Michelle Smith

Manga the Week of 2/6

January 31, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, MJ and Anna N 6 Comments

SEAN: I knew there would be a pile this week, and indeed there is a pile. I already talked about the Kodansha stuff last week, as I anticipated this, so to sum up: Fairy Tail 23, the third and final Genshiken omnibus, the last Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations, the penultimate Negima, and a new and fantastic Sailor Moon.

Meanwhile, that still leaves a lot. Dark Horse has Vol. 26 of Gantz, which no doubt is filled with latex, boobs, and blood-soaked gore. I like one of the author’s other works a whole lot, but this series just never grabbed me.

MICHELLE: I was kept away from this one by reviews, and will probably be staying away.

MJ: Same here. It’s sad, too, because I generally like to support Dark Horse manga. I wish I thought I could like it.

SEAN: Udon has a title that is not via Capcom (to my knowledge), but still seems to be video-game based: Sengoku Basara: Samurai Legends Vol. 2. It’s like Son Goku, only with an e! And… probably not a lot like the shoujo manga Basara at all.

MICHELLE: Probably not.

MJ: Heh.

SEAN: Vertical has Vol. 7 of GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, which is now in its last third. The twins arc may be wrapped up here, but that doesn’t mean things are back to normal. In fact, we may be getting even more serious than before.

MICHELLE: I am several volumes behind on this now. Bad me.

MJ: My eyes are filled with little hearts as I read this. Oh, GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, how I love thee! Thankfully, my crush on Eikichi Onizuka is slightly less embarrassing than the one I had on Morimoto Rockstar.

SEAN: And the rest is GIANT PILE O’ VIZ. First off, Vol. 8 of Ai Ore!. The series apparently doesn’t end here, but as Mayu Shinjo is busy with many other projects, it’s on hold right now, so this will be the last for a while.

MICHELLE: Oh, really? Crap. I was hoping I could be finished with it once and for all.

MJ: Some nightmares never end.

ANNA: I feel like the lone apologist for Ai Ore!, but really the later volumes of the series that I’ve read have been pretty funny. And Demon Love Spell is a hoot. I seriously wish more Mayu Shinjo titles were translated over here. Oh! Maybe Viz will put Sensual Phrase on the iPad, that would be awesome.

SEAN: I generally like Ai Ore more the more that it comically abuses its hero. As for Sensual Phrase, I suspect it’d get M-rated off the tablet devices, unfortunately.

Bleach has an omnibus of Vols. 10-12, which if I recall are right in the middle of the Soul Society arc, so should be a lot of fun.

MJ: Oh, I really miss those days!

SEAN: Bleach also has Vol. 55 of its current run, which is the start of this current arc, I think. Kubo said a while back this would be the last arc, but that doesn’t mean he’s not taking his own sweet time about it as always.

Dawn of the Arcana hits Vol. 8, meaning I’m farther and farther behind. Ah well. At least digital manga doesn’t go out of print. (Yet – I don’t want that thrilling new trend anytime soon.)

MICHELLE: I’m planning to get caught up on Dawn of the Arcana this week, as a matter of fact.

MJ: I’ve suddenly gotten hooked on this series, so I’m quite happy about this!

ANNA: I like the way Dawn of the Arcana seems to be a bit more concerned with world building and geopolitics than romance, it makes it a little different from the average shoujo title.

SEAN: Devil and Her Love Song 7 its right in the exact middle of the series, and so things are clearly only going to get worse for our heroine. I do hope Anna sticks around, though, as I know there’s a good friendship with Maria buried somewhere deep deep DEEP down in there.

MJ: This is also a shoujo series I can’t seem to get enough of, though of course it’s very different.

ANNA: Always good to see another volume of this quirky series!

SEAN: Kamisama Kiss hits a dozen volumes, twice that of Karakuri Odette! This one’s still going strong, though, and apparently features cutie Himemiko, who finds dating is even harder when you’re a yokai.

MICHELLE: Here are a couple more shoujo series that I like but am behind on.

ANNA: Yay! Kamisama Kiss is one of my never-fail feel good shojo reads.

SEAN: Naruto also has a 3-in-1 with Vols. 10-12, which I’m sure I will catch up with ANY DAY NOW.

And as for Naruto 60, well, Sasuke’s back. That pretty much sums it up. Talk amongst yourselves.

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan left a lot of things hanging last time, and this volume… at least gets a little closer to them. Don’t expect the arc to end here, though. Shiibashi is no Kubo, but he’s still slow.

One Piece is one omnibus ahead of its fellows, as we get Vol. 13-15, which is starting the Baroque Works arc. These volumes have Mr. 3 and Miss Golden Week, two of my favorites from that group of villains. As well as Vivi, of course.

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Platinum has hit 7 volumes, and I still know nothing about it.

And Skip Beat! has hit Vol. 30! Does this make it the longest running shoujo series from Viz? Red River was only 28… In any case, the danger of method acting rears its ugly head again.

MICHELLE: Nope. Boys Over Flowers was 37 (including Jewelry Box).

MJ: I can’t believe I read the whole thing…

ANNA: I do not regret reading 37 volumes of Boys Over Flowers and I will not regret reading 30+ volumes of Skip Beat!

SEAN: Do you realize there are only 6 more volumes of Slam Dunk to go? How has this snuck up on us all?

MICHELLE: I am all too aware of it! I like to save the series up and read it in chunks, so when I finished volume 26 for last week’s briefs I realized that the next chunk would also likely be the last chunk! I’m already going through withdrawal.

SEAN: Stepping on Roses has come to a close with Vol. 9. One day I will get an awesome shoujo manga series about a girl who is forced to chose between two men and shogi, and chooses shogi. This is not that day.

MICHELLE: Oh, I forgot about this one! It’s pretty dumb, but I might as well finish it.

MJ: I gave this series up ages ago, and I don’t regret a thing! I am sad to hear, however, that it never turned into a shogi manga.

ANNA: I am sad that Stepping on Roses wasn’t as good as Tail of the Moon, because I love that series so much.

SEAN: Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee adds Volume 12 to its arsenal, and I add another shonen series I never really kept up with to my long, long list.

MICHELLE: I have a bunch of volumes I intend to read one of these days.

SEAN: Tenjo Tenge hits is final omnibus with Vol. 11, meaning it’s finally completely out uncensored. Though I suspect most of the guys who complained about CMX are merely clutching their scanlations to their bosoms and muttering “But the font wasn’t the right type! BOYCOTT!”

MJ: This seems certain.

SEAN: Lastly, Vol. 14 of Toriko introduces a new pretty boy into the cast – one who’s really good with knives! There’s something a bit strange about this pretty boy, though…

MICHELLE: …. aaaaand the same thing I said about Tegami Bachi applies to Toriko as well.

SEAN: Isn’t that a lot of manga? What’s in your pile?

Bookshelf Briefs 1/30/13

January 30, 2013 by MJ, Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

This week, MJ, Sean, and Michelle look at recent releases from VIZ Media, Yen Press, and Vertical, Inc.

Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 6 | By Rei Toma | VIZ Media – I’m sadly behind on this series, but fortunately it’s turned out to be something that’s worth savoring. After a couple of relatively slow sections (perked up mainly by the introduction of more Ajin who are, frankly, damn cute), volume six begins with some real payoff, as Princess Nakaba finally learns why her ability to see the future is something likely to cause her tremendous grief and regret. This kind of internal struggle (by which I mean one that is finally more complex than just choosing between love interests) with its rather terrifyingly high stakes and potential for personal turmoil is exactly what Nakaba needed in order to become the best kind of shoujo heroine, and I’ll be forever grateful for it. What was once a casual read now moves to must-have status. Recommended. – MJ

Limit, Vol. 3 | By Keiko Suenobu | Vertical, Inc. – Despite being incredibly angsty and no doubt corpse-filled eventually, this series continues to keep my interest simply by being really well-written. I admit I’m not wild over the new guy showing up, mostly as he hasn’t really been developed beyond ‘he’s a nice cute guy in class everyone likes’. But I’m sure later volumes will show his inner turmoil too. Speaking of which, Morishige’s backstory is incredibly horrible, and definitely explains much of her behavior. The goal here seems to be about surviving while not losing whatever humanity you have, as well as re-evaluating what true friendships are (something I wouldn’t wish on teenagers). As for the cliffhanger ending, I was hideously unsurprised, but I wasn’t really meant to be, and it looks like after a volume with some hope, things are going to go bad fast in Vol. 4. Definitely recommended.-Sean Gaffney

Skip Beat!, Vol. 30 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | VIZ Media – I hope no one’s tired of me talking about new volumes of Skip Beat! as they come out, ‘cos here’s another one. And, actually, it’s quite a bit different than most. Kyoko and Ren are still acting as the Heel siblings, but when Ren ends up breaking character in a rehearsed fight against a co-star who used to be a thug himself, Kyoko starts really worrying. What’s worse is that Ren didn’t realize that he’d done it at first, and subsequently spends a lot of time worrying if Kuon is just going to take over (as if he’s a completely different personality). The tense and freaky atmosphere of “something’s really wrong with Ren” is riveting and how Kyoko handles the situation has got me positively antsy to have the next volume ASAP. I didn’t think I’d be surprised by the thirtieth volume of a series, but with Skip Beat! I guess I should’ve known better. – Michelle Smith

Slam Dunk, Vol. 26 | By Takehiko Inoue | VIZ Media – The Shohoku baseketball team has advanced to the second round of the national championships, where their opponent is last year’s victors. Although the opposing team is largely forgettable—seriously, I could not remember any of their names despite reading them over and over—the volume’s still a really satisfying one, since Coach Anzai’s strategy involves letting different players on the team have the spotlight for a time. It starts with Mitsui, who deserves some glory after toiling in the background for a while, but then Anzai makes the radical decision to let Sakuragi take the lead and Sakuragi doesn’t screw it up. No, he hasn’t suddenly gotten mature or anything, but he’s been working so hard that he surprises everyone with his skills. I’m just a sucker for these sorts of sports manga “progress moments,” I guess, and having Sakuragi as someone the team can truly depend on makes me feel kind of sniffly. – Michelle Smith

Soul Eater, Vol. 12 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Yen Press – There’s not as much weird art and architecture in this volume, which ends up being good as it makes me focus on the plot and characters a bit more. And remember a few more names! (Hi, Kilik!) And it’s a good plot,k too, as our heroes finally start to storm Arachne’s fortress… with their new adviser, Medusa. Which is as screwed-up as it sounds, and no one remotely trusts her a bit. They even remind us that she’s still possessing the body of a 5-year-old with her mind-snake things. Grlk. I also appreciate that no matter how dark and creepy tings get, there’s always an amusing gag just a few pages along – even from the villains. Especially from the villains. Yen seems to be releasing this series a bit faster now, which is good, as I really am starting to get addicted to it.-Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Guardians, Schoolgirls, & Brides

January 28, 2013 by MJ, Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney and Anna N Leave a Comment

MJ: Midtown’s list this week includes a mix of genuinely new releases and a few Yen Press titles that most stores received a while ago, and I’m going to use that as an excuse to once again take up the call for Kaoru Mori’s A Bride’s Story, volume four of which is hitting Midtown’s shelves this week. This is a particularly fun volume, featuring two new characters who contribute considerable pep to this generally quiet series, without compromising any of its wistful charm. As a result, this is probably the series’ warmest volume so far—which is always a draw for me. And of course, it’s beautiful to look at as always.

