Ash Brown

Pick of the Week: Complex Simplicity

December 12, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: Well, I was going to pick the digital release of the Spice & Wolf novel, but Yen already bumped it back to the 20th with its 80 other releases that week. And tempting as it is to pick Magi by default as always, I will instead pick the 3rd volume of Complex Age, which sometimes hits too close to home, but is riveting.

MICHELLE: Magi is always a contender for me, but like Sean, I am going to go with Complex Age this time.

ASH: It’s Complex Age for me, too! The first volume surprised me and the second volume continued to impress me, so I’m very much looking forward to the third.

ANNA: I’m picking Complex Age too, it is extremely well done and feels quite unique compared to many of the other manga out there.

MJ: How can I possibly resist? Complex Age it is!

My Week in Manga: December 5-December 11, 2016

December 12, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week at Experiments in Manga I announced the winner of the Kodansha Comics Collection manga giveaway. The post also includes a list of Kodansha Comics’ 2016 print debuts, the variety of which quite impressed me. I’ve made a little more progress on my Orange feature, but not as much as I originally intended as I found myself working on a job application instead (which is greatly stressing out my current supervisor).

Anyway! There were a few things that caught my attention online last week: Manga translator Jenny McKeon was interviewed for Forbes. Sally Ito, one of the translators of the marvelous Are You an Echo?: The Lost Poetry of Misuzu Kaneko, was interviewed over at Tofugu. In licensing news, Kodansha Comics recently announced the acquisition of the anthology Otomo: A Tribute to the Mind Behind Akira, which sounds like it should be fantastic, and Haruko Kumota’s Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, which I am extremely excited about. (I’ve actually known about the licenses for a while now, but I didn’t want to say anything until the official announcement was made.)

Quick Takes

Gate: Where the JSDF Fought, Volume 1 written by Takumi Yanai and illustrated by Satoru Sao. Sekai Project primarily localizes visual novels and video games but has very recently expanded its catalog to include manga. Gate is Sekai Project’s first manga publication. The Gate manga is based on an ongoing series of light novels by Yanai. After a gate to another world opens up in Ginza, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces successfully fights off an invasion of knights and dragons and establishes a base on the other side. What I especially liked about Gate is that it addresses the real-world politics and implications of the gate alongside those encountered in the fantasy-like environment. Japan obviously wants to maintain control of the gate and the resources to which it can provide access, but the United States (supposedly Japan’s ally) and China are both preparing to leverage their weight, too. On the other side of the gate, the standing empire is using some less-than-ethical tactics as it struggles to maintain its power and control after such a tremendous defeat. Despite some peculiar name choices (the princess Piña Co Lada, for one), so far the setting and culture clashes of Gate are interesting. It’s also really nice to see so many competent female characters in prominent roles.

Intense, Volumes 2-4 by Kyungha Yi. The first volume of Yi’s boys’ love manhwa Intense was, well, intense. The rest of the series continues to be psychologically and emotionally heavy and at times is outright bleak. However, it is beautifully drawn. The second and third volumes of Intense aren’t quite as compelling as the first–though necessary and important to the story, I didn’t find the temporary focus on the political dynamics of organized crime to be especially engaging–but the fourth volume more than makes up for that. Overall, Intense was a very satisfying series. Jiwoon and Soohan’s happy ending does not come easily. (Honestly, I was afraid they wouldn’t get one at all and was steeling myself for the tragedy that I hoped wouldn’t come.) Even after they are able to extricate themselves from the crime syndicate that more or less owned Jiwoon, things do not go well. Though they deal with them in vastly different ways, both Jiwoon and Soohan struggle with abandonment issues. Soohan is surprisingly controlling and overbearing, desperate to be indispensable, while Jiwoon hasn’t yet developed a sense of self-worth or the ability to stand up for himself. This combination of traits is devastating and heartbreaking. They both care tremendously for the other, but initially neither of them are in a healthy enough place to make the relationship work.

