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Bookshelf Briefs 12/15/14

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

kimi20Kimi Ni Todoke, Vol. 20 | By Karuho Shiina | Viz Media – This is still Sawako’s story, and her development here is great, but I do love that there’s just as much investment in having the other two heroines grow up as well – Sawako’s career choice is actually the easiest. It’s also great to see the good teacher we know Pin is, as he reminds Chizu that running a ramen joint requires more than just knowing how to cook, and tells Yano straight up that she has the talent to set her goals higher… so why isn’t she? Her mother backs this up, and now Yano is not only wondering about her life goals but about her relationship with Kento. I’d complained earlier that I felt this series might be running a bit long, but this volume showed it still has a lot more going on. – Sean Gaffney

nura24Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 24 | By Hiroshi Shiibashi | Viz Media – For the most part, this penultimate volume of Nura is a bunch of battles. I believe that the actual end in Weekly Jump is here, approximately halfway through – the rest ended up being in the extra issues like Jump Next, etc. It’s nice seeing the school classmates here, even if it fells like a goodbye – Nura quickly outgrew its “real-world” aspect, and even Kana is an afterthought now, as it’s Tsurara who spends the volume by Rikuo’s side. We see the culmination of what he’s been doing the entire series, as everyone he approached to be allies in the fight now shows up to help out, leaving him safe to fight the final boss. This was never the best shonen series, but I’ll miss it. – Sean Gaffney

rreal13Real, Vol. 13 | By Takehiko Inoue | Viz Media – The latest volume of this wheelchair basketball drama is actually all about pro wrestling, as Takahashi’s rehab companion, Shiratori, makes an inspirational return to the ring, fighting in such a way that the audience is oblivious to his disability. While it was nice to learn more about his backstory, better still is the impact his performance has on Hanasaki and Takahashi. The latter, especially, watches Shiratori fighting with everything he’s got left, pushing himself to the limit for something he loves and finally completely lets go of the aloof, unaffected persona he’d cultivated in high school and embraces his real self, who could love something passionately. To that end, the final page is him showing up to join a wheelchair basketball team. Maybe it sounds simplistic described in words, but in Inoue’s sure hands, the end result is very moving. Now to endure another year before volume fourteen! – Michelle Smith

toriko25Toriko, Vol. 25 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | Viz Media – I will admit to being a bit disappointed with this volume. I wanted more amazing cooking battles, but sadly Gourmet Corps crashes the event and starts attacking everything, so instead this turns into a melee battle. It’s not without its high points – I liked Coco explaining to Komatsu why chefs such as him are so highly prized in this world, and a battle between Sunny and Tommyrod promises to be rather epic – but for the most part this is a bunch of people showing off their fighting power, then vanishing from the narrative to make way for more people. Combine that with the already high number of new chefs introduced in the last volume, and you have a Toriko that’s less than the sum of its parts. – Sean Gaffney

rei2xxxHOLIC Rei, Vol. 2 | By CLAMP | Kodansha Comics – Yeah, OK, I knew I wasn’t really getting a reboot. Clearly this takes place after the main series, and also clearly there is something terribly wrong, seemingly based on a decision that Watanuki made at some point, something lampshaded by his being interrupted here in this dream/whatever world before he can choose between two gifts. He has knowledge of the supernatural that could only come with experience, and is thus surprising everyone – or is he? In any event, we also still have the usual supernatural, yokai-influenced stories, which are the best part of xxxHOLIC for me. And Himawari’s here, yay! And not married to generic guy we never see and shoved offscreen! Oh xxxHOLIC, why can’t I quit you?-Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Keaton vs. Fourteen

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fourteenSEAN: There are a bevy of choices this week. I’m tempted by an English edition of Master Keaton at last, or the new yuri title Citrus. But I will go with Love at Fourteen as my pick of the week. It’s the story of two childhood friends, both mature for their age, who are dealing with love and everything that comes from it. The magazine it runs in, Rakuen Le Paradis, is one of Hakusensha’s best new titles, technically being shoujo/josei but really more ‘sui generis’. I cannot wait to read this.

