Ash Brown

Manga Giveaway: Kodansha Shoujo Smorgasbord

November 25, 2015 by Ash Brown

The end of November is almost here, and you know what that means! It’s time for another manga giveaway at Experiments in Manga. As is tradition for November’s giveaway, in celebration of Thanksgiving in the United States (my favorite holiday) I’m offering up a manga feast. You all will have a chance to win not one, but four volumes of manga this month: LDK, Volume 1 by Ayu Watanabe; Let’s Dance a Waltz, Volume 1 by Natsumi Ando; My Little Monster, Volume 1 by Robico; and Say I Love You, Volume 1 by Kanae Hazuki–a veritable smorgasbord of shoujo from Kodansha Comics! And, as always, the giveaway is open worldwide.

When I used to think of Kodansha Comics, shoujo manga never really came to mind. However, over the last couple of years, the publisher has made a point to expand its shoujo offerings. As a result, Kodansha has started to develop a nice catalog of shoujo manga, including titles that feature science fiction, mystery, action, romance, comedy, drama and more. For the most part, I’ve really been enjoying Kodansha’s shoujo series and I like seeing the variety in the manga.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a Kodansha Shoujo Smorgasbord?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little bit about your favorite shoujo manga released by Kodansha Comics. (If you don’t have one yet, 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).

And there you have it! Each person can earn up to two entries for this giveaway and has one week to submit comments. If you have trouble leaving comments, or if you would prefer, entries can also be emailed to me at phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com. I will then post the comments here in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on December 2, 2015. Good 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: Kodansha Shoujo Smorgasbord Winner

Pick of the Week: Giving Thanks for Manga

November 23, 2015 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, MJ and Ash Brown 1 Comment

MICHELLE: Though there’s not a great deal that appeals to me among this week’s releases, I am intrigued by Scarlet Empire. Time-traveling samurai are definitely worth a look!

SEAN: As it’s the last time I’ll get to do so, my pick is the criminally underrated Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, whose 5th and final omnibus is out this week and resolves the story in a heartwarming and compelling way.

MJ: I’m going to join Michelle here in checking out Scarlet Empire. I’ll try anything peddled to me by GFantasy, and this is no exception. Count me in for those time-traveling samurai!

ASH: I recently caught up with My Neighbor Seki and can’t wait to read more, so I’m happy to make the fifth volume my pick this week. It delights, it charms, it leaves me with a smile; sometimes that’s just what I need.

My Week in Manga: November 16-November 22, 2015

November 23, 2015 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Only one review was posted at Experiments in Manga last week since I’m still on my more relaxed blogging schedule. I’m a little behind in reviewing the series, but I finally took a closer look at What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 8 by Fumi Yoshinaga. I’m still really loving the manga, especially the realistic portrayal of its characters and their relationships. The eighth volume had some heartbreaking moments as well as heartwarming moments and just the right touch of humor to keep it all entertaining.

I came across quite a few interesting things to read online last week. Organization Anti-Social Geniuses has a great post about the skills and education that are helpful for pursuing a career in the manga publishing industry. The Guardian looks at some recent and past manga controversies in the article “Manga rows show why it’s still Japan’s medium of protest.” Also of note, Dark Horse, partnering with Le Vision, will apparently be adapting six Chinese comics into English. Compared to manga or even manhwa, hardly any manhua has been published in English; there is only one other publisher that I know of off the top of my head (JR Comics) which is currently releasing manhua in translation.

Elsewhere online, Manhattan Digest interviewed Graham Kolbeins, talking about gay manga, MASSIVE, and the group’s hopes to expand into more queer content, which is very exciting. Wondering about the state of the English edition of Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son? Crunchyroll gathered together some of the comments made by Matt Thorn (the series’ translator) about the manga’s current status. Sadly, it’s not especially encouraging. Although Fantagraphics has stated in the past that it intends to release the entire series, the publication date for ninth and next volume has yet to be set. Fantagraphics is still working on manga projects, though–Moto Hagio’s Otherworld Barbara should hopefully be released sometime in 2016.

Quick Takes

My Neighbor Seki, Volumes 2-4 by Takuma Morishige. I continue to be utterly charmed and delighted by My Neighbor Seki. The anime series was wonderful, too, but I’m especially glad for the chance to read the chapters that where never adapted. My Neighbor Seki is an episodic manga, but there are a few running jokes that have emerged. Several scenarios feature the robot family, for one; Seki’s younger sister repeatedly appears after being introduced; and Yokoi and Seki’s classmate Goto more than once erroneously believes their relationship to be of a romantic nature. And of course there is the primary gag that underlies the entire series: Seki goofing off in class in impressively ridiculous ways and Yokoi being completely caught up in it all despite herself. My Neighbor Seki is marvelously funny and imaginative. Seki’s antics and Yokoi’s reactions (and overreactions) to them never disappoint. Reading the manga always leaves me smiling and has even been known to make me laugh out loud. I’m very glad that Vertical ultimately decided to release the entire series rather than just a “best of” collection.

