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JManga the Weeks of 1/3 and 1/10

December 28, 2012 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and MJ 2 Comments

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

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

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

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

MJ: Ugh.

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

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

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

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

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

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

MICHELLE: More stuff I haven’t read.

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

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

MICHELLE: Oh dear.

MJ: Heh!

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

MICHELLE: The pets do tempt me a little…

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

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

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

My Week in Manga: Holiday Edition

December 28, 2012 by MJ 4 Comments

I’ve just uploaded episode four of My Week in Manga! It’s a special holiday edition featuring all the manga I found under the Christmas tree this year. Wanna see what I got?

Manga this week:
The Drops of God, Vol. 2 (Vertical, Inc.)
Twin Spica, Vol. 12 (Vertical, Inc.)
Love Song (VIZ Media)
X 3-in-1, Vols. 3-4 (VIZ Media)
Gate 7, Vol. 3 (Dark Horse)
Cardcaptor Sakura Omnibus, Vol. 4 (Dark Horse)
Wandering Son, Vols. 3-4 (Fantagraphics)
Heart of Thomas (Fantagraphics)
We Were There, Vol. 15 (VIZ Media)

Links:
The Shoujo Beauty of X
Why You Should Read Cardcaptor Sakura

Edited by MJ
Music (“Dust” & “Swansong”) by Josh Woodward

If you were gifted some manga over the holidays, or if you’d like to tell me how to spend my new Amazon credit, let me know in comments!

Higurashi: When They Cry, Vol. 20

December 28, 2012 by Sean Gaffney

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MJ’s Best Manga of 2012, Part 1

December 27, 2012 by MJ 3 Comments

It’s that time of year again, when manga bloggers all over scramble to pick the best manga of the year! Though I’ve already weighed in on this year’s best BL manga and even made a Pick of the Year, over the next few days I’ll share a few Top Five lists, broken down into several categories.

Before I begin, let me remind you that when I say “best,” I mean “favorite,” so do with that as you will.

Top Five New Print Manga

GTO: 14 Days in Shonan | by Tohru Fujisawa | Vertical, Inc. – This surprise favorite snuck up on me out of nowhere, essentially sweeping me off my feet, as did its protagonist. From my review of vols. 1-2: “What I found pretty spectacular about 14 Days in Shonan, is that it features a main character who spends a lot of time telling other people just how much of a badass he is, while actually being a badass. Usually, if a character has to tell me how great he is, that’s a sure sign that I won’t think he’s great at all—but in this case, Eikichi is exactly what he says he is, and I find myself with absolutely no doubt at all that he’ll be able to do absolutely anything he says he can, including winning over all the teens at the White Swan Children’s Home, while also possibly saving the world. And perhaps curing cancer. Can you tell I liked him?” The series is complete in Japan totaling nine volumes. Vertical has released up through volume six this year.

Soulless: The Manga | by Gail Carriger and Rem | Yen Press – As someone who has been generally lukewarm on manga-style adaptations of western novels, this adaptation took me completely by surprise. From my review of volume one: “…when I read Kate’s review of REM’s new adaptation of Gail Carriger’s Soulless, I thought suddenly that it would be a great choice to read alongside Twilight. Both are OEL adaptations of popular novels, and both revolve around a heroine who lives in a world alongside vampires and werewolves. Unlike Twilight, I had very little knowledge of the details of Soulless, and though I expected I might like it more than Twilight, I was not really prepared for how much more.” And like it, I did, and continued to do. “Fast-paced, compelling, and oddly beguiling, Soulless continues to be my favorite of Yen Press’ growing catalogue of adaptations. Highly recommended.”

