Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Michelle Smith

Manga the Week of 12/19

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SEAN: The danger of skipping ahead when you don’t like what a list is providing you is that eventually the list will catch up. Midtown didn’t have a lot of things that we knew were arriving in bookstores, or via Diamond, in the last two weeks, and so we put them on our own list or talked about them before. And now here they are, coming round to Midtown like a prodigal. So this list will skip the volumes we’ve already discussed in previous weeks.

Dark Horse starts us off with Vol. 43 of Oh My Goddess, which is still in its big Hell arc, which continues to give the impression that it’s working its way towards a finale. Working its way at Oh My Goddess’ usual pace, which is to say still a few years. But the ending may be a glimmer in the road ahead.

MJ: This is such a famous, long-running series, I’m a bit embarrassed about the fact that I’ve never read even a single page of it. Probably I should rectify this, but at 43 volumes and counting, that just seems daunting.

MICHELLE: Same here. I at least regard it benevolently.

Goodbyegeist

SEAN: Good-bye Geist is a title from GEN manga, a publisher I always want to throw more support. Unfortunately, I really don’t find the synopsis, which mentions sexual assault and animal cruelty, all that appetizing. Perhaps it’s due to having ‘Geist’ in its title? Something about that word does violent things to anime and manga…

MJ: I have this dilemma with GEN all the time. I really like what they’re doing, and I want to support them, but their titles so rarely appeal to me, at least on the surface. I need to dig deeper more often.

MICHELLE: Even if there is surprising depth to Good-bye Geist, I am simply unwilling to wade through sexual assault and animal cruelty to get to it.

SEAN: Kodansha Comics has Danza, a new collection of short stories by Natsume Ono. I’ve already reviewed this book on my blog. It has the same strengths and weaknesses as most of her short works do, but is still recommended for Ono fans, as well as those who like middle-aged men sitting around talking.

MJ: I never realized that was me, but I guess it is, at least when it’s Natsume Ono driving the conversation.

MICHELLE: I intend to get this some day, but I’m not particularly clamoring for it.

SEAN: Seven Seas has a bunch of titles out this week via Diamond and next week at Midtown. A Certain Scientific Railgun 6 finally gets to the point that it can’t avoid anymore: adapting the third A Certain Magical Index novel. So, a few less surprises here for fans of the franchise, but the Sisters arc is still pretty great, so I’m sure I’ll like this.

Dance in the Vampire Bund is, I believe, Seven Seas’ best-selling Japanese title (someone can correct me if I’m wrong). As such, it makes sense to do a deluxe oversize omnibus, to lure in new readers. And indeed, I’d never read the series, but decided to check it out after reading the crossover with Young Miss Holmes. Hopefully it will rise above ‘loli vampire’, which is what its premise seemed like.

MJ: I have never been able to get interested in this title. I suppose that’s the “loli vampire” bit.

MICHELLE: Yeah. Railgun interests me at least some, though I haven’t read any of it yet.

mayochiki

SEAN: Mayo Chiki is a new Comic Alive title from Media Factory, the makers of Haganai and I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother!!. It features reverse traps, boys terrified of girls, sadists who love tormenting guys, and, well, that cover. I haven’t read it yet, so someone please tell me it isn’t just a giant catalog of moe fetishes?

MJ: Yes, please.

MICHELLE: This is, like, the third title (at least!) out in English that involves sadistic girls tormenting guys. I hadn’t realized that was a genre.

SEAN: Given we’ve established that I judge BL based on their covers, I am highly amused by His Favorite Vol. 2 from SubLime. I hope it lives up to it, because the combination of ‘Sexy pose!’ and ‘Get the hell off me!’ is a total win.

MJ: Ha! And “agreed.”

MICHELLE: I do that too with BL, and this is certainly a striking one!

SEAN: Vertical has the 2nd collection of Paradise Kiss, deepening the relationship between Yukari and George… for better and worse. So hot together… so bad for each other.

MJ: I made this my pick of the week this week–a bit ahead of schedule, I guess–but it’s really a gorgeous volume.

MICHELLE: There’s a scene toward the end that gives me goosebumps just *thinking* about it. But I shan’t spoil it here.

SEAN: Viz has the 8th volume of my favorite Ikki series, Dorohedoro. The imprint hasn’t done lights-out sales, so I am very thankful to Viz for continuing this awesome series, which has earned great critical praise. Last time we ended on a nasty cliffhanger, which I hope is resolved with little damage. Wait, it’s the world of Dorohedoro, never mind.

MICHELLE: I have been hoarding this one with the intention of talking about it in Off the Shelf at some point, but so far I haven’t yet managed it.

SEAN: Tenjo Tenge is up to the 10th volume of its omnibus collections, so must be nearing the end. I’m so far behind I’ll never catch up, but it’s a great manga for those who like fighting and unrealistic female bodies.

MJ: Heh.

MICHELLE: At least once during each of these columns, Sean, you make me go *snerk*. This was where I did it this week.

SEAN: Lastly, Vagabond also has an omnibus out, collecting more gorgeous art and depressing storylines for the Inoue lover in all of us.

MICHELLE: Oh, Vagabond. You know, I really really love Inoue’s basketball manga (Slam Dunk and Real), and Anna and I even cohosted a MMF celebrating his works earlier this year. But as part of that, I read the first Vagabond omnibus and found it largely unaffecting. Still, owning the first ten omnibus volumes as I do, it’s a given that I’ll be picking up the eleventh as well as giving the series another go in the future. Perhaps it’s simply best in small doses.

SEAN: ‘Zat you, Santa Claus? What manga did you bring me?

Pick of the Week: Outside the Box

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MJ: Midtown’s list is pretty limited, and though Sean’s roundup includes more, I’m going to stray off of both lists and go with Amazon, who tells me we’ll get the second volume of Paradise Kiss this week, in its lovely new edition from Vertical. I had a few reservations about the English adaptation in Vertical’s first omnibus, but those are squashed by volume two, which is really just fantastic from start to finish. I’ve been a fan of this series for a long time, and have reread it more than once, yet this gorgeous edition still manages to bring out new highlights, especially in this volume. It’s well worth picking up, for old fans and new!

MICHELLE: I am sorry to say that there’s nothing on Midtown’s list that particularly appeals to me. However, Sean’s list provides some more likely offerings. Of them, I’m going to have to go with Kekkaishi, which finally reaches its 35th and final volume. I’ve been hoarding this series for some time, and look forward to using some holiday vacation time to immerse myself in it at long last!

SEAN: This week seems to feature a lot of series I pretty much enjoy, but nothing I’m absolutely over the moon over. Some decent Jump, some decent comedy, some decent horror. As a result, I’ll take my chance and pick a short story collection by Kaoru Mori, Anything and Something. I admit I have some trouble getting into Mori’s mild style a lot of the time, but then I have the same issues with Natsume Ono and like several of her series. I’m hoping that the switch to shorter stories will help me to appreciate what everyone else loves about this artist (aside from the gorgeous art, which trust me has already enraptured me.) and that this collection will be a winner.

ANNA: If we are veering off lists, I am going to veer even further and choose as my pick the anime adaptation of Rose of Versailles, now streaming on Viki. I long for the day that we have the manga translated here, but I will console myself with watching all the fencing, cross dressing, and aristocratic scheming in the anime.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 12/10/12

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

Ai Ore!, Vol. 7 | By Mayu Shinjo | VIZ Media – I’m starting to get the feeling that Shinjo is beginning to lose interest in her own series, and am somewhat relieved that the next volume will be the last. Once again we see how well-adjusted Mizuki is when not thinking about Akira, and how thinking about him makes her a nervous wreck. The same applies, of course, to Akira in reverse – and it’s lampshaded by the other characters that this has been going on a bit too long. The main plot here involves Akira starting a solo career, seemingly in a bid to gain Mizuki’s attention. Of course, he has to sing as a girl, which leads to his photographer/manager (who doesn’t seem to care about his true gender) hitting on him and forcing him to question why he does all this cross-dressing. It’s sad that this series has gone from appalling to funny to sweet and now to boring. – Sean Gaffney

Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz, Vol. 3 | By QuinRose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru | Seven Seas – I’m going to have to come out and say it—I found Peter White the most interesting part of this volume. And given that I don’t like Peter at all, that’s saying something. But of course, that’s the point. Peter’s constant war between “I want Alice to be mine” and “I want Alice to be happy” seems to have finally swung in the “happy” direction, and so he has to stay away from her for the sake of her memories. It’s nice to see the main plotline of AitCoH get brought up again, reminding us that despite all the fluffy romance with Boris, everyone here is working with one goal in mind, which is to prevent Alice from recalling some psychological trauma involving her sister. And yes, Boris is doing that too. Will this threaten their relationship? Read on! – Sean Gaffney

Cage of Eden, Vol. 8 | By Yoshinobu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – It’s a shame the fanservice is so blatant and sexist, because this really is quite a fun adventure/thriller manga. There’s young men fighting twenty-foot-tall horse/bear hybrids by kicking them in the face, there’s intriguing plot revelations that force you to rethink everything about the premise (the view from the mountain), and there’s mystery elements that unfortunately seem to reinforce one of the manga’s main themes, “almost all adults are evil,” But really, Cage of Eden 8 can be defined by its cover, featuring Yarai looking grim and cool while carrying his teacher in a way that displays her ass to the reader in the most blatant way possible. Jump may try to quietly cater to both male and female readers – Magazine never bothers. But, getting past the boobs, butts and more boobs, it’s genuinely intriguing. – Sean Gaffney

