Ash Brown

My Week in Manga: December 21-December 27, 2015

December 28, 2015 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

I think I’m finally getting back to my regular posting schedule. I get the week between Christmas and New Year’s off of work which is letting me catch up on a few things. (Sort of. Life has still been rather hectic of late.) Last week I posted an in-depth review of one of Chromatic Press’ most recent paperbacks, Jessica Chavez’s debut novel Dead Endings, illustrated by Irene Flores. The novel has a fantastic combination of horror, mystery, and snark, making it both fun and frightening. I’m looking forward to reading its sequel a great deal. And because the end the 2015 is fast approaching, last week I also posted my annual list of notable manga, comics, and novels of the year.

Quick Takes

Apple and Honey / His Rose Colored Life by Hideyoshico. I wasn’t previously familiar with Hideyoshico’s work, but after reading the boys’ love collection Apple and Honey and its sequel/spinoff His Rose Colored Life, I sincerely hope that more is translated. In addition to the unrelated three-part story “Shades of Summer at the End of the World,” Apple and Honey introduces Natsuki and Komano who are the focus of His Rose Colored Life. Hideyoshico’s characterization is excellent—the characters have depth and the development of their relationships are entirely believable. Komano is this lovable outgoing goofball while Natsuki is much more reserved and unsure of himself. I was especially impressed by the sensitive portrayal of Natsuki’s anxieties and insecurities. While he desperately wants to be loved, he is also terrified of it, having been repeatedly hurt in the past; it’s hard for him to accept that it’s okay for him to be happy. (Natsuki also gets bonus points for majoring in information science which I hold a degree in but have never before seen in a manga.) Komano and Natsuki together make a wonderful couple, nicely balancing each other’s personalities.

Lone Wolf and Cub, Omnibuses 3-5 (equivalent to Volumes 6-12) written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Goseki Kojima. The omnibuses are rather chunky, but I am so glad that Dark Horse is releasing Lone Wolf and Cub in a larger trim size; the previous edition was so small as to be nearly unreadable with my bad eyesight. Plus, it’s nice to be able to see Kojima’s excellent artwork more clearly. Lone Wolf and Cub is a fantastic series. Although there is an ongoing story to the manga, the individual chapters tend to be somewhat episodic. Ogami Itto was once the shogun’s official executioner but after being framed as a traitor he has become an assassin seeking revenge. Accompanying him on his journey is Diagoro, his now three-year-old son who has known nothing but a life filled with death. Lone Wolf and Cub is a violent series. Ogami is an incredibly skilled and resourceful warrior, surviving multiple attempts on his own life even as he is hired to end those of others. But he is also a father. Some of the most compelling chapters in the manga examine the depth of Daigoro and Ogami’s bond more closely.

Milkyway Hitchhiking, Omnibus 2 (equivalent to Volumes 2-3) by Sirial. I’m not entirely certain, but I believe that with the second omnibus Milkyway Hitchhiking is complete. (Because the manhwa is a series of largely unrelated stories, it can be difficult to tell.) Whether or not it is actually finished, Milkyway Hitchhiking continues to be a beautiful series. The full-color artwork is gorgeous, Sirial changing art styles and color palettes to better suit the mood of each of the stories. The manhwa ranges from brightly colored, upbeat tales to those that are more somber and melancholy. Some are based in reality while others incorporate elements of horror, science fiction, or fantasy. The only thing that really ties the individual stories in Milkyway Hitchhiking together is the presence of the Milkyway, a space-time cat. Although she’s the titular character, Milkyway Hitchhiking isn’t necessarily about Milkyway herself. She frequently has an important role to play, however the focus of the series is much more on the stories of the people she encounters.

Random Musings: Notable in 2015

December 25, 2015 by Ash Brown

For the last couple of years, I have made a point to compile an end-of-year list of works that, for me, were particularly notable. In general I tend to like making lists, but I particularly enjoy working on this one because it specifically provides me the opportunity to reflect back on the year. The notable list isn’t exactly a “best of” list or even a list of favorites. To be included, a work must simply have been released in 2015, read in 2015, and stood out to me in one way or another. (That being said, I didn’t get to read as much this past year as I have in previous years. I’m sure that, had I had the chance to read them, there would be other works represented here, too.)

2015 was a year in which many series came to an end. Final Curtain, the last volume in the English-language edition of Hiroaki Samura’s Blade of the Immortal, was especially meaningful to me since the series was one of the first manga that I ever read and continues to be a personal favorite. Dark Horse began releasing the series in individual issues back in 1996; nearly two decades later it is now available in its entirety. All in all, it was a great ending to a great series.

Another series that concluded in English in 2015 was The Summit of the Gods, written by Baku Yumemakura and illustrated by Jiro Taniguchi. Fanfare/Ponent Mon is one of the smaller, more niche manga and comics publishers and has infrequent releases. Multiple years passed between the publication of some of the volumes in the series, so I was honestly afraid I’d never have the opportunity to read the conclusion of such an impressively drawn and written manga.

2015 also saw what may be the premature end to a few manga in English. Tragically, for a variety of reasons, Fantagraphic’s release of Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son hasn’t been doing well and the publisher might have to cancel the series if sales don’t improve. Only a single volume, with one heck of a cliffhanger, was able to be released in 2015. The series is incredibly important to me on a very personal level—it was literally life-changing—so I’ll heartbroken if this is truly the end.

Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga is another series that might come to a close before its time in English. After a temporary hiatus, the sixth and seventh omnibuses, the last that are guaranteed to be published, were released in 2015. Even if the rest of the series isn’t translated (and I hope that it is), the first two major story arcs are complete and the manga is well-worth seeking out. The character development in the series is fantastic, the artwork is excellent, and the story is marvelous.

One of the manga to debut in 2015 that stood out to me the most was A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima. A realistic portrayal of bullying and the consequences of such cruelty, the series can be a difficult but ultimately worthwhile read. The subject matter is heartwrenching but handled extremely well, skillfully showing the nuanced complexity of human nature and relationships while exploring themes of forgiveness, empathy, and redemption.

Aya Kanno’s Requiem of the Rose King was one of my most anticipated manga series to be released in 2015. A combination of historical fact and historical fantasy inspired by the plays of William Shakespeare, Kanno’s research into the Wars of the Roses, and her own imagination, the manga hasn’t yet disappointed me and gets better with each volume. The storytelling can be somewhat cryptic and chaotic at times, but its dark, dreamlike nature can also be wonderfully effective.

Ken Niimura is an award-winning Spanish comics creator of Japanese heritage who has worked in the European, North American, and Asian markets. Henshin is a delightfully quirky collection of thirteen short manga originally released online by Ikki, making it Niimura’s first major Japanese publication. While the stories range from semi-autobiographical to the absolute fantastic, they all tend to have surprising twists to them with great emotional impact.

Seven Seas has recently shown a remarkable increase in the number and variety of titles it has licensed. Kore Yamazaki’s The Ancient Magus’ Bride is perhaps one of Seven Sea’s more atypical series, but it seems to be doing well for itself. I’m glad, because I enjoy the manga and its strangeness immensely. A peculiar romance incorporating horror and fantasy, magic and science, the series is heavily influenced by European legends, fairy tales, and folklore.

