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The Manga Revue: Brave Dan and FukuFuku: Kitten Tales

March 5, 2016 by Katherine Dacey

Do you own a cat tea cosy? Is there an enormous feline jungle gym in your living room? Have you lost entire afternoons to watching YouTube videos of cats opening doors, playing pianos, and riding Roombas? If you answered “yes” to at least one of the following questions, this week’s column is for you, as I’ll be reviewing two cat-centric comics: Osamu Tezuka’s Brave Dan–a boy-and-his-tiger story–and Kanata Konami’s FukuFuku: Kitten Tales–a manga about cats doing normal cat things.

brave_dan Brave Dan
By Osamu Tezuka
Rated Teen, for readers 13 and up
Digital Manga Publishers, Inc., $15.95

Brave Dan begins as a rollicking adventure: Kotan, an orphaned Ainu boy, befriends Dan, a “man-eating” tiger, and embarks on a quest with him to find a valuable treasure. The pair dodges bullets, escapes from a helicopter, and tangles with guardian spirits in their search for the tomb of an ancient Ainu warrior. As the story enters its final act, however, a darker subplot emerges, one in which Dan is forced to confront the wisdom of associating with humans.

Though Tezuka makes frequent reference to Kotan’s Ainu heritage, this plot strand is more window dressing than serious thematic element; Kamuiroji’s tomb looks more like a set from a Flash Gordon or Tarzan serial than an authentic expression of Ainu culture. (Granted, it’s a pretty nifty tomb; Indiana Jones would have had a field day exploring it.) Tezuka is on firmer ground when staging a chase or a fight. In one memorable scene, for example, Dan plunges into a lake to save Kotan from an enormous spider-demon. Tezuka captures the fluidity and speed of Dan’s attacks with a few carefully chosen “snapshots” of him tumbling and twisting in the water, struggling to crush the monster with his paws. Small details–such as the trail of bubbles from each of Dan’s legs–remind us that in this underwater setting, Dan has a fleeting window of opportunity to save his friend. By the time that he and Kotan burst to the lake’s surface, we’re gasping for air, too–a testament to Tezuka’s ability to transport the reader to the scene of the action.

Tezuka’s artwork also plays an important role in garnering sympathy for Dan, establishing the tiger’s bravery, intelligence, and unwavering loyalty to Kotan. Though Tezuka can’t resist some ham-fisted touches–Dan actually shakes his paw at the sky in one scene–Dan’s essential tigerness is never compromised. The emphasis on Dan’s animal nature reminds us that his friendship with Kotan can only exist apart from human society; kind and smart as Dan may be, adults perceive him as a threat, to be killed or contained in a zoo.

The bottom line: If you still bear scars from reading The Yearling and Old Yeller, be warned: Dan is as doomed as those other noble animal protagonists. Less sensitive souls, however, can enjoy Brave Dan as both a gonzo adventure story and a meditation on the perils of interspecies friendships. Recommended for readers ten and up.

FukuFuku: Kitten Tales, Vol. 1
By Kanata Konami
All Ages
Vertical Comics, $10.95

FukuFuku: Kitten Tales is perfectly calibrated to elicit an “awwww” and a chuckle on every page. The title character–a spunky calico–does predictably cute things: she falls asleep in odd places, escapes from a sudsy bath, plays with her food, and snatches a fish from the table. Unlike Chi, star of Konami’s other hit manga, FukuFuku doesn’t voice her thoughts about her new owner, or the strangeness of her new surroundings; she simply does what she pleases. Konami’s minimalist artwork captures the nuances of FukuFuku’s moods surprisingly well, however, as Konami bends and stretches the kitten’s moon-shaped face into an astonishing range of smiles, scowls, and grimaces. Absent a plot or a deeper sense of how FukuFuku sees her world, the story hits fewer emotional notes than Chi’s Sweet Home, focusing almost exclusively on the kind of ordinary cat behavior that’s been documented copiously on YouTube. You may find that the vignettes–charming as they are–have a sameness about them that prevents them from being genuinely funny or surprising.

