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JManga the Week of 11/22

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SEAN: Most of what JManga is doing this week is catching up on some new volumes, so let’s look at those.

Crazy for You and Pride both have their Vol. 3s out. Both of these series were hits for me, so seeing more of them is a very good thing. Also, I love the way Kaoru Shiina draws grins.

MJ: I loved both of these, especially Pride! I kinda can’t wait for those new volumes. I’m seriously anxious over here. I would read them right now if I could.

MICHELLE: Me too! I am very happy about both of these, but since we’re talking about shoujo from Shueisha here, I will shamelessly exploit this opportunity to beg JManga to “please get Cat Street!”

SEAN: Elemental Gelade hits Vol. 2, and we are thus one-ninth of the way through this fantasy series! (Sorry folks, I got nothin’.)

MICHELLE: I can muster no enthusiasm for Elemental Gelade.

MJ: Clearly, neither can I.

SEAN: Despite the lack of a translated title (apparently some publishers just don’t want titles changed), Edo Nekoe Jubei Otogizoshi is one of my all-time favorite JManga releases, simply as it’s a supernatural mystery cat manga from a cat manga magazine. Its very existence here in North America for sale justifies digital manga.

MJ: I’m completely ignorant on this one, and now I feel I should be ashamed! More cats!

MICHELLE: I bought a couple of volumes of this but confess that I haven’t read them yet.

SEAN: There are also two new titles. Eleven Soul is a long-running shonen series from Mag Garden’s Comic Blade, and has an intriguing premise of futuristic samurai trying to battle a genetically engineered enemy that has taken over half the world.

MJ: That sounds… well, a little bit “meh.” But I’ll give it a shot.

MICHELLE: I will split the difference and say that it’s a premise that is teetering on the precipice between intriguing and meh. Could go either way.

SEAN: I am presuming that The Narrow Road to the Deep North is not the play by Edward Bond, but the classic Japanese work Osu no Hosomichi, a travel diary through Edo Japan. The original text is quite famous, consisting of both prose and haiku verses, and I wonder how Variety Art Works have managed to convert it to manga.

MJ: I hope this is exactly what you think it is, because that sounds really intriguing. I’m definitely on board for that.

MICHELLE: Me too!

It Came from the Sinosphere: Princess Pearl (Pt. 2)

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Ziwei and Xiaoyanzi

Yet another screenshot from the TV adaptation.

So, last Tuesday I talked about the super-popular novel Princess Pearl. Now I’m going to keep talking about it.

The Friendship/Sisterhood of Ziwei and Xiaoyanzi

I don’t know whether to call them “friends” or “sisters.” As I mentioned in the previous post, Chinese-speaking cultures tend to value family relationships above romantic relationships, and this also applies to friendships. But what happens is that, especially in stories set in historical periods, whenever two people become close friends, they become sworn sisters/brothers. In a way, in Chinese, a “brother” or “sister” is anybody from the same generation with whom you have a close relationship. This can even apply to romantic couples, which weirded me out until I got my head around the fact that in Chinese-speaking cultures, calling one’s lover “sister” or “brother” does not imply anything incestuous.

Okay, I’m calling them “friends.”

One of the things which makes Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei’s friendship so entertaining is that they are opposites. Ziwei is well-educated, has an excellent understanding of the high arts, is a beautiful singer, an excellent chess player, etc. Xiaoyanzi is illiterate, and can’t follow proper etiquette even when her life depends on it. Ziwei, while healthy, is physically weak … whereas Xiaoyanzi is quite good at hand-to-hand combat, jumping over walls, and other physically-demanding feats. Ziwei can’t lie, but she’s very good at staying quiet. Xiaoyanzi can’t stay quiet, but she’s an excellent liar.

And it’s hilarious that Xiaoyanzi has to pretend that she is a princess, while Ziwei has to pretend that she’s not.

What they have in common is their passionate feelings. I think this is ultimately what brings them—and keeps them—together. Xiaoyanzi is willing to brave any danger to keep Ziwei safe … and Ziwei is willing to sacrifice anything for Xiaoyanzi’s well-being. When someone feels that way about you, it’s hard not to respond, and when it’s mutual, it’s hard to break apart. No wonder Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei care more about each other than the charming young men they fall in love with. Ultimately, they even come to the conclusion that their relationship with each other is more important than their relationship with their father, Emperor Qianlong. This is a classic example of how the more one gives, the more one has.

Princess Pearl and Goong

Cover of volume 20 of the Taiwanese eidtion of Goong

Out of all of the Asian comics I am familiar with, Goong feels the most like Princess Pearl. They are both about a teenaged girl from the commoner class who finds herself inadvertendtly becoming a princess, locked away inside the royal court. Neither Xiaoyanzi nor Chae-Kyung are very good at being refined, well-behaved princesses, and it’s their very roughness and lively spirit which eventually wins over the love of almost everybody in the palace.

Princess Pearl and Goong are entertaining for some of the same reasons. There’s plenty of opportunity for comedy as the commoner way of life and the royal way of life clash with each other, yet underneath all of the amusing escapades a potential tragedy is brewing (notice that I say *potential* … I am not trying to imply that either story actually is a tragedy).

Prince Shin is, in some ways, the opposite of Emperor Qianlong. Prince Shin is a big jerk at first, and only later reveals his tenderness; Emperor Qianlong is all sweetness and tenderness at first, and only bares his fangs once the novelty of having a new daughter wears off.

