Michelle Smith

Off the Shelf: Angel Sanctuary, MMF Edition

April 21, 2013 by MJ and Michelle Smith 8 Comments

MICHELLE: Hey, MJ! When two angels meet, what do they say to each other?

MJ: Well, judging from the title we’re reading this week, something like, “Die, die, DIE!”?

MICHELLE: The punchline is technically “Halo!,” but I admit that your suggestion is much more appropriate!

I can’t remember whose turn it is to summarize, but I have a feeling you’ll do a great job with Angel Sanctuary, so want to give it a go?

MJ: I’ll do my best!

So, this month’s Manga Moveable Feast is dedicated to the works of Kaori Yuki, an artist whose work I’d had essentially no exposure to at all before the past few days. Though most of her existing work in English was published before I became a manga fan, Viz Media’s new practice of re-releasing older shoujo series in digital form has suddenly made one of them easily available. As Michelle has already indicated, that series is Angel Sanctuary, currently being released at VizManga.com.

Angel Sanctuary begins with the story of Setsuna Mudo, a scrappy high school student with a reputation for fighting, though his weakness as a fighter is that he falls asleep at the sight of blood. His other, greater weakness is that he harbors strong feelings of romantic love for his younger sister, Sara—feelings that she unfortunately returns in kind, which is a source of deep shame for them both.

As it turns out, Setsuna is actually the reincarnation of Alexiel, a powerful angel who long ago rebelled against the growing cruelty of the angelic realm, following the disappearance of God. Alexiel was ultimately defeated and sentenced to be reincarnated into misery, over and over again, but not before sealing away her twin brother, Rosiel, who had led the fight against her.

Though Alexiel has never retained memories from one reincarnation to the next, she’s been protected through all of them by a demon-like personage who makes agreements with humans to carry out their deepest wishes in return for taking control of their mortal bodies to keep himself in Alexiel’s company. In Setsuna’s lifetime, this demon lives in the body of Sakuya Kira, Setsuna’s oldest friend and protector.

(click images to enlarge)

Meanwhile, Rosiel’s faithful seek to awaken him from exile by way of a video game called “Angel Sanctuary,” which sacrifices the lives of the humans who play it in order to gather the power required to return Rosiel to corporeal form. This quest is led by Katan, a former lower being who was elevated to angelic status by Rosiel back during the height of his power.

MICHELLE: Nicely done! (Of course, the backstory doesn’t come out nearly as cleanly or clearly in the actual manga, but after a first volume that is, frankly, somewhat of a mess, the pacing for these revelations improves a good deal.)

After tainting himself by taking innocent human life, Katan is dismayed to find that Rosiel, whom he had hoped would end an ongoing power struggle in Heaven, is insane (and probably always has been) and obsessed with tormenting Setsuna to the point that Alexiel awakens, so that he might kill her.

Meanwhile, Kurai and Arachne—two demon survivors formerly protected by Alexiel—also seek the awakening, but for different reasons. This is complicated when Kurai falls in love with Setsuna, since he would cease to exist if Alexiel were to return.

MJ: I’d actually like to return to your parenthetical point up there, because this is really a pretty big deal. After all, I think we both originally thought we’d simply stop after the first excruciating volume, and it was only duty that pushed me on further, at which point I discovered that the story really does get going at long last. Before that, Angel Sanctuary is, to use your words at the time, “quite the slog.”

Unfortunately, some fairly crucial revelations (in terms of making this story work at all) are withheld until the third volume—I’m thinking particularly of the truth about Alexiel’s painful reincarnations. Up until that point, Setsuna and Sara’s agonizing love story feels more like some kind of authorial fetish rather than a meaningful plot point, and given that this is one of the most important relationships in the series, I think this contributed greatly to the “slog” impression, at least on my part. Admittedly, I’m also vastly more interested in the relationships and general character development than I am in the series’ complicated angel mythology, so perhaps this affected me more strongly than it might others, but damn. A little explanation earlier on would have gone a long way towards compelling me forward with something approaching enthusiasm. As it is, I crawled my way to volume three with hands and knees increasingly bloodied. It was not pleasant.

MICHELLE: My experience was quite the same. I don’t have exact quotes to hand, but something about Yuki-sensei’s author-talk columns gave me the feeling that she was congratulating herself for her audaciousness for tackling the subject of incest, so that put me off somewhat. And I have almost no interest in angel power struggles at any time, so hard-to-decipher angel power struggles are even less compelling. This ties in with what I think is the chief flaw of Angel Sanctuary in the early chapters—information overload, before we’ve had time to get to know or care about these characters.

There’s a telling note at the end of volume two, actually, where Yuki-sensei writes:

When someone says, “If you take this part slowly, there’ll be more feeling.” I have to reply, “But this chapter needs to go up to this part of the storyline.” And so, I cut out some, but it’s not enough, so I end up taking out sappy dialogue.

I think she should’ve listened to those people a bit more! Not that I necessarily want more sappy dialogue, but taking things more slowly might’ve, for example, allowed readers to be able to see Sara as her own person—someone who turns out to be stronger and more interesting than I initially expected—before focusing on how she and Setsuna are in love with each other.

MJ: Yes, exactly. I was surprised to find that, by the end of the third volume, I was actually beginning to care about their relationship. And that in itself should be surprising, because it’s the kind of relationship I normally would find compelling from the start, if I cared about the characters in the slightest. It’s worth noting that amidst the recent spate of fanservice-laden, incest-themed moe titles we’ve been seeing, Satsuna and Sara’s plight reads as particularly poignant. It’s never played for laughs, it’s genuinely heartbreaking—it’s got classic romantic tragedy written all over it. It’s more Flowers in the Attic than I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother!! and I’ll admit I ate that series up with a spoon when I was a teen.

(click images to enlarge)

MICHELLE: And though it may be tragic, it’s not as if the characters are playing at a bit of drama. One of the first scenes that got me interested in Sara occurs early in volume two, when Rosiel’s flunky has distributed pictures that look as if Setsuna and Sara are kissing, and she’s been called in to the office at her school. The nun lectures, “Feelings of love between brother and sister belong only to silly, spoiled girls who have fantasies of being some tragic heroine.” Sara’s internal denials of this were what, for the first time, made me realize that she truly was equally serious in her love for Setsuna.

And thankfully, despite the shaky start, I did come to care about other relationships in the series, too. I have a great deal of sympathy for Katan, for example, who sacrificed much for Rosiel’s sake, only to be cast aside for not being obedient enough. And then there’s Kira, who was the one bright spot early on and who continues to be fascinating, as he at first denies that he could possess any affection for Setsuna the “mere human,” but eventually must acknowledge that the merger with his human host has rendered him capable of love.

MJ: I agree—both the relationships you mention here end up being very compelling, and I’d like to discuss them both, too. Let’s start with Katan and Rosiel, because it’s one that gets fleshed out a bit earlier than the others, I think. What I find most heartbreaking here are Katan’s realizations over the course of the first few volumes, because he really is so loyal. He sees Rosiel as a true savior, and is utterly devastated when he finally realizes that, with the exception of himself, Rosiel has acquired all his devoted followers by using some kind of magic capsule to turn them into mind-controlled puppets. I found it particularly interesting that it wasn’t just the discovery of Rosiel’s means that horrified Katan, but specifically that Rosiel resorted to this method when many of his puppets actually had been truly loyal to Rosiel before they were turned. The fact that Rosiel was unwilling to trust that he could lead by appealing to others’ free will seemed to be what really upset Katan.

Then, of course, when Rosiel reveals that he’s not even willing to trust Katan‘s long-proven loyalty, it’s like a dagger to the heart.

MICHELLE: I genuinely loved that reveal about Rosiel’s army, both for the emotional impact on Katan but because it also sparked a tiny glimmer of interest in the angel power struggle. Katan’s dismissal made me wonder—and you’ve read farther than I have, so you might know the answer to this—whether he might eventually defect to the other side and help to defeat Rosiel.

MJ: You are *so* right. After endless pages of wordy exposition filled with names like “Raziel,” “Zaphikel,” and “Sandalphon,” and who’s who in the angelic hierarchy, having a little genuine intrigue and, for lack of a better word, humanity thrown in the mix was a lifesaver. I think this whole thing, including the realization that Rosiel has genuinely gone mad, also helps to make all the characters sympathetic in some way, which is a big deal for me, honestly. I’ve never really been interested in epic stories of good vs. evil (because I don’t really believe in the purity of either one), so the more Yuki grays things up, the better. I like things messy, in every way possible.

It’s this kind of nuance that really makes Kira’s story shine as well. We’re only just beginning to understand his true nature, but one thing that has become central to the story in volumes three and four is his own realization that he’s developed human attachments, and what that means for everyone involved. I was incredibly moved by scenes featuring Kira’s human father, who could not learn to hate his son, even after finding out that the Kira he’d raised from age eleven on wasn’t even his son at all. Some of this may come after the point you’ve read to, but oh, Michelle, it’s some of the best writing in the whole series so far.

MICHELLE: I agree entirely about the scenes between Kira and his father, in which we learn that Kira has been behaving awfully in an attempt to cause this man to abandon his love for his son in preparation of a time when Kira no longer needs that body, and he ends up dying for real, this time. (All of which is at the request of the original Sakuya, with whom demon!Kira is seemingly able to hold conversations.)

Honestly, with supporting characters like Katan and Kira around, I pretty much don’t give a flying flip about Rosiel and Alexiel’s conflict and drama. Perhaps Yuki-sensei will be able to make me care about that, as she was eventually able to do with some other plot elements.

MJ: It’s true, the whole Rosiel vs. Alexiel story is the least interesting thing to me in this entire series, at least by the end of volume four. Which is not to say that I have no interest in them as characters, but despite the fact that they are holding on to this old rivalry so tightly, it’s really their relationships with the other characters that make them who they are in the present. I suppose this is the real tragedy that only the reader can see, and perhaps that’s even something Yuki-sensei is trying to show us—that if Rosiel, especially, could put aside the thirst for power that drove him mad in the first place, and actually recognize the real love and loyalty available to him, vengeance might lose its urgency. I suppose this really is just a lesson for Rosiel, as it seems clear that Alexiel actually prefers to be Setsuna than herself. An early scene that caught my attention is one between Alexiel and Kurai, in which Alexiel admits she’d like to be reborn as a man.

