Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Katherine Dacey

Bookshelf Briefs 3/20/17

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Barakamon, Vol. 13 | By Satsuki Yoshino | Yen Press – For a relaxed slice-of-life series set on an out-in-the-boonies Japanese island, Barakamon has had a surprising amount of character development, mostly coming from its lead, Seishuu Handa. He and Naru go to Tokyo as promised in the last volume, and he meets his supposed arranged marriage fiancée, who turns out to have lost about 150 pounds since she had the photo taken that he saw. They get on very well, but, as is noted in the text, it’s bizarre to see two people with so little sexual tension. (I assume Barakamon‘s BL fandom in Japan is as large as it is here, which might explain why.) Meanwhile, his decision to become a calligraphy teacher is pitch-perfect and flows well with what he’s been doing. A fantastic volume. – Sean Gaffney

Everyone’s Getting Married, Vol. 4 | By Izumi Miyazono | Viz Media – This series continues to tie all of its various plots together with ease, ranging from serious events like Kamiya’s aggressive courting of Asuka and the fact that Ryu is a celebrity and being seen with him would have a backlash on both their careers to lighter fare such as Asuka being upset that Ryu paying too much attention to her belly during sex reminds her she’s gained weight. Speaking of sex, we get the dreaded “here’s a story from earlier in the author’s career to pad out the volume” extra. Fortunately, it’s good. Moreover, it’s HOT—possibly the most erotic thing Viz has published in some time, with a frankness that blows away both the reader and the heroine. An excellent adult romance series. – Sean Gaffney

Happiness, Vol. 3 | By Shuzo Oshimi | Kodansha Volume three of Happiness offers further proof that Shuzo Oshimi’s teen vampire drama may be the best manga you’re not reading. Though Oshimi has a knack for introducing surprising plot twists, he never takes short cuts to get there; as volume three demonstrates, Oshimi makes these narrative twists and turns effective through meticulous character development and world-building. By the end of the volume, we have a clearer sense of what might happen to Makoto’s family and friends if he continues to live among them as a normal teenager. Expressive, trippy artwork adds special urgency to Makoto’s story, giving us a better sense of how hard it is to be a hormonal fourteen-year-old vampire with a conscience. Edvard Munch would approve, I think. – Katherine Dacey

Haikyu!!, Vol. 9 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – The tournament is over, and our heroes lost—not uncommon in long-running sports series. So it’s back to aggressive training—provided, of course, our two young phenoms can pass their midterms, as they won’t be allowed to go to Tokyo to practice otherwise. Fortunately, the team has a new team manager who’s learning the ropes from the old one, and gives us—horrors!—a second female regular in the series. Yachi is cute and somewhat introverted, and reels a bit from dealing with overtly in your face people like Shoyo. She’s also smart, though, and has an eye for design. I like her. Meanwhile, there’s a new rival on Nekoma’s team, a Russian kid who’s just as phenom as our heroes. What will we learn in the next volume? – Sean Gaffney

Nisekoi: False Love, Vol. 20 | By Naoshi Komi | Viz Media – We’re beginning to wrap up Nisekoi, and much as the fandom may have wanted it to end with an actual harem, that ain’t happening. The first to fall is the last one in, which is to say Yui, Raku’s older sister figure and teacher. She’s required to either marry Raku in a week or return to China for an arranged marriage, which is annoying as she’d just given Chitoge the “I want my beloved to be happy” speech. The best moment in the volume belongs to Marika, who heard said speech and finds it infuriating that Yui would simply leave her feelings unexpressed and not try her hardest to win Raku. And, of course, Raku is still clueless about the fact that Chitoge is now Best Girl, though the narrative will spin that out a bit longer. Very well-written if frustrating. – Sean Gaffney

Sword Art Online: Progressive, Vol. 5 | By Kiseki Himura and Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – Last time I noted that the manga changed a few things from the end of the first novel. This new volume, adapting the second novel, goes even further, adding a whole raft of new scenes that give more added depth to the Dark Elves—particularly Kizmel’s doomed sister and her fiancé. This allows us to have more extended fight scenes, and also gives the whole thing a feeling of growing tragedy, but it also helps emphasize one of the big plot points of book two—are the NPCs really sentient? Kirito says no, and points out that Tilnel, Kizme’s late sister, may have even been ‘modeled’ on Asuna after they encountered each other. Asuna, who is far more of a dreamer than Kirito, thinks differently. This has become essential. – Sean Gaffney

Welcome to the Ballroom, Vol. 3 | By Tomo Takeuchi | Kodansha Comics – After a couple of volumes that seemed to try to balance out possible romance with dancing, this third one tilts firmly towards the ‘dancing’ side of the equation, and it’s all the better for it. Tatara is a faster learner than anyone had really given him credit for, though he needs to build up his stamina, a fact that I suspect will come back to bite him in the next book. He also learns that as the male partner in a ballroom dancing team, his job is to better bring forth the beauty of his female partner. And then there is the art, which is the series’ main strength and reason to buy. It’s brilliant, making the reader feel as if they’re right there in the room. This series has gotten very good very fast. – Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Picks, Picks, Picks

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MICHELLE: I suppose Ace of the Diamond technically came out last week, but it didn’t feature in our week-of discussion ’til this week, so… I am totally picking the first volume. Shounen sports manga that’s already complete in Japan? Yes, please! (Also, because I am greedy, can we get Big Windup next?)

SEAN: “Complete” being an iffy term – remember Ace of the Diamond Act II is currently running in Japan. In any case, my pick of the week has to be the final omnibus re-release of Ranma 1/2. Re-reading the entire series has reminded me why I was so obsessed with it twenty years ago, as well as making me feel I had good reason to move on. I’ll still miss it. Also, Ryouga x Akari 5-evah.

MICHELLE: Oh, jeez. I was totally unaware.

