Ash Brown

Pick of the Week: Eating or Dancing?

November 28, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, MJ and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: This week features some things I’m interested in, but no obvious knockouts. I guess I will go with the 2nd volume of Welcome to the Ballroom, because speed lines are important.

ASH: I’m all about the food manga this week. I’ll definitely be picking up the most recent volume of Sweetness & Lightning, but it’s the eleventh installation of What Did You Eat Yesterday? for which I’m most excited! I really love the series and am extremely happy that it’s even being released in English at all.

MICHELLE: Sweetness and Ballroom are most definitely on my shopping list, but I just love What Did You Eat Yesterday? so very much. It has to be my pick.

MJ: I’ve said Yoshinaga always has an edge with me, and this week is no exception. I love this manga with my whole heart. What Did You Eat Yesterday?, always.

ANNA: I’m very excited for more Welcome to the Ballroom. If only we got a dancing manga more than once a decade! That’s my pick!

My Week in Manga: November 21-November 27, 2016

November 28, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

With American Thanksgiving, traveling, and visiting family, last week was once again a quiet one at Experiments in Manga. However, I am at least still reliably posting the My Week in Manga feature. Yen Press, though, was a little busier than I was last week and announced three new licenses: Asari Endō’s Magical Girl Raising Project light novel, Mutsumi Okubashi’s Grimgar of Fantasy & Ash manga, and the first Sound! Euphonium novel by Ayano Takeda. Of the three, Sound! Euphonium is definitely the one that I’m most interested in and am looking forward to. Even if I wasn’t a brass player (fun fact: I actually have a degree in horn performance), that would probably still be the case.

Quick Takes

Attack on Titan: Lost Girls, Volume 1 written by Koji Seko and illustrated by Ryosuke Fuji. Considering how well Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan has been doing in North America, it’s not too surprising that most of the various spinoff series have been licensed as well. I actually didn’t know much about Lost Girls before reading it except that the series focuses on some of the more prominent female characters of Attack on Titan. The first volume of Lost Girls is a complete story in and of itself featuring Annie during the time she served as part of the Military Police Brigade. (Interestingly, it’s one of the few spinoff stories to take place within the context and timeline of the original series.) What I didn’t anticipate was that the first volume of Lost Girls is basically a murder mystery, or at least that’s what it turns into after Annie agrees to investigate the disappearance of a young woman. I’ll admit, I was pleasantly surprised by the first Lost Girls; it’s actually pretty great. The manga follows Annie as she searches for clues, uncovering some of the seedier aspects of the city and kicking ass as necessary. It also delves into her backstory. After reading the first volume of Lost Girls, I’ve come to appreciate even more how interesting a character Annie is.

Fire Force, Volume 1 by Atsushi Ohkubo. Although Fire Force isn’t the first manga by Ohkubo (who is probably best known as the creator of Soul Eater) to be released in English, it is the first one that I’ve actually read. I really like the basic premise of Fire Force. In order to fight back against something akin to demonic possession combined with spontaneous human combustion, brigades of Fire Soldiers have been formed. These teams are essentially exorcism units with unique firefighting capabilities, including pyrokinetic members who can control and create fire. The series’ main character is Shinra, a young fire user with a tragic past who has recently joined one of these brigades and who has the unfortunate habit of grinning maniacally whenever he’s nervous. Fire Force has the potential to be a fun and exciting manga with some great action sequences, but the first volume managed to extinguish most of my enthusiasm for the series. Ohkubo’s exposition is incredibly heavy-handed, frequently stating the obvious and relying on forced conversations to tediously explain everything that is going on rather than using more natural methods of worldbuilding or allowing the artwork to convey the action on its own.

His House, Volumes 1-3 by Hajin Yoo. If I recall correctly, the first manhwa that I ever read was Yoo’s boys’ love series Totally Captivated and it remains a series of which I am quite fond. And so, when I learned that Netcomics was releasing His House, one of Yoo’s most recent full-color manhwa, I was immediately interested. The series follows Gangyoo, an orphan trying to finish college while struggling to make ends meet. In order to earn enough money for room, board, books, and tuition, he’s been renting himself out to women who for one reason or another temporarily need a fake boyfriend. Fortunately, his most recent gig pays so well that he won’t have to worry about his finances for a long time, however it’s a challenging and strange situation–not only is his client Soohyun a man, he doesn’t seem to actually like Gangyoo or even be interested in his services. The strongest points of Yoo’s manhwa tend to be the lead characters and their well-developed personalities. The stories, while engaging with excellent pacing, can sometimes run a little wild and end up somewhat convoluted. This is true of His House, too, but I still enjoyed the series. The manhwa is a page-turner as Gangyoo and Soohyun’s relationship evolves and their hidden pasts and true motivations are slowly revealed.

My Love Story!!, Volume 7-10 written by Kazune Kawahara and illustrated by Aruko. I absolutely love My Love Story!! and yet I still somehow manage to forget just how much I enjoy the series between readings. This, of course, means that I get to rediscover my love for the manga on a fairly regular basis which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. My Love Story!! is one of those series that just makes me incredibly happy to read it and sometimes that’s just exactly what I need in a manga. It’s a funny, charming, and upbeat series with loveable and endearing characters which, incredibly, doesn’t come across as being overly sweet or idealistic. Takeo and Yamato’s earnest and pure romance is marvelously refreshing. But while I have no doubt that their relationship will continue there is still some uncertainty in it and it still takes communication and work on both of their parts. They have moments when they feel insecure or lack confidence, often because they love each other so much and want the absolute best for the other. Takeo and Yamato’s friendships with the other characters in My Love Story!! are likewise wonderful. I especially appreciate Sunakawa’s presence in the series and the closeness that exists between him and Takeo. I continue to adore My Love Story!!.

Manga the Week of 11/30

November 24, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, Anna N and MJ 3 Comments

SEAN: You know, for a 5th week of the month, there sure is a ton of stuff next week. Sheesh.

ASH: Woo!

Dark Horse gives us the third Dangan Ronpa volume, as the class continues to choose between hope, despair, or being violently killed.

And there’s a 5th Oh My Goddess omnibus, warring with Dragon Ball for most re-releases.

J-Novel Club is a new publisher of Japanese light novels, digital only, and they’ve finished three volumes that are scheduled to drop next week. Brave Chronicle (Kimi kara Uketsugu Brave Chronicle) is actually finished in one volume, and combines magic school, childhood friends, lots of action, etc.