Junji Ito had a pretty good showing in English in 2015 with several new releases and re-releases. Of those, it was Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu that made the strongest impression on me. (I admittedly find it difficult to resist cat comics.) The manga is drawn in Ito’s signature style but is undoubtedly a comedy, granted one about the horrors and anxieties of pet ownership. The disconnect between the artwork and the story makes it even funnier.

I never expected to see the beginning of Hirohiko Araki’s exceptionally weird yet iconic manga series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure released in English. The third story arc was published years ago but only garnered a relatively small following. Thankfully, the manga’s recent anime adaptation revitalized interest in the series, leading Viz Media to release the first two arcs of the epic—Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency—and in a beautiful hardcover edition no less.

Probably one of the most divisive debuts of 2015 was Prison School by Akira Hiramoto, but Yen Press had the guts to license it. With its highly sexualized content, over-the-top fanservice verging on the grotesque, and preponderance despicable characters, it’s definitely not a series for everyone. The manga revels in its salaciousness to the point of parody, making it a strangely engrossing and humorous work for readers who aren’t immediately offended by it.

Nimona had its beginnings as an award-winning webcomic, ultimately becoming Noelle Stevenson’s debut graphic novel; the print edition also includes additional material not found online. I absolutely loved this comic. It starts out rather lighthearted, but as the graphic novel progresses it becomes more serious. However, it never loses its sense of humor. Stevenson combines colorful characters, settings, and artwork to create a comic that is both entertaining and meaningful.

Sometimes all I want from a comic is something fun, and Fantasy Sports by Sam Bosma is certainly that and then some. The comic started as a short, self-published, black-and-white work but it has been expanded into an ongoing, full-color series being released by Nobrow Press. The marvelous first volume, featuring a life-and-death game of basketball between an ancient mummy and a young magic user interning at the United Order of Mages, is filled with silliness and adventure.

Also originally self-published, Towerkind by Kat Verhoeven was a comic that I came across by chance more than anything else; I picked up the book on an impulse after seeing it at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival and finding myself oddly drawn towards it. The comic is surreal, about a group of children with supernatural abilities who may or may not be facing the end of the world. It’s both a strangely compelling and darkly ominous work.

Out of all of the novels released in 2015 that I read, Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas by Kazuki Sakuraba was perhaps the most curious, peculiar, and enthralling. A multi-generational family epic, the story follows the lives and legends of three women, each powerful in their own way. (One of them even becomes a successful mangaka after retiring from being the leader of a girl gang.) Part history, part mystery, and part fantasy, I enjoyed the novel a great deal.

Ken Liu is probably best known for his short fiction, but in 2015 he made his debut as a novelist with The Grace of Kings, the first book in The Dandelion Dynasty which is a sort of retelling or reimagining of China’s historical legends and mythologies. The novel is a massive and expansive work with incredible worldbuilding. Though contemporary fantasy fiction, stylistically Liu also pays tribute to the narrative structure of the Chinese classics and not just their stories.

Manga the Week of 12/30

December 24, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and MJ 3 Comments

SEAN: Bargains bargains bargains! It’s the end of the year, and publishers are clearing out! All these titles must go!

MICHELLE: *snerk*

SEAN: Dark Horse has a the 2nd Astro Boy omnibus out next week.

And also the 4th volume of CLAMP-ish supernatural mystery Blood-C.

Lastly, they have another omnibus of Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, which is an absolute must-read if you haven’t already.

ASH: So glad Dark Horse found a way to keep this in print!

SEAN: Kodansha has a huge pile of things. Starting with the ever popular Attack on Titan, we get the 6th volume of serious-minded Before the Fall.

And if you like your Titans sillier, there’s a 4th omnibus of Attack on Titan Junior High.

ASH: Junior High is ridiculous.

MJ: To be fair, actual junior high is pretty ridiculous, too.

SEAN: A new debut from the creator of Blade of the Immortal, Die Wergelder runs in the magazine Nemesis and is rather violent and adult, I hear.

ASH: Violent and adult, that sounds about right for Samura!

SEAN: Fairy Tail has a new spinoff, Ice Trail, which focuses on Gray. Asd with most spinoffs, it’s by a different artist with plotting from Mashima.

There’s a 4th volume of The Heroic Tale of Arslan, drawn by the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist.

MICHELLE: I bought volume one but haven’t gotten around to actually reading it.

ASH: It’s been pretty solid, so far!

MJ: As a huge fan of Arakawa, I’m ashamed to say I haven’t read this at all, though I admit what I *really* want is a new story actually written by her. The art is only half the draw for me.

SEAN: A seventh and possibly last omnibus of Vinland Saga is also out. Don’t let this series hit the dreaded hiatus wall.

ASH: This series is incredible; I really hope we’ll get to see more.

SEAN: And a 5th volume of shonen romance Your Lie in April.

ASH: I’ll admit, I’ve fallen a bit behind on this one.

SEAN: Seven Seas also has a couple of new titles. There’s a 4th volume of smutty yuri soap opera Citrus.

And also a 7th volume of genuinely funny school comedy D-Frag!.

Yen Digital also has a large number of releases, including several debuts. Aoharu x Machinegun is a GFantasy series, but I’m afraid that doesn’t make up for it being in the survival game genre. Still, could be good.

Baccano! may not have its light novels coming out till April, but Yen is able to serialize its new prequel manga that began in Young Gangan this fall. The first three chapters are out next week. I adore Baccano!.

Black Detective is a Shonen Gangan series that looks to be a mystery, as you might gather from the title.

MICHELLE: With a sadistic lead and masochistic assistant, apparently.

SEAN: Corpse Princess has a 2nd volume.

Of all of Yen’s ‘digital only’ announcements, Saki was probably the one that generated the most excitement and annoyance – excitement over the release, annoyance over the lack of print. Given that it’s a seinen mahjong series with a bunch of busty female leads, though, I think we’re pretty lucky to see it at all. I can’t wait for it myself, I’ve heard a lot of good things about this series.

MICHELLE: Ooh! I’m in!

ASH: Mahjong manga!!!

MICHELLE: I’ll even forgive boinging bosoms for that!

MJ: Same.

SEAN: And there’s 2 more volumes of workplace 4-koma Servant x Service.

Lastly, a 2nd volume of Unknown.

Are you getting any of this with your Christmas gift cards?

Dead Endings

December 23, 2015 by Ash Brown

Author: Jessica Chavez
Illustrator: Irene Flores
Publisher: Chromatic Press
ISBN: 9780993861154
Released: November 2015
Original run: 2013-2014

Jessica Chavez, a former localizer and editor for XSEED Games, has more recently turned to writing novels. Dead Endings, illustrated by Irene Flores, became her first published work. The novel was also among the first to be serialized in Sparkler Monthly, the online multimedia magazine from Chromatic Press. Sparkler Monthly‘s line of prose is influenced by the Japanese light novel format, aiming to provide engaging and easily accessible works of fiction with interesting characters and stories. I wasn’t previously aware of Chavez’s work before reading Dead Endings and I only vaguely recognized Flores’ name as an illustrator, but I was still very interested in reading the novel if for no other reason than it was released by Chromatic Press. Dead Endings was originally serialized between December 2013 and August 2014. The novel was collected and released in print in 2015 along with two additional side stories, “The Art… of LOVE” and “Rare Parrot Watching and Other Recommended Activities,” a bonus art gallery, and the short comic “Pancakes and Sex” illustrated by Crystal Jayme.