Actually, gender, and particularly unhappiness with one’s biological gender, is an ongoing theme in this series. And while there are some fairly problematic elements in Yuki’s discussion of the subject, there’s so much discussion that it’s difficult to dismiss it all as the usual heteronormative manga gender-bending. It’s difficult to smash the gender binary in English, because we’re so dependent on gender-specific pronouns, but at least one character refers to herself as a “third gender,” and Kurai, for example, manages to be much more nuanced than the typical “tom boy” characterization. So as weary as I get with the endless statements about women only needing to be beautiful and to be protected, there seems to be some deeper thought behind it all.

MICHELLE: Oh, yes, I meant to bring up those statements. I thought it was interesting that most of the lines like “A girl needs to be protected; only then will she be beautiful and gentle” and “Find yourself a guy who’ll protect you” come from one character: Alexiel. That made them a little easier to stomach, like these are her opinions for some reason—she also implies that if she had a man’s love, she might never have conflicted with the other angels—and not necessarily the mangaka’s. True, Setsuna idealizes Sara and believes she must be protected, but then Yuki-sensei shows us that Sara’s not so weak or oblivious, after all. So, I wasn’t as irked by those comments as I otherwise might have been. (But, y’know, still a little irked.)

MJ: I’ll be interested to see where that line of thinking goes as the series continues. I’d like to think that these are beliefs that Yuki-sensei is interested in proving wrong, but it would be foolish to get my hopes up too high on that point.

As I flip through the first few volumes, looking for accompanying artwork, I realize that there are a whole host of characters we haven’t brought up at all, and I have to believe that this is mainly because, so far, they’re really just a part of the whole angelic political turmoil, in which neither of us has the slightest interest. I think it’s quite telling that the characters we have discussed are the ones who have become important in other ways.

MICHELLE: I feel like probably we should talk about Ruri, Sara’s friend, but I really don’t have much to say about her, since we see her as her actual self only briefly. Really, her fate just falls under the “Rosiel schemes to torment Setsuna” heading. And we haven’t even mentioned the super supreme angelic being everyone’s so in awe of, because he simply has no impact on the story as a character. He just appears once and, like, reattaches Setsuna’s arm. (Sidebar: there is a fair amount of arm reattachment in this series.)

MJ: I’d actually be interested in reconvening our discussion sometime after you’ve read volume four, because that’s when the “super supreme angelic being” (aka “Adam Kadamon”) finally becomes something truly significant in the story. The beginning of volume four offers up revelations on most of the topics we have discussed as well, including Kira and his father, Rosiel and Katan, and even Setsuna and Sara, whose story only becomes more poignant as Setsuna finds that he must force himself awake from a dreamworld in which he and Sara are a run-of-the-mill high school boyfriend and girlfriend (no familial ties at all), coexisting happily with all of their friends. Everything comes to a head in the beginning of volume four, leading to the beginning of a new arc just a chapter or so in that I’m hoping will finally make the story’s supernatural politics into something meaningful.

MICHELLE: For all its stumbling at the beginning, I think I’m invested in Angel Sanctuary enough to continue with it, so I am amenable to that suggestion!

MJ: I look forward to it!

Volumes 1-5 of Angel Sanctuary are currently available at VizManga.com. For more of the Kaori Yuki Manga Moveable Feast, keep your eyes on The Beautiful World!

Manga the Week of 4/24

April 18, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ and Michelle Smith 6 Comments

SEAN: It’s a healthy fourth week of the month here at Manga the Week of Central, with something for everyone. Let’s delve deeper.

Dark Horse gives us lucky Vol. 13 of Bride of the Water God, which is manwha, so I defer to those who know it better than I do.

MJ: This series is incredibly beautiful to look at. I’m behind a few volumes at this point, but it’s one of those I absolutely try to keep up with in print, just because it’s so pretty. It’s a keeper.

SEAN: There’s also Vol. 27 of Gantz, where bad things continue to happen to everyone, but at least they’re all in rubber lycra outfits.

MICHELLE: *snerk*

SEAN: Unico has shipped to most of its Kickstarter backers by now, but it finally hits retail next week. I have a review out that gives a deeper opinion, but suffice to say it’s cute, sad, and a little bit weird, like the best of Tezuka. Also, although there are lots of Pink Lady refs, be assured there is no Jeff Altman.

MJ: Children’s manga is rarely my thing, but your description is pretty compelling.

MICHELLE: Yeah, “cute, sad, and a little bit weird” sounds like a winning combination to me.

SEAN: Kodansha seems to have indicated that sales for Bloody Monday are meh, so I suspect this may be the penultimate volume over here. It’s still filled with action, intrigue, and lots of dead folks.

MJ: I dropped this early on, not because it wasn’t interesting, but because it wasn’t interesting *enough* to earn my money, volume after volume. I guess it’s not just me.

MICHELLE: I bought a couple of volumes but then never read them. I like the creative team, but just never found the time.

SEAN: Fairy Tail is a quarter of the way to 100 now, as Vol. 25 continues the S-class battles, with Fairy Tail fighting itself to see who is strongest. I suspect a third-party will get involved and ruin everything, myself…

The last of Del Rey Manga’s four debut series reaches its end, albeit at Kodansha Comics. Negima hits Vol. 38, with an ending that, um, well, it’s certainly something people talk about! Aheh. I’ll have more to say in my review, but let’s just say: Fandom *hates* Where Are They Now? endings.

MICHELLE: Even though I’m not a Negima! fan, it’s still something of an achievement that it’s finally complete in English.

SEAN: And then there’s Yen. The latest Alice spinoff, My Fanatic Rabbit, ends with its second volume. I really liked the balance between romance and psychosis, and hope it stays even in Vol. 2, though I admit I’m not optimistic.

Another lucky 13, with Black Butler. Though given the sheer power of its cast, I don’t think they really need to worry about black cats. I understand this volume has some nice Sebastian revelations.

MJ: I wish I could like this series. I would really like to like it. But every time I try, it’s a complete failure.

MICHELLE: I’m planning to talk about this volume soon on Off the Shelf, so I look forward to hearing about your attempts. For me, this is a series I kind of like, or at least find easy to read, but have no intentions of rereading.

SEAN: Ah, Bunny Drop has hit Vol. 8. I think this means that the matter of “that spoiler” may now be discussed. And may I say I’m almost relieved? In any case, I’m sure it will be SAFE AND FUN.

MJ: I’m really looking forward to seeing how this plays out! I have a lot of faith in the mangaka.

MICHELLE: I’m a bit more dubious, but will certainly be finishing out the series.

SEAN: A new series, in handy omnibus form! Yen has the first 2 volumes of Doubt, whose cover has everyone wearing bunny heads, but trust me, Bunny Drop this ain’t. It’s another survival game title, where you learn not to get too attached to anyone at all.

MJ: I suspect this may not be for me, but I fully intent to give it a try! These omnibus releases are great for that, because you get a really substantial go at it.

MICHELLE: Maybe it’ll turn out to be kinda fun, like BTOOOM!.

SEAN: Is This A Zombie? 4… yeah. Moving on.

Kieli has its 8th novel published. The story of a girl who can see ghosts, and her relationship with a man named Harvey. Who is not a 6-foot-tall pink rabbit, though it would fit with this week’s accidental theme.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 15 continues to adapt the 7th novel, and has steadily improved, though not to the point where I can say “you don’t have to read the book”. Because you do.

Pandora Hearts is also at 15, and I think I will yield to MJfor this one.

MJ: Oh, Sean… as you know, this series basically owns my soul. I’m expecting an enormous amount of drama in this volume, given where we left off. I’m expecting at least one heartbreaking loss. And I just can’t wait. Expect a flustered review of some kind to show up over the next week. I think this one’s gonna be a doozy.

MICHELLE: I’m a few volumes behind with Pandora Hearts. Clearly, I must rectify this.

SEAN: Lastly, there’s the 8th novel of Spice & Wolf, a title that always reminds me of Playboy Magazine, in that people always say they read it for the economics.

Getting anything interesting this week?

Pick of the Week: Pepita, Dorohedoro, Sidonia

April 15, 2013 by Michelle Smith, MJ, Sean Gaffney and Anna N 1 Comment

MICHELLE: I’ll definitely be picking up a few things on this list, and am particularly eager for the second volume of Knights of Sidonia. However, it’s not often that two of my interests—architecture and Inoue Takehiko—come together, so I am going to have to vote for Pepita: Takehiko Inoue Meets Gaudi. Honestly, I have no idea what to expect from this book but I have no doubt that it’ll be gorgeous.

MJ: I’m with Michelle all the way, this week. I, too, am looking forward to volume two of Knights of Sidonia (and the latest volume of Flowers of Evil as well) but my most-anticipated release is Pepita: Takehiko Meets Gaudi. It promises to be beautiful and fascinating.

SEAN: I’m not as hyped up about it as Excel Saga, but that’s because I’m not as hyped up about anythng as I am about Excel Saga. But those who follow my reviews have likely guessed my pick this week is Vol. 9 of Dorohedoro. The plot really picked up last time, which can be a problem with a series as dense as this one is—it’s another title that rewards multiple re-readings. Will Caiman finally discover his past? And does he really want to?

ANNA: I also agree with Michelle and MJ. I’m interested in both Pepita and Knights of Sidonia, but I’ll probably wait a little bit to pick up Pepita. I’m going to be reading Knights of Sidonia much sooner, so that gets my pick.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Manga the Week of 4/17

April 11, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, MJ and Anna N 3 Comments

SEAN: After a relative deluge the last two weeks, it’s much quieter this week. So what have we got here?

I admit that I’ve never been able to get into Animal Land, the shonen series that Makoto Raiku started up when he left Shogakukan loudly and angrily and moved over to Kodansha. But then I was never into Zatch Bell either. That said, I know some people who really enjoy this series about humans, animals, and families. And it’s still going in Japan, so don’t expect Vol. 7 to be the last.