More obviously light novel-ey is My Sister Lives in a Fantasy World (Nee-chan wa Chuunibyou), a series about a boy who gains certain powers and his overenthusiastic little sister. It’s 7+ volumes in Japan.

And Occultic;Nine is the most familiar title, as it has an anime currently out, and should also be familiar with punctuation haters everywhere as the successor to Steins;Gate, Chaos;Head, etc.

Kodansha has five new releases this week. They say it’s six, but they still maintain that Animal Land 11 is actually coming out this time, and a ha ha ha, you can’t fool me again. Animal Land is a myth.

ASH: Animal Land? It has been a while!

SEAN: Fairy Tail 57. GAJEVY! GAJEEEVVVYYYY!!! That is all.

The second volume of Happiness will likely be as ironically titled as the first one was.

ASH: Most likely.

SEAN: The Seven Deadly Sins has its 17th volume.

And there’s a 3rd Sweetness and Lightning, which so far has leaned on the sweetness.

ASH: I am really enjoying Sweetness and Lightning so far.

SEAN: We also have a 2nd volume of Welcome to the Ballroom, which I hope will be as dynamic and exciting as the first was.

MICHELLE: I’m really looking forward to this one, and will be picking up Sweetness, too.

ANNA: I am also very much looking forward to Welcome to the Ballroom.

SEAN: The 14th volume of Haganai from Seven Seas continues to move towards a potential breaking point with the Neighbors club.

Holy Corpse Rising is a new series from the creator of Ninja Girls, and combines… I know this will shock you for a Seven Seas release… fantasy and fanservice.

ASH: I don’t know much about the series, but the cover art is striking.

Vertical; has an 11th volume of What Did You Eat Yesterday?, which is good, as I wondered what might get Pick of the Week at this rate.

MICHELLE: Heh. I will say I’m looking forward to Ballroom nearly as much.

MJ: Yoshinaga always has an edge where I’m concerned. You know I’ll be getting this.

ASH: I’m still so happy this series is being translated!

SEAN: Yen Press has new digital volumes! All Volume 7s for Aphorism, Crimson Prince, and Sekirei.

They also have some volumes left over from this week’s pile, as apparently there was too much so some got moved to next week. Anne Happy continues to try to rely solely on pluck with its third volume.

Dragons Rioting gives us a 5th volume.

And there’s a 5th Prison School omnibus.

ASH: I’m actually still reading this.

Scumbag Loser is a giant done-in-one omnibus of three volumes, and sounds intriguing, if you can get past the title and cover art, which I suspect most won’t. The author is also known for Tomodachi Game, a survival game manga.

MICHELLE: I’m taking a pass on Scumbag. That sort of creepy losery protagonist just doesn’t appeal to me. Like I’ll Give It My All… Tomorrow, for example.

ASH: Huh.

SEAN: And Sword Art Online gives us MORE DEBAN! with a third volume of spinoff Girls’ Ops.

As I said, that’s quite a lot. Anything for you?

Pick of the Week: A Twinkle in Our Eye

November 21, 2016 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Anna N, Ash Brown and MJ Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: Seeing as how I have literally been waiting for this series to be licensed here for YEARS, there is no way I’m not picking Twinkle Stars this week.

SEAN: Man, when will Tokyopop get around to licensing Hoshi Wa Utau… oh wait, here it is, from Yen Press, in gorgeous omnibus editions. Twinkle Stars is the obvious pick.

ANNA: Twinkle Stars for me as well, I can’t believe it is actually being published finally!

ASH: While I’m certainly interested in Twinkle Stars, I simply can’t resist the combination of music, magic, and demon-hunting composers, so it’s Magia the Ninth for me!

MJ: I’m really interested in Magia the Ninth, it’s true, but I think there’s no real choice for me this week except Twinkle Stars. How often do wishes come true?

My Week in Manga: November 14-November 20, 2016

November 21, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Nothing except the usual My Week in Manga feature was posted last week at Experiments in Manga. I was hoping to have my random musings on Ichigo Takano’s Orange ready for November, but the month has been particularly stressful and energy-draining so at this point it looks as though December will be far more likely. Hopefully, I’ll have an in-depth feature of some sort to share soon. I also have my list of notable release from 2016 to work on, too!

There is one thing from last week that I’m very excited for–the most recent Sparkler Monthly Kickstarter! The campaign is raising funds to support the print edition of Heldrad’s highly-amusing send-up to shoujo manga Orange Junk. I greatly enjoyed the first volume of Orange Junk, which I’ve previously reviewed, but the series gets even better as it goes along. Never read any of Orange Junk? Give it a try over at Sparkler Monthly and if you like what you see please consider contributing to the Kickstarter!

Quick Takes

Ajin: Demi-Human, Volumes 3-8 by Gamon Sakurai. For a variety of reasons, while I’ve continued to stockpile Ajin, I’ve been rather lax when it some to actually reading the manga. The eighth and latest volume in English was released relatively recently, so I figured it was probably about time that I finally got around to catching up with the series. In retrospect, I’m actually kind of glad that I had a whole stack of Ajin to read all at once. The manga generally tends to be very quickly paced so it was nice to be able to move directly from one volume to the next in succession. Ajin is best, both in art and in storytelling, when there’s action going on. Sakurai’s fight sequences are tremendously dynamic and exciting. The use of the demi-humans’ immortality and black ghosts can actually be quite clever at times, too. While the series continues to be exceptionally violent and brutal, it doesn’t seem to be as gruesome and grotesque as it once was when the demi-humans were shown to be the subjects of live experimentation. The story can be a little heavy-handed, especially when it comes to government corruption and the revelation of everyone’s tragic backstories, but the psychological elements do tend to be handled well in spite of this.

Happiness, Volume 1 by Shuzo Oshimi. I’m not especially interested in vampires and they seem to have been so overdone lately that there often has to be some sort of extra impetus for me to actually pick up a vampire manga. In the case of Happiness, the additional push that was needed came from the fact that Oshimi is also the creator of The Flowers of Evil, a manga series which left a pretty big impression on me. Oshimi is incredibly skilled at establishing the mood and atmosphere of a series. Happiness is about Okazaki, a bullied high school student who survives being attacked by a vampire only to become one himself. The pacing of Happiness is leisurely, showing only the first few days of Okazaki’s new existence as he struggles to adjust to his emerging symptoms. Given how the first volume unfolds, Okazaki’s descent into vampirism can easily be read as a metaphor for puberty and sexual awakening; it will be interesting to see if the manga continues in that direction. Happiness has an underlying sense of eroticism mixed in with its horror which, at least in my opinion, is exactly how a vampire story ought to be. There is also a fair amount of angst in the manga, something that I’ve come to expect from Oshimi’s work.

