Michelle Smith

Manga the Week of 4/3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ANNA: This was an enjoyable series.

MJ: Indeed!

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

MJ: Heh. Yes.

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

MICHELLE: I really need to catch up on this!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ANNA: I love this series!

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

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

ANNA: I am not feeling this series either.

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

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

MICHELLE: If you aren’t, get on it!

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

MJ: What they said!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pick of the Week: Blood & Mecha

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

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

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

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

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

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 3/25/13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Off the Shelf: Shoujo Fantasy Double Feature

March 23, 2013 by MJ and Michelle Smith 22 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MICHELLE I’d say so!

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

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

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

Manga the Week of 3/27

March 21, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, MJ and Anna N 2 Comments

SEAN: Last week of the month, and we have a few interesting tidbits from around the mangasphere.

Dark Horse has the 2nd and final omnibus of CLAMP’s Angelic Layer. I seem to recall there was some big complaint with this book, but can’t recall what it was. Whatever it was, this is the big series where folks prefer the anime to the manga, so I’ll be interested to see how much CLAMP break their own premise this time. As we’ve seen, they later got in the habit of breaking every series they did in some way. Was this the first?

MICHELLE: Somehow I missed the first omnibus of Angelic Layer coming out! I still have my TOKYOPOP editions, which I’ve read, but I don’t remember what the difference between the manga and the anime was. (Tangent: my big series where I prefer the anime to the manga is Gravitation!) I liked it enough to keep it, at least!

MJ: I’ve been saving these up to read together, as it’s one of the few CLAMP series I never picked up. I’m looking forward to finding out whether it’s my kind of CLAMP.

ANNA: I’ve also never read this, so I am curious to hear what you guys think before I dive into another CLAMP series.

SEAN: Kodansha has the 2nd season of Genshiken continue with Vol. 2. The cover features the new characters, and I’m hoping the focus is put squarely on them before it returns, as it inevitably will, to the original cast.

We have finally hit the end of Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, with the 2nd volume of the 21st Century Epilogue. It’s been an epic journey, thank you, Viz. And I fear, bar a major surprise, it will be the last Urasawa we see over here for some time.

MICHELLE: I like to marathon my Urasawa, so I actually haven’t read 20th Century Boys beyond the first volume. At some point I will have to find the time to remedy this.

MJ: Fortunately, Urasawa is eminently re-readable, so if nothing else, we can revisit old worlds while waiting for the new.

ANNA: I think I’m only halfway through this series, but I intend to catch up one day!

SEAN: And then there’s Yen, not arriving at Midtown but arriving everywhere else. First off, we have a digital Light Novel, Another (which I believe is Part 1 of 2) hitting Kindle and Nook. Horror has sold quite well for Yen, and so we’re going to continue to see more of it – I think the manga adaptation of this is due out in the summer. It has supposedly dead students who aren’t quite the urban legend folks thought, creepiness, and lots and lots of corpses.

MJ: Well, hm, that sounds like it might be fun.

The 2nd omnibus of Blood Lad is out. The first one wasn’t a huge hit with me, but I liked it better than I expected, and I’m hoping for good things for this one as well. Though I’m sure it will have lots of fanservice as well. As these titles often do.

MICHELLE: I’m actually interested to read this too, after the intrigued reactions volume one received ’round these parts.

MJ: As you probably know, I quite enjoyed volume one of Blood Lad—much more than Sean did. So I’m definitely looking forward to digging into the second volume.

SEAN: Durarara!! hits the 2nd arc, called the Saika arc. Something is going around slashing people in Ikebukuro! Who is it, and what do they have to do with our heroes?

MICHELLE: I liked this volume. Celty gets her sleuth on!

SEAN: Higurashi: When They Cry wraps up its penultimate arc, as the Massacre Arc shows us why it has that title. Expect heartwarming moments intermixed with appalling tragedy and death. As usual.

Jack Frost is manwha, and I haven’t read it since the first few chapters, but hey, let’s throw it in here. Vol. 7 is out. Is the girl still just a head?

MJ: I’m behind on this series, but I’ve lately had the hankering to dig back in, so perhaps I’ll be able to answer that for you soon, Sean!

SEAN: Soul Eater hits lucky Vol. 13 and Baba Yaga Castle gets a lot louder with the addition of Black*Star. This is rapidly becoming one of my favorite shonen series, so I can’t wait to read more.

Lastly, there’s the release – also digital only – of Welcome to the Erotic Bookstore, an odd ecchi title about a used bookstore that decides to add some adult videos and sex toys to its merchandise. It’s already out on Nook, and apparently will have an iPad app. It may be on Amazon’s Kindle site soon as well. So, if you are able, check it out!

What’s your springtime manga?

Bringing the Drama: Stars Falling from the Sky

March 19, 2013 by Anna N, Michelle Smith, Nancy Thistlethwaite and Emily Snodgrass 1 Comment

Anna: Stars Falling From the Sky is a drama with an unusual plot twist as the circumstances of the heroine change dramatically between the first and second episode. Jin Pal Kang is the worst insurance saleswoman in Korea. She’s superficial and spends most of her time shopping and spending her meager salary on items to attract the attention of her crush, an emotionless lawyer named Won Kang Ha. Pal Kang’s family life is extremely chaotic as her parents have adopted five younger siblings. Pal Kang’s life drastically changes when her parents get killed in a car accident. She manages to secure a job as a housekeeper for the handsome lawyer, but becoming the sole provider for five adopted siblings and actually maintaining her insurance job is going to be difficult! Won Kang Ha’s house is also occupied by his feckless nephew and his overly kind brother, providing a perfect set-up for a love rectangle. Stars Falling From the Sky is available on Dramafever.

Stars Falling From the Sky!

I found this series immensely addicting and I watched all 20 episodes in a couple weeks. What were your reactions to the first few episodes?

Michelle: I went from almost violently hating everyone—except Pal Kang’s long-suffering best friend—in episode one to feeling pretty addicted myself by the end of episode two! The heroine turns around overnight, practically, and even the kids grow more distinct. I think I might end up actually making it to the end of this series (which would be a kdrama first for me), which I didn’t think would be possible when it took me several sittings to get through just the first episode.

Anna: The first episode was rough going, just because really the only characters that I liked were Pal Kang’s parents. That being said, I had a certain amount of sympathy for how selfishly she was behaving just based on her hectic home life. If I was a young 20something and was still living at home with a gaggle of siblings causing chaos everywhere, I might become overly fixated on snobby lawyers and shopping myself. I thought the ending of the first episode was so shocking I immediately started watching the second, and then I was hooked. One of the things I like so much about this series is the more realistic way the characters develop. Pal Kang becomes a much better person but it doesn’t happen overnight.