And of course, some of the major details are really different … Goong really is a romance, and Princess Pearl scores way better on the Bechdel test (come to think of it, it’s very rare for two male characters to talk about something other than a woman in Princess Pearl), not to mention the whole time period/location thing. But I think it would be fair to call both of them soap operas.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Princess Pearl and Goong feel so much alike. The 1998 TV adaptation of Princess Pearl was extremely popular in South Korea (where it is called “Emperor’s Daughter”). Goong started serialization just a few years later in 2002. I don’t know whether or not Princess Pearl inspired Park SoHee, but considering what I’ve read about the impact Princess Pearl had on South Korea, I think it must have at least been an influence.

Availability in English (rant)

This novel has never been published in English or in any other European language as far as I know. I can’t even find a TV adaptation with English subtitles (though I suspect that it just might be possible to get Singapore DVDs with English subtitles—I haven’t turned over every stone).

This … irritates me.

I do not buy the argument that non-Asians can’t understand the oh-so-mysterious Chinese culture. I think somebody who had never even heard of China before could love this novel. Understanding what it’s like to be a human being is all that’s required, as far as I’m concerned.

And considering that this story has proven extremely popular in places with such different cultures as Mongolia and Indonesia, I don’t see why this couldn’t have been a worldwide hit … aside from reluctance on the part of the media to even try.

*sigh*

Maybe they should make a comic book adaptation … manhua, manhwa, manga, whatever (the original novel and the 1998 TV adaptation are available in both Korean and Japanese) and then get that licensed overseas.

But this is one of the reasons I bother writing this column. I want to help the works which do get translated into English get more attention, and I want to discuss things which don’t get translated into English so that English-speakers at least have a clue about what they’re missing.

Conclusion

I figured that, since this is one of the most popular Chinese-language novels ever, that it would at least be readable. What I didn’t expect is that it would become one of my personal favorites. It’s really a very simple story, yet the simplicity makes me love it harder. Actually, it’s so simple that I’m even a bit embarrassed that I love it so much.

I think one of the fundamentals of human existence is that we crave love and affection from others. The flipside is that we are all afraid of losing that love. This is true whether we are a street urchin or the emperor of China. To some extent, it doesn’t matter where that love comes from—a parent, a sibling, a child, a lover, a friend, a stranger. That craving, and that fear, can drive us to both wonderful and terrible things.

I think this is the chord that this story has struck in a billion people.

Sara K. …. has completely forgotten what she wants to say. Oh well. When she remembers, she can stick it at the end of a future post.

Manga the Week of 11/21

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SEAN: After a very, very busy first two weeks of November, you’d think the manga industry would let us off easy before Thanksgiving, but no. There’s an awful lot to bite into this week.

First of all, Midtown seems to have caught up with Diamond Comics. If you’re looking for the 2nd week Viz releases or the Seven Seas titles, we discussed them last week.

That still leaves a lot. Starting, as ever, with Dark Horse, who are bringing out the first of their Trigun Maximum volumes. While I always tended to prefer the anime adaptation of this story, I do still have a soft spot for Vash and company, and if you haven’t tried the title out yet, you might want to. Meryl and Milly are a stitch!

MICHELLE: I never have been able to muster much enthusiasm for Trigun, even though I have vaguely good feelings towards it.

SEAN: Digital Manga Publishing has one BL titles and two non. Starting with the BL, we first have Honey Smile, a title from Nihon Bungeisha’s Karen Magazine. Aside from appealing to women named Karen, the premise sounds quite sweet, and the cover only adds to that impression.

MJ: It’s so rare that I like the cover for a BL manga (even when I end up liking the manga), but for once this actually does look like My Kind of BL, right from the start. I’ll definitely be looking out for this.

MICHELLE: Oh, that *is* pretty adorable-looking!

SEAN: I had thought that Lovephobia, Vol. 2 of which is out next week, fell into the BL category as well, mostly as it runs in the hideously named Comic B’s Log KYUN!. But it’s apparently a regular old shoujo title that features vampires. As you know, Congressional Act Pub-L 111-369 decrees that all vampire manga must be licensed for North American audiences, so here we are. Do they sparkle?

MJ: Hmmm, I’m torn between my love for the words “old shoujo” and my increasing weariness with vampires. Which feeling will win?

MICHELLE: I keep mentally conflating Lovephobia with Toko Kawai’s Loveholic, so I’ve been thinking of it as BL as well.

SEAN: I’m not used to seeing DMP dipping its toes into the waters of Media Factory’s Comic Alive, which is usually the purview of our friends at Seven Seas. Here they are, though, with Vol. 1 of Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat. It apparently features a perverted protagonist *and* a tsundere, but we’ll give it a shot anyway.

MJ: This sounds like it could either be awesome or horrible, and I’ll probably wait for someone else to read it first. I’m looking at you, Sean.

MICHELLE: Ugh. Not for me.

SEAN: 3 titles next week (well, this week, but it’s Kodansha, we know the deal) from Kodansha Comics. Animal Land has hit Vol. 6. For some reasons, I always assume this title is geared towards little kids in Japan, but it runs in Monthly Shonen Magazine, also home to Flowers of Evil and Attack on Titan, so I could be wrong. Are there at least animals? In a land?

MJ: There are, but I couldn’t even make it through the first volume, so that’s about all I can tell you.

MICHELLE: I made it through the first one, but never did continue. It’s got tons of poop jokes, so you’re probably right about its intended audience.