Sakuran: Blossoms Wild | by Moyoco Anno | Vertical, Inc. – One comment I made during our discussion of Sakuran for Off the Shelf, was that it was something I appreciated as a critic, though it lacked personal resonance for me as a reader. Over time, however, I’ve had to reconsider that statement, as Sakuran remains one of those rare books that has remained strongly in my mind ever since its first read. It’s this kind of deeper, delayed appreciate that has earned it a place in my list of favorites for the year. Also from my review, regarding the author’s artwork: “I was really impressed by Anno’s ability to visually portray both Kiyoha’s spite and her vulnerability, which is not a combination that always translates well to the page … One thing Anno has accomplished, perhaps specifically by writing Sakuran as a collection of story snapshots rather than a long narrative, is that the moments she’s chosen to highlight are genuinely memorable, and that goes for individual images as well.” Given my experience, perhaps “memorable” was an understatement.

A Devil and Her Love Song | by Miyoshi Tomori | VIZ Media – Even my favorite modern shoujo series can tend to blend together over the course of a year, but this year’s batch had one real standout, A Devil and Her Love Song. From my review of volume two: It’s refreshing to read a modern shoujo manga in which everyone is truly, deeply flawed, and no amount of “doing their best” can fix it. Even better, mangaka Miyoshi Tomori manages to do this while deftly avoiding both the syrup and cynicism that alternately pervade stories about high school “mean girls.” Happily, too, Tomori’s supporting characters continue to be just as interesting as her lead, including passive classmate Tomoyo, whose emerging backbone offers the promise of some awesome female friendship—one of my very favorite elements in shoujo manga. Definitely recommended.” That recommendation stands strong, even after six volumes, and we can look forward to seven more.

Blood Lad | by Yuuki Kodama | Yen Press – Perhaps no new favorite of the year could have been as unexpected as Blood Lad. With its boobalicious artwork and vampire-based premise, it seemed an unlikely candidate, but proved to be delightful in numerous ways. From my video review: “… it’s really funny, it had me laughing out loud within the first few pages and it continued to make me laugh as it went on… and it has a lot of real tension, too. I’m always happy when a series is able to surprise me, and this one did. So it was a great find for me this week.” As Ed Chavez described it on Twitter, “It’s like if Peepo Choo and Blue Exorcist hung out.” Yes, that. This is one of those series that could easily fall into nearly every trap of its genre (and even the medium as a whole), but actually manages to avoid them all. It’s unexpectedly fresh, funny, and it has me thoroughly intrigued.

Top Five New Digital-Only Manga

Pride | by Yukari Ichijo | JManga/Shueisha – This josei series about two aspiring young opera singers is exactly the kind of thing I wish we could see in print over here and probably never will. So THANK YOU, JMANGA. Female rivalries in manga are often unbearably catty and rife with misogyny, but Yukari Ichijo manages to write one that is both bitter and real. From my review: “What works particularly well about all this is that Ichijo manages to make both characters pretty much equal parts sympathetic and maddening. And while Shio ends up tipping the scale in likability, it’s impossible not to sympathize with Moe’s deep need to escape from her truly icky origins. By the end of volume two, I found myself rooting for both of them, despite their genuinely ugly rivalry.” Honestly, though, it’s the areas where the two leads overlap, rather than where they conflict, that really makes the story work. It’s both awesome and addictive.

Dousei Ai | by Setona Mizushiro | JManga/Libre Publishing – There’s a reason why I named JManga as my Pick of the Year, and no small part of that is Dousei Ai. Like Pride, this epic BL series from the author of After School Nightmare is both exactly what I want from its genre and exactly what’s missing from most of what we see in print. From my review: “This is no casual one-shot or simplistic BL romance. Setona Mizushiro has carefully crafted a complex emotional drama with some of the best-written characterization I’ve ever seen in this genre and a long game that is pretty obviously going to offer up significant payoff for the reader. I mean, going into this it’s clear that we’re in for a killer of a ride, along the lines of something like Sooyeon Won’s manhwa epic Let Dai, only better—much, much better.”

