Ash Brown

Manga the Week of 9/21

September 16, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: Another big chunk of books to talk about next week. There’s no breaks anymore.

The adult coloring book has been a hot new trend for a while now, so it’s no surprise that Kodansha is getting in on it with the Attack On Titan Adult Coloring Book. Be sure to have lots of red.

Complex Age gives us a 2nd volume of cosplay drama and adult fear.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one!

ASH: As am I! I was surprised by how much I was able to identify with the first volume. I’m also curious to see if the series will take the same direction as the original one-shot.

ANNA: I loved the first volume and am excited to read this!

SEAN: And there’s a 3rd manga volume of Ninja Slayer Kills, which is totally written by two American guys, honest.

And a 4th volume of Real Account. Has the survival game genre peaked?

And a 16th volume of The Seven Deadly Sins.

Lastly (from Kodansha, at least), Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches has hit double digits, but we still haven’t dealt with those pesky witches just yet.

ASH: I’ll admit, I’m still enjoying this series.

SEAN: This has been out in comic shops for a while now, but Amazon has the debut of Kuma Miko from One Peace. It’s half cute slice-of-life comedy about a shrine girl and her talking bear, and half weird and somewhat uncomfortable comedy.

Seven Seas has an 8th volume of the criminally underrated Arpeggio of Blue Steel, the Tom Clancy of anthropomorphic girl series.

Make no mistake about it, NTR – Netsuzou Trap is about cheating on one’s boyfriend – NTR stands for ‘netorare’, the Japanese word for ‘cheating’ that has become used and abused by North American otaku. That said, it’s about two girls cheating on their boyfriends with each other, and runs in Ichijinsha’s Yuri Hime. We’ll see. My expectations are near the bottom of the sea, so…

MICHELLE: Huh. I’d definitely want to read a story like that if it were, say, josei, but the boob-smushing on the cover is not encouraging.

SEAN: And a 3rd Tomodachi x Monster, for Pokemon fans who want more death and violence.

Vertical has a 3rd omnibus of Mysterious Girlfriend X, which is highly regarded once you get past the drool thing.

MICHELLE: Which… I haven’t been able to do.

SEAN: Viz gives us a 3rd volume of the brilliant but amazingly depressing Goodnight Punpun.

ASH: Goodnight Punpun is so, so good. But, yeah, it doesn’t really make for light reading.

SEAN: And an 8th Master Keaton – I think 9 is the last? Man, I never thought we’d see this title here at all. HOT INSURANCE ACTION.

MICHELLE: *snerk*

ANNA: Hooray for insurance!

SEAN: And Terra Formars is up to Vol. 14.

So what’s in your shopping cart?

Bookshelf Overload: August 2016

September 15, 2016 by Ash Brown

I’m slowly slipping back into my old buying habits; I should probably be a bit more stringent before things get ridiculously out of hand again. Granted, I stayed within my budget in August more than it would initially appear by the list below. The last of my Barnes & Noble orders from the recent manga super sale arrived which were already paid for; a bunch of Kickstarter rewards arrived; I somehow received not one, but two boxes of review copies from Kodansha Comics; and I made judicious use of coupons and gift cards. I also received some pretty phenomenal gifts like the out-of-print limited edition hardcover of Minna Sundberg’s A Redtail’s Dream. (A huge thank you to Narrative Investigation‘s Helen! You can read my quick take of A Redtail’s Dream here, and Helen’s thoughts about the webcomic here.) My biggest unplanned splurge in August was picking up an entire set of Firefighter!: Daigo of Company M by Masahito Soda which I liberated from the shelves of my Manga Bookshelf cohort Kate Dacey. (The series seems to be on its way out of print, but is still available digitally.) As for the August manga release that I was most excited for, I’m absolutely thrilled that Moto Hagio’s first Otherworld Barbara omnibus from Fantagraphics is now available. I love Hagio’s work, and am especially happy to see more of her science fiction in translation. I’d like to review or otherwise feature Otherworld Barbara at some point, but am not sure when that will be. However, I do have a review of South Korean author Han Kang’s novel Human Acts to post soon! Human Acts has already been released in the United Kingdom, but it won’t be released in the United States until January; I was fortunate enough to receive an early review copy. It’s honestly one of the best novels that I’ve read recently.

Manga!
Attack on Titan, Volume 19 by Hajime Isayama
Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Volume 8 written by Ryo Suzukaze, illustrated by Satoshi Shiki
Complex Age, Volume 2 by Yui Sakuma
The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Volumes 3-5 by Aya Shouoto
Devil Survivor, Volume 6 by Satoru Matsuba
Dimension W, Volumes 1-2 by Yuji Iwahara
Dorohedoro, Volume 19 by Q Hayashida
The Earl & The Fairy, Volumes 1-4 by Ayuko
Fairy Tail, Volume 55 by Hiro Mashima
Fairy Tail: Blue Mistral, Volume 3 by Rui Watanabe
Firefighter!: Daigo of Company M, Volumes 1-20 by Masahito Soda
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Volumes 9, 13 written by Yuto Tsukuda, illustrated by Shun Saeki
Forget Me Not, Volumes 3-4 written by Mag Hsu, illustrated by Nao Emoto
The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Volume 5 by Hiromu Arakawa
Horimiya, Volumes 3-4 by Hero
Inuyashiki, Volume 4 by Hiroya Oku
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 2: Battle Tendency, Volume 4 by Hirohiko Araki
Kiss Him, Not Me, Volumes 5-6 by Junko
Kuroko’s Basketball, Omnibus 1 by Tadatoshi Fujimaki
Livingstone, Volume 3 by written Tomohiro Maekawa, illustrated by Jinsei Kataoka
Lone Wolf and Cub, Omnibuses 11-12 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Goseki Kojima
Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, Omnibus 5 by Satoshi Mizukami
Noragami: Stray God, Volumes 15-16 by Adachitoka
Otherworld Barbara, Omnibus 1 by Moto Hagio
Ouran High School Host Club, Volume 18 by Bisco Hatori
Paradise Residence, Volume 3 by Kosuke Fujishima
Persona 4, Volume 3 by Shuji Sogabe
Real Account, Volume 3 written by Okushou, illustrated by Shizumu Watanabe
Say I Love You, Volumes 14-15 by Kanae Hazuki
The Seven Deadly Sins, Volume 15 by Nakaba Suzuki
Spoof on Titan, Volume 1 by Hounori
Ten Count, Volume 1 by Rihito Takarai
That Wolf-Boy is Mine!, Volume 1 by Yoko Nogiri
Wolfsmund, Volume 7 by Mitsuhisa Kuji
Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Volume 9 by Miki Yoshikawa
Your Lie in April, Volumes 8-9 by Naoshi Arakawa