One Is Enough by Love. Gen Manga is one of the very few publishers to release translations of doujinshi in English. The selections are independent, amateur works that unsurprisingly vary in quality, but I generally find them interesting. I believe One Is Enough was the first and so far has been the only boys’ love offering from Gen. I originally read the first half or so of the manga while it was being serialized, but am only now getting around to reading the completed volume. I’m not entirely sure whether it’s intentional or not, but at times One Is Enough almost seems to be a parody of boys’ love, exaggerating some of the genre’s well-worn tropes and plot devices. Although there are some nice individual panels and sequences, the manga’s artwork is sadly very inconsistent. Even the story itself seems to be constantly shifting in tone, as though the creator couldn’t quite decide which direction to take the manga. One Is Enough can be silly, cute, and sweet, but it also occasionally deals with some pretty heavy subject matter like suicide and self harm. Honestly, the manga is a bit of a mess without much cohesion, but it does have its moments.

Say I Love You, Volume 9 by Kanae Hazuki. As the winners of the school idol contest, Megumi and Yamato are expected to go on a date with each other, despite the fact that he already has a girlfriend. While I had to suspend my disbelief for some of the setup, Hazuki actually handles the scenario as a whole very well. I was completely satisfied with the way that the date played out and ultimately ended. I also feel better about Megumi as she continues to mature as a person; the date was a turning point for her. Many of the characters in Say I Love You are dealing with some very personal issues, but there is hope that they will be okay in the end even though the journey itself may be painful. After the date and its fallout has been resolved, most of the ninth volume is actually spent exploring the tragic backstory of Yamato’s brother Daichi and how it complicates and interferes with his present-day relationships. Hazuki promises to return to Mei and Yamato’s story which will be good to see, but one of the things I particularly like about Say I Love You is Hazuki’s willingness to take the time to delve into the lives of the other characters as well.

Manga the Week of 11/25

November 19, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ, Anna N and Michelle Smith 4 Comments

SEAN: Dark Horse are starting to irritate me with sliding release dates lately. Kodansha do it too, but at least they give a week’s notice or so. In any case, Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service’s second omnibus is NOT coming out this week, sorry. (And let’s not even talk about what’s happening with Diamond Comics.) As for next week, let’s take a look.

Theoretically, the 2nd Oh My Goddess! omnibus is hitting comic shops next week. But see above.

Kodansha has a giant pile of stuff out next week (well, comparatively, we’re not talking Viz or Yen piles here). The 2nd Inuyashiki seems to feature our young villain on the cover.

The Seven Deadly Sins is doing really really well in Japan, so you know will not be ending with next week’s Volume 11.

A Silent Voice has another volume, and I wonder if our leads will get closer or if events will conspire to destroy their lives again. Or both!

ASH: So far, I’ve been pretty impressed with this series.

SEAN: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle reaches its 6th omnibus, and I think we’re nearing peak crossover here.

UQ Holder also has a 6th volume coming out. I enjoy it, but can’t find much to say about it.

The final omnibus of Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer is out, with the 9th and 10th volumes. It’s such a great series, and it has a great ending as well. Buy it.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation is next week’s debut from Seven Seas. A NEET with a somewhat aimless life dies saving someone from a speeding car, and ends up reincarnated in a world of sword and sorcery, determined to make his life better. I know very little about this.

MJ: I’d be completely intrigued if “Seven Seas” didn’t make me suspicious about the content being… not for me.

SEAN: And there’s the penultimate volume of The Sacred Blacksmith.

And a new Witch Buster omnibus, with Vol. 15-16.

Vertical has a 5th volume of adorable comedy My Neighbor Seki. (Well, adorable unless you’re Yokoi.)

ASH: I continue to be utterly delighted by My Neighbor Seki.

MJ: Yes.

SEAN: Yen has moved their digital releases to a week after their print ones, possibly to save our Manga the Week of column the aggravation. I appreciate it. A lot of debuts, starting with Aphorism, which is a survival manga, meaning I don’t care. It’s a long-running series, though…

Crimson Prince is also a long-running series, and is a comedic supernatural fantasy, which means it definitely has an audience here.

ANNA: Is this shojo or shonen? Inquiring minds want to know!

SEAN: It runs in Shonen Gangan, but remember Square Enix doesn’t have a shoujo magazine. Many readers call it shoujo.

ANNA: Yay!

MJ: Ooooooh.

SEAN: There’s a second volume of Demon King Ena-sama Goes to a Manga School, which let’s face it is not the sort of title you’d see licensed here 15 years ago.

ANNA: Probably not!!!!

SEAN: Renaissance Eve’s description also makes it sound a bit like a survival manga, but it also says “blood” a lot, so maybe it has vampires as well?

Scarlet Empire gets two volumes released, and seems to be a sort of Edo period samurai manga with time travel. Which sounds awesome, frankly.

ANNA: This does sound awesome! I am officially intrigued.

SEAN: This runs in GFantasy, so you can definitely assume it’s as close to shoujo as they get.

ANNA: Double yay!!!!

ASH: Well, now. That does sound intriguing!

MJ: I will basically try anything from GFantasy. In case you didn’t know that already.

MICHELLE: It’s always nice when things that weren’t on one’s radar before suddenly attain “must investigate” status.

SEAN: Sekirei is a harem manga with piles and piles of fanservice, and here is Vol. 1. At least with a digital release you can read it on a bus without showing everyone the cover art.

ASH: Heh.