MICHELLE: Because I am a terrible person and haven’t even started A Bride’s Story, I’m going to go off-list and note that Amazon lists volume nine of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon as coming out this week. And can I ever resist the chance to pick Sailor Moon? No, I cannot.

SEAN: Yeah, given that this and Vol. 10 are my favorite parts of the Sailor Moon manga entirely, there’s no way I’m not picking it. It has chapter focuses for each of the Inners, and tops it off with a chapter devoted to the Outers that is flawless and perfect (it was so perfect the anime had to put it in the Stars anime sort of retroactively as it was simply impossible to not adapt). And it has the Amazoness Quartet, some of my favorite mini-villains. It is simply fabulous, you will all buy it.

ANNA: I’ll just go with Limit #3. Since volume two ended on a bit of a cliffhanger I am particularly anxious to see what is going to happen next to the schoolgirl bush crash victims.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

The CMX Project: Land of the Blindfolded

January 27, 2013 by Michelle Smith and Karen Peck

MICHELLE: Welcome to the first installment of a new feature called The CMX Project. Back in October, Karen Peck and I talked about the CMX series Canon for that month’s Manga Moveable Feast, and had such fun that we decided to start a recurring feature focusing on some of the other series they released during their all-too-brief time with us. For the most part these will be shoujo works, but not exclusively so.

Hi, Karen! Do you want to introduce our featured title for this month, or shall I?

KAREN: I’ll go!

Land of the Blindfolded, or Mekakushi no Kuni, is a nine-volume shoujo manga series by Sakura Tsukuba. It was one of CMX’s debut titles back in 2004, along with some classic titles like Swan and From Eroica with Love. Land of the Blindfolded originally ran in Hakusensha’s LaLa and LaLa DX magazines, and CMX would later go on to pick up another one of her series, Penguin Revolution. Besides these two works, her other series is the Christmas-themed Yoroshiku Master. The rest seems to have been mostly one-shots in different Hakusensha magazines—too bad I missed the two she did in Melody!

Kanade Outsuka sees a world full of people wearing “blindfolds.” But every once in a while, for her, that blindfold “slips” and she gets to see what others can’t—in her case, she can see a person’s future. Having a big heart and a determined spirit (as any good Hakusensha heroine should), Kanade will try to intervene if the future she sees will cause someone harm—even if the person she helps thinks that she’s just being weird. Two boys come into her life—Arou, who can see the past and carries around the heavy burden of his own past—and Namiki, who can also see the future but has a very different attitude about it than Kanade does. A sweet romance develops between Kanade and Arou… and I wouldn’t say “hijiinks ensue;” this title is entirely too gentle for much of that.

Michelle, what were your impressions?

MICHELLE: Initially, I was torn. There were certain elements of the story that I liked—the fact that Kanade and Arou become a couple with minimum fuss, Kanade’s spunky best friend (Eri), the neat side abilities that Arou’s power gives him…—but the first few volumes are very episodic and feature chapters with plots like “a plucky abandoned puppy is rescued from his doom during a rainstorm by an angsty boy affected by the protagonist’s shoujo heroine powers.”

The stories begin to take a more interesting turn in volume five, when Arou first uses his power in a new, freaky way to track Kanade after she’s swept away at the beach. And then shortly thereafter, he’s reunited with a classmate from junior high who wants him to use his powers to benefit society by helping to solve murders.

The rest of the volumes are all pretty good, though I’m most fond of volumes six and seven. I note, though, that Kanade really gets the short shrift after a while. She truly is the least interesting character of the bunch, and there is much more time devoted to the traumatic pasts suffered by Arou and Namiki than anything involving Kanade (excepting her decision to come clean to Eri about her ability).

KAREN: It is very episodic, and for me that’s what lead to my assessment of this as being very “gentle”—when stories wrap up each chapter, nothing really seems that dire. Instead, we get a series of ordinary events—the school festival. A clash with student government. The class trip. Hot springs hijinks (okay, so there is a little hijink-ing). The summer festival. And so on.

However, the banality of these events is contrasted with the very unordinary main characters. Here we have a girl who can see the future, but like any other girl her age, she worries about the very ordinary things—will people like the real me? Will I fit in? Can I tell my best friend all of my secrets? It’s this relatability that I think really speaks to the reader. Everyone has insecurities, even these “special” kids.

The “plot” really does pick up later on. I was kinda hoping that Arou’s uncle would be more of a revolutionary character—he seems to have some rather dark intentions—but that fizzled out. I’m not sure if that was a red herring or Tsukuba sending off signals that she didn’t mean to.

I do agree with you, Michelle—Kanade seems to downright disappear in some of the stories, and I wish she had more of a presence. I also like that the coupling happens without a lot of drama—and while the back cover tries to play up the triangle, Kanade and Arou only have eyes for each other. Poor Namiki. At least he got a puppy.

MICHELLE: And possibly the world’s most adorable turtle!

I did find it interesting that although Land of the Blindfolded does include some stock shoujo scenarios—in addition to the ones you named there’s a trip to the amusement park, a trip to the beach, Christmas—they didn’t really annoy me as much as they do in series like, say, Ai Ore! Probably the likeable characters are responsible for that.

And yes, it’s largely the disclosure of the leads’ insecurities that make later volumes more compelling. Learning about Arou’s painful past wherein he was feared and shunned for his abilities makes the present where he is warmly liked and trusted by his classmates that much more significant. Now we can see how much it really means to him. And, too, we learn how scarred Namiki was by his mother’s timidity, and how this contributed to his rather jaded attitude when we first meet him. My absolute favorite scene in the whole series occurs between Namiki and Kanade’s mother, in which she tells him he’s a good boy and he starts to cry. I’m getting a little sniffly just thinking about it, actually.

Yeah, the Sou thing did rather fizzle out, but it all played in to the warm and fuzzy “you are not alone” ending, so maybe that was all Tsukuba intended.

KAREN: That turtle was cute. And the pet-sitter bonus chapter was very cute.

I think it’s because Arou and Namiki had those much heavier pasts that Kanade gets lost. Well, she did see a vision of her grandfather’s death, but she’s from such a kind and accepting family that it becomes something to be overcome rather than something creepy that results in her ostracism. I agree with you, Michelle, about how affecting that one scene with Namiki and Kanade’s mother is—it’s really a moment when this story works. It’s a message that would work for any child that was rejected—that you are good. However, if every chapter/story in Land of the Blindfold was this emotionally wrenching, we wouldn’t be able to get through this review!

Of the secondary characters, I also liked Kaicho-san, the student council president. Her attraction to Arou was handled well, and I’m glad that it didn’t devolve into a Marmalade Boy-style Love Dodecahedron. I did like that it was hinting that Kaicho and Namiki might perhaps hook up, but it that was played well, and I think realistically. They would be good together, but for now they still have their hearts somewhere else. By not rushing them together, Tsukuba didn’t compromise their characters and what they had been about.

The other beta couple, Eri and Ezawa, were presented as the Doomed Couple, but turned into something else, and so much of it was done in the background, as their story would pop in and out, showing their evolution as a couple.

I did want to say one thing about CMX’s presentation—I remember comments at the time about the tightness of the bindings, and wow, the first three volumes were very hard to read. I’m glad that they worked that out for later volumes so I didn’t have to worry about ruining the book when I opened it. The art… works, if that’s a way of putting it. Sakura Tsukuba isn’t one of the great shoujo artists, but her work is expressive and the humorous moments were very cute.

MICHELLE: I liked Kaicho a lot, too (though we eventually learn her last name, we never learn her first one), and was totally bracing for an eventual pairing off with Namiki. I think she could’ve been the heroine of her own manga series, actually.

We don’t learn too much about the inner workings of Eri and Ezawa’s relationship, but I definitely like that he became more interested in her once she showed she wasn’t going to fawn over him mindlessly like everyone else. She basically learns quickly that attempting to change yourself for someone never works, and then they turn out to be a stable couple from then on. Also, Tsukuba makes a few suggestions that they’re doing more than kissing while still keeping the content within an “E for Everyone” rating.

And yes, those fiendish bindings! I actually have the first five in that style and was desperately sick of them and so relieved when volume six came around. I hadn’t realized it, but I guess I hadn’t read any of the really early CMX volumes before this, so I didn’t know how terrible they were.

I don’t seem to have too much to say about Tsukuba’s art, actually. There were a few sequences that I quite liked, but that was more about what was happening in the scene than her skills. She does mention repeatedly how much she loves drawing animals, and adorable critters did seem to be her strong suit.

KAREN: I caught that too with Eri and Ezawa. And how it totally flew over Kanade’s head.