After nearly drowning off the coast of Miami, New Yorker and graduate student Cailen Delaney gained an especially unwelcome ability—she can now see ghosts. Not only that, they seem to be particularly drawn to her. So, when she’s not commuting to or from school or taking advantage of the fact that her roommate Gabriella is a part-time exorcist, Cailen doesn’t necessarily get out very often; she much prefers the company of a strong drink, whether it be coffee or booze, in the comfort of her ghost-free home. Enter Everett Jung, a young journalist-in-training who has his own peculiar way of sensing ghosts. He arrives at Cailen’s apartment looking for some assistance from Gabrielle as he investigates a series of murders that seem to be supernaturally linked. Gabrielle, however, is currently out of the country and so he settles on the reluctant Cailen instead. With enough persistence, Everett eventually convinces Cailen to help, but the case turns out to be much more dangerous than any of them expected.

Supernatural talents aside, I found the characters in Dead Endings to be very relatable, especially Cailen. She’s vaguely cranky and cynical, snark and sarcasm being some of her favored modes of communication. As the main protagonist of the novel, her personality carries over into Chavez’s style of writing in Dead Endings, resulting in a casual-feeling narrative which doesn’t shy away from frankness or the use of strong language. Although underneath it all is a vein of horror, Dead Endings also has plenty of humor. Chavez strikes an excellent balance between the two—the novel manages to be both fun and frightening, either in turn or simultaneously. Dead Endings, in addition to being a darkly humorous supernatural thriller, is also a satisfying mystery. While Cailen, Everett, and Gabrielle are particularly interested in the stranger spiritual aspects of the case, essentially they are involved in solving a murder investigation.

Ultimately, Dead Endings is a near-perfect mix of horror, mystery, and humor with well-realized characters and an engaging story. While the additional stories included in the volume add more depth to the cast, generally in a more lighthearted fashion, Cailen is the most fully-developed individual in the novel proper. I loved seeing her character arc unfold. She starts out as someone who miserably puts up with the consequences of her abilities, but by the end she has wrested control of her own life back. However, getting to that point takes effort on Cailen’s part, instinctual self-preservation, and a deliberate decision to not fall victim to the frequently perilous circumstances she finds herself in. Dead Endings can be honestly chilling—supernatural encounters and ghostly possessions are threatening and the living can be just as menacing as the dead—but the novel never becomes overwhelming dark or grim. I enjoyed Dead Endings immensely and am looking forward to its sequel a great deal.

My Week in Manga: December 14-December 20, 2015

December 21, 2015 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Only one in-depth review was posted at Experiments in Manga last week. I should be getting back to my regular blogging schedule very soon, though. As for the said review, I took a look at Setona Mizushiro’s After School Nightmare, Volume 7 as part of my monthly horror manga review project. After School Nightmare is an effectively unsettling work, but it’s also engrossing. The seventh volume has some particularly chilling developments and revelations. (And that’s it from me at the moment!)

Quick Takes

Black Rose Alice, Volumes 4-6 by Setona Mizushiro. From what I can tell, Black Rose Alice is currently on hiatus in Japan. Fortunately, the first six volumes appear to complete the first major story arc of the manga. While I certainly hope that the Black Rose Alice continues, and I look forward to seeing how it develops, at least readers are provided with some resolution and closure for what could be a long wait. This second half of the first arc deals with the aftermath of Leo’s demise. The relationship dynamics in Black Rose Alice have always been a little peculiar and unnerving, but as they begin to fracture under the strain of the loss of Leo it’s shown just how strong and just how tenuous they can be at the same time. These volumes also include the reappearance of Koya, which throws the situation into even more turmoil, and the revelation of the twins tragic backstory. Emotions run high and the drama is intense as everything seems to be falling apart. Black Rose Alice continues to be dark and creepy and Mizushiro’s vampires are still some of the most unusual ones that I’ve come across.

Itazura na Kiss, Volumes 1-3 by Kaoru Tada. Considering the number of boys’ love titles that Digital Manga releases in print (as well as its recent efforts to translate all of Osamu Tezuka’s works and its foray into hentai) it can be easy to forget that the publisher has other interesting manga in its catalog, too. Itazura na Kiss is one such series, a classic shoujo manga from the nineties which was extremely successful in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. The story is about Kotoko, an academically-challenged young woman in high school who has fallen in love Naoki, another student who is a legitimate genius. He also turns out to be a huge jerk, but every once in a while he shows a warmer, kinder side of himself. So far, I have been enjoying Itazura na Kiss, perhaps more than I expected. Kotoko shows wonderful strength of character and even Naoki’s unpleasant personality has more depth to it than initially appears. Despite the best efforts of their parents who would love to see them married, the romance between the two of them is believably slow to develop. I also like that the story doesn’t get stuck in high school and follows Naoki and Kotoko as they enter college.

Merman in My Tub, Volume 1 by Itokichi. Seven Seas has made something of a name for itself as the publisher of monster girl manga, but with Merman in My Tub monster boys are now better represented as well. The basic and appropriately ridiculous premise of Merman in My Tub is that Wakasa, a merman, has become a permanent resident in the bathtub of Tatsumi, a young man who rescued him from a polluted river. His mere presence causes all sorts of problems and inconveniences for Tatsumi, especially when his other aquatic acquaintances begin showing up, too. The series is a largely episodic four-panel comedy manga although there are some small story arcs, recurring characters, and running jokes. There is also plenty of boys’ love tease and innuendo. (In part Itokichi seems to have created the series as an excuse to draw half-naked men.) At the same time, Merman in My Tub makes use of some of the vaguely incestuous little sister/big brother tropes that can be fairly prevalent these days. As a result, though it has its charm, the series sometimes seems a little confused about which audience it’s trying to appeal to.

Manga the Week of 12/23

December 18, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ 2 Comments

SEAN: Last month I believed Dark Horse rather than Diamond, and got burned for it. This time I’m believing Diamond, so no Dark Horse next week. That leaves…

Ninja Slayer Kills 2 and Noragami 9, both from Kodansha.

MICHELLE: Hm… Well, someone is probably happy about these, I guess.

ASH: Wow, only two manga releases?! Personally, I’ll be passing on Ninja Slayer Kills, but Noragami has been developing nicely.

ANNA: It is weird to have only two new releases! It is probably not so weird that I have nothing to say about them.

MJ: I, too, am here to say basically that I have nothing to say. But there’s a lot to catch up on from last week, at least!

SEAN: Thoughts?

