Manga Bookshelf

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MJ

3 Things Thursday: Down the Aisle

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Today is my tenth wedding anniversary, so I’ve got marriage on the brain. And I was surprised to realize, when I thought about it, just how seldom I encounter weddings or even marriage in the manga I read, despite my heavy leanings towards romance.

Then again, I think it’s only a rare kind of story that wants to delve beyond the early rush of romance and into what happens next. I remember as a child, getting to Laura Ingalls’ wedding in the Little House series, and feeling just as bewildered as she seemed to be, suddenly separated from the place and people she’d lived with all her life until then. The heart-pounding romance that had brought us both to this point had taken a too-realistic turn that neither she nor I was even remotely prepared for. I had a similar feeling when Betsy finally married Joe near the end of Maud Hart Lovelace’s Betsy-Tacy series. As much as Betsy struggled with the reality of domestic life, I struggled with the loss of her romantic adventure.

Still, there are a few manga weddings that spring to mind as I ponder, though not all of them are marriages I personally endorse!

3 manga weddings for MJ’s anniversary:

1. The Moon and the Sandals | Fumi Yoshinaga | Hashizume & Ida

Probably the favorite of my manga marriages is not actually a legal one, at least not in Japan. But when Hashizume turns up with the adoption forms, showing Ida that he really does love him, and has wanted to marry him for long time, I honestly got teary. Oh, Fumi. *snif* You really are the best of all.

2. Fruits Basket | Natsuki Takaya | Tohru & Kyo

Okay, so they don’t actually show Tohru’s marriage to Kyo, but after 23 volumes of pounding in the message that a girl’s most important dream is marriage, Takaya at least provides us with proof that it happened after all. It’s a pretty sweet little moment too, even if it gets her out of having to deal with any of the hard stuff.

3. NANA | Ai Yazawa | Hachi & Takumi

Though Hachi and Takumi’s wedding is possibly the least romantic thing to ever hit the page as far as I’m concerned, its business-like manner reminds us all that marriage is really just a contract, for good or for ill, and that it can’t create or replace love and emotional partnership. Will we ever find out how this marriage really turns out? I dearly hope so.

A list of manga weddings was difficult for me to muster, I have to admit. Readers, can you do better?

Manhwa Monday: March Preview

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Welcome to another Manhwa Monday!

With March upon us, it’s time to take a look at the month’s upcoming manhwa releases. First off, we have volume five of Time and Again (Yen Press), JiUn Yun’s story of a pair of ghost hunters in Tang Dynasty-era China. This is the series’ penultimate volume, so it’s likely to be pretty dramatic. Also from Yen Press, we’ll see volume twelve of Japanese-published Korean-created Black God.

From NETCOMICS, March promises volume two of There’s Something About SunYool, one of last year’s few standout new releases.

In this week’s news, Korea JoongAng Daily reports about Korean manhwa making waves in Japan, particularly The Survival series, an educational comic series that “has taken the competitive Japanese comic book market by storm.”

At Seoul Graphics, Managing Director Dr. Jeeyeon Kim and Comic Bits’ Terry Hooper offer to answer your questions about manhwa.

And at Manga Xanadu, Lori Henderson takes us through the latest issue of Yen Plus, including new chapters of manhwa series Aron’s Absurd Armada and Milkyway Hitchhiking.

In a bit of blog news, given the slow nature of the US manhwa industry lately, I’m considering moving Manhwa Monday from a weekly column to bi-weekly or even monthly. It grows increasingly difficult to find enough news to report each week, and less frequent columns could mean those that do get made are a bit more substantial. What say you, readers?

That’s all for this week!

Is there something I’ve missed? Leave your manhwa-related links in comments!

Platform review: Viz on the iPad

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People made fun of the iPad when it was first announced, from its seemingly limited functionality to its unfortunate name, but over the last year it has proven to be probably the most exciting new device to enter the (as Steve Jobs likes to call it) “post-PC” market.

Besides offering much of the same day-to-day functionality we require of our desktop computers (web browsing, e-mail, and so on), it’s also a terrific tablet reader and possibly the best personal gaming device I’ve ever seen. Now with Apple’s recent announcement of the upcoming iPad 2, complete with new video cameras and (frankly amazing) new versions of iMovie and Garageband written especially for the iPad, it’s definitely the device every forward-thinking company wants a piece of.