KATE: I’ve been impressed with Kodansha’s digital manga initiative, so I’m planning to check out both volumes of House of the Sun this week. Like most of the MB gang, I’m also intrigued by Kodansha’s latest sports acquisitions, though a small and solipsistic part of me wishes these manga focused on the exciting worlds of (a) running (b) rowing or (c) golf. Now that would get me off the couch!

MICHELLE: I would definitely like to see those sports, too. And I hold out hope for Mitsuru Adachi’s Rough, too.

ASH: I’m not much of a digital reader, but I must admit Kodansha Comics’ recent offerings may very well end up changing that. I enjoyed the anime adaptation of Giant Killing immensely and I never expected All-Rounder Meguru licensed, so those two series have definitely caught my eye as picks (even if technically they were released last week). And since we’re talking about sports series we’d like to see, someone give me a competitive marching band manga!

ANNA: Complex Age 4 is the most interesting thing to me coming out this week, although I also happily celebrate greater sports manga availability.

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 1

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Anonymous Noise is to manga what “Talk Dirty to Me” is to contemporary hit radio: both have a killer hook — that plot! that sax! — and inane lyrics.

The story begins with a vorspiel of sorts. Nino, a tot with a golden voice, bonds with her next-door neighbor Momo, who shares her enthusiasm for singing, if not her sense of pitch. The two are inseparable until Momo’s family abruptly moves away. While pining for her lost friend, Nino crosses paths with Yuzu, a short, feisty songwriter whose tunes help Nino discover her true potential as a vocalist. He, too, unexpectedly skips town, leaving Nino despondent once again — so despondent, in fact, that she begins wearing a surgical mask to prevent herself from screaming. (No, I’m not making that up.)

Flash forward to the present: Nino is now in middle school, roaming the halls in a mask and obsessing about Momo. A chance encounter reunites her with Yuzu, who’s penning tunes for the school’s struggling Popular Music Club. What Nino doesn’t realize is that Yuzu’s bandmates are, in fact, members of In No Hurry to Shout, a pop act as famous for their identity-concealing costumes as their chart-topping songs. (Apparently no one else has put two and two together, either, as the snotty school council president regularly threatens the club with termination.) Nino agrees to sit in for the club’s vocalist, unwittingly auditioning for In No Hurry to Shout in the process.

Despite its soap-opera plotting, Anonymous Noise never gels into a compelling story. One contributing factor is the characters, who are barely fleshed out. Nino, for example, is defined almost exclusively by her capacity for self-pity; she mopes incessantly, mooning over Momo as if he’d just moved away. (Six years have elapsed since Momo’s family skipped town.) Her romantic prospects are also one-note characters: Yuzu is a blustery jerk who yells, cajoles, and insults Nino, while Momo is sweetly chivalrous, the perfect boyfriend-in-training.

Another contributing factor is the lackluster artwork. Though other characters gush about Nino’s voice, Ryoko Fukuyama never *shows* us that Nino has the goods. We see close-ups of Nino’s gaping mouth and a smattering of musical notes whenever she warbles a tune, but we could just as easily infer that she was shouting, yodeling, or yawning from the lifeless, unimaginative way in which she’s drawn. A quick glance at Nodame Cantabile, Your Lie in April, Ludwig B., solanin, or Nana, demonstrates that it *is* possible to show how much physical effort it takes to produce a good sound, and what effect that sound is having on the audience. While such gestures don’t replicate the full experience of hearing a great band in person, they suggest what it might be like — something that Anonymous Noise fails to do on any level.

The bottom line: Anonymous Noise is too bland to be memorable, and too earnest to be fun. Not recommended.

ANONYMOUS NOISE, VOL. 1 • BY RYOKO FUKUYAMA • VIZ MEDIA • RATED T, FOR TEEN

Pick of the Week: Shoujo and Nuclear Power

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SEAN: Lately it seems Pick of the Week is overflowing with choices, which is always a good thing. I’ll go with the debut of Anonymous Noise from Shojo Beat. For years I’ve been a fan of Hana to Yume series, and so I have high hopes for this new one. Plus that’s a fantastic cover.

MICHELLE: Oh, man. What a tough choice. I am looking forward to Anonymous Noise, and to another volume of Natsume’s Book of Friends, but I suspect that, when it makes its biannual appearances, it’ll be Skip Beat! that always ends up my official pick of the week.

KATE: I just ordered a copy of Ichi-F: A Worker’s Graphic Memoir of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. If any medium seems well-suited to telling such a harrowing, personal story, it’s manga. I might need to read the first volume of Anonymous Noise as a chaser, though…

ASH: I’m definitely interested in Anonymous Noise, too, but I’m with Kate this week. Ichi-F is a fascinating, important, and personal work that gets my pick.

ANNA: I ordered Ichi F for my library, and I’m excited about Anonymous Noise as well. However, Skip Beat! is such a special series, I can’t imagine not picking it for Pick of the Week.

MJ: There are a number of potentially interesting titles on the list this week, but the one that sticks out for me most is definitely Anonymous Noise. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for music-themed manga, and this is no exception.

Dissolving Classroom

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The title of Junji Ito’s latest work is a nod to one of his seminal influences: Kazuo Umezu, author of such bat-shit classics as Cat-Eyed Boy, Orochi Blood, and, of course, The Drifting Classroom. Using the same techniques as Umezu — shocking imagery, gross-out humor, and far-out plot twists — Ito spins an elaborate yarn about the mysterious Azawa siblings. Yuuma, the handsome older brother, seems like a model teenager: he strenuously avoids conflicts with peers, and is unfailingly polite to his elders. Younger sister Chizumi, by contrast, is a hellion. With her kohl-rimmed eyes and Cheshire-cat sneer, she looks like a junior Harley Quinn as she gleefully stalks classmates, harasses her brother’s girlfriend, and vigorously disputes her brother’s claims of parental neglect.