Comics!
Baggywrinkles: A Lubber’s Guide to Life at Sea by Lucy Bellwood
Breaks: Prologue by Malin Ryden and Emma Vieceli
Chester 5000 XYV, Book 2: Isabelle & George by Jess Fink
Dragon Heir: Reborn by Emma Vieceli
Fresh Romance, Volume 1 by Various
Gaijin Mangaka by Various
Gatesmith, Volume 1 by Jen Lee Quick
Libby’s Dad by Eleanor Davis
The Other Side edited by Melanie Gillman and Kori Michele Handwerker
Our Mother by Luke Howard
QuickSilver, Volume 1 by Emily Smith
Rainflowers by Ash Heimerl
A Redtail’s Dream by Minna Sundberg
The Usagi Yojimbo Saga, Omnibus 6 by Stan Sakai

Novels!
Human Acts by Han Kang
Dusk in Kalevia by Emily Compton, illustrated by Onorobo

Nonfiction!
Hi! My Name Is Loco and I Am A Racist by Baye McNeil
Loco in Yokohama by Baye McNeil
Mah Jong for Beginners by Shozo Kanai

Pick of the Week: Taking the Blame

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

MICHELLE: Although I’m happy to see more of Blue Morning, I have to admit that my heart belongs entirely to BLAME! this week. This is the title that made me a major fangirl for Tsutomu Nihei’s art style, and even if plot clarity is not his top priority with this title, there’s just something about his detailed rendering of the setting that gives me geekbumps. Thanks for the rescue, Vertical!

SEAN: I feel bad for not picking Hayate the Combat Butler, because if I don’t no one else will. But Michelle is right, BLAME! is clearly the pick of the week here, and I look forward to delving into it and being completely baffled by what is going on.

ASH: While I’m definitely interested in the re-debut of BLAME!, my pick this week is the most recent volume of Blue Morning. I’m not as voracious a reader of BL as I once was (maybe I’ve just become pickier) but I’ve been awaiting the continuation of Blue Morning with great anticipation.

MJ: I’m also pretty psyched for more Blue Morning, but having fallen so hard for Knights of Sidonia, I gotta jump on the BLAME! wagon here. Michelle’s endorsement goes a long way as well. I missed it the first time around, so count me in!

ANNA: I’m excited to have a chance to read BLAME! finally, and am glad Vertical picked it up because they always have great production values for their manga.

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

September 12, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week was a relatively quiet week at Experiments in Manga (granted, that’s true of most weeks these days), but the winner of to Tokyo Ghoul giveaway was announced. The post also includes a list of some of the manga available in English which feature half-humans of one type or another. Elsewhere online, there were plenty of interesting things posted: Massive and gay manga were featured at Edge Media Network, and it sounds like we should be seeing more of Jiraya’s work in English later this fall; Alice Nicolov wrote an article on queer representation in manga for Dazed and Confused Magazine; Nami Sato, the creator of Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto was interviewed for the first time in either English or Japanese; and Publishing Perspectives posted some of the highlights of a conversation with Allison Markin Powell and Hiromi Kawakami about Japanese literature translation. Also, the Kickstarter project for Power & Magic, a queer fantasy comics anthology about witches of color (which looks like it should be fantastic), was recently launched.

Quick Takes

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Volume 8 written by Ryo Suzukaze and illustrated by Satoshi Shiki. It’s been a while since I’ve read Suzukaze’s Before the Fall light novels so I may be misremembering, but the novel adaptation seems to include characters and storylines not found in the original. It also expands on some of worldbuilding and characterizations of the franchise as a whole, so readers interested in the most comprehensive Attack on Titan experience will want to read the manga even if they’ve already read Suzukaze’s novels. Sharle, while still managing to come across as a stereotypical maiden in distress at times, is a more well-rounded and independent character in the manga. Her brother plays a more prominent and slightly more sympathetic role as well although he’s still one of the main human antagonists (and an ass). The Titans actually don’t even make an appearance in this volume and are barely mentioned as the manga focuses on the conflict and intrigue among the military, political, and religious factions. Overall, it’s an exciting volume with some interesting twists. Unfortunately it suffers some from Shiki prioritizing cool-looking panels and scenes over continuity and logical plot developments. (I’m sorry, if someone is going to daringly scale a wall to sneak into a city, they really shouldn’t be attempting the maneuver above the few guards that are present unless there’s a good reason for it.)

