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Bringing the Drama: To the Beautiful You

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There’s a particular type of excitement that grips a manga fan when they find out about an upcoming live action adaptation of a favorite manga. Will the latest version be inspired or insipid? I had high hopes when I found out that a new Korean drama version of one of my favorite manga, Hana Kimi, was in production. Fortunately for the most part I wasn’t disappointed. The entire series of To the Beautiful You is available for streaming on Hulu and Dramafever.

Clearly, these are all boys

For those of you unfamiliar with the Hana Kimi manga, I’ll provide a brief summary. Mizuki lives in the US, but decides to return to Japan, disguising herself as a boy and enrolling in an exclusive all-boys school in order to get close to her long-time track and field crush, Sano. Like many shojo heroes, Sano is tormented by his past and thus is currently struggling with his high jump. He’s disturbed when he gets assigned a new odd transfer student as his roommate, and his orderly and somewhat solitary life is about to get shaken up dramatically. Hana Kimi the manga explores the romance between Mizuki, who is determined to bring Sano back to high jumping glory. Comically enthusiastic soccer player Nakatsu finds himself falling for the new boy at school and starts questioning his sexuality, while Sano sees through Mizuki’s disguise fairly easily but keeps his knowledge to himself as Mizuki’s kind and energetic personality slowly starts to win him over. Hana Kimi is one of the manga that cemented my addition to shojo, and to this day I still have an irrational affection for cross-dressing reverse harem stories.

When adapting the manga for Korean drama format, there were several choices that I thought really made sense in driving the story forward, even though some of the plot points diverged a bit from the manga. In To the Beautiful You, the Sano character Tae Joon is a high jump champion, but he’s also a celebrity with an agent and issues with endorsement deals. It makes a lot more sense for Tae Joon to be a mini-celebrity when Jae Hee (Mizuki) sees him on TV in California and promptly decides to move to Korea to be near him. In the Hana Kimi manga, I just assumed that Mizuki only had a very odd attachment to track and field. I don’t think it is possible for a Korean drama to air without a slightly evil second lead girl to serve as an antagonist for the main character. The second lead girl in To the Beautiful You is Ha Na, a rhythmic gymnast who is also signed to Tae Joon’s agency. Ha Na is pretty much exactly what one would expect from a second lead girl, although she does put her gymnastics abilities to work in interesting ways whenever she decides to infiltrate the boys’ school to spy on Tae Joon.

Platonic roommates, just hanging out the way guys do.

Hana Kimi the manga dealt with the love triangle between the three characters, but it did so against a backdrop of slice of life school antics in a boarding school with dorm-based rivalries between groups of jocks, martial arts trainees, and drama geeks. There’s a large extended cast in Hana Kimi, and for the most part the emphasis in To the Beautiful You is on the love triangle only, and many of the supporting cast members are either not present, combined into one character, or seldom seen. This aspect of the manga is referenced in a couple episodes where the three dorm leaders have to come together in conference. It makes sense that a TV version of the story would opt for a more intimate plot focusing on fewer characters. One big change is in the character of Dr. Umeda, who is no longer the fabulously gay man he was in the manga version. The doctor in To the Beautiful You is quirky in his own way, but Umeda was such a standout character in the manga that I missed him quite a bit.

Cheer up, Eun Gyul, the boy you loved might have turned out to be a girl but at least your haircut has improved.

The acting in To the Beautiful You is for the most part fine, although Eun Gyul (Nakatsu) seems to be channeling the character Jeremy from You’re Beautiful in the first few episodes. This isn’t helped by the fact that they have almost identical haircuts. Minho does a good job contrasting Tae Joon’s closed-off personality before Jae Hee enters his life with the more open and expressive person he becomes after spending time with her. One storyline where I thought the drama had a bit of an edge over the manga was showcasing Eun Gyul’s reaction to finding out the truth behind Jae Hee’s disguise. In the manga I always thought that there should be more emotional fallout from the revelation and since Korean dramas tend to go for the crying scenes whenever possible, I thought that Eun Gyul’s storyline was handled better over several episodes as opposed to the faster way the Hana Kimi manga wrapped up this particular plot point.

