Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Sean Gaffney

Nisekoi, Vol. 1

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By Naoshi Komi. Released in Japan by Shueisha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump. Released in North America by Viz Media.

It’s been an awfully long time since I’ve reviewed a Shonen Jump Vol. 1 from Viz. There have been some Jump Square titles, such as Blue Exorcist or Genkaku Picasso. But I never did read Barrage when it was released digitally, or Takama-ga-hara. The reason being that by the time those series really got going enough to pay attention to them, Japan had already cancelled them. (And honestly, I expect sports manga Cross Manage to meet the same fate.) Shonen Jump Alpha had tried to introduce new series simultaneously with Japan, only to come up against the brutal cancellation process that 75% of all Jump series go through. So they needed to try to find an already successful series to bring in, one that didn’t require much explanation, didn’t need censoring, wasn’t over 20 volumes long already, wasn’t getting death threats in Japan, and wouldn’t give their translators nervous breakdowns. The obvious choice was Nisekoi, which has passed the 2-3 volume death range of Jump titles and become a nice little hit over in Japan.

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I admit to being surprised by this one a bit as well, as it requires a bit of a leap of faith from Viz. You see… (whispers) it has no supernatural content. Really! Nor is it about sports. So, for long-time readers of Jump, that leaves two categories. Gag comedy (not gonna happen over here), or romantic harem comedy. Nisekoi fits squarely into the latter, and is Viz’s first attempt at pure romantic Jump since Strawberry 100% and I”s. Luckily, it has a bit more going for it, including a good sense of humor and willingness to make fun of its characters, as well as a yakuza Romeo and Juliet style plot.

Given that a Jump romantic comedy is never going to be hugely original, I was pleased to see the things this series did right. Ichijo is a nebbish, somewhat weak harem hero who nevertheless can stand up for himself and does not automatically fall into cleavage every two seconds. Kirisaki is a tsundere jerk, but most of that is frustration at her upbringing and general poor social skills, rather than it being her default. And the other girl in the love triangle, Onadera, is… well, so far pretty damn cliche. But then she’s a nice sweet girl in a harem genre, so she’s not going to get the guy anyway. In addition, while I’m sure they will come up at some point, it was a pleasure to see a Jump romance that didn’t revolve around underwear or boobs. The comedy stems from the situations and personalities of the leads, which is always a plus.

As for the plot, the series has the subtitle ‘False Love’, which is referring to the fact that, to prevent their rival yakuza families from killing each other, Ichijo and Kirisaki must pretend to be a couple. But there’s also the love issues created by Ichijo’s pendant, which is a lock that his long-forgotten promise girl (anyone who’s read Love Hina knows this plot) has the key to. I’ll bet you two to one there are multiple keys. Ichijo wants to find the promise girl so he can profess his love, but his that real true love? And what about Onadera’s obvious crush?

There’s nothing astoundingly original here. But for anyone who tried the aforementioned Love Hina and found its leads too irritating and its author too obsessed with naked girls hitting the hero, Nisekoi is a more mild alternative. The current chapters are running in Shonen Jump Alpha, with a ‘here’s what happened in the 6 or so volumes before these’ synopsis. I imagine the intervening volumes will come out fairly rapidly to catch up. Digitally, at least. I’ve no idea what the print schedule for this is. In any case, good stuff, and glad to see Viz once again taking a chance on Jump titles that don’t involve demons, ghosts, vampires, or all three.

Pick of the Week: Heart of Thomas & Other Stories

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heartofthomasMJ: There’s a lot going on at Midtown Comics this week, and a lot to look forward to, including lots of new shoujo from VIZ Media (Strobe Edge, Dengeki Daisy) and some hot ticket items from Vertical (Message to Adolf, The Book of Human Insects), but I only have eyes for one thing. That thing, of course, is Moto Hagio’s The Heart of Thomas, produced in beautiful hardcover by Fantagraphics, and lovingly translated by Matt Thorn. I’ve read the advance digital copy and Hagio’s writing and artwork are both more beautiful and emotionally nuanced than I even expected, but I’ll admit I can’t wait to hold this hardcover in my hands. In fact, I’m pretty sure I said the words “I can’t wait” something like ten times in my holiday edition of My Week in Manga. Michelle and I will be talking about Heart of Thomas in this month’s BL Bookrack (Off the Shelf-style) so you can listen to me gush about it more then. Endless love and gratitude to Fantagraphics for bringing us a treasure like this.

ANNA: I agree that Heart of Thomas is the most exciting release this week. I haven’t read it yet, but I am really looking forward to it.

MICHELLE: While Heart of Thomas is the standout on this list for me, too, I don’t wanna just say “ditto,” so instead I’ll note that I’m really looking forward to reading the second volume of Strobe Edge. Okay, no, it’s not exactly a groundbreaking series (firmly in comfort-read territory), but I enjoyed it and liked all the characters, which is sometimes not the case in these high-school romance stories.

SEAN: Heart of Thomas is clearly the most important manga out this week, and I’m definitely looking forward to having it sit on my review pile staring at me balefully, like most important manga does. That said, my picks of the week are the Shojo Beat volumes I always read the moment they come out – Dengeki Daisy, Oresama Teacher and Otomen. I may not know much about art, but I know what I like.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Bookshelf Briefs 12/30/12

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This week, Michelle, Anna, Sean, and MJlook at recent releases from Yen Press, JManga, Dark Horse, and VIZ Media.

QuinRose_AliceFanaticRabbit_V1_TPAlice in the Country of Hearts: My Fanatic Rabbit, Vol. 1 | By QuinRose, Delico Psyche, and Owl Shinotsuki | Yen Press – I think this is the fourth iteration of the Alice series to be released here, and so far it’s shaping up to be the best since the first at hinting ominously about the mystery of the world in which Alice finds herself and her relationship with her older sister. True, the first series actively focused on these things instead of on romance, but My Fanatic Rabbit does an okay job balancing Alice’s growing affections for Elliot with these other plot threads. Elliot here is rather different than we’ve seen him before, more of a blush-prone goofball who casually kills people on command, and frequently finds himself the unwilling victim of Alice’s ear-fondling attacks. I know, I know, I’m probably taking this all way too seriously, but I honestly found those moments seriously icky. None of that in volume two (which concludes the series), please. – Michelle Smith

crazyforyou4Crazy for You, Vol. 4 | By Karuho Shiina | Shueisha/JManga – Oftentimes, the best shoujo manga has very little actual plot and instead derives its story from the characters’ evolving emotions. Crazy for You falls solidly in that category, though this volume boasts a little more plot than most, as it involves someone almost getting hit by a car. But for the most part, it’s about Sachi trying to forget about her feelings for Yuki and seriously consider Akihoshi’s confession and realizing the many subtle ways in which her feelings for the two boys differ. I’m also really intrigued by her friend, Akemi, whose “critical and serious” nature puts obstacles in the way of her happiness. As in her later series, Kimi ni Todoke, Shiina has created a complex character as her lead’s best friend, which results in some interesting new complications for this love polygon. There’s only two volumes left, and I’m highly eager to see how this story wraps up! – Michelle Smith