Hyakusho Kizoku | by Hiromu Arakawa | JManga/Shinshokan – This autobiographical manga from Fullmetal Alchemist author Hiromu Arakawa about growing up on her family’s dairy farm may not sound like much, but this understated single volume is one of the most delightful manga I read this year. From my review: “Though, on the surface, Hyakusho Kizoku may seem to share little in common with a fantasy epic like Fullmetal Alchemist, fans of FMA will quickly recognize Arakawa’s easy sense of humor, as well as her ability to create compelling, recognizable characters with just a few deft strokes … And though her humor is a highlight, it’s not the only way in which Arakawa shows off her strengths. One particularly haunting lesson about the fate of a sick, newborn calf had me tearing up as I read—a feat achieved mainly through just a few poignant strokes of Arakawa’s pen, as she drew her own mournful, childish face and that of the unsuspecting calf.”

You & Tonight | by Keiko Kinoshita | Digital Manga Guild – Though only the first volume of this quiet series has been published in English so far, it still stands out in my mind not only as one of my favorite BL manga of the year, but one of my favorite manga, period. From my review: “I’ve developed a bit of a love affair with Keiko Kinoshita’s work as of late, and this series has only deepened my feelings. Written in the same vein as her earlier two-volume series Kiss Blue, You and Tonight is a thoughtful, quiet manga about the delicate balance between love and friendship, and how two lifelong friends deal with the complications that arise when that balance is disturbed. Also like Kiss Blue, You and Tonight lets its characters process this sloooowly, which is one of the things that makes Kinoshita’s romance work so well. She isn’t afraid to let her characters wallow in uncertainty, and she certainly takes her time, but there’s never a sense that the story is dragging. On the contrary, there is tension in each moment, even the quietest ones.”

Sweet Blue Flowers | by Takako Shimura | JManga/Ohta Publishing – Apparently I’ve developed a love affair with Takako Shimura as well, as this is just the first of her series that will appear on this year’s list. I first heard of this title by way of Katherine Hanson‘s yuri panel at an obscure college convention here in western Massachusetts, and I’ve been dying to read it ever since. Thanks, JManga, for making it possible! From my review: “Like Shimura’s earlier series, Wandering Son, Sweet Blue Flowers is a quiet, emotionally complex story that addresses its characters’ sexuality, burgeoning sense of self, and considerable teen angst with thoughtfulness and real gravity, while also carefully providing them with a support system that keeps their sense of fear and isolation from overtaking the narrative. Manga fans who long for teen-oriented series’ depicting fantastic female friendships will find everything they’re looking for in this series, along with so much more.”

Continue to Part 2 for MJ’s “Top Five Continuing Series” and “Top Five Concluding Series”!

Do you have favorites to share?

Manga the Week of 1/2

December 27, 2012 by Sean Gaffney, MJ, Michelle Smith and Anna N 5 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MJ: Zzzzzzzzzzz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MJ: I really liked this title–recommended!

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

MJ: Heh, yes.

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

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

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

MICHELLE: Me, too.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MJ: Predictably, it is.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MJ: *dead*

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

Barefoot Gen creator Keiji Nakazawa passes away

December 26, 2012 by Brigid Alverson

Keiji Nakazawa, the creator of Barefoot Gen, has died at age 73. I wrote about him for Robot 6, and Jonathan Clements reprints an interview he did a few years back at Schoolgirl Milky Crisis. David Brothers recalls the impact the anime had on him when he watched it as a pre-teen:

Barefoot Gen is an important movie to me because it turned an abstract idea concrete. “The atomic bomb is awe-inspiring and amazing, a true triumph for America!” turned into “The atomic bomb is awful. We murdered innocent people and the effects are still being felt today.” I’ve spent most of my life on or around air force bases, and as a kid, war was exciting. Fighter pilots, right? Glamorous. Awesome. But I didn’t understand the cost. I didn’t understand collateral damage, acceptable losses, and war crimes.

I was a kid then. I’m glad I learned better.

Johanna Draper Carlson takes a look back at the year 2012 in manga at Comics Worth Reading.