Kuroko’s Basketball, Omnibus 1 (equivalent to Volumes 1-2) by Tadatoshi Fujimaki. In Japan, Kuroko’s Basketball has been hugely successful. English-reading fans have been clamoring for the series to be licensed for years, but it was only picked up relatively recently. There has been something of a renaissance when it comes to sports manga in translation, and Kuroko’s Basketball is one of the major series to usher in that trend. However, while I did enjoy the first omnibus a great deal, so far I’m not quite as enamored with it as I am with some of the other leading sports manga, namely Haikyu!! and Yowamushi Pedal. Still, Kuroko’s Basketball has quite a few things going for it and even turns a few well-worn tropes on their heads. Rather than being overly realistic, Kuroko’s Basketball takes a more fantastic approach–the abilities of the highly-skilled players and coaches are almost supernatural. Kuroko, the lead, is deliberately one of the most nondescript and unassuming characters in the series, but he is able to use this to his a team’s advantage on the court. Kuroko’s Basketball can actually be quite clever and entertaining. I was also absolutely delighted to discover that instead of having an attractive young woman as its manager (which is fairly standard for a sports manga), Kuroko’s team has an attractive young woman as its coach. I hope that remains the case as the series progresses.

Yona of the Dawn, Volumes 2-3 by Mizuho Kusanagi. I enjoy epic fantasies and seem to have a particular proclivity for epic shoujo fantasies specifically, so reading Yona of the Dawn was an obvious choice. While the first volume did an excellent job of setting the stage for the unfolding drama, Yona herself spent much of it in shock and barely functioning. Fortunately, although she is still devastated by her father’s death and the betrayal of her cousin Su-won, Yona recovers in the second volume and by the third she begins to show her mettle by actively taking control of her life and destiny. These couple of volumes also expand on the series’ worldbuilding, introducing myths, legends, and prophecies that will have a direct impact on the story. Seeking a way not only to protect herself but also the people she cares about and those who are doing all that they can to keep her safe, Yona sets off on a quest to secure the help of the descendants of the four dragons who aided the country’s first king. Yona’s close friend and bodyguard Hak continues to accompany her but others begin to join them on their journey as well–Yona is proving to be a leader worth following. No longer the sheltered and naive girl she once was at the palace, Yona is working to improve and strengthen herself in addition to making an effort to learn more about her country and its people.

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Manga the Week of 12/14

December 8, 2016 by Anna N, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith and Sean Gaffney Leave a Comment

SEAN: Another week before Christmas, another 15-odd titles due out. Let’s break it down.

Dark Horse has an 11th New Lone Wolf and Cub. Will it one day pass its predecessor? Actually no, as this is the final volume.

For the most part, Amazon dates on DMP have been so inaccurate lately I haven’t bothered to mention them, which is likely how I missed that the 4th Border volume came out.

MICHELLE: I have the first couple of volumes of this, but never got around to actually reading them.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has two new releases. The first is actually highly anticipated, as I assumed that Yen would be picking it up (they got the manga instead). Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash is one of those “transported to another world” books, but is quite popular and has an anime already, so I’ll give it a shot.

The other new series is My Little Sister Can Read Kanji, apparently a broad comedic take on the moe-ing of Japan, which is a surprising license simply due to the fact that the premise revolves around kanji. Interested in how this is adapted more than anything else.

ASH: Kanji, huh? That could be interesting.

SEAN: Kodansha has a 9th volume of what is easily the most popular of its Attack on Titan spinoffs, Before the Fall.

ASH: Currently my personal favorite is Lost Girls, but Before the Fall has its moments.

SEAN: Complex Age continues to balance fun cosplay and anime references with a more serious take on “being an adult”, and I can’t wait for its third volume.

MICHELLE: Ooh, yay!

ASH: Complex Age is a great series.

ANNA: I need to get caught up with Volume 2!

SEAN: And Fairy Tail gets a 3rd giant Master’s Edition mega-omnibus.

Spoof on Titan – famous for being the less insane of the two parody spinoffs – comes to an end with its 2nd volume, which feels about right.

ASH: I found it to be a surprisingly fun series, but I agree that two volumes seems about the right length.

SEAN: Seven Seas has some new stuff as well, starting with a 4th volume of 12 Beast.

NTR – Netsuzou Trap has enough of an audience that it’s getting an anime. I suspect it is 99% male, though, and I’d put quote marks around “yuri” for its 2nd volume.