Fans of the Hana Kimi manga looking for a live action drama version will likely not be disappointed by To the Beautiful You. I think that if I were watching this drama without the inherent interest of seeing one of my favorite manga adapted, I’d rank it more towards the midrange of the dramas I’ve seen. It is good, but it isn’t an instant classic like You’re Beautiful and I’m not sure if I’m going to feel the need to rewatch it at all. Still, it was interesting to see the adaptation choices as Hana Kimi was translated into a Korean drama, and this series maintained my interest and kept me entertained until the last episode.

Vampires at the Feast

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This month’s Manga Moveable Feast has a vampire theme, which is appropriate to the season. Apricotsushi is hosting at Chic Pixel; here’s the opening post and the archive page.

The Manga Bookshelf team chooses their pick of the week—and it’s unanimous. (I didn’t have time to contribute to this week’s column, but if I had, I’d be in agreement with everyone else.)

Also at Manga Bookshelf, MJ and Michelle Smith discuss King of RPGs, Pride, and a handful of other manga in their Off the Shelf column and Matt Blind lists the manga best-sellers (online sales) for the week ending October 14.

Jocelyne Allen writes about the work of Machiko Kyo (Erotics f), whose work is so far available only in Japanese.

News from Japan: Fujihiko Hosono, the creator of Gallery Fake, is bringing the series back to Big Comic Spirit for a special episode set in the Tohoku region. Hosono and seven other manga-ka will draw new manga featuring their signature characters and donate the royalties toward the rebuilding effort in Tohoku, which was hit hard by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Reviews: The Manga Bookshelf team queues up some short manga reviews in their latest Bookshelf Briefs column.

Matthew Warner on vol. 44 of Bleach (The Fandom Post)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Girl Friends: The Complete Collection (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 15 of GTO: The Early Years (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Anna on vol. 1 of Limit and vol. 1 of Paradise Kiss (Manga Report)
Kate Dacey on Mail (The Manga Critic)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 33 of Ranma 1/2 (Blogcritics)
Ken Haley on Skullman (Sequential Ink)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 24 of Slam Dunk (The Comic Book Bin)
Anna on vol. 1 of Summit of the Gods (Experiments in Manga)
Drew McCabe on vol. 12 of Toriko (Comic Attack)
Lori Henderson on vols. 12 and 14 of Vampire Knight (Manga Village)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 2 of Wandering Son (Blogcritics)

Bookshelf Briefs 10/22/12

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This week, Sean, Kate, MJ, and Michelle look at recent releases from Kodansha Comics, VIZ Media, Yen Press, and Vertical, Inc.

Cage of Eden, Vol. 7 | By Yoshinobu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – Yes, the fanservice is still as gratuitous as ever. That said, there’s a lot to like here. For one, we get more casualties, reminding us that the longer everyone stays on the island, the more the cast is going to be culled. The fact that the group is taken out by what turns out to be ticks is quite chilling. Akira’s open show of determination and leadership, meanwhile, gives everyone inspiration and makes them want to keep up with him. This then takes a much darker turn, as we see the consequences of everyone not wanting to be dragging the group down – the cast getting altitude sickness that nearly kills them because no one will rest. And finally the cast start to hallucinate (a genuine symptom of altitude sickness) – which allows for a cliffhanger involving more horrific extinct animals. Shonen madness! – Sean Gaffney