SEAN: Lastly is Servant x Service, a comedic office worker comedy which has its first two volumes out digitally this month, and gets a print omnibus in April. It’s from the creator of Working!.

Does this list make you give thanks?

What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Vol. 8

November 19, 2015 by Ash Brown

Creator: Fumi Yoshinaga
U.S. publisher: Vertical
ISBN: 9781941220238
Released: May 2015
Original release: 2013

I have been a fan of Fumi Yoshinaga’s manga for quite some time now, so I was very happy when her series What Did You Eat Yesterday? was licensed for release in English. Although I’ve enjoyed all of Yoshinaga’s translated work, I was particularly interested in What Did You Eat Yesterday? because it promised and has since proved to be a manga realistically portraying the lives of two gay men (and boyfriends) living together in Japan. As can be safely assumed from the title of the series, What Did You Eat Yesterday? also happens to be a food manga, which is another niche genre that I especially enjoy. Unsurprisingly, with its well-developed characters a touches of humor, I find the series immensely appealing. What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 8 was originally released in Japan in 2013 while Vertical published the English-language edition of the manga in 2015.

As a lawyer, Shiro often finds himself involved in sorting out other people’s relationships, helping to resolve child custody disputes and providing divorce consultations and such. In many ways, this allows him to better appreciate his relationship with his boyfriend Kenji. Shiro isn’t always the most outwardly or physically demonstrative with his affection, especially when in public or when compared to Kenji’s exuberance, but the two men have built a comfortable life together. Their relationship has its ups and downs, just like any other couple might encounter, though being gay in contemporary Japan still has its own particular challenges. While Kenji’s family is largely supportive, Shiro’s parents are still adjusting to the fact that their son is in committed relationship with another man and has been for years. Thankfully, both Kenji and Shiro have close friends and acquaintances who have no problems whatsoever with the two of them being together.

While Shiro and Kenji are obviously a couple, What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 8 offers several scenarios in which they’re actually acting as a couple. I honestly enjoyed all of the stories collected in the volume, but two that particularly stood out to me explicitly showed them as boyfriends. The first story featured a trip where the two of them visit Kyoto together for Kenji’s birthday in which Shiro acts more stereotypically romantic and boyfriend-like than he has during the entire rest of the series, stunning Kenji in the process. Granted, the underlying reason for Shiro treating Kenji to such an extravagant vacation is a little heartbreaking when it is revealed. A story taking place a few months later sees Kenji and Shiro baking brownies together to celebrate Valentine’s Day, which is all sorts of sweet and wonderful. That chapter is also an excellent example of how the food and recipes included in What Did You Eat Yesterday? can be directly incorporated into the story itself. Some chapters are more successful at this than others–occasionally the food in the series comes across as being tangential–but I absolutely love when Yoshinaga pulls it off well.

The relationships between the characters of What Did You Eat yesterday?, often expressed through the sharing and enjoyment of food, are a crucial part of the series. There are many different types of relationships portrayed, but What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 8 in particular reminded me of the importance of family relations in the manga. Just like in real life, the opinions and actions of family members can have a tremendous impact on an individual. The eighth volume reveals more about Kenji’s family circumstances when he returns home on the occasion of the death of his father. The acceptance shown to him by his mother and his sisters and their children was comforting to see, giving hope that in time Shiro’s parents, too, will be able to more fully accept their son. Family isn’t necessarily limited by law or blood in the series, either–Shiro ends up becoming a godfather of sorts when the daughter of one of his friends has a baby. And, of course, there is the small family made up of Shiro and Kenji themselves. Though they have their disagreements, What Did You Eat Yesterday? makes it clear that they greatly care for each other.

Pick of the Week: The Unanimous Choice

November 16, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Anna N, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun. That was easy.

ANNA: You know what? I think I’m going to pick Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun!

MICHELLE: I am feeling the strangest compulsion to pick Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun!

ASH: There are so many great manga being released this week that I couldn’t possibly choose! Ah, who am I kidding? Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun!

MJ: I’m hearing a voice in my head… what’s that it’s saying? “No… zaki…kun…. No… saki… kun…” Why, I do believe it’s suggesting that I spend my money this week on Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun! Huh.

My Week in Manga: November 9-November 15, 2015

November 16, 2015 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week was the first week of the temporary adjustment in my posting schedule at Experiments in Manga. I’ve got a lot going on right now and not enough time to do everything that I need to or would like. Hopefully I’ll have some good news to share soon, though! (I don’t want to jinx anything by saying too much, yet.) Anyway! Last week I reviewed Mushishi, Volume 6 by Yuki Urushibara as part of my monthly horror manga review project. I’ve read the series before so I already know that I like it (in fact, it’s a favorite of mine), but I’ve really been enjoying my reread.

A few interesting things that I came across online last week: Netcomics hinted on Twitter that it would have some exciting licenses to announce soon. Dark Horse has confirmed that it will be releasing Kenji Tsuruta’s Wandering Island. And Kodansha Comics has licensed Hiro Mashima’s Fairy Tail Zero prequel. The English Light Novels site has an interview with light novel translator Stephen Paul. And Shojo Beat posted the first part of an interview with Arina Tanemura.

