Ash Brown

Bookshelf Overload: October 2013

November 1, 2013 by Ash Brown

Thanks to gift certificates, review copies, and some choice preorders, October once again saw plenty of manga and other materials making their way onto my bookshelves at home. Thankfully, it wasn’t as absurd an amount as it has been in past months and I recently made a couple of rather large manga and anime donations to my libraries, but my room is quickly getting very crowded again. My favorite out-of-print manga find for the month was a complete set of Reiko Shimizu’s Moon Child. Coincidentally enough, I purchased it from of a regular reader of Manga Bookshelf without even realizing it! Tucked in as a bonus was a volume of Makoto Kobayashi’s What’s Michael? which I will be reviewing soon. (Yes, folks, I take review requests!) There were a few preorders that I was particularly excited for in October: Takehiko Inoue’s Real, Volume 12 (which I feel is one of the best series currently being released in English), the marvelous omnibus edition of Junji Ito’s Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror (which includes color pages and previously unreleased materials), and Baku Yumemakura and Jiro Taniguchi’s The Summit of the Gods, Volume 4 (which is one of my personal favorites). I’m also very happy to see more of Est Em’s work being released in print (Tableau Numéro 20) and am curious to give Ichiya Sazanami’s Black Bard omnibus from One Peace Books a try.

Manga!
Animal Land, Volumes 5-8 by Makoto Raiku
Attack on Titan, Volumes 8 by Hajime Isayama
Baron Gong Battle, Volumes 1-6 by Masayuki Taguchi
Black Bard by Ichiya Sazanami
Fairy Tail, Volume 31 by Hiro Mashima
Flowers of Evil, Volume 7 by Shuzo Oshimi
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 5 by Tsutomu Nihei
The Manzai Comics, Volume 1 written by Atsuko Asano, illustrated by Hizuru Imai
Missions of Love, Volume 5 by Ema Toyama
Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls, Volume 1 by Okayado
Moon Child, Volumes 1-13 by Reiko Shimizu
No. 6, Volume 3 by Hinoki Kino
No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, Volume 1 by Nico Tanigawa
Real, Volume 12 by Takehiko Inoue
Rica ‘tte Kanji!? by Rica Takashima
Sankarea: Undying Love, Volume 3 by Mitsuru Hattori
The Summit of the Gods, Volume 4 written by Baku Yumemakura, illustrated by Jiro Taniguchi
Tableau Numéro 20 by Est Em
The Tyrant Falls in Love, Volume 8 by Hinako Takanaga
Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror by Junji Ito
What’s Michael, Book 2 Makoto Kobayashi

Comics!
Battling Boy by Paul Pope
Homecoming by Creative Alchemy
In These Words, Chapter 9 by Guilt | Pleasure
Prima by Yeehun
Solestar written by Siike Donnelly
The Spectral Engine by Ray Fawkes
Yuri Monogatari, Volumes 5-6 by Various

Nonfiction!
The Nobility of Failure: Tragic Heroes in the History of Japan by Ivan Morris
The Way of Taiko by Heidi Varian

Music!
Tsuritama: Original Soundtrack by Kuricorder Quartet

Manga Giveaway: Sankarea Giveaway

October 30, 2013 by Ash Brown

The end of October approaches as does Hallowe’en, so I thought it would be appropriate to feature a horror manga for this month’s giveaway. As such, this month you all will have a chance to win a copy of the first volume of Mitsuru Hattori’s Sankarea: Undying Love as published by Kodansha Comics in English, the third volume of which was just released this week. Granted, Sankarea is really more of a strange romantic comedy than straight up horror…but it has zombies, so I’m going to count it! As always, the giveaway is open worldwide.

Over the last few years, zombies have become incredibly popular in the United States. They’ve become so popular in fact, that I’ve actually become rather bored with them. (Planning for the zombie apocalypse with family and friends can still be an entertaining thought experiment, though.) With more and more zombie stories out there, it becomes more and more important that creators find a way to distinguish their work in some way. In the case of Sankarea, Hattori has not only created a rather odd sort of hydrangea zombie, but he has also made her the primary romantic interest of the series, too. It’s an unusual take on the zombie genre, and I can certainly appreciate him trying to doing something a little offbeat and different.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of Sankarea: Undying Love, Volume 1?

1) In the comments below, tell me about any run-ins you’ve had with zombies in manga. (Never encountered a manga zombie? Just mention that.)
2) For a second entry, answer the following question: Do you prefer slow-moving zombies or fast-moving zombies in your fiction?
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).

That’s all there is to it! Each person can earn up to three entries for this giveaway and has one week to submit comments. Entries may also be sent via e-mail to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com and I will post them in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on November 6, 2013. Good luck to you all!

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: Sankarea Giveaway Winner

My Week in Manga: October 21-October 27, 2013

October 28, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week I reviewed Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son, Volume 5. The series is personally very important to me, so I’m always happy when a new volume is released. Sadly, we probably won’t see the next volume until next year. Last week I also posted Discovering Manga: Podcasts Redux. It’s a quick update on some of the podcasts that I’ve listened to and written about in the past. It also outlines my plan to write more podcast posts since my previous ones seem to have been fairly popular. If you have a manga podcast that you think I should check out, do let me know!

On to good stuff found online! A commenter on my recent post Random Musings: Queer Theory, Japanese Literature, and Translation linked to a fascinating article from earlier this year: Talking about (a)sexuality in Japanese. Over at Publishers Weekly, Deb Aoki has a great recap of Manga at New York Comic Con. Misaki C. Kido gives seven reasons Why Felipe Smith Is the Only Mangaka from America (So Far). And some of the most interesting news from last week: Crunchyroll will begin to digitally distribute Kodansha manga, providing access to new chapters the same day they are released in Japan. (Including some titles not previously available in English!) It should be interesting to see how this venture develops.