Limit, Vol. 2 | By Keiko Suenobu | Vertical, Inc. – After the first volume’s wild drama, things remain tense and messy in volume two, as the girls figure out their own strategies for survival in a scenario where they are forced to depend on those they most certainly can’t trust. Though some of the character development may seem obvious, there are a few genuine surprises in the mix, and all the girls’ stories are well-told in Keiko Suenobu’s deft hands. Though capable Kamiya, with her well-honed survival skills and calm focus, is the most objectively impressive character in this volume, it’s popular girl Konno who experiences the greatest (and most surprising) personal growth. This series continues to maintain a delicate balance between its scathing commentary on teen social politics and its expressive shoujo artwork, cementing it as one of my favorite debut series of the year. Highly recommended. – MJ

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 12 | By Izumi Tsubaki | VIZ Media -Oresama Teacher is a bit predictable, and I am growing a little tired of the parade of cute young men with severe psychological issues that end up causing chaos in ex-delinquent Mafuyu’s new life. But it also consistently makes me laugh every time I pick up a volume due to the lunacy of the situations and visual gags. In this volume, Mafuyu deals with Aya’s past and gets some unwelcome attention from a new transfer student at her school. I was also happy to see the return of the school’s former Bancho, and his reaction to seeing Mafuyu and Aya talking together was priceless. I hope that the series swings back to the larger plotline about Takaomi and the redemption of the school, but as long as Oresama Teacher continues to reliably deliver funny moments I’m going to keep reading. – Anna N

Paradise Kiss, Vol. 2 | By Ai Yazawa | Vertical, Inc. – Each time I re-read this series, I am surprised all over again by how complex Yukari’s feelings for George are and how seriously cruel he can be, but this time, there’s more. Vertical’s gorgeous reprint of this series also brings into focus just how damned alluring George is, and how genuinely sexy and romantic Yukari’s relationship is with him at times, which really only complicates things more. Emotional complication is nearly always a very good thing, and that’s certainly the case here, especially in this volume, where Yukari is struggling so desperately with first love along with understanding the power (and terror) of exercising her own free will. My earlier reservations about this version’s English adaptations were smoothed over by this volume, which neatly swept me away without distraction. Highly recommended. – MJ

Real, Vol. 11 | By Takehiko Inoue | VIZ Media – Nomiya takes center stage in this volume, as the time has finally come for him to try out for the Tokyo Lightnings, a pro team. As a devotee of sports manga, I found the whole process undeniably riveting, and even somewhat verklempt-inducing since Nomiya, though lacking in various skills and experience, is nonetheless able to display his best qualities on the court and as a person. (Spoiler: we’re going to have to wait another year for volume twelve to learn whether he’s made the team or not.) Meanwhile, Togawa’s wheelchair basketball team, the Tigers, acquires a feisty new coach and Takahashi, still doing rehabilitation in the hospital, takes a competition wheelchair for a spin. Real is full of struggle and effort, and we’ve seen these protagonists dispirited before. But now, when they’re on the cusp of achieving something so meaningful, the payoff is immensely sweet. Very strongly recommended. – Michelle Smith

Slam Dunk, Vol. 25 | By Takehiko Inoue | VIZ Media – I always put down a volume of an Inoue manga feeling like I’ve witnessed a very entertaining masterclass in storytelling. Slam Dunk always balances the psychological aspects of playing sports with incredibly well-executed action scenes. The Shohoku team is about to play the tournament favorites Sannoh, and the early part of the volume deals with team strategy on both sides. We see the cipher-like coach of Shohoku knowing just what to say to each of his players to ensure that they won’t be intimidated by their opposing team, and the formation of a new cohesive team identity. There are always a few moments from Slam Dunk that stand out in my mind after I close each volume, and in this case it is the identical looks of disbelief on Sakuragi and Miyagi’s faces when Sakuragi actually manages to do something cool in a competitive game after Miyagi feeds him the ball. – Anna N

Vampire Knight, Vol. 15 | By Matsuri Hino | VIZ Media – For all that it features really hot and sexy vampires being hot, this volume of Vampire Knight excels because it focuses on what Matsuri Hino writes best—politics. Kaname is physically absent from this volume except in a couple of flashbacks, but the aftermath of his actions at the end of the last volume reverberate throughout. Yuki is trying to hold everything together, and in fact given the lack of faith many have in her what she achieves is surprising, but I can’t help but feel, like Zero, that it’s not going to hold up for very long. It’s especially not helped by the presence of Sara, who is such an obvious villain that she gets to simply walk around being villainous and wait for anyone to bother to prove it. And yes, if you do like vampires, there’s even some interesting vampire stuff here. Still addicting soap opera. – Sean Gaffney

Off the Shelf: Sweet Blue Flowers, Bunny Drop, Thermae Romae

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MICHELLE: Hey, MJ! What game would you play with a wombat?

MJ: Well, wow, I don’t know! What game would you play with a wombat?

MICHELLE: Wom!

MJ: Heh. Okay, it actually took a moment for me to get that. I must need more coffee!

MICHELLE: Maybe so! While you’re getting caffeinated, wanna tell us about some manga you read this week?

MJ: Sure! Those who took in my new video feature this week, My Week in Manga, may be anticipating this as my first topic for today—I’m talking about Sweet Blue Flowers (Aoi Hana) by Takako Shimura. The first volume is now available at JManga, and I could not be more thrilled. I’ve been waiting to read this series for a long time, and I’m so happy that it’s finally available in English.

Sweet Blue Flowers has two protagonists—Akira Okudaira, a young woman just beginning her first year at an elite all-girls high school, and Fumi Manjoume, Akira’s childhood friend who has just moved back into the area after ten years (though she’s attending a different all-girls school). Fumi is a lesbian, and shortly after we meet her, she discovers that her older cousin, Chizu, with whom she’s been having a sexual relationship for some time, has become engaged to be married. Heartbroken, Fumi turns to Akira for comfort, cementing their renewed friendship. Akira is relatively innocent about matters of the heart, but when Fumi begins dating an upperclassman, Yasuko, she finds Akira to be a supportive confidante—the first she’s ever really had. Meanwhile, Akira’s classmate, Kyouko, who has a long-time crush on Yasuko, tries to pawn off her arranged fiance on Akira.

Like Shimura’s earlier series, Wandering Son, Sweet Blue Flowers is a quiet, emotionally complex story that addresses its characters’ sexuality, burgeoning sense of self, and considerable teen angst with thoughtfulness and real gravity, while also carefully providing them with a support system that keeps their sense of fear and isolation from overtaking the narrative. Manga fans who long for teen-oriented series’ depicting fantastic female friendships will find everything they’re looking for in this series, along with so much more.

Though the initial onslaught of new characters inhabiting two different girls’ schools can be a bit overwhelming, the story soon settles in on its primary relationships and how these schools’ social circles intertwine. This aspect of the story mainly revolves around Yasuko, who transferred from Akira’s school to Fumi’s, and whose romantic history looks to be far more complicated than she lets on. The series’ exploration of these girls’ romantic fantasies and inner lives should ring true to any adult woman still in touch with her teenaged self, and this is really its greatest strength. Sweet Blue Flowers doesn’t romanticize first love, but it does let us in to its characters‘ romantic hearts, with a level of authenticity that’s less common than one might expect, especially in stories about young girls.

I admit, I’d love to see a high-end print version of this series similar to Wandering Son‘s, especially as the visual quality of JManga’s edition makes text sometimes difficult to read, but overall I’m just grateful to be able to read it at all. This is really a treasure.

MICHELLE: I’ve really wanted to read this series for a long time, so I too am really grateful that it’s available in English at last! JManga has released a fair amount of yuri in the past year, but this does seem to be the most “emotionally complex” one yet. And probably utterly devoid of fanservice.

MJ: Yes, it’s completely fanservice-free, which is a bigger relief than I even expected it to be. I’m so accustomed to just wading through fanservice, I sometimes forget how relaxing it is to read without it.

So what have you been reading this week?

MICHELLE: I’ve spent the interval since our last column getting caught up on Yumi Unita’s josei series Bunny Drop.

Let me state right up front that I was spoiled on the ending of this series before I even began reading it, and have found that this advanced knowledge has colored my reading to the extent that I really can’t avoid talking about it. So, if you don’t want to be spoiled on the ending of Bunny Drop, you should probably skip down to where we start talking about Thermae Romae.

After four volumes depicting single guy Daikichi Kawachi’s experience raising his six-year-old aunt, Rin, Bunny Drop skipped ahead ten years for its fifth volume. Since then, it’s focused more on Rin as a teenager, her disappointment with childhood friend/love interest Kouki, and her uncertainty over her future. Before I get into my complaints, I want to note that Rin’s truly an interesting character. Serious, studious, responsible, domestic, and reserved, it’s refreshing to read about someone who’s simultaneously classy and occasionally prickly. In this volume, her observations of the bonds shared by friends and their mothers causes her to contemplate the nature of motherhood and to ultimately seek out her own. She does eventually meet Masako—another unique character who’s prickly, defensive, and yet somehow sympathetic—but the volume ends with her concluding that living with Daikichi is best.

All of this sounds perfectly innocent without the foreknowledge that Rin and Daikichi are going to end up as a couple. But because I know that, I have seen Unita urging the story in that direction ever since the fifth volume. I might’ve found Rin’s reaction to Kouki’s astoundingly poor decision-making more poignant, had I not been cynically observing, “Had to cross him off the list.” I had the same reaction when Daikichi and Kouki’s mother eventually decide not to get together. Because this seventh volume is mostly concerned with Rin and Masako meeting, there’s less of that, but it’s still present in the form of an awkward sniff-test that I guess is supposed to confirm that Daikichi is not too close a relation to be genetically viable and Rin’s realization that she doesn’t want anyone else to take care of Daikichi in his old age. This, coupled with scenes in which Daikichi confirms that she’ll always be his kid, just makes everything kind of… confusing and icky.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Bunny Drop is still a good read, and I am trying to keep an open mind that Unita will somehow manage to bring these two together romantically in a way that won’t make my skin crawl. (I pray that we get another ten-year time jump first!) But I can’t deny that I wish it had remained in its quasi-Yotsuba?! state indefinitely.