devil6A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 6 | By Miyoshi Tomori | VIZ Media – A Devil and Her Love Song continues to be a quirky and interesting read due to its unconventional heroine Maria, even as it moves forward with some fairly standard shoujo plot elements of love triangles, unrequited love, and revenge. This volume explores some mean girl antics as Maria’s friend Anna acts on her own feelings for Shin just as Maria decides to confess her feelings for him after being prodded into action by Yusuke. A Devil and Her Love Song leans a bit towards darker themes, as Anna actively prevents a deeper relationship from forming between Maria and Shin. At this point in the series as a reader I’m still undecided if I think Shin or Yusuke would be better for Maria, so I’m still actively engaged in wanting to find out what happens next. Maria’s forthright way of sailing through high school drama always produces some unexpected results, especially when she decides that she doesn’t care if she’s hated as a result of her actions. – Anna N

omg43Oh My Goddess, Vol. 43 | By Kosuke Fujishima | Dark Horse Comics – Generally around Vol. 43 of a long-running series you’re looking for the little things, those moments of well-crafted story or amusing character development that remind you why you still read a series. This is especially true with something like OMG, whose romantic payoff – or lack thereof – is the stuff of legends. Thus, seeing Keiichi and Belldandy having to choose between who has to murder a demon. (Urd and Skuld, who have less scruples, are safely locked away for most of the volume.) The conclusion is foregone but welcome nevertheless. Then, their next opponent is the supposed final boss, which means things get serious. Seeing Keiichi’s arms and legs ‘lopped off’, even bloodlessly, is a bit of horror we’re simply not used to from this series. Another good reminder of why Oh My Goddess fans still read this. -Sean Gaffney

wwt15We Were There, Vol. 15 | By Yuuki Obata | VIZ Media – After becoming completely disillusioned by this series’ main romantic pairing in volume thirteen, I was swept right back up into it by volume fourteen, and this new (old) direction has not let me down, as volume fifteen finally really tackles the question of “Just what is really wrong with Motoharu?” The answer, of course, turns out to be both more complicated and more simple than Nanami or Motoharu could have imagined. The whole thing is gorgeous and heart-wrenching in exactly the way this series has always been gorgeous and heart-wrenching, and though it’s obviously winding down, I know I’ll be a little heartbroken when the final volume arrives next year. This series has been the shoujo romance closest to my heart, and after fifteen volumes, it has never let me down. Still recommended. – MJ

JManga the Weeks of 1/3 and 1/10

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SEAN: JManga is taking a New Year’s break next week from newsletters (but not releases), so gave us two weeks worth of announcements. What’s new and exciting?

Well, first off, Pico Pico Boy has been pushed back to 1/10, so see previous post for our (minimal) thoughts.

I keep confusing Tsumanuda Fight Town, a Shonen Gahosha title with a blue-haired heroine, with Iketeru Futari, an as-yet unreleased Shonen Gahosha title with a blue-haired heroine. Perhaps JManga can look into the latter (though it’s over 30 volumes long). As for the actual release in question (Vol. 2), it’s for those who wish shonen fight tournaments and maids could be combined. So, Negima fans.

MICHELLE: Heh. In general, I don’t mind shounen fight tournaments, though.

MJ: Ugh.

crimepunishment3SEAN: Crime and Punishment: A Falsified Romance is really not my thing at all, but I can’t deny its brilliance. A fantastically dark seinen tragedy of morals updating the Russian novel to modern-day Japan, it’s one of Futabasha’s best titles from its initial deluge of Manga Action series to JManga. Vol. 3 is out next week.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I feel bad that I’m not really into this, but I’m not.

MJ: I actually *might* like this… maybe I should give it a shot.

SEAN: Yurumates is slice-of-life seinen 4-koma. I hadn’t even realized we’ve already gotten 3 volumes of this, but here is the 4th. It runs in Takeshobo’s Manga Club, home to Morita-san Wa Mukuchi.

MICHELLE: This is a very under-the-radar sort of title. It’s pretty tough for me to get excited about 4-koma manga.

SEAN: Moving on to titles out the 2nd week of January, there’s a new Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer (Vol. 3) and Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru (Vol. 10), both from Shonen Gahosha’s Young King Ours. I’ve mentioned before how I like Biscuit Hammer’s odd apocalyptic take on superheroes, and SoreMachi’s slice of life maids are growing on me as well.

MICHELLE: More stuff I haven’t read.

MJ: I really do need to try out Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru. It’s not my usual fare on the face of it, but I’ve heard such good things about it!

foulballsSEAN: Some new BL, which I think is from an author new to these shores. We Immediately Swing At Foul Balls certainly wins title of the week if nothing else, but loses points for the standard BL hug from behind while partner cowers cover. It’s done in one volume, so I can only assume the balls weren’t too foul. (whack) Ow.

MICHELLE: Oh dear.

MJ: Heh!

SEAN: The other title, by the same author, is Pochi to Tama, which looks far more adorable, and has pets. Both these titles are from BL flaghip Be x Boy magazine.

MICHELLE: The pets do tempt me a little…

MJ: Pets are sometimes a plus. Usually I’ll check out BL from JManga. Their track record is pretty good.

SEAN: Has anyone stopped to think of the ridiculous amount of titles JManga put out last year? The mind reels…

MICHELLE: It’s fantastic. Keep up the good work! (And pick up Cat Street!)

Higurashi: When They Cry, Vol. 20

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Story by Ryukishi07; Art by Hinase Momoyama. Released in Japan as “Higurashi no Naku Koro ni: Minagoroshi-hen” by Square Enix, serialized in the magazine GFantasy. Released in North America by Yen Press.

(This review talks briefly about the villain of the series, for the one or two of you who haven’t figured it out or spoiled yourselves.)

I have a lot I want to say about this 2nd Massacre omnibus, so pardon me if I go on for a bit. Let’s start with what we’re fighting against here and what our weapons are. The villain here isn’t the child center, or the village, or the Sonozakis, or even Satoko’s uncle, really – it’s apathy, discouragement, and stubborn pride. When you know something is wrong but look the other way, or go along with everyone else, or simply lie to yourself that it’s the right thing to do – after all, if it was wrong, someone would step in, right? And so Satoko is scapegoated by the entire village, just as her brother was, for their parent’s actions, even though everyone knows deep inside she’s an innocent girl. She is fighting against the unity of the status quo.

