Katherine Dacey

Bookshelf Briefs 2/13/12

February 13, 2012 by MJ, Katherine Dacey, Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith 3 Comments

This week, Kate, MJ, Sean, & Michelle take a look at recent releases from Kodansha Comics, Vertical, Inc., VIZ Media, Yen Press, Digital Manga Publishing, and JManga.

Bloody Monday, Vol. 3 | Story by Ryou Ryumon, Art by Kouji Megumi | Kodansha Comics – I can see why Bloody Monday appeals to teenage boys: not only do its adolescent heroes get to kick ass and match wits with evil adults, they also get to ogle beautiful villains and work alongside cute classmates. For an adult reader, however, the plot mechanics are too creaky to overlook the obvious wish-fulfillment angle. Too many scenes bog down in obvious explanation, as characters repeatedly tell each other things that one would hope world-class crime solvers would know — even if they’re only sixteen. The action scenes remain the series’ strength, as they’re the only time the exposition-dense chatter and obvious voice-overs are silenced in favor of good old-fashioned chases and shoot-outs. It’s a shame that Bloody Monday is such a mixed bag, as its paranoid, the Russians-are-out-to-get-us plot could be the basis of a terrific, globe-trotting thriller. – Katherine Dacey

Chi’s Sweet Home, Vols. 7-8 | By Konata Konami | Vertical, Inc. – Now that I own a cat, I’ve developed an even deeper appreciation for the genius of Konata Konami. So many of the details in Chi are beautifully observed, whether Chi is stalking new “prey” (a goldfish, a feather duster) or calculating the distance between two high perches. Konami also depicts new pet ownership with accuracy and warmth: like the Yamadas, I’ve spent a lot of time reading cat books in an effort to decode Francesca’s behavior, feed her the right food, and interpret symptoms of illness. I can’t speak to Chi’s relationship with Cocchi — my cat’s only animal companion is a frustrated herding dog — but even that feels right to me. A must for cat fanciers. – Katherine Dacey

Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 8 | By Kyousuke Motomi | VIZ Media – Make no mistake, this is easily the best volume of Dengeki Daisy yet. Okay, yes, part of the cliffhanger from last volume just sort of fizzles out, but it leads to Teru finally getting the full story (through flashbacks) about Kurosaki’s past as a dangerous hacker and his relationship with Soichiro and the various former coworkers with whom he still associates. Although mangaka Kyousuke Motomi can’t quite manage to write a compelling mystery plot—any attempts to hint at some vast conspiracy are generally vague and uninteresting, though we do get a little direction on who’s orchestrating the attacks on Teru—there’s still some good stuff here for fans of these characters, especially in the way Soichiro draws a young, heartbroken Kurosaki out of his shell. I do have to wonder, though, whether returning to the present day will feel like a let down after this. – Michelle Smith

Fairy Tail, Vol. 17 | By Hiro Mashima | Kodansha Comics – I have to admit, Mashima is starting to lose me here. There’s a lot going on in this volume provided you like fights – but if you’re not a big shonen fight fan, the only thing to grab a hold of is the big plot revelation, which brings back someone who I’m not really sure we all wanted to see back. Yeah, I know ‘no one dies in shonen comics’ has become somewhat of a cliche, but this just felt very underwhelming. It doesn’t help that I still have trouble holding the new characters in my head, be they heroes or villains. On the plus side, Erza being out of the action for most of the volume gives Gray a chance to shine. And the cliffhanger, involving Loke, makes me really want to know what happens next. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to save a substandard volume of this series.-Sean Gaffney

I Love You, Chief Clerk! | By Keiko Kinoshita | JManga – BL anthologies are probably my least favorite type of manga to review. With a handful of exceptions (est em, for example), BL mangaka, at least those currently published in English, seem to be especially inept at the admittedly difficult art of telling a satisfying, well-developed story in just one or two chapters. Happily, Keiko Kinoshita proves herself to be one of the exceptions. Despite its simplistic title, I Love You, Chief Clerk! is a charming collection of short romance manga that manage to get right to the heart of their stories without feeling rushed or skimpy. Kinoshita deftly introduces her characters and defines their relationships, past and present, with just a few sure strokes. She’s not concerned so much with resolution as she is with creating a few truly genuine moments, and that’s all it takes to bring her adorable short stories to life. Gratefully recommended. – MJ

Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 7 | By Kiiro Yumi and Hiro Arikawa | VIZ Media – While readers have been reading about the not-quite-romance between Kasahara and Dojo, the plot has been slowly building up, and this is the volume where a lot of the plot cannons are fired. Following up on last volume, Tezuka gets a lot of development here, and I was also pleased to see Shibazaki’s lunch dates continue. But the real meat of this is the plot with our heroine, as a conspiracy tries to frame her and she has to lay low while her friends figure out who’s behind it. Seeing the social and normally upbeat Kasahara being so beaten down and downtrodden is quite heartbreaking, and more so when we know she’s “trying to be strong” – exactly what Dojo *doesn’t* want. For those who wanted more library wars in this manga, this is the volume to get.-Sean Gaffney

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Vol. 11 | Art by Haku Tsugano, Story by Nagaru Tanigawa, Characters by Noizi Ito | Yen Press – The eleventh volume of Haruhi Suzumiya irresistibly reminded me of a classic Star Trek plot line, in which a rift in time, a strange illness, or an amnesia-inducing event causes the crew to act out of character. For Harhui and her friends, the sudden rash of odd behavior begins when they’re banished to an alternate dimension; only by solving a math puzzle can they return to their normal lives. Newcomers will find this volume a difficult place to begin exploring this unique series, as the story relies too heavily on the reader’s prior knowledge of the characters. Die-hards, however, will find more of what they like: humorous interplay between characters, off-beat mysteries, and occasional bits of fanservice. -Katherine Dacey