Michelle: I suppose I never did hate her dad, but her mother frustrated me with her refusal to do anything about the younger siblings destroying Pal Kang’s things and, in fact, blaming it on Pal Kang. But you’re right, the end of the first episode suddenly gets riveting starting with the parents going to the site of the proposed hospital. When I wrote that Pal Kang turns around overnight, I didn’t mean that she completes a transformation, but that she suddenly sees how frivolous she has been. And even when times are tough in her housekeeping situation and her first instinct is to complain about unfairness, she quickly follows it up with gratitude that they’ve all got a roof over their heads. She’s no saint, but she has matured a great deal quite abruptly.

Pal Kang sports the latest in apron fashions.

Emily: Yeah, this is something I really enjoyed about this series – the unconventional heroine, Pal Kang. Yes, in episode 1 she starts off as very immature and flighty and irresponsible. It is almost painful to watch. But when times get rough, she makes a difficult decision and then STICKS to it. She changes herself, and then abides by her choice even when all the other characters around her try to drag her into the usual kdrama love triangle nonsense. While it does take her some time to ramp up her skills- it’s one thing to make a decision, and another to actually have the knowledge about exactly how to make things work, she keeps pushing forward and puts family first. Other characters put her into typical kdrama situations – especially the amazingly awful and delusional obligatory female rival – but Pal Kang doesn’t have time for her crap, and pretty much says so repeatedly. She has an iron resolve.

I also enjoyed the family bond between Pal Kang and the kids. They do all develop distinct personalities and each one supports the family in a unique way. And the child actors are great.

Pal Kang, the Cranky Lawyer, and a Gaggle of Children.

Our grumpy hero doesn’t have much to work with for a while, other than, ‘be grumpy and mean,’ but he does loosen up eventually and have more to do later. Pal Kang’s influence changes him a lot, and even he learns to respect and understand her choices.

Anna: The child actors were an aspect of the show that I wasn’t expecting to enjoy as much as I did. But they all had very distinct personalities, and I thought the oldest boy’s storyline portraying his anger at being suddenly orphaned was particularly good. Grumpy hero Won Kang Ha was grumpy, but I thought the writers at least gave him more history and motivation to explain his grumpiness, so I felt like his emotional remoteness was earned as opposed to being a bit of a stock character.

Michelle: I definitely came to like the kids more than I expected, especially since at the beginning their storylines revolve almost exclusively around having to go to the bathroom (complete with over-the-top squirming and facial expressions). Gradually, their distinct personalities do emerge and it’s fun seeing, for example, Cho-Rok and Pa-Rang have a discussion amongst themselves whilst the older kids are out of the room. I confess that clever Cho-Rok is my favorite.

Anna: The bathroom stuff was a bit excessive, but I will say as a parent to young children it is alarming how much you end up having to deal with bathroom stuff.

Nancy: I’ll touch on a few points already brought up. I hated this drama at first. Then it became engrossing, but I’m not sure it was worth all the hours in the end. I did dub this “Defecation Drama”–there should be a drinking game for every time a character has to go the bathroom, is constipated, is grabbing their ass (like that will help?!), or is grimacing while seated on the toilet. Oh, and the baby poop scene in the car… I thought they might actually slow-mo it or do a dramatic flashback because the makers of this show seem to be so enamored with poop!

Do NOT test a bottle that way!

Pal Kang was the high point of this drama. Her struggle to survive with her young siblings was very moving. There was enough drama without adding the scheming female relatives from the Jung family. Jae Young, the wannabe fiancée, was interesting before they made her jump off the deep end. The motivations of the Jung relatives made no sense after a while. Like in so many kdramas, the focus of the story was lost to its detriment.

The inevitable confrontation between lead guy and second lead guy!

I must bring up grandpa. He collapsed so many times in this drama after hearing startling news that I found it hilarious. If you watch this drama, see if you can predict each time grandpa will keel over.

Anna: It would be easy to come up with a drinking game for this drama based on bathroom issues, housekeeping problems, and grandpa’s collapses. There was something about the pacing and the cliffhangers at the end of each episode which were particularly compelling to me. I marathoned this series in a way I haven’t done with a kdrama in quite some time. Part of what interested me so much were the aspects of the series that were a bit unusual like Pal Kang’s unsympathetic character in the beginning. But I can see Nancy’s point about the standard kdrama plot points coming in and derailing the unique aspects of the show.

Emily: I could have done without most of the subplot involving grandpa’s family/corporate maneuvering and the obligatory Birth Secret, but I suppose it can’t be a kdrama without those things :) I liked watching the bond between Grumpy Hero and Sleepwalker ^^

Michelle: I reacted much the same to the cliffhangers, Anna. There was just something so compelling about them that made me forget all about bathroom ridiculousness. And I have actually not yet gotten to the bond between the Grumpy Hero and the Sleepwalker. Do you mean Pa-Rang? I anticipate some adorableness.

Nancy: Grumpy Hero and Sleepwalker were sweet. :3

Turn a lawyer into a marshmallow by making him deal with a child with an adorable sleep disorder!

Anna: So Stars Falling From the Sky features a heroine who is maddening at the start of the show but who redeems herself by the end, an over reliance on bathroom issues as a plot point, a grumpy lawyer lead guy, cute kids, a fainting grandpa, and some adorable sleepwalking. If you are going to embark on this show, I recommend watching at least the first two episodes before making a decision to continue or not, because it really does change drastically from the first to the second episode.

The family that scams grocery store samples together, stays together?

Watch now at DramaFever

Pick of the Week: JManga Scramble

March 18, 2013 by MJ, Anna N, Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith 5 Comments

With a distinct lack of new print manga available in stores this week, we thought we’d take the opportunity to recommend a few last-ditch titles from soon-to-expire digital publisher JManga. If you’ve got extra points to spend and are looking for a great, last-minute read, here are a few titles to consider!

ANNA: I’m always on the lookout for more josei manga, and while I was disappointed in the variety of genres Jmanga offered at its initial launch, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw more Harlequin romance, Ohzora, and josei titles popping up in the months to follow. The title I was most excited to see was the fourth volume of Walkin Butterfly 4. I collected the earlier print volumes and was so happy to be able to read the end of the series on Jmanga. While there are series left unfinished with Jmanga’s closure, I feel it is good to celebrate some of the series that Jmanga finished! Walkin’ Butterfly is the story of a tall misfit tomboy named Michiko who begins to find herself when she accidentally becomes part of the fashion world. Her relationship with the temperamental up and coming designer Mihara changes them both, and the series shows how she transforms herself in an atypical way for an ugly duckling becoming a swan type story. Tamaki’s illustrations convey the world of modeling and fashion in an edgy way – while there are occasional flashes of elegance, this is much grittier than the stylized fashion portrayed in a title like Paradise Kiss.

SEAN: I think I’ve banged the gong for Wonder! and High School Girls enough, so I’ll note that my favorite aspect of JManga was that they could pick up some of the weirdest titles. Not just normal seinen weird like Ninja Papa or Anesthesiologist Hana, but stuff that no one else would license in a million years. Things like Young-kun, a stick-figure 4-koma that I still don’t think I ever understood, or Edo Nekoe Jubei Otogizoshi, a mystery-solving cat manga from Shonen Gahosha’s magazine of cat manga. And of course there was a pile of yuri titles that fans have been wanting for years, from Love My Life to Poor Poor Lips to YuruYuri. The saddest thing is that there was simply too much content I wanted to read, and I may never get the time to now. But man, it was great content.