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Then we have the weapons that can free her. Not Keiichi and Rena, though as semi-outsiders, they are eminently suited to be more appalled at everyone else’s behavior than the others. Not the Sonozaki family, who, once converted, prove to be able to take down any governmental barrier with just a few well-placed lawyers and friends in high places. (Speaking of which, has anyone noticed that the Sonozakis being essentially yakuza isn’t really remarked on as horrible? We see them do yakuza-type things – they have a torture chamber, for chrissakes – but there’s no suggestion, even with the upcoming ‘Good End’ in the next arc, that Mion will do anything other than take up the reins of the family when she is of age and her grandmother dies. It’s quite odd from a Western standpoint.)

No, the weapons everyone uses are courage, resolve, and unity. I like the way that this plays out in regards to the writing. Unity has been killing Satoko – but it’s a terrified village afraid to speak up for fear of getting ostracized just like she is. Keiichi, however, reminds them of what they once were, rebelling against the unfeeling government in the dam project. He points out the force for true greatness that a united village can be – and then Rena shames them by reminding them what that unity is doing to Satoko right now. Then, when confronting Oryou, Mion’s grandmother, Keiichi and the others need to muster their courage and resolve. Oryou is the most prideful of this bunch, and to the end she refuses to publicly back down. But it’s Keiichi’s resolve – along with a death threat, but hey, he’s held back from actually doing anything – that impresses her, and once the public eye is away from her, she too makes the right decision.

This arc seems at times to play out like a series of boss fights in a video game, where you need to face tougher and tougher foes and come up with new and creative weapons. Luckily, the last 6 arcs before this have been tempering our heroes, even if they don’t remember it save for Rika. Again, we see what happens when the answer to everyone’s problems is not ‘goo off on your own’. Even Ooishi, who I noted gave us a cliffhanger last time by looking creepy and threatening, is trying to give Keiichi some good and sensible advice. He just… looks creepy, it’s how it is. By the way, we also meet for the first significant time Akane, Mion and Shion’s mother. She appears to be semi-ostracized from her mother, which is why Mion is next in like as clan leader. She’s also an even better tease than her daughters, both of whom she offers to Keiichi.

Speaking of which, I’ve noted before how this has harem aspects to it, many times playing out like a date sim. This is especially true in the early visual novels, where you don’t see Keiichi’s face – he’s the generic player character. He was initially the harem lead because, well, there weren’t any other options around, really. But as the series has gone on and he’s been overtaken by Rika, he’s really impressed. Both in the Atonement arc and here, he shows why the nickname given to him is ‘master of words’ – he is the heart of this group (Rena, who’s always one step ahead, is the brains) – and there’s no longer any question as to why Rena and Mion fell for him hard.

I wonder if we’ll ever see what motivated Satoko’s parents to be the lone villagers saying the dam should go through. Was there some deep reason behind it, or are they meant to be simply ‘bad guys’ as Satoko’s aunt and uncle were? Speaking of which, I don’t think there’s been any villain character in Higurashi more deserving of his fate than Teppei. He gets some of the more terrifying Higurashi faces here, and his physical, mental and emotional abuse of Satoko is teeth-grindingly appalling. But of course, that’s what makes the scene where she finally asked the child center for help, and then stands up to her uncle, so amazing. This is what the unity of the villagers can lead to – a downtrodden 9-year-old girl finding her own courage and taking a stand against a horrible man. When she brags to her friends about how something like this won’t get her down, it’s impossible not to have a tear come to your eye.

(By the way, the artist for this arc, Hinase Momoyama, is one of the best of the entire series, keeping everything light and moe but avoiding some of the awkward bodies and weird posing from prior arcs. She also does some really over the top ‘Higurashi faces’, which will only get worse as the series goes on.)

Oh, yes, the series goes on. Thought you were done? This is only omnibus 2 of 3, and this is called the Massacre arc but has been rather free of massacres. And Rika is aware of this – Teppei is horrible, but he’s not gutting her on an altar. She still has to stop the killings after the Cotton Drifting. And that leads us to our villain, who I can now, at last, discuss. Not that it hasn’t been somewhat obvious. Some stories try to hide their villains by making them the seemingly nice, friendly person. But Ryukishi07 is perfectly content with making it the paranoid, occult-loving woman who was practically having an orgasm when she was shown the torture weapons of Hinamizawa.

Rika and Bernkastel had gone over the 3 ironclad rules of each world, and it’s here that we see that one of the rules is obviously incorrect – Takano is the villain, so she’s not the corpse found in the oil drum. Not that faking your death in this series seems all that hard. I will admit, the final scene in the manga doesn’t have all the impact it should, in my opinion, mostly as the audience still doesn’t really have all the facts – Takano’s revelations to Tomitake are as confusing to us as they are to her, and a casual reader might very well think, “Wait, it’s her? Where did that come from?” Of course, in Japan this series had few casual readers – the anime was over, the visual novels were done, and everyone knew what was going to happen. As Frederica Bernkastel notes in her poem, the cat in the box is dead. This is not the Good End world.

And so with one omnibus to go, where will Takano lead us? To a massacre? And for god’s sake, what does Rika have to do to stop dying? What is the solution here? How can Takano be stopped? Well, we won’t find that out next time. But we will get to see some VERY over the top, scary Higurashi faces. Stay tuned.

(TL, DR: this volume was fabulous, except maybe towards the end.)

Manga the Week of 1/2

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SEAN: Back from the holidays, and back to a somewhat normal schedule for manga fans. This week sees lots of DMP, Vertical, and Viz, though I suspect that one other title will be getting some Pick of the Week notice…

First off, some new BL from DMP. Caramel looks to be about as sweet as its title judging from that cover, and is about an eldest son of four, used to taking care of everyone, becoming a live-in housekeeper… and presumably more.

MJ: Hm, that does sound kind of sweet, if generally unoriginal, but what else is new? I’ll probably try it out.

SEAN: I’ve Seen It All reaches Volume 2. The description of the series so repulsive to me that I can only hope that the series crosses the line so often it becomes comedic. The cover is not really helping me judge one way or the other. In the meantime, um… MJ? Michelle?

MJ: I’m afraid I can’t help you here. I’m just as appalled by the premise as you are, and apparently I missed volume one. Wow.

MICHELLE: I had missed this one, too, and I’m awfully grateful about that. Also, I guess these’ll be the last DMP books to see print for a while, owing to the company’s recent announcement.

SEAN: Love Makes Everything Right. Office romance, sexual harassment, smug jerk on the cover… neeeeext?

MJ: Zzzzzzzzzzz

MICHELLE: Ha! I was totally going to type “yawn” here. Clearly, we are on the same wavelength.

SEAN: Ninth Love Life is about a man who really loved his late cat (no, not like that) and when his cat gets reincarnated as a young man is happy that he can really LOVE his cat (yes, like that). Is it me, or are DMP’s titles getting weirder?

MJ: This one’s just weird enough to make me want to read it, so I guess there’s that.

MICHELLE: Ew, no. Also, this gives me flashbacks to The 9 Lives.