A Devil And Her Love Song, Vol. 5 | By Miyoshi Tomori | VIZ Media – Maria’s first instinct when confronted with conflict is still brutal honesty, and I admire the fact that the manga shows this remains ultimately a good thing. Indeed, it’s not just Maria in this volume, as Shin shows off his own tendency to say exactly what he thinks. He thus ends up meeting Maria’s friend from her old school, Anna. I knew from the moment we started Volume 1 that Anna would be appearing at some point, and would be an antagonist. Thus I am once again pleased at how believable Tomori-san makes her. Maria, meanwhile, is still having trouble dealing with her feelings for Shin. This fails to surprise anyone, given how she has trouble with friendships, much less love. But I can’t wait to see what happens next. – Sean Gaffney

Fairy Tail, Vol. 21 | By Hiro Mashima | Kodansha Comics – There is a WHOLE lot going on in this volume. We meet most of the Fairy Tail cast doppelgangers – including Lisanna, who’s dead in Natsu’s universe – and find Erza’s working for the bad guys. Speaking of the bad guys, they’re the usual eccentric lot, ranging from obviously sympathetic to completely insane. There’s a healthy dollop of humor here, as we see Lucy’s double showing off how alike the two are and Loki ignoring Lucy’s call to battle as he’s on a date (presumably with Aries). And there are sad and heartwarming moments, such as Carla’s realization of what she’s been involved in, as well as the identity of the cats who briefly harbor them. Most of all, I’ve finally stopped thinking about how much Fairy Tail rips off One Piece when I read it. Which is quite the accomplishment. – Sean Gaffney

The Flowers of Evil, Vol. 3 | By Shuzo Oshimi | Vertical, Inc. – Though I had high praise for the first two volumes of The Flowers of Evil, volume three is a weaker and less psychologically plausible installment than what preceded it. Saeki’s increasingly desperate attachment to Takao seems more like a plot contrivance than a natural progression for her character, while Nakamura’s bullying sails over the line from nasty manipulation to outright sadism. The two girls’ tug-of-war isn’t beyond the realm of possibility; nor is Saeki’s unfounded belief that Takao represents something more interesting or profound than what other boys her ages could offer. What feels wrong is the way in which that conflict manifests itself, culminating in a scene that only a teenage boy would feel was an accurate representation of how girls think and behave. I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet, but I’m no longer convinced that Oshimi has as a firm a grasp of his characters as he did in the first chapters of the series. – Katherine Dacey

The Flowers of Evil, Vol. 3 | By Shuzo Oshimi | Vertical, Inc. – I wrote in my brief review of volume two that I “pretty much hated” The Flowers of Evil and couldn’t see myself continuing with it, and yet here I am. I suppose curiosity got the best of me. Volume three deals with the aftermath of Kasuga and Nakamura’s classroom vandalism, during which it becomes clear to Saeki and Kasuga’s mother that he is the one responsible. I actually did like certain things about what follows—especially Kasuga’s admittance that he was only reading Baudelaire in an effort to convince himself he’s special and that he’s scared of facing the real Saeki as opposed to his idealized vision of her—but spent a lot of time baffled by the characters’ actions and reactions. What is clear is that nobody is the person that others thought they were, which seems like a decent note upon which to end the series, but it actually continues from this point. I’m still not sure if I’ll be reading it. – Michelle Smith

Jiu Jiu, Vol. 2 | By Touya Tobina | VIZ Media – First of all, that cover is far saucier than a typical Hakusensha shojo title – something the author lampshades in one of her notes! Despite that, this title is becoming for females what Cage of Eden is for males. There’s lots of rampant fanservice of Snow and Night looking half-naked and sweaty. The plot is still a bit ‘make it up as you go along’, but I’m used to that with Hakusensha. The author hasn’t made it clear whether we – and Takamichi – are supposed to think of the two male leads as pets, or as children/family, or as love interests. It’s somewhat uncomfortable, and I think that’s at least partly deliberate. The addition of a few new cast members is nice to see, but for the most part this is still a three-hander about young people who are very bad at social interaction and the laughs and awkwardness that comes with that. Hope it continues to improve. -Sean Gaffney

Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 8 | By Hiro Arikawa and Kiiro Yumi | VIZ Media- Okay, seriously, how did Library Wars end up being so shoujoliciously good? I mean, the premise is rather silly and the characters are far from convincing as soldiers, but the past couple of volumes have been genuinely enjoyable. In volume eight, the truth of why Iku’s being interrogated regarding a book-burning incident comes to light, which ultimately leads to her finally realizing that her commanding officer, Dojo, is her prince, whereupon she freaks out in a pretty awesome way. Combined with her composure under questioning and her reaction to this news, I am finally beginning to like Iku at long last. This volume also prominently features Iku’s awesome roommate, Shibazaki, who is one of those “I am jaded and unable to fall in love but will protect my idealistic friend with all I’ve got” characters whom I always adore. I’m looking forward to volume nine! – Michelle Smith

Pandora Hearts, Vol. 12 | By Jun Mochizuki | Yen Press – As tension ramps up over Oz’s questionable origins and the return of a mysterious villain with a penchant for beheading, I’ll admit that what really makes this whole volume for me is a (presumably) throwaway section in which Oz’s younger sister Ada reveals her secret obsession with the occult. That may not sound funny on the face of it, but trust me… it’s honestly hilarious, surprisingly charming, and makes it even harder to continue to hate the supposedly evil Vincent Nightray, to whom she bares her magically-consumed soul. Too, this section highlights one of the strengths of Mochizuki’s writing. No matter how dark and complicated her story becomes, she never loses her sense of whimsy or her deep love for her odd little cast of characters. Humorous interludes aside, volume twelve is full of terrific little nuggets of characterization—just part of the series’ considerable payoff for fans who have stuck with it so far. Still recommended. – MJ

Skip Beat!, Vol. 29 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | VIZ Media – I am probably somewhat of a broken record where Skip Beat! is concerned, because not only do I genuinely enjoy every new volume, I also always wish that I had twenty more of them waiting in the wings, that’s how much I adore it. In this volume, Kyoko has realized that she’s on the verge of sprouting feelings for Ren, which scares her very much, since he is able to slip past her defenses so easily. She’s so distracted she allows a male costar to make her over for a wrap party, which yields two developments: Kyoko becomes convinced Ren sees her as too childish to pursue and she gains confidence in her ability to transform herself for a role. That’s Skip Beat! in a nutshell—even when there’s a smidgen of romantic progress, there’s a healthy dollop of career progress for the awesome heroine to go along with it. Perennially recommended. – Michelle Smith

Pick of the Week: Limit

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KATE: Though I’m glad to see that Dark Horse is still releasing new volumes of Bride of the Water God—surely one of the most beautiful and confusing manhwa available in English—my vote goes to volume one of Keiko Suenobu’s Limit. The story focuses on a group of girls who survive a terrible bus accident. As they wait for help, the class pariah discovers she has the upper hand over her tormentors, and exploits that turn of events to its fullest. Suenobu sometimes tries too hard to make her story a parable about bullying and social dynamics, but on the whole, Limit manages to be thoughtful *and* entertaining — think Mean Girls with weapons.

MJ: I have to say, I’m with Kate this week. Though there are a number of my favorites on the list this week (I must continue to mention the ever-charming Pandora Hearts), Limit is really a must-buy.

MICHELLE: I’m going to have to chime in with a “ditto,” as well. It’s not too often that we get shoujo like this, and it’s definitely something worth checking out and supporting.

SEAN: Much as I do like the Nagato and DRRR!! spinoffs, I must chime in for Limit as well, which is simply a change of pace from ‘sweet young girl goes to high school and meets cool guy who likes her’ shoujo manga. Limit has its pacing issues, but is a gripping read with lots of high-tension emotion.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

GTO: The Early Years, Vol. 15

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By Toru Fujisawa. Released in Japan as “Shonan Jun’ai Gumi” by Kodansha, serialized in the magazine Weekly Shonen Magazine. Released in North America by Vertical.