SEAN: Love Hina’s omnibus re-release hits Vol. 4, and introduces two of its most controversial plot points. a) Kanako Urashima, Keitaro’s younger sister, and b) Keitaro’s leave-of-absence from the series, and subsequent return with a personality transplant. Still, it has a new translation, and probably better scans, so Love Hina fans (like me) will get it anyway.

Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations hits Vol. 3, and sadly still lacks most of the cast of the games themselves, being content only with Dick Gumshoe. Still, even though Edgeworth is not as silly as Phoenix, he surrounds himself with silly suspects.

Apologies to BL fans: when porting over Viz’s 2nd week releases last week, I missed the two SubLime BL titles. So here they are. Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love has Vol. 2, with a cute feminine little guy trying to attract the grumpy, chain-smoking big manly guy. (I really need to come up with better ways to describe BL.) As for the cover of Vol. 2 of Starting with a Kiss… do necks even BEND like that? Oh my God!

MJ: I admit I’ve been pretty wishy-washy on SuBLime releases in general. I love what they are doing and how they’re doing it (Viz has proven they really get digital distribution, including how it works best for particular audiences—in this case, BL fans), but for the most part, their licenses are simply not to my taste. I am not the BL fan they are publishing for, and titles like Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love really drive that point home. Given the response I’ve seen from BL fans at Manga Bookshelf (and elsewhere), I’m pretty sure they’re making strong choices for the larger fanbase, but I just really don’t care for these titles.

MICHELLE: I have genuinely liked at least one (The Bed of My Dear King) and was unexpectedly intrigued by another (Punch Up!), but on the whole I must agree. I prefer a kinder, gentler sort of BL. And egads, that Starting with a Kiss cover is creepy!

SEAN: Viz also has a few 3rd week releases. Bokurano: Ours has hit Vol. 7, and is still doing what Bokurano does quite nicely. Its uplifting and life-affirming message requires the reader to sit through piles and piles of trauma, and thus I’ve given it a miss.

MJ: Oooh, I bet Michelle has a response to this!

MICHELLE: There’s no denying Bokurano is grim, grim, grim, and that one doesn’t get to learn much about the cast of kids until it’s their turn to pilot the robot and subsequently die. But it’s the mystery of why this is all happening that keeps me fascinated.

SEAN: REAL is still ongoing in Japan, albeit at a very slow rate, and now North America gets Vol. 11. This volume actually promises to feature Nomiya, the delinquent protagonist who got most of the beginning of the series before the focus moved away from him. Still a good story well-told, as you’d expect from Inoue.

MJ: Hurray! Seriously, that’s the only possible response to a new volume of REAL.

MICHELLE: I disagree. I think “Huzzah!” works equally well!

SEAN: And Saturn Apartments, one of the quieter SigIKKI titles, has hit Vol. 6. I think 7 is the last, so it must be getting close to wrapping things up.

MJ: Wow, I’m behind in this series. I need to remedy that, pronto.

MICHELLE: Me, too. I really like it, but I’ve fallen behind by several volumes now.

SEAN: There’s a new omnibus out for CLAMP’s classic shoujo series X, containing Vols. 10-12, and more preparation for the complete and total apocalypse that we still haven’t actually quite seen yet. Still, the preparation is absolutely gorgeous.

MJ: Despite my lukewarm feelings for this series, these omnibus releases are a must-buy. If there’s one thing I really do love about X, it’s the gorgeous, shoujo-tastic artwork, and these volumes show that off to its best advantage.

MICHELLE: I still have yet to read beyond volume one of this series, despite owning it in its entirety and having the first two omnibus editions. I’ve seen the anime, though.

SEAN: Lastly, I had wondered why Diamond didn’t ship it this week with the rest of Yen’s titles, but no matter: The long awaited Thermae Romae Vol. 1 (a two-volume omnibus) is out next week in glorious hardcover. Far more than just a take of Roman baths, this series is another reason why North Americans keep wanting more and more from Comic Beam (also home to Emma and Wandering Son).

MJ: I can’t wait to read this!

MICHELLE: Me, neither! Coming soon to an Off the Shelf near you!

SEAN: It’s Thanksgiving Week for The U.S.! What titles are you thankful for?

Digital Manga goes all-digital for six months

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Here’s a startling bit of news: Digital Manga, Inc., has put all their print titles on hiatus for six months, from January through June 2013. In a message on the company blog, Digital president Hikaru Sasahara said, “Please be advised that none of our licenses are cancelled, simply postponed. We will be resuming the distribution of our print editions in June, 2013.” The move affects all Digital imprints, including June, 801, and DokiDoki, but not the two Tezuka books ; behind the scenes, the company has been revamping its emanga digital manga site.

The latest addition to the Shonen Jump Alpha lineup is the romantic comedy Nisekoi, by Naoshi Komi, who is best known for his Double Arts manga.

Lissa Pattillo looks at this week’s new manga releases in her latest On the Shelf column at Otaku USA.

Where’s Deb Aoki? She’s in Tokyo, at the International Comics Festa, where a group of Canadians has put together their own doujinshi anthology. She’s taking pictures and chronicling her adventures on Twitter, so if you don’t follow her already, now would be a good time to start.