After School Nightmare, Vol. 7

December 17, 2015 by Ash Brown

Creator: Setona Mizushiro
U.S. publisher: Go! Comi
ISBN: 9781933617626
Released: April 2008
Original release: 2007

After School Nightmare, and more specifically the first few volumes of the series, was my introduction to the manga of Setona Mizushiro. The beginning of the series left a strong impression on me, so I sought out more of her work released in English, namely X-Day and more recently Black Rose Alice. But for a very long time, I didn’t ready any further in After School Nightmare. The manga is a dark psychological drama with elements of the fantastic, which is a type of story that I tend to enjoy, but some of the series’ themes could occasionally hit uncomfortably close to home. I have since found the courage to read the rest of After School Nightmare and so far have continued to find the series to be both engrossing and disconcerting. After School Nightmare, Volume 7 was first published in Japan in 2007. The English-language edition, now out-of-print, was released by Go! Comi in 2008.

After rejecting Sou and after his breakup with Kureha, Mashiro now finds himself more alone than ever. The distance between himself and others is made even more painfully clear when the relationship between Kureha and Sou, once rivals in love, begins to deepen. At first they merely commiserate with each other, having both been hurt by Mashiro, but eventually they become very close. Meanwhile, Mashiro is struggling to come to terms with the confusion and turmoil of his feelings, and his identity, on his own. Physically, his body has both male and female characteristics, but for his entire life Mashiro has striven to be seen and accepted as a man. More recently, however, his desire to express himself as a girl has grown. One of the reasons that Mashiro refused to recognize his developing feelings for Sou, seeking refuge in his relationship with Kureha, was that he was trying to deny this feminine part of himself. However, that avenue of escape may no longer be an option for him.

While Mashiro is the lead character in After School Nightmare and much of the manga’s focus in on his personal struggles and growth, both Kureha and Sou have major roles to play as well. After School Nightmare, Volume 7 reveals more about them and their unfortunate family circumstances than ever before. Surprisingly, Kureha actually returns home to visit her parents for a time, though she still harbors ill-feelings towards them due to the trauma she suffered in the past. The exact nature of the unpleasant ordeals that Sou has lived through and has never quite recovered from are exposed in the volume as well. Mizushiro isn’t afraid to go in some very dark directions with After School Nightmare. Many if not most of the characters are dealing with the lasting repercussions of abuse, whether it be mental, physical, emotional, sexual, or some combination of the four. Perhaps even more tragically, at times this maltreatment is even self-inflicted.

In addition to Sou and Kureha, there is another character whose backstory is specifically explored in After School Nightmare, Volume 7—Koichiro Kurosaki, Mashiro and Sou’s upperclassman from the kendo club. Throughout the series, Koichiro has been something of a cipher. He comes across as well-adjusted and mature, but also distant and reserved. Frequently Mashiro comes to him seeking advice and Koichiro, calm and collected, provides guidance seemingly without judgement. However, in the seventh volume, it is revealed that he, too, is struggling with his own family problems and personal issues. Koichiro’s very careful in how he presents himself, but his vaguely unsettling cool exterior is a cover for a much more troubled and darker personality. Because he has earned the respect and trust of others, Koichiro is in a position to inflict some truly significant harm should he choose or allow himself to do so. This sort of intense, psychological drama in After School Nightmare is part of what makes the series so chilling.

Pick of the Week: Overabundance

December 14, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N, Michelle Smith and MJ 2 Comments

SEAN: There’s about a dozen titles I could pick here, including any number of debuts from Yen, or final volumes from Vertical, or even fantastic shoujo from Kodansha and seinen from Viz. But my pick of the week will be Kizumonogatari, the novel by Nisioisin that is the introduction to the popular Monogatari universe, showing how our hero got to be what he is today. I’ve loved this author’s work ever since I read the first Zaregoto back in 2008, and can’t wait to bury myself in it.

ASH: Sean’s right, there are plenty of great releases to choose from this week, including some of my personal favorites like Dorohedoro. However, I’m especially excited for the debut of Yowamushi Pedal. I’m very happy to see sports manga being released in English again and I don’t at all mind the series’ BL undertones, whether they be real or imagined.

ANNA: I’m also going to throw my vote to Yowamushi Pedal. Sports manga comes out so rarely here, I feel like every new title should be celebrated.

MICHELLE: My pick goes to volume one of Of The Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi. The art and the emphasis on the supernatural remind me of Natsume’s Book of Friends, which is one of my favorite series, but there are quite a few active mysteries and questions in this new series that presumably relate to its visual novel origins. Check it out!

MJ: There’s a lot to be happy about this week, including all my colleagues’ picks, so I’ll do my duty here and keep banging the drum for my beloved Pandora Hearts! We’ve been waiting a long time for this volume, and there is so much hanging in the balance! You can be sure this is at the top of my list this week.

My Week in Manga: December 7-December 13, 2015

December 14, 2015 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Okay! Last week I submitted my promotion dossier at work, which means I’ll be able to start paying more attention to Experiments in Manga again. I still have a few other life things preoccupying me at the moment, but I’m hoping to get back to my normal posting schedule by the beginning of the new year if not before. That being said, I only posted one in-depth review last week. Soji Shimada’s classic mystery novel The Tokyo Zodiac Murders was recently re-released in English, which seemed as good an excuse as any to get around to reading it. According to this interview with Shimada, if The Tokyo Zodiac Murders does well, the next book in the series might be translated, too, which I would definitely like to read.

As for other interesting things found online: Seven Seas’ ten-day licensing spree has now wrapped up. (The new license tag on Seven Seas’ tumblr is probably still the easiest place to see them all at once.) Out of all the announced titles the one I’m most curious about is Ichiya Sazanami’s Magia the Ninth which features master composers as demon hunters with music-based magic. (Sazanami is the creator of Black Bard which I likewise couldn’t resist because of the combination of music and magic.) And in case you need to catch up on all of the anime, manga, and light novel licenses announced in 2015, Reverse Thieves has you covered. Also of note, Manga Brog has translated an excerpt of an interesting interview of Kentaro Miura, the creator of Berserk.

Quick Takes

Captain Ken, Volumes 1-2 by Osamu Tezuka. I think that I’ve mentioned here before that I happen to have a particular fascination with Mars, which was one of the primary reasons that I was interested in reading Captain Ken. Of course, it didn’t hurt that series was also created by Tezuka. (Though granted, I would love to see more classic manga that isn’t by Tezuka released in English.) Captain Ken is basically a western in space—Mars has been deliberately developed to be reminiscent of the American Southwest, the primary mode of transportation is by (robotic) horse, and the Martians have met with the same tragic fate as the Native Americans. The series is an odd mashup of science fiction and western genre tropes and American history, including references to World War II and the dropping of the atomic bomb. (The portrayal of Americans, perhaps justifiably, isn’t especially flattering.) Captain Ken explores the same themes of anti-war and anti-discrimination found in many of Tezuka’s other manga. Overall, it’s an entertaining adventure story with a rather bittersweet ending.