And there’s an 8th volume of Servamp. (Please insert vampire joke here – The Management)

SuBLime has a 6th volume of Love Stage!!.

ASH: I’ve been meaning to give Love Stage!! a try. Guess I have some catching up to do!

SEAN: Vertical’s re-release of BLAME! is not only handsome but also HUGE. Leave space on the shelf for it.

MICHELLE: I should probably get these.

ANNA: I am pondering this.

SEAN: Viz gives us a 19th Itsuwaribito, which I wish I had anything to say about give it’s run so long.

And a 21st Magi, which I will always have things to say about, as it’s fantastic.

MICHELLE: Also, yay!

ASH: I’ve finally picked up a few volumes of Magi! (I still need to actually read them, though…)

ANNA: Me too. My winter vacation reading goals revolve around Magi and some other languishing series.

MICHELLE: Same here. You might be happy to hear, Anna, that this includes One-Punch Man!

ANNA: I have a mini stack of One-Punch Man too! Looking forward to all the punching!

SEAN: There’s also a 5th Monster Hunter: Flash Hunter.

ASH: I actually completely forgot about the Monster Hunter manga, but I did enjoy some of the original games.

SEAN: Lastly, an old release now available for the first time digitally, as Yen On is putting out Spice & Wolf’s light novels, starting with Vol. 1 this week.

Is this enough? Do you need more? (Don’t worry, the week after next has you covered.)

Manga Giveaway: Kodansha Comics Collection Winner

December 7, 2016 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the Kodansha Comics Collection manga giveaway is… Amaya!

As the winner, Amaya will be receiving not one but four of Kodansha Comics print debuts from 2016: Shuzo Oshimi’s Happiness, Hiroyuki Takei’s Nekogahara: Stray Cat Samurai, Hico Yamanaka’s The Prince in His Dark Days, and Tomo Takeuchi’s Welcome to the Ballroom. As I was reflecting back on the manga of 2016, I found that I was particularly impressed by the increased variety in Kodansha Comics titles. And so, for this giveaway, I asked that participants tell me about their favorite 2016 Kodansha Comics manga, debuts or otherwise. Akiko Higashimura’s Princess Jellyfish seems to have garnered the most love and attention, but be sure to check out the giveaway comments for everyone’s excitement over all of the great manga released by Kodansha Comics this year!

Kodansha Comics 2016 print debuts:
Attack on Titan: Lost Girls written by Koji Seko, illustrated by Ryosuke Fuji.
Attack on Titan Coloring Book by Hajime Isayama
Attack on Titan Anthology edited by Ben Applegate and Jeanine Schaefer
Cells at Work by Akane Shimizu
Complex Age by Yui Sakuma
Fairy Tail: Twin Dragons of Saber Tooth by Kyouta Shibano
Fairy Tail: Zero by Hiro Mashima
Fire Force by Atsushi Ohkubo
Forget Me Not written by Mag Hsu, illustrated by Nao Emoto
The Ghost and the Lady by Kazuhiro Fujita
Happiness by Shuzo Oshimi
In/Spectre by Chashiba Katase
Interviews with Monster Girls by Petos
Maga-Tsuki by Hoshino Taguchi
Nekogahara: Stray Cat Samurai by Hiroyuki Takei
Neo Parasyte F by Various
Paradise Residence by Kosuke Fujishima
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Side: P3 by So Tobita
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Side: P4 by Mizunomoto
The Prince in His Dark Days by Hiko Yamanaka
Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura
Queen Emeraldas by Leiji Matsumoto
Real Account written by Okushou, illustrated by Shizumu Watanabe
Spoof on Titan by Hounori
Sweetness and Lightning by Gido Amagakure
That Wolf-Boy is Mine! by Yoko Nogiri
Welcome to the Ballroom by Tomo Takeuchi

As always, thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in the giveaway and for sharing your favorite Kodansha Comics manga with me. 2016 was a great year for manga and 2017 looks like it should be pretty darn good, too. But before we get to that, I hope to see you again for this year’s last giveaway!