MJ: I admit I’m not feeling the “icky” as much as you are, and perhaps that’s because I was spoiled much later, after I already had the chance to fall in love with the characters and the story in general. Also, I just may not be as squicked by the concept in general. But I agree that the story has been nudging Rin in this direction since the time-jump, and knowing the ending in advance has certainly affected the way I view both Rin and Daikichi’s romantic lives. More and more, though, I’m feeling confident that Unita will be able to pull this off in a way that’s moving and sweet instead of gross. I hope I’m right?

MICHELLE: I really hope so, too.

Anyway, you want to do the honors and introduce Thermae Romae?

MJ: Sure! So, as we’ve mentioned, our mutual read this week is the first volume of Mari Yamazaki’s Thermae Romae, published in true hardcover glory by Yen Press. It’s an award-winning manga in Japan that’s spawned both an anime series and a popular live-action film, and it’s been ongoing in Enterbrain’s seinen magazine Comic Beam since 2008.

Lucius Modestus is an architect in ancient Rome, whose old-style bathhouse designs are falling out of favor. A true devotee of the public bath, Lucius goes for a soak to clear his thoughts after losing an important contract. As he sinks deeper into the bath, he is suddenly sucked into a drainage pipe, only to find himself finally emerging in modern-day Japan! Thrilled by the “flat-faces”‘ (as he calls them) advances in public bathing, he returns to his own time full of new ideas, which become all the rage in Rome, establishing him as an architectural genius.

Each new chapter roughly repeats this formula (Lucius hits a snag in his own design, time-travels to Japan, and returns with the plan for Rome’s next great bath), which I admit I found a bit wearying over time, though I certainly learned a lot about baths!

MICHELLE: More than anything, Thermae Romae actually reminds me of Ekiben Hitoritabi (available from JManga), which is the likewise repetitious story of a train/bento enthusiast who travels around Japan, marveling at both trains and bento and finding nothing in his travels to dislike. Similarly, each time Lucius comes to Japan he finds it wondrous and deserving of enthusiastic mental praise. At one point, during the chapter in which he discovers onsen, the hard-boiled eggs cooked in the hot water, and the sake served along with them, he utters a line of dialogue that could’ve been completely lifted from Ekiben: “Fantastic! It goes perfectly with the egg!”

So, basically, Thermae Romae is to baths what Ekiben Hitoritabi is to trains and bento lunches. It’s a celebration of a unique aspect of Japanese culture that is a little bemusing perhaps for Westerners to read, but still entertaining.

This makes me wonder… why did Thermae Romae get a deluxe hardcover release while Ekiben is only available digitally? Certainly the time-travel aspect offers a modicum of intrigue, but I think the main difference might rest in Yamazaki’s art style. The volume’s large size and glossy pages, coupled with Yamazaki’s realistic renderings (of Lucius in particular), contribute to the impression that this is actually a Western graphic novel of distinguished literary merit! Yen must be hoping to attract a wider audience with this release than simply manga fans.

MJ: I think you may have a very good point. For what’s essentially an episodic gag manga, the artwork is really quite gorgeous, particularly in its depictions of ancient Rome. It’s a strange and awesome combination, really, when you consider that there’s an entire section regarding toilets (down to the details of Roman wiping), depicted with this really lovely, rather sensitive artwork instead of crude, gross-out drawings or clinical, non-fiction diagrams—either of which would be more likely to accompany the subject matter. Yen’s high-end treatment emphasizes the erudite nature of the series, which isn’t at all inappropriate, but I’ll be interested to see who its audience really is.

MICHELLE: Speaking of the gag aspect… until I got to the part about the toilets, I was feeling kind of dubious about the front flap’s claim that Thermae Romae is a “historical comedy.” However, Lucius accusing the bidet of being an “insolent knave!!” changed my mind.

MJ: Heh, yes, the toilet section did provide some of the best humor, I have to admit!

JManga the Week of 12/13

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SEAN: I will admit that next week’s crop of JManga offerings don’t give me as much to chatter about. No new series, but a lot of new volumes of series that I am either not reading or woefully behind on. Not to mention Pride and Crazy for You 4 got bumped back a week in a Diamond-esque fashion.

MJ: *snif*

MICHELLE: I also despondent.

SEAN: Recorder and Randsell is a series that I’ve no doubt is cute and heartwarming, but I find almost impossible to get past its incredibly twee premise, with a high school girl who has the body of a small child and her brother, a child with the body of a high schooler. It’s a 4-koma, so no doubt moe gags abound. It’s from Takeshobo.

Also from Takeshobo, we have Vol. 5 of PoyoPoyo’s Observation Diary, the awkwardly titled series about a spherical cat and his family. It has cornered the spherical cat market, I tell you!

MICHELLE: I read the first volume of this and had a mixed reaction. There was enough about it that I liked to compel me to continue, but I must admit that I haven’t yet done so.

SEAN: My Darling Kitten Hair is a BL manga from Libre Shuppan, and I see it described as ‘quirky’. Points off for the popsicle-sucking cover, though they do at least keep it cute and tasteful.

MJ: Okay, I have almost nothing else to say this week except that My Darling Kitten Hair was one of my favorite BL manga of the year AND I AM SO HAPPY. So happy.

Okay, I’m done now.

MICHELLE: The very first thing I thought when I saw this on the list was, “Ooh, MJwill be happy.”

SEAN: Peacemaker Kurogane 4 is out far too soon after Vol. 3 for me to have anything to say.

I admit I haven’t had time to read Madame Joker, but given I’ve liked all the other series that Futabasha has released on JManga from the josei magazine Jour, I’m sure I’ll enjoy this as well. Vol. 3 hits the site.

Lastly, Tactics heads further into double digits with Vol. 11. Did anyone read the Tokyopop version of this?

MICHELLE: Not me.

MJ: Oh, actually I did. I only got a few volumes in, though, before I simply lost interest. Perhaps I should give it another chance? It has lots of pretty costuming.

Manga the Week of 12/12

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SEAN: After the hugeness of this week’s list, next week is looking a lot milder. Though as always, Midtown, Diamond, and bookstores don’t seem to match at all. (My shop got most of the Viz stuff, but none of the Yen releases, which they say are coming out 12/12.) This list is mostly Midtown, with two Viz titles most stores will get 12/12, and one Yen title with the same circumstances. (Midtown gets Yen’s hardcovers later than most?)

Yes, yes, I will stop being a nerd and get on with the list. Kodansha brings us a few new titles. Attack on Titan 3 looks to answer what’s going on with that Ally Titan and why Eren is back, but I suspect I still won’t be able to tell half the soldiers apart from the other half. Come on, at least give them a distinctive scar or something!

MJ: Ack! I’m a whole volume behind in Attack on Titan, and that’s about to grow into two volumes. I need to catch up!

SEAN: Battle Angel Alita: Last Order returns after a very long hiatus and with a new publisher. Kodansha Comics picks up the reins after the author switched Japanese publishers in what was, for Japan, a very loud parting of the ways. Vol. 16 picks up where Viz left off, but for those who need to start from the beginning, omnibuses are coming soon. (Of Last Order, that is. The original is still out of print and likely to remain so.)

The Wallflower is up to Volume 29, and at times I feel I’m the only one still reading it, mainly as I don’t give a rat’s ass when Sunako and Kyohei admit their feelings, I just want to see them kicking people who annoy them in the face. I should get more of that here.

MICHELLE: Three series so far that I haven’t read! I did own the first half dozen volumes of The Wallflower for a time, but I must’ve gotten wind of its terminal lack of resolution, because I quit buying it and eventually gave away the ones I did have.

SEAN: I have no earthly idea what Captain Commando is. It’s by Japanese artists, apparently, but I can’t find out who originally published it. Given Udon is putting it out, is it a Capcom thing, maybe? Anyway, this is Volume 2.

MJ: I suspect this isn’t even remotely for me, yet I feel compelled to read something called “Captain Commando.” I mean. Yeah.

SEAN: Viz somehow missed sending Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan 12 to shops this week, but it’ll be there next week. I like Nura, which always entertains me without wowing me. It’s a meat-and-potatoes Jump series, much like Psyren.

MICHELLE: I am way, way behind on Nura, but I don’t dislike it or anything. I guess it’s easy to put on the backburner.

MJ: I have a difficult time getting interested in titles like this (I guess I never did like meat and potatoes). Should I try anyway?

SEAN: Depends, do you enjoy generic Jump? Lots of multi-volume fights, a few love triangles, people getting stronger through training and the power of friendship…

Everyone except Midtown will also be getting the 7th volume of Itsuwaribito. I admit I never really followed this series, about a boy trying to redeem the world with his lies. But it’s one of Viz’s few remaining Shonen Sunday series, and I cherish each of those like my own kin. So go get it.

MJ: “I cherish each of those like my own kin.” I have nothing profound to say about Itsuwaribito, I just liked that sentiment. Actually makes me want to read every Shonen Sunday series I can find.

SEAN: Speaking of which, it’s the final volume of Kekkaishi! This is definitely on my list of series to catch up with, and it makes me sad that it’s ending here. But I hear the ending is quite satisfying, so definitely grab grab grab this.

MICHELLE: I have been carefully hoarding Kekkaishi for years and am looking forward to indulging in a marathon. Possibly over Christmas break!

MJ: I have never delved into this series, but I really do want to. Maybe I’ll catch up digitally!

SEAN: Lastly, for some reason not featured with the giant pile of Yen last week, Kaoru Mori’s collection of short stories Anything and Something is due out as well. There’s apparently some commentary and designs for Emma and A Bride’s Story interspersed throughout. I’m not as wild about Mori as some other bloggers I know, but this is still definitely a book to have.