The Manga Bookshelf bloggers discuss their picks of the year for 2012 as well as this week’s new print manga and this week’s new releases from JManga. Also at Manga Bookshelf, MJ and Michelle Smith devote their final Off the Shelf column of the year to two books of short stories, Kaoru Mori: Anything and Something and Takako Shimura’s The Devil Is So Cute, MJposts a new episode of her video series My Week in Manga, and Travis Anderson has a license request, Fumi Yoshinaga’s Kinou Nani Tabeta? Also: Matt Blind compiles his list of the manga best-sellers for the week ending December 23.

Tony Yao discusses a moment from Pandora Hearts that reflects his own feelings about the burdens of life.

News from Japan: Rumiko Takahashi will draw a special InuYasha one-shot for the tenth issue of Shonen Sunday, which is a benefit for the Heroes Come Back earthquake charity. Kekkaishi creator Yellow Tanabe plans to launch a new series in Shonen Sunday in the spring.

Reviews: The Manga Bookshelf bloggers file their final set of Bookshelf Briefs for the year. Ash Brown looks at a week’s worth of manga reading at Experiments in Manga.

Lori Henderson on vol. 1 of Alice in the Country of Hearts (Manga Village)
Ash Brown on vol. 1 of Aron’s Absurd Armada (Experiments in Manga)
Sakura Eries on vol. 1 of Aron’s Absurd Armada (The Fandom Post)
Erica Friedman on Asago to Kase-san (Okazu)
Erica Friedman on Akaniero Confiture (Okazu)
Kristin on vols. 16 and 17 of Bakuman (Comic Attack)
Andre Paploo on vol. 3 of Blood Blockade Battlefront (Kuriousity)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Blood Lad (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
AstroNerdBoy on vol. 6 of Bunny Drop (AstroNerdBoy’s Anime and Manga Blog)
Justin on chapter 12 of Cross Manage (Organization ASG)
Richard Bruton on Danza (Forbidden Planet)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 2 of A Devil and Her Love Song (Blogcritics)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 7 of Dogs: Bullets and Carnage (The Comic Book Bin)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 4 of The Earl and the Fairy (The Comic Book Bin)
Erica Freidman on Eden no Higastotsuka (Okazu)
Matthew Alexander on vol. 19 of Higurashi (The Fandom Post)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 19 of InuYasha (Blogcritics)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 7 of Itsuwaribito (The Comic Book Bin)
Sean Gaffney on Kaoru Mori: Anything and Something (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Phillip Anthony on vol. 1 of A Kiss on Tearful Cheeks (Manga Bookshelf)
Erica Friedman on Kisu wa Owari de Hajimari de (yuri doujinshi) (Okazu)
Erica Friedman on K-ON! College (Okazu)
Alex Hoffman on vols. 1 and 2 of The Limit (Manga Widget)
Matthew Warner on vol. 4 of March Story (The Fandom Post)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Mayo Chiki! (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
John Rose on vol. 1 of Missions of Love (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 13 of Natsume’s Book of Friends (The Comic Book Bin)
Sean Gaffney on vols. 1-3 of Neon Genesis Evangelion (omnibus edition) (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Manjiorin on vol. 2 of Oreimo (Organization ASG)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 3 of Oh My Goddess (Blogcritics)
Matthew Warner on vol. 65 of One Piece (The Fandom Post)
Ken H. on Orion (Comics Should Be Good)
Connie C. on Parasyte, Skip Beat! and Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths (Comics Should Be Good)
Anna on vols. 3 and 4 of Pride (Manga Report)
Matthew Warner on vol. 7 of Psyren (The Fandom Post)
Erica Friedman on vol. 3 of Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Okazu)
Matthew Warner on vol. 10 of Rosario + Vampire: Season II (The Fandom Post)
Erica Friedman on vol. 8 of Sailor Moon (Okazu)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 1 of Slam Dunk (Blogcritics)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 2 of Soulless (The Fandom Post)
Shannon Fay on vol. 1 of Start With a Happy Ending (Kuriousity)
Matthew Alexander on vol. 1 of Triage X (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 2 of Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL (I Reads You)

Blood Lad, Vol. 1

December 26, 2012 by Sean Gaffney

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

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

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

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

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

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

It Came from the Sinosphere: Angel Hair

December 25, 2012 by Sara K. Leave a Comment

So it me a while to figure out which Lai An (aka Ryan) manhua I wanted to talk about this week, but as soon as I re-read Angel Hair, I realized that this was the one.