Heart-of-ThomasSEAN: As with all Fantagraphics manga choices, we’ve been waiting a long time for this one, mostly as the release date was moved about eight times. But it promises to be worth the wait. Heart of Thomas is a legendary proto-BL manga by Moto Hagio, set at an all-boys boarding school in Germany. It’s a complete in one hardcover, and is pretty much THE required purchase this week, even if you aren’t into BL.

MJ: I am so anxious for this to arrive! Michelle and I will be featuring this title in January’s BL Bookrack and I’m dying to see this in all its hardcover glory! It can’t ship quickly enough for me!

MICHELLE: What she said! And everyone should buy it so we can get The Song of Wind and Trees next!

ANNA: I am looking forward to this as well, more Moto Hagio is always a good thing.

SEAN: On to Vertical, who have a softcover edition of Tezuka’s Book of Human Insects, for those who may have missed the hardcover or just want multiple editions of one of Tezuka’s creepier anti-heroines.

MJ: I really liked this title–recommended!

SEAN: Speaking of Tezuka, there’s the 2nd and final omnibus volume of Message to Adolf, which is about 600 pages long and features a drooling Hitler on the cover. Perfect reading for public transport!

MJ: Heh, yes.

MICHELLE: I really liked Adolf, which is the title the series had when I read the old VIZ. I recall the ending wasn’t quite as good as the beginning, but there’s still some great ironic commentary on the futility of war. Definitely recommended.

SEAN: And there is the 2nd volume of Stan Lee’s Heroman, which I think appeals more to Stan Lee fans than manga fans, but is a good read for those who want to support Vertical but also need a book to buy a younger kid.

MJ: I wish I liked this at all. I really do.

MICHELLE: Me, too.

SEAN: And what would the first week of the month be without a giant pile of Viz? Bleach seems to have stopped double dealing every month, as we just get Volume 54, which features Rukia on the cover! I remember Rukia…

MJ: I haven’t read a volume of Bleach in a while…

MICHELLE: I’m not sure what to make of this latest arc, but at least the Hueco Mundo thing is finally over!

dengekidaisy11SEAN: Dengeki Daisy has mostly caught up with Japan, so this is the first volume in 6 months. As such, I’m really looking forward to it. The power imbalance between the main couple is handled very realistically and maturely, while still being quite romantic.

MJ: So, I missed a whole slew of this title’s middle volumes… is it worth trying to catch up? Your description here sounds like it might be.

SEAN: I think so, yes. Though there is a bit of episodic stuff, this has far more of a running plot, and as I said it has a fascinating relationship between the leads and their tragic pasts.

MICHELLE: I’m a couple volumes behind on Dengeki Daisy myself, but it’s pretty fun.

ANNA: Dengeki Daisy is one of my favorite ongoing shojo series, and I think it gets more emotionally complex as the series progresses. I think it is worth getting caught up on.

SEAN: Seeing a new volume of Hunter x Hunter (Vol. 29) so soon after the previous one is rather bizarre, and almost made me doubt the existence of reality. Luckily, the series is back on hiatus in Japan, so all is well once more.

Jiu Jiu Vol. 2 was somewhat better than a weak Vol. 1, and I hope the series continues its mild upward curve with Vol. 3.

MJ: Admittedly, I gave up after volume one. Perhaps I should try again?

SEAN: I’d hold off till we see what happens, to be honest.

MICHELLE: I liked volume two more, but that might’ve been the result of having low expectations going in. A vampire pig has joined the cast, if that’s any incentive.

MJ: Predictably, it is.

SEAN: I love Oresama Teacher, even if I think it’s wearing out its welcome among the many bloggers I follow. It helps that I don’t really mind the occasional suggestion of Mafuyu/Takaomi, and also that this series is not getting a romance anytime soon. Vol. 12 will no doubt continue to throw mid-level bosses at her like the previous few volumes.

MJ: This is another series where I missed some earlier volumes and am unsure whether I should purchase what I need to catch up. Thoughts?

SEAN: It depends. It’s really comedic – far more than most other shoujo out there – a lot of Osaka-style comedy yelling and running about, with many dense as lead students. Also, what very little romantic tension there is happens to be between Mafuyu and her childhood friend/tormentor Takaomi… who is now her teacher, and does not get nearly as many ‘pet the dog’ moments as, say, Kurosaki does in Dengeki Daisy. This has squicked some people who don’t want to invest in a long manga series in case it endgames that way. (Honestly, the series has so little romantic emphasis that I doubt that will be a problem.)

MICHELLE: I don’t know whether I’d advocate doing so or not. It’s episodic (and probably being made up as it goes along), so the quality is inconsistent. Sometimes I think it’s pretty dumb, but sometimes I think it’s a lot of fun and I’m quite fond of quirky Hayasaka.

ANNA: I’ve read all of Oresama Teacher and it is fairly episodic in terms of plot. You could probably pick up the last 2 or 3 volumes and get by with skipping a little bit. While it does meander quite a bit, I know I can always depend on this series for a regular dose of deranged comedy.

SEAN: Otomen 14 shows the series is still running (see? Told you!), though it will be ending in Japan soon. Given I basically got everything I wanted from Ryo and Asuka last volume, I suspect she’ll barely be in this one.

MJ: I loved this title so much when it debuted… then the episodic comedy format really went sour for me (as it usually does).

ANNA: I did too, and for some reason I have no problem with episodic comedy in Oresama Teacher, but don’t enjoy it as much in Otomen.

SEAN: Yeah, no one reads Otomen for plot resolution.

MICHELLE: Yeah. That’s why I’m not sure catching up on Oresama would be worthwhile for you. I’m quite behind on Otomen, but at least my local library carries this one so I can catch up without too much effort.

SEAN: Psyren 8 takes us back to the Psyren World, but… wait, wait, don’t page down! There’s actual interesting plot stuff happening among the dull boss fights this time. Honest!

MICHELLE: Here’s another one I’m behind on, but I do quite like Psyren!

SEAN: I mildly enjoyed Strobe Edge 1, and have good feelings about 2. That said, it’s not a series I got obsessed with after only one volume, like… well, like Dengeki Daisy, Oresama Teacher and Otomen.

MJ: Despite having spent most of volume one bored out of my skull, by the end I was really dying to know what would happen next. So I’ll be gobbling this up, I’m sure.

MICHELLE: I liked Strobe Edge more than you did, methinks, so I’m very keen to read volume two.

ANNA: I’m looking forward to reading this as well.

SEAN: And there’s a double shot of Stan Lee manga this week, as we get Vol. 8 of Ultimo. I’m sure Ultimo does cool stuff in it, because, y’know, Stan Lee.

MJ: More Stan Lee… why must there always be more Stan Lee?

MICHELLE: I have no idea. Are they trying to make Western comics fans like manga, or are they trying to make manga fans like Western comics? Either way, it feels like someone’s plan rather than a purely organic collaboration.