Quick Takes

Attack on Titan, Volume 8 by Hajime Isayama. The mystery of the Female Titan has been solved! Or, at least one of the mysteries–the identity of the person is who is controlling it. The reasons behind why and for what purpose are still unknown. For every question that is answered in Attack on Titan it seems as though there are even more to be asked. This particular volume includes a huge (dare I say titanic?) plot reveal which ends with a fantastic confrontation between Hanji and Minister Nick. (As an aside, I love that Hanji is a canonically gender ambiguous character.) One of the major secrets dealing with the walls is literally uncovered, but has yet to be fully explained. Attack on Titan continues to get stranger and stranger. For those who have been watching the Attack on Titan anime but who have thus far been avoiding the manga for one reason or another (I know plenty of people who can’t get past the terribly inconsistent artwork), the eighth volume is where you’ll want to pick the series up if you want to see any more of the story any time soon.

Knights of Sidonia, Volumes 4-5 by Tsutomu Nihei. I am still enjoying Knights of Sidonia, but it frequently strikes me as a peculiar mix of science fiction horror and romantic comedy. But whatever genre it falls into at any given time, I do think the manga is Nihei’s most accessible work to date. Occasionally I still miss his grittier style of illustration, but the cleaner and somewhat simpler artwork in Knights of Sidonia has really grown on me. One of the things that amuses me tremendously is that Nagate is frequently seen stuffing food into his face. This emphasizes how much of an oddity he is compared to the rest of society on the Sidonia. And he is rather odd. His social interactions can be very awkward and often he is completely oblivious to his faux pas until it’s too late. (Let’s just say that it’s fortunate that he heals quickly.) The Gauna continue to be daunting adversaries. While at first they were terrifying enigmas, over the course of the series they have adapted and evolved and have even adopted (or at least mimicked) human technology and tactics, making them even more frightening.

Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls, Volume 1 by Okayado. Monster Musume is a harem series that attempts to distinguish itself by featuring monster girls. There is absolutely no question that Monster Musume is an ecchi manga, so unsurprisingly there are a lot of boobs and other bits. (I’m still trying to figure out how a snake can have a camel toe.) Kurusu Kimihito is an average guy who was “volunteered” for an exchange program between human and part-human species. He has become the host family for Miia, a lamia who is overly fond of him (inter-species canoodling is forbidden). Overwhelmed, he is constantly in a state of near-panic. As the first volume of Monster Musume progresses, bad puns and groan-inducing wordplay become increasingly prominent. (I’m one of those odd people who actually appreciates this sort of intentionally and ridiculously terrible dialogue, though.) It’s not at all a deep story–and I do wonder where all the monster boys are–but Monster Musume can actually be rather entertaining on occasion.

Pick of the Week: Old Favorites & New

October 28, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Anna N, Ash Brown and MJ 3 Comments

SEAN: There’s far too much stuff coming out this week, so something is bound to get lost in the shuffle. With that in mind, I will once again bang the gong for one of my addictive series. Higurashi: When They Cry continues to answer things, as we see the aftermath of Satoko and her parents, see how Rika lost her parents, and watch Miyo almost lose everything. The parallels between Miyo and Rika are emphasized even more. Definitely will be devouring this.

MICHELLE: And I’ll bang the gong for one of mine, Pandora Hearts. I’m not sure how much answering it’s going to do, but I’m sure it’ll be as riveting as it is occasionally baffling.

ANNA: I’m going to venture off-list and pick Vinland Saga again. Because today I’m finally going to head out to a physical bookstore to buy it as it seems to still be unorderable on Amazon.

ASH: Wow, there really is a lot of manga coming out this week! I’m particularly looking forward to the second volume of Mitsuhisa Kuji’s Wolfsmund which I would recommend for fans of dark and intriguing historically-inspired manga.

MJ: It’s an abundant shipping week, for sure, though for such a full week, there’s surprisingly little in it that appeals particularly to me. I’m planning to take a look at new Yen titles Another and No Matter How I Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, and I’m always happy to see a new volume of the visually stunning Bride of the Water God. But there’s only one book in this week’s batch that I absolutely can’t wait to read, and that’s volume 18 of Pandora Hearts. I’m a long-time fan of the series, as you know, and at NYCC I was reminded again of just how few of us there are in critical circles when a fellow journalist at the con asked me, “Who writes about Pandora Hearts?” I could think of very few. So, with that in mind, I’m happy to join Michelle this week in making it my pick!

What looks good to you this week?

Discovering Manga: Podcasts Redux

October 25, 2013 by Ash Brown

Over the last few years I have been looking for manga podcasts to listen to. Sadly, podcasts that exclusively focus on manga seem to be rather difficult to find. However, I have written a couple of posts in the past about the podcasts that I’ve discovered that at least feature manga somewhat regularly. Considering how popular those particular posts continue to be, I don’t think I’m the only person out there looking for manga podcasts. So, here are some brief updates on the podcasts that I’ve written about before. (For more information and my thoughts about the individual podcasts, please refer to the Discovering Manga posts linked to below.)

Discovering Manga: Podcasts
Anime 3000
20 Questions: On hiatus
A3K Radio: Updating weekly
Manga Corner: Updating irregularly
Anime Today: No longer updating; archives available
Manga Out Loud: No longer updating; archives available

Bonus! Japanator Radio: No longer updating; no archives, but track lists still available (I would consider Nihongaku Radio to be its direct successor if you’re looking for some great Japanese music!)

Discovering Manga: Podcasts, Part 2
ANNCast: Updating weekly
Manga Pulse: Updating weekly
The Speakeasy: Updating monthly

Over the next few months I’m planning on listening to and posting about other podcasts I’ve come across that feature manga. Here is the list that I’ll be working from:
Friendship! Effort! Victory!
Fujojocast
Manga^3
Manga Dome Podcast
Otaku in Review Podcast
Weekly Shonen Jump Podcast

Do you know of a great manga podcast (either ongoing or archived) that I’ve missed? Please let me know in the comments, because I’d love to give it a listen!