MJ: I am decidedly with Sean this week. Though there are a number of titles on my radar, the one that intrigues me most by far is Love at Fourteen. Everything about this title sounds like exactly what I like best in a manga, and I am a bit ashamed that I didn’t even realize it was on the way until this week. Now I can’t wait to read it!

masterkeaton1MICHELLE: I’m in the opposite camp! I did know Love at Fourteen was coming, so the one I wasn’t aware of until recently was Master Keaton. I really love Naoki Urasawa, so I am super excited to read this one!

ASH: I’m with Michelle this week. While I’m interested in Love at Fourteen, my pick absolutely goes to Master Keaton. Urasawa is one of the reasons I developed such a healthy obsession with manga, so I’m very happy to see more of his work being released in English.

ANNA: I’m also with Ash and Michelle! A newly translated Urasawa series takes precedence over everything in my mind!

What looks good to you this week?

My Week in Manga: December 8-December 14, 2014

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My News and Reviews

Two reviews were posted at Experiments in Manga last week. The first was of Frederik L. Schodt’s classic survey of manga originally written in 1983 but slightly revised in 1986 and with a new introduction added in 1997, Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics. It may be a few decades old, but it’s still a fantastic work that is well worth reading. Last week I also reviewed Hikaru Suruga’s Attack on Titan: No Regrets, Volume 2, the final volume of Attack on Titan‘s short, shoujo spinoff which focuses on Levi and Erwin’s backstories. I wasn’t quite as fond of the second volume as I was of the first, but I did enjoy the series. It’s definitely a must-read for fans of Erwin and/or Levi and I appreciated how it expanded the setting of Attack on Titan.

Elsewhere online, Kodansha Comics announced the license of Naoshi Arakawa’s Your Lie in April. An Indiegogo campaign was launched to create a stop-motion film adaptation of Moyoco Anno’s The Diary of Ochibi manga. Vertical linked to an older article about Prophecy and how French Manga Fans Inspire the Work of Tsutsui Tetsuya. (The first volume of Prophecy was recently released in English and it’s fantastic.) And last but not least, Muse Hack posted an interview with Mikhail Koulikov of the Anime and Manga Studies Blog. I’ve been following Koulikov’s Anime and Manga Studies ever since I’ve discovered it. The blog is a great resource for anyone interested in the academic pursuit and scholarly study of Japanese pop culture.

Quick Takes

Fairy Tail, Volume 43Fairy Tail, Volume 43 by Hiro Mashima. There was very little Gray in the forty-third volume of Fairly Tail which made me a little sad, especially after the buildup in his character and story over the last few volumes. But with a series like Fairy Tail, which has a fairly large cast of characters who regularly play an important role in its plot, time needs to be spent with those other characters as well. Fairy Tail always seems to have one or two moments of fanservice that, at least for me, detract from the story being told. The clothing and armor choices for the female characters in particular tend towards stereotypical fantasy design–showing more flesh than would be appropriate for battle–but at least the women in Fairy Tail generally have well-developed personalities and are very capable characters in their own right. Often, they’re even stronger than the men. And to be fair, there’s male nudity as well as female nudity in Fairy Tail, though as might be expected from a shounen manga, generally not to the same extent. Fairy Tail is now well into the beginning of the Tartaros arc of the series in which the members of the Fairy Tail guild must face off with a dark guild of demons which is trying to eliminate the entire Magic Council.

Kiss All the Boys, Volume 1Kiss All the Boys, Volumes 1-3 by Shiuko Kano. For the most part I enjoyed Kiss All the Boys more than Kano’s earlier series Yakuza in Love, but ultimately I felt a bit cheated by its conclusion. While in some ways I’m glad that most everything ends happily for the characters, I’m not convinced that that’s really how things would have played out and some of the eventual pairings are troubling. But while Kiss All the Boys may not be the most believable series, at least the convoluted relationships are for the most part interesting even when they are appalling. The series hinges on Tetsuo, a straight thirty-something hentai artist with a fifteen-year-old son born from his youthful indiscretions. At least he’s supposed to be straight. Conveniently for the manga, he soon finds himself entangled in relationships with several other men–his next door neighbor, his best friend and editor, and even the boy his gay son has a crush on. Tetsuo is an asshole, but at least he knows he’s an asshole. He does make some effort to rise above his nature but unfortunately never quite manages to succeed. For the most part Kiss All the Boys is intended to be a comedy and shouldn’t be taken too seriously, but I couldn’t help but worry for the youngsters left with terrible adult role models.