MICHELLE: If there was just one title that I’d recommend people read while they have the chance, it would be est em’s Working Kentauros. Here’s what I said about it in a Going Digital column from last year: “Like the best speculative fiction, est em uses her offbeat “centaurs in the workplace” concept to communicate universal truths. Everyone wants to be free to be themselves, and no one wants to watch someone they love get sick and pass away. Even if they happen to be a centaur. Highly, highly recommended.”

MJ: Many of my favorite series at JManga are hard to recommend at this juncture, simply because they’re unfinished. As much as I adore titles like Sweet Blue Flowers, Dousei Ai, or Pride, I can’t wholeheartedly recommend that anyone sign themselves up for that kind of heartbreak. One of my long-touted BL favorites, however, is Haruko Kumota My Darling Kitten Hair, which, though unfinished, is so committed to its low-key, slice-of-life format that it’s guaranteed to offer no lingering angst or nail-biting cliffhangers. From my review of the second volume: “It’s so rare to read a BL series (or any relationship-driven story) that is about staying in love rather than falling in love, and there’s a reason for that. It’s hard! As difficult as it can be to write authentic, well-developed romance, much like actual romance, it’s even harder to keep that fire burning after the initial rush of first love. Thankfully, My Darling Kitten Hair stands as a lovely example of how to do exactly that. And it’s a real pleasure to read.” Two volumes are available.

Readers, any last-ditch JManga titles you’d recommend?

Bookshelf Briefs 3/18/13

March 18, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Anna N, MJ and Michelle Smith 1 Comment

This week, Sean, Anna, MJ, and Michelle look at recent releases from Dark Horse Comics, VIZ Media, Kodansha Comics, and Vertical, Inc.

Blood-C, Vol. 1 | By Ranmaru Kotone, based on a concept by Production I.G. and CLAMP | Dark Horse Comics – I haven’t read any of the Blood the Last Vampire/Blood+ series that this one is supposedly part of, but I think I get the gist. A cute clumsy girl is revealed to be the last stand humanity has against demonfolk who are attacking innocents, which she then kills with her big sword. Most of this first volume focuses on her cute and sweet classmates (who will no doubt die horribly), except for one sullen guy who avoids her (who screams ‘love interest’) The battles are OK, and the character designs are sort of CLAMP-ish, but I won’t be trying any more of this for one big reason: I was bored to tears reading it. Every single page of this reeks of media tie-in, and not the good kind. Readers who like CLAMP are advised to get the Tokyo Babylon omnibus instead. – Sean Gaffney

Dawn of the Arcana, Vol 9 | By Rei Toma | VIZ Media – Nakaba’s powers of magical vision have revealed the depth of Loki’s feelings to her, and to her credit her reaction is to be very concerned about all that her faithful servant must have suffered, both due to his actions in shielding her from harm and Nakaba’s ignorance of his emotions. There isn’t much time to dwell on romance, as the political situation in Lithuanel grows even more tense, and Nakaba sees how scheming royalty use the life of an Ajin to bolster the succession. Nakaba and Caesar’s relationship is stronger than ever and I hope Loki is able eventually to find some sort of happiness. Dawn of the Arcana continues to be an entertaining fantasy manga, made more interesting by Nakaba’s use of her powers. – Anna N

A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 7 | by Miyoshi Tomori | VIZ Media – A Devil and Her Love Song is unique in the way that emotions that tend to be buried in more typical shojo series are drawn out and discussed in detail. Here Maria is dealing with the fallout of her friendship with Anna, relying more on Yusuke (at his insistence) but still being drawn towards Shin despite his attempts to distance himself from her. The manipulations of a voice coach who seems to take a marked interest in Maria makes it seem like he will play a larger role in upcoming volumes. This series continues to be a go-to read when I want a manga packed full of drama, with a few sweet moments along the way. – Anna N

Fairy Tail, Vol. 24 | By Hiro Mashima | Kodansha Comics – We’ve finally come to the end of the Edolas arc, with Natsu resolving things with his usual straight-ahead heroics… or in this case, villain posing. The next arc will show the characters competing in a battle to be the next S-class wizard, which promises to shed some light at last on Cana, who’s mostly just been “the pretty alcoholic” till now. But most folks remember this volume for the BIG SPOILER. I have no issues with the spoiler itself – god knows I’ll do anything for my happy endings. That said, the premise behind it coming about does require a large amount of disbelief suspension in a series that already has issues with that sort of thing. As for how it affects future volumes, who knows? After all, the extras already hint that Mashima has rewritten his future outline to be quite different from his original plan. – Sean Gaffney

Limit, Vol. 3 | By Keiko Suenobu | Vertical, Inc. – Out of the three currently-available volumes of Keiko Suenobu’s Limit, the third is perhaps the cruelest (and certainly the best). Things begin on an unexpected upswing, as most of the group begins to recover their humanity in the wake of unstable Morishige’s fall from power, which is solidified further by the appearance of another surprise survivor. But as Morishige’s mental condition deteriorates, things eventually become more frightening than ever which, by Limit‘s standards, means quite a bit. I left this volume experiencing a hopeless, sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach that felt far more real than it should have. And isn’t that a shining example of the power of good fiction? This series continues to become more compelling and addictive with each new volume. Wholeheartedly recommended. – MJ

Strobe Edge, Vol. 3 | By Io Sakisaka | Published by VIZ Media – I am officially beginning to love Strobe Edge, by which I mean I’ve developed an affection that goes beyond simply being happy to see that a new volume has come out. Slowly, and whilst tip-toeing around some stock shoujo scenarios, Strobe Edge has grown more compelling with each volume. The love… shape between Ninako, Ren, Mayuka, and Ando grows more complicated and painful, and is so well done that any accusations of this being “generic” shoujo should be firmly squashed by this volume. Not only do I love that Ren’s friends are becoming concerned that maybe he does like Ninako, but I love that Mayuka is intimidated, too, and now we have two thoroughly likeable girls both in love with the same boy and feeling awkward about the presence of the other in his life. This is so much better than malicious rivals or wacky hijinks! Highly recommended. – Michelle Smith

Off the Shelf: Dark Horse Saves the Day

March 16, 2013 by MJ and Michelle Smith 7 Comments

MICHELLE: Life’s a funny thing, you know. Within a span of two days, JManga calls it quits, but a Veronica Mars film becomes a (future) reality. Without the latter to buoy my spirits, I would’ve been much more crushed by the former.

MJ: Since I wasn’t a Veronica Mars fan (I know, I know, everyone says I should watch it), I admit I’m just kind of existing in a shell-shocked haze. Between JManga and Google Reader, I’m feeling pretty disoriented in my digital world right now.

