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Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner, Vol. 1

November 28, 2014 by Ash Brown

Author: Yu Godai
Translator: Kevin Frane
U.S. publisher: Bento Books
ISBN: 9781939326003
Released: July 2014
Original release: 2011

Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner, Volume 1, a novel written by Yu Godai, was originally published in Japan in 2011. The English-language edition of the volume, translated by Kevin Frane, was released in 2014 by Bento Books. It is the first book in a five-volume series which is further divided into three parts. (The first volume consists of the first half of the first part.) Those familiar with the video game series Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner, a spinoff of the Shin Megami Tensei games, will find Quantum Devil Saga to be familiar as well. The series isn’t a novelization of the video games, but it is based on the same original story created by Godai which became the underlying framework for Digital Devil Saga. Although I was aware of Shin Megami Tensei, which has quite a following, and Digital Devil Saga specifically, I’ve never actually played any of the games myself. Even so, I was still very interested in reading Quantum Devil Saga, Godai’s first written work to appear in English.

The denizens of the Junkyard exist to die in battle only to be born again in a never-ending struggle to reach the promised paradise of Nirvana. The Junkyard is divided into seven territories, one held by the Church of the Arbiters of Karma while the other six are the domain of rival tribes of skilled fighters. Only when one group is able to obtain complete control of the entire Junkyard will the gates to Nirvana be opened. Serph is the leader of the Embryon, a small tribe that has quickly gained strength, numbers, and territory. During the Embryon’s confrontation with the Vanguards tribe, an unidentifiable device appears on the battlefield which dramatically changes the balance of power in the Junkyard, unleashing the combatants’ darker selves and transforming them into demons. Suddenly, the very laws that governed the world in which they live have changed. Established systems have begun to fracture, the cycle of reincarnation is interrupted, and the quest for Nirvana has become deadlier than ever.

Quantum Devil Saga isn’t a video game novelization, nor does it read like one. However, it is quite easy to see how the story and scenario could be suited for or smoothly adapted as a game. The narrative is fairly linear, generally following Serph’s point of view as he and his comrades strive to understand everything that has happened. The way that the transformations are handled and how skills and knowledge are gained in the novel could sometimes be reminiscent of game play or mechanics. The characters fight in a series of battles with increasingly high stakes and difficulty levels, ultimately ending with what cold be considered a boss battle. It’s clearly not the final boss, though, seeing as the first volume concludes with something of a cliffhanger. But none of these similarities are actually bad things and despite them Quantum Devil Saga doesn’t feel overly game-like. It is entirely its own work and exceptionally engaging one at that. The action is exciting and clear, the characters’ philosophical and psychological development is fascinating, and the translation is great, too. Once I started reading Quantum Devil Saga, I didn’t want to put it down.

What made Quantum Devil Saga particularly interesting and intriguing for me was its setting and atmosphere. The world-building of the series is heavily informed by Hindu and Buddhist cosmology and symbolism. (There is also at least one example of Mayan influence, but I found its inclusion to be rather strange given the context of the rest of the novel.) At first it seems as though these concepts are mostly used as a source of aesthetic inspiration, but they actually run fairly deep. However, readers don’t necessarily need to be acquainted with Hinduism or Buddhism to enjoy the story, although those who are will probably get even more out of an already great novel. The overall tone of Quantum Devil Saga is fairly dark. The demonic transformations that the characters are subject to have horrific and unsettling implications. Some of them wholeheartedly embrace their new powers and forms while others are desperate to hold on to the shreds of their humanity. They are forced to face their true selves and struggle with what they see. I enjoyed the first volume of Quantum Devil Saga immensely and can’t wait for the second volume to be released.

VIZ, DMP, and Crunchyroll Announce New Titles

November 28, 2014 by Katherine Dacey

In the aftermath of its failed Kickstarter campaign to raise $380,000, DMP has announced a more modest project: the publication of Ludwig B., Osamu Tezuka’s two-volume biography of Ludwig van Beethoven. DMP seems to have listened to fans’ complaints about previous fundraising efforts, offering more low-cost options for supporting the project and getting paper copies of the books. Johanna Draper Carlson weighs in on the new campaign.

VIZ announced the acquisition of Yoshiaki Sukeno’s Twin Star Exorcists, which will join the Shonen Jump imprint in summer 2015, while Crunchyroll recently added Hoshino Taguchi’s Maga-Tsuki to its growing manga catalog.

Holy guacamole, Batman–Yuusuke Murata’s One-Punch Man has sold more than 4.5 million volumes since its 2012 debut!

Books-a-Million reports that third-quarter manga sales were strong, buoyed by consumer interest in Attack on Titan.

And speaking of Attack on Titan, the latest volume tops this week’s New York Times Manga Bestseller list, followed by new installments of Nisekoi: False Love, Bleach, and Fairy Tail.

Wondering what books arrive at the comic shop next week? The Manga Bookshelf gang sifts the wheat from the chaff.

Japanese tennis pro Kei Nishikori finished a strong year on the court with an awesome off-the-court surprise: a portrait drawn by Prince of Tennis author Takeshi Konomi.