MICHELLE: I haven’t read as much Mori as I should have, but this one looks pretty quirky and fun.

MJ: I’d really, really like to see this, so I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

SEAN: Sticking your thumb into any of these hoping for a plum?

MICHELLE: *groan*

Bookshelf Briefs 12/3/12

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

Aron’s Absurd Armada, Vol. 1 | By MiSun Kim | Yen Press – So, the plot: stupid nobleman coerces his bodyguard to play pirates with him and they gradually acquire a misfit crew. I’m pretty hard to please where comedies are concerned, but Aron’s Absurd Armada delivers the right amount of the promised absurdity to appeal to me. The fact that I started snickering on the character introductions page was a good sign, and there were several bits thereafter that amused me. I like the fact that, though primarily composed in a 4-panel format, there’s actually a sequential story (however silly) being told, so it doesn’t feel like merely a series of jokes. It all flows quite well, actually. Sure, some parts are less funny than others—I particularly fail to find humor in the crew of marines who’re suffering through a similarly incompetent leader—but it’s quite fun on the whole, and I’m looking forward to volume two. – Michelle Smith

GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, Vol. 6 | By Toru Fujisawa | Vertical, Inc. – Again, the best thing about this series is how much of an inspiration Onizuka is. His actual actions may not help much – his plan to get Keiichi in good with his girlfriend’s parents is typical Onizuka, i.e. wildly over the top and idiotic – but his never say die determination lets people he comes into contact with find their own inner strengths. This can sometimes even surprise him – when Ayame goes after the yakuza at the start of this volume, he’s the one that’s nervous. But towards the end we find more and more of the White Swan is in his corner. Of course, they’re dealing with the messed-up twins – well, messed-up twin, as it turns out that they’re not two of a kind. So the cast of this series may not be enough – we have to bring in some ringers from GTO proper. Absolutely cannot wait for Vol. 7! -Sean Gaffney

Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations, Vol. 3 | By Kenji Kuroda and Kazuo Maekawa | Kodansha Comics – It would appear I was not the only one annoyed at the complete lack of any Ace Attorney cast other than Miles and Gumshoe. Ema Skye makes an appearance here, coming home from the U.S. for the holiday break. (My guess is she’s about 19-20 here, putting these cases in the gap between Phoenix being framed and the Apollo Justice games – which helps explain the lack of other regulars.) The writers may have played the DS game starring her before they wrote this volume, in fact – the 2nd case has some similarities to her debut. As seems to be a habit with these releases, the first case in the volume is merely OK, but the 2nd is more gripping. Everything is still light as air, but for Ace Attorney fans, this volume is another win.-Sean Gaffney

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 13 | By Yuki Midorikawa | VIZ Media – “I’ll be waiting here at noon tomorrow. If you’re not here, I’ll come by the house.” That sounds innocent enough, doesn’t it? But it’s the threat implied—that exorcist Matoba will tell the relatives Natsume’s living with all about his involvement in the dangerous supernatural world if he doesn’t cooperate—that forces Natsume to attend a meeting of exorcists with Matoba in order to root out the person who’s been attacking them. The ensuing chapters are good though fairly straightforward. I was most captivated by the pair of side stories depicting Natsume as seen through the eyes of a couple of classmates. Midorikawa skillfully creates full personalities for these guys while offering us something new about our protagonist. It’s her skill and the overall warmth and loveliness of the series that left me feeling like this volume was over way too soon. – Michelle Smith

Psyren, Vol. 7 | By Toshiaki Iwashiro | VIZ Media – About 2/3 of the way through this series, the main characters are pulled back into the Psyren World, to their great frustration. I share this frustration, as I find the constant fights and posturing in the apocalyptic ruins to be far less interesting than the attempts to change the future in the present. Indeed, the future is already changed – we see the Elmore Wood kids get killed off again on the DVD, but in a different way than they did at first. I’m simply more invested in the present-day plots, and the villains being stock caricatures is not helping at all. I will admit to being amused by the solution to ‘I am being a mook because my sister is in a coma’ – fix the coma, problem solved. But if the majority of the next volume takes place in Psyren World, I’m not really looking forward to it unless something revelatory happens. (coughforeshadowingcough) -Sean Gaffney

Soulless: The Manga, Vol. 2 | By Gail Carriger and Rem | Yen Press – The second volume of Soulless finds the supernatural denizens of London sporadically “afflicted with normality.” Getting to the bottom of the matter involves taking a dirigible ride to Scotland, with various attempts on Alexia’s life along the way and some new, though possibly untrustworthy, acquaintances along for the journey. In some ways, this is a stronger volume than the first, with a mystery plot that’s better integrated into the characters’ storyline, though I do miss the banter between Alexia and Conall from their courtship days and the resolution of the mystery is decidedly lame. The introduction of Madame Lefoux, however, is the real highlight. A French inventor who dresses like a gent (complete with top hat), Lefoux’s a scene-stealer whose flirtatious attentions provoke a definite response in Alexia. I hope we’ll be seeing more of her (and, of course, more Soulless)! – Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: Chocolat, Toriko, Natsume, Demon Love Spell

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MJ: There is an avalanche of new manga flooding Midtown Comics this week, including some regular favorites of mine like Pandora Hearts, Bakuman, and Natsume’s Book of Friends, but I only have eyes for one title, and that’s volume 8 of Chocolat, a girls’ manhwa series from Yen Press that has been on hiatus since 2008. This omnibus includes the series’ final three volumes, and I can’t wait to read it! Well, I admit I probably have to go back and read the rest of the series again first (it has been a while), but that doesn’t dampen my excitement in the slightest. Chocolat marathon, anyone?

SEAN: Midtown may be getting a pile, but my store is only getting a tiny amount, for some likely Diamond-related reason. And I already talked about Higurashi a couple of days ago. So for my pick, I’ll go with the 13th volume of Toriko, another Shonen Jump success story about food and manliness. After a lull where it fell into “3 volumes of fight,” Toriko has picked right back up again, and it always seems to find the right balance between fighting and food. And the food is getting more and more gloriously weird, with every menu item almost becoming a new character that has to be defeated. Like One Piece, which it resembles a bit, Toriko gives off an old-school Jump feeling of boys with their toys. And the toys are MEAT. (P.S. – Also get the 2nd Pogo volume from Fantagraphics, as Pogo is awesome. Sincerely, Sean.)

MICHELLE: I’d be up for that Chocolat marathon, but I’m going to award my pick to volume 13 of Natsume’s Book of Friends. Though episodic stories aren’t generally my preference, Natsume is consistently excellent and maintains a certain… ethereal air? I’m not sure how to describe it. It’s not quite gentle, it’s not quite wistful… But it’s entirely wonderful. If you haven’t checked this series out yet, you really should!

ANNA: My Pick of the week is the new Mayu Shinjo title, Demon Love Spell. This quite funny send-up of paranormal romance manga features a chibified incubus and a bumbling yet sassy shrine maiden. It should appeal to fans of Ai Ore, and for people who dropped Ai Ore due to some of the squicky gender issues in the first volume, I think that the humor in this manga is much easier to relate to.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

JManga the Week of 12/6

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SEAN: After a somewhat desolate week this week (with one huge treat, of course), next week’s JManga schedule looks a lot more promising.

JManga and Shueisha are on the fast track with their releases of Crazy for You and Pride! This will take Crazy for You over the halfway mark. Both recommended (why is it so hard to stay caught up, though?)

MICHELLE: I am having the same problem with staying caught up, but am supremely delighted that releases are coming so quickly with these series! I’m not sure why, but it kind of gives me hope that once these two are finished, more Shueisha shoujo will be on its way. This is the place where I predictably suggest/beg for Cat Street.

ANNA: I like plenty of JManga titles, but these are the ones I am most enthusiastic about currently. I hope that these signal a trend of more shojo for JManga, and I would also love to see them get Cat Street too.

MJ: I am thrilled by the pace they’re keeping with these, because I am completely hooked on both!

SEAN: We have the final volume of Comic High’s Otaku-Type Delusion Girl, which Media Blasters released part of ages ago as Fujoshi Rumi. Given that it’s about a bunch of BL fangirls, but runs in Comic High!, I can guess the audience reaction over here to be somewhat mixed? Anyone try it?

MICHELLE: I never have, but I have a friend (female) who likes it.

SEAN: There’s also a new Neko Ramen, rescued from Tokyopop and available once more for our cat-loving pleasure.

MICHELLE: Yay! Though I’ll really be rejoicing when they get to volume five, the first one not to be released by TOKYOPOP.

SEAN: The big release of the week, for the 2nd week in a row, is by Takako Shimura. I think Ohta Shuppan, which has released 3 titles in the last month or so to JManga, has started to realize that they can really promote their brand here. The short stories collected in The Devil Is So Cute ran in various magazines, including Comic High (Futabasha), Comic Blade Zebel (Mag Garden), and Young King OURS (Shonen Gahosha). But really, the best thing I can say is IT’S MORE SHIMURA! READ IT!

MICHELLE: Yes, I am really looking forward to this one!

MJ: Count me in!

SEAN: Another Futabasha series wraps up, as we get the last two volumes of The Perfect Girlfriend, one of the first of their Web Comic High! online series. I read part of the first volume, and while it didn’t grab me, it wasn’t all that awful. I can see it appealing to the anime-loving crowd.

Lastly, a second Tokyopop rescue, The Good Witch of the West is a shoujo fantasy adventure series I’ve been meaning to catch up on (especially after reading Erica’s recent review. This side-story volume seems to take place after the main story.