MICHELLE: I’m sad about Google Reader, too! It seems like all the other alternatives are too fussy. I want a minimalist option. Anyway, was there anything in the world of manga to cheer you?

MJ: Fortunately, there was. Though this week became tragic in multiple ways, it began at least with the blissful knowledge that we’d finally be seeing Tokyo Babylon, my favorite CLAMP manga, back in print. Originally published by TOKYOPOP, the series was officially out of print (with a few volumes still easily available online) long before the company shut down its North American publishing operations. Fortunately, Dark Horse announced in 2011 that they’d be adding the series to their growing catalogue of CLAMP omnibus releases. It was originally slated for publication later that year, leading some of us to wonder whether we’d gotten our hopes up too soon, but the first volume finally hit some stores this week! I’m still waiting for my print copy to ship from Amazon, but I was able to preview a PDF of the book, which has temporarily tided me over.

So, it’s no secret that I love Tokyo Babylon. In fact, I once volunteered to host the CLAMP MMF purely out of a desire to make people talk about it. It’s a concise, fairly intimate series that somehow manages to feel genuinely epic (and genuinely tragic) over the course of just seven short volumes (Dark Horse is doing it in two). I’ve already written about the full series at length, both in my original review of it at Comics Should Be Good and in our roundtable discussion last year, so I won’t spend time repeating myself here. Instead, I’ll talk about what’s different in Dark Horse’s edition.

Unfortunately, since I haven’t yet received my print volume, I can’t personally confirm anything about paper quality or trim size, except to (happily) note that Dark Horse’s website lists it as 5 3/4″ x 8 1/4, which was the same size as their Cardcaptor Sakura volumes—and the ideal format for CLAMP’s gorgeous artwork, in my opinion. I’ll be absolutely thrilled, assuming this is the case. Volume one also boasts of “over a dozen” color pages—most of which are, I believe, the same color pages that TOKYOPOP’s editions contained, though there may be extras I’m not noticing as I read through the PDF preview.

What I can confirm is that Dark Horse’s English adaptation is noticeably different, presumably thanks to the hand of its new editor, Carl Horn. Carl has a gift for making English dialogue really come alive, and his influence is apparent immediately. For example, in the beginning of the first chapter, Subaru innocently describes a scene in which a spirit he exorcised turned out to be the ghost of a young girl who committed suicide after being cruelly dumped by the celebrity whose bed she was haunting every night.

In TOKYOPOP’s version, Subaru mentions that the girl’s strongest memories were not of the room itself, but just of the bed, at which point Hokuto laughs, “In other words, the only thing that guy showed her was the ceiling in his bedroom!” In Dark Horse’s new version, it’s Subaru who wonders at the fact that it was only the ceiling of the room that the girl remembered, giving Hokuto the response, “I guess that’s the only part the guy ever showed her!” It’s a small change, but moving the detail about the ceiling to Subaru just makes the joke work better. It’s somehow much, much funnier. And this kind of thing continues throughout the volume.

MICHELLE: I hadn’t really planned on buying the series over again, but if it’s got a better, more natural English adaptation, then perhaps I ought to reconsider. I believe Carl Horn’s also known for writing entertaining end notes—has he done that this time, too?

MJ: He hasn’t (at least not in the PDF I have), and in fact there are actually fewer notes than in TOKYOPOP’s version, as Dark Horse’s doesn’t include a glossary and doesn’t require endnote translations for the sound-effects, either (they are translated right alongside in Dark Horse’s edition). But I really do recommend the new adaptation. Plus, if the trim size is as promised, it’s going to be gorgeous. I’m hoping they’ve used really nice paper, too.

The one difference I haven’t mentioned so far is one that genuinely concerns me, though I hope to have that concern abated shortly. In the TOKYOPOP editions, Hokuto’s terrific side-story (you know, the one where she basically becomes awesomeness incarnate) is included at the end of volume two. But though Dark Horse’s first omnibus spans partway through volume four of TOKYOPOP’s edition, her side story is yet to be found. I’m hoping that it’s just been put into the second volume, and I have an e-mail out to Dark Horse to confirm this, but I’ve yet to receive a reply. Edited to add 3/18/13: Carl Horn says yes, the story will appear! Hokuto fans everywhere rejoice! (It all comes down to the tankobon vs. bunko editions—if you want more detail ask me in comments.)

MICHELLE: That is worrying, but I can’t imagine that they wouldn’t include it!

MJ: I’ll be sure to report back!

So, have you found any manga to ease your pain this week, Michelle?

MICHELLE: Sort of. My solo read for this week was the first volume of Durarara!! Saika Arc, which is a sequel series to the regular Durarara!! that I’ve talked about a few times before. I didn’t always like the original—sometimes it didn’t make sense, and I took issue with a couple of female characters happily falling in love with killers—but it remained intriguing, chiefly due to the fascinating headless “black rider,” Celty.

Perhaps I should backtrack a little. This series is set in Ikebukuro, where all manner of strange characters dwell. The first series was primarily the saga of Celty’s missing head, but now it’s a year later and something strange and new has begun. The area is being plagued by a slasher, whose non-fatal attacks have been increasing in frequency lately. The slasher links together some seemingly unconnected story elements—interrupting bullies as they gang up on a girl who feels disconnected from the world, attacking a reporter working on a feature about who’s the strongest in Ikebukuro—and ends up with Celty on his trail and Shizuo Heiwajima (a guy with massive brute strength that he can’t control) in his heart. Although there’s more to it than that. In, like, a supernatural way.

So far, this is shaping up to be a lot more linear than the original, and I’d say a definite improvement. Granted, I would probably be fascinated by just about anything Celty did. I suppose one could start here, as the story is so far very self-contained, but it would probably be disorienting to encounter so many characters at once. (Not unlike the beginning of the original, actually.)

MJ: I was going to ask about exactly that, actually. I could not get into the original no matter how hard I tried, and I thought I might have better luck with this. But I do wonder if I’d be able to figure out what was going on.

MICHELLE: I think you probably could. There are only a couple of references to what happened in the first series, and no real lingering plot threads. The real challenge would be all the “who the heck is this person?!” moments you’d encounter. Even for me, there are a still a couple of characters whose names I don’t know, but they barely appear. (Actually, why even bother including them? I do not know.)

Anyway, I like it well enough to continue with it.

Looks like it’s your turn to introduce our mutual read this time!

MJ: Indeed it is!

This week, we both read Emerald and Other Stories, a collection of short manga by Hiroaki Samura, creator of Blade of the Immortal. I’ll admit that I’ve actually not read any of Blade of the Immortal, but though this short manga collection is a little uneven (as all short manga collections seem to be), I found enough to like in it that I’m anxious now to read more of Samura-sensei’s work.