Kitaro, Volume 2: Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon by Shigeru Mizuki. I am still absolutely thrilled that more of Mizuki’s Kitaro manga is being released in English. However, I was a little sad that the second volume of Drawn & Quarterly’s new series didn’t include the same sort of bonus activities that were present in the first. Those were fun. But then again, Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon is plenty of fun in and of itself. In addition to an opening essay and a closing set of yokai files by the series’ translator Zack Davisson, the volume collects seven of Mizuki’s short Kitaro manga, most of which are from the latter part of the 1960s although one is from the late 1970s. Generally when I think of yokai, I think of traditional Japanese folklore. However, the term can also be applied more broadly. In Kitaro, Mizuki doesn’t limit himself and incorporates mythology, urban legends, and popular culture from both within and outside of Japan. For example, in Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon, a descendant of Dracula plays a very important role in one of the stories. Sometimes the results are more cohesive than others, but I particularly enjoy and find it interesting how Mizuki is able to meld seemingly disparate elements and traditions together.

Nekogahara: Stray Cat Samurai, Volume 1 by Hiroyuki Takei. Best known as the creator of Shaman King (which I somewhat surprisingly haven’t actually read yet), one of Takei’s most recent manga series is Nekogahara. Story-wise, it’s a fairly familiar tale of a ronin wandering the country, doing good deeds while trying to outrun past tragedies. There are numerous manga, novels, anime, and film that follow a similar premise. What makes Nekogahara stand out from all of those is that all of the principal players are literally cats. Granted, they’re cats dressed in kimono, carrying swords, and so on. Humans exist in Nekogahara, too, more or less as the daimyo, though they are generally discussed rather than seen. The lead of Nekogahara is Norachiyo, a scarred tom who was once a kept cat but who is now living his life as a stray. He is an extremely capable fighter and legend has it that he once even killed a person. Both the story and the visuals of Nekogahara rely on chanbara tropes. The actual flow of movement and action can sometimes be difficult to discern, but overall the artwork and character designs are rather stylish. Nekogahara is played fairly straight, but the characters’ more cat-like behaviors do bring levity to the manga.

The Black Cat Takes a Stroll: The Edgar Allan Poe Lectures by Akimaro Mori. Bento Books doesn’t release very many titles, but the publisher’s books tend to be interesting so I make a point to keep an eye out for them. The Black Cat Takes a Stroll is one of Bento Books most recent releases. In addition to being the first volume in Mori’s Black Cat series, it was also the winner of Japan’s inaugural Agatha Christie Award for mystery fiction. The book collects six largely episodic but related short stories featuring the Black Cat, a young but respected professor specializing in aesthetic truth, told from the perspective of his personal assistant, a female graduate student whose research focuses on Edgar Allan Poe. I really wanted to like The Black Cat Takes a Stroll more than I actually did. I love the series’ basic concept and all of the literary and cultural references found in the stories. Sadly, the mysteries come across as trying too hard to be intellectual or overly academic and their solutions are frequently convoluted and coincidental. In addition to that, despite having a few charming and endearing quirks (such as his fondness for strawberry parfaits), the Black Cat tends to be infuriating more than anything else, misusing his intelligence in a way that is deliberately cryptic and intentionally manipulative of both the narrator and readers.

Manga the Week of 11/23

November 18, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ 2 Comments

SEAN: Are you giving thanks for so much manga? Hope so, as there is SO MUCH.

MICHELLE: It’s a cornucopia!

ASH: I always give thanks for manga!

SEAN: Kodansha has a bunch of stuff. A 5th Forget Me Not should please romance fans.

Their debut this week is In/Spectre, a yokai manga from Shonen Magazine R (the 2nd season of Shonen Magazine?) which is by the author of Spiral.

ASH: Yokai, you say? Then I’m in!

MJ: Hmmmm, maybe me too.

SEAN: The Prince and His Dark Days has a 2nd volume, which I’m hoping is a bit less Dark Days, to be honest.

ASH: It does seem to be an aptly named series.

SEAN: Real Account has its 5th volume – though technically this is the third volume of Real Account II. The distinction is something no one would ever notice, but that’s why I’m here.

ASH: Huh. I was unaware.

SEAN: Lastly, a third volume of Tsubasa World Chronicle, which I haven’t tried yet. Have Michelle or MJ?

MICHELLE: Nope.

ANNA: I am saddened by how indifferent I am to CLAMP when I used to love them so much.

MJ: I haven’t, which surprises me more than anyone, honestly.

SEAN: One Peace has a 6th novel of Rise of the Shield Hero. I would think he’d have risen by now – even Christ only took 3 days.

Seven Seas gives us a 5th and mercifully final omnibus of I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother!!.

Magia the Ninth is their first debut, another Gene Pixiv title (which I think is Media Factory’s equivalent to Zero-Sum or Wings), from the creator of Black Bard. The plot is essentially “classical music composers hunt demons”.

ASH: Okay, I can’t help it, I really want to read this series. And I did rather enjoy Black Bard.

MJ: Sean knows he can get my attention by invoking the names “Zero-Sum” and “Wings.” So. Yes.

SEAN: In case you worried there were no monster girls this week, well, there’s monster guys, as we get a 5th Merman in My Tub.

The other debut is Please Tell Me, Galko-chan!, a comedy title that runs on the Comic Walker website. It seems to involve a blunt girl and her friends.

ASH: I’ve heard good things and so am curious.

ANNA: I enjoy blunt girls and friends.

SEAN: And the title that always gets me mixed up, The Testament of Sister New Devil, has a 4th volume.

Vertical has another spinoff novel in the Attack on Titan series, called The End of the World. It’s a novelization of the live-action movie.

And there’s a 3rd volume of To The Abandoned Sacred Beasts.

The rest is Yen, though it’s not even all of Yen – they pushed a few titles back to the week after next. For Yen On, we have a 3rd volume of The Isolator, the dark thriller from the creator of Sword Art Online.

Black Butler is still popular, I hear, even in these days of Monster Girls. Vol. 23 is out next week.

And popular as well is BTOOOM! 15, which may never really surpass that whole ‘bomb bounces off the boob’ scene that is the only reason anyone remembers it.