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 11 | By Yuki Midorikawa | Viz Media – I know this is a monthly manga, but at times the author really seems to plot her arcs out to the individual volumes. The first half shows Natsume bonding even more with Tanuma and Taki (OT3!!!… sorry), and finding that he can rely on them to be there for him no matter what. Then in the 2nd half, we see that as much as he may want to open up, it’s simply not that easy given what he goes through every day… and what he went through as a child. We are our upbringing, after all. There’s also some nice yokai examination here – even the “nice” ones are still distrustful and uncomprehending about humanity. This even applies to Nyanko-sensei, who’s still saying he’s only hanging around to get the Book of Friends after all this time. Rather than admitting the deep bond he and Natsume have forged. Terrific stuff.-Sean Gaffney

No Longer Human, Vol. 3 | By Usamaru Furuya, Based on the novel by Osamu Dazai | Vertical, Inc. – In the afterword to volume three, Usamaru Furuya admits that as a teenager, he “found beauty” in the hero’s “ruinous lifestyle.” That admission is key to understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Furuya’s adaptation of No Longer Human. On the one hand, it’s immediate and visceral, depicting a young man’s fall from grace in symbolically rich imagery; Furuya has succeeded in translating an ambiguous text into a feverish nightmare of father-hate and drunken debauchery. On the other, many of the nuances of Dazai’s text have been filed away, making Yozo’s transformation seem more pedestrian than it did in the novel; it’s a Lifetime movie about addiction, minus a third-act redemption. Still, for readers new to Dazai’s work, Furuya’s adaptation provides a sturdy bridge between the original novel and the present day, showing readers that No Longer Human is as relevant now as it was in 1948. – Katherine Dacey

Only Serious About You, Vol. 2 | By Kai Asou | Digital Manga Publishing – Though I know of a few gay men who read and enjoy BL manga, the fact remains that it’s a genre written by women for women. Reading this second volume of Only Serious About You, however, made me think that here is a series I would recommend to any gay man, pre-existing manga fan or not. The evolution of the relationship between single dad Oosawa and his former customer, Yoshioka, is handled with sensitivity and realism, and the bond they share caring for Oosawa’s daughter, Chizu, is seriously touching. Yoshioka had a tough childhood, and helping to raise Chizu is like a healing experience for him, and when reserved Oosawa finally decides to accept all that Yoshioka’s willing to give, it’s sniffle time. The sense of family among these three is palpable, and a great example of the loving home two men can provide a child. A lovely, lovely story. More by Kai Asou, please! – Michelle Smith

Show Us Your Stuff: The Loch Ness Manga

February 9, 2012 by Katherine Dacey 9 Comments

Welcome to another installment of Show Us Your Stuff, a weekly column in which manga lovers share pictures of their libraries. This week’s featured collector is Ellie, who hails from across the pond. When she isn’t baking or drawing, Ellie documents her efforts to learn Japanese at the site 5kanjiaday.wordpress.com. Her taste in manga cants more heavily towards shojo than other demographics, though as you’ll see, her collection is pleasingly eclectic, encompassing everything from Keiko Nishi to Hiromu Arakawa to Katsuhiro Otomo. So without further ado, here’s Ellie in her own words! – Katherine Dacey

I’m another international contributor, as I live in Scotland. I became interested in manga through some friends I made when I started high school. As well as manga and anime, I’m also interested in music, cooking, baking, drawing, and trying to learn Japanese. I’m working at the moment, but I’m hoping to go to university next year to study music.

How long have you been collecting manga?
Since shortly after I started high school, so about 7-8 years now.

What was the first manga you bought?
Volume one of Chobits. It was one of about four manga volumes in the only bookshop in the small town I grew up in, and I bought it on a school friend’s recommendation. I still have it and I’ve never looked back since…

How big is your collection?
As at January 17th, 688 English volumes, including some artbooks, novels and guide books, and omnibuses (which I count as one volume, regardless of how many original volumes they contain). I have three Japanese volumes. I swear it doesn’t look like that much on the shelves, but when I sat down and counted one day, I gave myself a shock!

What is the rarest item in your collection?
Probably a Japanese Okane ga Nai doujinshi that a friend got me from a con. (Not pictured, as it’s still at my parents’ house.) There are several other things I own which seem to be rare — judging by new and used prices on Amazon — including some older BL published by June and BLU; Love Song, which is an early anthology of one-shots by Keiko Nishi and released by Viz in the 1990’s; and a first edition of Legal Drug, Vol. 1, which has the lovely acetates and colour pages.

I also have the complete run of After School Nightmare and Tenshi ja Nai!!, published by Go! Comi. This isn’t manga per se, but I have all but one of the Gothic and Lolita Bibles that Tokyopop published. I also have the first two Strawberry Panic light novel volumes that Seven Seas published before ditching the series years ago. I was so annoyed when the omnibus came out!

What is the weirdest item in your collection?
In terms of pure weird story content, probably Guru Guru Pon-chan and everything I own by Mitsukazu Mihara and Kaori Yuki . I’d say the series that deviate most from the rest of the collection in terms of story content are probably Tegami Bachi, Black Butler and Blue Exorcist, as the vast majority of my collection is shojo and romance, whereas those three are decidedly not…

How has your taste in manga evolved since you started your collection?
When I first got into manga, I would buy literally everything I saw that even vaguely caught my eye, even if I ended up not really liking it that much. I’ve sold quite a lot of stuff because of that. My tastes have matured somewhat now, and I’m a lot more picky about what I buy, and I buy more stuff online (partly due to moving out and having to pay rent and bills!), and I’ll tend to check out reviews before I buy if I’m unsure about something.

I’ve also come to appreciate more mature works as I’ve gotten older, like Honey and Clover and Akira (which would have bored me a few years ago). Recently, I also seem to have got back into shounen series. I gave up on Bleach a few years ago (as you can see, the vast majority of my collection is shoujo) but within the last year I started buying Tegami Bachi, Blue Exorcist, Bakuman, Fullmetal Alchemist and Black Butler. When I’m caught up with a few more things, I want to buy the Rurouni Kenshin and Inuyasha VIZBIG editions, and possibly Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan. I tend to prefer shojo because it (most of the time) doesn’t drag on as long as shonen series. I’ll give anything a chance though.