Each chapter of the Dissolving Classroom hinges on the discovery that Yuuma and Chizumi are not who they seem to be. In “Dissolving Apartment,” for example, the Azawas’ new neighbors are initially impressed by Yuuma’s composure and maturity, and are moved to intervene when they overhear nightly rows at the Azawas’ unit. Though appalled by Chizumi’s crude pranks and bizarre comments, the neighbors see her behavior as evidence that Mr. and Mrs. Azawa are abusing their children, an impression confirmed by the parents’ secretive behavior. Only when the neighbors interrupt one of the family’s heated skirmishes do they realize the true parent-child dynamic in the Azawa home — knowledge that comes too late to save them from a gory fate.

Other stories approach the question of false appearances from a different angle. In “Dissolving Beauty,” for example, Yuuma behaves like a teenage girl’s fantasy of the perfect boyfriend: he’s attentive and reassuring, always ready to declare, “Your beauty is exceptional.” What his girlfriend doesn’t realize is that Yuuma’s flattery is toxic — that in appealing to her vanity and insecurity, Yuuma’s words are warping her into a grotesque caricature of her former self. And when I say grotesque, I mean it; the poor thing resembles Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz, right down to the boils and pointy chin.

Although Ito’s scenarios lack the visceral weirdness of Kazuo Umezu’s, Ito’s superior draftsmanship serves him well in Dissolving Classroom. Yuuma provides an instructive example: as Ito draws him, he’s the epitome of the nice young man, a blandly handsome canvas onto which adults and teens can project their own desires. His exaggerated gestures — downcast eyes, supplicating posture — initially register as desperation, as if he’s apologizing for a political scandal or an international diplomatic incident. Look closer, however, and we see a note of eroticism in the way Ito draws Yuuma’s face; those rolled eyes are more expression of ecstasy than shame, hinting at Yuuma’s real reason for bowing and scraping.

Ito seeds the narrative with other visual clues about what’s motivating Yuuma: demonic eyes peering through a veil of fog, a clandestine animal cemetery. When we finally learn Yuuma’s not-so-surprising secret, Ito pulls out all the stops. The climax is a molten flow of brains, limbs, and entrails that’s amusingly reminiscent of the Ark of the Covenant scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The effect is less scary than preposterous, but suggests that we’re all too willing to believe that a grand display of manners is evidence of good character, rather than an effort to deflect attention away from egregious behavior.

It’s only in the bonus story “Children of the Earth” that we see Ito at his most Umezian — the Ito familiar from Gyo, Uzumaki, and Tomie. In this brief vignette, parents frantically scour the woods for a missing kindergarten class. What they discover is genuinely unnerving: their children have transformed into something not quite human, not quite animal, and not quite vegetable, sitting uncomfortably between these three planes of existence. Ito’s nightmarish imagery harkens back to the yokai prints of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi and Utagawa Kuniyoshi in which ordinary creatures — catfish, tanuki — became monstrous through the addition of exaggerated human features. But “Children of the Earth” also has affinities with Umezu’s manga; like Umezu, Ito is good at excavating the subconscious, making us confront our most disturbing thoughts and dreams in Grand Guignol fashion.

If the rest of Dissolving Classroom doesn’t quite reach the same Umezian heights — or is that depths? — as “Children of the Earth,” it still makes a fine introduction to Ito’s work. It’s coherently plotted, crisply drawn, and provocative enough to make all that gory excess meaningful. Recommended.

DISSOLVING CLASSROOM • BY JUNJI ITO • VERTICAL COMICS • NO RATING (SUITABLE FOR TEENS 13 AND OLDER)

Pick of the Week: A Short Month Long on Picks

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ASH: Originally my pick for this week was so clear! I simply couldn’t pass up a gorgeous, deluxe box set of the Revolutionary Girl Utena manga (even if the contents might not live up to their presentation). Alas, the release date has been delayed until April. That being the case, I’ll fall back on one of my favorite manga series currently being released; Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun never fails to delight.

SEAN: I loves me some Nozaki-kun too, and I’m also very interested in the digital debut of House of the Sun. But my choice is the 2nd volume in Nisioisin’s Bakemonogatari novel, featuring Suruga Monkey and Nadeko Snake. There will be words. Oh so many words.

MICHELLE: I’m definitely interested in House of the Sun, and several other titles from Kodansha, but what I’m most asquee about is the continuation of Nodame Cantabile in digital-only releases, starting with volume seventeen!

KATE: My pick is the fourth volume of Sweetness and Lightning. It isn’t in the same league as my all-time favorite food manga — really, can anything top Oishinbo? — but its sincerity and appealing characters more than compensate for the occasional ham-fisted scene. In fact, I’m getting hungry just thinking about Sweetness and Lightning right now…

ANNA: I think out of everything coming out this week, I’m most excited about Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun. Bring on the wacky antics!

MJ: I’m always on board for more Nozaki-kun, but this week I have to join Michelle in celebrating the digital return of Nodame Cantabile! I was devastated when that series was dropped in the US, and I’m beyond thrilled to see it back, even if it won’t be able to fill my physical manga shelves.

A First Look at We Never Learn

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We Never Learn follows a tried-and-true shonen formula: an ordinary joe finds himself at the apex of a love triangle with two pretty girls. The points of this particular triangle are Yuiga, a bright, hard-working student from a poor family; Ogata, a math whiz whose classmates call her “Thumbelina Calculator”; and Furahashi, a budding literary talent whose classmates call her “Sleeping Beauty of the Literary Forest.” (Something tells me those nicknames were funnier in the original Japanese.) In keeping with the dictates of the genre, Ogata and Furahashi are physical and temperamental opposites: Ogata is petite, cold, and disdainful, while Furahashi is lanky, spazzy, and cheerful. Both girls initially appear to be out of Yuiga’s league, as they outperform him in the classroom and outclass him in looks.