Manga the Week of 10/30

October 24, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ and Michelle Smith 3 Comments

SEAN: Oh. My. God. Sooooooooo much stuff. Let’s break it down.

Because the Manga Bookshelf Team demanded it, Dark Horse is bringing you Vol. 14 of Bride of the Water God. I should probably read it at some point – I wonder if there are digital plans.

ASH: I have yet to actually read this, but the artwork is lovely.

MJ: The artwork is certainly the highlight of this series, which can be a bit of a mess at times, otherwise, but I’m very happy to see that Dark Horse continues to put it out. It would, indeed, be a great candidate for digital release, especially as it’s gotten so long! I’ll be picking this up for sure.

SEAN: Also from Dark Horse is Vol. 29 of Gantz, which I’ve run out of things to say about, but apparently it sells really well to the direct market. (stares at cast in latex rubber-style combat suits) For some reason.

Speaking of things I’ve run out of words for – and indeed speaking of Volume 29s – we have Air Gear from Kodansha.

Attack on Titan 8 is where those who have only seen the anime should start off, as towards the end of the volume we start treading into unanimated waters. Also, the first spoiler that everyone knows gets revealed here. I’ve discussed it here.

ASH: I’m glad that Kodansha was able to speed up the release for this series.

MJ: After NYCC, I’m even more torn over having left this series behind after the first volume. I feel like I’ve missed hopping on the greatest bandwagon of all time.

SEAN: Fairy Tail 31 shows how much of a pain in the ass a time skip can be, and starts a tournament arc.

MICHELLE: All this stuff, and so far there’s a bunch of series I haven’t read and one that I am terribly, terribly far behind on.

SEAN: In case, for some bizarre reason, you did not buy Sailor Moon Vol. 7-12 the moment it hit bookstores and devoured every single page with your eyes, there is now a box set for you to crack open and engulf.

ASH: It also comes with stickers!

MJ: Ooooo… stickers…

SEAN: Sankarea Vol. 3 continues to walk a fine line between servicey romantic comedy and disturbing zombie manga, and to my surprise doesn’t do that bad a balancing job.

ASH: I’ve actually been pretty surprised by Sankarea as well.

I may not have really been tempted to get Wolfsmund from Vertical, but buzz from the not-mes has been excellent. They’ll appreciate that Vol. 2 is due out this week.

MICHELLE: I have volume one; I just need to find the time to actually read it.

ASH: I really enjoyed the first volume. I think it’s definitely worth checking out for people who enjoy historically inspired manga like Vinland Saga.

MJ: I never picked up the first volume, but I guess I should!

SEAN: Another of those giant done-in-one omnibuses that Yen has favored lately, here’s the complete Another manga, based on the light novels that Yen released digitally this summer. Creepy high school horror catch your eye? This is for you. Also, as a bonus, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have any survival games.

MJ: Heh. I suppose I’ll read it, then.

SEAN: Yen has licensed some interesting stuff lately, probably thanks to the success of Black Butler, which has Vol. 15 drop this week. Is the entire cast damned yet?

Higurashi is in its final arc, but it’s the longest one yet. Vol. 2 of Festival Accompanying Arc contains Vols. 3 and 4 of the Japanese release, and also has my vote for the most horrifying scene in the entire series (it involves Rika’s mother).

Inu x Boku SS is the first of two Yen debuts this week, and has yokai demons and bodyguards, thus allowing me to add another series to my ‘look how popular yokai are in North America now’ list.

ASH: Yokai are the best!

SEAN: Is This A Zombie? 6 is coming out. So there’s that.

K-On! finally wraps up with its High School manga, hoping that fans are as interested in Azusa trying to keep the light music club alive as they were in the original cast’s college adventures.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya’s manga adaptation finally gets to one of the most interesting novels, as Sasaki and company debut here.

MICHELLE: Another whole mess of stuff I have nothing to say about. Bad manga reviewer! Bad!

MJ: Hmmm… perhaps this is the time for me to pick this adaptation back up again.

SEAN: Oh god, don’t read the mediocre adaptation, read the original novels! Books 9-11 are this arc. 10 and 11 come out here next month.

As featured on a giant banner at New York Comic Con, Yen’s other big release this week is No Matter How I Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, Vol. 1. Just call it WataMote like everyone else. I discussed Vol. 1 here.

ASH: I’m looking forward to giving this series a try, even though I can never seem to remember the title.

SEAN: Pandora Hearts 18. MJ?

MICHELLE: Finally, something to go “woo” over!

MJ: Oh, Pandora Hearts, dear, heart-stomping Pandora Hearts. It just won’t be satisfied until I’ve been utterly destroyed. This, of course, is awesome.

SEAN: Puella Magi Oriko Magica wraps up, I believe, with this second volume. But don’t fear, I’m sure there are other Madoka Magica spinoffs out there to have cute girls suffering for your enjoyment.

Lastly, there is Vol. 4 of Triage X. I used up my lack of enthusiasm with Is This A Zombie?, so this can’t even get that much.

Surely with all this, there must be something you want. What is it? (And be warned, it gets no better the week after.)

Wandering Son, Vol. 5

October 23, 2013 by Ash Brown

Creator: Takako Shimura
U.S. publisher: Fantagraphics Books
ISBN: 9781606996478
Released: September 2013
Original release: 2006

The fifth volume of Takako Shimura’s manga series Wandering Son was originally published in Japan in 2005 while the English-language edition of Wandering Son, Volume 5 was published by Fantagraphics in 2013. The entire series is being released in English as beautiful hardcovers; Fantagraphics’ treatment of the manga is simply lovely. Wandering Son is a series that has come to mean a tremendous amount to me on a very personal level. I am very grateful to Fantagraphics for pursuing the manga in English. Wandering Son is a wonderful story about growing up and personal identity with a very sincere and sensitive look at gender and sexuality. The series started out strong and it continues to be a powerful work. Although reading it can sometimes be traumatic for me because the story touches on issues that hit so close to home, I always look forward to reading the next volume of Wandering Son. I wish I didn’t have to wait for so long between volumes, but it’s always worth it.