Who are your favorite comic artists?
My favorite manga artists, in no particular order, are: CLAMP, Yuu Watase, Kaori Yuki, Arina Tanemura, Natsumi Ando, Mitsukazu Mihara, Ai Yazawa, Hiromu Arakawa and Masami Tsuda.This list is purely based on entertainment value, rather than me trying to be objective about quality… I don’t really read Western comics so I don’t have any favorite comic artists.

What series are you actively collecting right now?
Again, in no particular order, Bunny Drop (although I’m not sure whether I will keep buying any more volumes, given what I know of the ending), the Haruhi Suzumiya novels, Sakura Hime Kaden, Kamisama Kiss, Tegami Bachi, Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden (as actively as anyone can collect that), The Story of Saiunkoku, Blue Exorcist, Arisa, Black Butler, Library Wars, Bakuman, Otomen, Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time, Dawn of the Arcana, Honey and Clover, Loveless, Bad Teacher’s Equation, Border, Kare Kano, Ouran High School Host Club, the Love Hina and Tokyo Mew Mew omnibus rereleases, Sailor Moon, Kobato, Full Metal Alchemist, My Girlfriend’s A Geek, Dengeki Daisy, Black Bird, Lovephobia, Vampire Knight, Nana, Kimi ni Todoke, Natsume Yuujinchou, Sensual Phrase, Ai Ore!, and We Were There. If they ever get picked up in English again: Nodame Cantabile, Maid-sama, the Zaregoto novels, and the Secret Notes of Lady Kanoko. I’d say the ones I’m giving the highest priority to are Kamisama Kiss, Story of Saiunkoku, Bakuman, Arisa, Otomen, Black Butler, Sailor Moon, Blue Exorcist, Black Bird, Library Wars, Sakura Hime, Kimi ni Todoke, Vampire Knight, Black Bird, Dengeki Daisy, Ai Ore, Dawn of the Arcana and Natsume Yuujinchou. I also have quite a lot of series which I want to buy but just don’t have the money for at the moment!

Do you have any tips for fellow collectors (e.g. how to organize a collection, where to find rare books, where to score the best deals on new manga)?
Ikea is your friend when it comes to cheap shelves, and a well-organized collection takes up far less space than a messy one. Your books will stay in better condition that way as well. I organize my collection by complete and incomplete series, but if I know how many volumes are left in a series, I create space for it on the “complete” shelves. Once your collection gets above about 100 volumes, keeping a spreadsheet is definitely a good way of keeping track of it. I use it to make sure I don’t end up buying the same things twice etc.

Check the bargain bin of your local comic shop for rare gems; I found two copies of Basara volume 20 for significantly less than RRP each, which I then sold on for a reasonable price to people on the internet who were missing them. I couldn’t bear to see them disposed of when so many people on the Internet were clamouring for them. I ended up sending them both to the US from the UK. If they’d had volume 19 as well, I would’ve started collecting it myself…

Chain bookshops can occasionally unearth gems as well, just keep checking, but I’ve found most of my gems in comic shops all around the country when I’ve been visiting friends, so go and visit friends in other places and see what you can find! Second hand bookshops can occasionally unearth gems; I found two flopped volumes of Sailor Moon in one local to me for 3 pounds each (just before Kodansha announced it) so give your local second hand bookseller a visit sometimes.

As for buying new series, my local comic shop has a perpetual three-for-the-price-of-two deal on all manga, regardless of the publisher or price, so I’m quite lucky in that regard. Being in the UK, I don’t know anything about US based online stores like Right Stuf, but Amazon and eBay can be your friends as well, particularly for earlier volumes in a series. With eBay especially, watch out for the shipping charges though!

Also, don’t be afraid to have a prune once in a while. If you’ve not read something more than once or twice, and you don’t think you’ll miss it, let it go. That gives you more space, and more money to go and buy stuff you’re more interested in. Free listing weekends on eBay are wonderful for listing multiple volumes as a set. If you’re unsure about a series, see if your local library/a friend/ a local anime and manga club has it or see if the publisher has a preview online, so you can check it out before you buy. Read some reviews as well; see if you can find a reviewer who shares similar tastes to you and see what they thought of a series. If it has an anime, see if the anime is available on Crunchyroll or Netflix etc, then you’ll at least be able to see if you like the overall idea of the series. Plus the manga is (almost) always better than the anime (in my opinion) so if you like the anime, you’ll like the manga more!

Show Us Your Stuff is a regular column in which readers share pictures of their manga collections and discuss their favorite series. If you’d like to see your manga library featured here, please send me an email.

Pick of the Week: GTO & more

February 6, 2012 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Katherine Dacey, MJ and Brigid Alverson 3 Comments

It’s a strong week for manga at Midtown Comics. See the Battle Robot’s picks below!

SEAN:God, I’ve missed Onizuka. My pick this week is the first volume of the ‘interquel’ GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, a 9-volume series that is supposed to fit in towards the end of GTO proper. The cast of the main series get a brief cameo, but the meat here is Onizuka arriving in a new neighborhood and having to deal with a new bunch of delinquent kids. And he is up to the job – for all his perving about getting laid (which he never does), or constantly getting into fights and winning despite severe injuries (I wince at every head blow he takes here, for reasons obvious to a seasoned GTO reader), the series in the end is about Onizuka caring about kids – the ones who used to be just like him – and showing them that the world isn’t as bad as they think it is. Whatever his motivations may be, he’s a wonderful teacher of the human spirit. Great to have him back.