The story takes an interesting turn midway through chapter one: Yuiga’s school hires him to tutor Ogata and Furahashi, both of whom are blissfully unaware of their natural strengths. Ogata dreams of enrolling in a prestigious liberal arts school, while Furahashi hopes to attend an engineering college. In trying to help Ogata and Furahashi achieve their goals, Yuiga discovers that his high EQ is a better asset than his book smarts. Yuiga knows how to cope with failure: as we learn in a flashback, he was once a mediocre student who gradually improved through trial and error. Ogata and Furahashi, by contrast, are portrayed as naturally brilliant in their respective fields but lacking the experience or maturity to master their weaker subjects.

Of course, there are plenty of elements you’d expect to see in a shonen rom-com: gratuitous shower and bath scenes, melodramatic proclamations, and a supporting cast of interchangeable classmates, none of whom make much of an impression. The manga’s generous portrayal of its principle characters and its genuine sincerity, however, suggest that We Never Learn has the potential to be sweetly funny without making Yuiga into an insufferable know-it-all or a dweeby doormat.

The bottom line: Try before you buy! The first chapter is available free on the VIZ website; readers wishing to continue the story can do so through the digital version of Shonen Jump. 

WE NEVER LEARN • BY TAISHI TSUTUI • VIZ MEDIA • RATED T, for teen (13+)

Pick of the Week: Erased and Others

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SEAN: There’s quite a few titles I’m getting this week, but I’m not sure any of them really set themselves up above the rest as a Pick. As such, I think I’ll go with an old favorite and pick the 10th omnibus of Fruits Basket, which has Shigure’s nastiest speech to Tohru, and is therefore fascinating.

MICHELLE: I’m definitely all aboard for Fruits Basket, but after reading more about it, Erased sounds really interesting! Plus, it’s been nominated for all sorts of awards. I think I’ll be optimistic and pick it this week.

KATE: I’m torn between the latest volume of Dimension W and the first volume of Erased. I’m leaning ever-so-slightly towards Dimension W, if only because Yuji Iwahara draws manga like nobody’s business. Every detail on the page pops, and the characters are drawn with flair. And his world-building! You could read Dimension W just for the elaborate cityscapes. The story isn’t quite as engrossing as the art, but it’s fundamentally impossible to dislike an adventure in which Nikola Tesla’s research is frequently referenced.

ASH: I’m glad that Michelle picked Erased (which I will definitely be reading) because that means I can mention Magia the Ninth without feeling guilty. I can’t say it’s a great series–at times it’s barely coherent an I suspect that it was ended earlier than the creator originally intended–but I enjoyed the first volume immensely. I find it hard to resist the combination of music, magic, and historical references. The manga is absolutely ridiculous, but I’m getting a huge kick out of it and it makes me smile. Sometimes, that’s exactly what I need.

MJ: I have eternal love for Fruits Basket, of course, and I’m also interested in Dimension W. But I was absolutely thrilled to see Erased on the list, and that’s unambiguously my pick for the week. My husband and I watched the anime adaptation last year, when it was released for streaming in the U.S., and it was absolutely enthralling. This is a release I will not miss!

ANNA: I agree with many of my colleagues that Erased certainly sounds like the most interesting thing coming out this week. Looking forward to it!

A First Look at Tokyo Tarareba Girls

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Are you breathlessly awaiting the next installment of Princess Jellyfish? Still fuming over Tokyopop’s cancellation of Suppli? Eagerly searching for a manga romance whose heroine is old enough to drink? Then I have the cure for what ails you: Akiko Higashimura’s Tokyo Tarareba Girls, which makes its digital debut tomorrow (2/14) courtesy of Kodansha Comics. This fizzy, fast-paced comedy is every bit as good as Higashimura’s Princess Jellyfish, deftly mixing wacky misunderstandings and witty banter with moments of genuine rue and self-reflection.

The first chapter begins with the narrator declaring, “I spent all my time wondering ‘What if,’ and then one day I woke up and was 33.” As Rinko fills us in on her career, female readers will feel an immediate sense of identification with her — she’s smart, capable, and constantly imagining her future instead of being fully invested in the present, something many of us are guilty of doing in our twenties and early thirties. Though Rinko has forged her own career path, she frets over being single. Rinko isn’t alone in her frustration, since Kaori and Kayuki — her gal pals and drinking buddies — are in the same boat.

The plot is set in motion by a cryptic message from Rinko’s co-worker Hayasaka. In a brief flashback to 2004, we see Rinko and Hayasaka on an uncomfortable date: she focuses on his shyness, his clothing, and his fumbling efforts to be suave, while he ignores her squirming and tries to give her an unwanted gift. Ten years later, both still work for the same company, although there’s a lingering note of tension — or is that romantic frisson? — between them. When Hayasaka sends Rinko a text asking, “I would like to discuss something with you. Could I trouble you for some time later this week?” Rinko immediately declares a “four-alarm” emergency and reaches out to her girls for counsel: after all this time, is Mr. Hayasaka planning to propose? And if so, should she say yes?

If you’re thinking been there, seen that, I get it. Tokyo Tarareba Girls sounds like a hundred other comedies about single women navigating a paired-off world, from Bridget Jones’ Diary to How to Be Single. What prevents Tarareba Girls from reading like a Sex in the City clone is Higashimura’s storytelling chops.

Consider Higashimura’s strategy for making us privy to Rinko’s thoughts. Though Rinko often functions as the series’ narrator, Higashimura looks for more imaginative ways to dramatize Rinko’s emotional life than simple disclosure. In one scene, for example, Rinko’s food — yes, you read that right — cheerfully engages her in a conversation about her romantic dilemma:

Coming from one of her gal pals, this exchange would sound too on-the-nose, a bald statement of the manga’s main thesis. But coming from an izakaya dish? That’s genius! It allows us a window into Rinko’s state of mind (and her state of intoxication) without falling back on such shop-worn devices as the “Dear Diary” entry or the “Little did I know then…” voice-over.