MICHELLE: I read volume one and wasn’t sure what to make of it. I liked some things, but the art was ugly and there was lots of pooping and in the end I could never convince myself to read a second volume.

SEAN: I had actually thought that Arisa ended with Volume 10, but it turns out that it has two more volumes after this. Presumably the manga has not finished its advanced course on psychological drama and twin switches. Not that I’m complaining, it’s good stuff, even if I’ve fallen way behind.

MICHELLE: I’m several volumes behind, too, but I’ve been really looking forward to catching up when volume ten comes out.

SEAN: Drawn and Quarterly have said that despite Amazon saying their Kitaro collection is out next week, this is not the case – May is the date being given. But if you want yokai, only about 20 times more moe, why not try Seven Seas’ Kanokon omnibus? It features a busty fox girl yokai, and is also a classic harem with meek male lead. I suspect the crossover audience between D&Q’s yokai title and Seven Seas’ is zero, myself. But these series do pretty well for the publisher, as we found out in this interview.

Vertical gives us two of the hotter new series out there. Flowers of Evil hits Vol. 5, and people are certainly talking about it now that it has an anime adaptation! Hey, all publicity is good publicity. Plus it’s still a riveting psychodrama, no matter what the characters look like.

MJ: I’m not a big anime person, but I’ve been quite a fan of this manga series, so I’ll always look forward to more.

SEAN: There’s also Vol. 2 of Knights of Sidonia, which MJjust praised earlier today. I expect to see lots of space battles, lots of angst, and probably not a lot of humor. But hey, these sorts of series have surprised me before. Perhaps more bears?

MJ: Probably this goes without saying, given my post earlier, but YAY! I really can’t wait.

MICHELLE: I enjoyed volume one very much, and can’t wait for the second installment!

ANNA: I am looking forward to this as well!

SEAN: Speaking of series getting closer to their end, Bokurano: Ours must be running out of characters to kill off, as it only has 3 volumes to go after this. I admire the plot of the story and what the author is trying to say, but oh, so not for me.

MICHELLE: It *is* very depressing, but I still like Bokurano: Ours a lot. I think it’s the grim horribleness of the truth behind what’s happening that really hooks me.

SEAN: Dorohedoro, on the other hand, is not ending anytime soon, possibly to Viz’s chagrin. Still, I am pleased they’re still churning it out, as it remains my absolute favorite Ikki series, and it has the RIGHT kind of nihilism for me to get into (even if, yes, it also kills off a lot of its cast).

And it’s not manga, but it’s probably the most anticipated release of the week. Pepita: Takehiko Inoue Meets Gaudi is, in Viz’s own words, “Half travel memoir, half art book, all beauty.” Given the love folks have for Vagabond/Slam Dunk/Real, and the love many manga and non-manga fans have for Antoni Gaudi, this has all the hallmarks of a seriously impressive book. I hope to be amazed.

MJ: This is definitely my most-anticipated release for this week. I’m thrilled about the existence of a book like this in English, and I can’t wait to read it!

MICHELLE: I love architecture and I love Takehiko Inoue, so I don’t know how I could fail to love this book.

ANNA: This and Knights of Sidonia are honestly the only things I’m excited about this week. I plan to check it out!

SEAN: What are you buying this week? Also, doesn’t “God’s Architect” sound like the title of a Stephen Chow movie?

Pick of the Week: Excel Saga & some other stuff

April 8, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ, Michelle Smith and Anna N 5 Comments

SEAN: (flat stare)

MJ: There’s quite a bit on the menu for this week, but honestly not too much for me, which makes it incredibly easy to go for an older series that’s one of my new favorites. That, of course, would be Yun Kouga’s cat-ear-sporting, battle-filled, BL-tinged fantasy Loveless, currently running in Ichijinsha’s Comic Zero Sum and recently licensed-rescued by Viz. I’m a Kouga junkie of a sort, and Loveless delivers on everything I crave most from her series—idiosyncratic characters, complicated morality, and messy, messy relationships. My reaction to the release of a new omnibus volume is pretty much, “Gimme.”

MICHELLE: Yeah, not much for me on this list, either. Still, Punch Up! really has grown on me of late, so there’s no way I’d miss its fourth and final volume!

ANNA: Not a lot for me on this list. I’m going to go with Crimson Empire 1: Circumstances to Serve a Noble though, just because I decided not to resist the siren song of yet another Quinrose manga and I ordered it! We’ll see if I regret this pick once I actually read it.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 4/8/13

April 8, 2013 by Anna N, Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

This week, Anna, Sean, & Michelle look at recent releases from Viz Media and Vertical, Inc.

07 Ghost, Vol. 2 | By Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichihara | Viz Media I continue to dig the Saiyuki-like vibe of this series about a young boy gifted with power who finds himself suddenly living in a church filled with mystical fighting bishops. This volume shows Teito dealing with the spiritual possession of his only friend Mikage. Teito decides to join a training class and become a bishop himself, but the power that he contains inside him might be too difficult to wrangle. There are plenty of random moments of humor sprinkled between slightly incoherent yet awfully pretty scenes of priests battling demons. I’m enjoying this series so far, as it has a distinct visual look and Teito is a sympathetic main character. – Anna N.

Barrage, Vol. 2 | By Kouhei Horikoshi | Viz Media – And here we get the other side of the story, and see that yes, while some promising titles are cut short by unforgiving Japanese fans and editors, sometimes series just don’t take off. Astro and Tiamat arrive in a new city, meet a girl who could have been the standard girl of Jump’s “two guys, one girl” lineup, learn her tragic past, and fight baddies. But then we also get Astro’s own tragic past, and a quick explanation of his true origin that screams “we shouldn’t have known this till Volume 11, at least”. It’s a vicious circle – the manga wasn’t quite good enough to continue, so has to wrap up fast with an unsatisfying “the story will continue” ending. That said, there are some nice touches here – I love the space whale – and the extra showing everyone was acting was pretty cute. Farewell, Barrage. In the end, you weren’t Jump enough. – Sean Gaffney

Jiu Jiu, Vol. 4 | By Touya Tobina | Viz Media – Some titles enthrall me, some titles bore me, and a few titles offend my sensibilities, but there are only a couple of manga series I can think of that have frustrated me as much as Jiu Jiu. This being shoujo manga, Takamichi has no idea what love is, and over the course of the volume concludes, a) Snow and Night love her, and b) she loves them. Which is fine, except she still doesn’t quite get what kind of love it is. The best part of the manga focuses on this, with Takamichi bluntly being asked “Do you want to have sex with them?” (A reminder: Snow and Night are dogs. Sort of.) Unfortunately, the rest of the manga has Jiu Jiu’s usual issues – an incoherent plot, inconsistent art, and difficult to like characters. It could be better than it is. Something I’ve said for 4 straight volumes now, so I’m starting to think maybe it can’t. – Sean Gaffney

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 16 | By Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – Ahh, Kimi ni Todoke is always a delight, even when it brings tidings of romantic turmoil for its protagonists. Chizu is in a daze over Ryu’s confession, Ayane is uncertain about Kento’s intentions (could she really let herself believe that he’s genuinely serious about her?), and Sawako is feeling exceptionally awkward and nervous about Kazehaya, who seems to be keeping something from her. This leads to the best scene in the volume—one of the best in the series so far, in fact—where Ayane and Sawako have a really good conversation and share some of their worries and insecurities. I think I am going to have to call it: Kimi ni Todoke is the best shoujo series for depicting female friendships. (Sorry, Fruits Basket. I still love you!) There’s also a fun tribute section in the back with submissions from some familiar artists; Aya Nakahara’s is my favorite. – Michelle Smith

Limit, Vol. 4 | By Keiko Suenobu | Vertical, Inc. – The world our heroines now inhabit continues to break down, with corpses causing accusations and screaming incoherence, and no one can trust anyone any more. Suenobu’s best trait as an author is keeping the tension ramped up the entire volume, and this is probably the best one yet at forcing you to keep turning the page to find out what happens next. The art is also a plus – at one point in this volume, Morishige looked straight out of Drifting Classroom, a title this work has echoes of. This is definitely a series that works best in short, 160-page volumes – as an omnibus, it would be entirely too crushing, and even in these short bursts I long to cleanse my palate with something that has humor and fluffiness. But if you like tense, over-the-top teen thrillers, it’s one of the most compelling. – Sean Gaffney

Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 9 | By Hiro Arikawa and Kiiro Yumi | Viz Media – The cliffhanger to the last volume is resolved quickly, in a chapter that’s the weakest of the book. Luckily, stronger stuff happens next. With a hero who can get as dense as Iku, it’s great to see her excel in something other than “kicking asses”, and her scenes with the children in the library are pure gold. Even better is the final chapter, which revolves around censorship of a certain word. At first I wondered if there was a translation issue, as the word censored seemed totally bland. Of course, that’s the point – unchecked censorship can go after any word, phrase or medium, and the sheer innocuousness of it is why the Library Forces – and real life organizations – exist. It also sets up another cliffhanger, of course – this series is very good at making you want the next volume now. – Sean Gaffney

Off the Shelf: Re-evaluations & Adaptations

April 6, 2013 by MJ and Michelle Smith 5 Comments

MJ: Good morning, Michelle! Having a happy birthday week?

MICHELLE: Reasonably so! I’d grouse about my age, but since you’re older than me, I’ve decided to be sensitive.

MJ: I appreciate that, I really do. So, have you read any birthday-worthy manga this week?

MICHELLE: I have!

Since we’ve been doing this column for nearly three years (!), I thought it might be interesting to start revisiting some series that I first talked about in early days. Library Wars: Love & War had its second volume featured in our September 8, 2010 column, and at the time I was not complimentary. I found the concept “ill-defined,” the military ridiculous, Iku (the heroine) “annoying” and “inept,” and the series overall “sloppy and generic.”

So, how do I feel about the series in volume nine? Surprisingly benevolent! The concept is still very silly, as is the super-shoujo-riffic depiction of a military unit, and Iku is still inept in some areas, but somehow I have grown tolerant about all these things. Throughout the volume, she deals with things like a pervert in the library, testing to move up to Sergeant (which involves the arduous task of reading aloud to children), a plan to get the government to retract some of its censorship laws, and her knowledge that her commanding officer, Dojo, is the “prince” she has idolized since high school.