Corpse Party: Blood Covered has a 3rd omnibus of, well, blood and corpses, no doubt.

Fruits Basket has a 7th omnibus, as past traumas collide with present abuse to hopefully lead to future healing.

MICHELLE: Seven volumes already!

ANNA: Yay for healing and Fruits Basket!

MJ: This, always!

SEAN: There’s a 6th volume of the Danmachi manga, aka Is It Wrong To etc etc etc.

And a 6th Karneval omnibus as well.

Another title better known by its fan nickname, Konosuba: God’s Blessings on This Wonderful World! *still* ends up being a mouthful to say. It’s a parody of ‘guy ends up in fantasy game world’ titles, is based on the light novel due out here next year, and runs in Dragon Age, which means it must have fanservice.

Always welcome on my shelves, we have a 5th volume of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, which means more hilarious tsukkomi faces.

MICHELLE: I recently watched some of the anime on Crunchyroll. It’s pretty great!

ASH: YESSS!!! (I love this series so much.)

ANNA: Woo hoo!

SEAN: There’s a 9th volume of the Watamote manga, aka No Matter How I Look etc etc etc.

Madoka Magica now has spinoffs or spinoffs, as the Oriko Magica spinoff gets a new side-story, Sadness Prayer. Given it’s Madoka Magica, I think sadness is guaranteed.

Rose Guns Days begins its Season 2 arc. Will Rose be able to get by without Leo?

School-Live! has a 5th volume of friendship and zombies.

I always love it when a title and its volume match. Have Trinity Seven Vol. 7.

Yen’s big debut is another title from Natsuki Takaya, creator of Fruits Basket. Back in the day, there was thought to be a licensing war over this series, but nothing came of it. Now we get Twinkle Stars in omnibus format. It’s about half the size of Fruits Basket, but has the same amount of drama.

MICHELLE: I’m so happy about this. I read the Australian editions of the first two volumes back in the day, but they were pricey to import. My plan to buy and painstakingly read the French editions did not get far.

ANNA: Officially on my holiday wishlist!

MELNDA: This, this, this.

SEAN: Lastly, we have a lucky 13th omnibus of Until Death Do Us Part, which is also the final volume.

Full of turkey? Or full of manga?

Pick of the Week: An Old Favorite

November 14, 2016 by Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N, MJ and Sean Gaffney 2 Comments

MICHELLE: Given the fact that I’m fidgeting impatiently for its arrival, I must pick Ooku volume twelve.

ASH: It’s Ooku for me, too! As much as I love What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Ooku is probably my favorite Yoshinaga manga, so I’m always glad to see a new volume released.

ANNA: Put me down for Ooku too, always happy to see a new volume of this released.

MJ: It’s another vote for Ooku from me! This is unsurprising, I’m sure. With me, Yoshinaga always wins.

SEAN: Much as Ooku is awesome, I can’t be pulled away from the lure of light novels this week. I’ll give my pick to the 6th volume of Log Horizon, which gives Akatsuki some much needed depth, and shows how the series carries on in Shiroe’s absence.

My Week in Manga: November 7-November 13, 2016

November 14, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week was pretty quiet at Experiments in Manga (like most weeks these days, really) but I did finally get around to posting October’s Bookshelf Overload for those interested in some of the cool things I picked up last month. Last week was pretty stressful for a variety of reasons so I wasn’t online much, but I did recently find out about two Japanese novels scheduled to be released in translation next year that I’m very excited about. In May be on the lookout for Minae Mizumura’s Inheritance from Mother. Only two of Mizumura’s long works have been translated so far–A True Novel which in part is a reimagining of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, and the utterly fascinating nonfiction treatise The Fall of Language in the Age of English–both of which were tremendous, so I’m really looking forward to reading more by Mizumura. And in June look for Tomoyuki Hoshino’s Me, a novel exploring themes of identity. Hoshino’s stories are frequently challenging and unsettling but I find that it’s well-worth the effort it takes to read them. Like Mizumura, currently there are only two books by Hoshino available in English–the novel Lonely Hearts Killer and the short fiction collection We, the Children of Cats which in particular left a huge impression on me–so I’m happy that there will be a third.

Quick Takes

Cells at Work!, Volume 1 by Akane Shimizu. Sometimes the premise of a manga is so fantastically odd that I can’t help but be curious. Cells at Work, in which the cells of the human body, bacteria, and such are literally personified, is one such series. It’s also an educational manga–readers may very well learn a thing or two about microbiology and human anatomy and physiology thanks to Cells at Work (assuming they weren’t already familiar with how the body functions). Although there are recurring characters, the first volume of Cells at Work is fairly episodic, mostly focusing on the immune system’s response to injury and potential infection. Things are more exciting when the world seems like it’s about to end and a catastrophe must be averted. Bacteria are portrayed like monsters and villains out of some sort of super sentai show. White blood cells are fairly cool and laid-back, at least until they’re fighting off invaders and are completely overcome by maniacal bloodlust. Influenza causes a zombie outbreak. Cedar pollen triggers an apocalyptic allergies. Sneezes take the form of enormous missiles. Cells at Work is actually kind of ridiculous and over-the-top (with artwork to match), but it’s a great deal of fun.

The Ghost and the Lady, Volume 1 by Kazuhiro Fujita. As far as I can tell, The Ghost and the Lady actually makes up the last two volumes of the three-volume series The Black Museum. I don’t believe Kodansha Comics has any current plans to release the rest of The Black Museum, but if it’s anywhere near as good as the first volume of The Ghost and the Lady then I hope to one day see it. The Ghost and the Lady is admittedly somewhat peculiar. Basically it’s a supernatural retelling of the life and legends surrounding Florence Nightingale. Tormented by eidolons–spectral manifestations of ill-will and malice–Florence seeks her own death, asking a ghost known as the Man in Grey to kill her. He agrees, but declares he will only take her life once she reaches the depths of despair. (Grey, who haunts a theater, has perhaps seen Shakespeare’s tragedies one too many times.) The Ghost and the Lady is intense and enthralling with both Grey and Florence precariously balanced on the edge of insanity. The series is a little difficult to describe in a way that conveys just how great it is. Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from The Ghost and the Lady, but I loved the first volume and am looking forward to reading the second half of the story.