Cross Game, Omnibuses 6-8 (equivalent to Volumes 12-17) by Mitsuru Adachi. I still don’t have much of an interest in baseball when it comes to real life, but I’m completely invested in the sport when it comes to Cross Game. I’ve come to care tremendously about the characters in the series and, because baseball is incredibly important to so many of them, by proxy the baseball is important to me as well. Cross Game‘s last three omnibuses focus on the final year of high school baseball for Ko and his classmates. In fact, the eighth omnibus is almost entirely devoted to a single game—the last opportunity for the Seishu team to make Wakaba’s dream of seeing them play at summer Koshien a reality. They’ve worked hard as a team and have several players who are individually impressive as well, but that never guarantees a win. I’ve watched the Cross Game anime series, which turns out to have been a very faithful adaptation, so I knew how things would end. Even so, the manga is incredibly engaging and has a ton of heart. I never expected to be so taken with a baseball manga, but Cross Game is excellent.

U Don’t Know Me by Rakun. After a somewhat dubious beginning, I ended up really enjoying U Don’t Know Me. Plot-wise there’s a lot packed into this one-volume boys’ love manhwa and the characterization is quite good as well. Seyun and Yoojin are childhood friends who have only recently come to realize that they share feelings for each other which are much more lustful in nature. While the manhwa is primarily about Seyun and Yoojin and the evolution of their friendship into a romance, their relationships with their friends and families are also extremely important to the story. Context is provided for their love for earch another and the implications of that love. My favorite part of U Don’t Know Me was actually the response of the boys’ parents upon discovering their sons’ intimate relationship. Initially they were shocked and upset, but they ultimately give their love and support and are very involved in ensuring the well-being of both young men. The realistic portrayal of this sort of positive acceptance seems to be something of a rarity in boys’ love, so it makes me particularly happy when I see it.

Manga the Week of 12/16

December 10, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, Anna N and MJ 2 Comments

SEAN: There are 39 titles due out next week. Thirty-nine. Let’s take a look. Try not to get lost in the deluge.

Attack on Titan’s 17th volume has a Special Edition with a DVD of Ilse’s Notebook, the side story from the 5th volume.

ASH: It’s really interesting to see special editions like this starting to come out!

SEAN: Fairy Tail has a 51st volume.

Kiss Him, Not Me! and L♥DK both have their second volumes which may interest shoujo fans.

MICHELLE: I suppose I will check out the second volume of L♥DK just to see whether it improves, but I don’t have high hopes.

SEAN: And Say “I Love You” has an 11th volume that is a must for shoujo fans.

MICHELLE: A definite must.

ANNA: I am way behind on this series! Maybe I will binge read during an upcoming vacation.

SEAN: Tsubasa has finally climbed out of its Reservoir and is ready to take on the world with the debut of Tsubasa World Chronicle 1. I am trying to contain my enthusiasm. See? :|

MICHELLE: I didn’t even know this existed!

ANNA: You know, I used to be a major CLAMP fan, and now I have CLAMP fatigue.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I think that has afflicted me, too. I never finished xxxHOLiC or the first Tsubasa series, despite owning them all, and now they both have sequels I haven’t touched. And then there’s that Gate 7 series, which utterly failed to make an impression with me.

ANNA: Most of my remaining feelings of affection for CLAMP are tied up in nostalgia for X/1999. So much angst and feathers!

MICHELLE: I have an enduring fondness for CLAMP Campus Detectives, but more so the anime than the manga. Oh, and Cardcaptor Sakura!

SEAN: It is rather sad that Man of Many Faces is still in my top 5 CLAMP works, given it was their first. (It’s out digitally next week as well, by the way! Rescued by Viz.)

ANNA: Cardcaptor Sakura is also great! Actually, I’m interested in reading Man of Many Faces, and I didn’t realize that it was out digitally.

MJ: I’m probably the only person here unlikely to succumb to CLAMP fatigue, I suppose, and while a Tsubasa sequel is not high on the list of what I’d really like to see most from them, I’ll surely check it out. Their artwork will always be a draw for me, and they have a knack for creating characters I can’t get enough of. Even when they write themselves into a hole (as they’ve occasionally done), I’ll stick around to the end.

SEAN: One Peace has a 5th (final?) volume of Aquarion Evol.

ANNA: I have some volumes of Aquarion I need to read.

SEAN: If you’ve somehow not read the brilliant and evocative A Distant Neighborhood books from Ponent Mon, they’ve got a Complete Edition out next week to correct that.

MICHELLE: I really liked A Distant Neighborhood.

ASH: Very glad to see this coming back into print!

ANNA: I haven’t read this, but I know it is wonderful, and I am also glad it is coming back into print.

MJ: It really *is* wonderful, and I’m so glad to see it coming back!

SEAN: And Seven Seas also has an omnibus of Mayo Chiki starting next week, whose audience is possibly a bit different from that of A Distant Neighborhood.

Vertical debuts a novel that will be of great interest to anime fans: Kizumonogatari: Wound Tale, the first (chronologically) of the popular Monogatari series from Nisioisin (author of Medaka Box and Zaregoto). I am VERY excited for its release, even though it has vampires – possibly that only adds to the excitement!

ANNA: Vampires are always exciting!

MEILNDA: I’m always willing to try something from Vertical, even if vampires are involved.

SEAN: Vertical also has the 12th and final volume of Mobile Suit Gundam the Origin. It’s a labor of love, and I’m sure that the Manga Bookshelf team, particularly Ash, are ready to congratulate them on its completion.

ASH: It’s true! This has been a fantastic release. Congrats, Vertical!

ANNA: Vertical deserves some sort of award for this lovely edition.

SEAN: And if Gundam is too realistic for you, try the second Ninja Slayer, also from Vertical.

Afterschool Charisma is a series I keep forgetting is still running, but here’s the 11th volume.

ANNA: I’m way behind on this, but I like it!

SEAN: And here is the 17th Dorohedoro, which I could never forget. Are these two the last remnants of SigIKKI?

MICHELLE: I believe so.

ASH: I love Dorohedoro so much.

SEAN: Master Keaton has a 5th volume already. I’ve fallen behind on this series.

MICHELLE: Me, too. I did start, but got bogged down somewhere in volume two.

ANNA: I am happy to report that this is one series I am not behind on! I enjoy Master Keaton.

SEAN: And a 4th volume of the insanely popular Tokyo Ghoul, which will war with Attack on Titan 17 for the top of the bestseller charts.

Yen On has five light novels out for the holidays. The 2nd Black Bullet will, I suspect, be as grim as the debut was.

The Devil Is A Part-Timer! has proven to be very likeable, and I hope the third volume continues the trend.

I remain surprised at how addictive Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon? has become, particularly with that title. The 4th volume is also highly anticipated.

We’ve nearly come to the end of the long running Spice & Wolf novel series, with Vol. 16 being the 2nd to last.

And Sword Art Online’s 6th novel wraps up another arc, as Kirito and Sinon try to figure out the secret behind the Gun Gale Online game and those using it to kill players in real life.

MJ: I think I’m one of the few folks here who is pretty into SAO… how did that happen? In any case, I’m always ready for more!