With the beginning of seventh grade students are faced with a new school, new teacher, new classmates, and maybe even a few new crushes. In some ways junior high is a chance for a new start, but some problems are carried over from middle school. Shuichi’s close circle of friends has started to fall apart as romantic feelings get in the way and cause a fair amount of tension within the group. The rift between Takatsuki and Chiba has grown particularly wide. It seems as though the two of them may never be able to make up, despite the pain that their falling out has caused for the rest of their friends. Though they are still very close, things have become rather awkward between Shuichi and Takatsuki as well after Shuichi declared having feelings for Takatsuki and Takatsuki gently rejected them. Fortunately, Shuichi has Mako as a source of comfort and reason. It’s a good thing, too, as junior high and puberty have their own challenges; having someone to commiserate with is invaluable. Making new friends doesn’t hurt either, although sometimes that just complicates matters even further.

While the focus of Wandering Son, Volume 5 is still on Shuichi and Takatsuki and their families and friends, it’s interesting to see part of the manga being told from the perspective of their new teacher Manabu Saisho. It actually happens to be his first year teaching. He’s inexperienced and easily flustered, and his eagerness may end up getting him into trouble, but so far I (like Mako) find him charming. But as volatile as junior high and his students can be, I do worry for him a bit. And I worry for Shuichi and the others as well. Adolescence is upon them as are all the changes that entails, most of which cannot be ignored. Mortified after being publicly called out by the basketball coach, Takatsuki is faced with the embarrassing prospect of bra shopping while Shuichi and Mako are trying to come to terms with the fact that their voices will soon be changing. Even seemingly benign statements such as “they’ve grown taller again” are painfully bittersweet reminders of what is in store for them as they continue to physically mature.

Shimura does a fantastic job of layering the textual narrative of Wandering Son with its artwork. The manga’s composition is excellent. There is a particularly effective scene fairly early on in the fifth volume that takes place during the academic year’s opening ceremonies–the commencement speaker expresses the desire for everyone to talk together and encourage one another while the illustration clearly shows that Shuichi and the others can hardly bear to look at one another and that some of them aren’t even on speaking terms. Wandering Son is filled with deceptively simple moments like these in which the artwork and the text express far more together than they ever would alone. Wandering Son is told in such a way that it comes across as a sequence of closely related impressions or vignettes rather than a single, rigidly structured storyline. It’s quite effective in conveying the manga’s more emotive and introspective qualities. I continue to be impressed by Shimura’s work in Wandering Son and look forward to the next volume a great deal.

My Week in Manga: October 14-October 20, 2013

October 21, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

It was another two-review week last week. My Blade of the Immortal review project continues with Hiroaki Samura’s Blade of the Immortal, Volume 26: Blizzard. The volume includes the conclusion to the battle between Manji and Shira and it does not disappoint. The second review posted last week was for Tomoyuki Hoshino’s novel Lonely Hearts Killer. It’s not easy reading, and I didn’t like it quite as well as Hoshino’s collection of short fiction We, the Children of Cats, but I found it to be an intriguing work.

Last week I also had the opportunity to attend a fascinating lecture on queer theory, Japanese literature, and translation. I decided to share some of my random musings on the topics. So far the post seems to have been well received, which makes me pretty happy.

There were a couple of particularly interesting posts by Erica Friedman over at Yuricon last week. Her New York Comic Con report includes more information about One Peace Books’ licensing of Takashi Ikeda’s yuri manga Whispered Words. (I’m looking forward to the release of Whispered Words a great deal.) Also interesting was her post A Very Important Thing About Licensing Manga Fans Don’t Really Understand which explains a few of the complexities involved in licensing manga for English-reading audiences.

Quick Takes

Children of the Sea, Volume 5 by Daisuke Igarashi. In Japan, the fifth and final volume of Children of the Sea was released three years after the fourth volume was published. The English-language edition of the series likewise followed suit. But the end is finally here! I was actually surprised that the fifth volume was the conclusion of the series. To me it felt as though Igarashi had much more in store for Children of the Sea. I don’t know the circumstances surrounding the series’ end, but I am a little sad that he wasn’t able to develop it further. However, almost everything is tied up satisfactorily plot-wise and the series’ sense of mystery and awe remains intact. Children of the Sea is like modern myth. There is relatively little dialogue and narration in the fifth volume; Igarashi’s artwork really carries the manga at this point. And that artwork is absolutely beautiful. The attention given to the realistic details of the water and sea-life is stunning.

Devil’s Infirmary by Aco Oumi. Asakura is a physician at an all boys’ school who is not above accepting sexual advances from the students. Things get a little more complicated when Higurashi walks in on Asakura getting a blow job, but Asakura has a few compromising photographs with which to blackmail Higurashi into keeping quiet about it. Supposedly Asakura is in love with Higurashi, but I’m really not convinced. Their relationship is a very inappropriate one and Asakura, though he has a few redeeming qualities, is actually kind of creepy. (But Higurashi’s pretty cute.) At the same time, there are some legitimately funny and occasionally even hilarious moments in Devil’s Infirmary, too. One of Higurashi’s closest friends has a “sparkle problem” that unfortunately brings him unwanted attention from a few of the other students. It’s rather entertaining to see Higurashi try to pose as his boyfriend to deflect some of that interest. And then there’s Asakura’s mother who bribes her gay son into buying her yaoi manga.