Quick Takes

Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls, Volume 4 by Okayado. I suspect it’s at least in part due to the enormous success of Monster Musume that Seven Seas has been able to expand its catalog and take a few more risks with its licenses of late. Monster Musume has been a bestseller since the release of its very first volume. I’m not exactly a member of the manga’s target audience though and so I haven’t really been keeping up with it. But I can easily understand why it’s so popular. And there actually are a few things that I like about the series in addition to the things that I don’t particularly care for. I enjoy the absolutely atrocious puns and wordplay, for one. I also appreciate the variety of monster girls and that new races are always being introduced. Considering the highly-sexualized nature of the manga and the obsession with breasts and nipples, the story can at times be surprisingly sweet and endearing. Kimihito is a legitimately nice guy who honestly cares for the well-being of the liminals that he meets and is put in charge of. Ultimately however, there’s no question that Monster Musume is an ecchi harem fantasy.

Noragami: Stray God, Volumes 6-7 by Adachitoka. The fifth volume of Noragami ended with one heck of a cliffhanger so I was very much looking forward to reading more of the series. The sixth volume is excellent and probably my favorite volume of the manga to date. It brings Yato and Bishamonten’s battle to an effective close, but there will still be lingering consequences and repercussions of the fight that will have to be dealt with moving forward. After the intense drama, emotions, and action of the sixth volume, Adachitoka takes the seventh in a different direction, bringing back some of the manga’s humor and goofiness while still building the underlying tension of the series. As the next story arc begins, new characters and antagonists are introduced and additional backstories are explored. One particularly important revelation is that Yato’s very existence is somewhat precarious, which is why maintaining his ties to other people is so critical. I’ve largely enjoyed the series since the beginning, but Noragami is starting to get really good. I’m like seeing the evolution of the characters and the changing dynamics of their relationships.

Showa: A History of Japan, 1953-1989 by Shigeru Mizuki. Each volume of Showa has been massive, but this final installment covers the longest period of time. In fact, the fourth volume provides an outline of more years than the first three volumes combined. 1953-1989 follows Japan through the country’s postwar period, the falls and rises of the economy, and the political turmoil and change of the era. Woven into the history of Japan is Mizuki’s own personal story. One of the reasons that the fourth volume of Showa especially appealed to me was that it explores a bit of manga history as well, following Mizuki’s start and growth as a mangaka including the management of a studio of assistants. Sanpei Shirato, Ryoichi Ikegami, Yoshiharu Tsuge, and many other prominent creators and editors all make appearances. Mizuki’s interest in yokai is shown to become increasingly important as well. The final volume of Showa also includes some of Mizuki’s color work, which I’d never seen before. Mizuki’s black and white manga is great, but some of the color illustrations are simply stunning.

Mushishi, Vol. 6

November 12, 2015 by Ash Brown

Creator: Yuki Urushibara
U.S. publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 9780345501660
Released: November 2008
Original release: 2005
Awards: Japan Media Arts Award, Kodansha Manga Award

I discovered Yuki Urushibara’s award-winning manga series Mushishi more by chance than anything else, but it quickly became a favorite and I made a point to collect the manga as it was being released in English. I’m very glad that I did–replacing my copies would cost a fair amount since Mushishi is currently out-of-print and increasingly difficult to find. Fortunately, Kodansha Comics released the entire series digitally in 2014. Mushishi, Volume 6 was first released in print in English in 2008 by the now defunct Del Rey Manga. In Japan the volume was initially published in 2005, the same year that the series’ first anime adaptation began airing. (The Mushishi anime is also a personal favorite and I re-watch it frequently.) In addition to being popular enough to warrant multiple adaptations in a variety of different media over the course of its publication, Mushishi was also a recipient of a Japan Media Arts Award and a Kodansha Manga Award.

Mushi are creatures which are invisible to most and which few people truly understand. But even so, they are an integral part of the natural world, said to be very similar to the original form of life. Mushi’s influences on humans, though not necessarily intentional or malicious, can be both good or bad depending on the circumstances. Some people, like Ginko, have made a profession out of studying mushi. These mushishi gather and share invaluable knowledge about mushi and about the world. By closely observing mushi and their environment, mushishi are able to recognize signs of impending disaster, explain what would seem to be the unexplainable, and identify when and where balance to the natural order must be restored to avoid dire consequences. The work of mushishi is inherently dangerous as they are frequently dealing with the unknown, but their perseverance can also be extremely rewarding, allowing them to some extent to leverage and even control the abilities of mushi for their own purposes.

Mushishi, Volume 6 collects five chapters of the series. Except for the presence of Ginko and mushi, none of them are directly related to one another, however three of the stories deal in some fashion with the powerful phenomenon known as kōki. Whereas mushi could be considered primordial, kōki is an even purer and more basic form of life from which the varied multitude of mushi originate. Kōki is portrayed as a river of light, the glowing liquid proving to have both harmful and healing effects depending on how it is used. Mushi are intensely attracted to these rivers and will seek them out. In “Heaven’s Thread” this becomes a problem for humans living near the light flow–mushi that prey on other mushi sometimes catch a person instead. Humans can also be infected by decaying kōki, as is seen in “The Hand That Pets the Night,” negatively impacting families for multiple generations while also benefiting them. The third story in Mushishi, Volume 6 delving into kōki is “Banquet in the Farthest Field” in which a sake brewer unknowingly attempts to replicate the taste of the liquor of life with unintended consequences.

