Ash Brown

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.

Manga the Week of 12/9

December 3, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: A relatively quiet week, possibly as everyone’s saving up for the week after this, which may be the biggest week I’ve seen in manga ever. But for now, things are peaceful.

Dark Horse has the first Planetes Omnibus, and if you have not read this series before (Tokyopop released it a while back), get it. Even if you have, get it. It’s supposed to be spiffed up. Planetes is one of the really good ones that every manga owner should have.

MICHELLE: Ooh, I forgot this was being rereleased. I never actually finished the TOKYOPOP volumes. Bad me.

ASH: I love this series! (The anime was well done, as well.) I’m very happy to see the manga coming back bigger and better than ever.

ANNA: I also love this series, and have saved the old Tokyopop volumes. I’m glad that more people will get a chance to read this manga, it really is something special.

MJ: I’m so excited about this. I missed out on the original release, and this is something I’ve wanted to read for a long, long time.

SEAN: I do note that I use Diamond Comics release dates for Dark Horse titles in this list, as that’s their primary distributor. Same with Udon. Other retailers may get in in a week or two later.

Seven Seas has a 3rd omnibus for Freezing, a very Seven Seas-ey title.

And a 4th volume of Servamp, which is not quite as Seven Seas-ey, but it does try hard.

Vertical has a 2nd omnibus for Tokyo ESP, whose first volume I enjoyed more than I expected to.

MICHELLE: Same here. I’m looking forward to volume two.

ANNA: I haven’t tried this yet but it sounds like I should look into it!

MJ: I’m in!

SEAN: And an 8th volume of Witchcraft Works, which I think is almost caught up with Japan?

ASH: If so, that’ll give me time to get caught up, too; I’m behind.

SEAN: Viz has a digital-only debut released next week, Crown of Thorns. This is a Betsuma series by Youko Kamio, creator of Boys Over Flowers. That alone should be enough to make people check it out.

MICHELLE: !!!!!!!! I had no idea! I am so there.

ANNA: EEEEEEEEE! I am excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MJ: Mostly I’m just excited because they are. Who can resist such squee?

SEAN: We’re almost at the end of Deadman Wonderland, with Vol. 12. Are they still in prison?

Whereas even at volume 16, Itsuwaribito still has a ways to go.

Lastly, there’s a 15th volume of Magi, which, being a Shonen Sunday title, no doubt needs more love. Certainly I love it.

MICHELLE: Me, too!

ASH: One of these days I’ll actually follow through and give the series a try. And probably my love.

MICHELLE: Do eet.

ANNA: I just ordered some volumes to fill in my collection, and am going to start getting caught up. I enjoyed the first few volumes of the series very much. It also has my love!

SEAN: Are you picking any of these up next week?

Manga Giveaway: Kodansha Shoujo Smorgasbord Winner

December 2, 2015 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the Kodansha Shoujo Smorgasbord manga giveaway is… Rebecca!

As the winner, Rebecca will be receiving four first volumes of shoujo manga published by Kodansha Comics: 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. Kodansha usually isn’t the first publisher I think of when I think of shoujo, but I’ve really been enjoying some of the shoujo manga that it has licensed. For this giveaway, I asked that participants tell me a little about their favorite Kodansha shoujo manga. As was pointed out by several people, Kodansha also releases quite a few shounen series which have tremendous shoujo crossover appeal. Check out the the giveaway comments for all of the responses!