The bottom line: As with Chi’s Sweet Home, Konami demonstrates a talent for drawing winsome kitties doing winsome things. She’s also cornered the market on disdainful feline reaction shots.

Reviews: ANN columnist Rebecca Silverman posts an early review of Inio Asano’s critically lauded drama Goodnight Pun-Pun, while Seth Hahne, host of Good OK Bad, tackles another Asano work: A Girl on the Shore.

Mark Pelligrini on vol. 3 of AKIRA (AiPT!)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 7 of Blood Lad (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Adrienne on vol. 1 of Bloody Mary (Heart of Manga)
Sean Gaffney on The Boy and the Beast (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Julie on The Cinderella Solution (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Julie on Crowns and a Cradle (Manga Maniac Cafe)
ebooksgirl on vol. 1 of FukuFuku: Kitten Tales (Geek Lit Etc.)
Karen Maeda on vol. 1 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 2: Battle Tendency (Sequential Tart)
Wolfen Moondaughter on vol. 23 of Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You (Sequential Tart)
Nick Creamer on vol. 3 of My Hero Academia (Anime News Network)
David Brooke on vol. 5 of One-Punch Man (AiPT!)
Ash Brown on vol. 1 of Persona 4 (Experiments in Manga)
Jordan Richards on vol. 1 of Pokemon Adventures (AiPT!)
Sheena McNeil on vol. 2 of QQ Sweeper (Sequential Tart)
Wolfen Moondaughter on vol. 1 of Gakyuu Hotei: School Judgment (Sequential Tart)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 3 of Umineko When They Cry Episode 5: End of the Golden Witch (Anime News Network)
Austin Lanari on issue no. 13 of Weekly Shonen Jump (Comic Bastards)

Blood Lad, Vol. 7

March 5, 2016 by Sean Gaffney

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

I reviewed the last volume of Blood Lad in the Bookshelf Briefs, and I will admit that it’s hard to find new things to say about it at times. This is a very straightforward series, with even the plotting and counterplotting amongst the villains being of a very shonen nature, and it doesn’t really lend itself well to overanalysis. We continue to build up to the big battle between the villain and his minions and the Blacklisted, who are classic ‘misunderstood’ types. Braz keeps trying to figure out a way to destroy the villain without getting killed himself. And there’s more wacky harem antics with Bell and Fuyumi… ah, wait, I can talk about those.

Yes, Bell has wised up and realized that it’s not really Staz that she loves, but the Stax who is protecting Guyumi – i.e. the Staz who loves Fuyumi, though neither he or Fuyumi are quite there yet. Having realized this, she’s free to confess to him and accept his confused non-reaction, where he doesn’t realize what would make anyone fall for him at all. And Fuyumi, who has always tended to be the flattest of the characters (quiet you), gets a bit more depth and emotion here. She’s also unsure if her attraction to Staz is her need for his blood or genuine, and she’s also put off by the fact that he’s being nicer to her, as opposed to ‘being more interested in her skull’. Unfortunately, we don’t get any further here, but it’s nice to see the author trying to put some effort into her.

There’s also Burgundy, the minion of our villain Akim (or is he Akim? Does it really matter when your murderous villain is being gradually taken over by a different murderous villain?). She’s hanging out at Pati’s cabin in the woods, waiting for our heroes to be done with their training from hell (said training providing most of the comedy in this volumes, especially the end where Bell gets crushed by her own boulders). Once Staz and Wolf return, she goes into insane combat mode, but Pati refuses to believe that she’s irredeemable, to the point where he too turns into a monster and escapes with her. We,, of course, as the audience, are rooting for her as well – just because redeemed villains are a trope as old as the sky doesn’t mean they aren’t nice to see.

So it looks as if we’ll see a giant free-for-all next time, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we wrap up in 2-3 more omnibuses. Blood Lad won’t win any manga awards anytime soon, but it’s always entertaining, and is starting to show a bit more effort in characterization. Oddly, the author’s efforts have mirrored the lead character, Staz, who has also been forced to take things more seriously and grow into greater power. I would prefer seeing him in the fight coming up rather than miniboss 1, 2, and 3, but can’t have everything.