Yukarism, Volume 1Yukarism, Volume 1 by Chika Shiomi. I haven’t previously read any of Shiomi’s manga, but I was looking forward to Yukarism because of its promise of interesting gender dynamics, reincarnation, and historical romance. Although Yukari Kobayakawa is only seventeen, he has already made a name for himself as an author of novels set in the Edo period. He never has to do any research though since he subconsciously draws inspiration from his past life as a courtesan in the era’s pleasure district. Except for that particular twist, at this point Yukari actually isn’t a very interesting character. He’s very reserved, self-absorbed, impassive, and completely unfazed when he begins to slip back and forth between his past life and his current one. Many of the people surrounding Yukari in present-day Japan are reincarnations of people he knew in the pleasure district although they don’t all seem to be aware of that fact. There’s definitely some potential for romance in Yukarism, but after only one volume that doesn’t appear to be the series’ main concern yet. Instead, the mystery surrounding the deaths of Yukari and the others in the past seems to take precedence, although the connections between all of the characters in all of their incarnations is an important element as well. I’ll be curious to see how the series continues to develop.

DevilPartTimerThe Devil Is a Part-Timer! directed by Naoto Hosoda. I’ve been meaning to watch The Devil Is a Part-Timer! for quite some time now, but I was recently reminded of that intention when Yen Press licensed both the light novel series by Satoshi Wagahara on which the anime is based as well as at least one of its manga adaptations. While the anime is entertaining, the ridiculous premise is more hilarious in theory than in execution–The Devil Is a Part-Timer! is actually played fairly straight. But it’s still a fun and consistently amusing series. I particularly got a kick out of Satan diligently working in the fast food industry as a way to take over the world (he takes his job very seriously) and the portrayal of Lucifer as a hikikomori with an online-shopping addiction. For the most part, The Devil Is a Part-Timer! nicely balances its comedy with its drama. Although it has a conclusion, the ending of the series lacks finality and some of the characters introduced were never really put to good use, as though additional seasons were initially planned for but never manifested. (At least I haven’t heard anything about a second season.) Overall, The Devil Is a Part-Timer! is funny series and a nice change of pace from all of the anime centered around high school or middle school students. I might just give the original novels a try when they’re released in English.

Soul Eater Not!, Vol. 4

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By Atsushi Ohkubo. Released in Japan by Square Enix, serialized in the magazine Shonen Gangan. Released in North America by Yen Press.

I had thought that this was the final volume of the series, but apparently not, as there’s an unscheduled Vol. 5 that is likely waiting for a sufficient distance from the Japanese release. It’s unclear whether the plot of the manga will follow the anime, which had already finished (with Ohkubo’s advice) before this ended. That said, we have here a manga that still has the same problems which the first volume possessed, but is also adding some new ones, such as whether a typical ‘yuri’ fan is supposed to enjoy the series or be really pissed off about it, and how much serious plot you can have in a moe slice-of-life type manga before it really starts to feel out of place.

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Please note that by yuri fans I mean MALE yuri fans, the sort who would be quite happy to see the pairings end in a threesome, and who aren’t put off by the chapter of Meme running around naked that we see here. That said, fanservice isn’t everything, and I think most modern yuri fans are finding that the traditional tease just isn’t enough. Kim and Jackie are another good example – there’s lots of suggestion here that Jackie is in love with Kim, and some hints that Kim might one day return it… but this takes place before Soul Eater, where Kim and Ox become a couple. There’s no there there, it’s done solely to be ‘cutesy’ in a harmless way. Likewise, anyone who thinks that the ‘who will Tsugumi choose?’ plotline might actually involve genuine love and emotion has to be appalled at the aforementioned scene with the girls trying to sleep on a very hot night, which, fanservice aside, seems to show off the ‘immaturity’ of the girls for those who want a safe out.