How have your favorite manga characters’ appearances changed through the years? Brian Ashcraft offers side-by-side comparisons of Sgt. Frog, Shin-chan, and other popular characters from the 1980s and 1990s.

White Fox, a Marvel superhero created specifically for the Korean webtoon market, will make her Stateside debut with the Avengers. The character was inspired by the kumiho, a nine-tailed fox demon from Korean folklore.

News from Japan: Taishi Tsutsui will be penning an official Nisekoi spin-off for Shonen Jump+; the first chapter goes live on Monday. Also launching a new series is Kaiji Kawaguchi, author of Zipang, a time-traveling adventure set at the Battle of Midway. His new project, which will appear in Big Comic, will focus on a state-of-the-art Japanese aircraft carrier.

Reviews: Break out the ice pick and crampons–Shaenon Garrity’s latest House of 1000 Manga column examines Jiro Taniguchi’s mountaineering saga The Summit of the Gods. Here at MangaBlog, our colleagues MJ, Sean Gaffnery, Anna N., and Michelle Smith joined me and Brigid for a conversation about our favorite food manga.

Sakura Eries on vol. 6 of Are You Alice? (The Fandom Post)
Nic Wilcox on vols. 3-5 of Are You Alice? (No Flying No Tights)
Ken H. on vol. 4 of Brave 10 (Sequential Ink)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 6 of A Bride’s Story (Lesley’s Musings on Anime & Manga)
A Library Girl on vols. 9-10 of Chi’s Sweet Home (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 4 of Gangsta (Comic Book Bin)
Kory Cerjak on vol. 1 of Honey Blood (The Fandom Post)
Megan R. on Joan (The Manga Test Drive)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 16 of Kamisama Kiss (Lesley’s Musings on Anime & Manga)
Megan R. on Ludwig II (The Manga Test Drive)
Lori Henderson on Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice (Good Comics for Kids)
Guy Thomas on Opus (Panel Patter)

Manga the Week of 12/3

November 27, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ, Anna N and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

SEAN: December begins, and that can only mean one thing: More piles of manga.

Dark Horse has the 3rd volume of the New Lone Wolf and Cub, with whitewall tires and everything.

Who said DC Comics doesn’t release manga anymore? The Jiro Kuwata Bat-Manga is 350 pages of 60s shonen Bat-goodness, and looks to be amazing.

ASH: This is a really interesting bit of manga history. I was really surprised (and happy) to see DC pick it up!

MJ: Oh, wow, I had no idea this was in the works. Count me in!

ANNA: This sounds great. Really looking forward to it.

SEAN: Sankarea is almost finished, with the penultimate volume shipping next week. Will more main cast members die before this zombie romantic comedy staggers to its conclusion?

We get the 2nd volume of the Nightmare Trilogy from the Alice in the… series.

Is the harem complete in Knights of Sidonia 12? Or are more women waiting in the wings? Oh yes, and science fiction mecha battle horror manga as well.

MICHELLE: I am ashamed to admit that I have failed to catch up on Sidonia. I’m still buying it, though. That counts for something!

ASH: I like saving up a few volumes to read at a time; I’m about ready for another binge.

MJ: More Sidonia is always welcome!

ANNA: My Thanksgiving plans include a bit of a marathon read of Sidonia to get more caught up.

SEAN: On the Viz side, we have the manga they said couldn’t be released! No, the Jump editors had literally said this could not be released in North America. But times have changed, there’s an anime on the way, and here we are. Assassination Classroom may have a scary name, but at heart it’s a classic ‘teacher gets class full of misfits and teaches them how to band together’ sort of title. Kind of like GTO, if Onizuka were an alien with a smiley face for a head. I cannot wait for this.

MICHELLE: Huh, interesting! I am intrigued.

ASH: Looking forward to it!

MJ: Same!

ANNA: Really, I would buy the first volume for the title alone. I want to check this out.

SEAN: Dragon Ball gets its 7th 3-in-1 omnibus.

I enjoyed the second volume of Food Wars! and I think have gotten over its appalling first few pages. So let’s have more exciting shonen foodie manga with Vol. 3.

MICHELLE: I really am enjoying this one.

ASH: As am I.

ANNA: I’m a bit more on the fence about this title, but it does have an interesting premise and storyline to balance out the fanservice.

SEAN: Another penultimate volume (look, I just like saying penultimate, OK?), as Happy Marriage?! 9 inches closer to answering the question mark in its title.

ASH: Penultimate is a great word. I… like saying it, too.

ANNA: I feel like this series has fallen off in quality a bit, but I still enjoy reading it.

SEAN: The second Honey Blood is apparently the last of the main series, though there’s a side volume due out in February. Short shoujo supernatural goodness.

MICHELLE: Or not-so-goodness, as the case may be.

MJ: Heh.

ANNA: Aww, that’s too bad. I usually do enjoy shoujo supernatural titles. I think I will check it out though.

SEAN: Kimi ni Todoke… I feel kind of churlish for saying this, but does it feel we’re dragging our feet a little as the series hits Vol. 20? I do still like it, but wish the end was in sight.

MICHELLE: There is always something very satisfying when long, beloved manga series end. I still love Kimi ni Todoke, but I know what you mean, too.