Like most CMX series, Land of the Blindfolded is long out-of-print but easily and inexpensively obtainable on the secondary market. The infamous tight bindings vary—Michelle’s go up to volume five, mine only up to three, but they’re still readable. It’s a good title for the younger YA reader, because there’s nothing objectionable and it is such a sweet story—no questionable misogyny, for example. This is the sort of title that CMX did so well—and something that’s very much missed in the current market. (I’m sure there’s many YA librarians who agree!) Thankfully, though, they did manage to get so many titles out during their time—I’m looking forward to the next title we’re going to cover!

MICHELLE: Which is… drumroll please… Cipher, by Minako Narita! I’ve been meaning to read this for ages, so I’m really excited about next month’s column.

Thanks for joining us this month, and we hope you’ll be back next time!

JManga the Week of 1/31

January 25, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

SEAN: No new series on the last day of January, but we do get a new volume of a series I adore, even if I am seeing it for a 2nd time.

Joshi Kosei, aka High School Girls, hits Vol. 5. Given that I’m reading more and more manga digitally these days, I am very pleased to see this series come out in that format. It’s big doofy fun, always prepared to sacrifice what little dignity the characters have for comedy, and reveling in female friendships.

MJ: I really should check this out, shouldn’t I?

SEAN: Yes. :)

Elemental Gelade hits Vol. 3 on JManga, which reminds me that Elemental Gelade has also hit Vol. 12 on Comixology. I guess they’re digitalizing the Tokyopop license? Different translations, I assume, but it’s quite weird to see the first digital vs. digital competition.

MJ: The Digital Manga Guild also has this, and I’m not sure if they’re all the same or not!

SEAN: Madame Joker, another in a long line of ‘Manga JManga is putting out that I should read as I’d love it but don’t have the freaking time as they’re putting out piles’, has hit Vol. 4. Madame Joker, AIALLO’MJMIPOTISRAILIBIDHTFTATPOP’ for short.

MICHELLE: I have benevolent feelings towards Madame Joker but I too haven’t found the time to read it. I feel bad having such a lackluster response to next week’s offerings, when I found so much this week to be grateful for, but that’s how it is, I’m afraid.

SEAN: And we also have Vol. 4 of Recorder and Ransell, which I’m sure is adorable and cute and moe, but I simply can’t get past the fact that its premise creeps me out.

So what’ll you have? (Pabst Blue Ribbon: The Manga.)

Manga the Week of 1/30

January 24, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Anna N and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: Let’s see if I can sort out this week, given my recent habit of taking Midtown’s list and then ignoring it horribly.

First of all, they’re finally getting in the Yen Press books that most of us got last week or this week. I’ve gone over those already, but FYI they are Black Butler 12, Black God 18, Book Girl and the Undine Who Bore a Moonflower, A Bride’s Story 4, The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan 3, and Soul Eater 12.

Udon has a Super Street Fighter series debuting, with what seems to be Korean artists and American writers. Um… a must for Street Fighter fans? I dunno, I got nothing. How Do I Capcom?

MICHELLE: Yeah, sorry Udon, but this just doesn’t appeal to me.

MJ: I always want to like things with Korean artists, just on principle, but… meh.

SEAN: Vertical has the 3rd volume of Limit, their shoujo experiment that is not selling all that hot so MORE PEOPLE should buy it as it’s excellent. Come on, doesn’t that cute young thing on the cover scream adorable shoujo? I bet there are some wacky misunderstandings in this volume!

MICHELLE: And probably it is Valentine’s Day!

ANNA: I like to think of Limit as a lovely violently cynical sorbet that cleanses the palate of manga readers who have been reading too much shoujo with wacky misunderstandings.

MJ: Mostly I’m just entertained here by all your commentary, but I’ll also note that I’m really looking forward to volume three of Limit.

SEAN: Meanwhile, Kodansha is releasing a lot of stuff next week via Amazon that’s not hitting comic shops till February or later. Given next week also has a pile of Viz, why don’t we run down Kodansha now? If nothing else, it will broaden the Pick of the Week a bit.

First off, Bloody Monday was out this week. It’s up to Volume 9 of about 11, which wraps up the ‘First Season’. I think, when asked about the Second and Third Seasons of the series, Kodansha made ‘well, buy more’ noises. So buy more if you want to read more of ’24: Japan’.

MICHELLE: I really do mean to read this one of these days.

MJ: I enjoyed the first volume, but I guess not enough to propel me further on. Should I feel regretful?

SEAN: Fairy Tail is starting to get ready to speed up, which means more volumes online on its digital Apple-only thing that I don’t use as I don’t have Apple (this grump brought to you by Android), but also print volumes about once a month or so. It hadn’t sped up quite yet, though. In the meantime, we’re still in Edolas, though we may be about to wrap that arc up.

MICHELLE: I occasionally forget that Fairy Tail exists, even though I’ve read 14 volumes of it.

MJ: I’ve never had any interest in Fairy Tail, yet I’d really like to develop some, if only because Hiro Mashima was so incredibly charming at NYCC a couple of years ago. Convince me?

SEAN: Um… it’s good solid shonen, and has finally, I think, stopped trying to be One Piece only for Kodansha. It has a few good female characters, though it waffles quite a bit on how strong they get to be (but that’s typical for most Japanese shonen). It’s quite funny at times, and not in a “boobs!” way. (That said, there are many, many stacked girls here.)

Mostly, though, I think it’s the sort of title that you start of hoping gets better and really improves by the time you’re 16 volumes in and invested in the world. It rewards long-term investment. Which can be a pain, I know.

MJ: Actually, that’s pretty persuasive. Thank you!

SEAN: Genshiken finishes off its Omnibus Releases with the 3rd, covering Vol. 7-9. Nice timing, as I suspect the new anime of Genshiken 2nd Season coming up may spark interest in the first again.

Another series bites the dust, as Vol. 4 wraps up Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations. Barring the appearance of an Apollo Justice manga (don’t hold your breath), this may be it for this franchise for the time being – at least in manga form.

Speaking of series almost being finished, 37 is the 2nd to last volume of Negima. I’ll have a lot to say about this volume and the next. A whole lot. That said, if you like an overabundance of fanservice in the best old-fashioned Akamatsu ways, this is the volume for you.

MICHELLE: Pass!

MJ: Thank goodness we have Sean to care about Akamatsu on our behalf.

SEAN: Aheh. Let’s just say that my comment that Negima should have ended with Vol. 36 will be followed up on. My *least* favorite part of Negima is the naked antics.

SEAN: Lastly, Pluto graces the cover of Sailor Moon Vol. 9, and I think she actually even shows up in this, though not till the end. In the meantime, we’re really delving into the Super S arc now, which means dreams, and mirrors, and unicorns, and lots of Chibi-Usa (though less than you’d expect).

MICHELLE: Yay, Sailor Moon! I might’ve said this last time—probably I did—but the manga version of Super S differs from the anime in that the outer senshi are in it, so it’s worth reading even if that season of the anime wasn’t your favorite. The next volume of the series also includes something nifty that was missing from the anime.

ANNA: More volumes of Sailor Moon are always a thing to celebrate!

MJ: Agreed!

SEAN: There you go, that’s plenty of manga to chew over. What’ve you got?

BL Bookrack: The Heart of Thomas

January 19, 2013 by MJ and Michelle Smith 7 Comments

MICHELLE: Thanks for joining us for the first BL Bookrack column of the new year. This time we’re doing something a bit different and devoting this month’s column to Moto Hagio’s The Heart of Thomas, which is one of the most historically significant works influencing the boys’ love genre in Japan, and the most historically significant one currently available in print in English.

But, y’know, I feel like bestowing this weighty mantle upon the work could overshadow the fact that it’s very dramatic, emotional, and romantic. It seems best to me to take it on its own terms.

MJ: I agree, Michelle—which isn’t to say that The Heart of Thomas doesn’t earn its historical weightiness! Its influence is significant for good reason. But perhaps what I found most striking about it is just how much it has to offer without any knowledge of its significance at all. And though understanding its context is important and worthy discussion, there are plenty of critics on hand to do just that. Here in our column, I’m personally more interested in discussing it… well, as itself. If that makes sense.

MICHELLE: My thoughts exactly!

I suppose we ought to start with a summary, which is gonna be a toughie, but here goes…

The Heart of Thomas begins with the suicide of thirteen-year-old Thomas Werner. In love with his classmate, Juli, Thomas sees this act as a way to “bring him back to life.” The two had been classmates at a German boarding school called Schlotterbach, and we meet Juli on the morning the students have reconvened after Easter vacation, where news of Thomas’ death spreads quickly. After a letter from Thomas lets Juli know the death was not an accident, he’s plunged into turmoil, which only worsens when a transfer student named Erich—who bears a strong physical resemblance to Thomas, though with a much pricklier personality—arrives on the scene.

(click images to enlarge)

The three primary characters—in addition to Juli and Erich, there’s also Oskar, Juli’s roommate—have all been broken in some way, and the story revolves around their intertwining relationships and the secrets each keeps hidden. Each one is complex, and each one becomes completely beloved to the reader by the end.

MJ: I think for a story like this, that’s a perfectly good summary! And by “a story like this,” I mean a story that is almost entirely focused on its characters’ feelings and their relationships to each other—and themselves—with very little investment in plot, outside of a few significant events. That these few events are almost entirely deaths (including Thomas’ opening suicide) and other tragedies might make the book sound rather melodramatic, and I suppose on the surface it is. But in the story’s boarding school setting, this is somehow completely appropriate. In this highly structured environment, largely removed from their families and the rest of the outside world, the boys at Schlotterbach thrive on those big moments—the few sensational events that make their way in from the world—and without enough of those, they must create whatever else they can on their own.

MICHELLE: In his introduction, translator Matt Thorn writes that Hagio at one point had attempted to remake the series with female characters (to appeal to female readers), but found pressure to make things more realistic and plausible and it just didn’t work. There had to be a feeling of “other” about the characters and the setting in order for her to be able to tell the story she wanted. And once I read the manga, I had to agree that it would not have worked otherwise.

Too, while on the surface it might seem/be melodramatic, when you get down to it… it’s really all about Juli’s ability to accept forgiveness and forgive himself. And that’s not melodramatic at all.