KATE: With so many awesome titles arriving in stores this week — Bride of the Water God, Dawn of the Arcana, GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, Natsume’s Book of Friends, The Story of Saiunkoku — it’s difficult to limit myself to one. But if I *had* to pick one, my choice would be volume 20 of Slam Dunk. Takehiko Inoue’s deep affection for basketball is evident on every page; he immerses us in the game play to such a degree that the reader feels like she’s on the court, too, searching for an opening to the basket. Inoue’s affection for his characters is also evident on every page; even when they’re the butt of jokes, we still root for the Shohoku team to resolve their personal differences so that they can best their opponents. Slam Dunk places more emphasis on gameplay than Inoue’s other basketball manga, REAL, but is worth seeking out, even if you’re can’t cite Paul Pierce’s free-throw statistics for the 2009-10 season.

MICHELLE: I really, really love Slam Dunk, so I second Kate’s recommendation even while casting my own vote for volume one of A Devil and Her Love Song. This debut, about the attempts of an honest-to-a-fault girl to make friends in her new high school, surprised me by being far more than its comedic-seeming premise—and a couple of stereotypical-looking male characters—initially suggested. Maria is trying so hard, in her stoic way, and I found he way that she keeps desperately believing that things will work out to be very endearing. The supporting cast has some depth, as well, and I’ve heard good things about what’s to come. Definitely a very strong start to a promising series!

MJ: This week’s haul is pretty impressive (I really did love A Devil and Her Love Song), but I’m going to cast my vote for the sixth volume of The Story of Saiunkoku. Even if it wasn’t a smart, funny series with lovely period dressing and a truly awesome heroine, it would still be the series that inspired one of my favorite reviews ever. (Thank you, David!) Seriously, it’s just a charming, charming manga. And I’m a whole volume behind, so I’ve got extra shopping to do!

BRIGID: I could have gone for any one of the above, but since you all got there first, I’ll give some love to vol. 7 of Kamisama Kiss. I like Julietta Suzuki’s simple style and her sense of humor, and even if this is a story that has been told before, she puts a few new twists on it.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 2/6/12

February 6, 2012 by Michelle Smith, Katherine Dacey and Sean Gaffney Leave a Comment

This week, Michelle, Kate, and Sean take a look at recent releases from Kodansha Comics and Viz Media.

Arisa, Vol. 6 | By Natsumi Ando | Published by Kodansha Comics – Someone ought to invent an Arisa drinking game that involves taking a sip any time the characters are out in the woods and someone falls off a cliff. Seriously, I think that just happened a couple of volumes ago and here it is again. Despite the fact that Tsubasa stumbles (har har) upon a significant lead in the volume’s final pages, ensuring that I’ll be back for volume seven, I spent most of the volume annoyed. The good guys sure are making it easy for “the King” to undermine their efforts to learn his/her identity, to the point where it’s hard to summon any sympathy for them. It’s never a good sign when someone getting hit by a car actually makes me snicker. This series started off seeming really cool, but now it’s just kind of ridiculous. And that’s a shame. – Michelle Smith

Cage of Eden, Vol. 3 | By Yoshinobu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – You have to hand it to the author – he knows his audience. This is a story that really wouldn’t fly in Jump or Sunday, but in service-happy Magazine, it’s managed to be a success. And really, I can see why. Despite the egregious boob and panty shots, and the token loli that has been added towards the end, it’s the plot and characters that drive you onward. The teamwork/rivalry of Akira and Yarai plays out nicely, and Kohei’s breakdown is horrible yet compelling. This is very much classic boys’ literature – lots of fights with giant animals, buxom teenage girls, some small amount of romance, and plot twist after plot twist. It’d be a great manga to bring along to the beach. Just be aware that you’d finish the volumes to date very quickly, and might have trouble explaining the fanservice to anyone reading over your shoulder. – Sean Gaffney

Cross Game, Vol. 6 | By Mitsuru Adachi | Published by Viz Media – Comprising volumes twelve and thirteen of the original Japanese release, the feel of this sixth VIZ omnibus could be summed up as, “The final summer is just around the corner.” Seishu has missed their chance at the Spring Koshien, but as Ko and his friends enter their third and final year of high school, they’ve got just one more shot. Baseball is on everyone’s mind all the time, and we catch glimpses of some intense practice sessions, but just as much attention is devoted to the characters’ relationships. Much of the story revolves around Ko getting to know Akane, Wakaba’s look-alike, while Azuma and Aoba grow a little closer. It’s bittersweet, slice-of-life storytelling at its finest, and though I am really looking forward to the tournament ramping up, I’m sure the resolutions on the romantic front will be equally satisfying. Perenially recommended. – Michelle Smith

Shugo Chara-Chan!, Vol. 2 | Created by Peach-Pit, Manga by Napthalene Mizushima et al. | Kodansha Comics – If your primary complaint about Shugo Chara was that Amu’s guardians didn’t get enough time in the spotlight, this 4-koma spin-off title is for you. The stories — if they can be called that — focus on Ran, Miki, and Su as they bumble their way through a variety of stock manga situations: decorating a Christmas tree, getting dressed for a festival, baking cakes, playing with cute animals. The gags are too generic to make much of an impression, though the strips spoofing Arisa, Fairy Navigator Runa, and Hell Girl add a welcome jolt of visual and comic energy to an otherwise tepid volume. Strictly for hardcore Shugo Chara fans; newcomers won’t find enough here to sustain their interest. – Katherine Dacey

GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, Vol. 1

February 6, 2012 by Katherine Dacey 2 Comments

GTO: 14 Days in Shonan is loud and silly, the kind of manga in which the slightest misunderstanding between characters escalates into shouting matches, bone-crunching violence, or incarceration (or all three). It’s the kind of manga in which the hero is over-confident to the point of being dumb. And it’s the kind of manga in which the author trots out the same gags two or three times per volume, repeating them with the insistence of a ten-year-old who thinks no one heard him the first time he said, “Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?”

I loved it.

14 Days in Shonan — a sequel to the wildly popular GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka — follows the same basic template as the original stories, pitting the hellraiser-cum-homeroom teacher against a posse of troubled teens. This time, however, the action unfolds in Onizuka’s hometown, where he takes up residence at a group foster home after disgracing himself on national television. (“I just tried to tell a fun little story, and see what happened,” he fumes.) Hijinks and beatdowns ensue when one of the residents wages a vicious campaign to send Onizuka back to Tokyo — a campaign that repeatedly backfires, thanks to Onizuka’s cheerful determination and strong constitution. (No one takes a baseball bat to the head quite like Onizuka.)