Elsewhere in chapter one, Higashimura uses a similar technique of transposing Rinko’s inner thoughts onto the outer world, using the visual language of action movies — explosions, falling debris — to evoke the intensity of Rinko’s embarrassment over misunderstanding a friendly overture:

This sequence, too, is genius: anyone who’s ever read too much into an email, a voice mail, a text, or a friendly conversation knows exactly how Rinko feels in that moment and can laugh — or cringe — in self-recognition. At the same time, however, the reader can also see that Rinko’s romantic delusions are blinding her to the real lesson of turning 33: that she should learn what — or who — she really wants instead of settling for Mr. Not Quite Right.

The first chapter ends with the introduction of a prickly, truth-telling character whose appearance adds a welcome jolt of energy to the story; his barroom sermon about self-defeating female behavior is a show-stopper, both for its blunt honesty and for the impact it has on Rinko and her pals. Whether he becomes Rinko’s enemy or love interest, his memorable exit leaves the reader wanting to know what happens next — further proof of Higashimura’s storytelling mojo.

TOKYO TARAREBA GIRLS, VOL. 1 • BY AKIKO HIGASHIMURA • KODANSHA COMICS • RATED OT, FOR OLDER TEENS (16+) 

Pick of the Week: Chihayafuror

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MICHELLE: I have wished for an English release of Chihayafuru for nearly a decade now. It’s josei, it’s long, it’s about an obscure game… all of the things that made me sure I’d love it made it an unlikely licensing prospect. And yet Kodansha came through! I must say, I am already deeply loving their ramped-up digital initiative. I will surely be checking out Tokyo Tarareba Girls and Springtime with Ninjas (and Germany o/~), but Chihayafuru simply must be my pick this week.

SEAN: Absolutely Chihayafuru, if only so I can cross another title off my “this will never be licensed” bucket list.

ANNA: Michelle has said everything I would about Chihayafuru. As someone who loves josei manga, I wish more of it would be translated, and I’m delighted about Chihayafuru.

KATE: Since Michelle and Sean have already mentioned my top picks for the week, I’m going off-list to honor the late, great Jiro Taniguchi, who passed away on Saturday. A quick glance at online retailers like Amazon reveals that many of his manga are out of print. Two great titles that are still readily available are A Distant Neighborhood, a lovely coming-of-age story that’s funny, wise, and unsentimental, and Guardians of the Louvre, a handsome, full-color manga exploring the Louvre’s history.

ASH: Kodansha’s digital offerings of late really have been fantastic! I’ll throw in with everyone else and declare my top pick to be Chihayafuru. I’d also like to join Kate in highlighting some of Taniguchi’s work: A Distant Neighborhood is a personal favorite of mine as is his collaboration with Baku Yumemakura The Summit of the Gods.

MJ: From deep beneath a pile of snow, I raise my fist and shout, “Chihayafuru!” Yes, Chihayafuru.

The Manga Critic’s Guide to Jiro Taniguchi

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Word of Jiro Taniguchi’s death spread quickly this afternoon via Twitter and Facebook. It was a sobering moment for American fans; most of us imagined that he was only one great series away from mainstream recognition in the U.S., and eagerly hoped that his next release — whatever it might be — would wow new readers and make bank. Alas, the only appreciation we may see is in the value of his older, rarer titles like Icaro (a collaboration with French artist Moebius) and Samurai Legend (a collaboration with Kan Furuyama).

Manga lovers who haven’t yet discovered Taniguchi’s skill may be surprised to learn just how versatile and prolific he was. He leaves behind a rich assortment of historical dramas, hard-boiled crime thrillers, samurai swashbucklers, alpine adventures, food manga, and coming-of-age stories. As an introduction to Taniguchi’s sizeable oeuvre, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite titles, as well as a complete list of Taniguchi’s work in English.

Benkei in New York
With Jinpachi Mori • VIZ Media • 1 volume
Originally serialized in Big Comic Original, Benkei in New York focuses on a Japanese ex-pat living in New York. Like many New Yorkers, Benkei’s career is best characterized by slashes and hyphens: he’s a bartender-art forger-hitman who can paint a Millet from memory or make a killer martini. Benkei’s primary job, however, is seeking justice for murder victims’ families. Part of the series’ fun is watching him set elaborate traps for his prey, whether he’s borrowing a page from the Titus Andronicus playbook or using a grappling hook to take down a crooked longshoreman. Though we never doubt Benkei will prevail, the crackling script, imaginatively staged fight scenes, and tight plotting make Benkei in New York Taniguchi’s most satisfying crime thriller. – Reviewed at The Manga Critic on 3/20/12

A Distant Neighborhood
Fanfare/Ponent Mon • 2 volumes
A Distant Neighborhood is a wry, wistful take on a tried-and-true premise: a salaryman is transported back in time to his high school days, and must decide whether to act on his knowledge of the past or let events unfold as they did before. We’ve seen this story many times at the multiplex — Back to the Future, Peggy Sue Got Married — but Taniguchi doesn’t play the set-up for laughs; rather, he uses Hiroshi’s predicament to underscore the challenges of family life and the awkwardness of adolescence. (Hiroshi is the same chronological age as his parents, giving him special insight into the vicissitudes of marriage, as well as the confidence to cope with teenage tribulations.) Easily one of the most emotional, most intimate stories Taniguchi’s ever told. – Reviewed at The Manga Critic on 2/23/11

Furari
Fanfare/Ponent Mon • 1 volume
One part Walking Man, one part Times of Botchan, this elegant collection of stories focuses on Ino Tadataka (1745-1818), the cartographer responsible for the first complete map of Japan’s coastline. We meet Tadataka shortly before he embarks on the arduous task of surveying the main island. As we follow him through the parks and streets of Edo, we realize that Tadataka is consumed with measuring; he makes mental note of every step he takes, calculating and re-calculating his routes. That’s a slender premise on which to hang a manga, but Taniguchi’s fine eye for detail transforms Tadataka’s daily walks into an immersive experience, capturing the energy, light, and sounds of the eighteenth century cityscape in all its vitality. These walks are so vividly drawn, in fact, that you could read Furari in blissful ignorance of Tadataka’s identity and still find it utterly engrossing.