ANNA: Nothing wrong with a consistently good long running shoujo title.

SEAN: Millennium Snow comes to an end with its 4th volume, and will hopefully manage to resolve the whole “impending death” thing once and for all.

ANNA: I want to go back and reread the first two volumes, then read the new releases. I did enjoy it when it first came out.

SEAN: Naruto may have finished in chapter format, but the collected volumes live on! Here’s the 68th.

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan is still marching towards its ending with the 24th volume.

There is also the 3rd Seraph of the End.

ANNA: I like this series! Not only due to the vampires, but because the light novel origins of the series ensures that there will actually be a decent amount of worldbuilding and backstory for the characters.

SEAN: If Food Wars! seems to mild and sedate for you, Toriko is always ready to take it one level higher, and its 25th volume drops next week.

In case you already miss Vampire Knight, Fleeting Dreams is a short story collection based on the series.

Voice Over! has come to the 8th volume, and is romance finally starting to stroll leisurely towards the reader?

MICHELLE: I find that I would kind of love for that to happen.

MJ: Sometimes the stroll is a bit too leisurely.

ANNA: I liked the first volume of this more than I expected to, but I don’t think I’ll be investing in reading more of the series. I think it might be good for younger teens though, and series like that are always welcome.

SEAN: Three volumes of World Trigger means I’m 3 volumes behind. Need to check this series out.

ANNA: I was lukewarm about the first couple volumes, but I can certainly see how someone else might enjoy the series.

SEAN: And a new shoujo series from Betsuhana, as we get the first volume of Yukarism. If you enjoyed Yurara, this is by the same creator.

MICHELLE: I’m really curious about this one! I haven’t read nearly as much Chika Shiomi as I should’ve. (But I bought all her stuff! That counts for something, right?)

ASH: I’m actually very excited for this one! Gender-bending, time travel, historical romance… this should be good.

MJ: I am so on board for this. I actually never read Yurara, but I loved Rasetsu, which stood better on its own than I ever expected.

ANNA: I REALLY like Chika Shiomi series. The art is great, and often there are some darker themes in her paranormal romance series that are quite intriguing. My favorite of her series so far is Night of the Beasts that was released by Go!Comi back in the day.

SEAN: What appeals to you in this rather large list?

A Certain Magical Index, Vol. 1

November 27, 2014 by Sean Gaffney

By Kazumi Kamachi and Kiyotaka Haimura. Released in Japan as “To Aru Majutsu no Index” by ASCII Mediaworks. Released in North America by Yen Press.

I’ll be honest with you, I’ve read this one in fan translation. Twice. This was before it was licensed, and there was a very good reason for that: I never, ever thought this would be licensed. The main series is 22 volumes + two short story volumes, and the ‘sequel’ is 11 volumes and counting. And while I knew Yen On was starting, I hadn’t suspected this. But here we are, with certainly one of the most demanded light novel series of all, now out in the West to supplement the already popular Railgun series that spun off from it. What’s it like to read, particularly for a fan who’s already possibly seen the anime it’s based on?

First off, I want to try an amusing experiment, based on the fact that this has one of the casts from Hell.

Introduced in this volume: Touma Kamijou, Index Librorum Prohibitorum, Mikoto Misaka, Stiyl Magnus, Kaori Kanzaki, Komoe Tsukiyomi, “blue-haired guy”, “frog-faced doctor” (the latter two have no official names). For Railgun readers, this takes place during the “Level Upper” arc.

There’s no question that this volume is absolutely tailor-fit to be a franchise. This volume wastes no time in stripping Index naked, there’s a typical “everyman” hero who’s actually super amazing but has fairly low self-worth (though compared to Hiroyuki from Accel World, Touma is an egotist). There’s a grumpy tsundere who shouts at the hero, though due to his nature she doesn’t hit him; instead the job of physical abuse goes to Index. Oh, and there’s a 35-year-old teacher who looks 12, chain smokes, and wears bunny footy pajamas. If you can get past the cliches, what you have here is a novel that examines the different “rules” of magic and science, and what would happen if they crossed paths. If your answer was “lots of cool fights and near-death experiences”, step to the top of the class.

It’s worth noting that when I first read the fan translation, I felt the style was overly complex and verbose, but put it down to translation issues. No, as the Yen Press version makes clear, Kamachi’s style is overly complex and verbose. Certain phrases are bolded, which appears to not signify anyone is shouting, but merely to note that something important has just been said or revealed. There’s also some expletives, which surprised me, but fit the emotions of the speaker. As you’d expect for a first novel, some of the characterization is still forming. Index is quite snarky in her first scene, and doesn’t really become the Index we know till she is healed after her injuries (specifically, as they walk to the baths, she seems to spontaneously become Index in front of our eyes). Even for someone who is “pretending to be a villain for her sake”, Stiyl is over the top in his attempts to kill Touma. And given how insanely popular she became, it’s surprising how little Mikoto appears in this first book, serving merely as a plot device to show off Touma’s abilities.