Though the hijinks are amusing, what makes 14 Days in Shonan work is its sincerity. In many stories told from the teacher’s point of view, the teacher is a sardonic observer of student behavior, bemoaning his charges’ lack of knowledge, manners, or interest in the subject. 14 Days in Shonan, however, offers a rosier picture of teaching, one in which a good educator plays a decisive role in improving his students’ lives, whether they be victims of bullying or survivors of parental abuse. At the same time, however, author Toru Fujisawa pokes fun at the conventions of the To Sir With Love genre, gleefully mocking Eikichi Onizuka’s unorthodox methodology, gullibility, and exaggerated sense of importance; Onizuka may get results, but they almost always come at the expense of his dignity.

And oh! those affronts to his dignity are hilarious. Onizuka is teased by teenagers and cops alike: they insult him, remind him that he’s a virgin, and Photoshop his image, placing him in suggestive situations. Though he tries to maintain a suave facade, Onizuka can barely contain his embarrassment at the way he’s treated; not since Mr. Bean has a character been able to contort his face into so many distinctive states of disgust, arousal, or surprise.

But the most surprising thing about 14 Days in Shonan is its ability to address serious social problems without devolving into an Afterschool Special. The hand-to-hand combat and barrage of condom jokes helps mitigate against didacticism, to be sure, but Fujisawa is skillful enough to make the students’ personal troubles a meaningful — and sometimes moving — part of the story, inspiring Onizuka to new heights of creativity (and silliness) in his efforts to reach them. It’s never entirely clear when Onizuka is deliberately playing the fool, and when he’s genuinely out of his depth, but Fujisawa is always generous in giving his brash hero credit for helping students, even when Onizuka looks ridiculous.

Highly recommended.

Review copy provided by Vertical, Inc.

GTO: 14 DAYS IN SHONAN, VOL. 1 • BY TORU FUJISAWA • VERTICAL, INC. • 200 pp. • NO RATING (SUGGESTIVE SITUATIONS, LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE)

GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, Vol. 1

February 6, 2012 by Katherine Dacey

I loved it.

Highly recommended.

Review copy provided by Vertical, Inc.

GTO: 14 DAYS IN SHONAN, VOL. 1 • BY TORU FUJISAWA • VERTICAL, INC. • 200 pp. • NO RATING (SUGGESTIVE SITUATIONS, LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE)

Yakuza Cafe

January 30, 2012 by Katherine Dacey 6 Comments

Yakuza Cafe is a pleasant surprise, a cheerful, smutty send-up of gangster manga that playfully mocks maid cafes, foodie manga, and yakuza culture.

The titular gangsters are the Fujimaki Clan, a once-feared crime syndicate who’ve launched a legitimate business: a yakuza-themed cafe, staffed by the clan’s former foot soldiers. Though the food is tasty, and the waitstaff comely, the cafe is all but deserted — that is, until Shinri, the clan leader’s only son, discovers the root of the problem: no one can brew a decent cup of tea! Not to worry: Shinri just happens to be an expert on the subject, thanks to his grandmother, a tea connoisseur so dedicated that she grew her own leaves.

Of course, Yakuza Cafe is yaoi, so there’s also a romantic subplot running in tandem with the shop’s rehabilitation. That storyline involves Shinri and a brooding, muscle-bound thug named Mikado, who’s famous for his fiery temper. Though others warn Shinri not to become emotionally or physically involved with Mikado, Shinri finds himself irresistibly drawn to Mikado and his elaborate dragon tattoo. (The tattoo, it should be noted, is almost a character in its own right.)

Yakuza Cafe has three things working in its favor: a cast of handsome men, a clever premise, and a deep affection for the genres it parodies. Shinano Oumi draws elegant, if generic, characters in a variety of pleasing shapes and sizes: broad-shouldered types for readers who prefer rugged men and slender, snappy dressers for those who favor metrosexuals. Oumi doesn’t just populate her story with attractive characters, she inserts them into a situation that’s ripe with comic potential: what could possibly go wrong when former hit men serve tea and pastries to teenage girls? Of course, none of these scenarios would be funny if Oumi overplayed them, but she uses a light touch throughout the story, whether she’s borrowing ideas from The Drops of God — grandma’s tea expertise could easily spawn a manga of its own — or putting a BL spin on a gangster manga cliche. (Mikado tries to slice off his own pinky in order to atone for his relationship with Shinri.)

The main drawback to Yakuza Cafe is the romance. Shinri and Mikado’s attraction is explained by means of a very tired shojo trope — The Handsome Senpai From My Childhood — and never properly developed. That’s a pity, because the other lengthy story in Yakuza Cafe, “The Crimson Seal,” achieves a much better balance between the main story and the budding relationship between a college grifter and a Fujimaki foot soldier. “Seal” also offers the manga’s only really emotional moment, culminating in a Tragic Death as sincere and silly as anything in Crying Freeman. (I say this with love.)

Whether you’ll enjoy Yakuza Cafe boils down to a simple test: do you read yaoi for the stories or the pictures? If the former, you’ll find it entertaining, with passably exciting bedroom scenes; if the latter, you may not find enough visual stimulation to hold your interest through all the maid cafe and yakuza jokes.

Digital review copy provided by Digital Manga Publishing.

YAKUZA CAFE • BY SHINANO OUMI • DMP • 168 pp. • RATING: MATURE (18+)

Yakuza Cafe

January 30, 2012 by Katherine Dacey

Yakuza Cafe is a pleasant surprise, a cheerful, smutty send-up of gangster manga that playfully mocks maid cafes, foodie manga, and yakuza culture.

Digital review copy provided by Digital Manga Publishing.