SEAN: Stan Lee and Moto Hagio’s collaboration next year will absolutely blow your mind! Kidding, kidding… ow, don’t hit…

MJ: *dead*

SEAN: Any manga you desire after your New Year’s hangover? Or are you only getting a Pony comic?

Blood Lad, Vol. 1

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By Yuuki Kodama. Released in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten, serialization ongoing in the magazine Young Ace. Released in North America by Yen Press.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this series aside from ‘vampires’. And that ends up being pretty fitting, as I think the series itself is not quite sure where it’s going to go until we get about halfway through this omnibus, at which point it finds its feet surprisingly quickly. There’s some interesting characters, attempts at world building, and some surprisingly vicious backstory, along with a healthy dollop of humor and fanservice. Honestly, I’m not really sure why this is in the seinen magazine Young Ace rather than its Shonen equivalent, unless it gets far more violent later on. It could simply be Young Ace had the free slot for a new series.

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Admittedly, after the first few pages I was expecting something far worse than what this turned out to be. The idea of a slacker vampire who’s a secret otaku made me groan, and thankfully this aspect of Staz’s personality is given shot shrift as the series goes on. More to the point, we see that Staz’s seeming apathy towards life stems from his own family relationships, and that he’s surprisingly tough and powerful – and even clever, when he bothers to be. I was amused at one or two points in the volume where he analyzed the situation and immediately gave up fighting, knowing that he would lose and it’s best to conserve his powers. I was also pleased to see that his obsession with Fuyumi lasted only till she died – after which, he really wants to resurrect her but is clearly not enamored of her. Blood Lad is driven by its action and fantasy, not its harem aspects (though those do linger, mainly via Bell).

As for Fuyumi, she’s probably the aspect of this story I enjoyed the least. She should be there to be the audience identification figure, the lone normal Japanese girl among a town full of freaks. Unfortunately, you don’t get very far in to this volume before you see her role is to have large breasts and get captured a lot. There is a bit of existential angst when she and Staz return to Japan, and he uses mind control to make everyone think she’s still there – this horrifies her till he points out the alternative. Mostly, though, Fuyumi seems to be there to draw in readers who want a passive female in their action fantasy manga.

As I noted earlier, Staz does not have a very nice backstory, and no doubt we will meet his brother in the second volume. The idea of how Staz’s magic is suppressed is quite scary, and certainly explains why he’s so reluctant to take any actions. We also meet his sister Liz, who quickly proceeds to torture him, though I have a nagging suspicion that there may be a bit of a brother complex behind all this – possibly as I’ve read too many moe manga in a row recently.

Blood Lad isn’t terrific – Soul Eater handles almost everything this manga tries to do better – but it’s a solid title, and better than I’d expected. If it can do something with Fuyumi next time, that’s be appreciated. But either way, I look forward to seeing Staz break out and kick some more asses in Volume 2.

Kaoru Mori: Anything and Something

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By Kaoru Mori. Released in Japan by Enterbrain, serialized in various magazines. Released in North America by Yen Press.

Well this is a bit of an odd duck, isn’t it? Half story collection, half sketchbook, it’s no surprise that this is being released in more expensive hardcover, as I doubt it would recoup any costs whatsoever otherwise. But then that’s also true of A Bride’s Story as well (and note Emma and Shirley were “blogger favorites” with crappy sales). Kaoru Mori is not the author of a Bleach or Naruto, and has a very enthusiastic but minimal audience. As such, this may almost be review proof – anyone buying this is getting it because it’s something new by the author, and the content is mostly irrelevant. That said, there is a lot to like here, even as there’s also a lot that left me scratching my head or feeling vaguely unsatisfied. Which is about what you’d expect from a collection like this.

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One thing that pleased me greatly was the sense of humor of many of these stories. Indeed, they’re not simply funny but eccentric – always one of my favorites. The first story in the collection shows a butler and maid desperate for a master so that they can continue to live as they are accustomed – and it’s clear who’s going to be in charge. Then there’s the very early story involving a perverted loon of an inventor and his implacable battle maid. It was impossible for me not to think of the inventor as being played by Michael Bentine (google it). And the cute yet slight story of a girl who takes forever to grow into her school uniform just brings a smile to the face. Some girls are born to attract attention no matter how they look.

There’s also quite a bit of cheesecake here, as if the cover art didn’t clue you in. A Bride’s Story and Emma don’t exactly give a lot of opportunities to draw the female form (except covered in gorgeous clothing). Also, Mori writes mainly for Fellows!, an Enterbrain seinen magazine whose content is geared towards older men who like to see something sexy. This explains the almost static chapters with the Host Club bunny and the wife trying on her swimsuit, which are almost there for art alone. Indeed, one very short story about a girl who is bird-watching essentially stars her posterior.

There were one or two stories that reminded me of my frustration with Mori’s implacable females, particularly one involving a young master wanting to no longer be treated like a child and his maid who smiles politely no matter what. I admit it’s what she does best, but I was hoping for a bit more wackiness. Ironically, the longest story of the collection (and one of my favorites) wasn’t written by Mori, but by fellow Fellows! writer Satoshi Fukushima (who writes Kidou Ryodan Hachifukujin, which would be an awesome if unsellable license). This also features a seemingly implacable girl, but mostly focuses on the ‘normal’ girl who becomes her friend. There were a lot of subtleties here regarding art and life, and I worried that the story was going to end far more tragically, so was pleased at its more ambiguous climax.

After that, there’s the 2nd half of the book. I have far less to say about it – it’s a sketchbook, basically – and if you like Emma or A Bride’s Story, or simply reading about things like fireplaces, then you should find it satisfying. I do wish it had been interspersed with the short stories – having it all come in the 2nd half ends up making the whole book feel like a bit of a curate’s egg (google that too). There’s some good stuff here, but as a collection it’s more ‘odd’ than ‘satisfying’. Which is appropriate, as that’s how I’ve come to view Mori’s work as a whole.

Pick of the Year: 2012

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alice-omnibusSEAN: Given that this last week is rather thin, I thought I’d briefly touch on the titles I enjoyed in 2012. It was hard to pick just one, and several series – Devil and Her Love Song, Young Miss Holmes, Fallen Words, Sakuran, GTO 14 Days – were on my shortlist. But really, 2012 has a surprising winner for me, a red-blooded American male, and it comes from a young girl in a magical Wonderland choosing between many men who seem designed to fall for her. Alice in the Country of Hearts was license rescued by Yen Press and put out in 3 huge omnibuses this May, and it brought with it a host of spinoffs from Seven Seas and Yen, all of which seem to be selling quite well. More to the point, with one or two exceptions, the manga adaptations are not straying too far from the game’s central tenet – this is a broken young girl trapped in a world full of men with loose grips on sanity who think nothing of death and violence. Maintaining that balance between psychological mystery and romantic drama is the key to the series’ success, and it’s why I still enjoy reading it, even if I don’t really care who Alice ends up with.