Samura comments at the end of the volume that this collection was originally called Sister Generator, because he’d noticed that nearly all of its main characters were women—and that is probably the biggest draw for me here. The stories start strong, beginning with a tale set in the American Old West, in which a woman hires a male “hero” (in this world, “heroes,” are often just really successful criminals) to save a young girl from a life of servitude to the owner of a brothel—not that the “hero” has any idea that this is what he’s being hired for. It’s a tense, well-told story with a fairly nuanced take on Old West morality and its challenges for women, and a seriously badass female lead, all of which is certainly the key to my heart.

As the volume continues, the content varies widely, from a somewhat uncomfortably erotic story about a teen girl’s final days with her dying father, to a semi-autobiographical story-within-a-sci-fi-story, to a series of humorous schoolgirl vignettes called, “The Uniforms Stay On.” And though I’ve described the collection as “uneven,” I should clarify to say that even in its weakest moments (a story written about a guy’s embarrassing rock-song confession probably worked the least well for me) there is always something brilliant or intriguing to latch on to.

The gag comics are unusually funny. The fantasy comics are surprisingly coherent. The erotic elements are genuinely erotic, even when they’re vaguely uncomfortable. And though some of that can be chalked up to Samura’s thoughtful, detailed artwork, he’s also just a really strong storyteller. So often, stories in short manga collections feel… experimental (read: unfinished) and that’s not at all the case here. Each short story reads as a real story, and that’s a rare find in this format. I was more than pleasantly surprised.

MICHELLE: Wow, I am so tempted to say “what she said,” because I think you touched on most of my own reactions, too.

“Emerald” is probably my favorite story of the bunch, simply because I love a clever female lead, and this one has two of them. I didn’t see where it was going at first, but it surprised me, and ended up being wholly satisfying, which is quite a rare thing for a short story. And, in fact, being surprised was somewhat of a theme here. I don’t necessarily mean plot events, either, but more in the line of a story not really being what you thought it was, like “Shizuru Cinema,” the story of the aspiring manga artist and his high-school aged girlfriend/muse. “Uniforms” was often genuinely amusingly random—the girls discuss things as various as religion, Korean influence, and pig-spinach hybrids—and I liked “Brigitte’s Dinner” quite a bit, too. That one had kind of a happy ending, actually, if the last few pages mean what I think they mean.

I’m with you regarding the love song story working the least well—it also has some final pages of murky meaning—and I was also completely baffled by the autobiographical tale of some mahjong game, and squicked by “The Kusein Family’s Grandest Show,” but on the whole this was a very strong collection. And I love Samura’s artwork, which is even more impressive in Blade of the Immortal (of which I have admittedly only read one volume).

MJ: I’m quite certain you’re reading the end of “Brigitte’s Dinner” as intended! I thought it was a happy ending of a sort, too. And actually, “of a sort” is key here, because one of the book’s greatest strengths is that nothing is really black and white. I don’t want to spoil that story for anyone, so I’ll refrain from explaining exactly what I mean, but it’s the kind of story that is both tragic and happy at the same time. Much like real life.

MICHELLE: I agree. Dark Horse’s back cover describes these stories as “seven powerful, short pieces” and that’s really true. Too often, short stories are forgettable. Or, maybe there will be one good one, and then a bunch of others that drift out of your brain a couple of hours after reading them. But here we have several strong ones that I think will stay with me a while.

MJ: Same here. So, after a rough week, I’ll thank Dark Horse manga for stepping up to save the day!

Manga the Week of 3/20

March 14, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Anna N, Michelle Smith and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: So yeah, remember me bragging I got Yen releases a week early? Not this month.

What does that mean?

It means Vagabond 34, that’s what it means. And that’s it. Luckily, Vagabond is pretty damn awesome. So for Vagabond fans, new volume!

ANNA: Vagabond is pretty great.

SEAN: For everyone else, catching up on the stacks of manga to read next to you, like me?

MICHELLE: And how! Seriously, there are literally stacks.

MJ: What she said!

Bookshelf Briefs 3/11/13

March 11, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ, Michelle Smith and Anna N Leave a Comment

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

Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz, Vol. 4 | By QuinRose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru | Seven Seas – One thing I recall about Bloody Twins is that Alice and the Twins got physical almost immediately, and it felt rushed. With Boris, we’ve waited 4 volumes for him to finally get together with Alice, and the waiting has made it much sweeter. There’s likely trouble on the horizon, though. The spectre of Alice’s sister which haunts every single one of these books is still around, and it’s noted that Alice is the sort who’s likely to destroy herself with guilt – is her love with Boris helping, just a distraction, or actively making things worse? Things are not helped by an ongoing mob war between the Hatter and another family, and Peter White’s attempts at doing his best for Alice while still being jealous and clinging. This series is really hitting its stride.– Sean Gaffney

Demon Love Spell, Vol. 2 | By Mayu Shinjo | VIZ Media – OK, Mayu Shinjo, you win. I’ll just put Ai Ore! down to being a clunker in and of itself and settle in with Demon Love Spell, which is far more to my taste. I like that she’s thinking carefully about what it would really be like for an incubus to be living with Miko… and how doing so is actually changing Kagura, making him more receptive to her less lustful feelings. And it certainly helps that life seems to be conspiring against him getting anywhere with her except in dreams. There’s also some touching storytelling here, with the fox subplot resolved in a very bittersweet yet satisfying way (her author’s notes on this are hilarious, by the way.) The balance between seduction and consent, always difficult to keep in many other shoujo manga (hi, Hot Gimmick!) is just right here, and it makes for a sexy, fun read.– Sean Gaffney

Demon Love Spell, Vol. 2 | By Mayu Shinjo | VIZ Media – I’m not as charmed as MJ by the second volume of Demon Love Spell, but I will grant that it’s probably the best volume of any Mayu Shinjo manga that I have read. It begins with the story of a seriously adorable fox (who is significantly less adorable in his human form) who confuses Miko with the girl he loves. The conclusion to this is genuinely touching, and along the way Kagura realizes that Miko’s feelings of love for him are superior sustenance to mere physical intimacy. Not that he’s given up on getting into her pants, of course, though she’s able to deflect and distract him easily enough in subsequent chapters that it doesn’t feel like there’s a serious power imbalance in their relationship. This will probably never be my favorite series, but it doesn’t piss me off, which is more than I can say for Ai Ore!. – Michelle Smith

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 13 | By Izumi Tsubaki | VIZ Media – For all that they’re enemies, Saeki and Miyabi’s groups both have a basic goal, whether it’s intended or not. Saeki takes the delinquent loner types and brings them closer together, and Miyabi takes the eccentric weirdos and gives them a purpose. This means that it’s quite hard to root against the Student Council, something lampshaded in the series itself. (“Wait, are we the enemy?”) This volume we meet Kanon, who has a chip on her shoulder against men but who warms up to Natsuo fairly quickly. That none of this is the least bit surprising isn’t an issue – no one reads Oresama Teacher for the plot. But if it’s lots of laughs and occasional heartwarming scenes, this is for you. Not to mention the final cliffhanger, which features a fantastic dynamic entry by… well, that would spoil it.– Sean Gaffney