The other two stories collected in Mushishi, Volume 6, while still unrelated, both explore the loss of a loved one. Mushi’s involvement in “The Chirping Shell” is actually fairly minimal as the chapter focuses on a man coming to terms with the tragic death of his wife and learning to forgive in the face of an even greater imminent tragedy of which the mushi are an omen. “Under the Snow” is likewise about a young man in denial who is grieving the loss of the life of his little sister. In this story snow-like mushi literally suck the heat from his body, but they also serve as a metaphor–because of his sister’s death Toki has become numb to the people and the world around him. Many of the stories in Mushishi can be read on multiple levels like this, which is one of the reasons that I love the manga so much and find it so enjoyable to read and reread. The series frequently feels like a collection of folktales and stories of the supernatural, but at its heart Mushishi is very often about an individual’s personal struggle when confronted by something in their life beyond their control or understanding.

Manga the Week of 11/18

November 11, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, MJ and Anna N 2 Comments

SEAN: Next week sees the release of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun from Yen Press. And some other books, I guess.

ASH: Woo!

SEAN: We’ll start with the 2nd omnibus of Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service from Dark Horse, which if you haven’t read the series yet, and aren’t already getting Nozaki-kun, is well worth your time.

ASH: Definitely. Kurosagi is a delightfully quirky horror manga.

SEAN: Shigeru Mizuki’s examination of the Showa years was fascinating but a bit low on actual Hitler himself, so now we get a one-volume manga from Drawn & Quarterly tackling that exact subject, Shigeru Mizuki’s Hitler.

Cage of Eden 19 from Kodansha is close to the end, and hasn’t had anyone die horribly in a while, so may get a bit serious here, possibly.

My Little Monster 11 will also likely be series as it deals with fallout from the last volume.

MICHELLE: Painful, yet wonderful. I love this series.

SEAN: Noragami has its 8th volume, and has gotten quite popular, the sort of popularity that Nozaki-kun will soon have.

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches has a 5th volume of comedy, supernatural abilities, and teasing of bisexuality that is unlikely to ever deliver.

ASH: But one can hope!

SEAN: From One Peace, we have the first volume of the manga adaptation Rise of the Shield Hero, whose novel OP released earlier. It runs in Comic Flapper, always a good thing in my book.

MJ: I need to give this a look.

SEAN: Seven Seas gives us a 7th volume of Devils and Realist, which is I assume still battling over hell.

Evergreen gives us a 3rd volume of angst, teens with wasting illnesses, and “are they siblings or lovers?” back and forth.

Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto gives us a 2nd volume of Sakamoto being awesome. If you like this sort of series, go get Nozaki-kun as well.

ASH: Yes and yes.

SEAN: I am very angry at Viz for releasing the 11th volume of Ooku next week, as it means that I likely won’t have a unanimous Pick of the Week for Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun.

MICHELLE: And this is the final volume of Ooku, as well, I believe.

MJ: I’m pretty psyched about this.

ASH: I think it might still be ongoing! (Or at least I hope.)

MICHELLE: Well, I’ll be! You’re right! Volume 12 just came out in Japan last week.

SEAN: Luckily, the 9th Terra Formars will not have that problem.

And a 2nd Ultraman volume is out as well.

ASH: The first volume ended with a pretty great hook; the series has definite potential.

SEAN: Yen On has 4 novels (Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun is not based on a light novel, in case you were wondering). Accel World 5 will hopefully be a bit lighter in tine after the first few leaning heavily on teen drama.

A Certain Magical Index’s 5th volume gives us an attempt to rehabilitate its previous horrible villain, as well as an adorable loli. But don’t worry, Touma and Misaka are in it as well.

Durarara!! has a 2nd volume, which focuses on a serial slasher who is making life chaotic in Ikebukuro… so situation normal for this series.

Log Horizon gives us a 3rd volume, which is I think the first of a two-parter. Will it continue to lean on politics, or will we get more battles?

You’d think Yen Press would release Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun by itself this week, but no, they also have 19 other releases. To start off, a 5th volume of creepy shoujo manga Ani-Imo.

Are You Alice? is up to double digits and has perhaps answered that by now. It’s headed for an ending, but not there yet.

Black Butler gives us Vol. 21. You can also now enjoy the individual chapters if you want instant gratification.

It’s time for our annual release of A Bride’s Story with Vol. 7. It will no doubt be excellent no matter what, but who will it focus on?

MICHELLE: I really need to get caught up on this but now I’m so far behind it’s daunting.

MJ: This is always a treat!

ASH: I love A Bride’s Story so much!

SEAN: BTOOOM! is at Volume 12 and shows no sign of stopping. I would say this proves there is no God, but the existence of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun makes me reconsider that.

MICHELLE: Meanwhile, I have no desire to get caught up on this.

SEAN: I wasn’t impressed with The Devil Is A Part-Timer! High School!!, but perhaps a 2nd volume will try to do more with the high school AU premise.

The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan looks like it might wrap up its love story in this volume, and the cover certainly looks like a final one. It is final? Nope.