Persona 4, Vol. 1

March 4, 2016 by Ash Brown

Creator: Shuji Sogabe
U.S. publisher: Udon Entertainment
ISBN: 9781927925577
Released: February 2016
Original release: 2009

Shin Megami Tensei is a sprawling multi-media franchise that began as a series of video games in 1987 and has grown to include manga, anime, novels, merchandise, and more. One of the most popular series within Shin Megami Tensei is Persona, which has its own multitude of spin-offs and adaptations. Persona 4 was initially developed as a role-playing game for the PlayStation 2, but the story and characters have inspired multiple other games, novels, anime, and manga series. The first Persona 4 manga was created by Shuji Sogabe, who was also responsible for the earlier Persona 3 manga adaptation. Sogabe’s Persona 4 manga, currently ongoing, has been licensed in English by Udon Entertainment. After a slight delay, the first volume of the series, originally published in Japan in 2009, was released in early 2016. My personal experience with Shin Megami Tensei as a whole is somewhat limited and up until now my knowledge of Persona 4 had largely been earned vicariously through others.

Soji Seta has grown used to transferring from one school to another due to the demands of his parents’ careers, but when they are both sent overseas, Soji is sent to stay with his uncle and young cousin in the small rural town of Inaba. Because Soji has moved so often he doesn’t have many friends and tends to keep his distance from other people. And as a city boy he’s also a bit out-of-place in the countryside. Even so, he’s warmly welcomed by his classmates and is quickly included in their social circles. Only there’s something unsettling about Inaba and Soji finds himself suffering from disorientation and strange dreams. Soon after his arrival, a string of bizarre deaths begin to occur which somehow seem to be connected to a local urban legend. It is said that on rainy nights, staring into the reflection of a television screen will reveal the face of one’s true love. But the truth behind the rumor is even more peculiar. Suddenly, Soji and the others find themselves pulled into another world as they pursue the mysteries surrounding the murders.

Soji would arguably be the main protagonist of the Persona 4 manga (he’s the player character in the original video game, among other things), but except for the initial chapter most of the first volume is actually told from the perspective of Yosuke Hanamura. Like Soji, Yosuke is a transfer student, having moved to Inaba from a large city six months earlier due to his parents’ work. Although his character is more complex than is initially implied, Yosuke tends to be an easygoing and somewhat clumsy goofball. This provides an interesting contrast to Soji’s colder, more reserved personality. Over the course of the first volume they begin to form a close friendship which will likely become one of Soji’s most important relationships. The connection will also be meaningful for Yosuke whose outwardly upbeat attitude hides feelings of discontent, inadequacy, and doubt. I’m looking forward to seeing how their bond evolves as it seems to be something that they both need.

Not having yet played any of the Persona 4 video games, I’m not in a position to comment on Sogabe’s manga as a derivative work, but at this point it does appear to be an adaptation that can largely stand on its own. Some elements of gameplay can still be detected, though for the most part they have been convincingly incorporated into the story itself. In addition to the plot and characters, I find the manga’s settings to be particularly intriguing. Sogabe’s stylish artwork and use of shadows and fog create an effectively disconcerting environment in both Inaba and the TV world. But one of the most fascinating and potential-laden aspects of Persona 4 is that while in that alternate reality, fragments of a person’s psyche can physically manifest to either great benefit or great harm. Persona 4, Volume 1 is the introduction to the series so there is a fair amount of setup, but the sense of mystery and danger has already been well-established. So far, I am intrigued by the Persona 4 manga and am curious to see how it continues to develop.

Manga the Week of 3/9

March 3, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, MJ, Ash Brown, Anna N and Michelle Smith 1 Comment

SEAN: I love quiet weeks. I love them so much more given we’re in a new manga boom where the first and fourth weeks of the month can be crippling on the wallet. But don’t worry, there’s still big things afoot next week.