Some of the shoujo (and josei) manga available from Kodansha Comics:
Arisa by Natsumi Ando
Attack on Titan: No Regrets by Hikaru Suruga
Codename: Sailor V by Naoko Takeuchi
Fairy Tail: Blue Mistral written by Hiro Mashima, illustrated by Rui Watanabe
I Am Here by Ema Toyama
Kiss Him, Note Me! by Junko
Kitchen Princess by Natsumi Ando
LDK by Ayu Watanabe
Let’s Dance a Waltz by Natsumi Ando
Manga Dogs by Ema Toyama
Missions of Love by Ema Toyama
My Little Monster by Robico
No. 6 by Hinoki Kino
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Short Stories by Naoko Takeuchi
Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura
Say I Love You by Kanae Hazuki
Shugo Chara! by Peach-Pit
Shugo Chara Chan! by Peach-Pit
Tokyo Mew Mew written by Reiko Yoshida, illustrated by Mia Ikumi
Tokyo Mew Mew a la Mode by Mia Ikumi
The Wallflower by Tomoko Hayakawa

Thank you to everyone who shared your favorite Kodansha shoujo manga (or shounen manga with a shoujo flair) with me. I hope to see you all again for the next giveaway!

Pick of the Week: Vampires, Brides, or Curry?

November 30, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Anna N, Ash Brown and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: I suspect many of the rest of our team will be looking towards vampires, but I’m going with magic instead, as The Ancient Magus’ Bride’s third volume is my pick. Wife husbandry aside, this is a sweet and gentle supernatural manga that is just what I need to relax before the holidays.

MICHELLE: No vampires for me! I am all about the Food Wars!!

ANNA: I feel like I have to be utterly predictable and go with shoujo vampires, so Bloody Mary for me!

ASH: I’ll be tagging along with Sean this week and picking The Ancient Magus’ Bride. I’ve really been enjoying the series and look forward to reading more.

MJ: Okay, I’m at a bit of a loss here this week, but I’ll throw caution to the wind and nervously try Bloody Mary. I’m past the point of being saturated on vampires—so far past that they almost seem okay again. What’s that about? Hm. Anyway, I’ll give it a shot!

My Week in Manga: November 23-November 29, 2015

November 30, 2015 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week was Thanksgiving in the United States, which means that I was fairly busy traveling and visiting family. I still posted a couple of things at Experiments in Manga, though. Because it’s the end of the month, it’s also time for a manga giveaway. And, because it’s November, the giveaway is for multiple volumes. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, so there’s still time to enter for a chance to win four first volumes of manga in the Kodansha Shoujo Smorgasbord giveaway. I also posted a review last week of Attack on Titan: Kuklo Unbound, which is an omnibus edition of the last two volumes in Ryo Suzukaze’s trilogy of novels which form a prequel to Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan manga series. It’s a pretty quick read, and provides an interesting perspective and backstory that fans of the franchise will appreciate.

Because I was traveling and visiting family, I didn’t spend much time online last week, but there were a few things that managed to catch my attention. Comics Forum’s Manga Studies column continued with “What are you reading? Approaches and reasons for looking at language in manga” by Giancarla Unser Schutz. Gengoroh Tagame’s Otouto No Otto (My Brother’s Husband) won a Japan Media Arts Award, which is kind of a big deal. Viz Media posted its Fall 2015 survey about anime and manga buying habits and convention attendance. And, in much sadder news, mangaka and yokai enthusiast Shigeru Mizuki has passed away.

Quick Takes

Behind Story, Volume 1 by Narae Ahn. I’ve been trying to make a point to sample some of Netcomics’ recent releases which is what first brought Ahn’s boys’ love manhwa Behind Story to my attention. I wasn’t previously aware of the series, and I actually haven’t been able to find much information about Ahn, either. The the story didn’t initially engage me, likely because of the school setting which didn’t do much to distinguish itself, but by the end of the first volume I was left wanting more. Johann is a transfer student who is rumored to be gay, which means that most of his classmates avoid him, but recently Taehee has developed an interest in him. One of their teachers has, too, and Johann finds himself the target of an unhealthy and abusive obsession. Behind Story has tumultuous emotions and drama, with the potential to go in some very dark and dangerous directions. While the cover art of Behind Story is particularly striking, the interior artwork is attractive, too, although some of the transitions between scenes and flashbacks were occasionally difficult to follow.