That said, the other suggested romance in the series, that of Tsugumi and Akane, also seems to have vanished, and the manga is happily settling into focusing solely on our three heroines. There is also, among the jokes and 4-koma, a suggestion of the deeper ongoing plot. Eternal Feather is still recovering from her brainwashing two volumes ago. More importantly Meme’s memory issues, which have been used for comedy to this point, are getting to be a bigger and bigger issue, one that causes genuine concern. The final scene of the book is heartbreaking, as Tsugumi tears into Meme for what she sees as an annoying quirk (Tsugumi dealing with grief over a dead pet right now), but then stops seeing Meme expressing real sadness that she forgot something important again. It’s been vaguely implied she’s a mole for the villain, and I wonder if this is connected to that.

Soul Eater Not! is doing its best to try to appeal to a broader otaku market here, but it feels too pandering, to be honest, and could use more seriousness and heart. It still has some strengths – Anya has developed into the most sensible character of the bunch, and is a far cry from the tsundere princess she started as – but really, Soul Eater fans are better off with Soul Eater, and moe/yuri fans can find material that will give them better jokes and a better payoff than I expect this to have.

Attack on Titan: No Regrets, Vol. 2

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Attack on Titan: No Regrets, Volume 2Creator: Hikaru Suruga
Original story: Gun Snark
U.S. publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9781612629438
Released: October 2014
Original release: 2014

Attack on Titan: No Regrets, Volume 2 is the final volume of Hikaru Suruga’s manga adaptation of the A Choice with No Regrets visual novel written by Gun Snark. No Regrets is one of the many spinoffs and adaptations of Hajime Isayama’s immensely popular Attack on Titan manga series. It focuses on the backstory of one of Attack on Titan‘s most beloved characters, Levi, and how he became an exceptionally skilled and valued member of the Survey Corps. The second volume of the No Regrets manga was originally released in Japan in 2014, as was Kodansha Comics’ English-language edition. The volume also includes two short, largely comedic, No Regrets side stories as well as a special interview between Isayama and Suruga discussing the story and characters of the Attack on Titan franchise. I rather enjoyed the first volume of No Regrets and so was looking forward to reading the conclusion of the series.

At one point they were considered to be some of the most notorious criminals in the Underground, but now Levi, Isabel, and Furlan have been coerced into joining the Survey Corps, which may very well be a death sentence. Initially they weren’t well-liked by their fellow soldiers, and the three of them weren’t particularly happy with their situation, either. But during their first expedition outside of the walls, Levi and his crew leave quite an impression by handily dispatching an abnormal Titan with seeming ease. Levi and the others still don’t fit in with the rest of the Survey Corps members, but at least their remarkable skills, especially Levi’s, are recognized and admired. The extra attention they receive after defeating the Titan isn’t exactly welcome, though–Furlan is trying to coordinate a covert mission that will either lead to the three criminals’ ultimate freedom or to their deaths. They have been hired by a high-ranking political figure to steal back incriminating documents from Erwin, one of the Survey Corps’ most promising young leaders, and to end his life in the process.

What I particularly liked about the first volume of No Regrets was that it expanded the setting of Attack on Titan in addition to providing valuable background information about Levi, Erwin, and their relationship to each other. Sadly, the second volume doesn’t add much more that is new; I felt like I had already seen many of the scenes play out before and it was very clear how some of the events were going to end. The second volume of No Regrets spends a fair amount of time explaining the long-distance scouting formation, for example. While it’s noteworthy that No Regrets shows the first time that the maneuver is ever attempted, anyone familiar with Attack on Titan should already be quite aware of how the formation functions and its importance. Likewise, as is to be expected, encounters with Titans never tend to go well. Because in many ways No Regrets serves as a prequel to Attack on Titan, the deaths of major characters in the series are not at all surprising and lose some of their impact as a result.

More than anyone else’s, No Regrets is Levi’s story, but Erwin plays a pivotal role in it as well. Both of the men are exceptionally charismatic leaders, although Erwin is the only one of the two who actually seeks that role. Levi doesn’t want to be responsible for the lives of others while Erwin is willing to shoulder the weight of the sacrifices made in the fight against the Titans. He is extremely intelligent and talented and able to make tough decision. Even at the cost of individual lives, Erwin voluntarily employs dubious methods if he believes that the results will increase the odds of humanity’s survival. His almost fanatical drive and obsession contrasts sharply with Levi’s more reserved and internally focused nature. As is known will happen, eventually Erwin wins Levi over to his cause and gives him a firm direction and purpose, but this foregone conclusion does seem to occur rather abruptly. Still, the exploration of Levi and Erwin’s respective personalities and motivations in No Regrets is probably what the series does best and is what the manga brings to Attack on Titan as a whole.