MJ: Also, the idea that the story’s emphasis on dramatic events makes it unrealistic I think deliberately ignores what it is to be an adolescent. Even teens and pre-teens who go to regular, modern public schools essentially live in their own society that is very much separate from the rest of the world, and it’s a society that is, frankly, terrifying. I think adults often willfully forget this (and who can blame them?) but it’s true. The public tragedies are real (one of my high school teachers killed himself in the middle of our senior year—and doesn’t everyone have some kind of tragic story like this that affected their entire school?) and the private ones are even more so. Regardless of the precise circumstances, is Juli’s struggle to accept himself as a whole person really alien to any teen?

MICHELLE: Now you’re making me remember the public tragedies of my youth, some of which I’d forgotten about!

This seems like a good time to focus on Juli for a bit, since he’s really quite interesting. We don’t get all the details, but Juli’s German mother seems to have married a German citizen of Greek heritage. Juli looks a lot like his father and his unusual black hair generates a lot of commentary, from admiring classmates to his hateful grandmother, who still clings to ideals about German purity. (I did wonder what year this was supposed to be, but I believe West Germany is referenced at one point, so it’s got to be after 1949 and, thus, World War II.)

Grandma also bears a grudge because she had to take on the debts left behind when Juli’s father passed away. This fills Juli with the desire to change her attitude by becoming as successful as possible and paying her back. To this end, he attempts to become the perfect student. And for a while, he does quite well. He’s admired, he’s loved by Thomas, he loves Thomas in return, but there’s a darkness in him that leads him to accept the invitation of a creepy older student to meet him in a certain room on campus. The secret of what went on there is the last to be revealed in the story, so I won’t divulge it here, but the end result is that he’s utterly filled with self-loathing and cannot accept that Thomas really means it when he says that he loves him and coldly rejects him in public.

Oskar alone among the students knows what has happened, and has been assigned to share a room with Juli and watch over him. He’s therefore privy to the facade Juli struggles so hard to maintain and the cracks that form when Juli learns that Thomas sacrificed his angelic self for him. It takes a long time before Erich’s emotional frankness and Oskar’s example of forgiveness combine to allow him to finally admit the truth of his love for Thomas and to understand that Thomas would forgive him anything. Now he can forgive himself.

MJ: Related to this, I have to just make a comment here regarding Thomas vs. Erich, because while Erich’s ability to express his feelings openly is part of what ultimately saves Juli from his own self-loathing, Thomas was just as open about his feelings with Juli—yet his way of trying to save Juli I think only broke him more. In the end, I think it’s Erich’s rebellious, combative nature that makes the difference. After Juli’s horrible experience, he can’t believe that Thomas would love him, and he feels the same disbelief about Erich’s open confessions of love. But where Thomas’ solution was to sacrifice himself, Erich’s is to fight (and fight hard), and it’s this that finally gets through to Juli.

I bring this up specifically because this is a column about BL, and there’s a (much-deserved) stigma around older works involving same-sex relationships that end in suicide. But (aside from the fact that this story actually begins with the suicide) where The Heart of Thomas really stands out here is that, from my perspective, it views that kind of sacrifice as… well, ultimately pointless. Throughout the story, even to the end when Oskar persuades Erich to remain at school rather than retreating to his stepfather’s house, Hagio makes it clear that running away is not the answer. We’re given the romantic option of viewing Thomas’ sacrifice as beautiful and selfless, but we’re clearly shown that Erich’s instinct to fight against that sacrifice is the way to really bring Juli back to life.

MICHELLE: Very well said! I also wonder if part of it is that Erich, playing the part of Thomas surrogate (a role which he tries hard to escape, but which might actually help Juli in the end) represents someone who can love Juli and not be hurt by the sins and darkness Juli is burdened by. Erich is strong, smart, and feisty. He believes in love and in God, and despite his pretty looks, he’s not fragile but instead resilient. That’s why, in the end, Juli can confess what happened to Erich and yet feel absolved, in a way, by Thomas.

MJ: Speaking of that connection, there’s a fairly creepy scene late in the manga where Erich has been invited to visit Thomas’ family whom he discovers wish to adopt him. Erich wisely declines the Werners’ offer to become a stand-in for their dead son, but afterwards he regrets turning down the opportunity to see Thomas’ old room as he discovers more and more the feelings and philosophies they shared in common. It’s an important realization, because it’s this that allows Erich to put aside his resentment towards Thomas for looking so much like him and dragging him into so much drama, in order to be able to help Juli, and also himself. Understanding that the emotional honesty that made fitting in at Schlotterbach so difficult could actually be an asset I think is pretty huge for Erich.

MICHELLE: Definitely. In general, it’s a treat watching Erich mature over the course of the series. Another important moment comes when his mother passes away and he suddenly and viciously regrets his own selfishness in opposing her marriage. It would’ve made her happy, but he clung to her and held her back. Later, when he’s able to finally see the good in his stepfather and accept a home with him, it’s a very touching moment. Knowing he has this secure future (where he’s wanted for himself, not for any resemblance to Thomas) gives him the strength to not only commit more fully to studying at school, but to be forthcoming with his feelings for Juli.

MJ: I agree, it’s a real treat watching him grow up, especially as early on he seems the least likely character to be helping anyone else heal.

So, let’s talk about Oskar a bit. He’s actually my favorite character in the book, probably because he’s the least like me. Heh. Oskar is a terrible student who smokes, skips class, and is generally considered to be a screw-up, but he’s also utterly confident, incredibly insightful and fantastic in a crisis. He’s the guy you want in your corner because you know he can handle anything life throws at him with elegant competence, up to and including things like discovering that his father murdered his mother (or that he’s not actually his father at all). If I wrote Heart of Thomas fanfiction, it would all be about Oskar.

MICHELLE: Oskar is my favorite too, and became so pretty much immediately. He’s just got this air of… languid sorrow about him. He reminds me of someone from Fruits Basket, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe it’s Momiji. He’s popular and has charisma to spare, but he’s also known tremendous family grief. When he came to the school (around age ten, I think), he’s described as having grown-up eyes and speaking with grown-up words. He’d seen and experienced so much that he was really no longer on the same level as his classmates. Recognizing the “difference” in Juli was something that drew them together.

Did you know that Hagio actually wrote a one-shot about Oskar’s life prior to entering school? It’s called “Houmonsha.” Hope we get that in English at some point!

MJ: I did not! Oh, how I want to read that!

I can see the Momiji comparison (especially older Momiji—Oskar is by no means cuddly), though I’d also suggest that I think Oskar is the most overtly sexualized of the main characters in the story. Hagio writes him and (especially) draws him as a sexual being, with an attractive swagger and abundant bangs, and I’m pretty sure he even gets the most action of anyone in the story (which has, overall, not much action by modern BL standards). While both Thomas’ and Erich’s love for Juli is portrayed in a very pure, innocent light, Oskar’s feelings are allowed to display a bit more ambiguity, and though nothing actually sexual ever happens between them (despite a rumor spread at one point by a jealous younger student), he’s the only one of all Juli’s admirers with whom one could imagine that it might.

MICHELLE: I hadn’t thought about that before in those terms, but maybe some of that sensuality is what I was picking up on with the term “languid.” It also probably has something to do with being a year older than the others; he’s also interested in girls (well, at least enough to flirt with the ones in town) where some of the others aren’t yet.

Talking about the action or lack thereof… are there really any honest-to-goodness on-the-lips kisses in this series that are not brought on by anger or extortion? Ante witnesses Oskar performing mouth-to-mouth and names a kiss as the price for his silence, Erich wrangles a kiss from Juli later, too, and comments upon its bitterness. The only real kiss Juli ever bestows is one on Erich’s cheek right at the very end of the series.

MJ: The closest I can remember to anything like that is actually not on the lips. There’s a really interesting moment on the day that Oskar takes Erich in to town to learn about girls. The two get into some heated discussion about Thomas that ends with Oskar warmly embracing Erich, kissing him, and holding him in a way that really does not feel platonic while comparing Thomas to Amor, the god of love. It’s a strangely intimate little moment.

Modern BL, of course, tends to include much, much more sexual content than can be found in The Heart of Thomas, but very little of it can hold a candle to Hagio’s work when it comes to musing on the value of love.

MICHELLE: Oh yes, I’d forgotten about that moment. If you were to write an epilogue starring Oskar, what do you think the chances are of he and Erich ultimately ending up together? For Erich, it’d mean another important relationship in his life that began on the basis of a shared love for someone else, but it seems at least possible to me.

MJ: Yeah, actually, that’s the likeliest actual couple in the story as far as I’m concerned, though I’d see it as something a ways in the future, for sure. I might write some sort of awkward future meeting between Oskar and Juli, after Juli has left seminary, but for romance? I’d go Oskar/Erich all the way. In a way, I think the relationship you describe is the one they already sort of have, and what’s kind of surprising about it, is that it feels healthier than one might expect. During that final scene where Oskar is convincing Erich to stay with him (and all of them) at school, there’s an unexpected sense of joy on the page—unexpected by me, anyway. Juli’s leaving, but it’s not the end of the world for anyone, including Oskar and Erich, and that sort of real optimism about their futures without him just took me by surprise. It was kind of awesome, really.

MICHELLE: I felt that, too. It is a new beginning, for everyone involved. You know, it was probably very wise of Hagio to never write a sequel wherein Oskar and Erich do get together—I mean, there must have been some sort of fan demand for this!—because she might’ve had to address the “what happens when school ends?” question. Now we can simply imagine them together instead of knowing they ended up moving on and marrying, et cetera, however poignant that may be.

MJ: Yes, given the time and place, Oskar and Erich’s story as a couple probably ends much less romantically than we’d like. We’re better off with fanfiction, I’m guessing. Which I now want to write. Oops?

Speaking of joy, I feel like we need to spend at least a few minutes here just talking about Hagio’s artwork because… oh, the glory of her artwork! You know I’m a sucker for classic shoujo in general, but Heart of Thomas is just exquisite in every way.

MICHELLE: It really is, and I definitely kept thinking throughout, “Oh, I bet MJlikes this page!”