The big release, and I will warn in advance this is absolutely my Pick of the Week, is the debut of the space opera novel series Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Viz’s SF imprint Haikasoru has picked up the first 3 volumes, with promises of more if it sells well. Old-school anime fans will recall its adaptation being a gateway series in the 1990s, trading fansubs and joking about “That man, Yang Wen-Li”. It is also filled with very handsome young men, so has a large female fanbase as well. This isn’t space opera like the Irresponsible Captain Tylor – it takes itself Very Seriously Indeed. But don’t let that stop you getting this, it is an absolute Must Buy.

MJ: Okay, you’ve sold me. Which is good, because nothing else here really does.

ASH: I am so incredibly excited for this!

ANNA: I am also incredibly excited for this! Space Opera for the win!!!!

MICHELLE: What is that I spy, sitting in my Amazon cart? Why, it’s the first volume of Legend of the Galactic Heroes!! Hi there, little guy!

SEAN: Dance in the Vampire Bund’s spinoff, Scarlet Order, ends with its 4th volume from Seven Seas.

Seven Seas also has a 3rd volume of Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto. I’ve heard it’s selling poorly, which is a shame, as I’m very fond of it. Go get this! It’s weird and funny! It has an anime coming soon!

ASH: Oh, that is a shame; I really enjoy the series. Hopefully the anime will help sales.

SEAN: After a few false starts, I believe that we do have the 4th World’s Greatest First Love volume from SubLime.

ASH: I actually just started reading this series. Guess I’ll have to add the fourth volume to the pile!

SEAN: Ranma 1/2 omnibus 13 contains two of the more beloved arcs of the franchise, as it wraps up the Herb story and also has Shinnosuke’s arc, which highlights Ranma and Akane’s awkward love story. Oh yes, and we meet Hinako-sensei as well.

Lastly, there’s a 20th Rin-Ne volume, and I admit I waved a little white flag last time around at the extreme lack of anything happening in the series.

Aside from IMPERIAL SPACE OPERA, what interests you this week?

Manga Giveaway: World Trigger Giveaway Winner

March 2, 2016 by Ash Brown

And the winner of the World Trigger manga giveaway is… Serene!

As the winner, Serene will be receiving the first two volumes of Daisuke Ashihara’s World Trigger as published in English by Viz Media. One of the most notable aspects of World Trigger is it’s setting in which gates between parallel worlds appear. I asked participants of the giveaway to tell me a little about some of their favorite manga that feature parallel dimensions, worlds, or universes. Be sure to check out the giveaway comments to read all of the detailed responses.

Some manga available in English featuring parallel worlds:
Alice 19th by Yuu Watase
Arata: The Legend by Yuu Watase
Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato
Drifters by Kohta Hirano
From Far Away by Kyoko Hikawa
Gate written by Takumi Yanai, illustrated by Satoru Sao
Higurashi: When They Cry written by Ryukishi07
Into Illusion written by Rieko Yoshihara, illustrated by Ryo Tateishi
Kyo Kara Maoh! by Temari Matsumoto
Magic Knight Rayearth by CLAMP
MeruPuri by Matsuri Hino
Orange by Ichigo Takano
Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki
Persona 4 by Shuji Sogabe
Reborn! by Akira Amano
Steins;Gate by Yomi Sarachi
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle by CLAMP
World Trigger by Daisuke Ashihara
xxxHolic by CLAMP

The above list is certainly not exhaustive, and I’ve deliberately left off a few titles in order not to be too spoilerific, but it’s a decent place to start for anyone interested in reading manga with parallel worlds or dimensions. Thank you to everyone who shared your favorites with me; I hope to see you all again for the next giveaway!

The Boy and the Beast

March 2, 2016 by Sean Gaffney

By Mamoru Hosoda. Released in Japan as “Bakemono no Ko” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On.

this was one of those titles that I picked up but knew absolutely nothing about except the bare minimum. This is a rarity for me, as regular readers know. I was aware it was from the author of Summer Wars and Wolf Children, so expecting a heartwarming coming of age story was pretty much it, and that’s what I got. The main thrust of this new work is fairly predictable, and it’s also quite short, so you can zoom through it. That said, there are individual moments in the work that quite surprised me, and the characters are fun and easy to like, even the Beast in the title, who is the focus of the one bad word in the whole child-friendly novel (he’s called a prick, because, well, he is).