MICHELLE: It’s one that’s been on my radar for some time—mostly due to my local library having it in their collection—but I’ve never yet managed to actually read it. One of these days.

ANNA: I read the first four volumes or so, and this is a solid fantasy series, although I wasn’t compelled to collect all the print volumes. More Tokyopop rescues would be good! I only hope that one day more of my beloved Demon Sacred gets translated.

MICHELLE: Oh yes, me too!

MJ: I would also really like to see Demon Sacred. But I’m pleased to see things like this on the list. I missed a lot of Tokyopop titles the first time around.

SEAN: Lots of varied stuff. I may have to load up on points again.

Manga the Week of 12/5

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SEAN: What we have feared for so long has finally come upon us. Viz’s first week has combined with Yen’s monthly shipments. But that’s OK. We can get through this if we just stay together. (I can’t actually confirm Yen’s stuff via Diamond just yet, but it’s definitely coming into Midtown.) So let’s get going.

First, a brief stop off with Dark Horse, where the Shinji Ikari Raising Project has reached Vol. 12. I don’t follow most of the Evangelion AUs, but this is supposed to be one of the fluffier ones. Given that, if you like Evangelion but hate that everyone keeps getting killed (sorry to spoil that 17-year-old anime for you), this may be a winner!

MICHELLE: I’m pretty surprised that series has gotten up to twelve volumes without me noticing! I guess that shows how far under my radar it is.

SEAN: And now (oh dear) for Viz. Let’s start off with Arata the Legend 12, Yuu Watase’s stab at shonen that hasn’t quite won as many readers as Fushigi Yuugi, but has quite a cult following.

ANNA: I’ve been following this, but slowly. I still haven’t quite forgiven Arata for not being Fushigi Yuugi, but Watase is such a pro I find myself enjoying this shonen fantasy series. I have a couple volumes of Arata on my “to read” stack.

MICHELLE: I really like Arata!

SEAN: Bakuman finished in Japan, so there’s no reason not to have the American release GO GO GO to catch up. Here’s Vol. 17.

Black Bird has reached 15 volumes, and its cover still has that same look, thankfully with less actual blood than the last time I read it. But hey, Shojo Beat readers adore it.

ANNA: I read the first couple volumes and then later volumes somewhat sporadically, but this is one of those shojo series that I just can’t seem to connect with.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I gave up long ago.

MJ: I’ve hated this series for so long, my relationship with it seems somehow… intimate. And isn’t that just sad?

SEAN: Two more Bleach volumes, still strangely Aizen-less. Poor Ichigo’s lost his powers! Who can help? Why Rukia can… unless she’s distracted by adorable plush toys. But hey, what are the chances of that happening?

D.Gray-Man 23 tells us about a group of demons called Noah. Right! What’s a Gray-man? And why is it D? Did they have three Gray-men before it? (Look, I’ve gotten into the bad habit of trying to be funny with these. Bear with it, it’ll be over soon.)

Dawn of the Arcana 7 is out, another in a series of shoujo manga from Viz I’ve gotten behind on, so I’ll let my colleagues try to be funny here.

ANNA: I didn’t realize I’d gotten so far behind on this series either! This fantasy series has a slow but rewarding pace, and a refreshing heroine. I see myself stocking up on Dawn of the Arcana for some quality vacation reading next month.

MICHELLE: I’m behind too, but somewhat on purpose so I can have a small stack to marathon next time I feel like catching up on it. (Sorry, can’t think of anything funny!)

SEAN: Oh boy, another Mayu Shinjo series! I am feeling equal parts eagerness and trepidation, given her past record. Demon Love Spell seems to be made up of shrine maiden, sexy demon, lots of seduction. I suspect I will both enjoy and be repelled by it.

ANNA: I am very much looking forward to this series. After not being quite sure what to make of Ai Ore, I have come to the conclusion that it is entirely satirical, and the second series settles down a bit into being a shojo comedy. Still, I enjoy Mayu Shinjo series when she brings the crack, as found in all the bondage, forced drug addiction, bondage, kidnapping and sex in unusual places that she treated readers to in Sensual Phrase. If this series is more like Sensual Phrase than Ai Ore, I can see myself enjoying this very much.

MICHELLE: I was actually reading the back cover blurb of Demon Love Spell to a friend on the phone last night, and snickering unkindly that the wholly original name for the shrine maiden is…. Miko. While I’d like to believe Ai Ore is satire, I still pretty much hated volume seven, so that doesn’t leave me too eager for this new series, though I will still probably check it out.

MJ: I don’t know what to think of this. I really dislike Ai Ore!, but I’ve never read Sensual Phrase, so I suppose there’s still hope?

SEAN: Devil and Her Love Song 6 is a Shojo Beat series that I am keeping up with, and it hasn’t lost its spark yet. Here’s hoping we get a bit less angst and a bit more bite this time, though.

ANNA: I enjoy this series every time I pick up a volume, but it isn’t the type of series that I see myself rereading very much in the future. I’m glad though that Shojo Beat is releasing such a good variety of manga under their imprint currently.

SEAN: The Earl and The Fairy light novel series is 29 volumes and counting, but its manga equivalent finishes here with Vol. 4. Given I think that Vol. 2 was a perfectly serviceable ending, I’m not sure what to think. But hey, I liked 2 better than 1, maybe I’ll like 4 better than 3.

Natsume’s Book of Friends has rapidly become one of my can’t miss titles, and seeing it’s hit Vol. 13 fills me with happiness. (And yes, there won’t be enough Taki in it. There’s never enough of my OT3. Ah well.)

MICHELLE: I too am rejoicing over volume 13 of Natsume.

MJ: Likewise!

SEAN: I can’t remember the last time Viz wasn’t putting out a Tanemura series, and this is definitely not one of those times. Vol. 9 of Sakura Hime is due out next week.

Slam Dunk has reached a quarter century of volumes! I think this means it only has a few more to go, in fact. Perhaps when it finishes we can see Kuroko no Basket?

ANNA: SLAM DUNK RULES! I have no other comment than that.

MICHELLE: I can get behind Anna’s sentiments 110%! But yes, after this one there are only six volumes left. And I’d love to see Kuroko no Basket released here. Now that Cross Game has finished, are there any other sports manga coming out here now? I can’t think of any off the top of my head…

SEAN: There’s Cross Manage, which runs in Shonen Jump Alpha.

Toriko 13 has our heroes realizing that it’s time to GET STRONGER! Oh dear, a training arc? Not quite. Getting stronger in Toriko means BETTER KNIVES. Food preparation is still serious business.

As for Vol. 2 of Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, when did this series start to sound like it was written in On Beyond Zebra? Did I miss Yu-Gi-Oh Yuzz?

Now then, Yen. I bet you thought “What would it be like if I had even more Alice in the Country of Hearts spinoffs? Can my heart even take another harem route?” Now’s your change to find out, as My Fanatic Rabbit is the March Hare route, sitting nicely next to your Cheshire Cat volumes.

ANNA: I’m taking a bit of a wait and see attitude towards the Alice In the Country of Hearts spinoffs. I did enjoy the original series very much, but I wasn’t a big fan of the first Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat volume. I’m going to rely on the opinions of other reviewers before I contemplate picking this up.

MICHELLE: Cheshire Cat was actually loads better than Bloody Twins, even though it wasn’t great. Still, I am kind of fond of the March Hare, so I might like Fanatic Rabbit. We shall see!

SEAN: I first saw Blood Lad a while ago and remarked that it would no doubt be licensed as it had Vampires in it. And here I am, proven right again. The burden of being me can be overwhelming sometimes.

MICHELLE: Hee hee.

SEAN: Given I now share this list with my fellow Manga Bookshelf peeps, I can’t just skip over manwha like I used to. So, Chocolat Vol. 8. Anyone?

MICHELLE: Chocolat is a manhwa series by the creators of Very! Very! Sweet, originally licensed here by Ice Kunion. Yen took over with the fourth volume and and released through volume seven by the end of 2008. Then the series languished for four years, even though it wrapped up in Korea. But now we’re finally getting the ending! Though it’s labelled as volume eight, Yen’s site notes that it’s actually a 512-page omnibus containing the final three volumes of the series. I’m sure this is making a lot of people happy! I hope the final volume of Comic is next!

MJ: YES! YES! YES! I’ve have been anxiously waiting for this series to continue! I’ve really missed all of those Ice Kunion licenses, and Yen has nearly reached the end of them, without much hope for more of the same as far as I can see. I’m grateful for one more taste.

SEAN: Another in the series that I seem to like a lot more than most everyone else online (though it sells, unlike my usual obsessions), Higurashi When They Cry. Vol. 20 is the middle of the Massacre arc, containing Vols. 3-4 from Japan, and features everyone in the entire world trying to make child services see reason. Also, I finally get to stop pretending I don’t know who the real villain is, as they’re revealed here.

Maximum Ride: The Manga is still by James Patterson, even after 6 volumes.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya continues to be the dullest of the 3 Haruhi manga currently running, but it’s trying its best! Currently documenting the events of the 7th novel.

Why are so many series hitting Vol. 13 these days? Here’s Pandora Hearts.

MJ: Always happy to see more of this series. Yes, indeed.

SEAN: Madoka Magica’s manga may not quite have the impact of the anime it’s based on, but it still manages to shock. Vol. 3 is the final volume of the main series (be prepared for spinoffs and AUs).

The Raiders have finally found the Blood of Christ, but are stopped by Jeanne D’Arc. This description of Raiders Vol. 9 is almost enough to make me try to go back and pick up the rest.

MICHELLE: I’ve read most of Raiders, and while it often doesn’t make complete sense, there’s something about it that keeps me returning to see what’s going to happen next.

SEAN: Lastly, there’s the Collector’s Edition GN of Twilight, which everyone except Midtown seems to have had for a month now.

So, any stocking stuffers?