If this is beginning to sound like a paid iPad commercial, that’s only because I have to pretty much fight my husband to get just a couple minutes of time on his iPad, that’s how much use he gets out of the thing. It has become the centerpiece of our gadget-geek household (which is saying quite a bit), so not much could make me happier than to see my own personal geek obsession making inroads in the iPad market. Comics publishers, including a few manga publishers, have been putting out apps left and right, and we’ve got ’em all.

Viz’s iPad app has an immediate edge over its current competitors in the manga market, simply because Viz has actually managed to acquire digital rights for titles from Japan, something that companies like Yen Press and Dark Horse have had some pretty obvious difficulty with.

Most of the titles offered are popular ones too, like Bleach, Naruto, and Vampire Knight, with a few surprising treats like older series Rurouni Kenshin and some quirky shoujo picks like Natsume’s Book of Friends and Otomen. Shounen series dominate the app by far at this point, with no sign at all of older-aimed titles from Viz’s IKKI and Signature catalogues, and just the barest sprinkling of shoujo.

Navigation is simple and pretty intuitive. The app’s landing page features three simple tabs in the middle of the screen for checking out new arrivals, as well as “featured” volumes and a small selection of free previews.

A button on the top right provides access to a list of all available series, though there doesn’t seem to be any way to flip through all available volumes, the way one might in the bookstore aisle. Not that browsing between series is a hardship at all, as the “All Series” button remains on every page of the app.

Purchasing or previewing a volume is pretty easy (though full volume downloads can take some time), and everything is purchased in-app. But the app does require that you create a Viz account before you can make purchases using iTunes. And since signing into your account moves you away from the screen where your purchase was initiated, you have to manually navigate back to the original page in order to complete the purchase. Fortunately, once you’ve signed in, you’re not required to do so again during the same session.

Getting to the important stuff: Viz’s manga looks great on the iPad, especially when viewed as single pages, portrait-style. Images are crisp and clear, and text is easy to read.

In wide-screen, double-page mode, artists with heavy inking and contrast fare the best (like Bakuman and Death Note‘s Obata), while those with a lighter, sketchier style suffer somewhat with the smaller page size, though nothing is genuinely difficult to see.

Enlargement of a single panel is incredibly easy. Double-tap on any panel for a close up, and then double-tap to return. The iOS two-finger pinching works on all pages as well, both in single and double-page mode.

Overall, the iPad makes a great comics reader, and Viz’s app takes full advantage of its capabilities.

Purchases are downloaded directly to the iPad, so they can be saved in your library forever–a much nicer deal than most of the online “rental” models we’ve seen from manga publishers up to now–and first volumes of all series are currently offered for just $.99 apiece, which is a pretty unbeatable deal.

The $4.99 price tag on subsequent volumes is a bit too high to encourage buying in bulk, especially when brand new physical volumes of most of these series can be found for just a few dollars more on Amazon (and for at least a couple of dollars less used). While it’s easy to imagine buying volumes of newer, currently running series (like Bakuman or Toriko, both available now) for that price, the idea of trying to catch up with long-running series (like Bleach or One Piece) at $5 a pop is much less enticing. Lowering the price of later volumes by even just a dollar would make these longer, older series more attractive, especially as bulk buys.

Accessing all your downloaded manga is very easy–just a single click on the “My Manga” button found at the bottom of every screen, and preferences can be set for maximum storage size. Any overflow can be deleted from the device as needed, then re-downloaded whenever you’re ready to read. The app’s storage settings allow you to see or hide titles not currently stored on your device, whichever you prefer. You can also choose to be notified (or not) when new volumes of your downloaded series are available for purchase.

With such a relatively small percentage of Viz’s catalogue (just sixteen series at this time) currently available in their iPad store, it would be a stretch to describe it as a great source for manga, but it’s not difficult to imagine the possibilities.

Many have already pointed out its potential as a platform for long, out-of-print series, particularly the scads of fantastic 80s and 90s shoujo Viz put out on their now-defunct shôjo imprint. Packaged “omnibus” editions with several volumes for a reduced price could be very exciting as well, making it truly feasible for both old and new fans to catch up on longer series they might have missed during their original print runs. Whether Viz is willing or able to make any significant volume of its back catalogue available remains to be seen, as is whether or not any of their more sophisticated titles will ever hit these digital shelves.