I admit, summarized like this, it doesn’t sound like Library Wars has overcome its sloppy and generic origins, but somehow I have started to honestly enjoy it. I just stopped expecting it to be something it wasn’t, or for certain elements of the story to make any sense, and decided to simply enjoy the romance unfolding between a shoujo heroine who is one part typically clueless and one part occasionally competent and a shoujo love interest who is your pretty standard gruff/stern guy with a soft and mushy center, except he’s short.

I can’t claim Library Wars has itself made a huge dramatic turnaround, since I suspect the real change has been in my mindset regarding it, but it’s a nice bit of fluff, and sometimes I like that.

MJ: Wow, has it really been that long?! I’m quite impressed by our dedication!

I remember well your initial reaction to Library Wars, and I have to say that I’m quite loving the fact that you’ve come to enjoy it! I think one of the best aspects of this kind of serialization is that so often this can happen. I’ll usually (usually) give any manga series at least three volumes (and often five) before giving it up, and I’m constantly surprised at how often this leads to readerly happiness.

MICHELLE: There must have been something about it that kept me coming back, despite my initial complaints, and I’m glad I didn’t give up on it!

What have you been reading this week?

MJ: Well, this week, I dug into volume one of Dark Hunters: Infinity, Yen Press’ graphic novel adaptation of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s The Chronicles of Nick, which is a sort of YA prequel to her popular Dark Hunter novels, with art by JiYoung Ahn. I’ve never read any of Kenyon’s hugely epic series; I really never thought they’d be my thing. And despite the more appealing (to me) YA vibe of this particular corner of Kenyon’s universe, I’m afraid the graphic novel adaptation may only be reinforcing my original impression of her work.

Fourteen-year-old Nick Gautier is in a tough spot. Though his greatest priority in life is trying to do right by his mom, who works herself to the bone as an exotic dancer to keep him fed and clothed, an unpleasant combination of school bullies and unwanted peer pressure are pushing him hard down a destructive path. And unfortunately, these aren’t the only forces seeking to wreak havoc on Nick’s life.

As his neighborhood falls victim to an infestation of living zombies, it becomes clear that Nick is much more than an ordinary human, and two warring supernatural factions are making a play for his soul. With a host of mysterious figures vying for his loyalty, young Nick struggles to figure out who he can actually trust—all the while, his future self looks on, desperately seeking to change his own path.

If the paragraph I just typed above was the total sum of what goes on in this series’ first volume, that would be a lot to handle in a single installment. Still, I wish that were the case—because the truth is, there’s soooo much more. So much, in fact, that I came out of the volume feeling utterly at a loss as to how to process what I’d read. This volume throws so many characters and supernatural concepts out at once that I think I might have done better if I’d stopped to take notes. And though I actually like being tossed in the middle of a complicated universe and certainly I’ve loved and even praised jam-packed openings like this in the past—the first volume of Pandora Hearts springs immediately to mind—what Pandora Hearts had that Dark Hunters: Infinity lacks is a set of characters so immediately compelling that anything else is rendered a non-issue.

Kenyon’s characters look like they should be compelling from the outset—a scrappy, underdog hero, a long-suffering mom, and a large collection of attractive, mysterious supernatural beings, each with his or her own unique abilities—but the further in you get the more generic they feel.

I’m suspect this reads more coherently as a novel—and maybe the characterization is deeper as well. But as it stands, I’m unimpressed.

MICHELLE: I reckon it makes business sense for Yen Press to produce these graphic novel adaptations, and sometimes they’re genuinely worth reading—Soulless is pretty fun, for example—but sometimes the original is just too sprawling and complex for it to work. And when the original is something that didn’t appeal much to me in the first place, I’m afraid I just can’t get excited about an adaptation.

MJ: Well said, on all counts. I expect I’ll continue with this series for at least one more volume, but I admit that the prospect feels a bit like a chore.

So, speaking of adaptations, our mutual read this week happens to be one as well! Want to give as an introduction?

MICHELLE: Sure!

Due out this Tuesday from VIZ is the first volume of Tiger & Bunny, which is, as the front cover proclaims, “based on the hit anime series!” Before I began reading, I knew two things about Tiger & Bunny—1) it was a popular anime and 2) it involves superheroes. After I finished… I still pretty much knew only those two things.

In the metropolis known as Sternbild City, there’s a popular reality show known as Hero TV, which bills itself as “rescue entertainment” and broadcasts heroes’ attempts to save civilians and foil criminals and rates them on their efforts. One such hero, Wild Tiger, has been around a long time and declined a great deal in popularity with the audience (he also has a ridiculous costume) and clashes pretty quickly with Barnaby Brooks, Jr., the newcomer who bucks tradition by showing his face to the audience. Practically immediately, the corporate bosses behind the show have paired them up and they’ve got to work together to stop a bullied kid with the ability to animate giant statues.

The volume goes by really quickly, and it felt to me like an episode of some Saturday morning cartoon.

MJ: I had very much the same reaction as you did here, Michelle. The volume whips by so quickly, my first thought when I finished it was that I really wished we were getting it in omnibus editions, because I felt like I didn’t have a chance to get to know the characters or story at all beyond the basic premise.

On the upside, unlike Dark Hunters: Infinity, what little we did get to see in these characters gave me a lot of hope that we have something more to learn. Right from the get-go, it’s clear that Wild Tiger, who is dangerously close to becoming a has-been, is at odds with the studio regarding more than just his declining ratings. Unwilling to strategically delay his heroic acts to coincide neatly with commercial breaks, Tiger appears to be the only hero in the bunch to still prioritize minor details like actually saving people over maintaining corporate sponsorships. And though Barnaby (whom he irreverently nicknames “Bunny” near the end of the volume) has been set up as his superior (Tiger is actually referred to as his “assistant” at one point), one can assume that he’s got a lot to learn from idealistic Tiger.

It’s not the deepest stuff, perhaps, but I’ll admit that the end of the volume left me genuinely wishing for more, rather than simply shrugging at its incompleteness.

MICHELLE: Although the ending is a bit hokey, it is true that Tiger’s the one responsible for saving the day for everyone in the situation. I admit to actually being a bit more curious about the supporting cast, some of whom are very quirky. At this point, I think I’d rather know more about Rock Bison than our two protagonists.

MJ: I guess we’ll just have to wait for the next installment to see if we can truly grasp the source of the anime series’ popularity. Fortunately, there’s enough here to keep us curious, at least for now.

Manga the Week of 4/10

April 4, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ, Michelle Smith and Anna N 5 Comments

SEAN: Yes, that’s right, after catching up digitally this week, next week will see the debut of Excel Saga 25! Both digitally and in print! We’re close to the end, folks! There’s only two volumes to go after this one! With Excel go back to her body? Will Watanabe win Hyatt’s heart? Will Misaki be tsundere or simply have a nervous breakdown? Will Elgala continue to be Elgala? We’ll find out next week! Can you stand the excitement?

So, what are you buying this week?

MJ: Ahem.

SEAN: Hm? Did I forget something?

MJ: (glares)

SEAN: OK, OK, it’s possible there’s a few more things coming out next week…

Speaking of series that have been going on seemingly forever, Oh My Goddess hits Volume 44. Forty-four! That’s as many as four elevens. And that’s fantastic. We’re still trawling through hell, meeting mini-boss after mini-boss, and this is still looking an awful lot like the series may wrap up after this arc. But we shall see.

As I noted in my Pick of the Week, some folks got their copies of DMP’s Unico a bit early. But it hits retail shops next week, and is a great Tezuka title for kids (in the same way that, say, Book of Human Insects isn’t). That’s not to say it doesn’t have sad or dramatic moments, but it’s definitely all-ages fun. And in full color!

MJ: I missed backing the Kickstarter for this, so I’m looking forward to picking it up.

SEAN: Kodansha is putting out Volume 3 of Missions of Love, a title I’ve enjoyed. I suspect the love triangle will get ramped up quite a bit, given the cliffhanger from last time…

MICHELLE: I read volumes 1-2 fairly recently, and it’s probably not a good sign that I utterly forgot the series even existed until just now.

SEAN: Seven Seas has the 7th volume of A Certain Scientific Railgun, one of my favorite titles of theirs. We just wrapped up a dramatic arc, and glancing at the cover, I expect that we’ll see a lot of cute comedy and quasi-romance here to make up for it. Should be fun.

The other series is a debut, though fans of Alice in the Country of Hearts may find it awfully familiar, as it shares the same author and is based off a similar series of Otome Games. Crimson Empire 1: Circumstances to Serve a Noble may sound like it’s straight out of Harlequin with that title, but it features hot assassin maid bodyguard action!

ANNA: I am somewhat tempted by this, just because I enjoy the Alice franchise much more than I expected to. And I love romance stories with insanely long titles.

MICHELLE: Wow, the cover for Crimson Empire looks very much like a BL cover with a random girl on it.

SEAN: SubLime offers us Vol. 4 of Punch Up! Unfortunately, I can’t find cover art anywhere, so can’t do my usual schtick of talking about BL with the cover as my only guide. So, I got nothin’.

MJ: For what it’s worth, this title is a favorite of Michelle’s, so I’m inclined to give it a thumbs up, with or without a cover.

MICHELLE: Yeah, it has really grown on me.

SEAN: Viz has Case Closed 46, in which I’m pretty sure some sort of mystery will be solved, and Conan… um, Jimmy will still be trapped as a little kid. Call it a hunch.

Itsuwaribito got to Vol. 8 before I even realized it, and it’s still running in Japan. This apparently features the cast arriving on an island and a character named Kuroha, but is not a Princess Tutu crossover. At all.

Loveless has another omnibus, collecting Vols. 5-6. Apparently it’s even more angst-filled than the previous two omnibi. If that is realistically possible.

ANNA: I have the first omnibus of Loveless sitting on my shelves and keep meaning to get to it.

MJ: Given my post last week, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I’m eagerly anticipating this volume. This has been one of my most enjoyable recent discoveries. Tension is really ramping up, too, so this installment should be pretty intense.