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Pick of the Week: Manga Assortment

December 5, 2016 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Anna N and Ash Brown Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: There’s a trio of shounen favorites I will definitely be getting, but of these, I’m looking forward to Haikyu!! the most, I think. Karasuno’s up against the foes that took them out of contention last year. OMG, can they win?!?!

SEAN: I too am going to pick a shonen favorite, as the 13th volume of Assassination Classroom is particularly excellent, and reveals much about why Nagisa is the way that he is.

ANNA: Never has my choice been more clear, because a third volume of Yona of the Dawn is coming out!

ASH: There are quite a few manga being released this week that I’m looking forward to, including the most recent volumes of Haikyu!! and Yona of the Dawn, but my pick actually goes to the collection of erotic gay manga The Boy Who Called Wolf. Mentaiko Itto’s work tends to be good-natured and highly entertaining, so I’m happy to see more of his manga being translated.

My Week in Manga: November 28-December 4, 2016

December 5, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

November may have come and gone, but there’s still time to enter November’s manga giveaway for a chance to win the first volumes of Shuzo Oshimi’s Happiness, Hiroyuki Takei’s Nekogahara: Stray Cat Samurai, Hico Yamanaka’s The Prince in His Dark Days, and Tomo Takeuchi’s Welcome to the Ballroom. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, so get those entries in! Other than the monthly giveaway, last week continued to be rather quiet at Experiments in Manga. Happily though, I was able to make some progress on my feature for Ichigo Takano’s Orange.

In case you’re looking for more giveaways, Manga Test Drive’s annual holiday giveaway is currently underway. (Also, if you’re looking for some great manga reviews, Manga Test Drive is well-worth checking out.) As for other interesting things online: Vertical has posted its novel survey which includes the opportunity to make a license request; Justin at The OASG has compiled a list of Princess Jellyfish‘s chapter title pop culture references; and the final part of The Sparkling World of 1970s Shojo Manga has been posted at The Lobster Dance.

Quick Takes

Interviews with Monster Girls, Volume 1 by Petos. I’ve come to associate monster girl manga with Seven Seas and so initially I was a little surprised to learn that Interviews with Monster Girls was actually being released by Kodansha Comics. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with another publisher giving a recently but immensely popular niche some attention! Tetsuo Takahashi, a high school biology teacher, has both a personal and professional interest in demi-humans. He has always wanted to meet one but has never had the opportunity until he suddenly and unexpectedly encounters not one but four demi at his school. Three are students–an energetic vampire, a lonely dullahan, and a meek yuki onna–while the fourth is both a succubus and one of the school’s math teachers. One thing that’s different in Interviews with Monster Girls from many of the other monster girl manga that I’ve read is that the demi don’t seem to be a separate species from humans but are instead a sort of spontaneous, rare genetic mutation. So far, Interviews with Monster Girls is fairly innocuous. The story tends to be fairly quiet and even introspective with touches of humor, focusing on the daily lives, troubles, and worries of the young demi women.

Magia the Ninth, Volume 1 by Ichiya Sazanami. I had previously read and enjoyed Sazanami’s earlier series Black Bard which would have been enough to interest me in Magia the Ninth but when I heard that the series was about magic-wielding, demon-hunting, bishonen composers I knew that I wouldn’t be able to resist it. The manga follows Takeru, a young man whose parents were killed by demons. He wants revenge and so seeks the aid of the magia, a group of people imbued with the souls of classical composers who use musical masterpieces as exorcism tools. Specifically, he tries to convince Beethoven to make him his apprentice. Honestly, at times Magia the Ninth is barely coherent. The worldbuilding is a mess and the story nearly nonexistent. The manga is a spectacle without being spectacular but even so, I absolutely loved the first volume. It’s an absurd but highly entertaining and energizing manga. And due to my classical training, I’m in a position to appreciate Sazanami’s nods to the personal quirks and histories of the original composers. Apparently Magia the Ninth is actually only two volumes long. I don’t know if Sazanami planned it to be that short or if the series was canceled early (which wouldn’t surprise me), but I definitely plan on reading the second half.