Quick Friday Manga Links

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Once again, the fifth volume of Monster Musume tops the New York Times’ Manga Bestseller list, followed by the latest installments of Fairy Tail, Attack on Titan, and xxxHolic Rei, CLAMP’s sort-of sequel to xxxHolic.

Will the Kickstarter campaign for Ludwig B. reach its goal of $21,000? Johanna Draper Carlson investigates.

The Manga Bookshelf gang discuss next week’s big releases, from Master Keaton to Mobile Suit Gundham.

Look out, Wallace and Grommit–Moyocco Anno has launched an Indie GoGo campaign to adapt her manga Diary of O’Chibi into a stop-motion film.

Kodansha recently posted a brief video “trailer” for Noriko Ootani’s josei series Sukkute Goran, and it’s lovely.

Reviews: Ash Brown discusses Frederick Schodt’s landmark 1983 book Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics. Over at Anime News Network, Shaenon Garrity devotes the latest House of 1000 Manga column to Taiyo Matsumoto’s GoGo Monster.

Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 20 of Arata: The Legend (The Comic Book Bin)
Jordan Richards on vol. 1 of Assassination Classroom (Adventures in Poor Taste)
Rachel Tougas on vol. 1 of Assassination Classroom (Rachel Loves Comics)
Noel Thorne on vol. 1 of Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga (Comic Ally)
Rebecca Silverman on vols. 1-2 of False Memories (Anime News Network)
Marissa Lieberman on vol. 1 of Food Wars! (No Flying No Tights)
Eric Gaudette on Hellsing (Emertainment Monthly)
Megan R. on In Clothes Called Fat (The Manga Test Drive)
Nick Smith on vol.1 of Kiss of the Rose Princess (ICv2)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 9 of Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic (The Comic Book Bin)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 2 of My Love Story!! (Manga Worth Reading)
Johanna Draper Carlos on vol. 2 of Spell of Desire (Manga Worth Reading)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 3 of Sweet Rein (The Fandom Post)
Matthew Warner on vol. 19 of Vampire Knight (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 8 of Voice Over! Seiyu Academy (The Comic Book Bin)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 1 of Witchcraft Works (Anime News Network)
Matthew Alexander on vol. 5 of Wolfsmund (The Fandom Post)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 1 of Yukarism (Manga Worth Reading)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Yukarism (A Case Suitable for Treatment)

Manga the Week of 12/17

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SEAN: Merry Christmas! Have some manga. Since the publishers usually go quiet around Christmas and New Year’s, almost everything is frontloaded to next week. So be prepared to be completely buried.

The Shinji Ikari Raising Project has now officially passed its parent in volume count. It’s coming to an end soon, though. In the meantime, Dark Horse brings us Vol. 15.

Manga Dogs 2 will help us to ask the question, “can the three male leads get any stupider?”. I’m betting on yes.

ASH: I’m sure that’s probably the case, though they’re pretty stupid to begin with.

SEAN: Kodansha also has its 4th xxxHOLIC omnibus. The series was at its high point here, in my opinion.

MJ: Even if I don’t think it had a *low* point, exactly, I agree that this was a great period in the series.

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SEAN: Seven Seas debuts a new yuri series with Citrus, which is from Comic Yuri Hime – nice to see a title from that magazine over here again. Expect melodramatic schoolgirls.

ASH: I’m always interested in more yuri in English, so I’ll be checking this one out.

SEAN: There’s the third volume of D-Frag!, one of the funnier series I’ve read this past year.

You thought Dance in the Vampire Bund was over? You thought all we had left was spinoffs starring David Rasche? You were wrong! Here’s Dance in the Vampire Bund II: Vamp Harder… erm, Scarlet Order.

Girls Und Panzer isn’t over, but there’s always room for one more spinoff series. Little Army follows Miho, the “hardened battle commander” of the original series, as she does tank battles in elementary school.