A new series from Yen. No, not Nozaki-kun, that will be coming. Instead it is Dragons Rioting, a series that features a boy with an illness that kills him if he gets aroused, lots of big-breasted fighting women in high school, and runs in Dragon Age. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

MICHELLE: Ugh.

MJ: Just reading the premise makes me want to die.

SEAN: Final Fantasy Type-0 Side Story Vol. 2 is the sort of series that exhausts me just typing it out.

High School DxD has a 7th volume, in case BTOOOM! and Dragons Rioting weren’t enough for you.

The Honor Student at Magic High School is a spinoff of a novel Yen licensed but had to delay, so once again we get the spinoff first. Hopefully I won’t get too spoiled.

Inu x Boku SS is rapidly heading to a climax with its 9th volume.

Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? has its 3rd manga volume, for those who avoid novels.

And there’s a 3rd omnibus of Karneval, which reminds me I still need to read the 2nd.

At last! the moment we’ve all been waiting for! The debut of Izumi Tsubaki’s Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun! You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll grow as a person. Well, no, you’ll only laugh. but that’s enough. BUY THIS.

ANNA: I am excited about this! I am going to buy it! Have I mentioned that I’m excited about this? I really really am!!!!

MICHELLE: Me, too! Especially after volume 19 of Oresama Teacher was so good! I’m in a Tsubaki state of mind!

MJ: After all the hype, how can I possible turn away?

ASH: You can’t! You must become one of us!

SEAN: It feels like an anticlimax to discuss books after Nozaki-kun, but here they are. A 2nd Prison School omnibus will continue to be the Prison School-iest manga ever.

ASH: Definitely not a series for everyone, but I’ll be reading more of it.

SEAN: Puella Magi Tart Magica is not over with Vol. 2, I hear, but still stars Jeanne D’Arc, so I can’t expect happy things.

School-Live! just had an anime air this past summer (Gakkou Gurashi in case you wondered), and this is the manga source, from Manga Time Kirara Forward. It’s supposedly a cute Kirara school club series… but let’s just say, expect zombies.

Secret has a 3rd volume, and yes, they’re still wearing animal masks.

Lastly, I could say something about the third Trinity Seven volume, but I will instead remind you to pick up Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun.

Besides that, what else are you getting next week?

Pick of the Week: Slim Pickings

November 9, 2015 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney and Ash Brown Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: There are a few volumes coming out this week that I will probably enjoy, but none that fills me with particular enthusiasm. But since a pick is required, I reckon I will go for volume four of Love Stage!!. I continue to hope for more stage, and will probably be disappointed, but I’m not giving up yet.

SEAN: With nothing really blowing me away this week, it’s time to go back to the beginning of my manga reading career. One can never go wrong with a volume of Ranma 1/2, provided you don’t take it too seriously. That said, the appearance of Nodoka Saotome does make this one a bit less wacky than the previous.

ASH: The two manga that I’m particularly interested in this week have actually both already been mentioned. But, since I haven’t actually read any of Love Stage!! yet, I’ll throw my pick towards the series that I know I like and am happy to see being re-released in English, Ranma 1/2.

My Week in Manga: November 2-November 8, 2015

November 9, 2015 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Keeping this short and sweet because boy do I have a lot of stuff going on right now! Last week at Experiments in manga the Barakamon manga giveaway winner was announced. The post also includes a list of manga with prominent countryside settings for anyone interested in exploring some of what has been published in English. As for the first in-depth manga review of the month, I took a look at Junji Ito’s Cat Dairy: Yon & Mu which I found to be highly entertaining. I expected that I would at least like the manga, but I absolutely loved its weird mix of not-exactly-horror and comedy.

A few things of interest that I came across online last week: The most recent Sparkler Podcast focuses on what it’s like Working in the Manga Industry. (The podcast is currently only free for Sparkler Monthly members. Non-members can either purchase it now, or simply wait a few weeks.) Over at Anime New Network, Deb Aoki has been talking to the folks at Kodansha about the upcoming Attack on Titan anthology and bridging the gap between American comics and manga. Finally, Seven Seas slipped in a new license announcement: Monster Musume: I ♥ Monster Girls, a yonkoma spinoff from Okayado’s main series.

Quick Takes

My Little Monster, Volume 10 by Robico. The last few volumes of My Little Monster have been getting progressively more serious to the point where, overall, the tenth seems to hardly have any humor at all. This is quite a change from the beginning of the series where the manga’s balance leaned more towards comedy and the more humorous aspects of the interactions between its oddball characters. I did really like this volume, though. Basically, Haru’s past and present are now colliding and the results are appropriately dramatic as everyone involved deals with the fallout. There are hurt and conflicted feelings, and many complications and frustrations. For one, Haru’s family circumstances are more fully explained, showing how the intense antagonism between him and his brother came about and just how awful a person their father is. A significant portion of My Little Monster, Volume 10 actually explores the story through the perspective of Haru’s brother Yuzan, which I was glad to see. He’s still not particularly pleasant, but being able to better understand his and Haru’s situation makes him less of an enigma and a much more sympathetic and interesting character.