Our hero is a young boy who gets the benefit of both a dead mother AND a disappeared father, who escapes his snooty mother’s attempts to take him into their family and heads for the streets. There, he accidentally runs into two men with faces like beasts, and (evading police looking for runaways), ends up in a completely different world, one where beast people are the norm and being a human is strange and untrustworthy. Turns out that one of the guys he followed is in competition to be the village “grandmaster”, with the slight problem that he’s an angry hothead with no social skills. Since our hero is an angry hothead with no fighting skills, the two are made for each other. An apprenticeship begins.

It is fairly impressive that Kumatetsu, the Beast of the title, is as much of a jerk for as long as he is in this book. There are flashes of goodwill, but the way he was raised and self-trained makes him simply bad with people, including Kyuta, his own disciple. The long journey where you’d expect them to bond and become close is instead an exercise in Kyuta learning from the other masters while Kumatetsu stands around bored. He’s a difficult man to like. That said, once Kyuta returns to Shibuya on a regular basis, his anger gradually reveals itself to be the desperate loneliness we knew was there all along, and his actions towards the end of the book develop well from his character.

Speaking of Shibuya, there are several odd narrative choices in this work, some of which are clearly there to make sure we can get through this in 190 pages or so. Eight years pass by in a few paragraphs, and suddenly Kyuta is one of the best fighters there is. I’d wished for a bit more there, perhaps a montage of various scenes through the years. The Shibuya stuff also surprised me – I was not expecting to return to our world until the end of the book, frankly. Kaede is nice and a good match with Kyuta (or is it Ren)?, and I loved her stubborn refusal to let him fight alone. Indeed, the entire climax of the book takes place in the middle of the city, as the two of them battle a giant magical Moby-Dick, something which must look amazing in the movie that this also is (it came out in Japan in July).

Some sources call this an illustrated novel, be warned. The one illustration is on the cover. But it doesn’t matter, as this is a decent story, well-told. It’s a good comfort book to read on rainy days, or get for your tween kids.

Bookshelf Briefs 3/1/16

March 1, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and Anna N Leave a Comment

Briefs: they’re what’s for columns.

FukuFuku: Kitten Tales, Vol. 1 | By Konami Kanata | Vertical, Inc. – Did you love Chi’s Sweet Home? Then you’re the target audience for Vertical’s latest Konami Kanata release, FukuFuku: Kitten Tales. The basic premise is very similar—FukuFuku’s owner reminisces about the days when her pet was a kitten and reacted to new discoveries in adorable ways—and will feel very familiar to Chi fans. There are some differences, though, the most significant being that FukuFuku’s thoughts are not translated for the reader, instead relying on some very eloquent expressions to get her feelings across. Also, there’s no attempt at drama here. No potential jobs out of the country or former owners who might be searching for FukuFuku. Instead, it’s just short 6-8 page vignettes in which a kitty does cute things, and sometimes, that’s all I’m looking for. Thanks for licensing this, Vertical! – Michelle Smith

FukuFuku: Kitten Tales, Vol. 1 | By Konami Kanata | Vertical Comics – Some titles are simply hard to review, and I think this new manga from the author of Chi’s Sweet Home qualifies. It’s the story of a cute cat and her owner doing cute things. The cat gets messy, the cat gets cold, the cat meets a puppy. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s really adorable. If you love adorable kitten manga, this is a total win. But I’d argue that you should really only read this after first having read Chi, and possibly What’s Michael? as well. But Kanata is a master at drawing cute cats doing not a hell of a lot. That’s what this is. It may also make an excellent gift for someone who is not a manga fan but enjoys kitties. – Sean Gaffney