Paradise Kiss, Vol. 3 | By Ai Yazaka | Vertical, Inc. – Volume three wraps up Vertical’s edition of Paradise Kiss, and oh what a wrap-up it is! I’d forgotten just how wonderfully complex this story becomes before its close and how brilliant Yazawa’s artwork is throughout. Her panel designs and page layouts are extraordinarily expressive—she’s able to put more raw emotion in just a pair of eyes than many artists can manage over the course of an entire work. Though this story revolves around high school students, its realistic focus on adult concerns like recognizing personal limitations and making hard career choices (and its refusal to romanticize its primary romantic pairing) reminds us why Paradise Kiss is a josei manga. Vertical’s new edition makes the most of all of this by both declining to gloss over the characters’ less mainstream idiosyncrasies and showing off Yazawa’s artwork to its best advantage. It’s a must-buy for any fan. – MJ

Slam Dunk, Vol. 27 | By Takehiko Inoue | VIZ Media – The game against Sannoh enters the second half and our heroes start to fall apart. In particular the normally solid center and captain Akagi has trouble managing the opposition. Sannoh goes on an unanswered scoring streak, making the gap almost impossible to close. The only people who still seem to have faith are Coach Anzai and Sakuragi, who is either going to become an offensive rebound machine or do something incredibly stupid. Perhaps both! This is another stellar volume of Slam Dunk. I would be happy if this basketball game lasted forever, but instead I will wait impatiently for the next volume to see if Sakuragi gets to play out his basketball hero fantasies. – Anna N

Strobe Edge, Vol. 3 | By Io Sakisaka | VIZ Media – Given that I originally began this series thinking, “I’m so bored,” it’s important to note that it has become one that I now rush to consume the moment it arrives at my doorstep. Everyone’s relationships take on new complications in this volume as Ninako and Ren stumble over a few mutual misunderstandings, Ando finally confesses his growing feelings for Ninako, and Ren and Mayuka (unsuccessfully) try to pretend that nothing at all is going wrong. What’s especially refreshing about the way this series is handling its romantic complications is that everyone is genuinely likable (even playboy Ando is turning into a stand-up guy), everyone’s feelings are equally relatable, and there’s no sign of a typical, overblown shoujo villain in sight. While this certainly complicates things for readers, it’s immensely satisfying. I’m on the edge of my seat and ready for heartbreak, one way or another. Definitely recommended. – MJ

Umineko: When They Cry Episode 1: Legend of the Golden Witch, Vol. 2 | By Ryukishi07 and Kei Natsumi | Yen Press – The only thing longer than the title of this volume is the book itself, which is truly enormous. Unfortunately, the vast majority of it is tedious. Battler utters his “flip over the chessboard” catchphrase approximately 31 times as he goes back and forth on whether the ritualistic murders happening on an isolated family island are the work of a human or supernatural culprit. The moment when he realizes his theories are all useless is played as a tremendous shock, but it was obvious to readers from the start. Ultimately, despite the body count and the relentlessly creepy/irritating little girl serving as the witch’s mouthpiece, Umineko is boring. It’s impossible to care about these characters or feel anything when they’re killed off, and even though there is more to this story after this volume, I think I am well and truly done now. – Michelle Smith

Vampire Knight, Vol. 16 | By Matsuri Hino | VIZ Media – Maybe I’m remembering it a little easier, or it just wasn’t as convoluted, but I found it easier to get back into the swing of Vampire Knight this time around. Things seem to be drawing closer to a crisis point – Kaname and the Headmaster’s battle is fraught with tension, and Sara continues to make a very Carmilla-esque villain. But really, this series is at its best when it’s examining the relationships between Yuki, Zero and Kaname, and we get a lot of that here. They’re both pushing Yuki away as far as they can, and to her credit she’s not really having it from either of them (though with Zero she acquiesces a bit more). This leads up to the cliffhanger, showing the three of them together once more. It’s still high shoujo soap opera, and I’m not sure who’s going to survive to a happy ending, but I’ll be sticking around.– Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Tokyo Babylon

March 11, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ, Michelle Smith and Anna N 16 Comments

SEAN: Far be it from me to break with what I suspect is going to be unanimous. The clear pick this week is the first omnibus re-release of CLAMP’s Tokyo Babylon. I joked about it being the story of Hokuto and those two other guys, but it is certainly true that Hokuto is my favorite thing about it, and I’ll likely be digging into this volume especially for her. That said, the tragic story of Subaru and Seishirou is no slouch, and if I want to pretend things end happily I can just stop with this first volume anyway. This is one of the books that made CLAMP famous, and justifiably so.

MJ: I’m sure that by now it’s obvious I concur. Though there are at least two series I love just as much on this week’s list (Fullmetal Alchemist and Paradise Kiss) Dark Horse’s re-release of Tokyo Babylon is one of my most euphorically anticipated of the year, and there’s no way I can turn down the opportunity to try to bring more readers into the fold. I love everything about this series—its overblown comedy, its sometimes-clunky drama, and its eighties fashion sense—but mostly I love it for its slow-developing characterization and, well, its cruelty. CLAMP goes at this story with full force, and isn’t satisfied until they’ve beaten you into an hysterical, bloody heap. If you think I’m exaggerating, you haven’t read Tokyo Babylon. So go to it!

MICHELLE: I’m not gonna be the one to buck the trend! The best thing about the series being in print again is that readers who missed out the first time will be able to discover it. I hope we see some reviews from first-time readers in the near future!

ANNA: I think all of this peer pressure means I have to give this series a second chance.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

JManga the Weeks of 3/7 and 3/14

March 11, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ and Michelle Smith 4 Comments

SEAN: I have to admit I am impressed with the anonymous teams behind these series that are all coming out at a rapid rate, even if I don’t know who they are because they aren’t credited. The translation quality, while still not perfect, has risen considerably since the start back in August 2011, and the series are cranking out so that, presumably, we can focus on fresh new series in the future.

All of which is a nice way of saying I still don’t have much to say. The big manga for me this week and next is Joshi Kousei (aka High School Girls), which wraps up with the release of Vols. 8 & 9, and finally resolves the unanswered question about the Takarazuka pair. No, not whether they’re actually lesbians, that’s still unanswered. (Though obvious.)

MJ: I admit I don’t have much to say, either, which isn’t to say that I’m necessarily disappointed with what’s happening at JManga. Sure, I miss some of the weeks when they introduced scads of new series, and it’s been a while since some of my personal favorites have been updated. But I appreciate the fact that they’re carrying on, updating what they can, when they can.

MICHELLE: My sentiments exactly. I’m sure at some point, there’ll be something for us to squee over again.

SEAN: There’s also Vol. 5 of Biscuit Hammer, which puts us at the halfway point, and Vol. 6 of Crime and Punishment: A Falsified Romance, which is also 10 volumes, but otherwise quite different from Hoshi no Samidare.