Still, Viz is adding new manga to their store at a pretty brisk pace, as Kate recently reported in her coverage of their new “March Madness” campaign. Let’s hope we’ll see much more to come!

Fanservice Friday: Intimacy porn

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I’ve had fanservice on the brain quite a bit lately, most recently thanks to this article by comics creator Michael Arthur at The Hooded Utilitarian. In it, Michael discussed his perspective on BL manga as a gay man and an artist, and though reception was mixed (for the record, I have pretty much equal appreciation for both his points and much of the criticism he received from female BL fans) what it really got me thinking about is fanservice for women, which inevitably led to thoughts about fanservice for me.

Pretty guys in shoujo and BL? Sure, I like ’em. I like them (maybe even more) in Korean manhwa as well, where “blond and willowy” also tends to equal “kick-ass,” at least in the stuff we’ve seen imported over here. It’s well established that girls frequently like their male idols to be pretty as, well, girls, and that taste doesn’t necessarily vanish with age, at least when it comes to fiction. The muscle-bound hunk has never done much for me, and while that may lend itself in “real life” to a preference for nerdy guys, I’m perfectly happy with the rail-thin pretty boys offered up to me in girls’ comics.

Pretty boys aren’t my real hook, though, not even if we’re talking porn–and when I use the term “porn” here, it’s in the broadest sense of the word, the sense that includes things like “food porn” and “shelf porn” or basically anything that feeds our inner obsessions with powerful visual stimuli. My real “porn,” what services me as a fan the way eye candy does for many, is emotional porn. Intimacy porn, if we’re going to get specific.

What’s great about intimacy porn, is that it is able to manifest itself in a number of different ways, none of which is exclusive to girls’ and women’s comics, though you’ll find it there in abundance. Some of it is clearly romantic in nature, like this scene from Ai Yazawa’s Paradise Kiss.

Read right-to-left. Click for larger image

The scene takes place in the first volume of the manga, when these characters, George and Yukari, are just barely beginning to explore their attraction. It’s the small bits of physical intimacy that really work for me here… George’s fingers circling Yukari’s, the soft kiss on the back of her hand, the tilt of his head as he leans in to kiss her–not the kiss itself (which doesn’t happen here, as you may know), but the anticipation of it, the electricity in the air between two bodies so clearly attracted to one another. The moment feels intensely intimate, though they’re standing outside where anyone could see them. That’s what I’m talking about here. That’s the way to service me as a fan.

With this in mind, I took another look at this scene from Jeon JinSeok and Han SeungHee’s One Thousand and One Nights. I’d mentioned in my discussion with Michelle that it was a ridiculously obvious image, and that its success in context was a testament to the artists’ skill with romance, but I think its success with me goes even further than that.

Read left-to-right. Click for larger image

Where indeed skill comes into play, is that the characters’ intimacy has been so well-established before this point, without the use of such blatantly erotic imagery, that when this stunning show of emotional and sexual intimacy is played out right in front of enemy Crusaders and the sultan’s court, it actually feels real. Sehera’s expression of devotion here is so honest, so utterly without embarrassment, its public intimacy feels not only appropriate, but genuinely romantic.

Intimacy porn doesn’t have to be romantic, though, and often the best of it isn’t. This scene from Kazuya Minekura’s Wild Adapter for instance:

Read right-to-left. Click for larger images

   

   

Though Wild Adapter is serialized in a BL magazine, the relationship between its two protagonists, Kubota and Tokito, is only subtly romantic. What the two really have is intimacy, and that’s what draws me so strongly to them and to their story. This scene has plenty of elements that might be typically used as fanservice–a shower, slouchy skinny guys, even nudity–but there’s no service here, not unless you count my kind, of which there’s service aplenty. This kind of intimacy–Tokito’s pain, unspoken, but acknowledged and understood between just the two of them–that’s my kind of porn, there.