Bringing the Drama: Faith

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Anna: Welcome to Bringing the Drama’s discussion of Faith, the newish show starring Lee Min Ho. Faith centers around the misadventures of a modern day plastic surgeon named Yoo Eun Soo who is kidnapped by a handsome soldier Choi Young and taken back to the Goryeo era, where she is greeted as a doctor from heaven. There are superpowers! Ninjas! Cranky Kings and Queens! Bureaucratic machinations! Faith is streaming on Dramafever and Hulu.

New addition to the Bringing the Drama roundtable Michelle Smith joins us as we ponder the answers to the pressing questions raised by this drama such as:

Are grommets historically accurate? Can they also be sexy?
How hard would you clutch your handbag if you were stranded in the past?
Will you forever be suspicious of people wearing dangling earrings?

What were your reactions to Faith?

Michelle: I’ve not finished it yet, but I’ve certainly gotten farther with it than I have with any other k-dramas. I’d say episode four is around where I started to really enjoy the entirety of each episode, as opposed to just enduring the parts where Eun Soo was particularly loud and whiny. I admit to snickering unkindly about a few things—especially Eum Ja’s unfortunate wig—but on the whole I like it a lot. I’m a fan of political scheming in my fantasy, and Gi Cheol’s multifarious plots supply that nicely.

Lee Min Ho as Choi Young, with his historically accurate grommets.

Anna: Eun Soo is fairly whiny, but I found myself liking her anyway for a few reasons. One is that suddenly being transported into the past would be traumatic for anyone. The other reason is that I was amused by how much she was constantly clutching her handbag. I was actually alarmed and concerned when the handbag disappears later on in the series with no explanation. I also found her weird get rich quick schemes amusing. Her attempts to collect antiques and launch a business in homemade cosmetics were pretty funny.

Eva: Ha! I didn’t notice the handbag clutching until about episode six (I now wonder how I missed it). What made me giggle in the beginning was how every symptom presented by just about everyone Eun Soo treated was likely to cause pneumonia.

Like Michelle, I’m only about half way through the series. As usual, for me anyway, it took a good three to four episodes before I was sure I was going to like the show. And I’ve got to tell you, I’m loving it. I’m not nearly as attracted to crack-for-crack’s-sake shows as Emily is (don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of crack here, just lots of other stuff, too), so the added history, political intrigue, and smattering of romance made all the difference for me. In fact, this show reminds me a lot of Diana Gabaldon’s book Outlander, only less Scottish.

Eun Soo and her Very Important Handbag

Emily: I really enjoyed Faith. While it didn’t “wow” me as much as I had hoped when I read the original premise and news articles about the series, I still found it to be, for the most part, engaging and fun. I think it could have been even better with a more stylish historical look like in another historical fantasy airing at the same time, Arang and the Magistrate. Faith seemed to be reaching for an epic feel, and didn’t quite get there. It was really the main relationship that carried this show for me. Things got bogged down a little in the middle when all the factions seemed to be going in circles repeating the same plot points a few times, but I was interested enough in the development of Choi Young and Eun-Soo’s relationship enough to stick it out. When Lee Min Ho as Choi Young gets serious, he’s very… appealing :) I also greatly enjoyed the supporting characters, in particular, the relationship between the tiny King and Queen. I don’t want to spoil anything for people who haven’t seen all of it yet, so I’ll just add that I also liked the development of the main villains.

Time travel has been one of the most popular plot trends this year. Of the 4 series featuring it (Faith, Doctor Jin, Rooftop Prince, and Queen in-Hyun’s Man) I still have to call Queen In-Hyun’s Man my favorite, followed by Faith, then Rooftop Prince and lastly Doctor Jin.

Michelle: Oh yes, there’s much striving to be epic and it sometimes backfires. I actually think they use musical cues for this a lot. The opening theme is fairly grandiose, but there’s a lot of music within the episode, too. Sometimes it’s awesome, like when it bolsters a triumph for the good guys—I’m thinking of the scene where King Gong Min, having cast aside his Yuan garb, welcomes Wu Dai Chi into the throne room—but it sometimes tries to manipulate the audience into thinking something is, say, romantic, like when Choi Young indulges in a flashback montage that includes Eun Soo stealing vases or whatever.

Anna: I think that for Eun Soo, stealing vases IS romantic! Another reason for the almost but not quite epicness of the show is the tendency of Korean Dramas to frontload most of their budget onto the first couple shows and then back off a little bit. If every episode included special effects of Choi Young using his lightning powers and a random ninja-infused animated flashback, the show might have seemed a bit broader in scale. Overall though I didn’t mind the focus on relationships and I enjoyed the supporting cast in addition to the two leads. I do agree that at certain points the plot did get a bit repetitive. How often can someone get poisoned, kidnapped, or run away only to come back to the palace?

Michelle: Yeah, I was kind of frustrated by that, especially after the king had engaged in all sorts of cleverness to wrest Eun Soo from Gi Cheol’s clutches—though he largely did this to save face with the queen—she ends up spending time with Gi Cheol again because he’s got that notebook of hers. But all the same, I’d see why she’d want to know more about it!

Gi Cheol and his Evil Earring

Really, I find the mystery of how that notebook came to be (I’m not quite done with the series, so I don’t yet know the answer) sometimes more compelling than the relationship between Eun Soo and Choi Young. I love her when she’s serious, and love the conversations they have when she is in that mode, but sometimes I think the actress just isn’t up to playing angry or desperate and it just comes across as whiny. Either that, or those moments are poorly written. I can’t decide.

I agree about the supporting cast. I actually like nearly all the female characters—the queen, Court Lady Choi, Hwa Soo In, —more than Eun Soo with the exception of the mute herbalist, whose seems to’ve only received the direction to “sneer a lot.”

Anna: If someone had asked me my opinion of Lee Min Ho’s career after watching him in Boys Over Flowers and Personal Taste, I would not have predicted that he would suddenly become a believable action star, but with City Hunter followed by Faith, that’s exactly what happened. Faith won’t disappoint his fans and I’m curious to see what type of series he decides to do next.

Watch Faith at Dramafever!

Bookshelf Briefs 11/26/12

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This week, Michelle, MJ, & Sean check out recent releases from JManga, Yen Press, SuBLime Manga, and VIZ Media.

Ai Ore!, Vol. 7 | By Mayu Shinjo | VIZ Media – To be honest, I’m not sure why I’m still reading Ai Ore!. It’s a lazily written, episodic type of shoujo comedy that I just can’t like, and Akira as a character is especially grating to me. In this volume, he gets jealous of Kaoru, Mizuki’s childhood friend and former bandmate, and so embarks upon a career as a female idol just to get Mizuki’s attention. When this plan fails, he decides to make a serious bid for stardom, at which point Mizuki communicates her feelings for him in song (barf) and declares that he’s her prince (barf), causing him to abandon the project. On top of Akira’s personality changing half a dozen times over the course of the volume, everything that happens is just so stupid and pointless that I am profoundly relieved that my completist nature will only compel me to to endure one more volume of this mess. – Michelle Smith

Ninja Papa, Vol. 3 | By Yasuto Yamamoto | JManga – I think the author is starting to run out of ways to use his basic theme—I am a wimpish salaryman who nevertheless becomes a BADASS NINJA when pushed—as volume 3’s confrontations seem less over the top and silly, which was really the main reason to read this series in the first place. Honestly, there was too much salaryman and not enough ninja. We get the basic seinen themes restated – don’t let go of your dreams, stand up for what you believe in, even an ugly nebbish loser can attract gorgeous women. Halfway through things perk up when we get a flashback that shows us how Nobuo met his wife and began to doubt the ways of the clan. Unfortunately, his wife proves to be as just one-dimensionally sweet and wonderful in the past. There’s still cool ninja moves, but this series is starting to lose me. -Sean Gaffney

Punch Up!, Vol. 1 | By Shiuko Kano | SuBLime Manga – I’m late to the party on this title, which I only picked up after repeated recommendations in the comments of last week’s BL Bookrack: Best of 2012—and the reasons for those recommendations is pretty clear. Punch Up! is a smart, sexy title with just the right balance of honest characterization and guy-on-guy action for pleasing nearly any BL fan. Shiuko Kano serves up a host of messy characters in messy relationships (the best kind for storytelling, if you ask me), and if it all feels just a bit rushed, well, that’s the fantasy kicking in. That last bit is my only real quibble with the series so far, and I’m anxious to see if things slow down to a more believable pace over the next few volumes. Recommended. – MJ

RIN-NE, Vol. 10 | By Rumiko Takahashi | VIZ Media – It’s been a full year since I last reviewed RIN-NE, and most of what I said about it back then still applies, especially as relates to the part about nothing ever changing in the characters’ personal relationships. Still, I usually enjoy a volume of RIN-NE a bit more than this one, which has rather too much Ageha—a young, belligerent tsundere of a shinigami—for my liking. The chapters having to do with her contentious relationship with her contracted black cat are particularly draining. And speaking of—I need to start a tally box for how many ghosts died as a result of overwork and strain! Maybe this is a common problem in Japan or something. Anyway, Takahashi never fails to muster some fun moments, but there are certainly better volumes of RIN-NE (even if not substantially different). -Michelle Smith

Soul Eater NOT!, Vol. 2 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Yen Press – The least interesting part of this spinoff for me is what seems to be attracting others – the moe cuteness. I find it far less cute than I’d like, and the faux-yuri shenanigans are simply grating, mostly as they’re so obviously tease with no payoff. That said, I did enjoy this volume more than Volume 1, for two reasons. First, we got to see the series (a prequel to Soul Eater proper) interact with the main title. Liz and Patti as grumpy, just-arrived-at-DWMA waitresses was a thing of beauty, and Maka reminds us once again why she’s the heroine of the main series. Secondly, the dark horror overtones that is a primary reason to read Soul Eater aren’t totally whitewashed here, as the cliffhanger is sudden, tragic and chilling. All of which shows I can never take anything by Ohkubo at face value. -Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: GTO, Limit, Kurosagi, Sailor Moon

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MICHELLE: There’s not a very robust crop of new manga at Midtown this week, but there are some interesting items nonetheless. I’m tempted to call the second volume of Limit my pick, since it’s of a different breed of shoujo than is usually licensed here, but I just cannot deny the more feel-good pull of GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, which has now reached its sixth volume. Okay, yeah, it can be a little crass, but it’s got a good heart!