There were quite a few pages I liked and made note of along the way. Page 157, with that top panel of the memory of Thomas haunting Juli and then in panel three morphing into Erich. Page 201, a color page wherein Juli looks dapper and elegant and Erich looks a little Bohemian or something with his interesting cross-legged pose. Page 241, where Thomas’ outline dominates the page while Juli narrates about how loving Thomas filled him with terror…. I could go on and on.

MJ: Yes, yes! What’s hardest here is trying to choose! I have particular love for a sequence early on—which I almost hate to bring up, because I know the panels leading into it are a source of pain for Matt Thorn, who surely loves this book more than anyone—but there’s an incredible scene on pages 29-31, in which Juli is dreaming about Thomas throwing himself off the bridge into his arms, that is just spectacularly eerie and expressive. Hagio’s emotional imagery is so clear throughout—she truly shows us her characters’ hearts through the artwork.

MICHELLE: I also really admired that, even though you’ve got all these kids in identical uniforms, some of whom have similar hairstyles, I was still never confused as to who I was looking at. (This also goes for Erich and Thomas, who share the same face!) And she didn’t achieve this distinction through wild appearances—though a couple of the older boys do look very unique—but just sheer drawing technique.

MJ: Yes, she pours so much characterization into body language and facial expression! It’s exactly the sort of work I long to point out to manga detractors who complain about big-eyed generic illustrations, in part because the characters indeed do have big eyes, which Hagio uses to great advantage. I could look at this book forever, and it’s possible I might.

In case it isn’t obvious to anyone reading this, I loved this manga with my whole heart. And I’ll admit that’s not exactly what I expected. I expected to find it visually beautiful and worthy as a classic, but I also expected it to be very dated and I thought the story might not appeal to my tastes as a modern fan. Instead, I found it to be both beautiful and emotionally resonant to an extent I’ve rarely experienced—especially in BL manga. This is a book I’d wholeheartedly recommend to any comics fan, without reservation. It’s an absolute treasure.

MICHELLE: After experiencing some disappointment with the story of Princess Knight, another historically significant work whose English release I had long desired, I was a little worried myself, but I needn’t have been. The Heart of Thomas was even better than I’d hoped. I hope it does well for Fantagraphics!

MJ: I hope so, too! Thank you, Moto Hagio, Matt Thorn, and Fantagraphics, for giving us the opportunity to read this gorgeous work.

More full-series discussions with MJ & Michelle:

Full-series multi-guest roundtables: Hikaru no Go | Banana Fish | Gerard & Jacques | Flower of Life

JManga the Week of 1/24

January 18, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Anna N and Michelle Smith 3 Comments

SEAN: It’s getting harder, I admit, to find things to say every week, mostly as JManga’s really sped up some releases ridiculously. As such, there’s new Crazy for You and Pride! Excited, but I’ve talked about those so much already.

ANNA: I can’t believe I’m two volumes behind with Crazy For You now! Crazy for You and Pride are for sure the titles I’m most excited about this week. I really really hope that they are doing well enough that we’ll see some similar titles coming out soon.

SEAN: There’s also a new Ekiben Hitoritabi manga, where the ongoing question has been “which cute young thing will he travel around with this time around?”

MICHELLE: I’ll definitely be reading the latest volumes of Crazy for You, Pride, and Ekiben Hitoritabi, but I admit I’ve kind of run out of new ways to say “Yay!” about them, too. Definitely glad to see them continuing to come out, and this’ll be the penultimate volume of Crazy for You, as well, which is pretty insane in terms of getting the whole series out in record time!

SEAN: Mythical Detective Loki has reached Vol. 3, which is also the last English release that came out back in the day via ADV. (Remember ADV?) From here on, it’s chapters new to North America…

The debut this week is another BL title from Fumiko Shusai. Ningen no Ichiban Muboubi na Bubun, aka Where a Person Is Most Vulnerable. It’s from Libre Shuppan, and I’ll be honest, its cover looks quite cute. More covers like this, please!

Anything catch your appetite?

Manga the Week of 1/23

January 17, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ, Anna N and Michelle Smith 2 Comments

SEAN: It’s a quiet week at Midtown, which to my surprise still doesn’t have the Yen Press titles that I got this week and, um, apparently no one else did. This does not mean that nothing is being released there, however.

Vertical has the 4th volume of Flowers of Evil, aka Baudelaire for Shonen Manga. The covers have turned black and so has the story, with its three protagonists going to darker and darker places. Who’s for joining them?

MJ: *raises hand* Out of everything on this short list, Flowers of Evil is really the only thing that interests me.

MICHELLE: I keep saying that I’m not sure I’m going to continue with this series, but then I keep continuing with it.

SEAN: And Viz has its Signature Series, which makes this Blogger Love week. Afterschool Charisma has hit Vol. 7. I must admit I’ve lost track of it, but, um… clones!

ANNA: Oh, Afterschool Charisma! I really enjoyed the first three volumes or so. I should get caught up.

MICHELLE: I intend to get caught up soon, too. Maybe I can even manage to talk about the series on Off the Shelf, finally!

SEAN: There’s the penultimate volume of Jormungand, which is filled with action, gunplay, awesome moments and likely a huge pile of grey and grey morality amongst its cast.

MJ: I am ashamed to say that I don’t read either of these. Um.

SEAN: And just when you thought it was safe to stop buying 20th Century Boys, Viz brings us 21st Century Boys! This one’s only 2 volumes, though. Still, 21st Century Boy doesn’t scan! You’re making Marc Bolan sad!

MJ: Heh.

ANNA: I loved 20th Century Boys but just fell way behind on that series. One of these days…..

MICHELLE: I literally laughed out loud at your Marc Bolan reference, Sean! I’m a fairly serious Bolan/T. Rex fangirl, so was filled with glee when the opening pages of the manga feature the protagonist playing “20th Century Boy” over the morning announcements.

Anyway, I too fell way behind but it was kind of on purpose. I did the same with Urasawa’s Monster, reading the first couple volumes and then just waiting until all the rest of it was out before indulging in a huge marathon. Soon, I’ll do the same with this series.

SEAN: Any picks from you folks? Aaron, if you pick Gunslinger Girl for a 3rd straight week, I’m sending you to the corner…

Bookshelf Briefs 1/15/13

January 15, 2013 by MJ, Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith 3 Comments

This week, MJ, Sean, & Michelle look at recent releases from VIZ Media, Kodansha Comics, and Yen Press.

Bakuman, Vol. 17 | By Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata | VIZ Media – As a running meta-commentary on shounen manga, it was perhaps inevitable that Bakuman‘s focus would one day shift from friendly rivalry to something with a real villain. Sadly, the further Bakuman strays from reality, the less interesting it becomes. Though its heroes’ journey as up-and-coming mangaka has long eschewed any shred of realism in terms of an artist’s daily survival (like having to eat or pay the rent), the boys’ struggles with their craft and the pursuit of commercial success were always grounded enough to ring true. Now, with the addition of a corporate super-villain and the manga creator’s equivalent of a doomsday machine, that foundation of truth is rapidly eroding. Though Bakuman is necessarily Jump-friendly, this was always carefully balanced by an affectionately critical eye. But the spectacular nature of villain Nanamine’s anti-editorial scheme only serves to underline its industry biases. Questionably recommended. – MJ

Jiu Jiu, Vol. 3 | By Touya Tobina | VIZ Media – I feel like I should be liking Jiu Jiu more than I am. There’s a lot of good stuff here. I always enjoy political machinations in a manga, which this has plenty of. There’s many and varied characters here, most tying into our heroine, including the ex-fiance she hates and the fiance she’s seemingly cool to. And there are some excellent funny moments (the two ‘explanations’ of her family) and well laid-out action scenes (the climax of the volume). But in the end I’m still not quite into it. Could be that I still find Snow and Night somewhat annoying as bodyguards/familiars to a far more interesting heroine. Could simply be too many characters and plots introduced too fast. And it could be this series benefits, like Bleach, from being read in large, 5-volume-at-a-time chunks. But I’ll keep pecking away at it. -Sean Gaffney

Missions of Love, Vol. 2 | By Ema Toyama | Kodansha Comics – I’m enjoying this series quite a bit, mainly because the three leads are all a bit more screwed up than I’m used to with Nakayoshi titles. Yukina seems ignorant of not merely love but basic emotions in general, particularly in regards to other people’s feelings. Shigure is still basically a jerk, but to be fair to him he’s being given constant mixed signals and is discovering that there may be a girl behind all this he can like. And Akira is seemingly the nice childhood friend who will end up second best after all is said and done, but there’s a dangerous side to him that pops up here, and I don’t think we’re done seeing it. After two volumes I’m still not quite sure where this will be going, and I don’t really identify with anyone yet because they’re all slightly too annoying (but only slightly). Fantastic. Lure me in more! -Sean Gaffney

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 12 | By Hiroshi Shiibashi | VIZ Media – Long arc is long, and we’re still battling the forces of evil in Kyoto. I am impressed with the evilness of the forces of evil, speaking of which – we see them killing off sweet young things here, and the resurrection they’re trying to bring about is going swimmingly. Meanwhile, Yuki-onna is kidnapped, and Nura is completely curbstomped. You know what this means: more training. Yes, even during an apocalypse, there’s still time to train. The bulk of the action goes to disconnected head-guy Kubinashi and sexy oiran-type Kejoro, who have a backstory that’s developed quite well here. (Are they a couple? Who knows, this is Jump.) So there’s a lot going on, and most of it is interesting, but at the end we’re seemingly no closer to finishing this very long battle. Ah well. -Sean Gaffney

Raiders, Vol. 9 | By JinJun Park | Yen Press – Up until now, each volume of Raiders had parts that were confusing, but I’m happy to say that here at the end, things make more sense. True, I’m not exactly sure how we got here, but I at least understand what happened in the end and can feel a sense of closure. Otherwise, characters get what they want, characters make hard choices, characters suddenly tap into hidden reserves of power, characters engage in epic battles with the Big Bad… There’s one particularly surreal scene where the protagonist’s severed head wails over the apparent death of a comrade. That’s imagery you don’t see every day. Anyway, after a generous amount of philosophizing, and some unexpected and thoroughly welcome ambiguities concerning our protagonist’s future, Raiders wraps in a satisfying fashion. This series has been unique in that it kept me reading despite its occasional abstruseness, and ultimately, I’m glad I stuck with it. – Michelle Smith