Devil Survivor, Volume 6 by Satoru Matsuba. I wasn’t especially enamored with the first volume of Devil Survivor and so haven’t really been following the manga very closely. However, the series had potential, and I’m glad to see that the sixth volume delivers on that promise. The Devil Survivor manga is based on a video game in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, one of many adaptations from the megaseries to have recently been translated in English. Probably my biggest criticism of the first volume of Devil Survivor was that it read too much like a video game and not enough like a manga. If the sixth volume is anything to judge by, the series has greatly improved in that regard. While the video game elements are still readily clear, the manga seems to be focusing more on plot and characters. I actually really like the underlying story and find some of the characters to be interesting as well. The artwork is serviceable, understandably keeping close to the designs of the video games, but the way Matsuda draws the more well-endowed women can be a bit awkward to say the least. Many of the demons invading Tokyo look pretty good, though. The sixth volume is a turning point in the story as the series enters its final arc. Important revelations are made, a major boss battle is fought, and already dangerous situations become even more dangerous as the characters prepare to do all that they can to survive and save Tokyo from destruction.

The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime by Toshio Ban. While I certainly understand why Stone Bridge Press chose to release the entirety of The Osamu Tezuka Story in a single volume, the book is huge, amounting to over nine hundred pages of material. Most of the volume consists of Ban’s manga, but it also includes an excellent introduction by the translator (and friend of Tezuka) Frederick L. Schodt and one of the most exhaustive lists of Tezuka’s work that I’ve seen in one place. I’ve read my fair share of works examining the life and career of Tezuka so I wasn’t especially surprised by anything in the manga, but The Osamu Tezuka Story provides one of the most comprehensive, engaging, and accessible biographies. The manga, which is largely chronological, is divided into three parts which delve into Tezuka’s childhood, his entry into manga, and the expansion of his career into anime. Commissioned following Tezuka’s death in 1989, the biography incorporates many of Tezuka’s own words taken from his essays and earlier interviews. Ban, who was one of Tezuka’s sub-chiefs in the manga department, adopts an illustration style very similar to that of Tezuka and excerpts from some of Tezuka’s manga and anime are also used. The Osamu Tezuka Story reveals just how remarkable and influential a creator Tezuka was and is highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of Japan’s manga and anime industries.

Our Little Sister directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. I’m not sure when (or if) Our Little Sister will receive a home video release, but I recently had the opportunity to see the film in a theater. Our Little Sister is actually a live-action adaptation of Umimachi Diary (the title more literally translates to “Seaside Town Diary”), an award-winning ongoing manga series by Akimi Yoshida who some will likely recognize as the creator of Banana Fish. I’ve seen one other film by Kore-eda (Like Father, Like Son) which is similar in both theme and tone to Our Little Sister. Both films, despite intense interpersonal drama, are fairly quiet and gentle without becoming saccharine and focus on the complexities of familial relationships. In the case of Our Little Sister, the story primarily follows three sisters whose father left their mother for another woman more than fifteen years ago and whose mother largely left them behind to be raised by their grandmother. After their father dies they meet their half-sister, the daughter of his second wife (out of three), for the first time while at the funeral. For a variety of reasons, they invite her to live with them. While this does cause some raised eyebrows and strain in the family, both immediate and extended, the decision is ultimately a healing one as all four sisters grow closer as they pull together their fragmented lives. Our Little Sister is simply a lovely film. (And I’d certainly be interested in reading the original manga, too!)

Manga the Week of 9/14

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

SEAN: In a month this big, even the smaller 2nd and 3rd weeks can be packed with manga titles, and that proves to be the case here.

Dark Horse has its 24th volume of Vampire Hunter D, showing that it was way ahead of the vampire curve.

Devil Survivor has come out so fast from Kodansha it’s hard to believe it’s almost done. Vol. 7 is the 2nd to last.

There’s also a 4th volume of shonen romance Forget-Me-Not.

If you want a parody of Attack on Titan but would like it to be closer to its source material as opposed to a high school AU, Spoof on Titan may be for you. It’s a cute 4-koma gag series that originally ran on the Mangabox app a few years back. It’s quite amusing.

One Peace has now caught up with the old Maria Holic releases, so I believe Vol. 7 is new content.

The description of Lord Marksman and Vanadis, Seven Seas’ debut this week, on a manga info site has keywords like ‘based on a light novel’, ‘big breasts’, ‘tsundere’, and the like. Still, it’s in Comic Flapper rather than Comic Alive, so maybe it’s not as cliched as it sounds…

And we also get the 2nd volume of Masamune’s Revenge, whose first volume surprised me by not being terrible, so there’s always hope.

And a 2nd volume of The Other Side of Secret, which… nah, can’t say the same. Moving on.

Remember Blue Morning? From so long ago? We now have a 6th volume of it, courtesy SuBLime. Yay!

MICHELLE: Yay, indeed!

ASH: I’ve been waiting for this! I’m loving the series.

SEAN: And they also have a 2nd 2-in-1 omnibus of Don’t Be Cruel.

MICHELLE: I had major issues with the first volume, but I admit that I kind of want to read this.

SEAN: Udon has a 4th volume of the manga adaptation of Persona 4.

Vertical has what I think most Manga Bookshelf peeps will consider the big release of the week, the first omnibus re-release of BLAME!, rescued from the out of print Tokyopop doldrums thanks to the performance of Knights of Sidonia by the same author. I actually never read this back in the day, so look forward to seeing what it does. And if it has bears.

MICHELLE: I’ve read all of BLAME! and enjoyed it very much, especially the art and labyrinthine setting. Alas, I don’t recall any bears.

ASH: It’s also a literal big release–the volume is huge!

ANNA: I haven’t read it before, so I am excited!

SEAN: Hayate the Combat Butler, from Viz, is exciting no one this week but me, but I am still excited to see a 28th volume of another of my ‘lost cause’ series.