Reviews

Rebecca Silverman on vols. 9 and 10 of Oresama Teacher (ANN)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 44 of Case Closed (ANN)
Ken H on vol. 1 of Heroman (Comics Should Be Good)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 59 of Naruto (The Comic Book Bin)
Alex Hoffman on vol. 1 of Pupa (Manga Widget)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 10 of Rin-ne (The Comic Book Bin)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 8 of Sailor Moon (Blogcritics)
Anna on vol. 1 of Strobe Edge (Manga Report)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 1 of Strobe Edge (Comics Worth Reading)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Strobe Edge (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Rebecca Silverman on Wolf (ANN)

Strobe Edge, Vol. 1

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By Io Sakisaka. Released in Japan by Shueisha, serialized in the magazine Bessatsu Margaret (“Betsuma”). Released in North America by Viz.

As many readers of this blog know, give me a choice between a new series that’s daring, bold, experimental and avant-garde and a new series that’s more of the same as all the other series except with different bits, and I will go for the latter every time. I appreciate the value of alt-manga, but am far more happy reading Vol. 97 of Shoujo Girl X. Usually because every time I do, even if it seems like it’s going to be more of the same, there’s always something that ends up drawing me in. These series all have to compete in Japan with 7,000 other high-school romances. There needs to be something that stood out enough to have it be a success there and get licensed here. Which brings me to Strobe Edge.

The cover really says it all – it’s hard to look at and not feel ‘well, it’s a bit overly sweet, isn’t it?’ without even reading the content. And the first half of the book doesn’t seemingly do much to change that opinion. Ninako is naive and a bit flighty, but not overly ditzy. She’s got a group of close female friends (who so far have stayed her friends, yay!) as well as a male childhood friend that everyone assumes she is in love with, mostly as he is clearly in love with her and that’s how these things go. Ninako, however, isn’t sure what she feels for Daiki is love. And she has *no idea* what these feelings she has are when she runs into Ren, the school heartthrob and all-around mysterious guy.

As I said, so far so normal. If I told you Daiki was blond and Ren had black hair, I assume you’d be totally unsurprised. But gradually I started to realize that more thought was being put into the plot than I suspected. Ninako may seem flighty, but she thinks hard about everything, and once she realizes that what she’s feeling for Ren is love, all sorts of extra problems come up. As for Daiki, he is obviously the ‘unlucky childhood friend’ who is there to provide the love triangle, but this does not make his crush on Ninako any less weighty, especially as we see its origins. He’s a nice guy, as Ninako herself says, and we feel for him even as we root for Ninako to get together with Ren, because that’s how these things go.

The second half of this volume really picks things up, and I was quite startled a few times. Ren, for one, is not really the aloof loner type he presents… or at least not around Ninako, which is a good sign. Of course, things aren’t as simple as ‘if I just worked up my courage to confess, we’d be together’. Ren’s own life intertwines with Daiki’s in very unexpected ways, and as Ninako herself notes, when you fall in love with someone the feelings don’t merely vanish just because you get rejected. I suspect the plot of much of Strobe Edge will deal with that, given the large number of unrequited relationships we bring out here.

Strobe Edge begins with its heroine thinking about what it means to be in love, and I suspect that’s what the whole series is going to be about. It’s working with stock shoujo manga types, but what it’s doing with them is interesting. Which, as I said before, is exactly what I look for in ‘normal’ shoujo manga.

Blogging about the blogger

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If you’re curious to know what I really think about comics, manga, comics shops, and other stuff, as well as what it was like to be an Eisner judge (in a word: Awesome!), check out Carrie Shepherd’s interview with me at Girls + Comics.

The Manga Bookshelf bloggers discuss their Pick of the Week.

Noah Berlatsky looks at the role of women in ero and horror manga such as the works of Junji Ito and relates it to their role in society at the time these manga were being created.

Matt Blind looks at the top-selling manga from the past week.

Reviews: The Manga Bookshelf team kick off the week with a new set of Bookshelf Briefs. Ash Brown discusses a week’s worth of manga reading at Experiments in Manga.

Johanna Draper Carlson on vols. 14-16 of Bakuman (Comics Worth Reading)
Lori Henderson on vols. 33 and 34 of Bleach (Manga Xanadu)
Phillip on vol. 2 of A Bride’s Story (Eeeper’s Choice)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vols. 6 and 7 of Bunny Drop (Comics Worth Reading)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Missions of Love (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Anna on Not for a Student and Hush A Bye Baby (Manga Report)
Kristin on vol. 1 of Strobe Edge (Comic Attack)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 15 of We Were There (The Comic Book Bin)

It Came from the Sinosphere: Princess Pearl (Pt. 1)

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The book covers of Princess Pearl

So, a while ago, I said I needed to read some Chiung Yao novels and try some of the TV adaptations. Well, I’ve been working on that, and it is with great enthusiasm that I present Princess Pearl (AKA My Fair Princess and Prince Returning-Pearl).

About Chiung Yao

Chiung Yao might be the most popular Taiwanese novelist ever (this is difficult to measure). She is without a doubt the most popular female Chinese-language novelist ever, as well as the most popular Chinese-language romance novelist ever.

Almost all of her novels were originally serialized in a magazine aimed at teenage girls, and with all of the cliffhangers, they read like serializations. The works I’ve read so far have an addictive melodramatic quality that reminds me of 70s shoujo manga.

Princess Pearl is her most popular novel, and was adapted into the most popular Mandarin-language TV drama ever (I am not exaggerating). But I want to talk about the novel, not the TV drama.