Requiem of the Rose King, Volumes 4-5 by Aya Kanno. I continue to thoroughly enjoy Requiem of the Rose King, Kanno’s dark and sensual reimagining of Shakespeare’s plays Henry VI and Richard III and of the historical Wars of the Roses. Shakespeare took some liberties when dramatizing England’s dynastic conflicts and Kanno has as well. The most notable difference in Requiem of the Rose King is the deliberate ambiguity of Richard’s sex–the perceived imperfection of his physical body contributing to his supposed demonic nature and already established mental and emotional anguish. Kanno’s artwork in the series is fittingly provocative, moody, and atmospheric. Dreams and reality are heavily intertwined which can occasionally make some of the transitions in the story difficult to follow, but for the most part it’s a marvelously effective technique. Anyone even remotely familiar with Shakespeare or history will know that Requiem of the Rose King can only end in tragedy. The never-ending political and personal betrayals along with the characters’ constant struggles to determine the destiny of the kingdom and of their selves makes for an immensely engrossing and provocative tale. I absolutely love the series.

Welcome to the Ballroom, Volume 1 by Tomo Takeuchi. Even with the resurgence of sports manga in translation, I still wasn’t expecting that Welcome to the Ballroom would be licensed. Competitive ballroom dancing, despite being very physically demanding, probably isn’t what immediately comes to most people’s mind as a sport. In addition to that, in my experience many people are unfairly dismissive of dance and especially of men who dance. I, however, more than welcome a series on the topic. Welcome to the Ballroom is about a high school student, Tatara Fujita, who ultimately becomes interested in dance after finding refuge from a group of bullies at a local studio. At first he’s embarrassed and he hides the fact that he’s taking lessons, but at last he’s finally found something in his life to be passionate about. Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t seem to have any natural talent for dance except for the uncanny ability to shadow and mimic another dancer. The first volume of Welcome to the Ballroom didn’t engage me as much as I thought or hoped that it would and some of the characters’ casual sexism was bothersome, but I’m still curious to see where the series goes from here, in part because it ends with quite a cliffhanger.

Bookshelf Overload: October 2016

November 11, 2016 by Ash Brown

October brought quite a few interesting things to my shelves. The University of Hawaii Press, which publishes some excellent Japan-related materials, had a major sale celebrating its 69th anniversary. So as not to go overboard (which would have been incredibly easy to do) I limited myself to five books. I was especially excited that Modanizumu: Modernist Fiction from Japan, 1913-1938 was included in the sale–it’s been on my wishlist since I wrote my spotlight on Kaita Murayama a couple of years ago. Kodansha Comics continues to impress me with the range and variety of manga that it’s publishing this year. Some of the great Kodansha manga from October included (but certainly wasn’t limited to) the shoujo tribute anthology Neo-Parasyte F, The Ghost and the Lady, Volume 1 by Kazuhiro Fujita and of course Princess Jellyfish, Omnibus 3 by Akiko Higashimura. (Technically, that last one is a November release; my copy just arrived early). High on the list of other October manga for which I was particularly excited there’s Blue Morning, Volume 6 by Shoko Hidaka (actually released in September, but I finally got my hands on a copy) and Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon by Shigeru Mizuki. As for non-manga October releases, I’m hoping to make time to read the second novel in Ken Liu’s Dandelion Dynasty trilogy, The Wall of Swords, sooner rather than later. (The first volume, The Grace of Kings, was one of my favorite books from last year.) I must also mention the wonderful children’s book and poetry collection Are You an Echo?: The Lost Poetry of Misuzu Kaneko which I recently reviewed and highly recommend.

Manga!
Ajin: Demi-Human, Volume 8 by Gamon Sakurai
Attack on Titan: Lost Girls, Volume 1 by Ryosuke Fuji
Blue Morning, Volume 6 by Shoko Hidaka
Cells at Work!, Volume 1 by Akane Shimizu
Dawn of the Arcana, Volumes 1-7, 9, 12-13 by Rei Toma
The Ghost and the Lady, Volume 1 by Kazuhiro Fujita
I Am a Hero, Omnibus 2 by Kengo Hanazawa
Interviews with Monster Girls, Volume 1 by Petos
Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon by Shigeru Mizuki
My Love Story!!, Volume 10 written by Kazune Kawahara, illustrated by Aruko
Nekogahara: Stray Cat Samurai, Volume 1 by Hiroyuki Takei
Neo-Parasyte F by Various
Platinum End, Volume 1 written by Tsugumi Ohba, illustrated by Takeshi Obata
Princess Jellyfish, Omnibus 3 by Akiko Higashimura
Samejima-kun and Sasahara-kun by Koshino
The Secret Sakura Shares by Akira Hagio
Sweetness &Lightning, Volume 2 by Gido Amagakure
Ten Count, Volume 2 by Rihito Takarai
Yona of the Dawn, Volume 2 by Mizuho Kusanagi

Manhwa!
Goong: The Royal Palace, Volumes 2-7, 9-10 by Park SoHee

Comics!
Adulthood Is a Myth by Sarah Andersen
Eat Me by Megan Rose Gedris
Godzilla in Hell by James Stokoe
Food Baby by Lucie Byron
Hotblood!: A Centaur in the Old West by Toril Orlesky
Humanescent written by Jacques Nyemb
Kill 6 Billion Demons, Volume 1 by Tom Parkinson-Morgan
Love! Love! Fighting! by Sharean Morishita
Romeo X Julien, Act 2: The Lovers by Marina
Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown

Artbooks!
Fat Mermaids edited by Paige Hall
Hotblood! Foundry: Materials Book (1871-2016) by Toril Orlesky

Novels!
Deep Red by Hisashi Nozawa
Dandelion Dynasty, Book 2: The Wall of Swords by Ken Liu

Anthologies!
Modanizumu: Modernist Fiction from Japan, 1913-1938 edited by William Jefferson Tyler
Three-dimensional Reading: Stories of Time and Space in Japanese Modernist Fiction, 1911-1932 edited by Angela Yiu

Nonfiction!
Are You an Echo?: The Lost Poetry of Misuzu Kaneko written by David Jacobson, illustrated by Toshikado Hajiri
Bodies of Evidence: Women, Society, and Detective Fiction in 1990s Japan by Amanda C. Seaman
Reading Food in Modern Japanese Literature by Tomoko Aoyama
She Changed Comics: The Untold Story of the Women Who Changed Free Expression in Comics by Various
Whisky Japan: The Essential Guide to the World’s Most Exotic Whisky by Dominic Roskrow

Anime!
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun directed by Mitsue Yamazaki
Natsume’s Book of Friends, Seasons 1-2 directed by Takahiro Omori
Escaflowne: The Movie directed by Kazuki Akane

Manga the Week of 11/16

November 10, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: Life goes on. Somehow. And so does manga. Let’s see what’s coming out next week.