Inu x Boku SS, Vol. 10 | By Cocoa Fujiwara | Yen Press – A lot of this is setup for the climax that’s happening in the final volume this spring. So we see our heroes split apart, as their families take them back to “protect them” from the Night Parade. Of course, in most cases this protection ranges from imprisonment to emotional abuse to “you must get pregnant and carry on the family line.” So it’s no surprise that by the end, most everyone is back at the apartment and ready to make a final stand. We also get some romantic ship tease, as you’d expect—Ririchiyo and Miketsukami seem to have finally gotten over their inner demons (and it’s great to see Ririchiyo be colossally rude again after so long. Time for the finale; I look forward to it. – Sean Gaffney

Komomo Confiserie, Vol 3 | By Maki Minami | Viz Media – The third volume of this series wasn’t gelling with me as much as I was hoping it would. Perhaps because there wasn’t as much dessert preparation in this volume, it fell a little flat. Komomo is continuing her journey to tender-hearted personhood, as she comes up with a plan to ensure the happiness of her first love, Seto. In the meantime, Natsu continues to repress his feelings for her under his harsh facade. I still like the idea of this series very much, even though I wasn’t as drawn in to this volume. I hope that there’s some more personality and character development with Natsu coming up soon, or at least much more food! – Anna N

Love at Fourteen, Vol. 5 | By Fuka Mizutani | Yen Press – I remain charmed by this title, mostly as the teenagers going through their first romantic stirrings feel very real to me, complete with real screw-ups. We discover that just because you’re thought of as “the mature one” doesn’t mean you magically get good grades, and Kazuki finds it easier to choose being “cool” in front of his girl to asking for help. There’s also Shiki, who tries to sabotage his relationship with Kanata even as she realizes that he’s a decent person, so she feels horrible doing it. And of course there’s everyone’s favorite delinquent Nagai, who’s possibly the best character in the series, even if he continues to have a crush on his teacher. This coming of age title is worth the occasional discomfort. – Sean Gaffney

Saki, Vol. 2 | By Ritz Kobayashi | Yen Press (digital only) – I worry that the pace of Saki is going to be too swift to really satisfy me as a sports manga fan, since it’s only volume two and we’re already at the prefectural qualifier stage. Plus, not only does round one go by quickly, round two happens completely off-camera! I don’t begrudge the time spent introducing Kiyosumi’s chief rivals in the competition; I just wish there were more time for the mahjong itself. Too, the fanservice is bothering me now, as it has started to encroach upon the characters’ accomplishments. Like, no one can seemingly talk about talented Kiyosumi player Nodoka Haramura without commenting on her large boobs and Yuuki can’t strike a triumphant pose without simultaneously flashing a bit of butt cheek. That sort of thing is more insidious than just showing someone taking a bath! The tournament compels me to continue on, but I’m somewhat less enthusiastic than before. – Michelle Smith

Say “I Love You,” Vol. 12 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – Now that its main romance is resolved, Say “I Love You” continues to delve into more adult concerns, such as a career. Mei finds that being a teacher of young kids is far more difficult than she expected, and Yamato discovers that he can’t quite recapture the feeling he had photographing Mei and the others taking pictures of trees and landscapes. My favorite scene in the volume had a professional photographer discuss why Yamato was having issues, and the difference between an introvert and the extrovert that Yamato is. As for our new love triangle, I admit I’m still not loving the brother and sister, who I feel are stealing the main cast’s thunder. But that’s possibly as I just ship Megumi and Kai. – Sean Gaffney

Tokyo ESP, Vol. 3 | By Hajime Segawa | Vertical, Inc. – Every now and then, a property gets likened to Buffy simply because its teenage female protagonist interacts with supernatural beings. Tokyo ESP is more like Buffy than any of them, because of how Rinka’s heroic journey takes shape. Like Buffy, she didn’t ask for her powers, but once she had them, she felt compelled to use them to help people. And even now that she’s lost them, she has only become more focused on defeating the superhuman terrorists. This two-volume omnibus sees the end of the first part of the series, and it’s a very satisfying ride, packed with exciting action sequences. There are some great character moments, too, like Rinka’s friends regretting their past treatment of her and the verklempt-making crowd cheering our heroine as she helps bring about a daring rescue. This series has been a surprise delight and I look forward to part two! – Michelle Smith