Strobe Edge, Vol. 2 | By Io Sakisaka | VIZ Media – So, if you’re going to confess and get rejected, but still note that the love feelings don’t go away, you’d best be prepared for dealing with them every single day. That’s what Ninako is doing here, and it’s tough – Ren is hard to read, she runs into him or works with him constantly, and there a new irritating smug guy who simply won’t let her forget about it. And even worse, he has a girlfriend. And she’s nice, dammit. In fact, the best part of the volume for me was the last quarter, a side-story showing how Ren and Mayuka met and fell in love. It helps to make Mayuka more than simply ‘the rival’, but someone who could easily star in her own shoujo manga with Ninako as the one trying to take her man. It takes things to another level, and helped make this volume of Strobe Edge particularly excellent. -Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Punch Up!, Book Girl

January 14, 2013 by MJ, Michelle Smith and Sean Gaffney 2 Comments

MJ: This is a tough week for me. My favorite item from this week’s shipping list at Midtown Comics would be volume two of Girl Friends: The Complete Collection, but since Sean chose that last week, it feels a bit late to the party. So instead, I’ll go out on a limb and name volume three of Punch Up!, a SuBLime title about which I’ve heard nothing but raves. Obviously I need to catch up first, but I’m feeling optimistic that once I have, I’ll be pouncing on volume three in no time! So, yeah, Punch Up!

MICHELLE: I’m in the exact same boat. Definitely check out Girl Friends, if you haven’t already, but I’ll go with Punch Up! too, since its kitties-interrupting-bedtime-shenanigans cover is quite original and charming. I found volume one to be intriguing, if not exactly my cup of tea. Good enough to challenge me to keep reading, though!

SEAN: Whereas I’m getting quite a few titles from Yen, any of which would be a decent pick of the week. But I’m still going with Book Girl and the Undine Who Bore a Moonflower, the 6th in the light novel series. Book 5 was a major turning point in both the plot and in the disposition of Konoha, our hero with PTSD from his middle school days who has been slowly brought back out into the world through the series. Now that he seems to have resolved a lot of issues, what will happen? Will he finally open up to Nanase? (I doubt it.) Realize how important Tohko is to him? (Likely that will wait a book.) Find disturbing similarities between himself and whichever screwed-up person the book focuses on this time? (Always.) I must find out!

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

JManga the Week of 1/17

January 11, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: There are only 3 manga series next week from JManga, but one of them is a biggie. Let’s get the other two out of the way first.

A 6th volume of PoyoPoyo’s Observation Diary means a 6th volume of adorable and funny 4-koma slice-of-life cat manga. I approve. (I may not *read*, but I approve…)

JManga has a 4th volume of Crime and Punishment: A Falsified Romance out incredibly fast, meaning I haven’t even had time to come up with a witticism for it. Bah.

And now for one I’ve really wanted to see. Miyabi Fujieda is one of the most popular yuri artists in the West, and his Iono-sama the Fanatics had half of its two volumes released by Infinity Studios before they folded. (It also had a character romanized as Fletch, something I bring up to Erica ALL THE TIME. It is unclear if her name was actually Irwin Fletcher. Somehow I doubt it. Also, Iono-sama really needed a female Irish cop…) Anyway! Ame-iro Kochakan Kandan may be better known here as Chatting at the Amber Teahouse, and it is absolutely adorable. I cannot wait to see it come out in English!

MICHELLE: That was definitely the only one on the list that excited me at all, so I’m glad to hear it’s absolutely adorable! I’d rather read adorable yuri than any other kind.

MJ: I’m with Michelle. As I so often am.

Manga the Week of 1/16

January 10, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ, Michelle Smith and Anna N 2 Comments

SEAN: I’ve noted before that Midtown doesn’t always (or even often) use Diamond Distribution to get their orders. As a result, sometimes you get weeks like this. The titles on Midtown’s list for next week arrived most places today. While Diamond is shipping Yen’s stuff to most stores (including mine) next week, but not Midtown. (Again, a reminder that I use Midtown’s list mostly as it’s first, rather than most accurate.)

With that in mind, here’s a fusion of both lists.

Kodansha has the second volume of Missions of Love, which continues to feature a hero and heroine who really aren’t very likeable, and a love rival who is headed that way. It’s fun seeing the reader having to work harder at identifying with everyone. Fun stuff.

MJ: Yeah. Fun…

MICHELLE: Sometimes my need to like characters prohibits me from enjoying shows/books that other people swear are great. This might be one of those times.

ANNA: I really have had no urge to check this out, and I suspect those feelings will continue.

SEAN: I did mean fun in a genuine and non-sarcastic sense, by the way. I quite enjoy this series.

Seven Seas has a slew of titles (most of which, as I noted, arrived today everywhere else). The one I like the best is the 2nd and final omnibus of Girl Friends, which I already praised in my Pick of the Week. Cute yuri fluff/angst.

MJ: I also adore Girl Friends, though I’ve only read it at JManga.

MICHELLE: Same here.

SEAN: Gunslinger Girl is almost finished with its run, which must mean it’s running out of people to kill off. Expect more of that in this omnibus, which contains the Japanese Vol. 13-14.

I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother!! has an omnibus out as well. with Vols. 3-4. I can’t think of anything funny to say here that isn’t slanderous. Moving on…

MJ: Heh.

SEAN: I know nothing about Jack The Ripper: Hell Blade, a manwha series also from Seven Seas, but the covers to Vol. 1 through 3 (which is out next week) at least reassures me that it isn’t moe. Yay! (Is there a moe Jack the Ripper 4-koma series? Maybe with his sister Jill the Ripper having a tsundere crush on him? Sounds like a winner to me.)

SubLime has Vol. 3 of Punch Up!, whose cover art is complete and total win. Don’t care if it’s horribly offensive within. I can’t decide if it’s the cat with the ‘yay!’ face, or the glasses-wearing guy’s befuddled “now what was I doing again?… oh right, him” expression. It’s probably both. I do wish that SubLime provided bigger cover images, though…

MJ: From what I understand, Punch Up! is win all around! I gotta start reading this manga.

MICHELLE: I need to continue it! Loving the kitty footprint on the face, too.

SEAN: Yen Press, meanwhile, has a bevy of January releases. Black Butler has hit an even dozen, and continues to apparently be filled with supernatural antics and almost-but-not-quite-BL. But damn, it looks cool.

MJ: I think I am one of maybe three people who really can’t stand Black Butler. Sad, but true.

MICHELLE: I think it’s okay. It falls on the “worth reading” side of the scale for me, but doesn’t manage the heights of “worth rereading.”

ANNA: I did read the first volume of this and decided that was enough.

SEAN: Black God is up to Vol. 18. I know absolutely zilch about it, but now at least I have a group of people I can tag to gush about it for me. Michelle, MJ, gush away!

MJ: Well, hm. Collecting full series without reading them is usually Michelle’s MO, but I have to admit with shame that though I have the entire available run of Black God sitting in my shelf, I have yet to read any of it. This just change!

MICHELLE: Hey now, are you calling me out on my hoarding tendencies?! :) Actually, I’m doing far less of that these days, though I regret nothing when it comes to stuff from ten years ago that I’m very thankful to have snagged. Anyway, I too must admit that I have never read Black God. I do not have a good excuse. Sorry we have failed to provide the gushing you requested!

SEAN: A Bride’s Story is up to Vol. 4, and no doubt will continue to look lush and gorgeous, and feature a heroine that every other blogger in the world except me seems to connect with.

MJ: Though I do connect with the heroine, one thing I appreciated about volumes three and four, is that they are focused heavily on other characters. This is particularly poignant in volume three, but it doesn’t hurt volume four either. You might find more in it for you now?

MICHELLE: I haven’t started this one yet, though I was pondering doing so soon as there’s a new volume to discuss. So far, the only Mori I’ve read has been the first two volumes of Emma and her recent short story collection.

ANNA: I haven’t read volume 3 yet! But I did love Emma and will be catching up on this series eventually. I do love the fact that the editions are so nice.

SEAN: The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan continues to struggle with its slow start, something that is allowed in Japan but not North America, which is far more unforgiving to manga that take a while to get there. We’ve got one volume to go till the good stuff. Till then, enjoy the sweet fluff.

Soul Eater has reached a point where I can’t really divide it into arcs anymore. Disasters just pile one upon another until they seem to reach the sky. I presume the same thing will happen here. But it will look cool, the characterization will be magnificent, and the abstract art style will amaze me. (This is just a prediction, but I’m usually right.)

MICHELLE: This is the first description that’s ever made me want to read Soul Eater.

SEAN: Lastly, in the “not manga” category, Book Girl and the Undine Who Bore A Moonflower is out, the 6th in the series and the final stand-alone novel before the two-part finale. The title may be a mouthful, but this is probably the best light novel series I’ve seen brought over here to date. And for those who missed Maki in the last book, the ojou with a thing for our Book Girl heroine, she apparently features prominently in this one.

MJ: I haven’t read these either, and I really should, given that both you and Erica are fans.

MICHELLE: Now, here is an instance of a series where I’ve collected all the volumes so far without reading them. I swear I’ve got good intentions!

ANNA: I am slightly ashamed that I have not tried out any volumes of this series because usually as a librarian I would be all over any series with the phrase “Book Girl” in the title. One day I will read it!

SEAN: So what are you combining 3 different release lists to get?

Off the Shelf: Chocolat

January 7, 2013 by MJ and Michelle Smith 13 Comments

MJ: Good morning, Michelle! How are you holding up after your marathon read?

MICHELLE: Fairly well! I’m usually a terribly slow reader, so it’s always nice to marathon manhwa since the big, spacious paneling allows me to go a lot faster!

MJ: Girls’ manhwa, especially, is easy on the eyes… and in more ways than one, most of the time!