Story

This novel is set in 18th century China. Xiaoyanzi is a burglar and a swindler who grew up on the streets of Beijing. She encounters Ziwei, an educated and refined girl from Shandong. At first they rub each other the wrong way, but soon enough they bond and become sworn sisters. Ziwei left Shandong upon the death of her mother, and her mother’s dying wish was that she would go to her father in Beijing. Though Ziwei knows where her father is, getting access to him is a problem because her mother never had a chance to tell him that they have a daugther and … well, he’s the emperor of China. Of course, while Ziwei can’t break into the Forbidden City, Xiaoyanzi, as an expert burglar, can.

Upon breaking into the Forbidden City, carrying the evidence of Ziwei’s paternity with her, Xiaoyanzi is shot by an arrow, and eventually passes out. Emperor Qianlong, seeing the evidence, mistakes Xiaoyanzi for being his own daughter. By the time Xiaoyanzi is clear-headed again, it is explained to her that if he discovers that she is a fake, the emperor will cut off her head. Meanwhile, Ziwei remains outside the Forbidden City.

About Emperor Qianlong

Emperor Qianlong ruled for over 60 years, one of the longest reigns in Chinese history. I don’t know much about the historical Emperor Qianlong, but I remember one exhibit about his personal ceramics collection. In order to show his appreciation for ceramics, he would write poems praising their excellence, and then order people to carve the poems into the pieces. While I didn’t bother to read the poetry myself, apparently a common theme was that it was very important for an emperor to appraise ceramics, and therefore he was not neglecting his imperial duties by obsessing over his collection.

Emperor Qianlong wasn’t just interested in pottery. He also collected paintings, jade, ivory, and other works of art. He didn’t just appreciate Chinese art; he also collected art from Europe and Central Asia. In addition to visual art, he also loved music, poetry, and literature.

He is a very popular character in Chinese-language historical fiction … however most historical fiction focuses not on his love of art, but his romantic and sexual relationships with various women. Even though I’ve never seen (and probably never will see) The Legend of Qianlong, I do like the theme song.

This isn’t even the first time I’ve discussed him; he’s one of the main characters in The Book and the Sword.

In this particular novel, he is basically presented as a loveable spoiled brat who unfortunately (for everyone else) has absolute power over an empire. He loves art and culture, and feels entitled to having access to the best. He loves romance and sex, and feels that any woman he approaches ought to feel happy about it. And he has had so many relationships that it’s easy for even someone he likes a lot to slip from his mind (Ziwei’s mother specifically). He expects his children to continually shower him with affection and to do everything he tells them to do because a) he is their emperor and b) he is their father. And it is really, really easy to hurt his feelings.

I’m making him out to be a nasty character, aren’t I? Well, in his defense, he is also very loving. When he takes a liking to somebody, he is extremely gentle and kind, and he often gets heartbroken because a) somebody he likes got hurt or b) he feels betrayed by somebody he likes. It seems that he has, by nature, a sweet, warm, and sensitive personality, yet he has been warped by having more power than any human being ought to have.

In any case, it’s no wonder that he appears in so much Chinese-language fiction. He is a complex character who can be presented as a hero or as a villain, and he can fit well in anything ranging from a deep work of serious literature to a titillating pornographic film.

The Love Triangle

Zhao Wei as Xiaoyanzi

Okay, so sue me, I am using an image from the TV series

Since Chiung Yao is known as a romance writer, I was expecting this to be a romance. And there is some romance in the novel, but it generally happens in the sidelines. But while this novel is not about romance, it is definitely about love. There is even a (non-romantic) love triangle at the center of the action: Xiaoyanzi, Ziwei, and Emperor Qianlong.

Neither Ziwei nor Xiaoyanzi had any father-figure in her childhood, so they both crave the fatherly affections of the emperor. Neither is interested in political power, so when they compete for the status of princess, this is their motivation. Meanwhile, the emperor wants as much love as possible to come his way, and while he never consciously tries to break up Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei, one of the schemes he comes up with to get more of their love would have incidently separated them.

Daughters and Fathers

I would say that, in the culture of the United States (as well as in Britain, Canada, Australia, etc), romantic relationships are valued more than parent-child relationships. In the Chinese-speaking world, it’s the other way around.

It has been noted that one of the things which makes Taiwanese idol dramas different from K-dramas and J-dramas is that there tends to be a lot more emphasis on the romantic couples’ parents and other relatives. I don’t know enough about K-dramas and J-dramas to confirm this … but compared to shoujo manga, this is certainly the case. This is also reflected in my encounters with Taiwanese people; they are much more likely to ask questions about my parents and family than about my romantic life.

Off the top of my head, I can think of two Taiwanese movies—Cannot Live Without You/No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti and Seven Days in Heaven—that are primarily about the relationship between a daughter and a father (and IIRC neither movie has any romance whatsoever). I cannot think of any English-language movie that is primarily about a relationship between a daughter and a father. In the context of Chinese-speaking culture, the fact that Princess Pearl focuses on parent-child relationships does not make it an outlier.

So what does the novel have to say about children and parents?

On the one hand, even though Xiaoyanzi and Emperor Qianlong are not biological relatives, they come to care for each other very deeply. This implies that the bond between daughter and father is forged by shared experiences and people’s actions, not by biology. On the other hand, Emperor Qianlong also happens to become very attached to Ziwei, even though he does not know that she is his biological daughter. This implies that the genetic bond still counts for something. Then again, when he first meets her, he doesn’t notice her. It is her actions that finally catch his attention.

While I disagree with some of the ideas that Chinese-speaking cultures have about parent-child relationships, I think it is good that they value them so much and include them far more often in their mainstream media, and I think my own culture could stand to learn something from them.