It’s hard for me to judge how well this would read to a new reader, since I’m so familiar with it. I think the translation reads as smoothly as it can given the author, and that fans of anime will certainly enjoy it. That said, it’s a slow start, despite all the battles, and you really need to be prepared for a lot of talking and explaining – yes, even more than the average. If you’re interested in seeing why the series really took off, I’d wait till the third volume, but this is certainly a solid beginning.

Bookmarked: Setting the Table

November 26, 2014 by Brigid Alverson

On the eve of Thanksgiving, we decided to whet our appetite for tomorrow’s dinner with a conversation about our favorite food manga. Our guests around the table today are the Manga Bookshelf bloggers: MJ, who runs Manga Bookshelf and blogs there as well, Ash Brown of Experiments in Manga, Michelle Smith of Soliloquy in Blue, Anna N of Manga Report, and Sean Gaffney of A Case Suitable for Treatment. Bon appetit!

Michelle: I’ve thoroughly been enjoying What Did You Eat Yesterday?, especially the idea that this is everyday fare that a person on a budget might be able to make, were they so ambitious. Somehow it’s so refreshing to see someone using powder mixes! I love Shiro’s shopping trips and his sense of triumph upon scoring a good deal. My one regret is that I really can’t imagine how the vast majority of what he makes actually tastes.

Another food manga I enjoy, somewhat despite myself, is Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma. I kind of feel like I should be more bothered by the fan service than I am, but to me it seems purposefully ridiculous and not meant to titillate, but I suppose it could be doing both things at once. Anyway, this manga is basically Prince of Tennis with food. You’ve got the cocky protagonist, whose father possibly is a famous cooking ninja or something, who immediately takes on and bests his classmates at an elite culinary school. And being that it’s kind of sports manga with food, it is completely up my alley.

Ash: I love food and I love manga, and so when the two come together in the same work I’m always going to check it out. More often than not, I end up enjoying it, too. My first food manga was Oishinbo: A la Carte, and it remains one of my favorite food series. With its food and family drama, Oishinbo is both informational and highly entertaining. Occasionally it can be controversial as well. Despite being a best-selling food manga in Japan, back in May publication of the series was suspended after its depiction of health issues in the Fukushima area. The series can be very opinionated, and at times those opinions aren’t widely held or popular. Another example is the support shown in favor of whaling. But I appreciate a work that can take a strong stance; even if I don’t necessarily agree with it I usually learn something by reading it.

Currently my go-to food manga is What Did You Eat Yesterday? Granted, it’s not just the food that particularly appeals to me about the series; I also welcome its realistic portrayal of gay life in contemporary Japan. Food frequently has an important role to play in Fumi Yoshinaga’s manga, as can be seen in Antique Bakery and Not Love But Delicious Foods among others, but What Did You Eat Yesterday? takes it to a whole new level. I know plenty of readers who don’t really enjoy the detailed food preparation and recipes found in the manga, but I’m one of those people who can happily watch cooking and food shows for hours at a time (if I actually had the time, that is) so it doesn’t bother me at all. And I especially like how the creation of a dish is shown to be a method of personal expression and communication.

MJ: I’ll pipe up here to add myself to the list of folks who are rabidly consuming What Did You Eat Yesterday? There’s pretty much nothing I love more than the combination of Fumi Yoshinaga and food. As a food-lover who does not cook, I suppose I especially appreciate the fact that even food-preparation serves to move the story along in a Yoshinaga manga, so I’m never left to face my inadequacies in the kitchen alone; there’s always a little bit of human drama to keep me company. Actually, I think that’s a significant part of what always drew me to CLAMP’s xxxHolic as well. It’s not a food manga by any means, but there’s an enormous amount of food and food-preparation involved in the story. These things are inextricable from the character’s lives.

Brigid: Michelle, I’m right there with you on Food Wars. It’s so over the top that it’s hard to take seriously, and it must be said that the delicious food has the same effect on guys as on girls, although somehow it’s funnier with the guys. Anyway, it’s one of those manga I enjoy in spite of my better judgment. And the food is interesting.

I’m going to toss out a few more titles to get your reactions: Back when it first came out, I read the first couple of volumes of Yakitate!! Japan, a shonen manga about a guy who wants to create the national bread of Japan—it’s funny because Japan is a rice culture, not a bread culture—and it was sort of interesting how he had these bread-baking beatdowns with other would-be bakers. Then there’s Kitchen Princess, a super-shoujo drama about a good-hearted orphan girl, Najika, who has perfect taste, the way some people have perfect pitch, and can make really delicious, classic dishes out of cheap ingredients. This story is very much about the emotional side of food, as it’s basically a soap opera in which all problems are solved by Najika’s cooking. I also really like Toriko, the story of gourmet hunters in search of the world’s rarest and most elusive foods, just because the plants and animals the author comes up with are so imaginative. And finally, an oldie but a goodie, Iron Wok Jan, sort of a manga version of Iron Chef that’s set in a Chinese restaurant. Does anyone have any thoughts on these, or am I the only one who read them?