SEAN: Yen Press has a number of debuts next week, beginning with Aldnoah Zero, which (like Rose Guns Days) gets a Season One appended to it. It runs in Manga Time Kirara Forward, but don’t expect it to be a 4-koma: this is a serious sci-fi title based on an anime created at the same time.

ASH: I haven’t seen the anime yet, but I am rather curious about the Aldnoah Zero manga.

MJ: I’m interested as well.

SEAN: There’s an 8th Barakamon, which I do recommend if you’re missing Yotsuba&!, even though the two titles have a somewhat different feel.

MICHELLE: I have a big stack of Barakamon that I really need to get around to reading.

MJ: I haven’t given this title its due, but I really should pay more attention to it!

SEAN: For those who don’t like prose, there’s the 2nd volume of the Black Bullet manga.

A ninth volume of Bloody Cross no doubt sees the series headed towards its endgame.

And there’s a third volume of eccentric fantasy Chaika the Coffin Princess.

Demon from Afar is up to Vol. 5, and no doubt continues to look very pretty and destroy all our hopes and dreams.

The third Emma omnibus also will look very pretty, but likely has 100% fewer corpses.

MICHELLE: *snerk*

MJ: I’m still excited every time one of these shows up, since I missed this series the first time around!

SEAN: And we get a 5th volume of He’s My Only Vampire. One of a large number of vampire manga out there, it’s trying to be our steady and doing a pretty good job.

MICHELLE: Definitely my favorite of the vampire gang.

ANNA: Is it odd that I haven’t read this yet? Probably.

MJ: I think that’s very odd indeed!

SEAN: Maximum Ride is not technically a manga, but it certainly sells well enough, so let’s mention the 9th volume here.

The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan is now at double digits, and I suspect will run till the author (Puyo, not the author of the original source) decides it is over.

Of the Red, the Light and the Ayakashi is based on a visual novel, and runs in Media Factory’s sorta-kinda-shoujo magazine Comic Gene. Expect prettiness.

MICHELLE: I’ve started reading this and it’s giving me some Natsume’s Book of Friends vibes, which is definitely a compliment.

ASH: Oooh, that’s good to hear! And the cover art is pretty, too!

ANNA: I’m always up for pretty sorta-kinda-shoujo.

MJ: I’m up for this, definitely, especially after reading Michelle’s comment above.

SEAN: Pandora Hearts has a 23rd volume, and it’s the first to come out in over a year, so I’ll let Michelle and MJtake over from here.

MICHELLE: I’ve fallen somewhat behind, so I am going to have a nice big marathon and it’ll be awesome. And then I’ll wait in desperation for the 24th and final volume to come out.

MJ: I have *not* fallen behind, as you might imagine, and have been anticipating this rather anxiously! My love for this series has not waned!

SEAN: Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie has a first volume, and is sure to appeal to fans of Homura who couldn’t get enough of the movie—ow, I think I cut myself on my sarcasm there.

MJ: I haven’t been able to maintain any interest in this series beyond the original anime. So many books. So little interest.

SEAN: There’s also a 2nd volume of Puella Magi Suzune Magica.

Rose Guns Days Season One gets a 2nd volume, as we learn more about this strange occupied Japan and the eccentrics populating it.

The Secret Sakura Shares is a done-in-1 omnibus that ran in Hakusensha’s LaLa and LaLa DX magazines, and I love that we’re seeing Hakusensha titles get additional publisher availability. That said, I suspect many readers will have trouble getting past the premise.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I don’t know about this one, but I’m gonna read it anyway.

ANNA: Hmmmmmm.

MJ: I just read the premise, and I agree I may have trouble getting past it. I guess we’ll see.

SEAN: Sunshine Sketch 8 finally bids farewell to its two gayest… sorry, oldest characters, as Sae and Hiro are graduating. But the series continues, and we gain some new students in the process.

Lastly, we have the first Yowamushi Pedal omnibus, as an incredibly popular shonen cycling series finally gets a chance in the West, despite a huge number of volumes extant. There are, I hear, one or two male fans. Somewhere. But for the most part, YowaPeda is known for its BL fandom, though the manga itself is not BL.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one a lot. Not for the BL but for its presumed sports manga-y aspects.

ASH: I’m certainly excited to see publishers giving sports manga another chance!

ANNA: I am always wishing for more sports manga, so I’m glad this is coming out.

MJ: Yay sports manga! Yay BL fandom! I’m ready for it all!

SEAN: That’s it. Finally. What are you getting?

The Tokyo Zodiac Murders

December 10, 2015 by Ash Brown

Author: Soji Shimada
Translator: Ross and Shika Mackenzie
U.K. publisher: Pushkin Press
ISBN: 9781782271383
Released: September 2015
Original release: 1981

The British-based publisher Pushkin Press launched Vertigo, a new imprint devoted to classic crime and mystery fiction from around the world, in 2015. One of the six works selected for Vertigo’s debut was Soji Shimada’s first novel The Tokyo Zodiac Murders. Originally published in Japan in 1981, the novel would become the first book in a series of mysteries featuring Kiyoshi Mitarai. Shimada is an extremely prolific author particularly known for fostering the revitalization of honkaku fiction, a subgenre of Japanese mysteries that I was introduced to through The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji, who Shimada mentored. Currently, The Tokyo Zodiac Murders is the only major work by Shimada available in English although a few of his short stories have been translated as well. The Tokyo Zodiac Murders, translated by Ross and Shika Mackenzie, was first released in English in 2004 by IBC Publishing, but that edition has since gone out-of-print. I was very glad to see Vertigo bring the novel back.

In 1936, a set of grisly murders took place in Japan which came to be known as the Tokyo Zodiac Murders. Seven women, sisters and cousins, were found dead, their bodies cut into pieces and buried in remote locations across the country. A letter describing exactly how the women would be killed and dismembered would have made Heikichi Umezawa, their father and uncle, the primary suspect except that he himself had already met an untimely demise behind locked doors. Although over time many popular theories were proposed, the murders of Umezawa and the seven women remained unsolved for more than forty years. In 1979, new evidence came to light which inspired amateur detectives Kazumi Ishioka, a mystery enthusiast, and his close friend Kiyoshi Mitarai, a professional astrologer, to take up the case. Their investigation led them in many different directions as they searched for additional clues, but finally, more than four decades later, the murders are solved.

While there are some wonderful character moments in The Tokyo Zodiac Murders, especially between Mitarai and Ishioka—who is the one actually narrating the tale—the novel is much more focused on the details of the crimes and the related investigations than it is on nuanced characterization. Over the course of The Tokyo Zodiac Murders, Shimada outlines all of the clues needed for the novel’s readers to solve the mystery themselves—they are given the same information that Mitarai and Ishioka have available to work with. In fact, Shimada briefly interrupts the narrative not once but twice, directly addressing and challenging readers to solve the case before Ishioka reveals the solution in the final few chapters. Granted, in addition to crucial hints, Shimada has also included plenty of red herrings to lead readers astray if they are not careful. The Tokyo Zodiac Murders presents a devious intellectual challenge, but it is solvable.