And so, after much delay and a rescue by our friends at Vertical, the GTO Early Years series is now complete.It’s been a ling ride, and you can visibly see how much Fujisawa has improved and refined his art – Shinomi, for one, is almost unrecognizable compared to how she looked when we first saw her, and most of the characters have that ‘GTO’ look that we’re more familiar with from the sequel. What’s more, knowing he has to wrap things up, Fujisawa devotes much of this volume to our heroes’ two love-interests, showing how each of them compares and contrasts with their man. In particular, Shinomi demonstrates that, in her own way, she can screw everything up just as much as Eikichi.

When I reviewed Vol. 14, I noted that I wasn’t sure if the cliffhanger reveal would be played for comedy or drama. Very cleverly, this is actually used in-story – Shinomi, in a fit or misplaced jealousy, is ready to mock Eikichi mercilessly, only to suddenly find that he’s far more affected by everything than she had anticipated. In fact, things get so bad so fast that she desperately confesses to him – which he seems to pretend not to hear, something that he’s very good at indeed. (Note that in GTO 14 Years he’s *still* pretending not to hear Shinomi at times…) After a heart to heart and a good cry with an old mentor, Shinomi decides to go all out and give herself body and soul to Eikichi. This ends up going horribly wrong in the best GTO tradition, and in the funniest scene of the entire book. I had always been a fan of Onizuka getting together with Azusa, given I read GTO first, but Shinomi is making me waver a bit. She’s a perfect complement to his idiocy.

Nagisa, meanwhile, is having troubles of her own. Mostly that Ryuji is using their dates to have sex with her and not much else. And the sex isn’t bad, but Nagisa is a romantic. So when a guy at a nearby high school confesses to her, she’s depressed enough to actually go out with him. Again, Ryuji has always been slightly (but only slightly) more mature than Eikichi, so it would make sense that his own complement is the same. As we see later in the book, she’s trying to study and get into college so she can become a therapist and deal with… well, people like herself. (It’s likely been long forgotten, but Nagisa has disassociative identity disorder). Getting Ryuji to realize that she’s not just there for him to stick it in is tough. Luckily, she’s still completely devoted to him, and it all works out.

And so we get to the final battles. There’s a group of new freshman entering high school, all of whom have heard about the famous exploits of the Oni-Baku Duo, and all of whom are now ready to pledge their lives to them and take over all of Shonan. This is somewhat disquieting to our heroes, who while they always unquestioningly defend their friends, and certainly enjoy being in a gang, fighting, and driving around on bikes, have never really had the ambition to take over the city. Or indeed do much at all. Ryuji sees his girlfriend’s fierce study and is blown away – he’s starting to wonder what to do with his life once he graduates. Onizuka is not quite at that stage (indeed, it will take until the start of GTO to push him there), but the two definitely realize they don’t want to be gang leaders the rest of their days, and something needs to be done.

As ever in the GTO series, events spiral out of control into complete madness, and talking everyone down is no longer an option. So the two of them decide to pull off an elaborate final fight (between each other, of course), and leave this world once and for all. Now clearly we’re not buying what they’re doing – we’ve seen GTO, after all, which shows them both as adults – but I think even readers seeing this back in 1996 knew this was all an elaborate put-on. And sure enough, it’s not even 15 pages before the reveal. Those 15 pages, though, are styled like a documentary/remembrance, with reactions ranging from anger to disbelief to genuine grief (Shinomi and Nagisa).

GTO and its prequels/sequels ran in Weekly Magazine rather than Weekly Jump, and the audiences are fundamentally different. But in the end, you can’t deny that GTO: The Early Years brings you some of the best in shonen ideals. Kids having fun, getting into goofy antics, and trying to get laid are contrasted with holding on to your dreams, always being there for your friends, and enjoying your youth while trying not to destroy it. Eikichi and Ryuji have walked a fine line between those ideals at times, but in the end have shown the main way to accomplish these ideals: a good heart. (And also possibly being a badass biker with ungodly stamina.)