YAKUZA CAFE • BY SHINANO OUMI • DMP • 168 pp. • RATING: MATURE (18+)

Pick of the Week: Time Warp

January 30, 2012 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Katherine Dacey, Brigid Alverson and MJ 1 Comment

We may have stepped into a wormhole this week at Midtown Comics, whose incoming manga list is comprised mainly of not-quite-fresh releases. Fortunately, this gives the Battle Robot an excuse to recommend some well-loved titles.

MICHELLE: This week’s new manga list at Midtown Comics is comprised mostly of Vertical titles, some of which have been available elsewhere for a while now. Still, this is a good opportunity to recommend No Longer Human, Usumaru Furuya’s intriguing adaptation of the novel by Osamu Dazai. MJand I devoted our most recent Off the Shelf column to the title, which I enjoyed far more than I expected to. Yes, it’s dark and rather depressing, but there’s enough distance and self-analysis from and by the protagonist that one can enjoy it without getting bogged down. I recommend the series heartily and look forward to volume three!

SEAN: I’m not quite sure why the 6th volume of sublime baseball manga Cross Game is three weeks later than it should have been, but that’s okay. It gives me another chance to rave about this very different type of shonen we’re seeing here. Make no mistake, this series is a classic example of everything that doesn’t sell well in North America: subtle character humor, low-key art, no fights, no supernatural content (unless you think Wakaba has reincarnated as Akane), and a bunch of baseball. And that’s what makes it one to cherish. As the market continues to contract and companies keep looking for things that the kids will buy, series like these that take chances will be fewer and farther between. Never mind that Adachi is a household name in Japan: here he’s a cult, and as such, deserves love.

KATE: Since I’m a proud owner of a cat, I feel duty-bound to recommend the seventh volume of Chi’s Sweet Home. It’s totally accessible to the feline-free, of course; I was an unabashed Dog Person at the time I reviewed volume one, and I thought it was utterly charming then. Now that I can compare my cat’s behavior with Chi’s, however, I have a new appreciation of Konami Konata’s artistry. She nails the small details, whether it’s the sound of Chi’s feet on a hard floor or Chi’s tendency to misconstrue everyday objects as “prey.” (So far, I’ve had limited experience with cat barf, though years of dog ownership have prepared me for the worst.) Not much happens in a typical volume of Chi’s Sweet Home, but the scenes are artfully staged, whether the intent is humorous or heart-tugging.

BRIGID: Hmpf. Midtown seems to be well behind the rest of the world, but given the list in front of me, I would go for one of the volumes of Twin Spica. I can’t say enough about how much I like this series, and the characters, and I also like that Vertical is releasing it in double-size volumes so we get a lot of pages for the money. Go Asumi!

MJ: With all these Vertical catch-up releases coming in, it’s tough to know which to choose, but I think I’ll take the opportunity to back up Michelle on this one and recommend No Longer Human. It’s the kind of series that leaves me mulling over it for days after I’ve finished a volume, so despite the fact that it “had me craving cheese puffs” (not so good for my waistline!), I highly recommend it.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 1/30/12

January 30, 2012 by MJ, Michelle Smith, Katherine Dacey and Sean Gaffney 4 Comments

This week, MJ, Michelle, Kate, and Sean take a look at recent releases from Kodansha Comics, Vertical, Inc., and the Digital Manga Guild.

@Full Moon, Vol. 2 | By Sanami Matoh | Kodansha Comics – Published a full ten years later than Matoh’s supernatural gender-bender Until the Full Moon, @Full Moon continues the story of pretty-boy vampire David and his werewolf husband Marlo (who turns into a woman on the night of each full moon). Though the new series features updated character designs and an internet-savvy title, it’s interesting to note how little else has changed. The series’ primary conflict still revolves around hapless romantic rivals attempting to break up the story’s main couple using revolutionary tactics like kidnapping. And though Matoh’s storytelling is more grounded than it was in 1998, there’s nothing unique enough to warrant more than a surface read. For readers like me, for whom the only draw of the original was Matoh’s gorgeous, retro artwork, I’d recommend passing on the cyber-age remake, though I must award a few points for sleeves. Not worth it for the lulz alone. – MJ

Air Gear, Vol. 21 | By Oh!Great | Kodansha Comics – After slogging through the “Full Contact” edition of Tenjo Tenge, I had a strong suspicion that Air Gear wouldn’t be my cup of tea. Reading volume 21 didn’t do much to change my opinion of Oh!Great as a storyteller — he vacillates between dopey harem comedy and ultra-violent nonsense with whiplash-inducing frequency — but it did convince me that his artistry has improved dramatically since TenTen. I was genuinely impressed by his slick, sexy character designs, elegantly choreographed fight scenes, and bad-ass monsters, even if the plot didn’t make much sense. I can’t say I enjoyed Air Gear, exactly, but I finished the volume with a grudging respect for Oh!Great’s ability to draw cool stuff. – Katherine Dacey

Cage of Eden, Vol. 3 | By Yoshinobu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – Cage of Eden is the manga equivalent of a frenemy. Sometimes it’s fun: Yoshinobu Yamada shamelessly borrows plot points from Lord of the Flies, Lost, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, creating an entertaining pastiche of chase scenes, monster fights, and teenage tribunals. Sometimes it’s a drag, however: Yamada seems to enjoy humiliating his female characters, who are groped and ogled at every turn. Only a third-act plot twist prevented me from throwing in the towel with Eden; it’s the kind of game-changing revelation that has the potential to move the story in an intriguing new direction, and make me (temporarily) forgive Yamada for his lousy treatment of Rion and Kanako. – Katherine Dacey