Cross Game, Omnibuses 2-5 (equivalent to Volumes 4-11) by Mitsuru Adachi. It’s been a long while since I read the first Cross Game manga omnibus or watched the anime series; I’d forgotten just how good the story is. I’m not even especially interested in baseball, and yet I find myself completely absorbed by Cross Game. Probably because the manga really is about more than just baseball, although the way that Adachi paces the games does makes them very exciting. And after reading the manga, I am able to better appreciate and understand the strategy involved in the sport. But for me, the baseball in Cross Game takes a backseat to the series’ exploration of love and loss. In more than one way, the characters are dealing with the utter unfairness of life. Sometimes they are able to triumph over adversity and it’s magnificent, but sometimes there is nothing to be done but to live and learn and try to move on as best as they can. Cross Game is a series that manages to be very emotionally resonant; I find that I’ve come to care about the characters and their well-being a great deal.

A Silent Voice, Volume 3 by Yoshitoki Oima. I continue to be impressed with A Silent Voice and Oima’s willingness to include characters who are simply awful people. It does make the series a little difficult or unpleasant to read at times, but the manga is still very well done. Fortunately, the series isn’t completely depressing. There’s hope for redemption and the promise that, while the mistakes of the past can’t be undone, people can indeed change for the better. It’s a lesson that Shoya is still learning as he is constantly reminded of and trying to make up for how horrible he once was. Though he has apologized and sincerely regrets the actions of his sixth-grade self, he’s uncertain whether or not he actually deserves to be forgiven and what his motivations in seeking forgiveness truly are. Shoya is still a little oblivious and self-centered when it comes to his relationships with other people, and he still makes plenty of mistakes, but he is slowly beginning to grow and mature and form honest friendships. His heart at least is in the right place, and he has become a much more sympathetic character over the last few volumes.

Attack on Titan: Kuklo Unbound

November 27, 2015 by Ash Brown

Author: Ryo Suzukaze
Illustrator: Thores Shibamoto
Translator: Ko Ransom
U.S. publisher: Vertical
ISBN: 9781939130877
Released: May 2015
Original release: 2012

Between 2011 and 2012, three light novels written by Ryo Suzukaze and illustrated by Thores Shibamoto were released in Japan, forming a prequel trilogy to Hajime Isayama’s massively popular manga series Attack on Titan. All three novels were translated into English by Ko Ransom and published by Vertical. The first novel was released as Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, which is the title that the entire trilogy is known by in Japan. The second and third novels, originally published in 2012, were released together in English as an omnibus in 2015 called Attack on Titan: Kuklo Unbound. The manga series Attack on Titan: Before the Fall adapts the same story found in Kuklo Unbound. I’ve been reading the Before the Fall manga and I enjoyed the first Before the Fall novel well enough, so I was interested in reading Kuklo Unbound as well.

Roaming the earth in search of humans to feast upon are the Titans–giant, monstrous creatures of mysterious origins which nobody completely understands. In order to protect itself, humanity literally walled itself off from the outside world. The Titans are nearly invincible and very few people manage to live through a direct encounter with them, but Kuklo is one such survivor. Swallowed whole by a Titan while still in his mother’s womb, against all odds Kuklo was somehow saved. However, he has never been able to completely rid himself of the stigma of being born the “son” of a Titan. Feared and hated during a time when very few people have actually even seen a Titan, Kuklo is an orphan who is abused, held captive, and treated as a sideshow oddity. As he grows older he desires nothing more than to escape his cruel fate and to prove to himself and others that he is indeed human. And though his birth was ill-omened, Kuklo may in fact be the key needed to unlock humanity’s full potential in the fight against the Titans.