To stray even further from romance, you can find this kind of intimacy porn far, far outside shoujo, josei, or BL. CLAMP’s xxxHolic, for example, was originally published in Young Magazine, a men’s publication, typically featuring bikini-clad women on its cover. Still, it’s filled with my kind of porn, including this scene:

Read right-to-left. Click for larger images



Here, Watanuki and Doumeki discuss the events of the day, while Doumeki makes his demands regarding the contents of rice balls. Their intimacy is apparent from the start… the verbal shorthand, the way the rice ball conversation weaves itself out of habit around the real issues at hand. At page 139 their surface banter comes to a halt, as Watanuki makes a rare, open statement revealing the true value of their relationship. It’s a gorgeously thick moment–you can just feel the weight of emotion in the air, all the unspoken trust and gratitude that Watanuki is usually unable to express–suspended just briefly in time, before Doumeki quickly swings things back into their comfort zone. The banter continues, no less intimately, but comfortable again for both of them. I probably read this scene ten times when I first picked up the volume. It’s exactly my kind of porn.

Intimacy porn doesn’t have to be between two characters, though. Sometimes an author is able to create this between a character and his/her readers. Going back to Yazawa for a moment, this time with NANA, note here how she’s used narrow close-ups of her characters’ eyes to open them up to the audience.

Read right-to-left. Click for larger image

Though the scene takes place between Reira and Shin, their circumstances make it difficult for them to connect with each other honestly. Instead, though they hide their feelings from each other, they’re sharing them with the reader, as openly and intimately as possible. This kind of intimacy has the effect of not breaking the fourth wall, but expanding it to include the reader, and can be even more powerful than something that’s established between characters. It’s difficult to do well, but Yazawa’s a master, and it most certainly contributes to my love of her work.

Is it fanservice? Maybe not, strictly speaking. But it services me better than a thousand pretty faces ever could on their own.

So, readers… what’s your porn?

3 Things Thursday: TOKYOPOP

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It’s been a rough week in the blogosphere for TOKYOPOP, whose latest round of layoffs has inspired quite a bit of talk about the company’s less positive history, including this frank commentary from Brigid Alverson at Robot 6 and this ongoing round-up from Johanna Draper Carlson at Manga Worth Reading. My own history as a reader has been sketchy at times. Though TOKYOPOP’s titles have inspired some of my most passionate fangirling over the years, they’ve occasionally left me baffled, and some of their unfinished business has rendered me truly heartbroken.

For today’s 3 Things, let’s examine that a bit more closely.

3 faces of TOKYOPOP:

1. The Fangirling – From Paradise Kiss to Fruits Basket, from Tokyo Babylon to Wild Adapter, TOKYOPOP has offered up to me some of the most beloved series in my manga library. Read any of those linked reviews, and you’ll understand what I love about manga–that’s how well these series represent my personal feelings about the best of the medium, particularly when it comes to manga written and published for women and girls. Some of their newer shoujo acquisitions (like Demon Sacred and The Secret Notes of Lady Kanoko) look to be joining their ranks someday as well.

What can we expect now from a company whose owner has seemingly given up on books? It’s hard to say.

2. The Bafflement – Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I’m baffled why a series like KimiKiss (pictured to the right) was published, or even why it might be popular. A buxom teen removing her blouse on the cover is, I expect, money in the bank! What was baffling to me in particular about this release, was that it was apparently being marketed as shoujo, according to a little pamphlet I received along with one of the later volumes of Fruits Basket.

From my review summary at the time: “Kouchi and Mao have been friends since childhood, but now that they are in high school, Kouchi is depressed that he hasn’t managed to attract a girlfriend. Mao offers to help him become a “real stud” by teaching him how to be attractive to girls, beginning with lessons in kissing. The lessons start to get a bit steamy, especially after Mao is invited to sleep over with Kouchi’s little sister, resulting in a late-night tryst in Kouchi’s bed.” Sound like shoujo to you?

3. The Heartbreak – Everyone’s got their own tale of woe over a series that TOKYOPOP has canceled, but my broken heart belongs to Off*Beat, an almost finished series by OEL creator Jen Lee Quick. With just one volume remaining of its original 3-volume commission, fans like me were left to weep and weep, never knowing what finally happens to sweet Tory and his revealing obsession.

From my review: “Everything about this comic is a winner–the intriguing plot line, the wonderfully rich characters, the unique, expressive artwork, the subtle treatment of a gay teen’s sexual awakening that is refreshingly not played up or made “sexy” to please its female audience–and the fact that it languishes in cancellation limbo is honestly heartbreaking. This is a comic I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone. It truly deserves to be read.” *snif*

So readers, what are your 3 faces of TOKYOPOP?