SEAN: Lastly, there’s the debut of Tiger & Bunny, whose anime has been insanely popular over here, so it’s no surprise that Viz would license the manga, which comes out in Kadokawa’s Newtype A. I’m not entirely sure what the series is about myself, except “superheroes” and “this BL fandom is so large it’s not even funny”, so look forward to seeing exactly WHY it’s insanely popular.

MJ: Michelle and I will be reading this for our next installment of Off the Shelf, and I’m looking forward to digging in!

SEAN: Oh yes, Midtown strangely has the first volume of No Matter How You Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular! out next week, which is a bit of a stretch, given Yen announced it Saturday with an October street date. I expect that’s a glitch.

So, aside from the obvious (Excel Saga!), what are you getting this week?

Pick of the Week: Saiunkoku conclusion & more

April 1, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Anna N and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: It’s rare that I go off of my own reservation, especially in a week with so much stuff piling in. But my pick of the week just arrived in the mailbox, and will be hitting stores soon: Unico, the new release of Osamu Tezuka’s put out by DMP’s Kickstarter label. Unico is a children’s title (in full color) about a unicorn who can bring others happiness; that said, it’s not as happy and fluffy as you’d expect, and can be quite tearjerking. It’s great to see, and I can’t wait to dig into it.

MICHELLE: Despite the presence of favorites like Sailor Moon, Dawn of the Arcana, Kimi ni Todoke, and Slam Dunk on Sean’s list, I am going to have to give my pick to a beloved series that’s ending this week: The Story of Saiunkoku. I’m very glad we got the chance to read this, but I’m so sad the manga has ended already, when there’s so much story in the light novels that we will never see! Still, that’s no reason not to read the part of the story that we did get, because it’s utterly charming.

ANNA: Since I can’t pick Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin two weeks in a row, I will highlight Library Wars Vol. 9, which is reaching increasing heights of romantic adorableness as Dojo and Kasahara seem to spend most of the volume blushing, lost in thoughts about their feelings for each other, and occasionally fighting the evil forces of library censorship. This shoujo manga isn’t very deep, but it is consistently enjoyable and always makes me smile.

MJ: There are a lot of strong titles on this week’s list, including all those mentioned above, but given that it’s reached its eighth and penultimate volume, I feel I must continue to root for Toru Fujisawa’s GTO: 14 Days in Shonan. When I placed this at the head of my Top Five New Print Manga of 2012, I talked a lot about Onizuka’s status as a genuine badass, and after volume seven’s terrifying blow against the kids he’s worked so hard to protect, I’m counting on his stubborn, badass nature to see us through. This is a series I’ll savor to the end.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 4/1/13

April 1, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Anna N, MJ and Michelle Smith 1 Comment

This week, Sean, Anna, MJ, & Michelle look at recent releases from Kodansha Comics, Viz Media, Yen Press, and Vertical, Inc.

Attack on Titan, Vol. 4 | By Hajime Isayama | Kodansha Comics – The art still has issues with facial differences, but this is finally the volume where we see developed characters beyond the big three. Annie and Jean both get to show off potential antagonist chops, but my favorite was Sasha, or “Potato Girl.” In a manga as deeply depressing and bleak as this series is, we need moments of levity—moments we didn’t get in the first three volumes. Sasha’s personality, love of food, and general liveliness are a breath of fresh air. Of course, that doesn’t mean this volume is all laughs. We cycle back and forth between training flashbacks and the present day so quickly that I lose track of which is which (black borders would help, Isayama—don’t you read manga?), and the present day is bad for everyone, with more corpses, more distrust of Eren, and a bleak future promised. Also, Blouse? Not Braus? This reminds me of Fairy Tail romanization… -Sean Gaffney

Demon Love Spell, Vol. 2 | By Mayu Shinjo | Viz Media I read the first volume and liked this series much more than Ai Ore!, and that was confirmed by the second volume, which kicks off with an unexpectedly poignant story of a lost fox demon. Miko continues to be a reasonable foil for any demons she encounters due to her almost bull-headed obliviousness. A scene of her fending off a demonic spirit with an extra sandwich was hilarious. Kagura is very much the typical alpha male Shinjo hero, but his frequent transformations into a tiny handbag mascot keeps him from being too insufferable. This is going to be a go-to fun read for me whenever I need a bit of a laugh. – Anna N

Durarara!! Saika Arc, Vol. 1 | By Ryohgo Narita, Suzuhito Yasuda, and Akiyo Satorigi | Yen Press – As always with DRRR!!, there’s a lot going on here at the same time. Mikado fades into the background a bit, as we turn to Anri and her own self-esteem issues, which aren’t helped by a sexually harassing teacher. Shizuo is on the cover, and some of his backstory is covered here, showing why he is so incredibly strong—and why it’s a burden rather than a choice. And of course there’s also a series of assaults in the city, as everyone’s getting slashed by a mysterious demon sword—who’s also an internet troll. DRRR!! is the sort of series where explaining everything that’s going on makes it sound more complicated than it is. This is the life of a city, as filtered through about 20 different cast members. Like the author’s other series, Baccano!, there is no main character. Just lots of fun and chaos. – Sean Gaffney

Limit, Vol. 4 | By Keiko Suenobu | Vertical, Inc. – As swiftly as Limit‘s group of survivors came together in the series’ third volume, they fall apart even more quickly in the fourth, as it becomes clear that one among them has committed a brutal murder. Accusations are hurdled from all sides, and yet another member of their party will be lost before the group finally settles into a sort of grudging paranoia that is unlikely to abate anytime soon. Volumes of this series seem to fly by, that’s how engaging they are, and I emerged from this one with a combination of dread and feverish anticipation. Fortunately, these are being released on a reasonably brisk schedule, with volume five due out before the end of May. Given the series’ tense atmosphere and quick pacing, it’ll be a great candidate for marathon reading once all six volumes have been released. I look forward to that re-read for sure. Still recommended. – MJ

The Story of Saiunkoku, Vol. 9 | By Kairi Yura and Sai Yukino | Viz Media – The main storyline of The Story of Saiunkoku wrapped up quite satisfactorily in volume eight, and I never would’ve thought that a subsequent volume of side stories would be necessary. And, indeed, it really isn’t. There are three stories in this final volume—“So Began the Fairy Tale,” which offers a glimpse at the early loss of innocence suffered by Shoka, Shurei’s father; “Hurrican Ryuren Strikes the Capital,” about the eccentric member of the Ran clan who achieved the second-highest rank on the civil servants’ exam; and “Someday I Will Come to You,” about Shoka’s odd brother Reishin and his continued obsession with Shurei. Actually, rather a lot is made of Reishin and his obsession for Shoka, too, and it’s a joke that’s warn a bit thin with me. Nevertheless, this is a pleasant volume, if not the most dramatic or substantial. I’ll miss this series. – Michelle Smith

Off the Shelf: Supernatural Sunday

March 31, 2013 by MJ and Michelle Smith 8 Comments

MICHELLE: Hey, MJ! Why did the Easter egg hide?

MJ: Hmmm… I don’t know, Michelle. Why did the Easter egg hide?

MICHELLE: ‘Cos he was a little chicken.

MJ: Ouch. Ouch, ouch. Er. I mean. Ha ha!

MICHELLE: It actually genuinely makes me giggle, but I am predisposed to find chickies amusing.

Anyway! Encounter anything amusing in the realm of manga this week?

MJ: Indeed I did! My first read this week was volume one of Tania del Rio’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within, a manga-style graphic novel collecting the first ten issues of her series, which began its run in 2004. This came out just last week from Archie Comics, and though I realize it’s comprised of previously released material, I’m surprised it hasn’t gotten more buzz.

Sabrina’s been an Archie Comics staple since the 1960s, and she’s appeared in such a variety of mediums (comic books, animated television, live-action television), it’s difficult to imagine that more than a handful of Americans my age and younger could have avoided running into her one way or another. When this graphic novel appeared in our mailbox, my husband—who’d been a fan of the 1996 live-action sitcom starring Melissa Joan Hart—grabbed it up to read before I even had a chance. I was in the thick of my own professional acting career during most of that series’ 7-year run, and I hadn’t been a fan of comic books growing up, so my own history with Sabrina was fairly minimal. Yet here she is now, right in my wheelhouse!

For the two or three people who’ve never encountered her, Sabrina Spellman is a typical North American teenager—mostly. Her days are spent navigating the treacherous world of high school, friendships, and teen romance. Her nights are spent in another world entirely—the Magical Realm, where she studies her true birthright, witchcraft. As one of a growing number of witches who have chosen to live in the mortal world (Sabrina shares a house with her two grownup aunts and a talking cat, Salem), Sabrina delicately balances two separate lives and two separate love interests—shy jock Harvey in the mortal world and charismatic player Shinji in the Magical Realm.

If this sounds like ideal fodder for shoujo manga, Archie Comics obviously agrees—and they’re not wrong, for the most part. Though the series’ episodic format is initially a bit lacking in the kind of depth and character development we tend to expect from manga, later chapters really begin to gel, growing into a character-driven supernatural romance with one hell of a cliffhanger at the end of the volume. And if I’d like to see the story tip a bit more towards supernatural adventure and a bit less towards romance, that’s a very personal quibble.

Where the series really betrays itself as North American manga style comics, is in the artwork—not that this is a big surprise. For my tastes as a manga fan, The Magic Within fails where a whole lot of OEL manga fails, and that’s with cramped, over-toned pages filled to the last inch with ink. As a shoujo manga fan accustomed to delicate line art, sparse backgrounds, and gracefully flowing panel layouts, Sabrina begins as a cluttered, disorienting, inky assault. Fortunately, it’s engaging enough to ultimately render this a non-issue, and by the end of the book I was anxious for more.

MICHELLE: I actually watched some of the live-action Sabrina, though not avidly. And so it feels weird to me that there’s suddenly a love interest called “Shinji” in this comic. Perhaps this is jaded, and I am completely overlooking all of the good things you just mentioned, but this strikes me as “manga fans will think it’s manga if there’s a Japanese guy in it!”