Although the cleverness of The Tokyo Zodiac Murders can be appreciated in its own right, much of my enjoyment of the novel came from directly engaging with the mystery. Readers can simply follow along as Ishioka and Mitarai conduct their investigations, waiting for everything to be disclosed, or they can take up Shimada’s challenge to try to uncover the solution on their own. First, the known facts about the murders are recounted by Ishioka in a fairly straightforward if enthusiastic manner. He then reveals how he and more specifically Mitarai became personally involved with the case, showing how their efforts ultimately led to the closing of a decades-old crime. The Tokyo Zodiac Murders is gruesome and shocking, but it’s also engrossing and introduces a likeable and somewhat eccentric investigator in Mitarai. Although The Tokyo Zodiac Murders was Shimada’s debut work, it is still considered by him and by others to be one of his best and I can understand why.

Pick of the Week: Two Titles

December 8, 2015 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: Secure in the knowledge that someone else is going to pick Planetes, and despite genuinely looking forward to the second volume of Tokyo ESP, I am going to have to go with my squeeing fangirl heart this week and pick the digital-only debut of Crown of Thorns, a Yoko Kamio manga that was totally not on my radar before but which I now desperately need to read.

SEAN: It’s definitely Planetes for me. If you told someone to read a manga about space garbagemen, they’d likely ignore you. But they’d be very, very wrong.

ASH: It’s Planetes for me, too. I already have the entire series sitting on my shelf from when Tokyopop released it, but I’m sorely tempted to upgrade to Dark Horse’s edition.

ANNA: Usually with Pick of the Week, my choice is clear, but I’m genuinely torn between celebrating the return of a series I loved or the lure of the new. Since other folks have picked Planetes, I’m going to give in to the side of me that greets new shoujo series with glee and cast my vote for Crown of Thorns.

MJ: I’m going to join the majority of the pack here and go with Planetes. I missed this the first time around, and I am so thrilled to have another chance at it. This is something I’ve been eagerly anticipating for quite a while, so there’s really no other choice for me.

My Week in Manga: November 30-December 6, 2015

December 7, 2015 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

So, one of the many reasons that I’ve been incredibly busy lately (which led to me temporarily reducing the number of posts that I’ve been writing each week) is that I’m in the process of applying for a promotion at work. I’m currently putting the final touches on my dossier which is due later this week. At this point it’s already well over two hundred pages and has taken up a significant amount of my time; I’m really looking forward to being done and over with the whole thing so I can get back to reading and writing about things that I actually enjoy.

That being said, last week I announced the winner of the Kodansha Shoujo Smorgasbord manga giveaway. The post also includes a list of some of Kodansha Comics’ shoujo and josei manga, of which there’s a nice variety. The honor of the first in-depth review of the month went to Studio Kôsen’s Windrose, Volume 1 from Chromatic Press/Sparkler Monthly. Kôsen has had a few other releases in English, but I think that Windrose is probably my favorite so far. Finally, over the weekend I posted November’s Bookshelf Overload which will likely be the last list of its utterly ridiculous size for a while.

Elsewhere online in manga publishing announcements: Kodansha Comics manga are now available digitally on Overdrive, which is great news for libraries in Canada and the United States. Seven Seas is in the midst of celebrating ten days of licenses with some interesting as well as not-so-surprising choices. (At the moment, the new license tag on Seven Seas’ Tumblr may be the easiest place to see all of the new titles at once.) Yen Press probably made the biggest license announcement last week, though–Natsuki Takaya’s Fruits Basket is being re-released in English! Yen plans to release Takaya’s Liselotte & Witch’s Forest and Twinkle Stars as well.

Quick Takes

Alley of First Love by Ellie Mamahara. I picked up Alley of First Love without knowing much about the manga except that it was a boys’ love one-shot. Sometimes that can a risky proposition ripe with potential for disappointment, but Alley of First Love ended up being a pleasant surprise. After graduating high school, Shusuke’s best friend (and crush) Atsushi left to study abroad in England with no intention of returning to Japan. But six years later he unexpectedly comes back and Shusuke must once more face the fact that his feelings for Atsushi go far beyond friendship. There were quite a few things that appealed to me about the Alley of First Love: the leads are adult men, the prominence of their tightly-knit families and community (and the realistic rumor mills that accompany those), the touches of humor and overall heartwarming nature of the story, and so on. Readers looking forward to steamy love scenes will be left wanting as they are mostly implied rather than shown (Mamahara jokes in her notes that she’s terrible at drawing them), but the emotional connection between Shusuke and Atsushi is definitely there.

Love at Fourteen, Volumes 3-4 by Fuka Mizutani. I didn’t anticipate that I would enjoy the first couple of volumes of Love at Fourteen nearly as much as I actually did. However, although I also enjoyed the third and fourth volumes, my compulsion to read more of the series has somewhat diminished. Tanaka and Yoshikawa may be the leads, but I think they may actually be some of the least interesting characters in the series. But even though their personalities aren’t particularly strong, I do like them. And I like their relationship and the portrayal of the slow development of young love. But in the end, I find that I’m more intrigued by the supporting characters and their stories. Perhaps I’m not the only one who felt this way—Mizutani adds even more of them to the series in these two volumes. My favorite character has turned out to be Nagai, a delinquent with a talent for singing. However, the way that the music teacher manipulates and leads him on is troubling. She’s supposedly fallen in love with her fourteen-year-old student. I’m not sure if Mizutani intends for it to be tragically romantic, humorous, or what, but the way it plays out and is shown in the manga comes across as creepy more than anything else.

My Love Story!!, Volume 3-6 written by Kazune Kawahara and illustrated by Aruko. I absolutely loved the first two volumes of My Love Story!! and so have made a point to collect the manga even though I’ve fallen behind in actually reading it. At first, I wasn’t really sure how long the series would be able to last before the gimmick was completely played out and became tiresome. After all, the manga was initially intended to be a one shot. Happily, My Love Story!! has yet to lose its charm for me. It continues to be funny and sweet, earnest and endearing. The story is beginning to expand more, as well. While Takeo and Yamato’s incredibly adorable and wholesome romance is at the heart of it all, the manga is now exploring the lives and relationships of their friends and family members as well. At one point it seemed as though My Love Story!! was going to be somewhat episodic, but some longer, continuing storylines are being introduced as are new, recurring characters. My Love Story!! always manages to make me happier just by reading it, so I’ll definitely continue following it.

Bookshelf Overload: November 2015

December 6, 2015 by Ash Brown

November’s Bookshelf Overload will very likely be the last of its size for quite some time. A few things happened to make the number of manga that I received last month particularly absurd. Right Stuf recently changed its website and had stopped automatically sending out partial shipments. Well, that service has now resumed. As a result, I ended up with multiple giant boxes arriving at once with orders that had been piling up on Right Stuf’s shelves instead of mine. Akadot has been having some huge sales lately, so I made a point to stock up on some Digital Manga titles, especially as they’re becoming more difficult to find elsewhere. It’s also the time of year that Right Stuf has massive sales, too. I took advantage of that fact to fill in the gaps in my Slam Dunk collection. Other manga that I was especially excited to get my hands on in November included but wasn’t limited to The Contracts of the Fall by Gengoroh Tagame, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 2: Battle Tendency, Volume 1 by Hirohiko Araki, and Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Volume 1 by Izumi Tsubaki. Last, but certainly not least, two new Chromatic Press paperbacks are now available! I just reviewed Studio Kôsen’s Windrose, Volume 1, which I loved, and will eventually have a review for Jessica Chavez’s novel Dead Endings as well. I started reading it not too long ago and am already really enjoying it.