Eyeshield 21, Volumes 24-27 written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by Yusuke Murata. By this point I am no longer surprised that I enjoy Eyeshield 21. I still don’t have a particular interest in American football (and I doubt I ever will even considering the number of years I spent in marching band), but the characters, comedy, and art in the series are great. These four volumes are devoted to the Kanto Tournament game between the Deimon Devil Bats and the Ojo White Knights, both teams fighting to advance one step closer to the Christmas Bowl. The Devil Bats are considered to have one of the best offenses in the tournament but the White Knights are considered to have the best defense. The White Knights also have Seijuro Shin–as perfect a player as there can be. The game ends up being very close, and therefore very exciting; Inagaki keeps the readers guessing right up to the very last second. Murata’s dynamic artwork continues to be one of the highlights of the series. His creative imagery is a little more restrained in these volumes, focusing more on the action of the game and slightly less on its psychological impact, but it’s definitely still there.

Fairy Tail, Volume 30 by Hiro Mashima. With these volumes, Fairy Tail launches into a new story arc. The technique that Mashima uses–a time skip–isn’t all that unusual for a lengthy shounen manga series. What makes it different, and something that I personally haven’t encountered before, is that only part of the cast jumps ahead while most of the main characters are stuck in time. It makes it a little more interesting when returning after seven years that they have to come to terms with the fact that so many of their friends (and enemies) have changed and grown more powerful. The time skip also serves the purpose of “resetting” the story–Fairy Tail is once again one of the weakest guilds and has to fight its way back to the top. But instead of facing off with evil wizards and guilds, this time they’ll be competing in the Grand Magic Games. Honestly, I’m not quite as interested in this particular turn of events, but at least there should be some entertaining trials and competitions as a result.

The Spectral Engine by Ray Fawkes. I am not especially familiar with Ray Fawkes–an award-winning and frequently award-nominated Canadian creator–and so I was unaware of the upcoming release of The Spectral Engine. Happily, a review copy unexpectedly showed up in the mail. Otherwise, I would probably have completely missed it and that would have been a shame. The Spectral Engine is a great graphic novel and I’m glad I had the opportunity to read it. The artwork in particular is excellent, using dark, dripping lines and ink spatter reminiscent of the smoke and grime of the titular engine to effectively create an unnerving atmosphere appropriate for the ghost stories being told. The Spectral Engine weaves together thirteen tragic historic events from many different time periods and locations across Canada. These retellings are paired with their related modern-day hauntings and reports of unexplained phenomena. In many cases the names and lives of the dead have been forgotten, but their stories and legends live on.

Akagi Akagi, Episodes 14-26 directed by Yuzo Sato. While the first half of Akagi had several different mahjong matches, the second half focuses on one: Akagi Shigeru versus Washizu Iwao. It also features a very special and slightly terrifying version of mahjong in which three-quarters of the tiles are transparent (which are beautifully animated). This reveals more of the players’ hands and greatly changing the dynamics of the game. (Though initially a fictional game, Washizu Mahjong sets now really do exist.) The game with Washizu also provides Akagi with something that he’s been looking for–a literal death match. Instead of money, he’s gambling with his blood and therefore his life. Akagi is a fearless and fearsome player and the game is ridiculously intense as a result. There’s skill, and there’s luck, but even more important are the psychological attacks used to provoke and manipulate the other players. Even when most of the tiles can been seen there’s still plenty of room for bluffing . I love mahjong and unsurprisingly I loved Akagi, too.

Pick of the Week: Juicy Cider, No. 6, Summer Wars

October 21, 2013 by Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Sean Gaffney and MJ Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: There’s not a lot to choose from this week, but I think I’m going to go with Juicy Cider. Yes, the plot sounds generic, but I have enjoyed other BL works by Rize Shinba (most notably Intriguing Secrets), so I suspect it will be better than it seems.

ASH: I think I’m going to have to go with No. 6 this week. I would describe the manga as a “traditional” dystopia and there doesn’t seem to be very many examples of these in English. Plus, I’m really enjoying watching the relationship between Rat and Shion develop.

SEAN: Summer Wars for me. The characters look cute, the premise is intriguing, and I haven’t seen the movie it’s based on, so am relatively unspoiled. For once.

MJ: I’m rather torn this week, though not from an abundance of choices, but rather from a lack of them. Still, I feel pretty confident going with Summer Wars. I greatly enjoyed the filmmakers’ earlier work, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, as well as Vertical’s demonstrated taste in manga adaptations, namely 5 Centimeters Per Second, so I’m optimistic, for sure. This book is definitely on my list.

What looks good to you this week?

Random Musings: Queer Theory, Japanese Literature, and Translation

October 20, 2013 by Ash Brown

I recently had the opportunity to attend a lecture by J. Keith Vincent, a professor at Boston University whose primary research interests include queer theory, Japanese literature, and translation. The lecture he presented was “Out Gays” or “Shameless Gays”? What Gets Lost, and What is Gained, when U.S. Queer Theory is Translated into Japanese?. The talk is a work in progress and was the third version of the presentation that he has given. In this case, it was tailored for an audience that already had a background in both queer and Japanese studies. I found the lecture to be absolutely fascinating and wanted to share a few of my thoughts.

At this point, queer theory is at least twenty-three years old and can be traced back to as early as the 1990s in the United States if not before. In Japan, queer theory has only become prominent within the last ten years or so. Queer theory continues to develop and evolve and it still has a tremendous amount to say about sexuality, language, and power–subjects that are very important in literature as well. Because language plays such a critical role in queer theory and sexual politics, it makes sense that by extension translation also has a significant role to play when introducing concepts from one culture or language into another.

Vincent makes the argument that the very act of translation is in itself a queer practice. While the original work will always remain the same, new translations provide new interpretations, analyses, and contexts. Natsume Sōseki’s novel Botchan, which has had no less than six translations in English, is one example. As times and ways of thinking change, translation is something that is always in process and can never really be declared definitive–it’s more of an art than a science, which is not to say that there cannot be poor or inaccurate translations. This impossibility of translation can be seen as a metaphor for the impossibility of identity in queer theory.