MJ: Well, since Michelle took up the banner for GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, I’ll be the one to go for the second volume of Keiko Suenobu’s Limit. From my review of the first volume: “Limit‘s biggest asset at this point, in my opinion, is Konno, its difficult protagonist. I call her “difficult” because I think it’s really tricky to get an audience invested in a main character whose motives are so morally weak and self-serving, but when done well, this can be really freaking effective.” And effective this is. Also, the artwork is freaking awesome. Definitely a must-buy for me.

SEAN: I thank my colleagues for leaving me with the choice I was going to make anyway. Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service has become another one of *those* Dark Horse titles. You know, the critically acclaimed ones that come out once every decade? As such, I cherish each volume, and volume 13 looks to be giving us more wry humor, more mystery, and more gore. And probably more of Sasaki’s nipples, which have almost appeared more than Makino by this point. With its mystery, horror, and fanservice, it could almost be like Higurashi… except that one would never, ever call Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service moe.

ANNA: I also lean towards Limit 2, but since that was already discussed I will note that the Sailor Moon Box Set is perfectly timed for anyone wanting to pick up the manga for the holidays! I’ve bought all the volumes as single issues already, but box sets are nice to give and get as presents! Plus, who wouldn’t be delighted by the chance to experience again all the sailor suits, battle cries, and swooshing cape of Tuxedo Mask?

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Going Digital: November 2012

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Welcome to the latest Going Digital, Manga Bookshelf’s monthly feature focusing on manga available for digital viewing or download. Each month, the Manga Bookshelf bloggers review a selection of comics we’ve read on our computers, phones, or tablet devices, to give readers a taste of what’s out there, old and new, and how well it works in digital form.

It’s all-browser, all the time this month, as MJtest drives JManga7 and Sean and Michelle take a look at some recent releases from JManga and VIZ. Device, OS, and browser information is included with each review as appropriate, to let you know exactly how we accessed what we read.


Platform

Test Drive: JManga7.com

It’s no secret that we’re pretty big fans of JManga.com here at Manga Bookshelf. Their ability to provide access to a wide variety of manga coupled with competitive pricing and an attentive ear to customer concerns has proven to more than make up for the service’s weak points—inconsistent translation quality and (so far) limited delivery options, to name a couple. Particularly for those of us who like epic, older shoujo, smart josei, idiosyncratic one-shots, or really anything in the yuri catalogue, JManga has been something of a miracle in terms of providing us much longed-for content we’d lost hope of ever seeing in print.

Just before New York Comic Con this year, JManga announced a new website, JManga7, where fans could read a rotating selection of free older chapters of their ongoing series each week, with the option to read the most recent chapters for a monthly subscription fee of $5.99. What does $5.99 buy you? Let’s find out!

The Good

JManga7’s catalogue is large and growing consistently, with new chapters arriving seven days a week. (JManga7, get it?) Heavy release days, such as Thursdays (pictured below), provide an abundance of new content for subscribers with wide-ranging tastes (and at least something for pickier readers each day). In the week I looked at, 48 new chapters were offered over the course of the week.

(click images to enlarge)

Though JManga7 suffers from the same limited delivery options as its sister site, its flash-based reader looks pretty good, loads quickly, and is easy to navigate.

Like most flash-based manga readers, JManga7 offers left and right arrows (that appear on mouseover) for quick page-to-page navigation, as well as the ability to see and skip to any page in the chapter. Links to buy full volumes at JManga are strategically placed at the top of each page.

The Less Good

Though JManga7’s catalogue looks fantastic at first glance, some titles (like Yukari Ichigo’s josei series Pride, which I clicked on excitedly, and another Shueisha favorite Crazy for You) seem to be a bit of a tease, offering only a few sample chapters and nothing more. Oddly, too, text that encourages the purchase of full volumes at JManga offers no direct link to do so. Even the offer to “Be the first to review this series!” is a hollow one, as attempts to click reveal it to be nothing more than static text.

Even titles with premium chapters available may prove disappointing for existing JManga customers. For instance, Setona Mizushiro’s BL epic Dousei Ai has chapters 10-14 currently available to premium JManga7 subscribers only. While this works well for new customers, fans who have already been buying the series at JManga (where it is currently available up to chapter 32) will find nothing new at JManga7. And while it’s obvious that part of JManga’s strategy is to encourage JManga7 fans to buy the full volumes, that leaves little incentive for existing fans to sign up for premium access.

Bottom Line

Much like JManga at the time of its initial launch, JManga7 feels a bit half-finished—burdened with features that appear to be not-quite-there and teaser content bulking up its fledgling catalogue. And though $5.99 a month is actually a pretty great deal for new readers who prefer low-committment, serialized content over serious collection, existing fans of JManga may be wondering what’s in it for them. – MJ


Web Browser

Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration, Chapters 1-5 | By Nobuhiro Watsuki | VIZ Media | Shonen Jump Alpha/VizManga.com | Windows 7, SeaMonkey 2.4.1 – Undoubtedly, there are bigger fans of Rurouni Kenshin than I, but it’s still a series for which I hold a great deal of fondness. I vividly remember picking up each volume of the manga as it was published each month (the first series to get that kind of accelerated release, I believe), and greatly enjoyed the anime, as well. (Well, not the often-atrocious filler episodes.) I firmly believe that the “Kyoto Arc” is one of the best storylines ever executed in shounen manga, and if other portions of the series were less well-done… well, I was inclined to be tolerant.

But now, here we have Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration. According to Shonen Jump Alpha‘s blurb, “To celebrate the upcoming live-action movie, Nobuhiro Watsuki reinvents the classic Rurouni Kenshin manga with all-new twists and turns.” I can understand why Watsuki might want to undertake such a project. In the first place, he’s never been able to replicate the success he had with Kenshin, and in the second, the original series does get off to a pretty slow start.

Restoration remedies this last issue by taking various shortcuts. Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko meet under different circumstances, and villainous merchant Takeda Kanryu becomes a foe immediately. Neither Megumi nor Aoshi is under his employ, however, but he’s still got that gatling gun of which he is so fond. Sano still makes his first appearance as someone who’s been hired to fight Kenshin, but he already possesses his Mastery of Two Layers technique. The personalities of the characters are intact, though, so this streamlined introduction doesn’t ruffle my feathers too much.

Perhaps the most striking difference so far involves Saito Hajime. After six occasionally dull volumes, the original series is reinvigorated in the seventh with the introduction of Saito, who comes after Kenshin, grievously wounds Sano, lures Kenshin out with a note, and hangs out at the dojo for a while until Kenshin gets back, at which point they have an epic duel. It’s exciting stuff! He does eventually become an ally as they work together to combat madman Shishio during the Kyoto Arc, but they’re never truly friends.

In Restoration, we get our first glimpse of Saito in chapter three, which led me to wonder… how is Watsuki going to depict their battle this time? Surely, that’s one aspect of the story that needs no reinvention! The answer (at least so far) turned out to be… what battle? Instead, the guys meet and talk about how Kenshin is unable to find a place to belong in the new era. That’s it. So, basically, Watsuki just skips straight to the “uneasy allies” stage of their relationship.

Yeah, okay, I know this isn’t supposed to be a strict retelling. What would be the point in that? But the point remains… while there are definitely segments of the original manga that could benefit from a more streamlined approach, I would not classify anything from volumes seven through eighteen in that category. I’m kind of worried now about what will happen with the Kyoto Arc. Will it even exist? Do I want it to exist, given that it will be undoubtedly changed? I really don’t know.

At the moment, I still plan to check out new chapters of Restoration as they appear, but will maintain a dubious air whilst doing so. – Michelle Smith

Tokyo Cycle Girl, Vol. 1 | By Wadapen | Earth Star Entertainment, Comic Earth Star | JManga.com | Windows XP, Firefox 16.0
Sometimes you read a series because it immediately grips you, you latch on to a character right away, or you just have to find out what happens next. But those series don’t come along every day. Far more often you get the series that raise a smile, or have some potential, or pass the time. A series where your immediate reaction is “Yeah, I guess I’d read another volume of that.” Tokyo Cycle Girl is such a series. It does a lot of little things right, and is easy to follow, so is a nice, fast-paced, relaxing read. It only has one big flaw, which is a stunning lack of originality.

I need to mention that up front, as there’s a chance someone might think that this series might have something they haven’t seen eighty times before. Get those thoughts out of your head. This isn’t done in 4-koma style, but in every other aspect it follows at the feet of all the moe high school club manga circa Haruhi/K-On!/Lucky Star. The lead, Iruka, is a bubble-brain country girl who’s new to Tokyo, but filled with excitement, energy, and naive awe at absolutely everything about Tokyo. Katou, her roommate, has already grown used to the city, and finds Tokyo to be suffocating, with all the places and people looking the same to her. She’s a long-haired beauty, but seemingly cold and reserved. Of course, as Iruka finds out, she’s also very much a tsundere. Meanwhile, if I told you the other two main characters in this volume were a sporty tomboy who tends to speak first and think later and a yamato nadesico princess type whose aura of calm can make almost anyone bow to her, you wouldn’t be a bit surprised.