Aoi_Hana_manga_volume_1_coverMJ: This year was filled with a number of surprising new favorites for me, including titles like GTO: 14 Days in Shonan, Soulless, The Flowers of Evil, and Loveless, as well as a number of shoo-ins like Sakuran, Paradise Kiss, and the awesome conclusion to long-time favorite 13th Boy. It was a strong year for BL as well, as Michelle and I have discussed previously (including a last-minute entry, The Scent of Apple Blossoms). But in the end, my Pick of the Year is a publisher rather than a single title, and that publisher is JManga. When I think about my favorite new titles of the year, a full half of them come from the pages of JManga—Pride, Crazy for You, Sweet Blue Flowers, Dousei Ai, My Darling Kitten Hair, Love My Life, Kyudo Boys—and the list goes on. If I had to pick just one, it’d be impossible. I’ve loved each one of these series and many more. Thanks, JManga, for making my year!

crossgame8MICHELLE: I had to think about this for a while, because the title that first sprang to mine was not one that debuted in 2012. In fact, it started coming out here in 2010, but I so loved every single volume of it, most especially the final one, that I simply must award my pick to Mitsuru Adachi’s Cross Game. Okay, yeah, maybe it’s not pushing any envelopes, but it’s incredibly heartwarming and I just adore it to pieces.

Readers, what’s your favorite title of 2012?

Bookshelf Briefs 12/24/12

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This week, Sean, MJ, and Michelle look at recent releases from Kodansha Comics, Seven Seas, VIZ Media, and JManga.

titan3Attack on Titan, Vol. 3 | By Hajime Isayama | Kodansha Comics – There are many depressing series that never quite let you forget that hope for the best is behind it all. Attack on Titan, on the other hand, never lets you forget how fast hope can be lost and turn into total despair. Despite the arrival of a timely (and high-ranked) ally, most of this volume has our three leads existing at a knife-edge away from being killed. For once, the fact that I can barely tell anyone apart except for our heroes works quite well – the mob mentality and need to get rid of anything terrifying is at work here, and that tends to trump things like strategy and common sense. That said, there’s not a lot of common sense in what Eren can now do, and the ‘hey, now we have a titan on our side’ plan doesn’t go nearly as well as they thought. Luckily, there’s a cooking battle arc next time (OK, not really.) -Sean Gaffney

railgun6A Certain Scientific Railgun, Vol. 6 | By Kazuma Kamachi and Motoi Fuyukawa | Seven Seas – This is adapting the third ‘Magical Index’ main novel, in case readers were wondering why the big battle with Accelerator consists of Misaka standing around watching things. Still, given that you can’t exactly write Touma out, the Railgun adaptation handles things quite well, putting the focus squarely on Misaka and her own suffering. And it is indeed suffering – Misaka cannot stop blaming her own past actions as a child for the mass slaughter of innocents, to the point where the reaches a horrible decision (that, luckily, Touma is there to talk her out of, or at least calm her down a bit). I will admit that Uiharu and Saten, briefly glimpsed at the start, are missed, but this is a big character-building exercise for Misaka, so it’s OK for once to let the spotlight drift elsewhere. -Sean Gaffney

earl-fairy-4The Earl and the Fairy, Vol. 4 | By Mizue Tani and Ayuko | VIZ Media – The ending to this final volume of Earl & Fairy is strangely open – or not so strangely, as the light novel series extends many, many volumes beyond this point. It’s not a bad ending to the manga, but I get a feeling that it’s simply reinforcing the lessons that Lydia learned at the end of Volume 2, simply filtered through a different scenario. Everyone gets to show off what they do best – Lydia is compassionate yet foolhardy, Edgar is intelligent yet nihilistic, and Raven gets to beat people up and be deadpan. I did like the repair of Rosalie and Doris’ relationship, mostly as Rosalie did not magically turn nice – she’s still as annoying as she was since we met her. This was a decent fantasy series, but I fear that it doesn’t really linger in the memories that long – which may be why the manga ended with this volume. -Sean Gaffney

kittenhair2My Darling Kitten Hair, Vol. 2 | By Haruko Kumota | JManga/Libre Publishing – As is usually the case, MJwas absolutely right about My Darling Kitten Hair—it’s thoroughly charming. The time for confessions of love has long past, and now “Kei-chan” and “Mii-kun” are getting used to actually being together as a couple after six years in a long-distance relationship. The characterization in this series is so strong that the reader is actually truly happy for them when they achieve a breakthrough, and crushed when things don’t go quite right. I especially love that Mii-kun, the languid slacker type (as opposed to Kei’s tidy salaryman), is actually the more vulnerable one in a lot of ways. But on the whole, I love both guys so much that I really can’t wait for the next volume. Plus? Cute cats! I don’t know how I could possibly recommend this more highly.– Michelle Smith

natsume13Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 13 | By Yuki Midorikawa | VIZ Media – For me the best part of this volume was seeing attention paid to ‘Those Two Guys’, i.e. Natsume’s school classmates who aren’t Tanuma and Taki. It’s rare you see such characters get development beyond being a line or two within the hero’s larger story, so giving Nishimura and Kitamoto backstories and reasons for enjoying Natsume’s company (without making them connected to the supernatural the way Tanuma and Taki are) is heartwarming to see. Once again, the emphasis is on expanding Natsume’s world. The earlier chapters, a more action-oriented story featuring Natsume infiltrating a meeting of exorcists, didn’t do as much for me, but then I’ve always enjoyed the smaller, quieter chapters of this series over the main plot-based ones. Still a must read. -Sean Gaffney

pride4Pride, Vols. 3-4 | By Yukari Ichijo | JManga/SHUEISHA Inc. – I’d nearly forgotten just how much I loved this series until I delved back into it this week, and wow do I love this series. Tension ramps up dramatically in these two volumes, as Shio, Moe, and Ranmaru form an unexpected musical trio that ultimately lives or dies on each of their personal career choices—all the while Shio struggles to keep secret her business-only engagement to record executive Jinno (who becomes both more sympathetic and more suspect over the course of these volumes). As melodramatic as the story’s plotting may seem, it’s rooted in exactly enough emotional truth to satisfy a cranky old lady like me. It’s an exciting, exquisitely-crafted, gorgeously dramatic ride that has left me absolutely pining for more. Highly recommended.

JManga the Week of 12/27

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SEAN: The final week of 2012 gives us some interesting stuff from JManga: 2 recurring volumes, and three new ones I know almost nothing about!

tactics Vol. 11 was postponed from a few weeks back, and is filled with supernatural shenanigans. Nice to see JManga rescue this from Tokyopop.

MJ: I’m definitely thinking about giving this series another chance. I read its early volumes so long ago, I can’t even remember what I didn’t like about them anymore. Time to check in on it again!

SEAN: Morita-san Wa Mukuchi is one of those underrated titles that I always forget to read but when I do, never fails to bring a smile to my face. Even if I’m the polar opposite of its quiet heroine.