Michelle: I have the complete runs of Kitchen Princess and Yakitate!! Japan, but haven’t read them. I did, however, watch a few episodes of the latter’s anime and what I remember also kind of reminds me of Food Wars, in that it’s a big sports manga-ish (maybe what I really mean here is simply that it’s thoroughly shounen) and there are over-the-top reactions to food, though not so much fanservicey as wacky. Like Drops of God or something. :) I definitely intend to read both series one of these days.

Ash: Yakitate!! Japan is a series I’ve been meaning to read, but haven’t quite got around to yet. Kitchen Princess, on the other hand, I have read. It’s deliciously melodramatic, and the food is tasty, too! I’ve actually seen more of the Toriko anime than I’ve read of the manga, but I do enjoy the series. It’s a lot of fun. As you mentioned, Brigid, the flora and fauna are incredibly imaginative. The gourmet hunters and their prey are both fantastically over-the-top. And I really like Toriko himself—he’s a powerful and skilled fighter, but he also has a respect for life and a childlike delight in food. It’s been a while since I’ve read Iron Wok Jan (it was one of my very first food manga), but I do remember some pretty epic and intense battles in that series, too!

Anna: I enjoyed the first few volumes of Yakitate!! Japan, mostly due to the horrible puns and the baking competitions. Iron Wok Jan I read several volumes of many years ago, and it had a bit of a fiercer edge to the cooking competitions, just because the main character was so intense. There was a little less humor and more over the top cooking aggression from what I remember from that series. I read most of Kitchen Princess, and I enjoyed being able to read a foodie manga in a shoujo setting, because it seems like more often when food manga comes out here, it comes with an Iron Chef-like series of shonen competitions.

I have to say that for food manga now I do prefer the works of Fumi Yoshinaga, just because her enthusiasm for food is so genuine it ends up getting reflected so well in the way her characters react to their meals. I’m a little less than enthused about Food Wars due to the fanservice, but there still is something entertaining about the combination of cooking mastery and an elite school for young chefs.

I do also enjoy food manga that are a bit more didactic or instructive in addition to the variations of battle manga. I was really glad to have the chance to read some translations of Ekiben Hitoritabi when JManga was up and running. I’ve also enjoyed a few volumes of Drops of God and Oishinbo.

Sean: I enjoy a lot of food manga, but not necessarily for the food—I’m honestly a McNuggets kind of guy. I like how it shows that anything can be adapted to fit the manga style. The titles like Food Wars and Yakitate Japan all are very much shonen fighting/training/making friends series, just about food.

Most of the seinen food manga we’ve seen consist of “talk about food preparation/eat food/exult about how delicious food is”, with close ups of amazed faces. Though Yoshinaga’s What Did You Eat Yesterday? at least does have characters, much as I don’t care for Shiro. With Oishinbo, characterization was so irrelevant that Viz could simply release seven omnibuses from all over the spectrum, with Kurita going from vaguely attracted to Yamaoka to already having kids and back depending on the food “theme.” (Also, lots of Shiros in food manga.)

As for series like Mixed Vegetables and Kitchen Princess, the food is a vital ingredient, but it isn’t the plot, like with Food Wars or What Did You Eat Yesterday? The standard shoujo romance and high school traumas take the front seat, though food may be used to advance those plots.

And josei, well, that’s Yoshinaga as well, right? Not Love But Delicious Foods?

Michelle: Oh, Ekiben Hitoritabi! I forgot about that one, but I also really liked it. Too, JManga had Gokudou Meshi, in which a bunch of prisoners had a yearly tradition of telling each other about delicious food they had eaten. I’m sad I won’t get to read more of either of those.

Kate: I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one mourning the demise of JManga–that was my go-to source for off-beat food manga! I was a big fan of both Ekiben Hitoritabi and Gokudou Meshi, in part because neither had fanservice, over-the-top battle sequences, or idiot savants whose one great gift was making awesome cakes. Of the two, I had a slight preference for Gokudou, as the script was a deft blend of slapstick comedy and culinary shop-talk, with characters waxing poetic about their last meal “on the outside,” or favorite comfort food. Ekiben unfolded at a more leisurely pace that, at times, bordered on snoozy; how much is there to say about the food at train stations? Still, Ekiben captured the feeling of train travel, and made me sad that the food options at Penn Station are so abysmal.

Another JManga title that I loved was Kodoko no Gourmet, quite possibly the least manly-man title ever illustrated by Jiro Taniguchi. Its hero, Goro Inoshigara, is a traveling salesman who spends most of his time checking out new restaurants in each city he visits. (If he actually transacts any business during the course of the series, I missed it.) Each chapter is just a few pages long, but gives us a window into a variety of different types of restaurants, from mom-and-pop noodle joints to upscale bistros. Taniguchi does a terrific job of conveying the atmosphere of each place that Goro visits–something that frequently gets overlooked in competition-oriented food manga, where the tastiness of the food trumps all other considerations.

I’d also like to join the chorus of folks praising Fumi Yoshinaga. Though I share Sean’s opinion of What Did You Eat Yesterday?, I adored Not Love But Delicious Foods. The story consists of fifteen vignettes, each centered around a particular eatery: a Korean restaurant, a French bistro, a bagel bakery. (Call me a recovering New Yorker, but I hate to think of what passes for a decent bagel in Tokyo.) The meals are an important ingredient in every story, but it’s the conversation that really pops; Yoshinaga does a great job of demonstrating the power of wine and food in bringing people together, smoothing over disagreements, and giving people license to break taboos.