MICHELLE: *heavy sigh*

SEAN: Haikasoru has the 3rd volume of Legend of the Galactic Heroes, as a corrupt democracy battles a fascist dictatorship, with a third party making money off of both of them. Insert dark joke here.

MICHELLE: Heh.

ASH: Eyup.

ANNA: Sounds like a good time for me to finally pick this up.

SEAN: Kodansha gives us the 4th and final volume of Livingstone.

ASH: Intriguing premise with a somewhat uneven execution, but I’m still interested in seeing how it ends.

SEAN: And the 11th Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, which many thought would be the final volume, but… it isn’t.

ASH: Already the series has had some good stopping points. I do enjoy the manga, but I also wonder how long it can be stretched.

SEAN: Vertical has the second to last Tokyo ESP.

Do you like Gundam? Do you like serious, hardboiled, probably depressing Gundam? By the creator of the tragically unlicensed Moonlight Mile? You will love Viz’s debut of Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, then. Plus it ran in Big Comic Superior. Do you know how often that magazine gets a license? Never, that’s how often.

ANNA: I do like Gundam in general, but am not sure I am in the mood for depressing Gundam.

SEAN: Viz also has our yearly release of Ooku, with its 12th volume. If you like digital manga, Ooku 1-12 are also available digitally for the first time next week!

MICHELLE: Commence Kermit flail.

ASH: Always glad to see more of this series!

ANNA: EEEEEE!

MJ: Yes!

SEAN: And there’s a 6th and final volume of Sunny, probably my favorite Taiyo Matsumoto manga to date, even though I’ve fallen way behind on it.

MICHELLE: As have I.

ASH: It is a very good series.

SEAN: Terra Formars continues to be a resounding success despite all my best efforts. Here’s the 15th volume.

And Ultraman’s 6th volume is ultra good. (Sorry, witty comments are thin on the ground today.)

And Yen On has most of its November releases ship next week (one was moved to the week after), starting with the 9th volume of A Certain Magical Index. What happens when you combine science, magic, a citywide athletics festival, and a terrorist attack? If you guessed “shenanigans”, you win.

Durarara!! has a 5th volume that starts up a new story arc, as Izaya gets revenge for the lack of hotpot invites, and Mikado learns that running a “colorless” gang is not as easy as he thinks.

Log Horizon’s 6th volume is focused on Akatsuki, who finds her skills hitting a wall and her relationship with Shiroe doing much the same.

And lastly, another volume of Re: Zero, where we see if our hero can survive the next day, or if he keeps getting horribly murdered.

Take your mind off things. Read manga!

Pick of the Week: Still the King

November 7, 2016 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: My pick of the week is absolutely the third Princess Jellyfish omnibus, which has graduated from being in my Amazon cart to actually being pre-ordered.

SEAN: There are titles I may be looking forward to more, but I think my pick this week has to be Neo Parasyte f, simply as the idea of a bunch of shoujo artists giving their take on one of the iconic bizarre horror series is something I’d never have expected to get licensed here. Well done.

ASH: I am so glad that Princess Jellyfish and Neo Parasyte f have already been mentioned because that frees me to pick the most recent volume of Requiem of the Rose King! I love the series’ dark fantasy reimagining of the War of the Roses and Shakespeare’s plays. The manga’s artwork and the drama are both very striking, and I look forward to reading more.

ANNA: I am also torn between Princess Jellyfish and Requiem of the Rose King, but I have to go with Requiem of the Rose King, just because it is so unique and surreal.

MJ: I’m sure this is predictable for any long-time reader, but Requiem of the Rose King always, for me! It is exactly my kind of manga.

My Week in Manga: October 31-November 6, 2016

November 7, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week at Experiments in Manga the winner of the Sweetness & Lightning manga giveaway was announced. The post also includes a list of some of the manga available in English that feature notable fathers or father figures. As for more in-depth features, I’m (still) currently working on some random, but rather personal, musings about Ichigo Takano’s manga series Orange. Progress on that post is a little slower than I would like it to be, but hopefully I’ll have something to share in the relatively near future.

As for interesting things that I’ve recently found online: The Honolulu Museum of Art recently hosted a series of lectures and discussions called Manga in Japan, Hawai‘i, and Throughout the World; many of the recordings can now be watched online. The proceedings of the Manga at a Crossroads symposia are available to read or download from The Ohio State University. Anna Madill has also posted the slides from her 2016 Comics Forum keynote address–Genre, genealogy, and gender: Reflecting on Boys’ Love manga–which includes some interesting results from her BL Fandom Survey. And speaking of boys’ love, Digital Manga’s Juné imprint is seeking the print rights for Asumiko Nakamura’s Classmates (Doukyusei).

Quick Takes

Haikyu!!, Volumes 3-5 by Haruichi Furudate. The new Karasuno team has made it through its first game, but the members still have some practicing to do before they can completely shed the nickname of the fallen champions. But considering their tremendous talent and potential, that might not take them too long. With these volumes, a few more Karasuno veterans are introduced, as are their rivals, before the series quickly moves from training to tournaments. Although there are some very exciting moments, I actually find the games to be the least interesting part of Haikyu!!, which may (but not necessarily) present a problem in the long run for what is primarily a sports manga. Some of the action was a little difficult for me to follow until I got used to Furudate’s visual language, probably because I’m not actually all that familiar with volleyball gameplay. Growing up, my family’s anything-goes backyard games followed vastly different rules; Haikyu!! is actually teaching me how volleyball as a sport is really played. However, I am still enjoying Haikyu!! immensely. I particularly love the series’ focus on teamwork and even more so its unflagging positivity. Haikyu!! manages to be competitive without being mean. I also really like the distinctive personalities of the characters, and Furudate’s sense of humor and comedic timing is great. The manga continues to be great fun.