I have plenty more to say, but I think that’s enough for now. So please come back on Friday for Part 2, when I will:

– discuss the friendship/sisterhood between Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei
– compare the novel Princess Pearl to the manhwa Goong
– rant talk about its (un)availability in English

Next time (not Friday): You Are the Apple of My Eye (movie)

When Sara K. was caught reading a Chiung Yao novel, somebody told her that they are for 16-year old girls. She replied that when she was 16 years old, she couldn’t read Chinese. Furthermore, Sara K. has discovered that Chiung Yao novels, particularly the second halves, are NSFW. If she read them, they might make her cry, and then she’d have to explain to everybody what was wrong.

Bookshelf Briefs 11/12/12

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This week, MJ, Sean, and Michelle take a look at recent releases from VIZ Media and Yen Press.

Bunny Drop, Vol. 7 | Yumi Unita | Yen Press – After commenting on the last volume that mangaka Yumi Unita seemed “less comfortable writing Rin’s voice than she was writing Daikichi’s,” I’m now prepared to take that back completely. Unita shines in her portrayal of Rin in volume seven, particularly during the last half of the volume when Rin begins to show interest in finding out about her birth mother. Any awkwardness over the series’ time jump has vanished with the previous volume as well, and it almost feels at this point as if those years weren’t missing at all. Older versions of Rin, Daikichi, Kouki, and even absent mom Masako are rich with history, and it seems clear that even if we were not privy to their offscreen years, those years absolutely happened in Unita’s imagination. Ultimately, this series continues to be warm, compelling, and surprisingly poignant. Definitely recommended. – MJ

Durarara!!, Vol. 4 | By Ryohgo Narita, Akiyo Satorigi, and Suzuhito Yasuda | Yen Press – With this fourth volume, which correlates with the end of the first novel, the manga adaptation of Durarara!! comes to a temporary hold (resuming in Durarara!! Saika). And so we get an ending that’s a little bit confusing, with revelations that would mean a lot more if we actually had gotten to know any of these (far too many) characters aside from Celty, who is admittedly pretty fascinating. Unfortunately, Celty and another female character end up declaring their love for unrepentantly murderous fellows, which gets my feminist goat and tarnishes Celty’s moment of empowerment when she realizes she doesn’t need to be ashamed of what she is. Durarara!! has certainly been interesting, and I will definitely check out its continuation, but it will probably never be one of my favorites.– Michelle Smith

Kimi ni Todoke, Vol. 15 | By Karuho Shiina | VIZ Media – Our main couple does get a bit of attention here—particularly Sawako’s worries about her relationship’s progression—but this volume’s big focus is on Chizuru and Ryu. We get a long, sad flashback to their childhoods, showing a turning point in their lives, and also hinting (though Chizuru has forgotten) why being treated like a brother bothers Ryu so much. It gets quite emotional, and the catharsis on the last few pages is welcome. The series continues to show stasis as a bad thing in life—always move forward. As for Kent and Ayane, I must admit I still have my issues with Kent—I’d like to see him be a little more flawed, as he was when he first appeared—but his passive/aggressive patience is, I suppose, one way of trying to court Ayane. Will it work? Dunno, let’s find out next volume. – Sean Gaffney

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 11 | By Izumi Tsubaki | VIZ Media – Tsubaki not being one to let the genre ‘shoujo’ mean much of anything to her, this current arc of Oresama Teacher has read much like a shonen battle arc, or even an RPG. Every volume, Mafuyu needs to take down a new mid-level boss, using both force (which doesn’t work here) and her basic power of being nice and shiny (which does). I admit I didn’t find Ayabe as interesting as I had Wakana in Vol. 10, possibly as he’s not tied to another regular as she is. The actual highlight of the book may be earlier, where Hayasaka gets his long-awaited date with Super-Bun… only for it to be more serious than I expected. That said, there’s still the usual number of hysterical gags here based on the entire cast being idiots. And we get to see Mafuyu lose! For the first time ever, apparently. Still recommended. – Sean Gaffney

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 11 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Viz Media – Because of its episodic (and silly) nature, Oresama Teacher is inconsistent in terms of quality, but this volume happens to be one of the good ones! The high point occurs at the beginning, when Hayasaka ends up on a Christmas Eve date with his hero, Super Bun. It’s a highly adorable chapter and creates a good feeling that lingers over the rest of the volume, which involves another minion of the scheming student council president being dispatched to disband the Public Morals Club. This is actually starting to remind me of Sailor Moon or something, where you’ve got the big bad (like Queen Beryl) running through her resources of devotees (like the Four Generals) to take down our heroes. I don’t really mind, but I’d rather read more about Hayasaka’s quirks and contradictions. I suppose if we continue to get a sprinkling of those, I’ll be satisfied. – Michelle Smith

Soulless, Vol. 2 | By Gail Carriger and Rem | Yen Press – After its debut volume’s satisfying, settled (and sexy!) conclusion, volume two of Soulless begins as the best “next” volumes do—with everything coming apart. This sense of unraveling begins immediately, as heroine Alexia is roused from her sleep by her husband’s noisy departure, followed by unwelcome late-night chaos on her own front lawn. She moves on, disoriented, from this point and things really never regain their balance, leaving her (and the reader) increasingly shaken all the way through the volume’s end. This is a tense installment to be sure, and I mean that in the best way possible, as the only response one can have to the book’s decidedly unsettling conclusion is an intense desire for more. Fast-paced, compelling, and oddly beguiling, Soulless continues to be my favorite of Yen Press’ growing catalogue of adaptations. Highly recommended. – MJ