And Vol. 12 of Tactics, which has blown past the old Tokyopop releases (which ended with 8, I believe) and is blazing its own trail. The series is still ongoing from Mag Garden, I believe, and I still can’t remember what it’s about aside from “fantasy”.

MJ: Though I lost interest in Tactics midway through the Tokyopop run, I’ll admit that seeing so many available volumes pop up has re-awakened my curiosity. Should I give the series another shot? I’m thinking I just might.

SEAN: Speaking of fantasy (indeed, they’re by the same author), there is also Vol. 5 of The Mythical Detective LOKI. Please note that this version is not played by Tom Hiddleston, despite what Tumblr may tell you.

Lastly, Tsumanuda Fight Town still has maids who fight. I should really actually read this rather than mocking it, as it does run in Young King OURS, home of many of my beloved titles.

Anything catch your eye here?

BL Bookrack: March 2013

March 10, 2013 by MJ and Michelle Smith 2 Comments

Welcome to the March installment of BL Bookrack! This month, Michelle takes a look at Where a Person Is Most Vulnerable at JManga, while MJchecks out the latest volumes of Awkward Silence and His Favorite from SuBLime. In Brief: Punch Up!, Vol. 3 (SuBLime).

Awkward Silence, Vols. 2-3 | By Hinako Takanaga | Published by SuBLime | Rated Mature – As a somewhat finicky BL fan, I have a complicated relationship with Hinako Takanaga. Though I have several favorites among her works (You Will Fall in Love springs immediately to mind), I often find her romances too rushed to be satisfying (Little Butterfly). Furthermore, even some of my favorites of her work (The Tyrant Falls in Love) include elements I dislike so thoroughly that they send me hurtling from hatred to love and back again. Though Awkward Silence is far too mild-mannered a title to incite anything like hatred, its first volume fell easily into the “too rushed” section of Takanaga’s catalogue, thus robbing itself of the emotional resonance required to elicit anything close to love.

Volume two opens with blank-faced Satoru (who carefully reminds us every chapter that his face is incapable of expressing emotion) sulking over his boyfriend Keigo’s upcoming sleep-away baseball camp. Having been unable to properly express his feelings to Keigo before he departed, Satoru is tormented over the fact that Keigo may have left believing that Satoru was angry with him for going in the first place. Naturally, the only option is for Satoru to sneak into the camp in the middle of the night in order to explain himself. He does, and the two have sex.

Okay, a little bit more than that happens. Satoru’s antics lead Keigo’s baseball team to believe that the west wing of the school is haunted and minimal wackiness ensues, but the series’ chapters are so carefully formulaic, it’s obvious that the point of it all is to create an opportunity for the obligatory sex scene. And this is really the crux of the issue. While I certainly have no objection to sex scenes in a BL manga—and such scenes can contribute significantly to both plot and characterization—as is all too common in contemporary romance, Takanaga’s scenes are largely just… in the way. With so few pages available per chapter in which to develop her characters’ relationship, every panel is precious, and panels spent on perfunctory sex scenes are, frankly, nothing more than a waste.

Volume three plays a bit stronger, as it shifts its focus from Satoru and Keigo to a couple of amusingly mismatched upperclassmen (whose relationship vibe is not unlike Morinaga and Souichi’s in Tyrant), and Satoru’s charming (also blank-faced) mom is an unexpected highlight. But this relationship, too, suffers from a whirlwind approach that doesn’t feel quite earned. Takanaga’s expressive artwork particularly shines in this volume, making its shortage of emotional substance even sadder, in my view. Not recommended.

– Review by MJ

His Favorite, Vols. 2-3 | By Suzuki Tanaka | Published by SuBLime | Rated Mature – If I’m a sucker for any particular romance trope, it’s “friends-turned-lovers”—a predilection largely responsible for my obsession with writers like Keiko Kinoshita and Yeri Na, among others. In volume one of His Favorite, author Suzuki Tanaka proved that she’s got my number as well, with her story of childhood friends, Sato and Yoshida, whose developing “hot guy”/”spazzy guy” pairing is the best thing since Doumeki and Watanuki (with fewer ghosts and bento lunches).

In volume one, class stud Sato revealed to unpopular goofball Yoshida that he was the (once overweight, bullied) boy whom (once popular, badass) Yoshida fiercely protected all through grade school. Having nurtured a crush on Yoshida for years, Sato’s new “hot guy” status gives him the confidence to finally pursue Yoshida romantically, though the entire thing is baffling to both Yoshida and the rest of their high school class.

Volume two opens with Yoshida beginning to acknowledge that he has reciprocal feelings for Sato, though he’s desperate to hide it—not only from Sato, but from his group of misfit friends who expect him to share their unrequited longing for female companionship. This escalates in volume three when Yoshida is coerced into attending a disastrous group date. Meanwhile, Sato’s dealing with his frustration by bullying their classmates, whom Yoshida (in true form) angrily defends, leaving Yoshida feeling even more conflicted over his growing attraction for Sato. Nothing comes easy for the two of them, but despite the fact that what I’ve described so far sounds rather like a serious teenage drama, it’s absolutely romantic comedy in every way. And, really, that contradiction is what makes the series work so well.

Though nearly everything in His Favorite is deliberately overblown and played for laughs, the entire thing is firmly anchored by real emotional truth, which renders the series not only genuinely funny, but also genuinely affecting on a number of levels. Amidst the laughs, we really feel Yoshida’s inner turmoil over his unpopularity and small size, his fierce sense of fairness, and his developing feelings for a guy who pushes all his buttons in not-always-positive ways. And like Yoshida, we both love and revile Sato’s messy mix of loyal devotion and outright sadism. Tanaka’s characterization is deceptively effortless—clearly established with just a few deft strokes—allowing her to tell a emotionally complex story with the light touch of a screwball comedy. Even the story’s secondary (firmly comedic) romance, about a steadfast guy who only falls for sleaze-balls, manages to operate on multiple levels. And Tanaka’s clean, energetic artwork is just icing on the cake.

Obviously I’ve become a fan, but the best news of all is that there’s more of this series to come! His Favorite stands at five volumes and counting in Japan, so now’s the time to jump on board! Heartily recommended.

– Review by MJ

Where a Person Is Most Vulnerable | By Fumiko Shusai | Libre Publishing/JManga | Rated Mature – “I put all my short pieces I forgot about in one book,” writes Fumiko Shusai in the Afterword to Where a Person Is Most Vulnerable, and man does it show.

The anthology starts off promisingly enough. The title story is about neurotic Yamashita, who hates ants, and his bug-loving neighbor, Shimabara, who helps him overcome his fears a bit. “Strays Will Leave, Over and Over Again” is also pretty good, featuring a gigolo who keeps returning to his friend’s place every time he gets dumped. Less successful is “The End Is in a Dream, Silent,” about a guy who’s repaying a debt to a clotheshorse by cleaning his messy “room.” It’s okay, but extremely rushed.

