and the final Berserk: The Golden Age anime film was also released! I’m still not completely sold on the use of the 3D CG, but I do love me some Berserk.

Manga!
Alive by Hajime Taguchi
Attack on Titan, Volume 12 by Hajime Isayama
Bokurano: Ours, Volume 1 by Mohiro Kitoh
Bunny Drop, Volume 10 by Yumi Unita
Crimson Spell, Volume 3 by Ayano Yamane
Dorohedoro, Volume 12 by Q Hayashida
Dictatorial Grimoire, Volume 3: Red Riding Hood by Ayumi Kanou
Drifters, Volume 3 by Kohta Hirano
The Drifting Classroom, Volumes 4-7 by Kazuo Umezu
Fairy Tail, Volume 37 by Hiro Mashima
The Flowers of Evil, Volume 9 by Shuzo Oshimi
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 8 by Tsutomu Nihei
Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 11 by Kiiro Yumi
Lone Wolf and Cub, Omnibus 4 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Goseki Kojima
Mail, Volumes 1-3 by Housui Yamazaki
Man of Many Faces, Volumes 1-2 by CLAMP
No. 6, Volume 6 by Hinoki Kino
No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, Volume 3 by Nico Tanigawa
Oishinbo, A la Carte: Vegetables written by Tetsu Kariya, illustrated by Akira Hanasaki
Say I Love You, Volume 1 by Kanae Hazuki
Sunny, Volume 3 by Taiyo Matsumoto
Tegami Bachi, Volumes 1-14 by Hiroyuki Asada
Vagabond, Omnibus 5 b Takehiko Inoue
Vinland Saga, Omnibus 3 by Makoto Yukimura
Whispered Words, Omnibus 1 by Takashi Ikeda
Wolfsmund, Volume 4 by Mitsuhisa Kuji
xxxHolic: Rei, Volume 1 by CLAMP
Yakitate!! Japan, Volumes 1-3 by Takashi Hashiguchi
You and Me, Etc. by Kyuugou

Manhwa!
9 Faces of Love by Wann
Stone Collector, Book 2 written by Kevin Han, illustrated by Zom-J

Comics!
47 Ronin written by Mike Richardson, illustrated by Stan Sakai
Greek Love written by Dale Lazarov, illustrated by Adam Graphite
Juku: A Comics Album by Various
Monsters & Titans: Battling Boy on Tour by Paul Pope
Sex Criminals, Volume 1 written by Matt Fraction, illustrated by Chip Zdarsky

Novels!
Battle Royale: Remastered by Koushun Takami

Collections!
Monkey Business, Volume 4 edited by Motoyuki Shibata and Ted Goossen

Nonfiction!
The Battle Royale Slam Book: Essays on the Cult Classic by Koushun Takami edited by Nick Mamatas and Masumi Washington
Strong in the Rain: Surviving Japan’s Earthquake, Tsunami, and Fukushima Nuclear Disaster by Lucy Birmingham and David McNeill

Anime!
Berserk: The Golden Age, Arc III: The Advent directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka

Manga the Week of 5/7

May 1, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ and Michelle Smith 2 Comments

SEAN: First weeks of the month, man. I don’t know… June will be even worse, by the way.

First off, Dark Horse has its third Trigun Maximum omnibus, for those who missed it the first time around. Or just can’t get enough of Meryl and Milly. (And Vash, I suppose.)

Another title I don’t know much about from Gen Manga, called Android Angels. The cat eared girl on the cover really doesn’t play to my demographic, to be honest.

ASH: It has androids, so it has my attention!

MJ: I’m always interested to see what Gen is up to, if nothing else!

SEAN: This one is actually coming out this week rather than next, Amazon surprised me by moving the date up at the last minute. It’s also a highly anticipated title. Whispered Words is an omnibus from One Peace Books, better known to the yuri manga crowd as Sasameki Koto. It runs in Comic Alive, but for once don’t let that put you off – this is great stuff.

MICHELLE: Ooooh. Something just got added to my Amazon cart!

ASH: My copy has already arrived, and yes, this is great stuff.

MJ: MUST BUY.

SEAN: I’m starting to weary of the endless Alice spinoffs, but this new one, Love Labyrinth of Thorns, at least features Julius, one of my favorites of Alice’s many suitors.

Mayo Chiki 6. Mm. Yes. It has certainly reached 6 volumes.

There’s also Monster Musume 3, which has been a huge runaway success, to the point where I’m wondering if I got some other manga by mistake when I tried to read it. Oh well, no one ever said I had to be right all the time.

There’s also the first volume of Zero’s Familiar Chevalier, a sequel to the manga about everyone’s favorite tsundere. I’m not sure how long this will run – the author sadly passed away a while back, so I suspect the ending may be sudden.

Want Viz? We’ve got Viz! How about another Bleach 3-in-1, the first of many of that type of omnibus coming out this week.

Claymore hits Volume 24, and shows no sign of letting up anytime soon.

MJ: I’m good with that!

SEAN: High School Debut has its second 3-in-1. I’m trying to catch up on this series after losing track of it first time around, so this pleases me.

MICHELLE: *flaily Kermit arms*

MJ: Heeeee.

SEAN: Midnight Secretary hits Vol. 5, and I believe gets even further into family politics. But no doubt will still have hot vampire sex as well.

Naruto has an 8th 3-in-1, much like the holy trinity of Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke functions as a 3-in-1 with every chapter. Wait, isn’t this the academic conference?

Nisekoi 3 has been out digitally for ages, but now those who like print can catch up on the latest harem comedy.