Full Bloom, Vol. 1 | Story by Rio, Manga by Saori Mieno | Digital Manga Guild – In this 13+ offering from the Digital Manga Guild, we meet Masaki Shiina, a princely karate expert who is holding a torch for Nagi, the girl who disappeared three years ago right after Shiina confessed his feelings for her. When she and her twin brother—who also goes by “Nagi”—transfer to Shiina’s school, he is thrilled to see her again (despite her initially frosty reception) but also confused by the appeal of her equally lovely brother. As the volume progresses, we learn a few of the twins’ secrets—with the suggestion of more to come—and that Nagi may really like Shiina after all. This might sound confusing and/or dull, but Mieno’s languid execution of the story promotes a mysterious atmosphere. True, Shiina’s not the most fascinating character around, but overall, the romantic triangle is shaping up to be more interesting than such things generally are. I’m looking forward to volume two! – Michelle Smith

Monster Hunter Orage, Vol. 3 | By Hiro Mashima | Kodansha Comics – The third volume of Monster Hunter Orage succeeds largely on the strength of Hiro Mashima’s wonderful cartooning. Watching Ailee and Sakya’s faces register amusement, irritation, bewilderment, and awe is a fine spectator sport; one could almost dispense with the dialogue in this goofy, somewhat aimless series, given how marvelously plastic the character designs are. Mashima also knows how to inject humor and suspense into the series’ rigid formula of track-fight-kill, whether he’s pitting the gang against a ferocious tundra jaguar or a herd of ‘tudinous lizards. The result is like a decent sitcom: it doesn’t push any creative boundaries, but offers a familiar and pleasing menu of laughs, conflicts, and big, toothy predators. – Katherine Dacey

The Song of Rainfall | By Nawo Inoue | Digital Manga Guild – I gotta admit, it was the cover that drew me to this one. No matter what it was about, I had to read it. As it turns out, this is a collection of stories about three couples. In “The Man Wearing One Sock,” Itou’s lousy luck begins to change when adorable Aoi moves in next door. “In First Love’s Midst” is a relatively insubstantial piece about a boy named Shin and the childhood caretaker he has come to love. The title story, about a reserved professor and the stranger he invites in from the rain on account of a resemblance to his first love, is the longest, but though it’s enjoyable, it lacks a certain emotional punch. That said, I like the way Inoue draws her characters, and would definitely read something else by her in future. – Michelle Smith

Twin Spica, Vol. 11 | By Kou Yaginuma | Vertical – Much of the first half of this volume deals with the fallout from last volume’s cliffhanger, and it’s handled perfectly, being achingly sad without quite getting overly sentimental. And it’s telling that it has a flashback to the five protagonists reiterating their dream to go to space together. This series balances those dreams with pragmatism, and while we want them all to succeed, intellectually we know by the end of the series, only Asumi’s going to be there. So we continue the ‘culling’ as it were – though I was pleased to see Marika’s story did not go the dark and downbeat way I thought it would – and come ever closer to the day when we know Mr. Lion is going to leave for good. Well-written stuff, though the end of this volume, coming so soon after the last one, does ring a bit false in terms of cliffhanger-ness. I’m not quite buying it. But this only detracts a little from a great series in its penultimate volume.-Sean Gaffney

Show Us Your Stuff: Hamster428’s Shojolicious Library

January 26, 2012 by Katherine Dacey 13 Comments

Another week, another awesome manga fan shares pictures of her stuff! Today’s featured collector goes by the handle Hamster428, and traces the beginning of her manga obsession to Doraemon. These days, her tastes run the gamut from Skip Beat! to Phoenix, and while she doesn’t actively collect rare titles, her library includes a unique edition of Mermaid Saga. (No word on whether that volume of Mermaid Saga is valuable…) So without further ado, I turn the floor over to Hamster428 so that she can introduce herself and her manga. – Katherine Dacey

Hi, this is Hamster428. I majored in engineering and make a living doing design work now. But aside from my job and my manga, I’m generally a non-geek, I swear.

How long have you been collecting manga?
If you count my Doraemon days, it’d be since I was six. No, really, I saved lunch money to buy my own volumes of Doraemon and Chibi Maruko-chan. But those days didn’t last long because we moved to the US when I was in the third grade. And it wasn’t until Fruits Basket came out over here that I bought my next manga volume.

What was the first manga you bought?
Doraemon. I must have been six, or something like that, because I couldn’t read a word. And I really, really wanted to learn, because I really, really wanted to know what the book says. Yes, parents, comics can be beneficial to your child’s education!

Doraemon and Snoopy... together again for the first time!

How big is your collection?
700 volumes, give or take.

What is the rarest item in your collection?
To be honest, if they’re that rare, I probably don’t own them. (See the gaps in my Phoenix collection…)

What is the weirdest item in your collection?
I didn’t think I owned anything weird — that is, until I bought an upside-down and backward copy of Mermaid Saga volume 2. (VIZ somehow flipped the cover in production.)

How has your taste in manga evolved since you started your collection?
I used to to read anything and everything that was available, which means shonen like Ore wa Teppei and very young shojo like Chibi Maruko. Now I tend to favor older shojo/josei and little of everything else. I guess you could say I’m a sucker for all things romantic.

Who are your favorite comic artists?
I may have a CLAMP “shrine” and everything, but that’s only for organization purposes. I practically worship Fujiko F. Fujio and Yumi Tamura, the former for writing my favorite series ever, and the latter for consistently writing quality series.

What series are you actively collecting right now?
Skip Beat!, 13th Boy

Spotlight on shojo!

Do you have any tips for fellow collectors (e.g. how to organize a collection, where to find rare books, where to score the best deals on new manga)?
I’m always pressed for shelf space so I’ve had to double stack for a while now. For those who want to double-stack but don’t want to hide one series behind another, you could do what I do and hide half of one series behind its other half. I’m not exactly anal about seeing every volume of a series so this works out for me (although I am generally more anal about my stuff being in alphabetical orders). And I suspect most of us are already using these, but I really recommend IKEA’s Billy cases. They’re the best for manga because of the adjustable shelves. They’re not fancy but they’re highly functional.