And Haganai has a second collection of side story comedy for those who feel the main series has too much plot, this one called Club Minutes.

Lastly (from Seven Seas – we’re a long way from the end), there’s a new Witch Buster omnibus, with Vols. 13 and 14.

Vertical has a new Mobile Suit Gundam the Origin, and I think Vol. 8 means we’re 2/3 of the way through. Is the cast still alive? (I’m so far behind on this.)

ASH: As far as we know the cast is still alive; the last few volumes have been an extended flashback, so who knows what will happen from here?

ANNA: I’m behind too, but I keep buying it!

SEAN: Vertical is also debuting two old favorites digitally, as next week sees Vol. 1 and 2 of Black Jack, as well as Apollo’s Song. Mmmmm, digital Tezuka…

ASH: Since so many of Vertical’s Tezuka title have gone or are going out of print, I’m very happy that the publisher found a way to give them some new life.

ANNA: I have much fondness for Black Jack.

MJ: I do, too. I’m so happy to see this coming out digitally.

SEAN: Viz has a 10th volume of Afterschool Charisma, one of the SigIkki survivors.

ANNA: Another one of those series I read three volumes of and mean to get caught up on one day.

SEAN: It’s December, so it’s time for the annual release of Dogs: Bullets and Carnage, with Vol. 9 dropping.

The other SigIkki survivor also has a new volume, as Dorohedoro reached its 14th. Ikki in Japan may be no more, but Dorohedoro will be moving to its replacement, so don’t expect it to end right away.

MICHELLE: Someday I really will read these last three.

ASH: Dorohedoro! Such a delightfully charmingly bizarre series.

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SEAN: It’s been a while since we’ve been able to get excited about an Urasawa release. Now we see an omnibus edition of Master Keaton, which will feature incredibly dramatic insurance investigations. No, really, it’s excellent. Check this out even if you’re not a fan of insurance.

MICHELLE: I am so excited about this!!

ASH: I’m definitely interested in seeing more from Urasawa.

ANNA: I’m curious about this title for sure.

MJ: I’m in!

SEAN: Think we’re done? HAH! It’s Yen time. We’ll start with the Yen On line. We get the debut of a new series whose title screams “I am a light novel franchise”. It’s called Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? I’m going to guess the answer overall will prove to be “no”, this sounds pretty harem-ey.

ASH: I don’t know much about the series, but the title amuses me, so I might actually give this one a try.

MJ: Heh. Agreed.

SEAN: Spice & Wolf’s novels have been running since long before Yen On began, and as such, we get lucky Vol. 13 here. That’s the light novel, not the manga, which also ships next week, but is Vol. 10.

And Sword Art Online’s novels start everyone’s favorite arc, Fairy Dance. This is a 2-parter, FYI, the second ships in April. This is the novel, not the manga, which already began the Fairy Dance arc in August, but had Vol. 2 ship last month, which is not Vol. 2 of the light novels, though it adapts part of it.

MJ: I don’t hate Fairy Dance, so I’m happy to see this.

SEAN: On the manga front, we have the 2nd of the adaptation of Accel World, having had the 2nd light novel one month ago, which this manga volume does not adapt, as it’s still adapting the first one. Clear? Wait till next spring, when it will get REALLY confusing. Also, hooray for new math.

Alice is really hard to get a lead on, as Are You Alice? has hit Vol. 7 and still doesn’t know.

MJ: Heh.

SEAN: Barakamon seems like a countrified Yotsuba&!, which suits me just fine. The 2nd volume is out next week.

MICHELLE: I still need to check this one out.

MJ: I’m happy to see more of this!

SEAN: Bloody Cross has its 5th volume ship. I admit I finally moved on from this, but if you like supernatural action, it certainly fills that need.

Yen has 3 debuts this month! The first is a familiar author to many, Kaori Yuki. She’d been with Hakusensha for years, but recently moved to Kodansha and their eccentric Aria magazine. This was her debut there, Demon From Afar. That said, if you like the sort of thing she usually writes, this is more of that. But in hardcover!

MICHELLE: Huh. Interesting.

MJ: I’m definitely looking forward to this!