So, anyone who’s been following My Week in Manga will know that the series Michelle and I have been marathoning this week is Chocolat, a girls’ manhwa series by writer JiSang Shin and artist Geo—the same team who brought us Very! Very! Sweet. This series went abruptly on hiatus after seven volumes—the last of which was published here in 2008—and finally resumed publication in South Korea in the spring of 2011. Its North American publisher, Yen Press, collected the series’ final three volumes into a single omnibus that was released just last month.

Chocolat tells the story of Kum-Ji Hwang, a middle-school student obsessed with a popular idol group known as “DDL,” and particularly its lead singer, Jin. Having discovered DDL too late to get in on its fan club’s initial membership drives, Kum-Ji and her friends are firmly stuck at the very bottom of the fandom hierarchy, with little hope of ever seeing their idols up close, let alone interacting with them in any meaningful way. Frustrated by this cruel reality, Kum-Ji gets in on the ground floor of the fan club for a new idol group, Yo-i. Though she cares nothing at all about Yo-i, Kum-Ji’s status as a club officer grants her special access to entertainment complexes and live events, including those that Yo-i shares with DDL!

When the day finally arrives that Yo-i and DDL are working in the same studio, Kum-Ji struts in proudly to find her way to DDL’s waiting room, and though she finally gets her opportunity to meet Jin, her moment of glory is interrupted by E-Soh, a cute (but spoiled) boy she tussled with on the elevator, who also happens to be the lead singer for Yo-i. Catching on to Kum-Ji’s ruse, E-Soh threatens to blow her cover unless she agrees to be his personal slave.

(click images to enlarge – read left-to-right)

The rest of the plot is totally predictable, right? Kum-Ji will grudgingly consent to E-Soh’s terms, all the while hating him with her whole heart, until hate finally turns into mutual love and they live happily (and entertainingly) ever after. Right?? Thankfully, no.

Though Kum-Ji initially succumbs to E-Soh’s blackmail, she’s not cut out for polite servitude and her rebellious nature pretty much ensures that her cover is doomed from the start. But as it turns out, Kum-Ji’s aunt is a coordinator for Yo-i, which means that Kum-Ji’s proximity to the idol world is not wholly dependent on her fan club status. This is pretty fortunate for Kum-Ji, since her “disrespectful” treatment of E-Soh puts her immediately at odds with the Yo-i fan club president—a dazzling beauty commonly referred to as “Barbie.”

Beyond this, the series becomes pretty complicated to summarize. Though its melodramatic nature gives it a formulaic feel, its romantic entanglements and various character trajectories are actually quite difficult to sum up in any kind of neat way. Predictably, E-Soh falls for Kum-Ji (in typically inexplicable fashion—at least at first), but Kum-Ji’s feelings are much more complicated as she tries to weigh her growing friendship with E-Soh against both her longstanding idol worship of Jin and her unexpected sexual attraction Yo-i’s main rapper, E-Wan. Meanwhile, Barbie’s obsession with E-Wan spurs her to pursue a career as an idol herself so that she can approach him as a colleague instead of a fan, and E-Wan struggles with just figuring out how to coexist with other humans at all. Ultimately, the series becomes a strange mixture of tried-and-true romance formulas and surprisingly insightful musing on the nature of love and corporate-made social hierarchies, which works better than you might think.

MICHELLE: Wow, that summary was incredibly well done!

As I began Chocolat, I had the same expectations. “Okay, this is another series where a childish and uncouth girl encounters a handsome and rich guy and they bicker and bicker until suddenly he loves her, but then she’s never grateful for anything he does until suddenly she matures and they live happily ever after.” And, on some levels, it kind of is that, but there are definitely some twists to the old formula.

I expected that Kum-Ji would mature—for the first four volumes, she’s pretty insufferable—but I wasn’t prepared for just how awesome she would become and how necessary all that earlier squabbling would turn out to be. If you’re introduced to a character who is calm and mature, they could be a bit dull, but knowing her background, when we see her exhibiting those qualities, we’re just struck by how much she’s grown. Also, she is completely reflective on her own past behavior and acknowledges several times how she’s sorry for it and grateful for the many kindnesses she initially rebuffed. By the end of the series, I liked her very much.

I also thought JiSang Shin and Geo did a decent job explaining why these boys would be attracted to her, even though it initially seems so inexplicable. Aside from the fact that their obsessively scandal-phobic production company is keeping them away from girls as much as possible, Kum-Ji is the one girl they meet who is utterly honest and who expects nothing from them. E-Wan later explains that he’s attracted to her because, growing up the son of a mother who never put him first, he can see that she’ll become a terrific mother one day. Strong, loving, and utterly willing to protect her kid with the full extent of her ability. (Well, okay, he doesn’t necessarily say all that, but that’s what he means.) She finally convinces him that real love is possible, and if his change of heart is a little swift and unconvincing initially, by the end I was sold on their relationship.

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MJ: I think in general I have a higher tolerance for heroines like Kum-Ji than you do (I tend to find the arrogant male love interest much more insufferable), but in Kum-Ji’s defense, specifically, I feel that she has an especially good excuse for immaturity, since she is actually younger than all of the male idol characters, none of whom are any more mature than she is, when you think about it—quieter, in some cases, but not particularly mature. I am in complete agreement with you, however, on how awesome she becomes, and I need to extend the same praise to E-Soh, whose personal growth is just as dramatic as Kum-Ji’s. It’s not often that I find myself equally admiring both the heroine and the guy she doesn’t end up with by the end of a romance comic.

MICHELLE: Oh, I found the arrogant guys pretty insufferable, too! The tone of the story in early volumes is also more “comedic,” in that there are lots and lots of ugly panels and some truly awful attempts at humor at Wu-Hee’s (the female member of Yo-i) expense. I expect you know what sequence I’m talking about, and I really could have done without that. The whole manhwa could’ve done without that! But, in general, I don’t get along that well with comedies, so that probably contributed significantly to my irritation with earlier volumes. I had faith that the story would eventually shift into something more my speed, though, and it did.

E-Soh is indeed an interesting character. I really liked the bit at the end where he’s realizing that the idol business can’t go on forever and he should think about what else he might want to do with his life. I’m not sure characterization with him was always consistent—at one point he’s playing a sort of Momiji role by helping Kum-Ji and E-Wan get together, but later he’s demanding of his bandmate “What the heck do you see in her?!!”—but his overall story line is a good one.

MJ: Yeah, I think there are some confusing moments in E-Soh’s character development, but some of those end up being used to great advantage, too. One of the things I love most about the way Kum-Ji and E-Soh’s relationship is written throughout the series, is that the authors aren’t afraid of letting them be confused or to hurt themselves and each other in the midst of that confusion. Neither of them is portrayed as the villain in the relationship, and the differences between the way Kum-Ji feels about E-Soh versus E-Wan versus Jin are really nuanced and not necessarily cut along the lines drawn by typical romance tropes. Likewise, E-Soh’s feelings about Kum-Ji and E-Wan are changeable and not easily defined. Because of this, Kum-Ji and E-Soh’s relationship is probably my favorite in the series—kind of because they don’t end up together romantically. There’s a scene near the end of the final volume in which Kum-Ji thanks E-Soh for making a clean break with her, and he acknowledges how difficult keeping it clean actually was that really sums up how well the relationship is written and it actually made me kind of teary at the time.

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MICHELLE: I agree completely about the nuanced difference in Kum-Ji’s feelings, and I thought that the manhwa-ga team did a great job clarifying those for the reader at a pace that matched the internal clarification Kum-Ji herself was experiencing. This leads me to note that the portrayal of fandom is also really well done—the dedicated fervor as well as the gradual moving away from that kind of idealized obsession while still looking back on all those times with nostalgic fondness. It’s never portrayed as a waste of time and the feelings experienced by fans are presented as absolutely genuine.

And yet, reality inevitably wins out in the end. There’s a great scene where E-Wan, thinking to do something nice for Kum-Ji, invites her over to Jin’s place, but by then her feelings for E-Wan have developed so much that she only has eyes for him and practically ignores her idol lounging next to her on the couch in his bathrobe.

MJ: Yes, I absolutely loved the way the story handles fandom/fans. I think Jung-Yeon (aka “Pretty Boy Jin”) is one of the best examples of this. First, I love the fact that Kum-Ji and her friends continue to think of his online fandom name as his actual name (wow, can I relate to that), and also that he ends up being both a totally real guy with his own life and issues and also a serial fan who is just really good at being a fan. He’s that fan whose homemade gifts and banners outshine everyone else’s, and by the end of the story he’s moved on to another fandom to which he’s just as devoted as he ever was to DDL (I can relate to that, too).

MICHELLE: Because he looks so much like Jin when he’s first introduced, I kept waiting for the big reveal that he was some secret little brother or something, but nope, just a fanboy. At one point, it seemed like his story would come more to the fore, as there was a line about his parents having kicked him out, but then we never hear about it again, so I’m not sure what happened there.

MJ: Oh, interesting, I never really expected it to become more prominent—just kind of took it as a character note—but I should mention, too, that I liked his relationship with Kum-Ji and the kind of friend he was to her, even if it was clear that they weren’t exactly on the same page there. I was glad that the authors didn’t feel it necessary to try to neatly fit him into her harem (like making him confess or something), but that there was some ambiguity and unsettled-ness in terms of how each of them viewed the friendship.

MICHELLE: Definitely. If it had been yet another boy expressing his interest in her, it would’ve been overkill.

Speaking of boys who fancy Kum-Ji, we haven’t really talked about E-Wan very much. He starts off very surly and angsty—this, combined with the boy band aspect of the story, reminded me of the lead character in You’re Beautiful to the point that I called him “Murderbot” in my notes a few times—but we eventually learn that he’s had a terrible home life. It seems like he joined Yo-i at least in part to distract himself from his pain, but all the smiling and singing and pretending like nothing’s wrong are really wearing him down.

Burdened by a past full of unsolicited, expectant admirers, he’s pretty nasty to Kum-Ji when she finally confesses her feelings to him, but when she—unlike all the others—actually takes his feelings into account and leaves him alone afterwards, he apologizes and starts becoming nicer in general. I actually found his about-face here a little too sudden—I was so suspicious I wondered whether his illness was terminal or something—but it’s certainly not unwelcome.