Neo-Parasyte F by Various. Hitoshi Iwaaki’s series Parasyte happens to be not only one of my favorite horror manga, but one of my favorite manga in general. That’s probably the main reason I was so excited that the Parasyte shoujo tribute anthology Neo-Parasyte F was licensed, but the list of contributors is exciting in and of itself, too. I was especially happy to have the chance to read more of Asumiko Nakamura’s work, but there are other creators that English-reading fans will likely recognize as well, such as Ema Toyama, Kaori Yuki, and Yuri Narushima among others. Neo-Parasyte F collects fifteen short manga that in one way or another pay tribute to Parasyte. Some of the stories take place within the same world as Parasyte–Shinichi and Migi, the main characters of the original series, even make a few appearances–while others are set completely apart. Many of the manga are still horror-themed, but there are a surprising number that actually take a more humorous approach. Ever wonder what Parasyte would be like as an otome game? Neo-Parasyte F presents one possible interpretation of just that. Overall, the volume is a great anthology containing an excellent variety of genres and styles. Neo-Parasyte F will likely appeal most to readers who are fans of or at least familiar with Parasyte, although a few of the contributions can stand completely on their own.

The Prince in His Dark Days, Volume 1 by Hico Yamanaka. In Japan, Yamanaka is probably better known for her boys’ love manga, but that’s not all that she’s done. For example, The Prince in His Dark Days, Yamanaka’s English-language debut, does not fall into that particular genre. However, it is poised to explore gender and sexuality in interesting ways, which is what first brought the series to my attention. The story follows Atsuko, a high school student from a broken and abusive family who is struggling to make ends meet. She is more or less coerced into becoming the stand-in for Itaru, the wealthy heir to a major corporation who has gone missing. Very possibly he ran away due to some of his own unfortunate circumstances. Until Itaru is found, Atsuko will be taking them on in his place. Although she’s not exactly leading a life of luxury–parts of Itaru’s own life are less than ideal–at least she’s no longer quite as miserable as she once was. The initial setup of The Prince in His Dark Days is a little rough and feels a somewhat forced, but it does establish understandable reasons for everything that follows. Admittedly, the whole situation is rather strange, but once Atsuko has adopted her new role she devotes herself completely to it. In the process, she begins to create meaningful if somewhat peculiar relationships with the people around her. I’m not entirely sure where The Prince in His Dark Days is heading, but I do know that I want to find out.

Princess Jellyfish, Omnibus 3 (equivalent to Volumes 5-6) by Akiko Higashimura. I am still incredibly pleased that Princess Jellyfish manga series is being released in print. I thoroughly enjoyed the anime adaptation and was left wanting more after it ended, so I’m thrilled to finally have the chance to read the original manga. The anime began around the same time that the sixth volume was originally being released in Japan, so from this point on more and more of what is seen in the manga will either be new or significantly different. It has been a while since I’ve watched the anime so I may be misremembering parts of it, but already I can identify where notably different choices were made as to plot and characters. However, the heart of both the manga and the anime are definitely the same. Despite the various romantic and relationship dramas, Princess Jellyfish is largely a comedy. Serious matters like familial and social expectations are addressed and explored in the series, but Higashimura primarily does so through humor, sometimes more successfully and sometimes less so. Princess Jellyfish is an energetic manga that can be over-the-top and ridiculous, but it can also be very touching. As the women of Amamizukan search for a way to save their beloved home they are finding new ways to express themselves through skills and talents that they never realized they had, slowly coming out of their shells in ways they never expected.

Manga Giveaway: Sweetness & Lightning Giveaway Winner

November 2, 2016 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the Sweetness & Lightning manga giveaway is… Joseph Miller!

As the winner, Joseph will be receiving a copy of the first two volumes of Gido Amagakure’s manga series Sweetness & Lightning as published in English by Kodansha Comics. In addition to being a food manga, which I generally enjoy, Sweetness & Lightning is also a series about family. In particular, the father-daughter relationship between Kōhei and Tsumugi is a major part of the story. Kōhei is a great dad, so for this giveaway I asked that participants tell me a little about their favorite fathers and father figures from manga. Be sure to check out the giveaway comments for all of the detailed responses!

Some of the manga available in English with notable dads and father figures:
Baby & Me by Marimo Ragawa
Barakamon by Satsuki Yoshino
Bokurano: Ours by Mohiro Kito
Bunny Drop by Yumi Unita
Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama
Fairy Tail by Hiro Mashima
Fake by Sanami Matoh
Fate/Zero written by Gen Urobuchi, illustrated by Shinjiro
Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
Gugure! Kokkuri-san by Midori Endou
Hide & Seek by Yaya Sakuragi
Lone Wolf & Cub written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Goseki Kojima
Master Keaton written by Hokusei Katsushika, Takashi Nagasaki, Naoki Urasawa
My Brother’s Husband by Gengoroh Tagame
My Neighbor Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki
Neon Genesis Evangelion by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
One-Punch Man written by One, illustrated by Yusuke Murata
Only Serious About You by Kai Asou
Otomen by Aya Kanno
Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori
Persona 4 by Shuji Sogabe
Real by Takehiko Inoue
Sweetness & Lightning by Gido Amagakure
Tiger & Bunny by Mizuki Sakakibara
Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida
Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura
Wandering Son by Takako Shimura
Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma

As usual the above list certainly isn’t comprehensive but it does provide a variety of manga to explore. Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway and shared some of your favorite manga dads with me! I hope you see you all again for the next giveaway.

Pick of the Week: The Soft Cell

November 1, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: Any week with Oresama Teacher in it is going to be an Oresama Teacher pick of the week. Even as it’s gotten more serious, each volume still guarantees big laughs from me. That’s really something after 21 volumes.

MICHELLE: I’m definitely looking forward to the latest Oresama Teacher, but am most eager to check out the debut of Cells at Work! Quirky premise for the win!

ASH: Hmmm… there’s all sorts of interesting things being released this week, both old and new. I think I’m with Michelle this week, though. While I plan on reading a fair number of recent releases, it’s the debut of Cells at Work has me the most curious! (Perhaps it will even manage to scratch the Moyasimon itch.)

ANNA: I have to say I’m also interested in Cells at Work, it sounds like a very promising debut.

My Week in Manga: October 24-October 30, 2016

October 31, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Although I was finally around for most of last week (as opposed to traveling and being busy with family stuff and such like I was for previous two weeks), all that was posted in addition to the usual My Week in Manga feature was the monthly manga giveaway for October. Experiments in Manga is currently following a more relaxed posting schedule which, while it does still frustrate me that I’m not currently able to post more, is better than not posting anything at all. Anyway! There’s still time to enter for a chance to win the first two volumes of Gido Amagakure’s Sweetness & Lightning. All you have to do is tell me a little about your favorite dad or father figure from manga.