We Were There, Vol. 15 | By Yuuki Obata | VIZ Media – Some manga is all about the plot, and so it’s easy to summarize what happens. We Were There, however, is all about the characters and while it might seem that not much actually happens or changes outwardly, the fact that things seem to be shifting internally for Yano at last is incredibly significant. The story is driven by conversations between characters, mostly people trying to point out to Yano that he can stop striving for atonement while he insists he’s just acting selfishly. Finally, though, the message gets through and he realizes that what Takahashi has always offered—strength, not neediness—is something he might finally be ready to accept. He finishes out the volume helping Yamamoto avoid going down the same path of regret, and then… what’s next? I am honestly not sure this series will end up with Yano and Takahashi together, but this is the first time I have felt like such an outcome would be healthy for all concerned. Truly an amazing series. – Michelle Smith

Manga Bestsellers: 2012, Week Ending 11 November

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Comparative Rankings Based on Consolidated Online Sales

last week’s charts
about the charts

##

Manga Bestsellers

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon 8 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2012 [436.4] ::
2. ↑15 (17) : Naruto 59 – Viz Shonen Jump, Nov 2012 [373.9] ::
3. ↑9 (12) : Rosario+Vampire Season II 10 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Nov 2012 [352.9] ::
4. ↓-2 (2) : Negima! 36 – Kodansha Comics, Oct 2012 [345.4] ::
5. ↓-2 (3) : Sailor Moon 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [333.4] ::
6. ↑27 (33) : Vampire Knight 15 – Viz Shojo Beat, Nov 2012 [325.8] ::
7. ↓-3 (4) : Sailor Moon 3 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [323.4] ::
8. ↓-3 (5) : Sailor Moon 4 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [317.3] ::
9. ↓-3 (6) : Death Note vols 1-13 box set – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Oct 2008 [303.5] ::
10. ↓-3 (7) : Sailor Moon 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [302.1] ::

[more]

Top Imprints
Number of volumes ranking in the Top 500:

Yen Press 103
Viz Shonen Jump 91
Viz Shojo Beat 67
Kodansha Comics 46
Viz Shonen Jump Advanced 46
Dark Horse 21
Seven Seas 21
Tokyopop 12
Viz 12
Vizkids 9

[more]

Series/Property

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon – Kodansha Comics [1,076.0] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Naruto – Viz Shonen Jump [810.1] ::
3. ↑5 (8) : Vampire Knight – Viz Shojo Beat [602.9] ::
4. ↑2 (6) : Bleach – Viz Shonen Jump [599.7] ::
5. ↓-1 (4) : Black Butler – Yen Press [593.2] ::
6. ↓-3 (3) : Rosario+Vampire – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced [577.7] ::
7. ↓-2 (5) : Negima! – Del Rey/Kodansha Comics [564.9] ::
8. ↓-1 (7) : Maximum Ride – Yen Press [444.9] ::
9. ↑1 (10) : Soul Eater – Yen Press [421.8] ::
10. ↓-1 (9) : Death Note – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced [418.3] ::

[more]

New Releases
(Titles releasing/released This Month & Last)

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon 8 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2012 [436.4] ::
2. ↑15 (17) : Naruto 59 – Viz Shonen Jump, Nov 2012 [373.9] ::
3. ↑9 (12) : Rosario+Vampire Season II 10 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Nov 2012 [352.9] ::
4. ↓-2 (2) : Negima! 36 – Kodansha Comics, Oct 2012 [345.4] ::
6. ↑27 (33) : Vampire Knight 15 – Viz Shojo Beat, Nov 2012 [325.8] ::
14. ↑144 (158) : Blue Exorcist 8 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Nov 2012 [257.0] ::
15. ↑1 (16) : Black Butler 11 – Yen Press, Oct 2012 [256.8] ::
17. ↓-9 (8) : Cardcaptor Sakura Omnibus 4 – Dark Horse, Oct 2012 [253.2] ::
18. ↑55 (73) : Omamori Himari 9 – Yen Press, Nov 2012 [244.3] ::
19. ↑52 (71) : Bleach 50 – Viz Shonen Jump, Nov 2012 [239.1] ::

[more]

Preorders

11. ↔0 (11) : Sailor Moon 9 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2013 [278.9] ::
20. ↓-5 (15) : Sailor Moon 10 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2013 [236.0] ::
30. ↑18 (48) : Sailor Moon 11 – Kodansha Comics, May 2013 [199.7] ::
35. ↑1 (36) : Sailor Moon 12 – Kodansha Comics, Jul 2013 [194.5] ::
77. ↑8 (85) : Negima! 37 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2013 [126.8] ::
104. ↑11 (115) : Battle Angel Alita Last Order 16 – Kodansha Comics, Dec 2012 [95.5] ::
113. ↑6 (119) : Alice in the Country of Joker Circus & Liar’s Game 2 – Seven Seas, May 2013 [89.7] ::
116. ↑15 (131) : Alice in the Country of Joker Circus & Liar’s Game 1 – Seven Seas, Feb 2013 [86.3] ::
117. ↑36 (153) : Naruto 60 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jan 2013 [86.2] ::
118. ↑9 (127) : Negima! 38 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2013 [86.2] ::

[more]