The Story

A couple of travellers visit the grave of an angel somewhere in Italy. The travellers exchange the stories they have heard about the angel’s death. Then a stranger comes and tells them his version of the story.

The travellers find the tomb.

This manhua is mainly a collection of three stories about an angel called Nathaniel and how he died. The three stories all feature characters with the same names, and has some common element (for example, each story features hair turning from black to blond or from blond to black, and all three stories are set during the Italian Renaissance), and of course, each story ends with the death of the angel Nathaniel, but otherwise they are different stories.

Background

Sometimes her name is written in English as ‘Lai An’ and sometimes as ‘Ryan’.

Though there are other magazines which have published Taiwanese manhua aimed at a female audience, Star Girls is, as far as I know, the only magazine to have ever focused on Taiwanese manhua aimed at a female audience. When Star Girls debuted in the 1990s, when Taiwan was transitioning to democracy and aspiring manhua artists suddenly had a lot more freedom (technically, the Taiwanese manhua revival started in the late 1980s, but whatever) this magazine served as a venue for many brand new artists inspired by Japanese shojo manga. Based of what I’ve seen of the 90s material, much of it was dreck. However, it was in the 1990s that Yi Huan (who I’ve discussed before), Nicky Lee (who I’ve also discussed before), and Lai An got their start in Star Girls, and became Star Girls’ three most popular artists. All three of them are still producing shojo-inspired manhua.

Now, Star Girls has a much smaller group of artists than the 1990s, and it’s much harder for new talent to break in since the magazine editors apparently favor talent which has already proven successful. However, my impression (granted, this might be skewed by the samples I’ve encountered) is that the overall quality of the magazine is higher now than in the 1990s.

Anyway, as far as I know, Yi Huan, Nicky Lee, and Lai An are the only Star Girls’ artists who have ever published their own artbooks (please correct me if this information is wrong).

This manhua is a collection of three stories published in Star Girls magazine in the late 90s.

About Lai An’s Art

Since Star Girls is modelled after Japanese shojo magazines, all of its manhua are heavily influenced by Japanese shojo manga … but some are only heavily influenced, for example the work of Yi Huan, and some are so heavily influenced that I can’t stop myself from comparing it to extremely similar Japanese material, for example the work of Nicky Lee. Lai An also falls into the latter category. Her art style in the 1990s is basically just like the dominant shojo art styles of the 90s, and her current art is much like current shojo art.

The thing is, I love 90s shojo art. I dislike current shojo art, which is one reason I don’t read much current shojo (and what I do read of the current stuff, such as 7Seeds, tends to have a retro art style).

As it so happens, I love Lai An’s early art, but I don’t love her current art. I think it is partially because she is following contemporary Japanese styles. Yet I don’t think that completely explains it.

Here are some pages from an early Lai An manhua, The Royal:

First of all, I love the 90s style, in fact, it even seems to hark back to glorious 70s shojo (I can tell that many Star Girls artists love 70s shojo). There is an abundance of wavy lines, a jewel-like beauty, as well as the daring emotionally charged panel compositions which I love to see in shojo manga.

These are some pages from Lai An’s currently running manhua, Close to You:

Okay, the art’s not bad. Actually, it’s good. It’s even more anatomically accurate. It looks the work of a more mature artist. But, to me, it lacks the creative energy of her early artwork. It doesn’t make me pause so I can let the art penetrate my eyes. And I don’t think this can simply be attributed to a change in vogue.

Anyway, maybe I should start talking about…

The Art in Angel Hair

Flowers! Feathers! Swirly lines! Expressive use of panels! Super-long legs! Wheee!!!

About the only thing it would need to become even more like 70s shojo manga art is the sparkles, but that’s okay, I think the flowers and the expressive use of panels are better than sparkles.