Manga!
Ajin: Demi-Human, Volume 6 by Gamon Sakurai
Akuma no Riddle, Volume 1 by Yun Kouga, illustrated by Sunao Minakata
Alabaster, Volumes 1-2 by Osamu Tezuka
Alice in the Country of Clover: Bloody Twins by Mamenosuke Fujimaru
Alice in the Country of Hearts: The Clockmaker’s Story by Mamenosuke Fujimaru
Bambi and Her Pink Gun, Volumes 1-2 by Atsushi Kaneko
Beast Master, Volumes 1-2 by Kyousuke Motomi
Black Rose Alice, Volume 6 by Setona Mizushiro
Caramel by Puku Okuyama
Chi’s Sweet Home, Volume 12 by Konami Kanata
The Contracts of the Fall by Gengoroh Tagame
The Demon Prince of Momochi House, Volume 2 by Aya Shouoto
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Volume 8 written by Yuto Tsukuda, illustrated by Shun Saeki
Itazura na Kiss, Omnibuses 2-3, 6-10 by Kaoru Tada
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 2: Battle Tendency, Volume 1 by Hirohiko Araki
Kamisama Kiss, Volume 1 by Julietta Suzuki
Kamunagara: Rebirth Of The Demonslayer, Volumes 1-6 by Hajime Yamamura
Kare Kano: His and Her Circumstances, Volumes 1, 4-21 by Masami Tsuda
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 14 by Tsutomu Nihei
Lone Wolf and Cub, Omnibuses 9-10 written by Kazuo Koike, illustrated by Goseki Kojima
Love Stage!!, Volume 4 by Eiki Eiki and Taishi Zaou
Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 14 by Kiiro Yumi
Maid-sama!, Omnibus 2 by Hiro Fujiwara
Merman in My Tub, Volume 1 by Itokichi
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Volume 1 by Izumi Tsubaki
My Love Story!!, Volume 6 written by Kazune Kawahara, illustrated by Aruko
My Neighbor Seki, Volumes 3-4 by Takuma Morishige
Noragami: Stray God, Volume 6 by Adachitoka
One-Punch Man, Volumes 2-3 written by One, illustrated by Yusuke Murata
Slam Dunk, Volumes 15-16, 21-22, 26, 28-31 by Takehiko Inoue
Voices of Love by Kanae Hazuki
Witchcraft Works, Volume 6 by Ryu Mizunagi
You Make My Head Spin by Kazuhiko Mishima

Manhwa!
Behind Story, Volume 2 by Narae Ahn
Masca, Volume 1 by Young Hee Kim
Void’s Enigmatic Mansion, Volumes 1-2 by HeeEun Kim

Comics!
Eat More Comics: The Best of The Nib edited by Matt Bors
Love in All Forms: The Big Book of Growing Up Queer edited by Serafina Dwyer
Sfeer Theory: The Uitspan Era, Volume 2 by Alex Singer and Jayd Aït-Kaci
Windrose, Volume 1 by Studio Kôsen

Novels!
Dead Endings by Jessica Chavez, illustrated by Irene Flores

Anthologies!
Ten Nights Dreaming and The Cat’s Grave by Natsume Soseki

Anime!
Another directed by Tsutomu Mizushima
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri

Windrose, Vol. 1

December 4, 2015 by Ash Brown

Creator: Studio Kôsen
Publisher: Chromatic Press
ISBN: 9781987988055
Released: November 2015
Original run: 2014-2015

Windrose is an ongoing series by Studio Kôsen, a Spanish creative team made up of two comics artists: Aurora García and Diana Fernández. Kôsen has had several comics as well as an artbook released in English in the past, including Saihôshi: The Guardian (my introduction to the team’s work), Stallion, and Daemonium. Currently, both Windrose and Kôsen’s previous work Lêttera are being serialized online through Chromatic Press’ multimedia magazine Sparkler Monthly. I was very excited when Windrose was first announced–I love Kôsen artwork and am a huge fan of Chromatic Press and Sparkler Monthly–and even more so when it came time for the first volume to be released in print. Windrose, Volume 1, completed in 2015, collects the first six chapters of the comic originally serialized between July 2014 and May 2015, as well as some additional notes from the creators about the comic and its historical setting.

On the day of her seventeenth birthday, Danielle received a strange gift from her father, a French merchant who has been away from their Barcelona home for months. Inside the secret compartment of a cleverly designed puzzle box is a miniature astrolabe and a letter asking her to keep it safely hidden away as his own life is in grave danger. Instead passively waiting for more information, Danielle decides to leave her Spanish mother behind in order to search for her father in France. Danielle’s mother never approved of Danielle’s more adventurous nature, trying with little success to raise her daughter to act like a proper lady. And Danielle’s journey to Marseille is not without incident–it’s dangerous for a young woman of the upper class to travel alone in the seventeenth century. After pirates attack the ship she is sailing on, Danielle is rescued by two fellow travelers, Angeline and Leon, whose reasons for helping are less than virtuous. Danielle may be in well over her head in more ways than one.

After only a single volume of Windrose I’m already absolutely loving the series. In fact, Windrose may very well be my favorite work by Kôsen to date. The art in the comic is gorgeous, and the inkwork in particular is especially striking. Kôsen has also made the effort to research the time period, including its clothing. The resulting character designs are wonderful in their details, whether the attire called for is intricate formal wear or simpler, more practical dress. Already the story of Windrose has moved through a wide variety of settings which Kôsen has expertly conveyed without visually overwhelming the scenes. There are countryside estates and lavish manors, docks and seafaring vessels, shady bars, dark alleyways, and even an abbey complete with secret passages. And of course there are the exceedingly attractive protagonists and antagonists of the series, too, each with their own distinct personality and ways of expressing themselves.

In addition to being beautifully drawn, the characters themselves are a large part of why I’m enjoying Windrose so much. At first Danielle seems to be sheltered and naive to the ways of the world, but she’s intelligent and learns quickly. She also has a particular talent for solving puzzles and riddles, encouraged and instilled in her by her father. Not much has been revealed yet about Angeline and Leon’s pasts, but they make a strong impression from the start. Angeline is a brash young woman with an aggressive streak which, when combined with her sword skills, allows her to pose as a man if it happens to be convenient or serve her purposes. Leon, while just as beautifully handsome as Angeline, has a more reserved and cautions nature which helps to balance her hotheadedness. The three of them together make a somewhat peculiar trio, but already Danielle is starting to rely on the other two even if she can’t quite trust them. With spectacular artwork, engaging characters, and exciting adventure, Windrose is off to a magnificent start.