Lastly, a 16th Ranma 1/2 omnibus gives us more of what you like from Rumiko Takahashi, unless you like character development, it doesn’t have that. But it’s funny, so who cares?

ASH: Still happy to see Ranma 1/2 back in print.

SEAN: What are you getting from this list?

Manga Giveaway: Tokyo Ghoul Trio Winner

September 7, 2016 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the Tokyo Ghoul Trio manga giveaway is… Briell Saunders!

As the winner, Briell will receive the first three volumes of Sui Ishida’s manga series Tokyo Ghoul as published in English by Viz Media. For this giveaway, I asked that participants tell me a little about their favorite half-human characters from manga. Kaneki Ken, the protagonist of Tokyo Ghoul, was mentioned a fair number of times, but he’s not the only well-liked half-human. Check out the giveaway comments for everyone’s details responses, and check out the list below for some of the manga that feature half-humans of various types.

Some of the manga licensed in English featuring half-humans:
Bleach by Tite Kubo
Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato
Ceres: Celestial Legend by Yuu Watase
Cirque du Freak by Takahiro Arai
Claymore by Norihiro Yagi
D.Gray-man by Katsura Hoshino
Dawn of the Arcana by Rei Toma
The Devil Is a Part-Timer by Akio Hiragi
Franken Fran by Katsuhisa Kigitsu
Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
InuYasha by Rumiko Takahashi
Jiu Jiu by Touya Tobina
My Girlfriend Is a T-Rex by Sanzo
My Monster Secret by Eiji Masuda
Negima by Ken Akamatsu
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan by Hiroshi Shiibashi
Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki
Rin-ne by Rumiko Takahashi
Rust Blaster by Yana Toboso
That Wolf-Boy Is Mine! by Yoko Nogiri
Three Wolves Mountain by Bohra Naono
Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida
Übel Blatt by Etorouji Shiono
Wolf Children: Ame & Yuki by Mamoru Hosoda
YuYu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway and took the time to share your favorites with me. I hope to see you all again!

Pick of the Week: Our Heart Skips a Beat

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

SEAN: It’s Viz week, so there’s quite a bit I’m interested in, but my eyes turn first, as they often do, to Skip Beat!. It may not be ending soon, but it is wrapping up plotlines, and one of the bigger ones starts to get wrapped up beginning in this volume. I will be reading it immediately.

MICHELLE: I second Sean in every respect!

ASH: It’s Haikyu! this week for me! I’ve been thoroughly enjoying all of the sports manga being released of late, but I especially liked the first two volumes of Haikyu! with their emphasis on playing together as a team.

ANNA: If Skip Beat! is coming out, there can be only one pick for me and that would be Skip Beat! How does it manage to be so good after so many volumes? I don’t know but I’m always happy when there is a new volume to read.

My Week in Manga: August 29-September 4, 2016

September 5, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

The end of August has come and gone, but there’s still time to enter Experiments in Manga’s most recent giveaway. This time around you all have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win the first three volumes of Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul. (The winner will be announced on Wednesday.) Other than that, it was a fairly quiet week at Experiments in Manga. I was actually on vacation last week, too. I wasn’t online much, but I did catch that Viz Media will be releasing Hidenori Kusaka and Satoshi Yamamoto’s Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire manga as well as a Pokémon Pocket Comics box set.

Quick Takes

Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volumes 5-6 by Junko. The overall narrative of the last few volumes of Kiss Him, Not Me! has fallen into a noticeable pattern; the series focuses on Serinuma’s potential romantic interests one after another in turn, each of them becoming the subject of their very own mini story arc which briefly delves into their relationship with Serinuma and how they have changed (generally for the better) because of it. Much to my surprise, yet another character has been introduced who has developed feelings for Serinuma, though just how serious he is is somewhat ambiguous. Granted, it’s mostly because of him that everyone ends up confessing their own feelings to Serinuma. As for Serinuma herself, she still seems to be completely uninterested in romance, though she is enjoying having a larger group of friends. Kiss Him, Not Me! continues to be an over-the-top romantic comedy that doesn’t take itself at all seriously. Even when the basic story elements start to feel a little repetitive (such as when Serinuma goes on a date with each of her admirers) the series is unpredictable and varied enough that it remains both entertaining and engaging. The characters aren’t especially deep, and there’s plenty about the series that’s unbelievable, but Kiss Him, Not Me! is silly fun.

Tramps Like Us, Volumes 10-14 by Yayoi Ogawa. I am so glad that I made a point to collect Tramps Like Us when I did; the series is now very much out of print and unlikely to be rescued. (Although, considering the recent expansion in Kodansha’s digital offerings, there might yet be some hope there.) I’m really not sure why it took me so long to actually get around to reading Tramps Like Us, because I ended up loving the manga and its characters. The basic premise is somewhat strange and the series frequently takes off on flights of fantasy, but somehow the emotions and relationship dynamics still manage to be incredibly real and relatable. The final volume of the series did feel a little rushed to me, and everything might have been tied up a little too nicely, but I still found the slightly bittersweet but predominantly happy ending to be very satisfying. Some of the developments weren’t really that surprising; it was only a matter of time before Sumire and Momo/Takeshi had to face what their relationship had become and actually do something about it. Although she has to give some things up, Sumire is able to find a balance between her career, home life, and love life that makes her happy. And I have to admit, although it might ultimately be a little idealistic, the ending made me happy, too.