Seven Seas Licenses ‘Re:Monster,’ Cops Bust File-Sharers

March 1, 2016 by Brigid Alverson

remonster Seven Seas has announced another new license: Haruyoshi Kobayakawa’s Re:Monster, about a teen who dies and is reborn as a goblin in a swords-and-sorcery fantasy world. The first volume will be out in November. [Anime News Network]

The Japanese National Police Agency has arrested 44 people on charges of illegally uploading and sharing files; among them are five men accused of uploading volumes of Attack on Titan, Bleach, and other manga via Share. [Anime News Network]

Viz and Seven Seas go 60/40 on the New York Times manga best-seller list, with six Viz titles and four from Seven Seas. The top seller is vol. 5 of Tokyo Ghoul, with vol. 8 of Monster Musume coming in second. [New York Times]

ICv2 lists the top ten manga properties for the fall of 2015; it’s a mix of old and new series, with Attack on Titan topping the list. [ICv2]

Lauren Orsini decides not to go on a doujinshi shopping spree in Japan, given the legal problems that she might run into bringing erotic manga back to the States. [Forbes]

Tomoko Ninomiya is returning to Nodame Cantabile, more than five years after the original series ended, with a one-shot chapter in Kiss that looks at Noda as she is about to turn 30. [RocketNews24]

Orange Ichigo Takano is working on a spinoff of her manga Orange, which will run in Futabasha’s Monthly Action magazine. Seven Seas is publishing the original series in English. [Anime News Network]

The Naoki Urasawa show at the Setagaya Literary Museum in Tokyo features over 1,000 original drawings, including four chapters of 20th Century Boys and the entire final volume of Monster—which brought back some unfortunate memories: “When I was working on the final stage of this manga, the membrane of my eyes and nose became swollen, and I was a total mess,” Urasawa said. “Looking at those pages still reminds me of my obsession at the time and almost makes me sick.” [The Japan Times]

The Manga Bookshelf team looks over this week’s sparse array of new releases. [Manga Bookshelf]

Erica Friedman collects all the yuri news in one place for us with the latest edition of Yuri Network News. [Okazu]

Reviews

Ash Brown on vol. 8 of After School Nightmare (Experiments in Manga)
Mark Thomas on vol. 4 of Appleseed (The Fandom Post)
Kanta Ishida on Blue Giant (The Japan Times)
Katherine J. Parker on vols. 3 and 4 of Btooom! (The Fandom Post)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 1 of Fuku Fuku: Kitten Tales (Comics Worth Reading)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 2 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 20 of Kamisama Kiss (The Comic Book Bin)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 3 of Kiss Him, Not Me! (Comics Worth Reading)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 16 of Magi (WatchPlayRead)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 3 of Master Keaton (Comics Worth Reading)
Sakura Eries on vol. 5 of Master Keaton (Comic Attack)
Kristin on vol. 1 of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun (Comic Attack)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 2 of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vols. 5 and 6 of My Neighbor Seki (Comics Worth Reading)
Anna N on vol. 2 of QQ Sweeper (Manga Report)
Helen on vols. 2 and 3 of ReLIFE (The OASG)
Richard Gutierrez on vol. 3 of Twin Star Exorcists (The Fandom Post)
Matthew Warner on vol. 2 of Yo-kai Watch (The Fandom Post)

Pick of the Week: Kyoko vs. Saitama

March 1, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Anna N, Ash Brown and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: There’s a lot of good titles out this week, but only one that has me waving my arms around and going “AT LAST!” So the pick, as you may have guessed, is the 36th volume of Skip Beat!.

MICHELLE: I am solidly in Skip Beat!‘s corner, as well. It’s telling when a series as long as this still makes me excited to get the next installment.

ANNA: I have to join in the group picking Skip Beat!. Having a new volume to read is a great excuse for celebration!

ASH: I’m shockingly far behind in my reading of Skip Beat! so I’m not quite ready for this week’s volume even though I’m looking forward to it. However, I’m not nearly as far behind in One-Punch Man, another series I’m thoroughly enjoying, so this time I’ll be making that one my pick.