MJ: I definitely get where you’re coming from, and maybe my minimal exposure to earlier versions of Sabrina makes that easier for me to swallow. But the truth is, Shinji is so charming a character, it’s difficult not to just plain like him. I think a chapter later in the book where we meet more of his family (including a mortal uncle who visits from Japan and popularizes Salem as a stuffed mascot—much to Salem’s dismay) helps, too, by giving him some real background. And I’ll admit I can’t help rooting for him in the ongoing Harvey-Shinji romantic showdown (where, as Guy #2, he’s obviously doomed), though at this point, I’m more interested in the volume-end cliffhanger, which is actually all about Shinji, and looks to be potentially quite serious.

The truth is, I enjoyed this book a lot. And for what it’s worth, my Sabrina-fan husband gave it an enthusiastic thumbs-up as well.

So what have you been amusing yourself with this week?

MICHELLE: The most amusing manga I read this week was our mutual read for today’s column, but I suppose we’ll get to that in a moment.

My solo read this week was volume 66 of One Piece, which you totally still need to read. This series experienced a two-year time jump prior to volume 61, and volume 66 wraps up the first arc of the “New World,” in which the Straw Hat pirates have reunited and helped thwart an attempt by some human-hating fish-men pirates to take over Fish-Man Island.

This arc has not been an emotional one for our characters—they’re helping, but they’re not personally invested. Rather, the arc is about a fresh start, and so far seems intended as a backdrop against which our heroes can show off the new techniques they’ve learned in the past two years, as well as some of the insecurities they’ve conquered—Chopper no longer has stigma about being a monster, Usopp no longer reacts to taunts about being the weak link in the crew. That isn’t to say that there aren’t some truly nice moments—I’m particularly fond of the several pages depicting the celebratory feast after the battle is won.

A lot of the other things I thought were nifty were more plot-related. I always like it when there’s talk of adding someone to the crew, for example, and then there was a lot of stuff about the mystery of the missing 100 years of history—a subplot that’s been on the back burner recently—and a suggestion that Luffy might possess an ability rare for a human, one which only the previous Pirate King possessed. The one sour note was the depiction of a large female villain, but then I realized that Oda actually does extremely well at involving large heroic people in his series (of both genders), so my brief flare of irritation quickly faded.

Ultimately, this arc’s been fun, but not One Piece at its best.

MJ: I suspect any really long series is going to have its less exciting arcs, and at 66 volumes One Piece has certainly earned a rest. I hope for your sake that it is leading up to further greatness, and not petering out like most long series eventually do. I’ll admit it’s that 66 volumes that makes venturing further than the three I’ve personally read feel really daunting, but I keep planning to dig back in!

MICHELLE: I think if you could just get to volume nine, you’d see what the fuss is about!

Feel up to introducing our mutual read?

MJ: Sure! Our mutual read this week was volume two of Yuuki Kodama’s Blood Lad, a sort of horror/comedy seinen manga currently running in Kadowaka Shoten’s Young Ace and being released here in double-length omnibus editions by Yen Press. I read (and enjoyed!) the first volume of the series back in December, but Michelle’s just catching up now, so for those of you who are also tuning in for the first time, I’ll briefly go over the premise.

Staz is a young vampire who is also boss of a largish territory in the lower (read: slummier) levels of the demon world. He’s also obsessed with mortal Japanese pop culture, so when a Japanese teenager named Fuyumi accidentally turns up in the demon world, he latches on to her right away, demanding her opinions on manga, anime, and video games. As a human, Fuyumi’s chances of survival are slim in the demon world, and it isn’t long before she’s killed and becomes a ghost. This leads Staz on a quest to bring her back to life—partly for his own sake (he’s dying for some real time in the human world) and partly for hers, which is surprising to Staz, as he generally cares little for others. This leads to all sorts of mayhem, including a run-in with Staz’ friend/rival (a werewolf creatively named “Wolf”), who ultimately joins him in his quest to resurrect Fuyumi.

One thing that’s mentioned a few times in volume one is that though Staz lives in the lower-class area of the demon world, he’s actually a pure-blood vampire—a direct descendant of Dracula, even—and this becomes even more important in volume two, where he finds himself in the thick of a family plot, hatched by his manipulative older brother Braz and carried out with the help of their ruthless little sister, Liz. Though volume two begins with Staz directly at odds with his siblings, one of the volume’s nicest surprises is the evolution of Liz’s character as she begins to realize just how controlling and self-serving her oldest brother is. The series’ other delightful surprise—in my opinion at least—is its genuinely funny comedy, but I probably should let Michelle weigh in before going on further about that.

MICHELLE: Originally, I really didn’t think Blood Lad would be something I’d enjoy, but after your experience with it, I couldn’t help but be curious. And now I’m quite glad I decided to check it out, because I liked it very much!

While I like Staz and Fuyumi and am reasonably interested in the fulfillment of his quest, the thing I like best about this series is how it doesn’t do what I expect. For example, one might expect female characters as blatantly buxom as these to be put into fan service poses at every turn, but that doesn’t really happen too often. And that friend/rival, Wolf? He actually takes a break from a fight he’s losing, allowing Staz to take over. Like, with absolutely zero posturing or hurt pride! That is certainly rare!

The very best part, though, is the comedy. Many of the best lines go to Mamejirou, a three-eyed, prescient, low-level demon critter who is pretty much as adorable as it gets. There’s a recurring gag in this volume where boisterous teleportation expert Bell makes a grand entrance to a scene, at which point Mamejirou says something like, “Seriously. Rude.” I love him. (I suppose this is not surprising, considering my love for Koh in Silver Diamond.) The adaptation is also well done, and incorporates a few meme references that I found fun.

So I suppose I need to thank you for convincing me to give Blood Lad a chance!

MJ: I’m both thrilled and relieved that you ended up enjoying this manga, because I would have felt very guilty if you hadn’t! And yes, yes on the comedy. Volume two in particular contains a lot of older manga references as well, from Lupin III to Dragon Ball (chapter 15’s Dragon Ball bit is just plain awesome), though probably these are most enjoyable for long-time manga fans. That’s really much of the series’ charm, though. It’s a love song to otaku, through and through, and who can resist that?

MICHELLE: I had expected it to be longer (only seven volumes appear to be out in Japan right now, with the eighth due next week, if I am interpreting Amazon.jp correctly), but I guess because it’s seinen, it’s serialized less often. Which means after the third Yen Press volume in May (comprising volumes five and six), we might have to wait a while. I will miss Mamejirou in the interim!

MJ: As will I! Thanks for bringing this over, Yen Press!

Manga the Week of 4/3

March 29, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Anna N, MJ and Michelle Smith 3 Comments

SEAN: Too much manga next week. Luckily, a good chunk of it came in everywhere except Diamond *this* week, so that takes a bit of the curse off.

Attack on Titan 4 still has lots of horrible death, grotesque horror, and the fear that this series will end with *everyone* dead. But – BUT – it has Potato Girl. More on her in my weekend brief. Suffice to say, she’s a great reason to grab this.

ANNA: I remember being vaguely intrigued when I saw the license announcement for this manga, but I never really followed up on that. Should I give it a whirl? I’m feeling a bit ambivalent knowing that there’s a “Potato Girl” in it.

MJ: I really liked the first volume of Attack on Titan, yet never bought more. “Potato Girl” might be the tipping point, though, for getting me into the bookstore.

SEAN: Battle Angel Alita: Last Order starts its omnibuses. I already reviewed this one, and suffice to say that I was mostly pleased, even if it is losing something by Kodansha being unable/unwilling to license the original Alita.

Fairy Tail 24 wraps up its Edolas arc and starts a new one, with a competition to see who will be the next S-class mage. Oh, and a surprise return! Big surprise – it divided the fandom when this came out in Japan.

Love Hina finishes its re-release with the 5th omnibus, a slightly smaller one containing the last two volumes. No surprises to see who gets paired off in the end, but the amount of focus on swordswoman Motoko may surprise people.

Sailor Moon hits the big 1-0 and wraps up the SuperS arc. (That’s right, there’s no cliffhanger for once.) This was the first Sailor Moon manga I ever read back in the day, and its disturbing nightmarish imagery still stays with me.

MICHELLE: Volume 10 wasn’t the first Sailor Moon manga I read, but it was the first one I reviewed. The review mostly consisted of squee about the Outers and Amazoness Quartet, though. Up next – the Sailor Starlights! I might be in the minority, but I do love them so. (Probably more in the anime, though.)

ANNA: Several years ago I would not have thought that there would be such an abundance of Sailor Moon. I am unfortunately behind on this series, but am looking forward to indulging in some binge reading one day.

MJ: Same here. I bogged down after a few volumes, mainly due to a limited budget. I need to pick up the pace!

SEAN: Meanwhile, on the Vertical beat, we have the penultimate volume of GTO: Shonan 14 Days. Given the cliffhanger from 7, I expect most of this volume to be things going very, very badly. Luckily, Onizuka doesn’t know how to give up.

MJ: I have so much love for this little series. I can’t believe it’s nearly over!

SEAN: Limit hits Vol. 4, and has a new girl on the cover, and no doubt lots of tense survivalist horror and teen drama.

MJ: After volume three, I’m really on the edge of my seat, though I approach volume four with some real apprehension. This series is that tense.

SEAN: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin 1 is Vertical’s big release. It’s a deluxe omnibus hardcover, and simply looks expensive and gorgeous. I’ve heard good things about the content as well, as many Gundam fans apparently cherish this.

ANNA: I am sooooooo annoyed that my copy of this is currently languishing on a FED EX truck somewhere.

MJ: I really want to love this, though I’m a little nervous, given the weight of its fandom. Having never watched the anime nor read any of the other manga adaptations, will I be able to approach it as a fresh, new fan?

SEAN: The rest of the list is aaaaaall Viz. Barrage ends its short run with Vol. 2, hitting the Shonen Jump new series wall. Still, this does not necessarily mean that it’s a failure as a story. It’s worth checking out.

MICHELLE: I definitely liked volume one enough to check out volume two. I agree that it’s worth reading.

ANNA: This was an enjoyable series.

MJ: Indeed!

SEAN: Bleach hits Vol. 56, and has probably survived that early cancellation problem that befell Barrage. It’s not as popular as it once was, but it’s still a mainstay.