Guardians of the Louvre
NBM/Comics Lit • 1 VOLUME
Guardians of the Louvre has a simple premise: a Japanese artist dreams about the world’s most famous museum. In each chapter, our unnamed protagonist is temporarily transported to a particular place and time in the Louvre’s history, rubbing shoulders with famous artists, witnessing famous events, and chatting with the Nike of Samothrace, who chaperones him from exhibit to exhibit. The set-up provides Taniguchi with a nifty excuse to draw rural landscapes, gracious country manors, war-ravaged cities, and busy galleries, as well as convincing recreations of Van Gogh and Corot canvasses. If the story lacks the full emotional impact of A Zoo in Winter or A Distant Neighborhood, the gorgeous, full-color illustrations and deluxe presentation make Guardians a natural gateway for exploring Taniguchi’s work. – Reviewed at The Manga Critic on 1/6/17

Hotel Harbour View
With Natsui Sekikawa • VIZ Media • 1 volume
The two stories that comprise Hotel Harbour View are among the pulpiest in the Taniguchi canon. In the first, a man waits in a seedy Hong Kong bar for the person who’s supposed to kill him, while in the second, an assassin returns to Paris for a showdown with his former associates. Both stories can be enjoyed as simple exercises in hard-boiled crime, but attentive readers will appreciate Taniguchi and Sekikawa’s sly nods to film noir, yakuza flicks, and the French New Wave. The characters in both stories self-consciously behave like gangsters and molls, trading quips and telling well-rehearsed stories about their pasts; they even wear fedoras, a sure sign that they’re reliving their favorite moments from the silver screen. A mirrored shoot-out is the highlight of the volume, demonstrating Taniguchi’s crisp draftsmanship and mastery of perspective. – Reviewed at The Manga Critic on 1/14/11

Kodoku Gourmet
With Masayuki Qusumi • JManga • 1 volume*
If you’re a fan of Kingyo Used Books, you may remember the chapter in which Japanese backpackers shared a dog-eared copy of Kodoku no Gourmet (a.k.a. The Lonely Gourmet) in order to feel more connected to home. Small wonder they adored Gourmet: its hero, Goro Inoshigara, is a traveler who devotes considerable time and energy to seeking out his favorite foods wherever he goes. While the manga is episodic  — Goro visits a new restaurant in every chapter — Jiro Taniguchi does a wonderful job of conveying the social aspect of eating, creating brief but vivid portraits of each establishment: its clientele, its proprietors, and, of course, its signature dishes. Best of all, Taniguchi and writer Masayuki Qusumi have the good sense to limit the story to a single volume, allowing the reader to savor Goro’s culinary adventures, rather than ponder its very slight premise. – Reviewed at The Manga Critic on 5/24/12

The Summit of the Gods
With Yumemakura Baku • Fanfare/Ponent Mon • 5 volumes
On June 8, 1924, British explorer George Mallory started up the summit of Mt. Everest, never to be seen again. His disappearance drives the plot of The Summit of the Gods, a pulse-pounding adventure in which two modern-day climbers retrace Mallory’s steps up the Northeast Ridge, searching for clues to his fate. Although the drama ostensibly focuses on Fukumachi, a hard-charging photographer, and Habu, a tough-as-nails mountaineer, the real star of Summit is Everest. Taniguchi captures the mountain’s danger with his meticulous renderings of rock formations, glaciers, and quick-changing weather patterns, reminding us that Everest is one of the remotest places on Earth; at the top of the world, no one can hear you scream. – Reviewed at The Manga Critic on 10/12/2009

The Times of Botchan
With Natsuo Sekikawa • Fanfare/Ponent Mon •  5 volumes**
In The Times of Botchan, Natsuo Sekikawa and Jiro Taniguchi immerse readers in the tumult of the Meiji Restoration. Novelist Soseki Natsume (Botchan, I Am a Cat) functions as our de facto guide, introducing us to the suffragettes, anarchists, novelists, poets, and politicians whose struggle helped create modern Japan. Taniguchi invests small details with great meaning, using them to reveal the characters’ ambivalent relationship with the West; some embrace European dress, others flatly reject it, and most, like Natsume, strike a compromise, combining a yukata with a button-down shirt and bowler hat. Though Sekikawa’s script is not as nimble as Taniguchi’s artwork, the series leaves a vivid impression nonetheless, offering modern readers a window into Natsume’s world. – Reviewed at The Manga Critic on 5/19/2010

Venice
Fanfare/Ponent Mon • 1 volume
Venice — one of the last projects Jiro Taniguchi completed before his death in 2017 — is perhaps the most beautiful work he ever produced, a paean not only to the great Italian city, but to his own superb command of light, color, and line. Rendered in watercolor and ink, Venice‘s subtle palette and expansive treatment of the page are reminiscent of Taniguchi’s Guardians of the Louvre, while its premise recalls The Walking Man, Furari, and The Solitary Gourmet, three manga in which an unnamed male character strolls through the thoroughfares and byways of a major city, stopping to admire a blossoming tree or duck into an unassuming noodle shop. Taniguchi does more than recreate the Venetian landscape, however; he conveys the rhythms and emotions of a journey as the hero retraces his grandparents’ steps through 1930s Venice. – Reviewed at The Manga Critic on 3/2/18.

The Walking Man
Fanfare/Ponent Mon • 1 volume
This nearly wordless manga follows an ordinary man through his daily routines. He walks his dog; he swims laps at the pool; he retrieves a model airplane from a tree. In less capable hands, the sheer lack of conflict would result in a dull comic, but Taniguchi invests these activities with meaning by interrupting them with moments of simple beauty: a rare bird alighting on a branch, a rooftop view of a neighborhood in spring bloom. Though we learn very little about the protagonist — he remains nameless throughout the story — his capacity for noticing and savoring these details becomes a small act of heroism, a conscious effort to resist the indifference, complacency, and impatience that blinds us to our surroundings and dulls our imaginations.