Your Lie in April, Volume 8-9 by Naoshi Arakawa. As a musician, I’m naturally drawn to manga in which music is featured in some way. And so, because music plays a very prominent role in Your Lie in April, the series immediately caught my attention. Arakawa captures the deep emotional connection a person can have with music remarkably well in Your Lie in April. My own relationship with music is a complicated one, so I’m glad to see that sort of complexity reflected in the manga as well. Generally, however, the series does tend more towards the angst associated with performance rather than the joy of music. Many of the characters are pouring their whole selves into their art; being a musician can be both a thrilling and terrifying experience. Effectively expressing oneself through music is a tremendous accomplishment, but frequently this is accompanied by fear and worry that one will never be good enough. Still, there are wonderful moments in Your Lie in April in which the characters are able to break through their insecurities. While music is an important part of Your Lie in April, probably even more important are the relationships between the characters, even if Kosei still seems oblivious to the fact that he means so much to so many different people.

Manga the Week of 9/7

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

SEAN: It’s September! Summer vacation is over, time to go back to school, and a whole lot of manga seems to be coming to a close.

Dark Horse has a 10th New Lone Wolf and Cub. There are swords in it.

Paradise Residence wraps up with its third volume, It felt fairly inconsequential, but then so did Oh My Goddess! much of the time.

ASH: I actually didn’t realize the series was only three volumes.

SEAN: Seven Seas has a 5th volume of Citrus, whose cover looks suggestive, but if it’s like previous volumes it will have more angst than seduction.

And a 5th Non Non Biyori, which has yuri tease but otherwise could not be more different than Citrus.

Vertical gives us a 4th volume of Nichijou, which is funny and weird, not necessarily in that order, but always worth getting.

And now the rest is Viz. Bloody Mary has a 4th volume, and, well, vampires.

ANNA: I enjoy this because the vampires are so pretty, and I think secretly in love with each other.

SEAN: Dragon Ball has its final 3-in-1, the 14th. Worry not, however, because…

There’s a 3rd Dragon Ball Full Color Freeza Arc, and that’s not done yet! There will always be Dragon Ball in Oceania.

I liked Everyone’s getting Married’s first volume, and am interested in seeing how far it goes with its premise. Vol. 2 next week.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one.

ASH: Somehow, I’ve already fallen behind. I’ll need to change that.

ANNA: So good! I’m always happy when there’s a regular josei series coming out.

SEAN: Haikyu! is still monthly, with its third volume. My guess? Volleyball practice.

MICHELLE: With the new defense specialist kid!

ASH: I’m really enjoying this series!

ANNA: I am too, it just keeps getting better and better.

SEAN: Idol Dreams continues to come out at a very slow rate, which is what happens when you catch up to Japan almost immediately. Will Volume 3 still be uncomfortable? We shall see.

ANNA: Still here for any Arina Tanemura series.

SEAN: Also caught up with Japan is Kimi ni Todoke, but that’s OK, it’s always worth the wait, even at Vol. 25.

Komomo Confiserie wraps up with its 5th volume. It wasn’t a Special A, or even a Voice Over, but it was pretty good.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I certainly didn’t hate it, but I don’t know that I’d reread it.

ANNA: I liked it, but I agree, probably not a series I’d reread every few years.

SEAN: Nisekoi 17 is the first one to be released after the manga has ended in Japan. Will sales still be good? And is the harem safe? Think of the poor harem!

One Piece’s 17th 3-in-1 has reached Thriller Bark, which I wasn’t fond of at the time but has grown on me after the endless Dressrosa arc.

One-Punch Man 8! PUNCHING!

ASH: INDEED!

ANNA: SO MUCH PUNCHING!

SEAN: Seraph of the End 10! SERAPHING!… OK, no, that doesn’t work. Vampires?

ANNA: I’ve fallen behind on this series but I enjoy the vampires, complex worldbuilding, and angst.

SEAN: Skip Beat! is not coming to an end anytime soon, despite reaching its 37th volume. That said, we do reach a plot I’ve been waiting for since the first volume.

MICHELLE: I actually do not know anything about the plot in this volume, so now I am all excite.

ANNA: I don’t know either, but I’m always excited for Skip Beat! May it run eternally.

SEAN: World Trigger is up to a dozen volumes. And I still have almost nothing to say about it.

And lastly, the 9th and final volume of Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, which totally wraps up the franchise forever and ever… wait, there’s already a new series solicited. Nevermind.

So what’cha want?

Manga Giveaway: Tokyo Ghoul Trio

August 31, 2016 by Ash Brown

Not only is it the last Wednesday of August, it’s the last day in August which means it’s yet again time for Experiments in Manga’s monthly giveaway! This month you’ll all have the opportunity to win not one, not two, but three volumes of Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul as published in English by Viz Media. The giveaway is open worldwide, too!

Tokyo Ghoul has been doing very well for Viz Media. The first volume has currently been on the New York Times’ Best Sellers list for fifty-nine weeks strait. The eighth and most recent volume is currently at the top of that list, and other volumes are frequently found on it, too. While I haven’t followed the series closely beyond the first few volumes, there are still quite a few things I like about the manga. In addition to the series’ dark and gritty aesthetic, I particularly appreciate that the protagonist must come to terms with who he is, struggling to find his new identity after a near-death experience leaves him part-ghoul and part-human. In general I find explorations of personal identity to be engaging and Tokyo Ghoul‘s supernatural variation on the theme to be interesting.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win the first three volumes of Tokyo Ghoul?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about your favorite half-human from manga. (If you haven’t encountered any half-humans, simply mention that.)
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).

Not too difficult, is it? Participants in the giveaway can earn up to two entries and have one week to submit comments. If you have trouble with comment form or if you prefer, comments can be sent directly to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com. The comments will then be posted here in your name. The winner of the giveaway will be randomly selected and announced on September 7, 2016. Best of luck to you all!