Since I have been reading the ongoing Before the Fall manga series, I was already familiar with a fair amount of the story of Kuklo Unbound and wasn’t especially surprised by any of the developments. I do think that out of the two versions the original novels are the stronger, though. The manga doesn’t always capture the internal thoughts and feelings of the characters very well, and that perspective is very important to understanding Kuklo Unbound. I feel that Kuklo Unbound is better written than the first Before the Fall novel, too, or at least it was overall more enjoyable to read. Parts of Kuklo Unbound did feel very repetitive–there was a tendency to restate obvious and well-established plot points and even use the exact same descriptions over and over again–but for the most part the pace of the narrative is quick enough that the redundancy wasn’t too frustrating. As a whole, many of the characters in Kuklo Unbound seemed to be slightly better-developed and less reliant on worn tropes when compared to those of Before the Fall, too.

Kuklo Unbound works well as an omnibus, telling Kuklo’s entire story, but the two novels contained are distinct in their focus. In the first novel, Kuklo is the undisputed star. In the second novel attention is still primarily turned towards Kuklo, but by that point in the trilogy the story is really about the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment, the most recognizable technological innovation to be found in Attack on Titan. The predecessor of the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment was created in the Before the Fall novel, so this ties the prequel together quite nicely. While being different from most other Attack on Titan stories, the prequel trilogy also feels familiar, incorporating the types of scenes that have been seen before, including deadly battles with Titans, political intrigue and religious turmoil, and intense military training sequences. What makes Before the Fall and Kuklo Unbound particularly interesting is that they serve as an origin story, showing not only the development and implementation of the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment, but also the beginnings of the Survey Corps when it was still celebrated instead of despised.

Manga the Week of 12/2

November 26, 2015 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N, Michelle Smith and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: The last month of the year is upon us next week, and manga companies are here to make sure it’s filled with STUFF. What have we got this time around?

Dark Horse gives us a 7th volume of not-so-new-anymore New Lone Wolf & Cub.

Kodansha figures we like Noragami so much that we’ll pick up a volume of Stray Stories. They’re probably right.

ASH: They probably are.

SEAN: Seven Seas has a 3rd volume of the sweet fantasy series The Ancient Magus’ Bride.

ASH: I’m greatly enjoying this series; looking forward to more!

SEAN: And also a 3rd volume of Clay Lord: Master of Golems.

Udon has a 2nd volume of punctuationally challenged Stein;s Gate.

Viz has a slightly smaller giant pile for this December. We get a 7th volume of Assassination Classroom, the most heartwarming kill-your-teacher manga out there.

ANNA: I’m so far behind with this series, but I do enjoy it!

SEAN: Bloody Mary is the debut this month, from the Shojo Beat line, and with a title like that, I’ll give you two guesses what supernatural element it features. Give up? Vampires! ZOMG!

MICHELLE: *snerk* Still, I will probably check this one out.

ANNA: Woo hoo!

ASH: And not just vampires, but beautiful vampires with a hint of BL!

MJ: Well, of course.

SEAN: Dragon Ball must be running out of omnibuses soon, but not yet with this 11th 3-in-1.

Do you like curry? Then read Food Wars! 9.

MICHELLE: Yay! I have been holding onto volume eight so I could have a little mini-marathon.

ANNA: I enjoy both Food Wars! and curry!

ASH: Same!

SEAN: Komomo Confiserie has a 2nd volume of twisted personalities and delicious desserts.

MICHELLE: Somehow it seems like it has taken forever for volume two to come out.

ANNA: I liked the first volume, looking forward to reading this.

SEAN: One Piece has a 14th 3-in-1, containing possibly my favorite volume in the entire series.

Seraph of the End is up to Volume 7.

ANNA: Shonen vampires! Tortured orphans! Weapons possessed by demons! Evil machinations!

SEAN: And So Cute It Hurts!! has two more volumes than it does exclamation marks.

ANNA: One of those super cute but not very deep shoujo series. Still fun to read.

SEAN: Toriko’s Vol. 31 starts a new story arc, I believe.

And lastly, an 11th volume of Stan Lee’s collaboration with Japan, Ultimo.

Are you picking up anything next week?

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.