MJ: I’m going to surprise everyone, I guess, by joining Ash here on picking One-Punch Man! I somehow actually missed it in this week’s releases, but now that I realize it’s there, I’m psyched. Count me in!

My Week in Manga: February 22-February 28, 2016

February 29, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

It’s the end of the month, so there were a couple of different things posted at Experiments in Manga last week, such as the launch of the most recent manga giveaway. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, but until then there’s still time to enter for a chance to win the first two volumes of Daisuke Ashihara’s World Trigger. The most recent review in my monthly horror manga review project was posted last week as well (technically it’s a week late). This month I took a look at After School Nightmare, Volume 8 by Setona Mizushiro. It’s a fairly momentous installment in the series, with several major developments and revelations.

Elsewhere online: Ryan Holmberg examines pro-nuclear manga of the seventies and eighties; Kodansha Comics has a two part interview with Hiroya Oku, the creator of Gantz and the more recent Inuyashiki; Justin of The Organization of Anti-Social Geniuses contacted Robert McGuire to determine the status of Gen Manga since the publisher has been rather quiet of late; finally, in an interesting move, Funimation has launched a Kickstarter for a newly dubbed blu-ray release of The Vision of Escaflowne; Anime News Network also interviewed some of Funimation’s staff members about the project.

Quick Takes

Aldnoah.Zero: Season One, Volumes 1-2 written by Olympus Knights and illustrated by Pinakes. I haven’t seen any of the original Aldnoah.Zero anime series, though I have been meaning to give at least a few episodes a try. The series mostly caught my attention for two reasons: the underlying story about interplanetary warfare between the humans on Earth and Mars (as I’ve mentioned in the past, I have particular interest in Mars), and the fact that Wandering Son‘s Takako Shimura was responsible for the character designs. Seeing as I generally have more opportunities to read manga than I do to watch anime, I figured I’d give the Aldnoah.Zero manga adaptation a try. Sadly, parts of the manga are somewhat difficult to understand if one isn’t familiar with the original. Pinakes makes heavy use of screentone, which obscures the artwork and action and gives the pages a cluttered feel. I do like the basic premise of the series, but the motivations behind the war, while cursorily explained, remain frustratingly unclear and many of the Martians come across as villainous caricatures rather than well-rounded characters.

Franken Fran, Omnibus 1 (equivalent to Volumes 1-2) by Katsuhisa Kigitsu. I tend to enjoy horror manga and I had heard great things about Franken Fran, so I was very much looking forward to giving the series a try. The manga and its characters are delightfully quirky, in turns disturbingly cute and skin-crawlingly creepy. Fran is a charming young woman who, due to her nearly irrational reverence for life, is more or less an unintentional sadist. She, along with her cadre of assistants and monsters, saves lives through extreme surgeries and bizarre experiments often with gruesome results. Although there are recurring characters, the manga is generally episodic without much of a continuing story, but the chapters all have at least one deliberately shocking twist to them. Franken Fran, with its incredibly dark sense of humor, quickly and repeatedly swings from the surprisingly heartwarming to the magnificently grotesque and back. It’s definitely not a series for everyone, but I’ll certainly be picking up the rest of the manga.

Purity: The “Post-Yaoi” Anthology edited by Anne Notation and A. E. Green. I was previously unfamiliar with most of the contributors to Purity; I learned about the anthology due to the participation of two creators whose work I currently follow—Kori Michele Handwerker and Starlock. (I was happy to discover that a comic by Alexis Cooke, one of Sparkler Monthly‘s creators, was also included.) Purity is a collection of forty-two homoerotic illustrations and short comics by forty-eight creators from around the world who have been influenced by yaoi manga. Although it’s clear that some of the artwork was originally in color, the anthology has been printed in grayscale. There’s a nice variety in the tone and style of the contributions in Purity; some are sweet while others are unapologetically smutty (and there’s nothing wrong with that). Genre-wise, the anthology tends towards the paranormal, fantastic, and futuristic, but there are contributions firmly based in reality, too. Although all of the stories stand on their own, a few do tie in with some of the creators’ existing works.