Prison School, Omnibus 3-5 (equivalent to Volumes 5-10) by Akira Hiramoto. I’m not sure if Prison School could be any more different than Me and the Devil Blues, currently the only other manga by Hiramoto to have been licensed in English. The only immediate similarity between the two series is Hiramoto’s exceptional artwork. Many people will find Prison School appalling and rightly or at least understandably so, especially if they’re expecting something more akin to Hiramoto’s earlier work. Prison School is blatant in its highly sexualized and fetishized characterizations, story, and illustrations. The fanservice is frequently so extreme as to be grotesque. But it’s all done deliberately–Prison School is so absolutely ridiculous and over-the-top that it’s impossible to take seriously. While it’s not exactly a parody, it is a romantic comedy of sorts. Assuming someone isn’t simply outright offended by the manga, Prison School is legitimately funny and at time even hilarious. It’s definitely not for everyone, but I’ll admit to enjoying the series. These particular omnibuses conclude the first major story arc and begin the second which delves more deeply into the pasts of several characters.

Sweetness and Lightning, Volume 2 by Gido Amagakure. I really enjoyed the mix of food and family present in the first volume of Sweetness and Lightning and so was looking forward to reading more of the series. The second volume continues in very much the same vein with perhaps just a little less melancholy. Granted, there are still a few heartwrenching moments, it’s just that there are plenty of heartwarming moments to go along with them. Inuzuka’s skills as a single dad and as a cook continue to slowly grow as the series progresses. One of his most recent stumbling blocks is trying to find a way to incorporate green peppers and other bitter vegetables into meals and have them be acceptable to his young daughter Tsugumi. The father-daughter relationship between Inuzuka and Tsugumi is one of my favorite relationships in Sweetness and Lightning and is one of the main reasons I enjoy the series so much. The dynamic is very sweet in addition to being portrayed very realistically–sometimes there are smiles and sometimes there are tears, sometimes there is laughter and joy and sometime there is yelling and frustration, but most importantly there’s always love. All of the good food doesn’t hurt things, either.

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Manga Giveaway: Kodansha Comics Collection Giveaway

November 30, 2016 by Ash Brown

Both the last Wednesday and the last day of November has arrived, so it is once again time for a giveaway at Experiments in Manga! Last week was Thanksgiving in the States which happens to be my favorite holiday. (I really enjoy the delicious food and spending time with my family. The extra sleep helps, too.) As is now tradition, I like the giveaways for November to involve a whole feast of manga in order to celebrate. This year you all have the chance to win four first volumes of manga released in English by Kodansha Comics in 2016: Shuzo Oshimi’s Happiness, Hiroyuki Takei’s Nekogahara: Stray Cat Samurai, Hico Yamanaka’s The Prince in His Dark Days, and Tomo Takeuchi’s Welcome to the Ballroom. And, as always, the giveaway is open worldwide!

As the end of 2016 steadily approaches I’m starting to think about the manga published in the last year that I found particularly notable. Inevitably, I’m asked what my favorite manga is and I generally try to get away with mentioning a single publisher rather than a single title. This year, I’ve especially been impressed by the manga that Kodansha Comics has been licensing and releasing. Over the last few years Kodansha has been successfully expanding its catalog and demographic reach, offering titles that were at one point rumored to either be unliscensable or otherwise highly risky. Josei? Kodansha has it. Classic manga? Kodansha has it. Sports manga? Kodansha has it. Food manga? Kodansha has that, too. In fact, some of my most anticipated manga releases for 2016 were published by Kodansha Comics and looking forward to 2017 it seems as though that will likely be the case next year, too.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a collection of Kodansha Comics?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about a manga released by Kodansha Comics in 2016 that you particularly enjoyed and what you liked about it. (If you haven’t read or enjoyed any, simply mention that instead.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

And there you have it! Participants in the giveaway have one week to submit comments and can earn up to two entries. If needed or preferred, comments can also be submitted directly to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com and I will then post them here in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on December 7, 2016. Good luck!

VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address in the comment form, a link to your website, Twitter username, or whatever. If I can’t figure out how to get a hold of you and you win, I’ll just draw another name.

Contest winner announced–Manga Giveaway: Kodansha Comics Collection Winner

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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.