Manga Bestsellers: 2012, Week Ending 14 October

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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 3 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [379.1] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Yotsuba&! 11 – Yen Press, Sep 2012 [376.0] ::
3. ↔0 (3) : Sailor Moon 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [357.0] ::
4. ↑1 (5) : Sailor Moon 4 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [350.1] ::
5. ↓-1 (4) : Naruto 58 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [346.1] ::
6. ↔0 (6) : Sailor Moon 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [344.9] ::
7. ↔0 (7) : Death Note vols 1-13 box set – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Oct 2008 [303.6] ::
8. ↔0 (8) : Sailor Moon 7 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2012 [299.6] ::
9. ↔0 (9) : Sailor Moon 8 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2012 [284.2] ::
10. ↑1 (11) : Sailor Moon 6 – Kodansha Comics, Jun 2012 [267.4] ::

[more]

Top Imprints
Number of volumes ranking in the Top 500:

Yen Press 86
Viz Shonen Jump 77
Viz Shojo Beat 60
Kodansha Comics 44
Viz Shonen Jump Advanced 36
DMP Juné 27
Dark Horse 23
Vertical 21
Seven Seas 20
Viz 13

[more]

Series/Property

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon – Kodansha Comics [1,019.3] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Naruto – Viz Shonen Jump [764.2] ::
3. ↔0 (3) : Bleach – Viz Shonen Jump [637.4] ::
4. ↔0 (4) : Maximum Ride – Yen Press [446.6] ::
5. ↔0 (5) : Alice in the Country of Clover – Seven Seas [428.6] ::
6. ↔0 (6) : One Piece – Viz Shonen Jump [419.1] ::
7. ↑1 (8) : Negima! – Del Rey/Kodansha Comics [414.0] ::
8. ↓-1 (7) : Death Note – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced [413.2] ::
9. ↔0 (9) : Yotsuba&! – Yen Press [398.4] ::
10. ↔0 (10) : Avatar: The Last Airbender – [multiple publishers] [355.9] ::

[more]

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

2. ↔0 (2) : Yotsuba&! 11 – Yen Press, Sep 2012 [376.0] ::
5. ↓-1 (4) : Naruto 58 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [346.1] ::
8. ↔0 (8) : Sailor Moon 7 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2012 [299.6] ::
11. ↓-1 (10) : Alice in the Country of Clover Cheshire Cat Waltz 2 – Seven Seas, Sep 2012 [259.2] ::
12. ↔0 (12) : Bleach 46 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [243.1] ::
14. ↔0 (14) : Loveless 9 – Viz, Sep 2012 [242.0] ::
15. ↓-2 (13) : Bleach 47 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [239.6] ::
19. ↓-4 (15) : One Piece 64 – Viz Shonen Jump, Sep 2012 [229.4] ::
20. ↑3 (23) : Cardcaptor Sakura Omnibus 4 – Dark Horse, Oct 2012 [219.7] ::
23. ↑11 (34) : Bleach 48 – Viz Shonen Jump, Oct 2012 [200.9] ::

[more]

Preorders

9. ↔0 (9) : Sailor Moon 8 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2012 [284.2] ::
17. ↑2 (19) : Sailor Moon 9 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2013 [234.3] ::
18. ↓-1 (17) : Sailor Moon 10 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2013 [232.4] ::
45. ↑6 (51) : Naruto 59 – Viz Shonen Jump, Nov 2012 [149.8] ::
51. ↑2 (53) : Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind 2 vol hardcover box set [complete] – Viz Ghibli Library, Nov 2012 [141.0] ::
72. ↑8 (80) : Negima! 37 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2013 [113.7] ::
75. ↓-1 (74) : Omamori Himari 9 – Yen Press, Nov 2012 [112.8] ::
91. ↑28 (119) : Ouran High School Host Club vols 1-18 box set – Viz Shojo Beat, Nov 2012 [98.3] ::
102. ↑23 (125) : Vampire Knight 15 – Viz Shojo Beat, Nov 2012 [95.5] ::
105. ↑5 (110) : Battle Angel Alita Last Order 16 – Kodansha Comics, Dec 2012 [94.5] ::