Still hungry? Back in 2012, Khursten Santos hosted a Manga Moveable Feast devoted to food manga; click here to view the entire archive.

Manga Giveaway: Seven Seas Sampler

November 26, 2014 by Ash Brown

The end of the month draws near, so it’s once again time for another manga giveaway at Experiments in Manga! As is tradition, November’s giveaway features multiple volumes. This month you will all have a chance to win a sampling of some of Seven Sea’s manga releases, both old and new: A Centaur’s Life, Volume 1 by Kei Murayama; Dictatorial Grimoire, Volume 1: Cinderella by Ayumi Kanou; Gakuen Polizi, Volume 1 by Milk Morinaga; and Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl, Omnibus 1 written by Satoru Akahori and illustrated by Yukimaru Katsura. And as always, the giveaway is open worldwide!

Dictatorial Grimoire, Volume 1: Cinderella

It used to be that I didn’t pay much attention to Seven Seas. It had a smallish catalog and I wasn’t particularly interested in most of the series it was publishing at the time. But with the success of Monster Musume and the various Alice series, Seven Seas has really taken off in recent years. And increased sales mean even more manga licenses. Seven Seas has been making a particular point to diversify its offerings lately. It has helped revive interest in yuri manga in English. A range of genres are being released, including slice-of-life, comedy, fantasy, horror, mystery, and science fiction among others. There are otome manga as well as quirky shounen series. Ecchi and fanservice manga features heavily, but there are more wholesome titles, too. Seven Seas really is trying to have a little something of everything and a little something for everyone. I might not personally be interested in every license the publisher picks up, but I do like seeing the variety of works. You’ve caught my attention, Seven Seas. Now show me what you can do.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a Seven Seas Sampler?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about your favorite manga released or licensed by Seven Seas if you have one. (If you don’t have a favorite or haven’t read any of Seven Seas manga, just mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

It’s as easy as that. Each person can earn up to two entries for this giveaway. As usual, participants will have one week to submit comments. Entries can also be sent via e-mail to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com which I will then post in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on December 3, 2014. Happy feasting!

VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address in the comment form, a link to your website, Twitter username, or whatever. If I can’t figure out how to get a hold of you and you win, I’ll just draw another name.

Contest winner announced–Manga Giveaway: Seven Seas Sampler Winner

Gou-dere Sora Nagihara, Vol. 1

November 25, 2014 by Sean Gaffney

By Suu Minazuki. Released in Japan as “Gou-dere Bishoujo Sora Nagihara” by Hakusensha, serialized in various Young Animal spinoffs. Released in North America by Yen Press.

I tend to try to read a lot of Volume 1s that are released by manga companies, even if the premise makes me sort of rear back a bit. Sometimes I find I’m pleasantly surprised, such as, say, Haganai. Sometimes I can’t quite make it through the volume, as happened with Monster Musume. And then there’s this title, where I made it through the volume out of sheer morbid fascination at how appalling it was going to get, and whether it could keep up its pace of sexual assault jokes with no breathing space. Unfortunately, the answer is “not really”, but it made a valiant effort, at least.

The creator is better known over here for a series called Sora no Otoshimono, and I’ve no doubt fans would rather be seeing that series, but it’s 20 volumes, while this is four. This particular series revolves around a young nebbish man who spends most of his life being sexually attracted to the girls in his bishoujo magazines, particularly the star of Tama x Kiss (a thinly veiled parody of Kimi x Kiss and all those other ecchi visual novels), Sora Nagihara. Then suddenly, for reasons that are still not particularly clear, Sora comes out of the magazine and appears in his lap. Only this is not the cute, shy, soon to die heroine he’s familiar with. She’s a Gou-dere, which I think is a tsundere-esque word that means she’s crude and appalling (with a hidden depressive side, which we see towards the end of this volume). She desires to have her new “master” rule the world by sleeping with every girl around him.

And here’s where the part of this book that’s an over the top parody and satire comes in, as she proceeds to kidnap, strip, and sexually assault young women for her so-called master (who then gets the blame, arrested, and beaten half to death by the police officers in town). The assault *is* the point of the manga – the heroine is constantly carrying around little packages of milk in order to allow her to create “facial’ shots as she finds a new victim. There is a childhood friend of the hero’s, naturally, who is appalled at what’s happening but mostly just yells and screams at the hero to stop Sora. The other girl on the cover is the president of the boxing club, who is assigned to destroy our hero (he has a name, but makes so little an impression I feel reluctant to use it), and who Sora ends up magically giving huge breasts, because of course she does.

As I said, the key here is over the top. This is not particularly meant to be titillating, it’s meant to make your jaw drop. When it’s at its most appalling, I admit I had to admire its sheer effort. Unfortunately, it also tries to have a typical harem plot while also parodying it, and that’s a high wire act it can’t quite achieve. I don’t buy that all these girls are in love with this guy for any reason other than “the plot says so.” There’s also a hint towards the end that even Sora herself may have a more serious storyline in her, and I don’t really want serious stories in this series. It makes the service harder to take.