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SEAN: The second debut is another author familiar to us, but that’s because of a recent release from Viz. Aya Shouoto had Kiss of the Rose Princess come out via Shojo Beat, and now we see Yen releasing He’s My Only Vampire, which, yes, runs in Aria as well. This combines vampires AND childhood friends.

MICHELLE: Huh. Well, more shoujo is a good thing!

ANNA: I agree!

MJ: I’ll give it a try, for sure.

SEAN: There’s a spinoff of harem manga High School DxD, focusing on two of the lead females: Asia and Koneko’s Secret Contract. My guess is this is similar to Haganai’s Club Minutes, aka plotless comedy.

Kingdom Hearts II Vol. 3 is really not helping Yen escape my mocking of their volume numbers.

The last debut is the one I’m most excited about: Love at Fourteen. The plot sounds familiar, with two childhood friends finding love in school. But it runs in Hakusensha’s Rakuen Le Paradis, a magazine I’d kill to see more licenses from, and is apparently very well written.

MICHELLE: I’m really excited about this one, too!

ANNA: This was totally not on my radar before, but it sounds interesting.

MJ: My response is *both* of Michelle & Anna’s responses put together.

SEAN: Spice & Wolf has its 10th volume ship this week! That’s the manga, not the light novel. The light novel ships Vol. 13 this week, as I said earlier. Be aware that in 2015, Yen will begin calculating Manga and Light Novel volume numbers in Base 8, as they worry readers may get confused. (I am old enough to know what Base 8 is, yes.)

ASH: Ha!

SEAN: Lastly (at LONG last!), we get the 6th volume of Tena on S-String, a mere 4 years after the 5th. The series is out digitally if you want to jog your memory.

Is this enough Christmas manga? Do you want more? Clap your hands if you want more!

MJ: *clap*? No?

Kodansha Comics Licenses ‘Your Lie in April’

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Kodansha Comics announced a new license out of the blue on Wednesday: Naoshi Arakawa’s music-romance story Your Lie in April. Here’s the blurb:

Kosei Arima was a piano prodigy until his cruel taskmaster of a mother died suddenly, changing his life forever. Driven by his pain to abandon piano, Kosei now lives in a monotonous, colorless world. Having resigned himself to a bland life, he is surprised when he meets Kaori Miyazono, a violinist with an unorthodox style. Can she teach Kosei not just how to play, but how to start living again?

The anime is already running on Crunchyroll, Aniplex Channel, and Hulu, and apparently it’s quite popular; Kodansha may be banking on the same anime/manga synergy that made Attack on Titan such a hit. There’s more at the anime website, including trailers for an upcoming movie.

Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics

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Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese ComicsAuthor: Frederik L. Schodt
Publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9781568364766
Released: January 2013
Original release: 1983
Awards: Japan Cartoonists Association Award

Initially released in 1983 and then again in 1986 in a slightly updated and revised edition, Frederik L. Schodt’s groundbreaking Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics was one of the first, and remains one of the best, surveys of the history of manga and the manga industry available in English. Written and published at a time when manga was virtually unknown to the average comics reader in the West and when only a very few examples of manga had been translated, Schodt was hoping to provide an introduction to the art form, garner interest in manga, and share his love and excitement for the medium. Manga! Manga! was received very well both in Japan where it earned special recognition from the Japan Cartoonists Association as well as in markets focused on English-reading audiences. Although Schodt would follow up Manga! Manga! with his work Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga in 1996, his initial foray is considered a classic in its subject area and is still well worth reading.

Manga! Manga! opens with a forward by Osamu Tezuka, who Schodt personally knew and worked with. From there Schodt takes over with the first chapter “A Thousand Million Manga,” providing an overview of manga and its readership in Japan. “A Thousand Years of Manga” addresses the history of manga, tracing its origins and development from 12th-century narrative art traditions through its more contemporary influences. “The Spirit of Japan” looks at the portrayal of the bushidō ethic in manga, ranging from historical fiction to the yakuza and sports genres, while “Flowers and Dreams” reveals the significance of comics created for and by girls and women. Other genres, such as salaryman, specialty career-oriented manga, and mahjong manga are explored in the chapter “The Economic Animal at Work and at Play.” Subjects like censorship, violence, and eroticism are the focus of “Regulations versus Fantasy.” Schodt closes his research with a chapters specifically devoted “The Comic Industry” and “The Future.” (Granted, that future is now in many cases the past, but the chapter is still illuminating.)