A Zoo in Winter
Fanfare/Ponent Mon • 1 volume
Drawing on his own experiences, Jiro Taniguchi spins an engaging tale about a young man who abandons a promising career in textile design for the opportunity to become a manga artist. Though the basic plot invites comparison with Bakuman, Taniguchi does more than just document important milestones in Hamaguchi’s career: he shows us how Hamaguchi’s emotional maturation informs every aspect of his artistry — something that’s missing from many other portrait-of-an-artist-as-a-young-man sagas, which place much greater emphasis on the pleasure of professional recognition than on the satisfaction of mastering one’s craft. Lovely, moody artwork and an appealing cast of supporting characters complete this very satisfying package.  —Reviewed at The Manga Critic on 5/28/11

* * * * * *

Below is a complete list of Jiro Taniguchi’s manga in English. Please note that I’ve provided the publication information for the English translations, not the original Japanese editions. This list was last updated on August 28, 2023 to include several books that have been released since 2017.

As Artist and Author

  • Taniguchi, Jiro. A Distant Neighborhood. Fanfare/Ponent Mon, 2009. 2 vols.
  • Taniguchi, Jiro. Furari. Fanfare/Ponent Mon, 2017. 1 vol.
  • Taniguchi, Jiro. Guardians of the Louvre. NBM/Comics Lit, 2016. 1 vol.
  • Taniguchi, Jiro. The Ice Wanderer and Other Stories. Fanfare/Ponent Mon, 2010. 1 vol.
  • Taniguchi, Jiro. A Journal of My Father, Fanfare/Ponent Mon, 2021. 1 vol.
  • Taniguchi, Jiro. The Quest for the Missing Girl. Fanfare/Ponent Mon, 2010. 1 vol.
  • Taniguchi, Jiro. Sky Hawk. Fanfare/Ponent Mon, 2019. 1 vol.
  • Taniguchi, Jiro. Venice. Fanfare/Ponent Mon, 2017. 1 vol.
  • Taniguchi, Jiro. The Walking Man. Fanfare/Ponent Mon, 2007. 1 vol.
  • Taniguchi, Jiro. A Zoo in Winter. Fanfare/Ponent Mon, 2011. 1 vol.

As Artist

  • Boilet, Frederic and Jiro Taniguchi. Tokyo Is My Garden. Fanfare/Ponent Mon, 2010. 1 vol.
  • Furuyama, Kan and Jiro Taniguchi. Samurai Legend. Central Park Media, 2003. 1 vol.
  • Moebius and Jiro Taniguchi. Icaro. IBooks, 2003-2004. 2 vols.
  • Mori, Jinpachi and Jiro Taniguchi. Benkei in New York. VIZ Media. 2001. 1 vol.
  • Qusumi, Masayuki and Jiro Taniguchi. Kodoku Gourmet.  JManga, 2012. 1 vol.*
  • Sekikawa, Natsuo and Jiro Taniguchi. Hotel Harbour View. VIZ Media, 2001. 1 vol.
  • Sekikawa, Natsuo and Jiro Taniguchi. The Times of Botchan. Fanfare/Ponent Mon, 2007-2010. 5 vols.**
  • Yumemakura, Baku and Jiro Yaniguchi. The Summit of the Gods. Fanfare/Ponent Mon, 2009-2015. 5 vols.

*This title was only released digitally through the JManga platform.

**This series is incomplete in English; the complete Japanese edition spans 10 volumes.

Pick of the Week: So Many Choices

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SEAN: There’s a ton to choose from, most of it from Viz. So many of my favorites are getting new volumes it’s hard to narrow it down, but I’ll make it the new volume of My Love Story!!, which never fails to warm the cockles of my little heart.

KATE: My pick goes to Fuku Fuku Kitten Tales. Although it’s not quite in the same league as Chi’s Sweet Home, Fuku Fuku will appeal to cat fanciers. I particularly like the way Kanata Konami draws cats when they’re irritated; no one draws feline side-eye with quite such authority. Those feline reaction shots add a tart little zing to the Fuku Fuku stories that prevents them from becoming too cloying.

MICHELLE: Oh, man. Such a tough choice. Both Sean’s and Kate’s picks are on the top of my stack, but ultimately the title I’m most eager for is Haikyu!! because I’m addicted to its sports manga goodness.

ASH: It really is a tough pick this week, especially since there are so many Viz series that I’m following with new volumes being released. Sean has already mentioned My Love Story!! and Michelle has already mentioned Haikyu!!, so I’ll take this opportunity to mention Yona of the Dawn. It may not be as typographically emphatic, but it’s still a great series and I’m looking forward to reading more of the shoujo fantasy epic.

ANNA: If there’s a shoujo fantasy series out, you can be sure that I’m going to pick it. I’m going to join with Ash in picking Yona of the Dawn. It is firmly in the “get the team together” phase of the story, but I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I would love it if there were 2 or 3 series like it licensed at once!

MJ: I feel a little out of sync this week, with such a big haul and so little of it for me. But I will join Kate in appreciation of Fuku-Fuku Kitten Tales. More kitties is always something I can get behind, especially when they are drawn by this artist.

Kuma Miko: Girl Meets Bear, Vol. 1

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By all rights, Kuma Miko: Girl Meets Bear should be interesting: it takes place in a rural village where talking bears and humans have peacefully coexisted for centuries. The story focuses on Machi, a priestess-in-training who’s learning the ropes from Natsu, her ursine mentor. Though Machi is determined to serve the village in her capacity as miko, she’s also determined to attend high school in a nearby city — something none of her predecessors have done.

While the set-up is ripe with potential, the execution is oddly flat. Part of the problem is that the leads feel more like ideas than characters. Machi, in particular, is a collection of quirks in search of a personality. In an effort to endear her to the reader, author Masume Yoshimoto makes her naive, ditsy, shy, and spazzy — a veritable catalog of manic pixie dream girl traits — but never reveals why she behaves so irrationally. Natsu is a little more fleshed out: he has wisdom to impart, and frets about Machi’s welfare. Worrying about another person, however, isn’t the same thing as having a personality, and here, too, Yoshimoto falls short. Natsu’s concern doesn’t suggest any deeper knowledge of Machi’s past or her reasons for wanting to leave the village; any reasonable person would worry about someone who seems as impetuous and dim-witted as Machi.