When dealing with queer sexuality in translation–whether in works of fiction or nonfiction–there are several things to take into consideration. Though hopefully not as common now as it once was in the past, queer sexuality was often left out of translated works or otherwise altered during the domestication of the text. On the other hand, translation may actually erase the homophobia (or other phobias) that exist in a text if the translator is worried about its offensiveness. This, too, is problematic. Probably one of the most difficult tasks for a translator is to accurately convey the tone of the original in another language.

In some cases, translation warps or distorts queer sexuality, especially when there are words or concepts which don’t have a direct correlation from one language to another or which don’t carry the same cultural context when translated. For example, the use of term “queer” is becoming more common in Japanese (written in katakana), but the word doesn’t have the same history or negative connotations that it does in English. Similarly, Japanese terms like “nanshoku” or “okama” don’t have an exact one-to-one English equivalent. Word choice in translation is critical and those choices can completely change the meaning, interpretation, or nuance of a work.

While the focus of Vincent’s lecture was on queer theory and literature in translation, both into and from Japanese, the issues encountered when attempting to translate queer sexuality are also encountered when dealing with other topics. A great translation requires that the translator has fluency in all of the languages and cultures involved as well as a strong understanding of a work’s history and subject matter. Simply put, translation, like identity, is complicated.

Lonely Hearts Killer

October 18, 2013 by Ash Brown

Author: Tomoyuki Hoshino
Translator: Adrienne Carey Hurley
U.S. publisher: PM Press
ISBN: 9781604860849
Released: November 2009
Original release: 2004

After reading Tomoyuki Hoshino’s collection of short fiction We, the Children of Cats, I knew that I wanted to read more of his work. And so I turned to the novel Lonely Hearts Killer, Hoshino’s first and currently only other volume available in English. Lonely Hearts Killer was originally published in Japan in 2004, making it a later work than most of the stories collected in We, the Children of Cats. Adrienne Carey Hurley’s translation of Lonely Hearts Killer was released in 2009. She initially had a difficult time finding a publisher for the novel. However, like We, the Children of Cats, Lonely Hearts Killer was ultimately released by PM Press under its Found in Translation imprint. Because We, the Children of Cats left such a huge impression on me, I was especially curious to read a long-form work by Hoshino.

When a young and popular emperor unexpectedly dies with only his sister to succeed him, the country is left stunned and directionless. Some people are so affected by his death that they are “spirited away,” a phenomenon which leaves them in a near catatonic state. Shōji Inoue is not one of those people. A young and privileged experimental filmmaker living off his parents, he is fascinated by society’s reaction to the emperor’s death. When he learns that Mikoto, the boyfriend of Iroha–a former classmate, fellow filmmaker, and friend–is among the group of people to have suffered a breakdown, he is intensely curious. But Inoue and Mikoto’s meeting triggers an even greater tragedy and Iroha is left behind to deal with the aftermath. Years later Iroha is working at a remote lodge owned by her friend Mokuren, away from the prying eyes of the mass media which blames her in part for the epidemic of suicides and murders that have swept the country. At the same time, the mass media is one of her only remaining ties to the rest of the world.

Lonely Hearts Killer is told in three parts by three different narrators, each building on and critiquing those that precede them. “The Sea of Tranquility” is seen from Inoue’s perspective, “The Love Suicide Era” is Iroha’s response, and Mokuren’s commentary concludes the novel in “Subida Al Cielo.” Each chapter leads further away from the initial incident in both time and association while simultaneously providing more information about it and capturing the escalation of fear and death. Lonely Hearts Killer is a chronicle of the end of an era; the world is turned upside down and society’s values are inverted. The novel can be both disconcerting and disorienting. People become so consumed by a culture of fear that they come to rely and depend on it. Any challenge to the system is seen as dangerous and the media’s role in its perpetuation is largely ignored by the general population. Things become so twisted around and perverted that it is those who would try to refuse to participate in the violence around them who are deemed abnormal and deviants by society at large.

In addition to the novel itself, the English edition of Lonely Hearts Killer also includes an introduction by the translator and a newly written preface by the author as well as a question and answer session between the two. I found this material to be particularly valuable in putting the work into a greater context. The death of an emperor and the demise of the emperor system is a rare topic in Japanese literature. Lonely Hearts Killer is a very political work although much of its message is left up to the readers’ individual interpretations. The novel has the potential for multiple analyses, including both anarchist and pacifist readings. I personally appreciate this ambiguity; it’s one of the reasons that I find Hoshino’s work as a whole to be so interesting. As I’ve come to expect, Hoshino’s writing requires active engagement and thought on the part of his readers. The novel isn’t particularly easy reading, but the ideas, concepts, and themes that Hoshino deals with in Lonely Hearts Killer are incredibly unsettling, intriguing, and fascinating.

Manga the Week of 10/23

October 17, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, MJ and Ash Brown 2 Comments

SEAN: Be thankful for the small amount of manga coming out this week. The three weeks after this are absolutely brutal, with over 15-20 titles each week from various companies. But this week — lull!

We welcome back Digital Manga Publishing with some new BL fare. Unfortunately, Juicy Cider’s synopsis sounds so mind-numbingly generic that I can barely stay away to get through its four lines. There’s childhood friends, unrequited crushes, and from the looks of the cover one quiet and serious boy in glasses and one happy go lucky boy. Which sounds nothing like any other BL title ever.

Priceless Honey is the other DMP offering, being a collection of short stories that are “steamy”, and where the happy go lucky boy has been replaced by a smirking, slightly older guy.

MICHELLE: I wish I had something to say about either of these two, but alas, I do not.

MJ: I admit they don’t look promising to me. Not promising at all.

ASH: Like Juicy Cider, it would appear that Priceless Honey has a megane danshi as well. Shiuko Kano has had a lot of her manga released in English by multiple publishers, so I assume that she has at least a small following.

SEAN: I probably should not mock DMP’s yaoi given that I’m still enjoying Kodansha’s Missions of Love. It’s such a guilty pleasure – Volume 5’s cover looks more like softcore porn than any of the previous ones, making me continue to boggle that this runs in Nakayoshi. But as long as the cast continues to be unlikeable, I’ll continue to be fascinated. It’s like the opposite of everything else I enjoy.