New NANA Project, Vols. 17-18

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This entry will be brief as I’m convalescing with the flu, but here’s a quick link to the latest installment of The NANA Project, in which Danielle Leigh, Michelle Smith, and I discuss volumes 17 and 18 of Ai Yazawa’s NANA.

From Danielle’s introduction, “This month, MJ, Michelle and I return to discuss volumes 17 and 18 of NANA. Michelle decides she likes Miu, Danielle has a Yasu-epiphany, and MJtakes on Takumi and Reira’s dysfunctional relationship.”

Between this month’s Let’s Get Visual and the Project, I’ve had NANA on the brain lately, and so should you!

Come join us in comments to dish about Misato’s past, Shin’s arrest, and volume 18’s Takumi side-story!

Behold the power of emotional peril

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Once again, it’s time for Let’s Get Visual, a monthly column in which Michelle Smith and I take a stab at analyzing manga art.

This month, we look at two scenes with heavy emotional impact, one from Ai Yazawa’s rock n’ roll soap opera, NANA, and another from Eiichiro Oda’s shounen epic, One Piece.

What both of us found extraordinary is just how powerful subtle details like body language can be in conveying the emotional resonance of a scene, even with the author’s dialogue completely stripped away.

“And while one might think that it’s the dialogue that makes it romantic (Nobu does say “I love you” right at the end, of course), I think the real testament to Yazawa’s skill here is that, even if you take all the dialogue away, the scene reads the same.”

Check out this month’s column to see what we have to say, and please let us know how you think we’ve done!

3 Things Thursday: Vertical x Kodansha

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So, any of you following manga industry news have undoubtedly already heard about Kodansha’s new investment in Vertical, Inc., a story that broke last night, but has apparently been in the works for quite some time.

As a big fan of Vertical’s non-Kodansha licenses (Twin Spica, 7 Billion Needles, most of the company’s Tezuka releases) I was grateful to hear that the news would not impact their ability to continue with those licenses. Still, this seems like an appropriate time to reflect on some of the Vertical x Kodansha goodness we’ve already seen, either in print or in the works. Though my understanding is that some of these negotiations took place directly between Vertical and the series’ authors (or their representatives), the fact remains, we have both publishers to thank for their existence in print.

3 series brought to us by Vertical and Kodansha:

1. Chi’s Sweet Home | Konami Kanata – I’ve been a big fan of this sweet (and sometimes bittersweet) tale of human/cat cohabitation since Vertical’s release of its first volume, and those feelings have only grown warmer over time. Though the series is certainly appropriate for children, the advantage of it having been published in a magazine for adults definitely gives it an edge for a reader like me. Both genuinely funny and occasionally dark, there’s a lot more to Chi than meets the eye. And when what meets the eye is as cute as this… well, there’s really no way it can go wrong. Volume 5 is available now!

2. Princess Knight | Osamu Tezuka – Though this license was likely brought forth via Tezuka Productions, we have Kodansha to thank for all of its incarnations in print so far, from Shojo Club, to Nakayoshi, to the bilingual version that up until now (or soon, at least) was the series’ only English-language edition.

In the words of David Welsh, ” It sounds really delightful. It’s only three volumes long. It’s Tezuka. More Tezuka is always better.”

Agreed on all points.

3. The Drops of God | Tadashi Agi – Another one of David’s recently-fulfilled license requests, this manga has me hooked already simply by being about wine. Though I expect it might be hard on my pocketbook (all the wines in the series are real, and can be sought out and purchased by those willing to spend the dough), I honestly can’t wait to dig in.

Deb Aoki has been pushing for some time for this series to be licensed. “The Drops of God tries to capture the romance, the drama, the history, and the sensual joy of drinking wine, the fascinating people who make, sell and collect wine, and the diverse places where wine is grown, bottled and enjoyed all over the world.” Read more at About.com.

An honorable mention must go to Peepo Choo, which I featured in this column just a few weeks ago!

So, readers, what are your thoughts on what we might see now from Vertical and Kodansha?

Welcome, Cathy!

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Not long ago, we asked readers what they’d like to see from the new, multi-site Manga Bookshelf. One of the requests made of us at the time was for some kind of “anime vs. manga” feature, in which anime adaptations would be compared against their manga source material. We all thought it was a great idea! Trouble is… none of us watch much anime.