The only character with any presence is Yoshio, Machi’s pervy 25-year-old cousin. In one memorable scene, Yoshio gets so carried away describing the village’s history that he forgets his audience, accidentally regaling third graders with salacious details of a human-bear union. This scene might be funny, but the author wants to have it both ways, aiming for a mixture of titillation and tee-hees that’s just plain uncomfortable; I’m with the little girl who declares, “Sexual harassment!” before covering her ears.

If any of the other five stories had left as vivid an impression as “Village Legends,” I might cautiously recommend Kuma Miko to fans of off-beat slice-of-life comedies, but the rest of volume one was vanilla in comparison. Competent but undistinguished artwork and sluggish pacing pushed the title further into the “No” column for me; if I’m going to read about talking bears, dammit, I’d like to see a little more imagination on display.

KUMA MIKO, VOL. 1: GIRL MEETS BEAR • BY MASUME YOSHIMOTO • ONE PEACE BOOKS • NO RATING (SOME SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL; THIS TITLE IS BETTER SUITED FOR READERS 13+)

Deathtopia, Vol. 1

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It’s never a good sign when you enjoyed the Baka-Updates thread about a manga more than the actual manga, but that’s the case for Deathtopia, a title that scores a hat trick for being gory, exploitative, and boring. Part of the problem is the story: it’s the umpteenth example of an ordinary teen discovering that he’s been chosen to save the world. Koh Fujimura, the hero of Deathtopia, is the only person who can detect the presence of “Them,” a group of super-human predators that commit sadistic, stagey murders. Aiding him in the quest to ferret out these menaces are Maya Hoshimiya, Yui Kisagari, and Saki Yagami, a trio of buxom special agents who favor bustiers and short skirts over traditional uniforms. (Call me crazy, but where do you holster a gun if you’re not wearing any pants?)

All of this would be easier to swallow if manga-ka Yoshinobu Yamada had bestowed any personality on his characters, or supplied them with motives for the work they do. None of the cast, however, show any traces of wit or curiosity; all of them behave like well-programmed robots, dutifully marching from one grotesque crime scene to the next. Yamada allows Koh a few moments of fear and confusion, but these beats land with the emotional force of a Linux manual since we know almost nothing about him. Even the character designs are generic: there’s a pretty girl with short hair and hot pants, a pretty girl with a pony tail and a school uniform, and a pretty girl with long hair and a suit. (Actually, she’s the only one who looks like a law-enforcement agent, since she’s wearing comfortable shoes.) The bad guys, by contrast, are so uniformly and cartoonishly ugly it’s a wonder that Koh, Maya, Yui, and Saki can’t identify them at 50 paces.

Perhaps the most telling sign that Yamada is more interested in cheesecake than plot is that he draws the female characters’ breasts with more individuality than their faces. Yamada further diminishes his female characters by reducing them to types — the psychopathic bitch, the aloof older woman — and making his teenage male hero miraculously “better” at monster-hunting, despite his young age and lack of training. The only evidence of Maya, Yui, and Saki’s superior skill is supplied by Koh himself in the form of a voice-over; he muses that “These women are amazing! Even I can tell that their every move is calculated,” although that statement is undermined by the way Yamada stages a subsequent shoot-out.

The manga’s best gambit is shamelessly pilfered from John Carpenter’s They Live! (1988). In this Reagan-era cult classic, sunglasses enabled the hero to see that aliens were living amongst us, using subliminal messaging to subdue and control humanity:

In Deathtopia, Koh gains a similar ability after eye surgery: he sees the monsters as humans with scribbly, mouthless faces, drifting unnoticed through Tokyo streets. Only when Koh dons glasses does he lose sight of “Them”; in an original touch, glass blocks his monster vision. For all the promise this idea holds, however, Yamada makes no attempt to explore its allegorical potential, instead lavishing most of his attention on dismembered corpses and topless girls. Carpenter, by contrast, used They Live! to explore the evils of consumerism and conformity and deliver one of the longest, goofiest, and most admired fight sequences in B-movie history.

In sum, Deathtopia is the sort of manga you might think was cool if you hadn’t read any manga, or were just hoping to steal a glimpse of naked girls. Anyone who’s read Alive: The Final Evolution, Bloody Monday, Death Note, Platinum End, or even Yamada’s Cage of Eden, however, won’t find much to distinguish Deathtopia from these other teenage male fantasies, as it lacks the verve, polish, and imagination of the best examples in this genre.

DEATHTOPIA, VOL. 1 • BY YOSHINOBU YAMADA • KODANSHA COMICS • RATED M, for MATURE

Pick of the Week: Lesbians or Melting Faces?

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MICHELLE: Hm, probably I shouldn’t pick Wave, Listen to Me! for two weeks in a row, so this time I’ll go for Kindred Spirits on the Roof, which has been on my to-get list for quite a while.

SEAN: There’s lots I’m interested in, including lots of light novels and some amusing/disgusting horror. But yes, my pick is definitely Kindred Spirits on the Roof. This makes three Seven Seas picks this month. Kudos to them.

ASH: While I’m certainly interested in Kindred Spirits on the Roof there can be no other pick for me this week than Dissolving Classroom. Josei horror by Junji Ito? Count me in!

KATE: My vote goes to Junji Ito’s The Dissolving Classroom. It looks gross — in the best possible way — and funny — as all of Ito’s manga are. I don’t know if it’s studded with references to Umezu’s Drifting Classroom, but it seems as if there’s drinking game potential here!

ANNA: I’m with the folks who are choosing The Dissolving Classroom, it isn’t every week a quality horror release comes out!