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: Tokyo Ghoul Trio Winner

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Pick of the Week: For a Few Yen More

August 29, 2016 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Anna N and Ash Brown Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: What a dilemma! A new volume of Fruits Basket versus a new volume of Yowamushi Pedal! I love both series, but I think the advantage here has to go to the content that hasn’t been released here before, in which case it’s Yowamushi Pedal by a handlebar!

SEAN: An embarrassment of stuff this week. Emma, Furuba, Nozaki-kun, YowaPeda, and light novels galore. My pick is the second Baccano! novel, because Jacuzzi and Nice are sweeties, and Ladd and Lua are terrifying, albeit in different ways.

ANNA: There is so much stuff coming out! I have to go with the title I’m most likely to read very soon, which is Nozaki-kun.

ASH: Wow, it’s a really great week for Yen Press manga! I’ll definitely be picking up Yowamushi Pedal and Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, but my official pick of the week goes to the final omnibus volume of Emma. I’m so glad that the series was rescued! I’m looking forward to completing my collection.

My Week in Manga: August 22-August 28, 2016

August 29, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

A new review was posted last week at Experiments in Manga! I’ve been meaning to get around to it since the book was first released back in February, but I’ve finally written up my thoughts on Know What You Want, written by Lianne Sentar. It’s a collection of short, sexually-charged side stories related to Tokyo Demons which is a series that I absolutely love. Reading Know What You Want isn’t necessary to understand the main series, but it does provide more character development, worldbuilding, and background information. Also, like Tokyo Demons proper, the stories can often be heartwrenching.

As for other interesting things found online: Two Tsutomu Nihei interviews were recently posted, one from Brigid Alverson for Barnes & Noble and one from Deb Aoki for Anime News Network. Taiyo Nakashima has a write up of a dialogue between Tetsuo Hara and Kentaro Miura for the Silent Manga Audition website. Publishers Weekly’s podcast More to Come recently featured Frederik L. Schodt discussing Osamu Tezuka. The second episode of the Translator Tea Time podcast is now available. Also at The OASG, eleven translators of anime and manga answer how they learned Japanese.

Quick Takes

Fantasy Sports, Volume 2: The Bandit of Barbel Bay by Sam Bosma. I adored the first volume of Fantasy Sports. While I was looking forward to the next volume, I was also a little afraid that it wouldn’t live up to expectations. Happily, The Bandit of Barbel Bay is just as good as the first Fantasy Sports. I actually may have somehow enjoyed it even more. After defeating an ancient mummy in an epic game of basketball in order to secure an impressive amount of treasure, Wiz and Mug are trying to return to the pyramid of the Order of Mages when they end up robbed and stranded in Barbel Bay. This time they will have to win an ultimate volleyball tournament if they want to escape with the treasure and their lives. All goes well until they must face the champions of Barbel Bay, a pair of twins with godlike powers who rule the court. The story definitely has its fair share of silliness, but there’s also something sinister about the Order of Mages that is slowly being revealed. The Bandit of Barbel Bay is fantastic. Bosma’s artwork and colors are great; the characters are wonderful (the twins in particular are highly entertaining); the comic’s sense of humor is marvelous. Fantasy Sports is an absolute delight and incredibly charming; I can’t wait for the next volume to be released!

Livingstone, Volume 3 written by Tomohiro Maekawa and illustrated by Jinsei Kataoka. For the most part, Livingstone continues to be a largely episodic manga. However, there is also an underlying story about Amano and the truth behind his existence that seems to be taking some precedence. Livingstone is apparently only four volumes (for some reason I thought it was longer than that), so I suspect that the fourth volume will largely be devoted to Amano. I was actually a little surprised by some of the recent developments in Livingstone and their implications–either I completely misunderstood some of the worldbuilding in the series or the creators have completely changed what they originally established. Either way, while the ambiguity is a little frustrating, overall I do find the series interesting. The individual stories, all of which deal with death in some way, range from uplifting to depressing although the series does have comedic undertones. Kataoka’s artwork fits the tone of the series well, creating a vaguely unsettling and disconcerting atmosphere while still managing to convey the humor. (One of primary reasons I was interested in Livingstone to begin with was actually because of Kataoka’s involvement.) Livingstone is a kind of a strange and uneven manga, but I’m still curious enough to want to see how it concludes.

Real Account, Volume 3 written by Okushou and illustrated by Shizumu Watanabe. The end of the second volume of Real Account included a major revelation about Ataru and ended with a pretty major twist on top of that. Not everything thing has been explained yet about that particular development, but the third volume abandons Ataru entirely to follow a new lead, Yuma. The creators do mention that Ataru isn’t completely gone from the series, but he doesn’t make even a token appearance in the third volume. Yuma is understandably similar to Ataru in many key ways, but the sudden shift in protagonists doesn’t work especially well. Despite knowing a fair amount of Yuma’s backstory before the volume begins, readers aren’t given much opportunity to really empathize with him before he’s thrown into the same life-or-death game as Ataru. And while I understand why the series is emphasizing how alike Yuma and Ataru are, the first chapter of the third volume feels extremely repetitive. For those reasons, I didn’t enjoy this particular installment of the series as much as the two that came before, but the series is still intriguing and the social media-inspired games are clever (though I did feel a bit cheated by some of their solutions). And I did appreciate that the third volume showed more of what is happening outside of Real Account, too.