Drops is the first new manga here, and appears to be done in one volume. It’s an Ohta Shuppan Manga Erotics F title, always a good sign. The author, Yuiji Aniya, seems to mostly be known for her BL – DMP licensed her Men of Tattoos manga, and Digital Manga Guild picked up Mister Convenience. I don’t think this is BL, but I have no other info.

MICHELLE: I really, really loved Men of Tattoos. In fact, I named it one of my favorite BL reads of 2012! The cover of Drops suggests something more comedic, but I’m still quite excited about it!

MJ: It’s definitely Michelle’s enthusiasm about Men of Tattoos that has me anticipating something good here. I look forward to finding out!

disturbSEAN: Don’t Disturb Me and Him, Please will either be fantastic or horrible, and I’m not sure which. The artist is well known here, having done Blood+ (Dark Horse)and Le Portrait de Petit Cossette (Tokyopop), and this is also Manga Erotics F (and also complete in one volume). The premise, though, is described as being about a girl who is horribly attracted to horrible perverts, and ends up caring for a lolicon. It’s described as comedic. Well, I certainly *hope* so. I’m hoping it’s wildly over the top – the cover seems to indicate it will be.

MICHELLE: Hm. I’ll wait and see on this one.

MJ: Er. Um. Hm. I’m not a big fan of Blood+, but I guess we’ll see? It definitely sounds interesting…

SEAN: Lastly, Rensuke Oshikiri gives us Pico Pico Boy, which seems to be slice-of-life seinen. It’s also Ohta Shuppan, but ran in a couple of their far tinier magazines, so I have even less info! The artist specializes in horror, but this… isn’t that, as far as I can tell.

MICHELLE: Yeah, we haven’t much to go on with this one. But it’s definitely part of JManga’s charm that they bring out these unknown titles. I mean, at least some of them have to be hidden gems, right?!

MJ: Right!

SEAN: Indeed. Lots of surprises coming up next week.

Mayo Chiki!, Vol. 1

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By Hajime Asano and NEET. Released in Japan as “Mayoeru Shitsuji to Chikin na Ore to!” by Media Factory, serialization ongoing in the magazine Comic Alive. Released in North America by Seven Seas.

Possibly the most frustrating thing about Mayo Chiki! is that there is a manga with some interest in it struggling to get out here. The story is not remotely going to be original, but it could at least be interesting, with some likeable characters and a healthy dose of humor. The humor, at least, is present, and one of the manga’s saving graces. But none of that really seems to matter, as the manga’s art and general mood seems to revolve around presenting young girls (in the classic moe ‘they’re 17 but look about 9’ style) looking humiliated in half-naked (and sometimes 3/4 naked) poses. And it kills any chance the story may have had of doing something with its cliches.

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The basic premise of Mayo Chiki! reads like any number of the moe light novels that have come out in Japan recently, and been made into anime/manga/games/etc. Indeed, some of you may have read my reviews of I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother!! and Haganai, both of which run in the same magazine and are cut from the same cloth. The premise is that Jiro, who is terrified of women (but extremely tough) due to his mother (a wrestler) and sister (just a sadist) beating the shit out of him every day, such that he gets a nosebleed whenever he sees a woman as a defense mechanism (his family stopped when they saw blood). School is his only refuge, but one day, in the bathroom, he accidentally walks in on the handsome yet cold Subaru, and notes he is wearing panties. In fact, it’s worse than that – Subaru is a girl. And no one is supposed to find this out on pain of death. Luckily, Subaru is more than just a handsome bishie trap – she’s also butler for the school’s rich princess, who turns out to be sympathetic – and sadistic. She blackmails Jiro into keeping their secret, and gradually Jiro and Subaru grow closer, despite everyone else now thinking the two of them are gay.

Yes, there was no way this would be fantastic or original given that premise. But it didn’t have to be all that bad. And as I said, the manga has some very funny moments in it, my favorite being the ‘secret memory manipulation technique’ which consists of hitting someone till they lose their memory. And there are some possible plot points of interest, especially given the hero and heroine have both lost a parent. But then you get the little sister turning out to have incestual feelings for her brother, I think simply because you can’t write a moe light novel without incest subtext anymore. And Subaru being tied up in bed with a ball gag in her mouth, supposedly to stop her from killing Jiro but more accurately to show the reader she is tied up and with a ball gag in her mouth. And the extras, which have a ‘I am holding a microphone with my mouth open’ shot, a ‘I am licking ice cream’ shot, and a 2-page spread of the cover, only with Subaru wearing only an unbuttoned men’s shirt.

I like some moe stuff – Haruhi Suzumiya, K-On!, Toradora. But I think my general feeling about moe manga with so many suggestive poses like Mayo Chiki! is that it makes me feel like a criminal when I read it. Certainly I don’t recommend taking this book anywhere near Canadian Customs. That said, I am me, and I’m sure that if readers can get past the art style and sleazy sexual poses, there’s a more interesting story in here crying to get out. And of course there’s the anime adaptation, which Sentai has released, so it has a built-in fanbase. I think I’m just tired of anything from Comic Alive, maybe.

Manga the Week of 12/26

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SEAN: Things are pretty quiet the day after Christmas. Even Diamond Comics is taking the week off, with the exception of a few books from its elite, non-manga publishers. That said, Midtown Comics has a few things that Diamond already sent out that are coming in from their other suppliers, so let’s catch up.

Cage of Eden 8 continues to be action-packed, thrilling, revelatory, and absolutely drenched in fanservice. It’s a title I enjoy reading but can’t recommend to anyone unless they’re used to large breasts everywhere. That said, it is refreshing seeing a shonen title doing well over here that really is for 10-12 year old boys, as opposed to Jump’s more balanced gender readership.

MICHELLE: I have some small interest in this title because of its plot but, yeah, boobs deter me.

MJ: I suppose that, being a manga fan, I’m *used* to large breasts everywhere, but I admit it gets wearying after a while. I wouldn’t say they deter me, exactly, but they do tend to push me into “critical” mode right out of the gate.

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SEAN: Viz has a new volume of Dogs: Bullets and Carnage, the first in a year. (Either it’s caught up to Japan or sales are meh. I suspect the former.) This is also filled with action, thrills, and revelations, and is absolutely drenched in fanservice… for female readers. I don’t think I’ve read a single non-BL Dogs fanfic on the internet. (Note: Dogs has no actual BL.) I need to catch up with this, but it’s recommended in a dystopian sort of way.

MICHELLE: I have just started reading Dogs with an eye to featuring this latest volume in an upcoming Off the Shelf. “Dystopian” really is an apt way to describe it, and since I usually like those sorts of stories, I am kind of liking this one too, even if violence is trumping characterization at the moment. I’m just in volume one, though, so this could obviously change.

MJ: Is it wrong that I find myself more interested in looking up the fanfic than I am in the series itself? I’ve always been kinda so-so on this series, and I suspect some BL might help.