Seven Seas was celebrating its twelfth anniversary last week and announced a slew of new licenses including Yurino Tsukigase’s Otome Mania!!, Aikawa Shou’s Concrete Revolutio, Isaki Uta’s Generation Witch, Aoki Spica’s Beasts of Abigaile!, Nozomu Tamaki’s Don’t Meddle With My Daughter, Hachijou Shin’s Red Riding Hood and the Big Sad Wolf, Aosa Tsunemi’s Akashic Records of the Bastard Magical Instructor, Shiramine’s Tales of Zestiria, and Kabi Nagata’s My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness (which is probably the manga that I’m most curious about). Also of note, it looks as though Seven Seas might be getting back into the light novel game and the first print run of Kore Yamazaki’s The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Volume 6 will be accompanied by a booklet with a bonus chapter.

Not to be outdone, Yen Press announced three new acquisitions: Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui, the original novel, manga adaptations, and spinoff novel of Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name, and No Game No Life, Desu! by Yuu Kamiya and Kazuya Yuizaki. Also, Bento Books is preparing to release some more manga, including second volume of the Math Girls adaptation and the first two volumes of Female Math Major. After a bit of a mishap the first time around, the relaunch of Digital Manga’s most recent Kickstarter is well on its way to raise funds to release several of Osamu Tezuka’s short manga collections: Under the Air, Melody of Iron, and The Crater (which has its own history of mishaps separate from Digital Manga’s). Other Kickstarters that have recently caught my eye include the queer, supernatural, erotic comic Letters for Lucardo and the supernatural horror-comedy comic Not Drunk Enough.

Quick Takes

Fairy Tail: Blue Mistral, Volume 3 by Rui Watanabe. Out of all of the various Fairy Tail spinoffs (and to some extent even Fairy Tail itself), Blue Mistral is the manga that I’m most enjoying so far. I find this particularly interesting because out of all the series, Blue Mistral is the one aimed at a demographic farthest from the one that technically I belong to. I believe Blue Mistral is currently the only shoujo version of Fairy Tail (or at least is the only one to have been published in English at this point) and the magazine in which it was originally released is generally geared toward middle school girls. However, this audience is fitting for a series which follows Wendy Marvell, Fairy Tail’s twelve-year-old dragon slayer magic user. Although other characters from Fairy Tail do make appearances in the series, Blue Mistral is absolutely about Wendy and her adventures apart from the rest of the guild. In this particular volume, she spends much of her time posing as a boy for her own safety as she investigates the disappearances of a group of young women in the town of Aiya. After joining the town guard, she comes to discover that the circumstances are much more complicated than they first appeared. Romantic feelings play an important role in the story, but generally the romance occurs between characters who are not Wendy. Her heart does beat a little faster from time to time, though. Blue Mistral, even with all of the danger that Wendy must face, continues to be a generally upbeat, fun, and charming series.

Forget Me Not, Volume 4 written by Mag Hsu and illustrated by Nao Emoto. Although by and large I have been enjoying Forget Me Not, the third volume managed to frustrate me immensely. However, the fourth volume worked much better for me. Serizawa’s romantic relationships and attempts at romantic relationships continue to be utter utter wrecks (which considering the premise of the series is entirely expected), but at least he’s finally gained some more maturity and is able to begin to understand his own feelings. The fourth volume also delves into Serizawa’s family history which reveals some of the likely reasons that he has so much trouble forming relationships to begin with–raised by his mother after his father abandons them for another woman, he hasn’t really had a good model to follow. That’s actually something that I really appreciate about Forget Me Not. Many series which focus on romance and love tend to idealize them when in fact relationships of any sort take a tremendous amount of work. Serizawa is in the process of learning this, and it can be painful to watch as he not always successfully navigates his romances, but he is making some progress, slowly recognizing what he needs is not necessarily what the other person needs. What is missing from the fourth volume of Forget Me Not is its connection to the series’ hook, the reason why Serizawa is currently looking back on his disappointing love life; I’m hoping that the series will explore this again soon.

The Gods Lie by Kaori Ozaki. Even though it was never fully released in English, I loved Ozaki’s Immortal Rain (or Meteor Methuselah as it was originally titled). And so when The Gods Lie was licensed, I was understandably thrilled that I would have the opportunity to read more of Ozaki’s work. Other than the fact that I recognized the creator, I didn’t actually know anything about The Gods Lie. However, I was very happy to discover that it was just as beautifully drawn and emotionally resonant as Immortal Rain. Ozaki’s storytelling in The Gods Lie is just as strong if not stronger, too. It’s also a more mature work aimed at a more mature audience, seinen rather than shoujo. The Gods Lie is a heartwrenching and devastating manga. The themes that Ozaki explores with the work are pretty heavy and hard-hitting–death, abandonment, and desperation being some of the most prominent. But there’s also love and righteousness to be found. Interpersonal relationships and families, both good and bad, provide the manga’s center. The story takes place during a very limited span of time, primarily over the course of Natsuru Nanao’s sixth-grade summer vacation, but the events that occur will have a tremendous impact on the young man. Natsuru’s characterization is incredibly well done. In part The Gods Lie is a cutting coming-of-age story. Natsuru changes and matures in very believable ways, losing some of his innocence while gaining a better understanding of and dealing with some of the world’s more unfortunate realities.

Otherworld Barbara, Omnibus 1 (equivalent to Volumes 1-2) by Moto Hagio. Fantagraphics doesn’t currently have a huge line of manga (and sadly we may never see the rest of Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son translated), but the works it does publish are quality ones. I was very excited for the release of the first half of Otherworld Barbara; the manga was one of my most-anticipated titles for 2016. Although Hagio is a very influential creator in Japan, not much of her work has been published in English. I’ve loved everything that has been translated but have a particular fondness for Hagio’s science fiction. Otherworld Barbara is very much a part of that genre–it’s even one of the few manga to have won the Nihon SF Taisho Award–but it also includes strong elements of fantasy and the supernatural in addition to some significant family drama. Dreams, reality, past, present, and future all overlap with one another in Otherworld Barbara. Tokio is a dream pilot with the ability to enter other people’s dreams, gaining insight into their psyches in the process. Often he’s called upon to use his ability to help with criminal investigations, but more recently a group of researchers has asked him explore the dreams of a young woman who has been asleep for seven years. Surprisingly, his estranged son seems to somehow be tied to her case. The deeper Tokio probes, the more strange coincidences he uncovers, and the more dangerous the situation becomes for him and everyone else involved. I’m immensely curious to see how the story plays out.