Tokyo Demons: Know What You Want

August 26, 2016 by Ash Brown

Author: Lianne Sentar
Illustrator: Rem, Romy-chan, Tacto
Publisher: Chromatic Press
ISBN: 9780993861185
Released: February 2016

Ever since reading You’re Never Alone, the first novel in Lianne Sentar’s Tokyo Demons, I have been nearly consumed by everything even tangentially related to the trilogy. I find Tokyo Demons to be remarkably engaging and as the series has progressed I have become increasingly invested in both the story and its characters. Tokyo Demons has a small but very loyal fanbase, so perhaps it isn’t too surprising that it became one of the flagship titles not only for Chromatic Press and the Sparkler Monthly magazine but also for Cherry Bomb, an imprint that provides an opportunity for Sparkler Monthly creators to explore more mature, sexually-charged stories and themes. Know What You Want, released in 2016, is the first Cherry Bomb collection to be compiled. It brings together four Tokyo Demons Cherry Bomb stories–”Building Up,” “Coming Down,” “Never Again,” and “Save Me/Don’t Save Me”–originally published online between 2014 and 2015. The volume also includes illustrations by Rem and Romy-chan and collects “Once,” a related short story previously released in You’re Never Alone, and “Unsaid,” a comic illustrated by Tacto which was created specifically for Know What You Want.

Some of the stories collected in Know What You Want take place before the beginning of Tokyo Demons, effectively serving as prequels, while others actually take place during the events of the main series. Rather than being organized chronologically, the stories are arranged by character beginning with Ayase and Jo who are the two primary point-of-view protagonists of Tokyo Demons. “Building Up” shows Ayase consciously and subconsciously struggling to come to terms with her complicated and conflicted feelings for Kiyoshi while “Coming Down” delves into some of the more unfortunate parts of Jo’s past. The following three pieces–”Once,” “Never Again,” and “Save Me/Don’t Save Me”–form a triptych which turns to Sachi, a somewhat unexpected Tokyo Demons fan favorite, and more specifically to the shifting dynamics of his relationship with Kadoyuki. (Appropriately enough, Sachi is also the character featured on the collection’s front cover.) Know What You Want closes with “Unsaid” which examines Miki, another member of the series’ extended cast, and the painful ramifications of his devotion to Mitsuko.

Know What You Want epitomizes what Cherry Bomb is all about. The content is mature but it has purpose and meaning behind it. While there is sex, the real focus is on the characters and their relationships with themselves and with one another. The stories collected in Know What You Want provide additional background details and greater insight into the characters and story of Tokyo Demons. The situations portrayed are alluded to within the novels, but reading Know What You Want isn’t at all necessary to understand the main series. Readers who aren’t interested in erotica can still enjoy Tokyo Demons without needing to delve into Know What You Want, but those who are will discover that the collection expands and deepens the already impressive characterization and worldbuilding present in the trilogy. To varying degrees, all of the stories in Know What You Want can stand on their own satisfactorily, but the collection is really intended for people who have read and who are familiar with Tokyo Demons–the stories lose some of their impact and underlying meaning if removed from the context of the series as a whole.

The Tokyo Demons Cherry Bomb stories have been affectionately termed miserotica by both their creators and fans and rightfully so. Know What You Want is an intentionally uncomfortable, heartwrenching, and heartbreaking collection. Many of the characters in Tokyo Demons are teenagers who come from broken or nearly nonexistent families and homes. They are young, awkward, and apt to make terrible but well-meaning decisions in their social and emotional immaturity. While they are strong in some ways they are fragile in others, understandably desperate for and terrified of intimacy and human connection. The characters of Tokyo Demons are all incredibly well-developed and relatable, but it’s Sachi with his heightened empathy who tends to be the character with whom I most personally resonate. Partly because of this, the fraught relationship between Sachi and Kadoyuki is one of my favorites in the series, so I’m happy to see it receive so much attention in Know What You Want. “Save Me/Don’t Save Me” is a particularly powerful and moving piece (I have honestly cried every time that I’ve read it), but the entire collection is a provocative exploration of the complexities of love, longing, and acceptance.

Pick of the Week: Old Friends and Repeat Offenders

August 22, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and Ash Brown 1 Comment

SEAN: I admit, if it weren’t for Yen On not delaying two of their books this week, I might not have anything to pick at all. As it is, I’ll pick the 8th volume of A Certain Magical Index. Kuroko may drive me crazy with her “comedy lesbian” antics, but it’s still a great read for me.

MICHELLE: I don’t really read light novels much, so I *am* in the position of not having something to pick. So, instead I will pick Itazura Na Kiss volume eleven, which came out last week. Get yours from Akadot!

SEAN: And only from Akadot, it would seem. Grump.

ASH: As for me, I’ll be taking advantage of this slower week to try to catch up on The Heroic Legend of Arslan!

My Week in Manga: August 15-August 21, 2106

August 22, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

After a somewhat tumultuous year, last week marked the sixth anniversary of Experiments in Manga! Though at one point I was very stressed out about the fate and state of the blog, I’m now honestly looking forward to year seven, even if I’m not able to write as much anymore. Thank you to everyone who has read and supported Experiments in Manga in the past, present, and future!

Elsewhere online, Speculative Fiction in Translation interviewed Tyran Grillo, translator of Yusaku Kitano’s award-winning Mr. Turtle, the most recent offering from Kurodahan Press. And Barnes & Noble posted a list of 8 Great Japanese Books in Translation That Aren’t by Haruki Murakami. It’s a great list–I’ve only reviewed one of the novels included (Manazuru by Hiromi Kawakami), but I’m very fond of Keigo Higashino‘s work and several of the other books are very high on my to-be-read pile.