No. 6, Vol.3 continues to confuse numerologists and bookstore shelvers everywhere. It’s also Kodansha. Between this title and Disgaea 3, my ability to make World Cup jokes will live on forever.

MICHELLE: I didn’t hate the first volume, but I somehow never managed to buy/read volume two.

ASH: I’m actually rather fond of No. 6 and its leads. I found the second volume to be better than the first, so I hope the trend continues with the third!

SEAN: Lastly, Vertical debuts another manga based on a movie, with the first volume of Summer Wars, from the creators of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Vertical had a lot of success with 5 Centimeters Per Second, so it’s no surprise they’d get this. I personally hope it’s less melancholy.

MJ: I’m looking forward to this for sure. I loved The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and though I wasn’t necessarily crazy about the manga adaptations of the same story, the fact that I haven’t actually seen this movie may help me on that front. And y’know, I trust Vertical. I really enjoyed the manga adaptation of 5 Centimeters Per Second, so I’m counting on their good taste to bring us a winner.

SEAN: Taking a week off before the deluge? Or trying out something new?

Blade of the Immortal, Vol. 26: Blizzard

October 16, 2013 by Ash Brown

Creator: Hiroaki Samura
U.S. publisher: Dark Horse
ISBN: 9781616550981
Released: March 2013
Original release: 2009
Awards: Eisner Award, Japan Media Arts Award

Blizzard is the twenty-sixth volume in the English-language edition of Hiroaki Samura’s long-running, award-winning manga series Blade of the Immortal. Dark Horse originally released Blade of the Immortal by story arc rather than by number of chapters, so the volumes in the English-language release are slightly different from those in the original Japanese edition. Blizzard was published by Dark Horse in 2013 and is equivalent to the twenty-fifth volume of the Japanese series which was released in 2009. Blizzard takes place during the final major story arc of Blade of the Immortal and includes one of the series’ most important climaxes. I consider Blizzard to be a companion volume to the previous collection Snowfall at Dawn which leaves off partway through the battle between Shira and Manji. By the end of Snowfall at Dawn things aren’t looking at all good for Rin and Manji, so I was anxious to read Blizzard.

With Manji and Rin sunk beneath the pond’s freezing surface, Shira returns to the roadside where he left Magatsu incapacitated. Shira is not yet through with Manji, but he wants revenge against the young Ittō-ryū fighter as well and intends on making the most of their chance meeting. Magatsu is surprised to see Shira, too, having previously sent the sadistic killer plummeting from the top of a cliff during their last encounter. Shira once again finds himself interrupted when he is challenged by Meguro, one of Habaki’s shinobi. She has little hope of defeating Shira, especially now that he is semi-immortal, but her attack serves as a distraction. Shira isn’t aware of it, but back at the pond Meguro’s companion Tanpopo is doing all that she can to rescue and revive both Rin and Manji. At this point Manji is the only person who has even a slight chance of stopping Shira, but as Manji’s condition continues to deteriorate his success seems increasingly unlikely.

The beginning of Manji and Shira’s confrontation in Snowfall at Dawn was relatively subdued, focusing more on the psychological aspects of Shira’s attack and less on the physical combat. The conclusion of their battle in Blizzard is what I was really expecting and waiting for from their showdown. With two near immortals battling it out the damage that they inflict on each other is tremendous. Others can only look on astounded at the viciousness and brutality of the bloodbath occurring in front of them. Describing Manji and Shira’s final fight as intense would be putting it very mildly. At times it is difficult to see through all of the blood and guts as the two opponents literally rip each other apart. Samura’s artwork is unflinching and captures the entirety of their exceptionally violent battle as well as its bloody aftermath. Blizzard is extreme and gruesome and even those who make it through to the end of the volume barely survive.

While the duel between Shira and Manji is certainly the focus of Blizzard it isn’t the only important development in Blade of the Immortal to occur in the volume. I was happy to see Tanpopo and Meguro take on a more active role in the series. Up until this point in the manga they have generally been part of the series’ comedic relief–Meguro in particular frequently comes across as rather ditsy–but the women are shown to be quite capable martially in Blizzard. Another important development in the volume has to do with Renzō. His father, a member of the Ittō-ryū, was killed fairly early on by Manji in Blade of the Immortal. Since then Renzō has led a very difficult life, eventually becoming a broken and damaged young man partly due to the abuse he suffered at Shira’s hands and partly because he can’t forgive what happened to his father. His struggle isn’t over, but his story does begin to find a satisfying resolution in Blizzard.

Pick of the Week: Spheres & Spirals

October 14, 2013 by Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney and MJ 1 Comment

ASH: There are plenty of great manga releases to choose from this week. But as happy as I am to see Junji Ito’s Uzumaki receiving the deluxe treatment, my pick unquestionably goes to Takehiko Inoue’s Real. I honestly consider it to be one of the best series currently being released in English.

MICHELLE: Yep, I’m going to have to award my pick to Real, too. I love Knights of Sidonia, but I’ll have several more chances to pick it in the coming months whereas Real seems to be yearly these days. If you thought sports manga was goofy and formulaic, Real will change your mind.

SEAN: I’ll go with Uzumaki, then. A terrific re-release, showing people who may have missed it the first time what a completely creepy and fascinating story it is. Another “I don’t normally like horror, but…” title.

MJ: And I actually do like horror, at least some of the time, so despite my own deep love for Real (and that love is pretty deep), I’ll also go with Uzumaki as my pick for this week. I am one of those people who missed it the first time around, and it’s been raved about by readers and my fellow bloggers alike. I simply can’t miss it again! Plus… I like spirals. I just do. I’m all in for Uzumaki.

What looks good to you this week?