In the titular story, the “place” in question refers to the delicate nether-regions where ants dared to crawl when Yamashita was a boy—as well as to his heart—but after the third story I began to think that apartments were somehow a theme, too. That while we might feel safe in our own homes, this complacency would also cause us to let down our guard. And it may even be true that Shusai meant to make some point along those lines, but the rest of the stories in this collection are so thoroughly disappointing that I soon began to doubt that such an intent ever existed.

Brief and insubstantial “Sculptures of Us” is about friends who get into fisticuffs over whether they had a drunken hookup the night before. “Love That Reaches the Other Side of Earth!,” about a seemingly hopeless boy and the childhood friend who takes care of him, had the potential to be something good, but is rushed beyond redemption. The real villain of the piece, however, is the horrible “Daddy, My Love” strip, all about the way in which a guy accidentally mistreats/mishandles his ex-girlfriend’s abandoned toddler, culminating with a panel suggesting they’ll become lovers in the future. EW! Gallon of brain bleach, stat!

So, are the first two stories worth 499 JManga “points”? I must regretfully conclude that they are not.

– Review by Michelle Smith

In Brief:

Punch Up!, Vol. 3 | By Shiuko Kano | Published by SuBLime | Rated Mature – For its first two volumes, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Punch Up!. On the one hand were the well-defined protagonists, Kouta and Maki, who had plausible conflicts and insecurities, but on the other were the frequent and explicit sex scenes that left nothing whatsoever to the imagination. Was this a compelling drama or a smutty romp? Volume three caters to my personal preferences by establishing itself clearly as a drama (or melodrama, at least) when a workplace accident leaves Kouta with no memory of the last four years and effectively returns him to his mindset as a fifteen-year-old. This development could’ve easily taken the story in a cheesy direction, but it actually doesn’t, instead providing even more opportunity for conflicts and insecurities to flare. I had debated whether to continue with this series, but now I am truly glad I did! – Michelle Smith

Review copies provided by the publishers.

Manga the Week of 3/13

March 7, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, MJ and Anna N 3 Comments

SEAN: I have a sneaky suspicion I know what the Pick of the Week is going to be next week… regardless of that, let’s see what publishers have to offer.

Blade of the Immortal may have come to a close recently in Japan, but Dark Horse still has a few more to go. The back cover to Vol. 26 hints that Tonight Someone Dies, so it is no doubt very important that everyone grab this.

MICHELLE: Someday I will continue with this series.

SEAN: And then there’s the first Tokyo Babylon omnibus. Which is filled with Hokuto, who is awesome and the only real reason to read this early CLAMP title! Oh yeah, there’s her brother as well. And some guy. I suppose a few people might read it for them instead.

MJ: TOKYO BABYLON TOKYO BABYLON TOKYO BABYLON. Okay, yes, I’m a fangirl on a massive level, here, but there are so many reasons why this is my favorite CLAMP series (and one of my favorite manga series of all time). I’ll save my loudest raving for Pick of the Week (and Off the Shelf), but out of all the CLAMP re-releases Dark Horse has undertaken over the past few years, this is the one I’ve anticipated most eagerly. I’m so looking forward to re-reading the series.

MICHELLE: I agree, but cannot possibly match MJfor sheer enthusiasm!

ANNA: Maybe I should give this series another try? I read the first few volume and found it so much less gripping than X\1999 that I don’t think I ever finished it. That being said I do have feelings of pleasant nostalgia whenever I think of early CLAMP series in general.

SEAN: SubLime has the third volume of His Favorite, whose cover makes it look like this is a manga about Luffy the uke and Robin the seme. I’m sure it’s not about that at all. Not that that would not be a highly entertaining title in its own right.

MJ: This is one of my favorite recent series from SuBLime, though your comment adds an element of hilarity I hadn’t considered!

MICHELLE: Wow, I had never noticed the similarity in scars before.

SEAN: Vertical has the 3rd and final re-release of Paradise Kiss, which most everyone else got this week. It’s a terrific series, and I particularly love the ending. If you didn’t get it yet, get it.

MJ: I’m a bit sad that the debut of Dark Horse’s Tokyo Babylon omnibus will probably overshadow the end of Paradise Kiss, so I’ll do my best to rave about both. I had some quibbles early on regarding Vertical’s adaptation of some beginning chapters, but these have long since been made up for by subsequent volumes. And if I had to choose the loveliest of Vertical’s work on this series, I’d have to go with volume three, which is stunning in every way. This is absolutely a must-buy this week. It’s on my personal top ten as well!

MICHELLE: There are things about the ending to Paradise Kiss that give me geekbumps to even *recall*, even though it’s been years since I last read it.

ANNA: I’ve been enjoying the Vertical editions of this series and plan on buying this!

SEAN: The rest is all Viz. 07-Ghost hits Vol. 3 and shows us that the best answer for ‘who is ready to lead the Church’ is ‘how much TRAINING have they had’? I bet the Papal Conclave doesn’t concentrate on that at all.

MJ: I never got any further than volume one of this series, but I’ll catch up eventually! And I’m looking forward to it, too.

MICHELLE: Ditto.

ANNA: I have been hoarding the 2nd and 3rd volumes and plan to read them together very soon. I enjoyed the world building and action in the first volume very much.

SEAN: Arata the Legend hits lucky Vol. 13, whose luck is to come out a week after a Fushigi Yuugi release and thus likely be ignored. Shame.

MICHELLE: Aw. Arata is quite good, too, though it’s true I don’t love it as well as Genbu Kaiden.

ANNA: I don’t think Genbu Kaiden can help it though because it is so intrinsically loveable.

SEAN: Fullmetal Alchemist has a 3-in-1 out, covering Vols. 10-12. This is, in my opinion, the only shonen manga to give One Piece a run for its money at perfection. It’s that good.

MJ: Since this series also made my all-time top ten list, I certainly agree with you. Wow, it’s a banner week for my favorites, isn’t it?

MICHELLE: It is. And it’s high time you read some One Piece, missy, so that could be your favorite, too!

ANNA: I agree that Fullmetal Alchemist is a magnificent series and it is unfortunately one that I stopped reading due to it having so many volumes. I intend to reread the whole thing and finally finish it one day though.

SEAN: Neon Genesis Evangelion also says it’s a 3-in-1, but the first volume was deluxe, more like their VizBIG line. Re-reading the start of the series re-kindled my interest in it again, so I’ll definitely be taking a look at it.

Lastly, RIN-NE Vol. 11 continues to have cute little one-shots, occasional dramatic mini-plots, and no forward progression. (sniffle) It makes me so nostalgic for Ranma and UY’s lack of any progress… it’s like Takahashi has come home!

MICHELLE: I really enjoy RIN-NE for what it is, and without any expectations for it to be anything else. I’ve described Takahashi’s comforting, homey works before as “manga meatloaf,” and I think RIN-NE epitomizes that ethos.

SEAN: What are you folks reading this week?