[more]

Manhwa

569. ↓-19 (550) : Bride of the Water God 10 – Dark Horse, Jan 2012 [17.1] ::
757. ↑10 (767) : Time & Again 6 – Yen Press, Jul 2011 [9.4] ::
766. ↑14 (780) : Bride of the Water God 11 – Dark Horse, May 2012 [9.2] ::
768. ↑197 (965) : Color Trilogy 1 The Color of Earth – Macmillan First Second, Apr 2009 [9.1] ::
792. ↑121 (913) : One Thousand & One Nights 8 – Yen Press, Aug 2009 [8.3] ::
842. ↓-50 (792) : Time & Again 3 – Yen Press, Jul 2010 [7.4] ::
843. ↑1 (844) : Time & Again 2 – Yen Press, Mar 2010 [7.4] ::
898. ↓-24 (874) : Time & Again 5 – Yen Press, Mar 2011 [6.1] ::
911. ↓-28 (883) : Time & Again 1 – Yen Press, Dec 2009 [5.9] ::
1027. ↑412 (1439) : March Story 4 – Viz Signature, Oct 2012 [4.1] ::

[more]

BL/Yaoi

14. ↔0 (14) : Loveless 9 – Viz, Sep 2012 [242.0] ::
32. ↓-3 (29) : Finder Series 6 Passion within the View Finder – DMP Juné, Jul 2012 [177.0] ::
80. ↑1 (81) : Secret Thorns – DMP Juné, Oct 2012 [105.6] ::
90. ↑51 (141) : The Tyrant Falls in Love 7 – DMP Juné, Sep 2012 [99.2] ::
120. ↑95 (215) : Samejima-Kun & Sasahara-Kun – DMP Juné, May 2012 [86.9] ::
184. ↑18 (202) : Only the Ring Finger Knows (novel) 5 – DMP Juné, Sep 2012 [63.0] ::
194. ↑17 (211) : Sleepless Nights – DMP Juné, Jan 2013 [60.4] ::
195. ↑68 (263) : The Man I Picked Up – DMP Juné, Aug 2012 [60.3] ::
225. ↑3 (228) : Honey*Smile – DMP Juné, Oct 2012 [54.2] ::
226. ↓-12 (214) : His Arrogance – 801 Media, Dec 2008 [53.8] ::

[more]

Ebooks

13. ↑3 (16) : Naruto 57 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jul 2012 [242.1] ::
21. ↓-1 (20) : Maximum Ride 1 – Yen Press, Jan 2009 [217.2] ::
30. ↓-4 (26) : Maximum Ride 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2011 [180.2] ::
36. ↔0 (36) : Naruto 56 – Viz Shonen Jump, May 2012 [172.6] ::
55. ↓-1 (54) : Naruto 55 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [129.6] ::
60. ↓-2 (58) : Maximum Ride 2 – Yen Press, Oct 2009 [125.8] ::
66. ↓-1 (65) : Maximum Ride 4 – Yen Press, Apr 2011 [119.3] ::
70. ↑9 (79) : Maximum Ride 3 – Yen Press, Aug 2010 [117.9] ::
77. ↑10 (87) : Blue Exorcist 1 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Apr 2011 [109.1] ::
109. ↓-8 (101) : Naruto 52 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jul 2011 [92.2] ::

[more]

Off the Shelf: King of RPGs, Genbu Kaiden, Pride

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MICHELLE: Hey, MJ! Did you hear about the fire at the circus?

MJ: Why no, Michelle. Why don’t you tell me about it?

MICHELLE: It was in tents!