Suikoden III: The Successor of Fate, Volumes 6-11 by Aki Shimizu. I still haven’t played any of the Suikoden games, although based solely on the manga adaptation of the third, it’s likely a to be franchise that I would enjoy. I liked the first five volumes of Shimizu’s Suikoden III, but the final six cemented my appreciation for the manga–it’s a solid epic fantasy series with both magic and military might. Although it is a video game adaptation and in a few places the RPG mechanics can be seen if one is looking for them, the manga stands very well on its own and doesn’t really feel too game-like. The second half of the series more fully delves into the antagonist’s backstory which was needed as his motivations are much more complicated than would initially appear. One of the things I like the most about the Suikoden III manga is that nothing is strictly good or evil, the characters and their actions are more nuanced than that. Under the weight of war and inherited responsibilities they must all try to hold onto their ideals while at the same time making compromises in order to protect what and who they love. Enemies become allies and in some cases even friends, but it is a hard journey.

Taimashin: The Red Spider Exorcist, Volume 2 written by Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Shin Yong-Gwan. Although all six volumes of Taimashin have been translated into English, only the first two were released in print; the other four volumes are only available digitally. It’s been a long while since I’ve read the first volume in the series, but I do distinctly recall liking it, or at being enthralled by Akamushi Fujiwara, the titular Red Spider Exorcist who may be a human, a demon, or something else entirely. Reading the second volume, Akamushi still fascinates me and is probably my favorite part of the manga. For the most part I would classify Taimashin as a horror manga although, as I’ve come to expect from Kikuchi’s works, it also has distinct elements of science fiction and fantasy. While it doesn’t always make a lot of sense, the manga can be both thrilling and creepy. This is actually something else that I associate with Kikuchi–he writes these bizarrely engaging stories with ominous atmospheres that end up being all over the place. Taimashin‘s artwork fits the story and characters particularly well, ranging from Akamushi’s otherworldly beauty to scenes that are frankly grotesque.

Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu

November 6, 2015 by Ash Brown

Creator: Junji Ito
U.S. publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9781632361974
Released: October 2015
Original release: 2009

Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu was one of the manga releases I was most looking forward to in 2015. Junji Ito is primarily known for horror manga–his Uzumaki is one of my personal favorites in the genre–but in 2008 he had the opportunity to serialize an autobiographically-inspired manga based on his experiences living in a house with two cats. The result was Junji Ito’s Cat Diary, ultimately collected in a single, slim volume and published in Japan in 2009. The English-language edition of the manga released by Kodansha Comics in 2015 also includes the contributions made by Ito and his wife (Ayako Ishiguro) to the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake relief anthology Teach Me, Michael! A Textbook in Support of Feline Disaster Victims. I thoroughly enjoy Ito’s brand of unusual horror and I, too, happen to have the privilege of feline companionship, so I was very interested in Junji Ito’s Cat Diary. I expected it to be a manga that I would enjoy and I wasn’t disappointed; I absolutely loved it.

J-kun is the proud owner of a new house in pristine condition from floor to ceiling and he’s looking forward to living there with his soon-to-be wife A-ko. What he didn’t initially realize was that by inviting her to live with him he would also become host to two more guests: Yon and Mu. J-kun is convinced that Yon, one of A-ko’s family’s cats, is cursed. He’s a strange-looking feline with skull-like markings that would seem to confirm J-kun’s suspicions. Mu, on the other hand, is an adorable kitten with a pedigree and cute enough to melt even J-kun’s dog-loving heart. And so begins J-kun’s trials and tribulations as a keeper of cats, slowly falling under their spell as he grieves the loss of his perfectly-kept house. He warms up to both Yon and Mu, but they don’t quite exhibit the same amount of warmth in return, more often than not preferring A-ko’s company. But J-kun is determined–one day he, too, will enjoy Yon and Mu’s love and affection.

Junji Ito’s Cat Diary is immensely entertaining. Ito has kept his signature style used when drawing horror manga and has applied it to a collection of stories that are closer to being gag manga. The illustrations can be intentionally grotesque and creepy, with an emphasis on J-kun’s exaggerated expressions as he reacts (and overreacts) to the events occurring in his household and the horrors of pet ownership. A-ko, too, is drawn in such a way that her disconcerting appearance adds to the atmosphere of horror in the manga. For the most part, the cats are simply cats (at least when J-kun isn’t hallucinating from lack of sleep); it’s the humans who come across as maniacal. Junji Ito’s Cat Diary looks like it should be a horror manga and has all of the genre’s visual stylings, but it really isn’t. The humor is even funnier because of this deliberate disconnect between the actual stories being told and how they are being portrayed.

As someone who tends to enjoy Ito’s work and as someone who tends to like cat comics, I was already in a position to particularly appreciate Junji Ito’s Cat Diary. It may certainly not work for everyone, though–the manga is a weird mix of horror and comedy, the grotesque and the adorable–but I loved it. In general, the stories in Junji Ito’s Cat Diary are less about Yon and Mu’s antics and more about J-kun’s reactions to their behavior and his changing relationships with the two cats. Yon and Mu are actually very normal as cats go; the humans in the manga are the ones who come across as eccentric and a bit odd. Junji Ito’s Cat Diary is hilarious but at the same time the manga maintains and oddly disconcerting and even ominous atmosphere. Ito simply excels at taking the mundane and transforming it into something truly devious and bizarre. I’m not sure, but perhaps I should be concerned by how much I can identify with the stories found in Junji Ito’s Cat Diary.