Today, please welcome Cathy Yan, the newest contributor to Manga Bookshelf, who will be sharing her thoughts on anime with us monthly via her new column, “Don’t Fear the Adaptation.” The first of Cathy’s articles has been posted this morning, featuring Rumiko Takahashi’s classic seinen romantic comedy, Maison Ikkoku.

So check out Cathy’s post, and let her know what you think! Then don’t forget to add her on Twitter!

Manhwa Monday: Dinosaur wars

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Welcome to another Manhwa Monday!

This week, Korea JoongAng Daily reports that cartoonist Kim Soo-jung’s popular manhwa character Dooly has become a subject of controversy between the local governments of Dobong and Bucheon, both of whom want to use the 10 million-year-old dinosaur as a mascot.

“Dobong District has been planning a Dooly theme park with a museum dedicated to the dinosaur since 2007. Lee, the Dobong District Office director, said that construction on the museum, estimated at 13 billion won ($11.6 million), is slated to start next year, with a target completion date of 2015.

Bucheon, meanwhile, has spent the past eight years transforming its image from that of an industrial city to one dedicated to animation. In 1998, the city established the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency (Komacon) and the Bucheon International Comics Festival. Dooly has served as the city’s mascot since 2003.”

Check out the article for more.

On this side of the Pacific, NETCOMICS continues to show signs of life, publishing another new chapter of Sooyeon Won’s Full House.

At The Hooded Utilitarian, Michelle Smith and I discuss in-depth Jeon JinSeok and Han SeungHee’s One Thousand and One Nights, complete with sheep jokes and pretty pictures.

This week in reviews: On his video podcast, Otaku, no Video, Brent P. Newhall talks about volume one of One Fine Day (Yen Press). At Manga Maniac Cafe, Julie enjoys volume six of 13th Boy (Yen Press). Angela Eastman checks out the final volume of Very! Very! Sweet (Yen Press) at Mania.com.

That’s all for this week!

Is there something I’ve missed? Leave your manhwa-related links in comments!

3 Things Thursday: To the polls

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Hello lovely readers! After a week full of roundtables & discussion posts, I’m beginning to really tire of the sound of my own voice. So to mix things up a little, this week’s 3 Things is going to be a question.

Readers: What 3 series would you most like to see discussed here at Manga Bookshelf?

You can choose any series you like, but to give you an idea of what’s immediately possible, here are a few photos (in various states of focus) of what I’ve got on my bookshelves: (click on images for larger view)

Some upcoming posts I currently know of include Ayako (next week!) and Black Jack (very soon!) so you need not spend your votes on those!

Okay. Go!

BL Bookrack on the road!

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BL fans may have noticed this week’s glaring omission of our BL Bookrack column, but that’s because this month, Michelle & I took our Bookrack act on the road!

Today at The Hooded Utilitarian, you will find a post, One Thousand and One Nights with MJ & Michelle, in which Michelle and I take on Jeon JinSeok & Han SeungHee’s Arabian Nights manhwa adaptation Off the Shelf style!

Premise: “About a month ago, Noah asked if we’d be interested in having a conversation about comics here at The Hooded Utilitarian, similar to our weekly manga discussion column, Off the Shelf (at Manga Bookshelf), and our monthly art-talk feature, Let’s Get Visual (at Soliloquy in Blue). He suggested at the time that we might try discussing a mutually admired series (as we once did with Ai Yazawa’s Paradise Kiss), and that the subject need not be manga.”

So go forth, BL fans, and check out this month’s special BL Bookrack, complete with jokes about sheep lovin’ and pretty, pretty pictures!

Manhwa Monday: Review round-up

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Welcome to another Manhwa Monday!

We’ve got a few review links to share today, but first, a quick look at the upcoming film adaptation of Kang Pool’s webtoon series, I Love You, adapted as Late Blossom for film.

The summary according to The Korea Times: “The movie revolves around four senior citizens living in a hillside village. Kim Man-seok, played by veteran actor Lee Soon-jae, is a milkman who wakes the village early each morning with his noisy, battered motorcycle. He meets Song (Yoon So-jung), who scavenges for scrap paper while roaming around the town at daybreak. As they meet again and again, they slowly develop feelings for each other.”

The film opens in Korea this week.