And of course, girly art which does not constantly burst into flowers can also be wonderful too, but hey, I heartily approve of girly comic books which burst out into flowers.

It should be apparent by now that Angel Hair is a work from Lai An’s early period, in other words, from when her art was actually beautiful instead of merely being good.

However, it’s not just the 70s-shojo-esque (and authentically 90s) Asian-style girly comic book art.

In order for complex panel compositions to work, there need to be simple compositions to balance them out, and in fact, these simpler compositions will often have the greatest impact because they can be understood the most immediately. Lai An includes a sufficient number of single-panel or otherwise simple pages as well. Of course, when the panel composition is simple, there needs to be a compelling subject. Lai An takes care of this too.

And of course, her characters can be very expressive, and not just in a melodramatic way.

However, I think my favorite thing about the artwork is the use of contrast. Most of this manhua is very light, colorwise – lots of white space between the lines, not too much screentone, etc.

That means when black space is used, it really stands out. These are some of my favorite images, but partially because they contrast with the overall light-levels of the manhua as a whole – in isolation, they would not be so striking.

And it supports the stories. All of the stories include as a plot element blond hair vs. black hair. In all of the stories, blond hair represents goodness, purity, and beauty … as well hypocrisy and deceit, whereas black hair represents evil, pollution, and ugliness … as well as truth and integrity. By keeping most of the art looking light, the dark parts truly feel heavy, serious, and like a stain on the appearance.

This is an opportunity to talk about…

The Stories, Again

All three stories are fairy-tale like, of course. And we all know what a fairy-tale should feel like. And that’s why the first two stories feel wrong.

In the first story, for example, (spoiler warning) the princess kills the angel to get his hair so her hair would be blond forever and she could win the love of the prince. The innocent angel dies and the princess marries the prince and lives happily ever after.

Lai An said she got a lot of complaints about this story when it first ran in Star Girls magazine. It flies in the face of the ‘just world hypothesis’ (which, strangely, I have discussed before) and fairy tales just don’t work like that.

The second story also feels unsatisfying, though I don’t want to spoil that one.

However, the point is that these first two stories are supposed to feel false. Lai An says that she didn’t know whether to be pleased or disappointed by the magazine readers’ reactions. That is so that, when the third story is told, the reader will feel that the third story is the true story of how the angel died (and I am definitely don’t want to spoil that one).

The mere fact that the first two stories are, essentially, false, demonstrates that one shouldn’t trust everything one hears.

I think I hinted at the moral of the three stories while I was talking about the art. Basically, the message is “don’t judge people based on their appearances.” Or perhaps more broadly, “do what you feel is just, not what other people say you should do.”

All in all, I think the stories, collectively, work quite well.

Availability in English

There is no legal way to read this manhua in English. That’s too bad. It’s only one volume long, so I can’t imagine that it would be too much of a financial risk to license and publish this (digitally, or even on paper) in English.

Conclusion

To be honest, I am not a Lai An fan. But this specific manhua is an exception. It was among the first manhua I ever read, and it left an impression on me. It uses the story structure expertly to make its point. And I am most definitely a sucker for the artwork.

Next Time: Full Count (idol drama)

Last week, Sara K. attended the “Global Sinophonia” conference at Academia Sinica. Though she was just an observer, she had never been to an academic conference before, and in some ways she thought getting a peek at that world was more interesting than the presentations themselves. Of course, some of the presentations were very interesting, and will no doubt have their influence on this column. It was also the first time she ever identified herself as a blogger in the offline world (hey, what was she supposed to say when people asked her “what university are you affiliated with” or “what do you research”?) Sara K. is very grateful to Yen Yen Woo and Colin Goh of Dim Sum Warriors for inviting her. Speaking of that, you can now admire the technological marvel of a 3-year old reading a bilingual comic on an iPad.

Kaoru Mori: Anything and Something

December 24, 2012 by Sean Gaffney

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pick of the Year: 2012

December 24, 2012 by MJ, Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith 6 Comments

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

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

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

Readers, what’s your favorite title of 2012?