My Week in Manga: October 7-October 13, 2013

October 14, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

I posted two in-depth reviews last week, one manga and one not. The first review was for Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga, Omnibus 1. I was trying coordinate my review with the manga’s release, but unfortunately there was a delay through some distributors so not all of the books have yet arrived where they should. I’ve been hoping that Vinland Saga would be licensed in English for years. I wasn’t disappointed by the first omnibus and am looking forward the next one a great deal. The second review posted last week was for Laura Joh Rowland’s The Shogun’s Daughter. The novel is the seventeenth volume in her series of Tokugawa-era mystery and crime novels but the first one that I’ve actually read. I was annoyed by parts of the novel but the use of actual Japanese history is quite clever in The Shogun’s Daughter.

As for fun things found online, the most recent column of The Mike Toole Show, “Tiles Against Humanity,” focuses on mahjong anime and manga, particularly Akagi and Kaiji. I’ve professed my love of mahjong here at Experiments in Manga, so I’m always happy to come across others writing about the subject. This past weekend was the New York Comic Con and there were quite a few announcements to come out of it. My Manga Bookshelf cohorts have write-ups of the panels they attended: MJ’s can be found under the NYCC tag and Sean’s are listed in the NYCC/NYAF category.

Some of the licenses at NYCC that particularly caught my attention include (but are certainly not limited to) Black Rose Alice by Setona Mizushiro, Terra Formars, and the Battle Royale side story Angels’ Border from Viz (which should go nicely with Haikasoru’s recently announced Battle Royale materials); Kodansha picked up two Attack on Titan spin-offs, Before the Fall and No Regrets (yup, the shoujo one) in addition to the Attack on Titan Junior High gag manga and the guidebooks; Vertical is also getting in on the Attack on Titan action, picking up the Before the Fall light novel series, and has also licensed Moyoco Anno’s manga In the Clothes Named Fat.

Quick Takes

Nana, Volumes 19-21 by Ai Yazawa. Wow, this is one heck of a place for Nana to leave off–the tragedy that has been alluded to for so long has finally occurred and it is absolutely devastating. More and more of the series has actually been devoted to the incident’s aftermath and how it continues to affect the characters even years later, but the twenty-first volume is all about its immediate consequences. Heartbreaking only begins to describe it. Nana is a phenomenal series with fantastic characterizations. After Shin’s arrest, both the Black Stones and Trapnest begin to fall apart and the band members’ individual problems start to spin out of control. It’s very dramatic but the progression of the story feels natural and the characters’ development, reactions, and behaviour are all believable. Even if the series is never finished, Nana is well worth reading. I continue to be extremely impressed by Yazawa’s work. I wish her all the best as she continues to recover her health.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Short Stories, Volume 1 by Naoko Takeuchi. Though it is not my favorite series, I enjoy Sailor Moon and am happy to see it doing so well. Kodansha released the main series in twelve volumes and is collecting the related short stories and bonus manga into two additional volumes. That being said, the short stories don’t really stand on their own very well. Fans of Sailor Moon will definitely be interested in them, but their appeal probably won’t extend very far beyond that. The stories in the first volume all tend towards the sillier, more lighthearted side of the series, focusing more on the characters’ everyday lives and less on their monumental confrontations with those who would destroy humanity. Although, there is a some of that, too. And the Sailor Guardian’s daily lives can be pretty hectic. I found the first volume of short stories to be mostly entertaining, but I would sigh a little bit to myself every time there was a dig at someone becoming “chunky.”

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Legends, Omnibus 1 (equivalent to Volumes 1-2) by Yak Haibara. I tend to be fairly wary of video game manga and so I ended up enjoying the first omnibus of Sengoku Basara: Samurai Legends far more than I ever expected. Samurai Legends is based on Sengoku Basara 2, the second game in the Sengoku Basara series, but no prior knowledge of the franchise is needed to enjoy the manga. Inspired by prominent historical events and figures of the Warring States Period, the story begins with the death of Oda Nobunaga at the burning of Honnou Temple and then follows the resulting power struggle. With marvelously over-the-top and dynamic battles and duels, humorous anachronisms, larger-than-life characters, and attractive artwork and designs, Samurai Legends is a tremendous amount of fun. There’s even a tiny bit of legitimate history, too. Samurai Legends is pretty great; I’ll definitely be picking up the second and final omnibus.

Yuri Monogatari, Volumes 3-4 by Various. Although it was the third Yuri Monogatari collection that was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award, out of these two volumes I actually much prefer the fourth. Yuri Monogatari is an anthology that collects short, lesbian-themed comics from Japan, America, and Europe. I am glad to have discovered Yuri Monogatari for no other reason than the series has introduced me to the work of Althea Keaton–whose contributions continue to be some of my favorites–but I enjoy the other comics included as well. I was particularly fond of Tomomi Nakasora’s “Kissing the Petal” which not only features an endearing lesbian couple but also their close friend Chii, a transman who’s looking for a girlfriend. Yuri Monogatari has a nice mix of speculative fiction as well as pieces that are based in reality. The artwork isn’t always the strongest, but the stories are consistently engaging. Some are sweet while others are more sorrowful, but they’re all generally positive in tone.

Attack on Titan directed by Tetsurō Araki. I’m not at all surprised that Hajime Isayama’s manga Attack on Titan was selected for an anime adaptation–it almost seems to be begging for it. For people who can’t get past the varying quality of Isayama’s artwork but who are still interested in the series’ story, the anime makes a good alternative and the animation is much more consistent. Some of the events are revealed in a slightly different order–the anime tends to be more chronological and employs fewer extended flashbacks than the manga–but otherwise the anime series is a very faithful adaptation of the original. Established fans of the manga will find things to like, too. It’s very cool to see the three-dimensional maneuvering gear in action, which something that the manga can’t convey to the same extent. The music in the Attack on Titan anime is also suitably epic with sweeping orchestral and choral pieces effectively increasing the drama of the humans’ confrontations with the titans.