The editions of Manga! Manga! printed after 1997 also have a short introduction by Schodt but otherwise are nearly identical content-wise to those that were published earlier. In addition to Schodt’s main text, Manga! Manga! also includes an index divided by general subject, creators, and title as well as a bibliography of both English-language and Japanese-language resources. As is appropriate for a work about manga, Schodt incorporates artwork and photographs throughout the volume–rare is the page which isn’t accompanied by some sort of visual component. Particularly noteworthy is the inclusion of translated excerpts selected from four manga: Osamu Tezuka’s Phoenix, Reiji Matsumoto’s Ghost Warrior, Riyoko Ikeda’s The Rose of Versailles, and Keiji Nakazawa’s Barefoot Gen. These examples are among some of the earliest manga in translation readily available to a general English-language audience. Brief biographies of the four mangaka are provided as well.

Manga! Manga! is a fantastic work. Even decades after it was first published it remains an informative and valuable study. And, as I have come to expect, Schodt’s writing is very approachable and easy to read. Manga! Manga! explores the history of manga within the context of Japanese culture and history, ultimately showing that the two cannot be completely separated. Manga and its development reflect, is influenced by, and emphasizes the changing state of Japanese culture, politics, and social mores. It is an art form and a source of entertainment, but it can also be used for educational and informational purposes and even as propaganda. Schodt outlines the importance of manga in Manga! Manga!, both culturally and historically, and what it has to offer to Japan and to the world at large. Manga! Manga! is very highly recommended to anyone interested in learning more about manga, its history, its creators, or the manga industry as a whole.

Yukarism, Vol. 1

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By Chika Shiomi. Released in Japan by Hakusensha, serialized in the magazine Bessatsu Hana to Yume. Released in North America by Viz.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect of this new shoujo series going in. I was pleased to see it ran in Betsuhana, as Hakusensha licenses have been very slim ever since Tokyopop collapsed. I hadn’t read either Yurara or Rasetsu when Viz put them out, though, and mostly what I knew was ‘does supernatural romances’. And I suspect that’s what this is as well, but at least for the first volume, the romance is very much on the back burner. No, this is a manga that draws you in very simply: the premise is terrific, and you want to see more of the characters. In the end, that’s what makes for an exciting title.

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Our hero is Yukari, a teenaged author who’s already famous for the astounding realism of his Edo-era works. He meets a girl who’s infatuated with his books, but she’s shocked to find that her impression of him is almost 100% wrong. Writing for Yukari isn’t so much writing to please an audience or even himself, but merely being able to conjure up the Edo period. At first we think that this series is going to start the girl, Mahoro, and deal with her goofy attempts to get the quiet, reserved guy to like her. But then Yukari collapses, and when he wakes up he finds himself in his past life – as an Oiran in the Edo period.

Yes, that’s Yukari on the cover, both as his present-day writer self and his past life. He’s not particularly good at imitating his past self’s attitude and mannerisms – or even getting the walk right – but seems to be picking it up as he goes along. Moreover, many of the people he sees in the past also seem to be reincarnated in the present, though they may not realize it – including the Oiran’s beleaguered bodyguard, who reminds him of the girl he’s just met. Why is he time-skipping? Well, we don’t find out in Volume 1, but given this series is only four volumes long, we should know very soon.

This is very likeable. Yukari is a bit standoffish, but he’s not a jerk like many shoujo heroes start off as. Mahoro’s a bit eccentric, and a bit quick to jealousy, but also comes across as very likeable. It will be interesting seeing whether Yukari can jump-start the past life memories in others – towards the end of the book we see Mahoro immediately despising a new arrival, but having no idea why – the reader has already guessed it’s actually her unconscious recall. The art, as you can imagine given it’s an old pro and this is Betsuhana, is also gorgeous, with just the right amount of superdeformed silliness to add spice.

So I’d actually call this series a mystery more than a shoujo romance. What’s going on with Yukari? Is he doing this in order to solve how “he” died in the past? Will memories of their past lives screw up any relationships in the present? I’m not certain, but I definitely want to know more. A very strong debut here.