If you’re a young man, and want to see what a parody of the typical “ecchi Japanese harem” series is like (and most North American examples we’ve seen over here are far less explicit than this), then you may want to pick this up. For people who really like fanservice no matter what, definitely pick this up. For everyone else… I don’t think the parody is good enough to justify buying it.

DMP Kickstarter Fails, Yen Confirms New Licenses

November 24, 2014 by Brigid Alverson

Johanna Draper Carlson has some commentary on Digital Manga’s Tezuka World Kickstarter, which failed to reach its goal last week. Lori Henderson shares her thoughts as well at Manga Xanadu.

Some sharp-eyed folks spotted a couple of unannounced manga on Amazon, and Yen Press confirmed it: They will publish Sword Art Online: Girls Ops in May and Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Rebellion Story in June. They also announced that they will publish Tomoco Kanemaki’s Kingdom Hearts light novel series in a single volume.

What’s good this week? The Manga Bookshelf bloggers have some recommendations.

Lori Henderson rounds up the Viz and New York Times best-sellers in one handy post.

Erica Friedman looks at the latest issue of Eureka Magazine, which focuses on “The Current State of Yuri Culture,” and she updates us on just that with the latest edition of Yuri Network News.

Help Ash Brown decide what series to write about next at Experiments in Manga.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project will end this summer.

News from Japan: Matsuri Hino wrapped up Vampire Knight a little while ago, but now she’s back with a new chapter that will run in the March issue of LaLaDX. Shueisha’s Miracle Jump magazine announced that there are now 4.5 million volumes of One Punch Man out there. Crunchyroll has a preview of Peach-Pit’s first shonen manga, Wandering Wonder World, which will debut in the January issue of Shonen Ace. Kaiji Kawaguchi (Zipang, Eagle) will launch a new series, Kūbo Ibuki (Aircraft Carrier Ibuki), in Big Comic Magazine in December.

Reviews: Streamline your reading by checking out this week’s Bookshelf Briefs at Manga Bookshelf. Ash Brown has more short takes and a roundup of a week’s worth of manga reading.

Lori Henderson on Another (Manga Xanadu)
Sarah on vol. 18 of Black Butler (nagareboshi reviews)
Anna N on vol. 2 of Black Rose Alice (Manga Report)
Erica Friedman on vol. 2 of Bousou Girlsteki Mousou Renaiteki Suteki Project (Okazu)
Kory Cerjak on vol. 5 of Deadman Wonderland (The Fandom Post)
Damion Julien-Rohman on Gangsta (The State Press)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 26 of Higurashi: When They Cry (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Matthew Warner on vol. 5 of Inu x Boku (The Fandom Post)
Matthew Warner on vol. 4 of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (The Fandom Post)
Steve Bennett on vol. 1 of LBX: New Dawn Raisers (ICv2)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 17 of Natsume’s Book of Friends (The Fandom Post)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 25 of Pokemon Adventures (Lesley’s Musings on Manga)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 1 of Resident Evil: The Marhawa Desire (I Reads You)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 17 of Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee (The Comic Book Bin)
Ash Brown on vol. 5 of Vinland Saga (Experiments in Manga)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 7 of Voice Over (The Comic Book Bin)

Black Rose Alice Vol 2

November 24, 2014 by Anna N

Black Rose Alice Volume 2 by Setona Mizushiro

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If you had asked me where Black Rose Alice was headed after reading the first volume, I would not have replied “slice of life reverse harem story about vampires running a cafe” and yet that was what ended up happening in the second volume. I thought that after establishing Dimitri’s past and the troubled present lives of the teacher Azusa and her doomed relationship with her student Koya, I was expecting a bit more fallout after Azusa agreed to trade her soul to Dimitri in exchange for Koya’s life. There are a few hints of Azusa’s past feelings in the second volume, but the bulk of the story is spent establishing her new existence inhabiting Agnieszka’s body and what exactly happens when she wakes up as the object of affection for four vampires that all want to continue their species. Azusa takes on the name Alice in her new incarnation.

Dimitri has surrounded himself with vampire companions. There’s the twins Reiji and Kai, who are a bit young (for vampires) and naive. Leo, who is more sophisticated dedicates himself to waging a calculated campaign for Alice’s affections. In an interesting twist on the reverse harem scenario, Alice is going to be the only way for the young vampires to extend the life of their line, but it is up to her to make a choice about who she wants to end up with. Dimitri is determined to hold himself aloof from the new soul inhabiting Agnieeszka’s body, but he finds himself drawn to Alice despite himself.

While the first volume had more of a tumult of emotions, this second volume was much more even in tone and had some vampire-centric slice of life moments as Alice slowly gets used to her new identity. Alice has an imperious streak that comes out from her former habits of managing a classroom. There are still a few moments of the surreal body horror that made the first volume more distinctive, but not nearly as many random tarantulas spewing from a given vampire’s mouth. It isn’t often that I put down the second volume of manga feeling genuinely surprised about the direction and tone, but I finished up this volume feeling more intrigued than I did after reading the first. This series seems to be shaping up to be quite quirky and unique, which is just the type of thing that I’m currently most interested in reading.