The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty

January 26, 2012 by Katherine Dacey 2 Comments

Among the many books I read and loved as a child, few left as indelible an impression as Mary Norton’s The Borrowers (1952). The book featured the Clocks, a family of mouse-sized people who lived, unseen, in the floorboards and walls of an old English house, stealing small objects and transforming them into furniture, cookware, and decorations. Norton’s rapturous descriptions of the Borrowers’ home so enchanted me that I still view thimbles and buttons not as human tools, but as tea-cozies and dinner plates for tiny folk.

The Borrowers made a similarly powerful impression on legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, who saw in the Clocks’ resourceful gathering a metaphor for the way ordinary people were living through “chaotic, unsure times.” In 2007, he teamed up with Keiko Niwa to adapt Norton’s story into a screenplay. He then hired Hiromasa Yonebayashi to direct the film version, The Borrower Arrietty, which took nearly three years to complete. (N.B. For the North American release, the film has been re-titled The Secret World of Arrietty.)

Through concept sketches, movie stills, and interviews with Yonebayashi, The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty walks readers through the three-year process of making the movie. We see numerous sketches of Arrietty — sometimes as fierce warrior figure, other times as a round, soft-faced girl — as well as Miyazaki’s first sketches of the Clocks’ tiny home. In every chapter, these rough sketches are juxtaposed with finished images, allowing the reader to appreciate the important role that art directors Noboru Yoshida and Yoji Takeshige played in translating Miyazaki’s ideas into animated sequences. No where is this more evident than in their rendering of the Borrowers’ habitat: the rich color saturation, palpable textures, and intricate patterns make the Borrowers’ world seem utterly real.

Readers should note that the book covers the entire movie, revealing several important plot points. The book also reproduces the complete script — again, something that spoiler-phobes should consider in timing their purchase of The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty. (The film arrives in North American theaters on February 17.) For anyone who’s been impatient to see the film since it was first announced in 2009, or who read and loved Mary Norton’s novel, however, the lush, lovely images in Arrietty are the perfect “trailer” for this much-anticipated film. Recommended.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media LLC. The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty will be released on February 7, 2012.

THE ART OF THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY • BY HIROMASA YONEBAYASHI • VIZ MEDIA • 200 pp.

The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty

January 26, 2012 by Katherine Dacey

Among the many books I read as a child, few left as indelible an impression as Mary Norton’s The Borrowers (1952). The book featured the Clocks, a family of mouse-sized people who lived unseen in the floorboards and walls of an old English house, stealing small objects and transforming them into furniture, cookware, and decorations. Norton’s rapturous descriptions of the Borrowers’ home so enchanted me that I still view thimbles and buttons not as human tools, but as tea-cozies and dinner plates for tiny folk.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media LLC. The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty will be released on February 7, 2012.

THE ART OF THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY • BY HIROMASA YONEBAYASHI • VIZ MEDIA • 200 pp.

Hyakusho Kizoku, Vol. 1

January 23, 2012 by Katherine Dacey 16 Comments

Drawn in a loose, improvisational style, Hiromu Arakawa’s Hyakusho Kizuko may remind readers of the gag strips that round out every volume of her wildly successful Fullmetal Alchemist. That’s not a knock on Hyakusho, by the way; like her fellow sister-in-shonen Yellow Tanabe, Arakawa’s omake are every bit as entertaining as her more polished stories, offering her a chance to riff on favorite characters, complain about her job, and reflect on her previous career as a dairy farmer.

In Hyakusho Kizuko, however, the focus is squarely on the joys and hardships of farm life, rather than the pressures of bringing a popular comic to press. Arakawa shares humorous anecdotes about her ongoing war with the Hokkaido squirrel, a skilled crop thief, as well as her family’s penchant for using animal medicines to cure their own ailments. She also waxes poetic about the temperament of cows — apparently, they make great pets — and celebrates Hokkaido’s important role in feeding the rest of Japan. (As she notes in chapter seven, Japan’s dependence on imported food would rise from 50% to 80% if Hokkaido stopped supplying the other islands with its agricultural products.)

Arakawa doesn’t neglect her life as an artist; throughout the stories, we see her interact with her editor, who’s decidedly skeptical about the marketability of agricultural manga. “How come you’ve written about poop two chapters in a row?” her exasperated editor asks. “In a farmer’s story, poop is your friend,” Arakawa cheerfully counters. Besides, Arakawa notes, her manga explores other topics: “I also mention cow teats,” she declares.

As these matter-of-fact exchanges suggest, Arakawa is eager to educate Japanese readers about where their food comes from. She drops facts about food consumption, discusses cow bloodlines, decries government interference in dairy production, and describes what happens to animals that don’t contribute to a farm’s bottom line. She does so with a light hand, however, interspersing the more serious discussions about sustainability with sight gags involving wild bears, foolish tourists, and barn cats.

None of these passages would be entertaining (or edifying) were it not for a solid adaptation. I’ve complained in the past about other JManga titles, which sometimes suffered from overly literal translations; witness Otaku-Type Delusional Girl, better known in English as Fujoshi Rumi. Hyakusho Kizuko, however, is a pleasant surprise; the translator has done an excellent job of rendering the text in fluid, conversational English that’s a genuine pleasure to read. In fact, the best compliment I could pay the translator is to note that I actually laughed out loud reading several passages.

I’d be the first to admit that Hyakusho Kizuko won’t be every FMA fan’s idea of a good read; folks who like Arakawa best when she’s staging magical combat may find the information-dense passages too didactic for their tastes. For curious city dwellers, however, Hyakusho Kizuko will be a revelation, offering them an entertaining look at the day-to-day operations of a working farm. Highly recommended.

HYAKUSHO KIZOKU, VOL. 1 • BY HIROMU ARAKAWA • SHINSOKAN PUBLISHING CO., LTD. • 139 pp. • NO RATING

Hyakusho Kizoku, Vol. 1

January 23, 2012 by Katherine Dacey

HYAKUSHO KIZOKU, VOL. 1 • BY HIROMU ARAKAWA • SHINSOKAN PUBLISHING CO., LTD. • 139 pp. • NO RATING