Quick Takes

Forget Me Not, Volume 3 written by Mag Hsu and illustrated by Nao Emoto. I was taken a little by surprise by how much I enjoyed the first two volumes of Forget Me Not and so I was looking forward to reading the third volume as well. The series delves into the life and past loves of Serizawa, a young man who so far has been shown to have very little luck when it comes to romance. Some of his relationship woes can be credited to the fact that he’s still immature and inexperienced, but that’s starting to become less and less of an excuse for him now that he’s in college. Perhaps because of that, the third volume of Forget Me Not didn’t work quite as well for me as the previous volumes did. It is very clear that the relationships shown in the third volume are heading towards an absolute train wreck. Considering the beginning of the series it’s already a known fact that Serizawa ends up alone and full of regret, but it’s still painful to watch the whole mess unfold. I feel just as badly for the two young women involved as I do for Serizawa. They both like him and he likes them both; Serizawa just hasn’t been able to figure out exactly what that means yet. Apparently, he still has quite a bit of growing up left to do. Despite my frustration with the most recent volume of Forget Me Not, I am curious to see how this unfortunate past ties in with the mystery of Serizawa’s current situation.

Noragami: Stray God, Volumes 15-16 by Adachitoka. Although the series’ quirky humor hasn’t completely disappeared, Noragami has become increasingly dark and dramatic over time. Adachitoka does still find appropriate moments within the series to insert a bit of levity, but for me what makes the manga compelling is its characters. The real heart of the much of the conflict in Noragami–the frequently unpredictable relationships between the various gods as well as the turbulent relationships between the gods and mortals–has once again been thrust to the forefront of the series with the manga’s most recent story arc. One thing that I found particularly interesting about these two volumes of Noragami is that Adachitoka introduces several deities of indigenous origins in addition to recognizing the existence of foreign gods. I’m not sure that they will necessarily have a large role to play in the series (then again, it seems as though they might), but this expansion is marvelous from a worldbuilding perspective, especially as Noragami is currently dealing heavily with the court and political intrigue of the Heavens. Along with that also comes a few tremendous fight sequences. Ocassionally some of the individual actions can be a little difficult to follow amidst the chaos of battle, but overall the scenes are effective and at times even impressive.

Ten Count, Volume 1 by Rihito Takarai. Although the art style in Ten Count looked familiar to me, I actually didn’t make the connection at first–Takarai was the artist of the short boys’ love series Seven Days which I loved. Ten Count, however, is a very different manga than Seven Days. Even before it was licensed in English, I was aware of Ten Count. It’s a massively popular boys’ love manga, but the series also has a fair number of detractors and understandably so. Only one volume in and Ten Count is already a deliberately uncomfortable and troubling story with dark psychological elements, dubious ethics, and emotional manipulation. The manga follows Shirotani, a young man with a severe obsessive-compulsive disorder which has remained untreated since it first manifested. After a chance meeting Shirotani catches the attention of Kurose, a clinical psychotherapist who would seem to have some emotional issues of his own. Kurose takes a particular and decidedly unprofessional interest in Shirotani, offering to help Shirotani deal with his condition off-the-record and off-the-clock. Without realizing it, as Shirotani begins to be able to more easily function within society, he has also become more and more reliant on Kurose. Romantic it certainly is not, but at least for the moment I’m part of the group that finds Ten Count compelling and definitely plan on reading more.

Another: Episode S/0, novel by Yukito Ayatsuji, manga by Hiro Kiyohara. While I was left feeling a little cheated by how some of the major reveals were handled in the horror-mystery novel Another, for the most part I did like the book. And so I was excited when Yen Press licensed both the not-exactly-sequel Another: Episode S (the main action of the novel takes place during the original Another but is only tangentially related) and the short prequel manga Another 0, releasing them together in a single, beautiful hardcover volume. (Out of all the North American manga publishers, Yen Press has had some of the best book designs of late.) Sadly, Episode S has many of the same narrative problems found in Another, namely important reveals that, while they make sense, seem a bit unfair to the readers. I actually really liked the plot twists themselves in Episode S, it’s just that their execution falls short; once again left feeling unsatisfied by the story’s developments. Tonally, Episode S is a little different from Another–while it’s still a ghost story of sorts and there are some marvelously disturbing scenes, the mystery is emphasized far more than the horror. The atmosphere of Another 0, written and illustrated by the creator who helmed the Another manga adaptation, is much closer that of Another. The prequel relies heavily on readers’ familiarity with the original while Episode S largely stands on its own.

Ultimate Conditioning for Martial Arts by Loren Landow. From an athletic standpoint, I have found several of the books published by Human Kinetics to be useful resources in supplementing my study of traditional Okinawan karate. Ultimate Conditioning for Martial Arts, one of the publisher’s most recent titles, can technically apply to any martial artist, but the book does tend to be geared more towards athletes and competitors. Landow also assumes that readers already have basic knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and sports training methods. While perhaps not suitable for absolute beginners, Ultimate Conditioning for Martial Arts does provide a good starting point for established martial artists who want to begin incorporating speed, agility, and conditioning work into their training. In addition to providing suggested conditioning exercises and programs, Landow also incorporates an overview of relevant and closely-related topics such as the evaluation and establishment of fitness baselines, warmups and flexibility, rest and recovery, and nutrition. The book includes a generous number of helpful photographs to accompany the descriptions of the specific exercises, but the photographs selected aren’t always the ones that would be most illustrative or useful. Additionally, rather than explaining the particular functions and applications of the individual exercises, Landow tends to broadly generalize and categorize their benefits. This lack of specificity and guidance can make the creation of an individualized conditioning program challenging for someone who has never developed one before. Ultimate Conditioning for Martial Arts groups commonly practiced martial arts disciplines together as either striking and kicking arts or wrestling and grappling arts. Landow suggests specific conditioning exercises for each category but also emphasizes the benefits of using a blended approach when developing a training program. Mixed Martial Arts is the only discipline that’s addressed in-depth but Ultimate Conditioning for Martial Arts is still broadly applicable to other martial arts and a valuable resource, providing a fine overall introduction to conditioning and endurance training.