SEAN: And Neon Genesis Evangelion 13 may have come out last month everywhere else, but this means little to Midtown, who are seeing it arrive a bit late. It’s worth the wait, as I noted in my review. And may finally end with Vol. 14, sometime before we all die. Or the artist does.

MICHELLE: Y’know, I have never actually seen Evangelion (aside from the first couple of episodes), nor have I read any of the manga. Possibly this is a serious oversight in need of correction.

MJ: I’m a fan of the anime, but I never got very far with the manga adaptation. Sean’s review has me feeling rather curious, however.

SEAN: What are you spicing up your Boxing Day with?

Neon Genesis Evangelion Omnibus, Vol. 1-3

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By Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and GAINAX. Released in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in the magazine Shonen Ace. Released in North America by Viz Media.

In a not-entirely-coincidental move, Viz has released the first of their omnibus releases for Evangelion at the same time as Vol. 13, giving the reader a chance to catch up and remind themselves of what they may have forgotten. And it’s definitely possible that they forgot, as the manga began in 1995, and Viz started releasing it in 1998 or so, in 32-page comic book format (remember when they did that?) and flipped (remember when they did that?). But now it’s decades later, and it’s time to get the band back together again with this new oversize omnibus with color pages and snazzy packaging. (Which is well worth it, by the way, it looks great.) But what about the content?

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Given I only reviewed Vol. 13 of Evangelion last week, there may be some repetition involved. But the main reason I tend to prefer the manga adaptation of Evangelion to the anime is that it takes the basic plot and makes everything just slightly more tolerable. And indeed, in these early volumes, it is pretty slight – there are no major changes from what we watched in the first 6 episodes or so of the anime. For those living in a cave, Evangelion starts off as a post-apocalyptic giant robot sort of story where a young teenager estranged from his father is called to a super secret base to find out that he’s one of the few people who can pilot said giant robot and defeat the enemy creatures that keep attacking the Earth. Only the creatures are Angels, and that’s not merely Japan’s love for using religion where it’s not appropriate – Evangelion is drenched in religion, with each enemy angel having an appropriate name – Sachiel, Shamshel, Ramiel, etc.

Shinji in particular benefits from the adaptation to manga. He still complains quite a bit, and still runs off halfway through the volume, but his general demeanor is more argumentative and sullen rather than weak and whiny, and it simply makes the reader identify with him better. Indeed, his reasoning for running off is given better depth in the manga – he’s desperately searching for a family/parental figure, and finding that the closest one he now has, Misato, has been writing a journal for NERV analyzing him is a crushing blow. His response to Touji is also excellent – some may object that it shows Shinji being too ‘cool’, but I like to think that it shows Shinji as being slightly less broken.

There’s also Shinji’s relationship with Gendo, and his observation of Rei’s relationship with Gendo. I’ll admit I’m not all that fond of Gendo, and the manga doesn’t help – he’s the one character who’s actually less appealing than in the anime. But seeing his interactions with Rei must deal Shinji’s fragile psyche a crushing blow, wondering what in God’s name is wrong with him if he can’t get any sort of affection from his father but she can. Of course, this isn’t Rei’s fault, and it’s to his credit that he’s able to bond with her as well. The three volumes are roughly divided into Shinji’s relationship with another person – Gendo in Vol. 1, Misato in 2, and Rei in 3. The climax to 3, where Shinji manages to coax a genuine smile out of Rei,l is wonderfully heartwarming, and a great place to end this omnibus.

If you haven’t read the manga yet, this is absolutely a worthy release to get, showing why it’s become one of the most important stories from the last thirty years.

Also, Page 234 has to be read to be disbelieved. Sometimes an Angel is not just a cigar, I guess. And Misato’s dialogue is just icing on the cake.

Alice in the Country of Hearts: My Fanatic Rabbit, Vol. 1

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By Quin Rose, Owl Shinotsuki and Delico Psyche, based on the game by Quin Rose. Released in Japan as “Heart no Kuni no Alice ~My Fanatic Rabbit~” by Mag Garden, serialized in the magazine Comic Blade Avarus. Released in North America by Yen Press.

Well this has certainly turned into a franchise, hasn’t it? Given sales in North America seem to be relatively strong (for manga), we shouldn’t be surprised. Yet here is the third spinoff series from the original Alice manga, with promises of a fourth this spring and two more in the summer. Each focusing on a different pairing for our heroine, in the finest otome game tradition. And each managing to also deal with the main serious game plotline, where your secondary goal is to figure out that Alice actually regaining her memories is BAD BAD BAD. And with one exception (sorry, Bloody Twins, you still suck), the spinoff manga have done an impressive job of doing just that.

QuinRose_AliceFanaticRabbit_V1_TP

Not that you would know it from the first half. And I try not to begrudge the series its romance – after all, that *is* the other half of the goal of the games, and its primary audience is women who like to see hot guys of various types (all psychotic, but in different ways!) fall for our stand-in-for-the-reader heroine. This time around, it’s Elliot March, aka the march Hare, who is Blood Dupre’s #2 at the Hatter Mansion. As with the rest of the cast, Elliot is drawn to Alice being different (her ‘outsider’ status) and both he and Alice starting to fall for each other while simultaneously not knowing what that is. You know the drill – “what is this strange pain in my chest”, etc.

Things start to change as we are reminded that the hatter clan is a mafia organization – and that Wonderland has a very casual, even callous view of death, given that it’s impermanent (well, relatively). Alice has been trying to distance herself from the fact that she’s living with a bunch of killers, so Blood (deliberately, I suspect) makes absolutely sure that she gets this shoved in her face, and knows that Elliot is a trained killer as well.

Then comes the part of the book that really knocks it out of the park. For all that Alice is the heroine in Wonderland to whom all the guys are attracted, she has amazingly low self-esteem, constantly living in the shadow of her perfect big sister (whose fate, again, is alluded to but never specified by the other men in the cast) and having to be around Blood, who physically resembles her old boyfriend/crush/whichever. Elliot notices that Alice gets depressed every time this comes up, and offers a solution. And once again, the manga (and no doubt the games) remind you that it’s not just a case of picking a hot guy and living sexily ever after – these people are SCREWED UP. Wonderland is a world of twisted values about death and what it means to be alive, and they’re not attracted to Alice’s personality or beauty – they’re attracted to Alice as she has a beating heart rather than a clock.

After this, the rest of the manga isn’t quite as interesting – it doesn’t help that Peter shows up, and is in ‘obsessive’ mode. It does end on a good cliffhanger, though, with Vivaldi calling for Alice’s head even as Elliot races to the Hatter Mansion to save her. There’s only two volumes in the series, so everything will wrap up nicely next time, I imagine. But this series continues to show how to make a really interesting romance series – having you constantly question everything about the heroes, heroine, world, and premise. Nice job.