MJ: Heh. Yes.

SEAN: Blue Exorcist is the cream of the crop at Jump Square, and every volume brings fresh new delights. I think they’re still fighting toxic monsters from beyond, so it’ll be nice to see how they fix that.

MICHELLE: I really need to catch up on this!

SEAN: Also at Volume 9 is Dawn of the Arcana, which runs in Cheese! but so far has not been nearly as saucy as I was expecting from that shoujo/josei straddling magazine title.

MICHELLE: There are a couple of small “huh?” moments in the plot in this volume, but overall it provides some good drama, as Nakaba’s power proves to be quite a burden.

ANNA: I enjoy it, mostly because it has a sensibility that reminds me of some of CMX’s great fantasy titles.

SEAN: Anna may be gone, but Maria’s problems are still around as Devil and Her Love Song enters its second half. Vol. 8 will no doubt introduce new plot twists. I suspect the choral director may feature. (At least we haven’t seen the evil teacher lately…)

MICHELLE: Another one I intend to catch up on soon.

ANNA: The choral director seems a bit too invested in Maria. I am suspicious of him.

SEAN: By popular demand, Hana-Kimi continues its cheap 3in-1 omnibuses, containing Vols. 10-12. Do you like crossdressing, misunderstandings, and as close to BL as Hana to Yume ever gets these days? Then this is for you.

MICHELLE: Snerk. I read this the first go ’round, and while I liked it for most of the time, the ending profoundly irked me. I have a hard time recommending it because of that.

ANNA: I love this series!

SEAN: Jiu Jiu has hits Vol. 4, and I’m still on the fence about it. It has its good points and its bad points, but I’m not sure there’s enough good points to keep up with it. Still, wolf boys. Gotta love ’em.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I think I’m done. I really did try.

ANNA: I am not feeling this series either.

MJ: I really wanted to like wolf boys, but… no. Not really.

SEAN: I have no such issues with Kimi ni Todoke, which is at Vol. 16 but will never be unwelcome in my come. With one exception (sorry, Kent, I still have issues), the cast is absolutely perfect. Who isn’t reading this?

MICHELLE: If you aren’t, get on it!

ANNA: Kimi ni Todoke is so great. I love reading the stories of the supporting cast.

MJ: What they said!

SEAN: Library Wars: Love & War is yet another Vol. 9, and has hit the dreaded “caught up with Japan” stage (or at least as caught up as Viz allows itself to get). When we left off, they were using Iku as cute bait to catch a molester. I expect CUTE VIOLENCE will ensue.

MICHELLE: I ended up enjoying the eighth volume a lot more than I expected to, so I’m looking forward to volume nine. Also, don’t forget to check out the trailer for the movie that Anna recently posted!

ANNA: There is no way I wasn’t going to love a series about weaponized librarians, but let’s face it, this series is mega adorable.

SEAN: Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan. Saigon. I can’t believe we’re still in Saigon. Substitute “Kyoto” for Saigon and you have the gist of where I am with Nura. Still, I like it enough to soldier on. Especially as I know we still have at least two volumes to go.

Slam Dunk hits Vol. 27. I think basketball is involved in this particular volume.

MICHELLE: Hee. I’ve gotten to the stage where I’m starting to hoard the final volumes of Slam Dunk so I can read them back-to-back. That means I’ll have to wait ’til December, but it’ll be totally worth it.

ANNA: It is amazing how Slam Dunk can spread out one basketball game over several volumes and still manage to be utterly engrossing.

SEAN: Our last Vol. 9, as Story of Saiunkoku continues to be the shoujo Yes, Minister. Civil Service intrigue has never been so pretty.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one, too!

ANNA: I am sorry to see this series end as I would happily have read 9+ more volumes.

MICHELLE: Oh, is this the end?! Somehow I completely missed that.

SEAN: It is the last one, and I totally missed it as well. The story continues in the 11 billion light novels that will never, ever come over here.

ANNA: That makes me sad, as I really enjoy this story. But I’m glad we at least got the manga!

MJ: I, too, am really sorry to see this series end. It was a rare and wonderful treat.

SEAN: Toriko is up to Vol. 15, and has a cover that can best be described as TEETH. I think we start a new arc here as well.

MICHELLE: Yeesh. I intend to read Toriko, really I do, but this cover is giving me pause.

MJ: I have never been able to stomach this series. So to speak.

SEAN: Lastly, there’s Vol. 4 of Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, which I dunno, whatever, I fell off about 4 Yu-Gi-Ohs ago.

There has to be something in that pile for everyone. What’s yours?

Pick of the Week: Blood & Mecha

March 25, 2013 by MJ, Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and Anna N Leave a Comment

MJ: We’ve got some interesting titles to choose from this week—not a lot in the way of long-standing favorites, but quite a bit of variety. Given my initial reaction to this series’ cover images, I’m surprised to hear myself saying this, but I’m giving my vote this week to volume two of Yuuki Kodama’s Blood Lad. I enjoyed volume one quite a bit—more than my colleagues, I believe—so I’ll be delving into the second volume with a great deal of optimism. Apparently, otaku vampires are my thing after all! This title was a surprise hit for me, and I’m really looking forward to continuing with it.

SEAN: We’ve finally hit the last bad end of Higurashi: When They Cry, and it’s a really bad end, as you’d expect with the title Massacre Arc. The arc after this is a bit contested among fandom, but everyone seems to love this one, which may end in tragedy but is the emotional catharsis of every other arc that came before it. It may not run in Jump, but the precepts of Friendship and Training (well, living through the arcs could be considered training in a way) are here in spades, and will help to achieve Victory in the Festival Accompanying Arc. No victory here, though. But oh so close.

MICHELLE: I think I’m gonna go with Durarara!! Saika Arc this week. As I wrote in a recent Off the Shelf, so far “this is shaping up to be a lot more linear than the original, and I’d say a definite improvement.” The story’s self-contained, so one could start here, but be prepared for a disorienting glut of characters at first. Since you’d encounter the same even if you started at the actual beginning, though, there’s really no difference.

ANNA: I think Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin comes out this Tuesday, and I am genuinely excited for that. Based on the Japanese Aizoban editions and produced by Vertical, this is a manga that should be a treat to own.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 3/25/13

March 25, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Anna N and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

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

Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 9 | By Rei Toma | Viz Media – Dawn of the Arcana is shaping up to be a decent fantasy adventure! Nakaba and friends are presently in Lithuanel, attempting to broker an alliance with Senan, but the foreign land is no stranger to ruthless political machinations, as Nakaba soon knows all too well, thanks to her power, the Arcana of Time. In fact, this volume makes it clear that the ability to see into the past and the future is far more of a curse than a blessing, as Nakaba learns just what it is that her attendant Loki has been hiding and soon faces a terrible choice. Meanwhile, her husband, Caesar, sails home to an uncertain fate. A little bit of sloppy plotting and art that’s a bit too simple keep this title from achieving true epic status, but it’s still quite entertaining. Highly recommended. – Michelle Smith

Genshiken: Second Season, Vol. 2 | By Shimoku Kio | Kodansha Comics – Most of the original cast of Genshiken has moved on by this volume – Sasahara barely appears, Saki is absent, etc. But Madarame has always been Genshiken’s heart, so it’s no surprise that he can’t drag himself away from the narrative for long. Which is good, as it’s becoming clear that he’s having a mini-harem form around him. Not that he’s aware of it or anything. It’s good as this is a goldmine of humor, and allows Genshiken’s funniest characters – particularly Sue, who gets her own omake devoted to how awesome she is – shine. But what the 2nd season really seems to be about is Hato and his gender identity, and that’s handled quite realistically and sensitively. In short, it may be a second season with a new cast, but Genshiken still does what it’s always done best – give otaku nerds depth and heart.– Sean Gaffney

Kimi Ni Todoke, Vol 16 | by Karuho Shiina | Viz Media This is one of those shoujo series that is just always excellent. We see Sawako and her friends move forward with more self-awareness and maturity into their developing relationships. Sawako senses some distance between her and Kazehaya and attempts to deal with the issue. Kento attempts to develop his relationship with Ayane. Some of the best moments in this manga are when characters are just sitting and talking to each other, as Kento and Kazehaya discuss their relationship woes. Shiina’s use of paneling and shifting perspective makes everything visually interesting even when most of the manga focuses on heartfelt discussions as opposed to action. – Anna N

Psyren, Vol. 9 | By Toshiaki Iwashiro | Viz Media – I’ve been more of a fan of the modern day parts of Psyren than the dystopian future, though the leveling up of the Elmore Wood kids helped a lot in Vol. 9. Still, in a manga where the future can change such as this one, it’s hard to invest in it. Which is why it’s good to see a subplot with someone like Amakusa, a slimeball who is determined that since the world is destroyed, he may as well rule it. There’s always going to be people like him around after a tragedy. Luckily, he’s merely small fry, getting taken out merely by Marie getting very mad… and crumpling the entire building into a ball around him. Still, there’s no getting around it – this is a “fighting volume” of a Jump series, meaning that the plot mostly takes a pause… with the exception of Nemesis Q’s creator, whose big appearance is the cliffhanger of this good but not great volume. – Sean Gaffney

Rin-Ne, Vol. 11 | By Rumiko Takahashi | Viz Media – One of the big reasons that I go on about Sakura having her negative emotions stolen when she was in the afterlife is that she’s so normally passive that it’s hard to get a grip on her and understand her, and thus she runs the risk of becoming dull. Dull Takahashi characters make me sad. That said, the start of Vol. 11 continues to make me think there’s something to it, as Sakura gets some candy that allows her to not see ghosts… including Rinne himself. And, in her own subtly, low-key way, she realizes that she’s bored out of her gourd without them. (On the bright side, she does miss the many, many attempts on her life.) Other than that, we get the usual: ship tease that doesn’t really go anywhere, unhappy spirits who can easily move on because the whole things a misunderstanding, and lots of violence. Rin-Ne is what it is. – Sean Gaffney

Strobe Edge, Vol. 3 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – This third volume of Strobe Edge is primarily devoted to Ando, who is being groomed to take over the rival spot from Daiki now that he’s been quickly paired off. It’s always fun seeing the so-called player who’s found a girl that he’s genuinely fallen for, but can’t make that clear. Ando’s player tendencies have a serious past to them, much like every other character in this series. The pain of teenage love, and the fact that it doesn’t work out most of the time, is why we read Strobe Edge, a series that so far has no real bad guys. Even Mayuka seems beset by doubts when she shows up towards the end. But of course, if things remain as they are, we won’t have a plot, so that’s no surprise. Strobe Edge is slow paced, and may frustrate some people, but its bittersweet feelings seem just about right for me. – Sean Gaffney

Off the Shelf: Shoujo Fantasy Double Feature

March 23, 2013 by MJ and Michelle Smith 22 Comments

MJ: Good morning, Michelle! I greet you this morning, dizzy with the particular brand of glee that can only be brought on by epic shoujo fantasy. How about you?