At Panel Patter, Rob McMonigal takes a look at volume one of Time and Again (Yen Press). Chrystal White at Japanator checks out volume 11 of Black God (Yen Press). Todd Douglass of Anime Maki posts some quick reviews of three Yen Press manhwa. In her article, “hunting for yaoi,” at Sequential Tart, Wolfen Moondaughter looks briefly at the BL manhwa Aegis (NETCOMICS). And Bibliophilic Monologues celebrates a manhwa monday of their own, with an overview of Pig Bride (Yen Press).

That’s all for this week!

Is there something I’ve missed? Leave your manhwa-related links in comments!

Follow Friday: Looking for Romance

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Continuing with Manga Bookshelf’s Valentine’s Day theme, today’s Follow Friday will focus on bloggers who prioritize romance manga. In my limited circle, at least, this amounts to shoujo manga blogs, boys’ love blogs, and yuri blogs, though I’m hoping you readers might have more to share! Here are a few of my particular favorites:

I’ve linked to yuri super-blogger Erica Friedman here before, of course, but another less-known yuri blogger well worth following is Yuri no Boke‘s Katherine Hanson. I first met Katherine at my local college nerd convention, Smith College’s Conbust, where her fantastic little yuri panel was nearly the only manga-related offering of the whole weekend. Her blog is another must-read for yuri fans. You can follow Katherine on Twitter @yuriboke.

For BL fans, I recommend Alex Woolfson’s Yaoi 911, where he not only reviews yaoi manga, but also offers up his own BL comics, as well as advice for young writers and artists interested in creating BL comics of their own! Also very valuable is his post on finding English-language bara manga, which we’ve seen very little of over here. Bonus? He’s also just a really nice guy. Follow Alex on Twitter @alexwoolfson.

Fans of shoujo manga should be reading Emily’s Random Shoujo Manga Page, the best source around for reviews and information about untranslated shoujo, divided up into useful categories like “romance,” “smutty romance,” “teacher-student,” and so on. Find Emily on Twitter @MagicalEmi. And if it’s new English-language releases you’re eager to hear about, check out Laura’s Heart of Manga for all shoujo, all the time. Follow Laura on Twitter @Ellesensei.

These are, of course, just a few great bloggers to follow for all your romance needs. Readers, who are your favorites?

3 Things Thursday: Valentine’s Dream

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With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, a shoujo manga fan’s mind tends to wander toward an image of a thousand shy (but optimistic!) Japanese schoolgirls presenting handmade chocolate to the boys of their dreams.

This week, I got to thinking… what dreamy manga boys would I have given my chocolate to, had I been a Japanese schoolgirl?

Behold today’s 3 Things!

3 manga Dream Boys for teen MJ:

1. Shinichi Chiaki | Nodame Cantabile | Tomoko Ninomiya | Del Rey Manga – Yes, yes, he’s stubborn, arrogant, and completely unable to express his feelings through any means other than music. But damn, with that beautiful talent and unstoppable confidence, I would have fallen for him in a heartbeat. You know. In high school. Or college. Not like I sit around dreaming about fictional musicians now or anything. Because that would be totally insane.

Totally.

2. Shizuka Doumeki | xxxHolic | CLAMP | Del Rey Manga – So, would I want a guy who’d give up most of his blood and half an eye for me, while quietly putting up with my clumsy emotions and constant flailing? Yes. Yes, I really would. Okay, I hate to cook, so it’s not exactly a match made in heaven, but a girl can dream. Though in real life, I’ve prefered the clumsy, flailing type (opposites attract, my ass), there’s a daydreaming teen still hidden away somewhere, admiring the tall, quiet guy who’s kinder than he looks.

Do you think he’d eat my store-bought chocolate?

3. Nobuo Terashima | NANA | Ai Yazawa | Viz Media – Given how strongly I identify with one of this series’ protagonists, Nana Komatsu, it should come as no surprise that, out of all the dream boys here on this page, it’s Nobu who most strongly resembles the kind of guy I’ve typically gone for in my non-fictional life. Short and a bit geeky, with his heart on his sleeve, Nobu is the very picture of my perfect dream boy, in manga or anywhere else. Though he lacks the obvious confidence of either Chiaki or Doumeki, he’s definitely a gem in my book.

Bet he’d eat that chocolate, too.

And what of my beloved Eiji Okamura, you ask? My bullet-proof character type if there ever was one? He’s upset not to be included, too. Should I have made it Four Things Friday?

Poor Eiji. *snif*

So, readers, who are three of your manga dream boys? Inquiring minds want to know!