Bookshelf Briefs 11/24/14

November 24, 2014 by Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

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

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 12 | By Kazue Kato | Viz Media – This volume essentially has two functions, both of which it performs very well. It gives some backstory and depth to Izumo, who has had a lot to do but whose past has been unclear to us. We get a big flashback here, and no surprises: her past was horrible. Now she’s been captured by the latest big villains, which include a surprising member. This betrayal comes as something of a surprise, and there’s no real sense yet that it’s for show and said person will really turn good later, so you can sympathize with everyone’s frustration. We also briefly see Lucifer, who makes a big impression by being able to terrify even Mephisto. Blue Exorcist continues to be one of the jewels in Viz’s shonen crown.-Sean Gaffney

Cage of Eden, Vol. 16 | By Yoshinobu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – I’ve always sort of sighed and shook my head at this series’ fanservice, but the cover of this volume actually caused me to let out an annoyed grunt. Women tied up and in peril while our heroes stand shocked and the villain sneers. Must we? Luckily, the content continues to be better once you get past this, as we continue to fight the evil doctor and discover more about the island – it’s seemingly near Japan, and the prehistoric animals we’ve seen (remember them?) all may have actually been part of a giant experiment. That said, we haven’t had a main cast death in a while, and it’s worrying. Is Kurusu-sensei the next one to go? Or will they be able to defeat their tormentor once more? Soap opera fun with much service.-Sean Gaffney

Nisekoi: False Love, Vol. 6 | By Naoshi Komi | Viz Media – Harem manga that are as balanced as this one are something of a rarity. While you get the vague sense that Chitoge will wind up the winner simply due to narrative structure and Japan’s love of tsunderes, it’s not obvious every single chapter like it is in many other series such as Love Hina. Chitoge may get to play Juliet in the end, but it’s Onodera who gets the bit rooftop romantic scene at the end. Speaking of Chitoge, her realization that she loves Raku leads to their biggest fight, as he hasn’t realized much of anything, so can’t understand why his words are hurting her. There’s nothing new and unique here, but it’s well-written and makes you like everyone, which is always nice to see in a romantic comedy like this. – Sean Gaffney

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 17 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Viz Media – The last few volumes of Oresama Teacher have been consistently good—maybe it’s time to officially come down in favor of the series. In volume seventeen, Yui has been blackmailing members of the Public Morals Club in order to get them to quit, and eventually realizes he’s been using Miyabi’s orders as an excuse not to have to think for himself. Honestly, it was predictable that Yui would repent and seek to rejoin his friends in the club, but that didn’t make it any less satisfying. Plus, there was pigeon symbolism! Too, I like that Miyabi seems to actively be trying to help the members of the student council change. Could he actually be a decent person? His cryptic warning about Hayasaka is pretty durn intriguing, too. Translation: bring on volume eighteen! – Michelle Smith

Rin-Ne, Vol. 16 | By Rumiko Takahashi | Viz Media – As Rin-Ne heads towards its anime, which is finally happening sometime next year, the plot seems to be moving slower than ever. Is there even a plot? Most of the volumes have included something that advances plot and characterization even if it’s only in a token way, but this one consists entirely of unconnected one-shots. They’re well-written – Takahashi may be trying to be a hack here, but she can’t quite pull it off – and I enjoyed the humor, but it’s telling that this review sounds exactly the same as the last 10 reviews of Rin-Ne I’ve written. At least the anime won’t have to worry too much about ending differently than the canon – judging by this volume, any resolution is a long way away. – Sean Gaffney

Spell of Desire, Vol. 2 | By Tomu Ohmi | Viz Media – I ended up liking the first volume of Spell of Desire more than I expected, and it’s probably because of that that I ended up being disappointed by volume two. There’s just not a lot of plot here, until the very end when Kaoruko and Kaname are summoned before the black witches coven. Before that, it’s pages upon pages of Kaoruko reflecting rhapsodically—usually with teary, heavy-lidded eyes—upon Kaname’s kisses and trying to convince herself that what she feels for him is due to the magic power compelling her to reciprocate. When she finally admits to herself that she loves him, it’s a relief rather than any sort of revelation. I suppose something more interesting could happen in the next volume, but now I really wouldn’t bet on it. At least this series is only five volumes long. – Michelle Smith

UQ Holder, Vol. 3 | By Ken Akamatsu | Kodansha Comics -Akamatsu may begun this sequel to Negima by telling fans most of the girls they loved were dead, but that doesn’t mean he’s totally moving on. His grandson here shows off his new use of Magia Erebea, Negi’s signature powers, and though he has no idea what they are he can use them instinctively. Meanwhile, one of the villains turns out to be a frustrated idealist who found he couldn’t compete with the ungodly powers of Negi’s generation – watch for silhouettes, fans of Zazie, Mana and Chachamaru. That said, this is still Tota’s story, and he gets to show off, while Kuromaru continues to wrestle with gender issues and Karin faces a villain who can be very clever about getting rid of her. Good action shonen. – Sean Gaffney