MJ: I’m glad to have the opportunity to read this in print. Weirdly, I sort of like it.

SEAN: Otomen has reached its final volume, and it will be hard to top that cover. This is a title that’s gotten stronger as it’s gone along, even if the basic plot beat (new male character turns out to be secret otomen) was beaten into the ground. I’ll miss it.

ASH: I love that cover and I love this series. I’ll miss it, too.

SEAN: Phantom Thief Jeanne was a somewhat darker magical girl take in its first volume, and I expect things to continue in that vein with Vol. 2.

MICHELLE: I really enjoyed volume one, so I’m looking forward to this!

MJ: Me too!

SEAN: Psyren also ends with Vol. 16. This was one of those mid-range Jump series that never got quite as popular as I expected over here, but did well enough. Let’s hope it all wraps up nicely.

MICHELLE: One day I really will read Psyren.

SEAN: If you saw Nisekoi is out but prefer your harem comedy a little more old-school, there’s the 2nd Ranma 1/2 omnibus, which features the debut of Shampoo.

The last of our final volumes next week, Strobe Edge hits Vol. 10. Will our heroine finally be able to get what love is? And will it be happy?

MICHELLE: And here are two more I’m eager for! It’s nice to be excited about things. :)

MJ: I’m still hooked on Strobe Edge.

SEAN: Lastly, not a final volume but a penultimate one, as Vampire Knight is almost at its conclusion. What will we do in a world without any vampire manga in our lives? Well, except for those dozen others. Regardless, this volume should prove as addicting yet confusing as the others.

What manga will you be catching up on at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival?

Manga Giveaway: Fullmetal Alchemist Giveaway

April 30, 2014 by Ash Brown

It’s the last Wednesday of April (not to mention the last day of April) which means it’s time for the monthly manga giveaway here at Experiments in Manga to begin! This month you have the opportunity to win the first omnibus of Hiromu Arakawa’s wonderful manga series Fullmetal Alchemist as published by Viz Media. The omnibus collects the first three volumes of the series in one convenient package and makes a great introduction to Fullmetal Alchemist. (And for you collectors who like your manga to match, never fear! The final volume of the omnibus edition is currently scheduled for release this November.) As always, the giveaway is open worldwide!

Gender has been a fairly hot topic in comics over the last few years (if not longer). The discussion isn’t just about who is represented in comics, but who’s reading and creating comics as well. Amazing women creators are out there, and they have been for a long time. This is not only true for comics in general, but for manga specifically. Women are and have been creating for all demographics. I am aware of plenty of women mangaka working in seinen and shounen, which are primarily aimed at men and boys, not to mention those who are working in josei and shoujo, which are primarily aimed at women and girls. Of course there are all of those manga that don’t neatly fit into one of the four main demographics and women are creating those, too.

Now, when I’m looking for manga to read, I’m looking for great characters, great stories, and great art. Whether the creator is a woman or a man (or any other gender for that matter) can be important, but for me it usually isn’t a deciding factor when it comes to choosing what to read. Sadly, that’s not true for everyone. I know of readers who will intentionally avoid the work of women creators, authors, and artists simply because they’re women. And they’re missing out on some fantastic material because of it. Take Fullmetal Alchemist as an example.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of the first Fullmetal Alchemist omnibus?

1) In the comments below, simply name one of your favorite women mangaka and tell me what you enjoy about her work.
2) For a second entry, name a shounen or seinen manga series (which hasn’t been mentioned by me or by someone else) that is written and/or illustrated by a woman.
3) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

And there you have it! Each person participating in the giveaway can earn up to three entries and has one week to submit comments. If you have trouble leaving a comment, or if you would prefer, entries may also be submitted via e-mail to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com. I will then post the comments in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on May 7, 2014. Good luck!

VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address, 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: Fullmetal Alchemist Giveaway Winner

Pick of the Week: 3 from Kodansha

April 28, 2014 by MJ, Anna N, Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and Ash Brown Leave a Comment

MJ: I’m the one with an obvious choice this week, so I’ll start things off by reiterating what I said in Wednesday’s column: xxxHolic, xxxHolic, xxxHolic! By now, everyone knows that I was an enormous fan of this series—of its glorious artwork, its dark tone, and its spaztastic hero, Watanuki. I am also one of the few fans of the series who did not hate the ending, or the major plot event that this new continuation seems to be ignoring. But hey, I’m fine with that, too! I’ll go along with anything that gives me more of this series. So bring it on, xxxHolic: Rei!

ANNA: I’m going to have to go with Vinland Saga, a manly manga about vikings killing people that manages to have really interesting characters and plot development along with the marauding.

SEAN: I enjoy supporting my local josei, or in this case my local shoujo/josei hybrid, so my pick is the first volume of Say “I Love You” from Kodansha. I reviewed it here. As you can see, I wasn’t over the moon about it, but rare is the shoujo series I fall in love with right away. Most take a few volumes to draw me in. I’m hoping this is the same.

MICHELLE: I’m definitely glad we’re getting more xxxHOLiC, but it feels a bit like cheating to pick it when I never managed to finish the original, so instead I’ll join Sean in picking Say “I Love You”. Honestly, I don’t know a great deal about it, but it’s new shoujo from Kodansha, and there really hasn’t been enough of that, so perhaps buying this will encourage them!

ASH: This week is an easy decision for me. I’m in total agreement with Anna. No question about it, my pick is Vinland Saga. With exciting battles and fantastic character development, the series is incredibly engaging and one of my favorite manga being released right now.

What looks good to you this week?