Manhwa

146. ↑51 (197) : March Story 4 – Viz Signature, Oct 2012 [74.1] ::
314. ↓-11 (303) : Black God 17 – Yen Press, Oct 2012 [32.9] ::
364. ↑285 (649) : Bride of the Water God 12 – Dark Horse, Nov 2012 [28.1] ::
595. ↓-19 (576) : Bride of the Water God 11 – Dark Horse, May 2012 [13.8] ::
910. ↓-307 (603) : Hissing 4 – Yen Press, Jul 2008 [5.4] ::
916. ↓-298 (618) : Legend 3 – Yen Press, Aug 2008 [5.2] ::
#VALUE!
1029. ↓-267 (762) : Chrono Code 2 – Tokyopop, Oct 2005 [3.6] ::
1044. ↑1610 (2654) : Sweety 1 – Infinity Studios, May 2006 [3.5] ::
1070. ↓-436 (634) : Chunchu: Genocide Fiend 2 – Dark Horse, Oct 2007 [3.3] ::

[more]

BL/Yaoi

68. ↑31 (99) : Awkward Silence 2 – SuBLime, Oct 2012 [140.2] ::
101. ↓-8 (93) : Finder Series 6 Passion within the View Finder – DMP Juné, Jul 2012 [98.1] ::
108. ↑30 (138) : Honey*Smile – DMP Juné, Oct 2012 [93.0] ::
112. ↓-29 (83) : Loveless 9 – Viz, Sep 2012 [91.2] ::
172. ↔0 (172) : Awkward Silence 1 – SuBLime, Jul 2012 [64.0] ::
200. ↑69 (269) : Alice the 101st 3 – DMP DokiDoki, Jan 2013 [54.4] ::
284. ↓-72 (212) : The Tyrant Falls in Love 7 – DMP Juné, Sep 2012 [36.2] ::
310. ↓-37 (273) : Only the Ring Finger Knows (novel) 5 – DMP Juné, Sep 2012 [33.5] ::
318. ↓-12 (306) : Loveless 10 – Viz, Jan 2013 [32.7] ::
386. ↓-186 (200) : Punch Up! 2 – SuBLime, Oct 2012 [25.8] ::

[more]

Ebooks

31. ↓-8 (23) : Maximum Ride 1 – Yen Press, Jan 2009 [198.4] ::
39. ↓-5 (34) : Maximum Ride 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2011 [182.7] ::
41. ↓-9 (32) : Naruto 57 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jul 2012 [177.7] ::
60. ↓-30 (30) : Naruto 55 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [146.6] ::
66. ↓-21 (45) : Naruto 56 – Viz Shonen Jump, May 2012 [143.5] ::
74. ↓-4 (70) : Maximum Ride 2 – Yen Press, Oct 2009 [128.6] ::
78. ↑17 (95) : Rosario+Vampire 3 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Oct 2008 [125.6] ::
81. ↓-28 (53) : Maximum Ride 4 – Yen Press, Apr 2011 [123.9] ::
86. ↓-20 (66) : Maximum Ride 3 – Yen Press, Aug 2010 [120.5] ::
107. ↓-17 (90) : Blue Exorcist 1 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Apr 2011 [93.2] ::

[more]

Announcement: Dramafever’s Worldwide Preview

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First of all, Dramafever has finally made episodes of Fated to Love You available. I explain why everybody should watch this in my column (hey, if MJdidn’t want this announcement to be biased by my personal opinions, she shouldn’t have let me write it).

If you want to know why Chen Xinyi put Ji Cunxi in a trash can, or if you want to know what she plans to do next, you’ll have to watch Fated to Love You.

But now it’s not just limited to people in North and South America. For a limited time, Dramafever is available to everybody who is not in China, Japan, or Korea. This is the post from their official blog.

The way the deal works is that, if you are in a country outside of North and South America which is not China, Japan, or Korea, you can sign up and watch the latest two episodes of any series currently airing, and watch the first five episodes of any older series.

Well, that’s how it’s supposed to work. Since this is brand new, there have been technical difficulties. The most common technical difficulty—and the Dramafever team says they are working on this—is that many people can’t get subtitles to work. I’m one of those people, by the way. However, there is enough in their catalogue that has caught my interest (that I don’t need subtitles to enjoy) that this wouldn’t be such a problem for me, specifically, if I weren’t running into other technical difficulties. I still admire Dramafever’s boldness, and I am sure they are doing their best to fix all of the technical problems.

Anyway, this is a limited time offer. But it does not have to be limited. In countries where Dramafever gets sufficient users, they will maintain a permanent presence. So if you want Dramafever in your corner of the world (and you’re not in China/Japan/Korea), now is the time to a) sign up, and b) tell your fellow residents to sign up.

Don’t know what to watch? Aside from Fated to Love You, here are posts from the Manga Bookshelf archives discussing various dramas offered on Dramafever:

It Came from the Sinosphere: Autumn’s Concerto
It Came from the Sinosphere: My Queen
Bringing the Drama: To the Beautiful You
Bringing the Drama: Rooftop Prince
Bringing the Drama: Big
Bringing the Drama: You’re Beautiful
Bringing the Drama: City Hunter
Joseon Female Detective Damo Vol. 2

So, what are your recommendations for us in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and Australia who have access to Dramafever for the first time?

Sara K. started as a guest blogger, then she got a column, and now she’s making announcements. This is all a part of her nefarious plot to take over Manga Bookshelf and rule the blogosphere. She will govern with an iron fist and make everybody listen to her bad jokes.