MICHELLE: Much the same, actually! With a side of gratitude that the epic shoujo fantasy in question is a) completely available in English and b) in the process of becoming easier to obtain!

MJ: Indeed it is! And really, it is a dream come true. When manga publishers first began launching their various digital initiatives, one of the things many of us hoped for was that these venues would eventually become a platform for re-releasing out of print manga. In particular, I expressed a hope that we might see some of Viz Media’s “scads of fantastic 80s and 90s shoujo,” most of which has become difficult to obtain in print.

Fortunately, Viz seems to be on the same page, as they’ve recently begun releasing some of these older shoujo series in digital form! They began with one of my favorite series of all time, Saki Hiwatari’s 21-volume epic Please Save My Earth (volumes 1-6 are available now), originally serialized in Japan beginning in 1987, followed recently by three series from the early 1990s, Kaori Yuki’s Angel Sanctuary, Chie Shinohara’s Red River, and Kyoko Hikawa’s From Far Away. This week, Michelle and I decided to delve into the latter two of these series, whose first volumes are now available at both vizmanga.com and on Viz’s mobile apps.

Michelle, would you like to choose which we’ll discuss first?

MICHELLE: I’m inclined to save the best for last, which means that in my personal opinion, Red River should go first!

I actually own all of Red River in print, but had never read any of it ’til now. It has the distinction of being the final series in the now-defunct “shojo” imprint to reach completion. Though it starts off rated for older teens, I have a distinct memory of the later volumes being shrinkwrapped, so presumably sexy times will eventually ensue.

Anyway! Both of the series we’re going to discuss today involve a modern-day Japanese schoolgirl being transported to an unfamiliar environment. In the case of Red River, things are looking good for fifteen-year-old Yuri Suzuki. She has just passed the entrance exam for the high school of her choice and shared a first kiss with her good friend turned love interest, Satoshi. But on the evening of her family’s celebration dinner for her achievement (the exam, not the smooch), she begins to notice that water is acting strange around her. Soon, a pair of arms is reaching out to her from fish tanks and bath tubs, trying to pull her in. Though she manages to avoid water for a little while, she’s eventually captured via a puddle and transported to the Hittite Empire in 14th century B.C., where a scheming queen seeks to use her as a sacrifice to ensure that her son (currently sixth in line for the throne) becomes king.

MJ: Fortunately, Yuri quickly becomes acquainted with Kail, third son of the king and no friend to his stepmother, the scheming queen. Though he’s a notorious player (whose methods of “saving” Yuri generally involve pretending she’s his sexual conquest—something he’d clearly like to achieve in reality as well), Kail appears to be genuinely trustworthy, at least when his own life is on the line. Unfortunately, though Yuri is grateful for his protection, her desire to return to her own land drives her to recklessness, placing both her life and that of a devoted slave, Tito, in peril.

As it happens, I agree with your choice of which to discuss first (and why), which isn’t to say that I disliked Red River in the slightest. It’s immediately engaging and action-packed, with a relatable, plucky heroine and a fascinating historical setting. Even playboy Kail manages to be a genuinely attractive love interest, despite my weariness with his classic rake persona. What does weaken this story, however, is just how easy things are for Yuri, at least in this first volume.

While it may seem odd that I’d consider her path “easy” at this point—she has been marked for death, after all—there are some ways in which things really are inexplicably so. The issue of language, for instance, is immediately discarded, as Yuri finds she can suddenly understand the Hittite’s tongue simply by kissing Kail (insert inappropriate “tongue” joke here). Because of this, she’s able to grasp her situation immediately, including recognizing exactly where (and when) she is. Also, by being under Kail’s protection, she’s also suddenly a princess, with the ability to stop executions and generally direct people to do her bidding, which puts her in an immediate position of power, at least within Kail’s realm.

MICHELLE: Your last paragraph there neatly encapsulates my main criticism of Red River, though there are things about Kail that bother me, too. (I don’t think he’d follow through with the threat, but dialogue like “Now stop grousing or I’ll bed you for real” will never sit well with me.) It feels a little like Shinohara is squandering this rich environment and the potential for adventure in favor of romance. True, Yuri does end up in peril by the end, but it’s due to her impetuous, uninformed insistence on retrieving her clothes from the scheming queen and pretty much just a plot device designed to allow Kail to swoop in and save the day.

However! This series does run for 28 volumes, so I am willing to acknowledge that the story could move beyond its origins and go interesting, complicated places.

MJ: Wholeheartedly agreed! Despite my quibbles (and I do share your discomfort with Kail’s threats—hello, rape culture), 28 volumes of 90s shoujo fantasy is not something I can possibly reject, and my expectations are high!

MICHELLE: Of course, 14 volumes of shoujo fantasy is nothing to sniff at, either. Want to do the honors of introducing From Far Away?

MJ: I’d love to! Though half the length of Red River, Kyoko Hikawa’s From Far Away took several years longer to complete, running in Hakusensha’s LaLa magazine from 1993 to 2003. And if the first volume is any indication, this was time well-spent.

High school student Noriko has been experiencing a recurring dream set in a mysterious land filled with gorgeous landscapes and unfamiliar wildlife. As she walks home from school with her friends on one ordinary afternoon, television news anchors warn of a terrorist threat involving small bombs planted around the city by a recently captured suspect. While her friends hash out theories about Noriko’s dream—whether it’s a past life, a portal to another dimension, or pure fantasy fueled by Noriko’s sci-fi author dad—Noriko’s attention is drawn by a stray ball, leading her to an abandoned paper bag which explodes just as she approaches.

Though no trace is left of her body, Noriko is presumed dead. Meanwhile, Noriko has fallen into the same world she’s been dreaming about, where she is identified as “The Awakening,” a supernatural being prophesied to grant power over the legendary Sky Demon—the most destructive evil known in that world—to any nation that possesses it.

MICHELLE: Like Yuri, Noriko is fortunate enough to encounter a formidable ally right off the bat, though things are distinctly less easy for them. Izark might be a powerful warrior who saves Noriko from the political factions attempting to capture her (not to mention gigantic caterpillar things), but the language barrier prevents them from understanding one another and her fear and confusion seems to get on his nerves. Still, he’s unable to ignore her when she’s obviously upset and she comes to trust him. The non-verbal storytelling here is great, and I love that Noriko grows ashamed of her earlier behavior and starts trying to learn the language so that they may better communicate.

Despite being an imaginary fantasy world, the setting here feels more real than the Hittite setting in Red River, and has an abundance of the adventure feeling that I was missing in the other series.

MJ: My feelings exactly, Michelle, on all counts. And really, much of this story’s strength is due to the author’s inclination to prioritize adventure over romance, at least in the first volume. Though strong, roguish Izark is clearly leading man material by any shoujo fan’s standards, both he and Noriko are entirely focused on survival at this point in the story, with no romantic action to be found.

Another factor in From Far Away‘s success as fantasy-adventure is its overall complexity and sense of intrigue. While Red River‘s villain is firmly established from the beginning, things are less clear-cut in Noriko’s new world. With every nation competing for control over The Awakening, everyone is a potential enemy, and it’s not clear at all whom we should be rooting for—including Noriko herself! Though it seems fair to hope that our heroine can’t really be the harbinger of evil, it’s little more than a hope this early in the story, and Izark’s origins and intentions are even less clear. Furthermore, the series is already peppered with some extremely interesting supporting characters, including pint-sized seer Geena Haas, her mercenary father Agol, and a whole host of potential enemies who are aggressively hunting The Awakening.

Perhaps most telling is the fact that as soon as I finished From Far Away‘s first volume, I rushed to purchase the second. I suspect I’ll begin reading it the moment we’ve finish this column.

MICHELLE: I also wanted to immediately proceed to the second volume! I actually read and reviewed the first five volumes of From Far Away a little over three years ago, and though I no longer remember specifics, I remember feeling that it just kept getting better and better.

I do want to mention a couple of random thoughts. Something about the setting of this world—probably the huge insects and people standing whilst piloting flying craft/creatures—reminds me of Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, and it’s not a comparison in which From Far Away suffers. Too, I wonder if the story will take on a Life on Mars idea… like, is Noriko dead/injured in the present day or is she really experiencing all of this? Granted, it doesn’t seem at all like Hikawa plans to go in this direction, but what with the bombing and witnesses to Noriko’s disappearance, it makes me wonder.

MJ: I’ve been wondering that, too, Michelle! Unlike Yuri in Red River, Noriko really is assumed to be dead in her world—and reasonably so—which immediately puts her mortal status in question, and also raises questions about what place she’ll have back in her world if she really is alive and able to return. I also can’t help being curious about Noriko’s father, whose career as a science fiction writer just makes him… interesting. And potentially involved somehow? Who knows?

I think it’s pretty obvious that we find this series compelling.

MICHELLE I’d say so!

Of course, no column like this would be complete without me throwing in a plea for Basara to be the next out-of-print epic shoujo fantasy in VIZ’s catalog to receive the digital treatment.

MJ: I second that plea and add (predictably) Akimi Yoshida’s Banana Fish! Because, let’s face it, Yoshida’s New York is every bit the fantasy that is Tamura’s post-apocalyptic Japan. Bring ’em on, Viz!

Read Red River and From Far Away at vizmanga.com.