Twin Murderbots?

MJ: Ha! I’ll admit that “Murderbot” came to my mind a few times as well, though I do kinda love that, unlike Tae-Kyung in You’re Beautiful, E-Wan isn’t the obvious love interest from the start. He sort of sidles in there unexpectedly as Kum-Ji gets to know the group, unlike E-Soh, who is completely transparent and in Kum-Ji’s face (and thus, ours) the whole time.

E-Wan’s transformation felt pretty slow and natural to me, but I wonder if that has something to do with the fact that I was actually re-reading the first seven volumes rather than marathoning the whole series for the first time. Did my later impressions of E-Wan color my reading of him early on? That certainly seems possible.

Though as a reader, I would have been happy to see Kum-Ji end up with either E-Soh or E-wan (as long as she was happy), I admit I loved E-Wan’s final volume persona as the cranky idol who will only behave for magical manager Kum-Ji. I would have been sad had that E-Wan never surfaced. He’s pretty adorable.

MICHELLE: “Sidling” is the perfect way to describe how E-Wan ends up becoming the love interest. I really liked that, too, though because Kum-Ji ends up genuinely becoming such close friends with E-Soh, ending up with him wouldn’t have felt super-predictable either.

And yes, I quite liked the glimpse of the two of them at the end! In their notes, the creators mentioned being dissastified with the conclusion to the series, but I honestly don’t see what’s wrong with it! I was a little worried when Kum-Ji didn’t get angry when E-Wan suggested she forget college and just marry him, but relieved to see that she did indeed go to university and made a name for herself doing something related to him, but by no means dependent upon him.

MJ: Speaking of Kum-Ji’s career trajectory, I also am in love with the scene in which she discovers that she’s good at sewing costumes and her aunt says (essentially) something along the lines of, “Well, if you’re just going to go to fancy costume design school and still end up doing this like all the rest of us did, you might as well just skip that enormous time-suck and sign up with us now!” Because even though this isn’t precisely what Kum-Ji ends up doing, it’s still surprisingly practical advice for a romance series to be handing out.

MICHELLE: Yeah, and there’s an arrow pointing to the lady who did go to a prestigious school and the caption “sewing spangles on a shirt.” Hee.

(click image to enlarge)

This does bring up the thoroughly corporate nature of the band. It’s never expressly stated, but I don’t think any of the boys knew each other before being drafted to be in the group together. (E-Soh and Wu-Hee were “discovered” simultaneously.) Due to their closeness, it’s possible E-Wan and Eun-Sung did know each other, but this is never explored. (Eun-Sung in general is never explored, which is kind of a shame.) They live in dormitories furnished by the company and have a rigorous schedule of promoting an album, then having a break while another group rotates into the spotlight, then having a “comeback” when it’s time for their second album. Although we see them rehearsing from time to time, it’s generally just choreography. They’re never seen writing songs or playing instruments, and are really described as rappers in a “dance group” rather than singers in a band. So, really, they don’t seem to be musicians with any particular love of music. They’re just handsome and coordinated guys put together by a company to generate income. It’s all very… sterile.

MJ: Yes, definitely. And it’s interesting how the comic addresses it, too, by acknowledging it without judgement. On one hand, there is a character who really does crave more—Jin, who eventually leaves DDL in order to pursue his own songwriting and a career as a real musician—and we also have Barbie, who (rather accidentally) discovers that she’s got real talent as an actress. But E-Wan’s job (and the job of all the other members of Yo-i) really is just to be an idol, completely crafted by corporate entertainment for mass consumption. And this is totally okay, according to Chocolat! I kind of love that. It’s oddly refreshing.

MICHELLE: “Acknowledging it without judgment” nicely sums up the depiction of fandom, too!

So, let’s talk about Barbie for a minute! Originally Yo-i’s fan club president before embarking upon the path to stardom, Barbie is desperately in love with E-Wan. Although she is at times at odds with Kum-Ji—and orders a couple of fangirl attacks upon her—they eventually call a truce. Towards the end of the series, however, when Barbie learns that Kum-Ji lied to her about having feelings for E-Wan and went so far as to confess to him, Barbie declares that she must pay the price for the deception.

I was expecting more bullying to ensue, but instead there’s actually a fairly awesome moment when Barbie intercepts the boys just as they’re about to go back on stage for their comeback and pulls E-Wan into a much-photographed embrace, effectively overshadowing their return (which had been delayed by a terrible car accident) with scandal. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised by this twist, but I was, and quite delighted by its cruel efficiency.

MJ: Everyone’s reactions to her villainous move were so, so interesting, too! E-Wan, E-Soh, and Kum-Ji all react in ways so true to their characters, it’s a further delight!

MICHELLE: Is there anyone else we forgot to talk about? Although the supporting cast is pretty vivid, I’m not sure I have too much to say about them, aside from lamenting again that Eun-Sung and, to an even greater extent, Wu-Hee are not given very much to do. I did like the acknowledgment that it was only Wu-Hee’s quirkiness that kept her safe from fangirl vitriol, but she’s pretty much portrayed as a country bumpkin throughout.

MJ: I was a bit offended by Wu-Hee’s country bumpkin portrayal in the beginning, though I liked her quite a lot by the end, so I’m thinking the offensiveness must have been toned down at that point. Sadly, I think her role in the series was mainly to provide E-Soh with both a huge burden of guilt (as she’s horribly injured in a work-related car accident not long after he prevents her from quitting the group) and a crippling neurosis (again, related to the accident).

(click image to enlarge)

Eun-Sung, on the other hand, seems to exist to provide a sounding board for E-Wan, though one thing I do like about the way he’s written is that he’s really kind of an ass, which was totally unexpected—at least by me. So often, I expected him to come out and say something warm and helpful only to be confronted by a guy who is perhaps more caught up in the corporate-invented classism of the idol business than anyone. There’s a scene early on where he basically lectures Kum-Ji about not respecting her betters which was so not what I was expecting from the role he seemed to play. It made his close, cuddly relationship with E-Wan even more intriguing. I’m not sure even now that I completely understand how they really got there.

MICHELLE: I also wasn’t expecting Eun-Sung to be such an ass! Early on, I was still making You’re Beautiful parallels and had him pegged for the kindly Shin-Woo type. Sounds like we were in the same boat there.

MJ: We certainly were!

I’d also like to take a moment to express my enjoyment of Kum-Ji’s circle of fandom friends, because I was so pleased that the authors decided to check back in with them at the end of the story so that we could see how they all turned out. They managed to capture fandom friendship perfectly as something that really is real, but is also usually destined to fade over time as the friends all move on to other obsessions or regular life pursuits. They portray this without trivializing the group’s fandom experience or the bond formed between them, and it made me feel certain that the writers had been fans on that level themselves at some point in their lives.

MICHELLE: I think there were actually some author features in early volumes (these would be the Ice Kunion editions) that mentioned them being fans of some group, but I can’t remember now what it was. So yes, I’m sure they had intimate knowledge of those kinds of friendships. Heh, now I’m recalling a girl I was “best friends” with in sixth grade based on the fact that we liked the same boy. And when I stopped liking him, our friendship fizzled overnight.

MJ: I’ve had both that exact friendship (which can feel—and I think is—very real in the moment) and also the even better kind that ends up transcending fandom and remains even after the shared interest has waned. After all, I met my husband via band fandom! Chocolat‘s nuanced approach leaves room for all of this, and I love it for that. Also, I admit I’m a fan of Pretty Boy’s new look. Heh.

MICHELLE: It certainly is striking!

MJ: I suppose it’s obvious by now, but I’d like to wrap up just by saying how happy I am that Yen Press opted to complete this series, even after such a long hiatus. It’s a charming treat, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to see it through to the end … and also for the opportunity to discuss it with you! Thank you, Michelle, for a delightful conversation!

MICHELLE: It was fun!

More full-series discussions with MJ & Michelle:

Full-series multi-guest roundtables: Hikaru no Go | Banana Fish | Gerard & Jacques | Flower of Life

Pick of the Week: Girl Friends, Loveless, 07-Ghost

January 7, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ, Michelle Smith and Anna N 1 Comment

SEAN: There’s nothing that really inspires me on this week’s Midtown list, so I’ll go with something that my own comic shop is getting but Midtown isn’t. The second and final omnibus of Girl Friends completes the collection, and I am pleased that we got a print release of it from Seven Seas even with JManga releasing it digitally earlier in 2012. This is a different and more fluid translation, but mostly I enjoy just having this coming-of-age yuri story in my hands as a book. There aren’t many yuri stores that make it over here, so I cherish each one. And they’re a cute couple, too!

ANNA: I will pick the second volume of 07-Ghost. I enjoyed the first volume more than I expected to, and I’m hoping that the interesting world building and mystical action continues to entertain in the second volume.

MJ: There are a couple of things I’d like to pick up this week, enough that it’s difficult to choose, but in the end I’ll give my vote to the second omnibus of Loveless. From my review of omnibus volume one: “There’s so much going on … that it comes close to being a train wreck, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past few years, it’s that there is no train wreck I love more than a Yun Kouga train wreck. And this, I think, really comes down to characterization. Like a couple of my other Kouga favorites, Crown of Love and (the very different) Gestalt, the strength of the story is that everyone is really interesting. Even when she’s adhering to standard tropes (in this case, BL and shoujo tropes), Kouga doesn’t write standard characters. Everyone in Loveless is kind of a weirdo, in the same way as most actual people are weirdos. They have layers of sometimes-contradictory issues, little idiosyncrasies, both attractive and unattractive flaws—and these are all a real part of the story.” More, please.

MICHELLE: I’m also going to cast my vote for Loveless. I’d heard a little about it when TOKYOPOP was releasing it, but mostly it was all the potentially squicky bits. I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it as much as I did, and that’s entirely due to the endearing characters. In the Off the Shelf column MJlinked to, I compared its strong characterization and somewhat hazy plotting to Pandora Hearts, and I continue to stand by that comparison. It’s not just any manga that can make me stop worrying about things making sense, but these two series manage it!

Readers, what looks good to you this week?