Manga the Week of 11/11

November 5, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N, Michelle Smith and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: Good news! Every week in November has an absurd amount of manga coming out – except next week! Bad news – the Manga Bookshelf team is going to be finding pick of the week very hard, I suspect.

Kodansha has a spinoff of Fairy Tail called Fairy Girls, which, as you may have guessed, is about the girls in Fairy Tail. It has a different author, though, and looks to be even more cutesy and fanservice-oriented than the main series – which is saying something.

And if you missed Fairy Tail to begin with, why not try the new 1000-page omnibus of the first five volumes? This is a ‘Colossal Edition’ style release.

ASH: That is a lot of manga in one volume! The Master’s Edition, indeed.

ANNA: That sounds crazy!

SEAN: Seven Seas has the second and final volume of Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace, which has female pirates in outer space, and I think that no other words are needed.

And for those who like dragons and nudity (I suspect the core fanbase reverses the order), there’s an 8th volume of Dragonar Academy.

SubLime has a 4th volume of Love Stage!!!!, which I’ve decided to add a ! to for each new volume.

ASH: I’ll admit: I’ve been collecting this series, but I actually haven’t read any of it yet.

MICHELLE: It’s fairly cute. Very fluffy, with very little stage, but not bad!

ANNA: Huh, I think I have a few volumes, I should read them!

MJ: I admit I would like more stage.

SEAN: The 11th omnibus of Ranma 1/2 ups the stakes for both Ranma and his father, as it sees the debut of Nodoka Saotome, Ranma’s mother who has certain ideas about what constitutes a “man among men”, and sex changes are probably not in that list.

The 19th volume of Rin-Ne I expect has no real premise-altering developments like that, but I bet it has a lot of ghosts who are secretly (or not so secretly) jerks.

Lastly, there is an 8th volume of superhero BL tease with Tiger & Bunny.

MICHELLE: I seldom rave about RIN-NE and Tiger & Bunny, but I do like both of them in a low-key kind of way.

SEAN: Taking a breather? Or getting something from the above list?

Manga Giveaway: Barakamon Giveaway Winner

November 4, 2015 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the Barakamon manga giveaway is… Joseph!

As the winner, Joseph will receive Satsuki Yoshino’s Barakamon, Volume 1 as released in English by Yen Press. As the fall and winter holiday season has arrived, I was beginning to feel a little nostalgic for my childhood home in the country. So, for this giveaway, I asked that entrant’s tell me a little about their favorite manga with countryside and rural settings. Check out the giveaway comments for everyone’s complete responses, and check out below for a list of manga!

Some of the countryside manga available in English:
Barakamon by Satsuki Yoshino
Brilliant Blue by Saemi Yorita
Can’t Win with You! written by Satosumi Takaguchi, illustrated by Yukine Honami
The Flowers of Evil by Shuzo Oshimi
A Girl on the Shore by Inio Asano
Kamikaze Girls by Yukio Kanesada
The Legend of Kamui by Sanpei Shirato
Mermaid Saga by Rumiko Takahashi
Moyasimon by Masayuki Ishikawa
Mushishi by Yuki Urushibara
Non Non Biyori by Atto
NonNonBa by Shigeru Mizuki
Popcorn Romance by Tomoko Taniguchi
Sand Chronicles by Hinako Ashihara
Summer Wars written by Mamoru Hosoda, illustrated by Iqura Sugimoto
Tropic of the Sea by Satoshi Kon
Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura
Wandering Island by Kenji Tsuruta

As usual, the above list isn’t comprehensive, but it hopefully presents a nice selection of manga from which to choose. Thank you to everyone who shared you’re favorites with me! I hope to see you all again for the next giveaway as well.

Pick of the Week: Past Lives and Saving Souls

November 2, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, MJ and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: This week’s pick is the debut of Arina Tanemura’s new series Idol Dreams. It was called her first josei series, though it runs in Melody, a magazine that caters to late shoujo/early josei demographics. And, as is common with a lot of new series lately, it features an age difference romance. Should be fun.

MICHELLE: Two series that I love are ending this week—Chi’s Sweet Home and Yukarism. I love Chi a lot, as it’s adorable and great for kids, but it doesn’t have a mystery plot that I’ve been waiting to see resolved for several months, so in terms of sheer anticipation, I think I’ve gotta award this week’s pick to Yukarism.

ASH: As usual, there are quite a few manga that I’m looking forward to this week. The final volume of the ever-delightful Chi’s Sweet Home is definitely high up there on my list, but as a JoJo’s fan who never expected to see much of the series translated, the first volume of the ridiculously epic Battle Tendency earns my pick this time around.

MJ: Since Michelle has already given the final volume of Yukarism its due, I’ll throw caution to the wind and check out Livingstone. Though I had mixed feelings about Deadman Wonderland, the combination of summary and cover art on this series’ first volume intrigues me pretty intensely. So I’m in, at least for the short term. Livingstone it is for me!

ANNA: I’m a bit torn between Yukarism and Idol Dreams but given that I’m often distracted by whatever is shiny and new, I’m going to pick the new Tanemura manga.

What looks good to you this week?