That said, aside from the stunning unoriginality, this manga doesn’t do anything else wrong. The author seems to know he’s dealing with types, so exaggerates them beyond belief right from the start. Iruka isn’t just perky, she’s beyond hyperactive, bouncing off the walls and floor when first reaching her dorm room. Yukimi isn’t just a perfect princess, but does a perfect tea ceremony the moment she and Iruka meet, and is already exuding enough ‘motherly’ vibes to fell the entire cast. The other interesting thing was the bicycle talk. All the characters ride bikes, ranging from the latest sport style to Iruka’s old-fashioned junior-high style bike. We get detailed looks at the various bike styles and accessories around Tokyo (along with frequent asides from the author), and bike knowledge definitely seems to be this series’ ‘hook’. Which is enough, along with the likeable cast, to keep me wanting to read more, even if this is The Return of K-On! Vol. 35, with Bicycles. -Sean Gaffney

Off the Shelf: Strobe Edge, Umineko, Apple Blossoms

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MJ: Well, hello, Michelle! Happy Thanksgiving! And other expressions of holiday cheer!

MICHELLE: And the same to you! At this present moment, I am looking forward to a turkey sandwich in my future!

MJ: That sounds delicious! Have any manga to talk about while you munch away?

MICHELLE: Mochiron desu! I’ll start with the debut of Umineko: When They Cry, the latest license from Ryukishi07, who also created Higurashi: When They Cry.

Although I have read a couple of Higurashi side arcs, I still have yet to read the main series. When initial reviews for the first volume were positive, I actually checked it out in the store, but was turned off by the “byoing” sound effects accompanying a female character’s bosoms and returned the book to the shelf. After enjoying the side arcs, I did go back and collect a few volumes but I missed my chance to follow it from the beginning, which was why I wanted to give Umineko a chance. I almost didn’t make it, because the title is front-loaded with even more boob-centric shenanigans.

The story begins in October 1986. Members of the Ushiromiya family are gathering at Rokkenjima island for their annual reunion. Our protagonist is 18-year-old Battler, who has been estranged from the family for six years, so he’s seeing some of his cousins for the first time in while. In short order, he proposes performing an exam on a cousin his own age to see how much she’s grown, coerces a nine-year-old cousin to promise that she’ll grow up to “be a graceful lady and let me touch your boobs whenever I want,” and very nearly goes through with groping a ridiculously well-endowed servant who’s in no position to fend him off. He claims that he is joking around and just trying to provoke a reaction, but not surprisingly, none of the girls is amused.

Though Battler’s boob fixation pops up a few more times, the story thankfully begins to focus on the weird behavior of the family patriarch and the legend of a witch who is reportedly the source of the family fortune. While Battler’s parents squabble over their inheritance, his grandfather concludes his contract with the witch, freeing her to select members of the family as sacrifices, which she does in grisly fashion. Meanwhile, an epitaph accompanying a portrait of the witch provides instructions by which the deaths may be reserved. By the end of the volume, a nicely creepy atmosphere has been achieved.

All in all, though, the mystery is just intriguing enough to bring me back a second time. I don’t like the art. I don’t like Battler. I don’t like the nine-year-old cousin, Maria, who has a verbal tic that causes her to say “uuu” all the time. (Seriously, there’s one panel where her dialogue reads, “Uuu, uuu, uuu!! Uuu, uuu!! Uuu, uuu!! Uuu, uuu, uuu!!”) I don’t mean to insult readers who enjoy moe and fanservice, but it’s personally really difficult for me to endure them.

MJ: Wow… you know, I just don’t know if I have it in me to put up with the fanservice and the moe “uuu”-ing, even for a good mystery. Have I just become old and jaded?

MICHELLE: I don’t think so. It’s probably more a matter of “Life’s too short to read things I don’t like!” And honestly, I’m not sure this is even going to be a good mystery. I just kind of want to see what happens next. It’s entirely possible I’ll give up on it before the end.

Anyway, what have you been reading this week?

MJ: Well, after all the fantastic comments and feedback we received on last week’s BL Bookrack: Best of 2012, I found myself with a growing list of titles I felt I should try—particularly from SuBLime, which has been a tough imprint for me so far in terms of finding books I like. I decided to check out the first of these, Toko Kawai’s The Scent of Apple Blossoms, and this turned out to be a very good choice for me. As soon as I finished the first volume, I purchased the other two and gobbled them up whole.

You covered the series’ premise nicely in your review earlier this year, so I won’t go over it too thoroughly here. In short, Japanese-American Haruna works for a liquor seller in Japan. Part of his job includes trying to persuade local brewers to sell their products to his company to be sold in their shops and restaurants. While visiting an especially cranky brewer, he falls in love at first site with the master brewer’s grandson, Nakagawa. The first volume mainly consists of Haruna trying to wear down the master brewer while also pursuing his seemingly unrequited feelings for Nakagawa, but this is BL, so you know he’s going to succeed in his romantic adventures by the end.

The plot here is hardly the point, however. This story is incredibly, incredibly sweet, yet somehow never fluffy, and the relationships—even the protagonist’s generally unbelievable seduction of a straight man—feel natural and never rushed. Haruna’s American forthrightness is genuinely charming, and it’s easy to see why reserved Nakagawa would be both confounded and fascinated by it. Situations that might normally read as relentless non-con are magically saved by a combination of Nakagawa’s badass demeanor and Haruna’s straightforwardness and unwillingness to make a move without permission. And even the loathed (by me anyway) seme/uke thing is written in a way that feels weirdly natural.

The first volume brings the couple together just as expected, and at this point many writers would have to fabricate unbelievable conflicts just to keep the story going. But Haruna and Nakagawa’s vastly different personalities lend themselves to frequent bumps in the road that actually read as genuine. A favorite section of mine involves an ex-boyfriend of Haruna’s coming to town. This causes some of the conflict you might imagine—serious Nakagawa isn’t happy about the way easygoing Haruna keeps in touch with his exes, which leaves Haruna to figure out how to handle it all without lying to anyone—but Kawai refuses to make these characters into rigid stereotypes, so everything plays out with the kind of real emotional give-and-take you would expect to see in actual life. As a result, what could easily have read as pure melodrama is instead a thoughtful take on the nuances of friendships and romantic relationships, and learning to communicate honestly with one’s partner—only a lot more charming and fun than that sounds!

As a bonus, I also learned a lot about sake, and it really made me want to buy some. Is that a good thing? I’m going to decide that it is.

MICHELLE: I’m so glad that you liked this! I actually haven’t read the other two volumes yet, so you’ve inspired me to check them out.

If you’re interested in more Toko Kawai, I really liked CUT, Café Latte Rhapsody, and In the Walnut. I’m also really intrigued by Just Around the Corner, but I haven’t managed to read it yet.

I guess this amount of gushing means I’m a Toko Kawai fangirl!

MJ: I suspect I will be soon as well!

So, our mutual read comes from VIZ this week. Want to do the introductory honors?

MICHELLE: Sure!

Strobe Edge is a shoujo series from Shueisha—ten volumes total, originally serialized in Betsuma—that covers the well-trod terrain of a high school girl experiencing first love. Ninako Kinoshita is earnest and innocent, and though she joins her friends in admiring school heartthrob Ren Ichinose, she mostly thinks of it as a way to pass the time. When she actually has a chance to talk to Ren, however, and realizes how sweet and awkward he is in his effort to replace a cell phone charm he accidentally stepped on, she begins to feel closer to him. Up to this point, Ninako’s been content to accept the opinions of others as true—a shopkeeper says an apple is delicious, so it must be; my friends tell me what I feel for my friend Daiki is love, so it must be—but now she’s beginning to think for herself. What is it that she’s feeling for Ren?

It would be easy to label this as generic shoujo, and I really can’t claim that it’s forging new territory, but I found the characters to be likable and sympathetic. It’s total comfort-read material, more in the vein of a Kimi ni Todoke than a Black Bird (for which I am profoundly grateful!).

MJ: My experience with this book was fairly mixed, I’ll admit. About twenty pages in or so, I remember thinking (and actually saying out loud to the others in the room), “I’m so bored.” That was my initial reaction to Strobe Edge. “I’m so bored.” Yet, weirdly, even though that impression did not honestly change much over the course of the volume, by the time I reached its romantic cliffhanger ending, I felt extremely anxious to know what happens next.

And I think this may all come down to the likeableness of the story’s characters, as you mention. Despite the fact that I had difficulty getting invested in yet another high school crush, there were some characters I really felt for, and eventually this even included the story’s heroine, Ninako, though I’d had trouble connecting with her in the beginning. In particular, though, I felt immense sympathy for Daiki, who doesn’t have any confusion over what he feels for Ninako, yet is the one most being left out in the cold. And while I generally found Ninako’s endless waffling and naiveté over what “love” is—not that this isn’t a question all humans wrestle with, but man, how does a girl get to be in high school without having been saturated in the concept through books, TV, even advertisements, for heaven’s sake—she at least knows enough to stop stringing Daiki along after figuring it out.

MICHELLE: Yes, I really liked that about her, too. I guess it’s more of the “making up her own mind” progress, wherein she just instinctively knows that going out with Daiki while continuing to like Ren would be completely unfair. Speaking of unfair, I think Ren’s somewhat in the wrong for showing excessive kindness to Ninako while he already had a girlfriend, but he probably liked having the chance to connect with someone instead of remaining merely an object of distant adoration, so it’s hard to fault him, either.

Suffice it to say, I join you in your anxiety to know what happens next. There are a few wrinkles by the end that at least suggest the series will not tread the predictable path, but even if it does do that, I’d probably still enjoy it.

MJ: I suppose I probably will, too! Despite my early ambivalence, I clearly care at this point. Such is the nature of shoujo addiction.