MJ: Ba-dum dum *chick*.

MICHELLE: I concede that there is a distinct possibility that nobody enjoys these dumb jokes but me, but I can’t seem to resist trotting them out whenever it’s my turn to start us off. Anyhoo, read any good manga lately?

MJ: I certainly have! It’s been a long time coming, but I finally acquired myself a copy of the second volume of Jason Thompson and Victor Hao’s OEL manga series King of RPGs, released over a year ago by the much-missed Del Rey. I enthusiastically reviewed volume one many moons ago for Deb Aoki at About.com, but I’d missed continuing on. And now that I have, I’m sorry that it took me so long!

After volume one’s over-the-top, madcap, shounen-esque conclusion, the series’ second volume begins in relatively grounded territory as it introduces us to the online universe of “World of Warcraft Warfare,” the MMORPG that originally drove the story’s hero, Shesh, to hospitalization and extensive psychotherapy. WOW servers have been overrun by “gold farmers”—players who collect in-game valuables (currency, magical items, high-level characters, etc.) and sell them for real-world cash. As rival guild members battle and kill each other (rather than their AI enemies) over these valuables, the name “Moggrathka,” Shesh’s long-abandoned character, lives on in legend as the most-feared and respected player-killer of all time. Soon after, we’re reintroduced to Rona Orzak, volume one’s misguided, gamer-hating student policewoman, who inadvertently reawakens Shesh’s in-game alter-ego by way of her own WOW account, thus unleashing the player-killing monster into both the real and virtual worlds. Of course, in King of RPGs, only tabletop gaming can save the day!

This series has a lot going for it, particularly for gamers and shounen manga fans who are pretty much equally serviced by its generously applied fan culture references, character-driven narrative, and fast-paced adventure. But its greatest appeal by far is Jason Thompson’s spot-on humor, which somehow manages to make a bunch of potentially alienating in-jokes accessible to casual readers without mocking hard-core fans. I can only attribute this to Thompson’s obvious love for the subject matter, and its effectiveness really can’t be overstated. If there’s a consistent vibe that tends to emanate from real nerd culture, it’s a weird combination of passionate fandom and deep resentment over any attempt to bring newcomers into the fold—as if the conversion of each new fan somehow reduces the value of the fandom itself. But Thompson actively invites readers into the world of tabletop RPGs (and, more stealthily, shounen manga) with a real warmth and generosity that makes you want to join him at the table. That, more than anything, makes the series a great read. And the hilarity… oh, the hilarity!

I should mention, too, Hao’s artwork, which has really grown since the series’ beginning. Volume two’s visual storytelling is just as energetic as ever, but feels cleaner and vastly more focused, especially in later chapters.

MICHELLE: You know, I have volume one on my shelf, but never got around to reading it. It seems like I should rectify that. Has there been any word on the fate of this series now that Del Rey is no more?

MJ: Nothing official that I’m aware of (though I believe the authors are hopeful!), but Jason Thompson’s webcomic “expansion” has been running on the series’ website since February, so there’s something to tide us over, at least. Also, gamers will enjoy the fake blog of Theodore Dudek, King of RPGs‘ overenthusiastic GM.

So, now that I’ve sufficiently nerded-out, what have you been reading this week?

MICHELLE: I have been enjoying a marathon catch-up read of Fushigi Yûgi: Genbu Kaiden, by Yuu Watase!

The anime of the original Fushigi Yûgi was one of the first shoujo anime I ever saw, and the story remains dear to my heart, even though I am fully cognizant of its flaws. When Genbu Kaiden started coming out in English, I collected it faithfully, but somehow never ended up reading it. Now that the much-anticipated tenth volume has finally been published (almost three years after volume nine), I made it my priority to get caught up.

And what a delightful read it has been! Watase sure has matured a lot as a storyteller in the intervening years, crafting a story that’s similar enough to the original to appeal to long-time fans, but fully its own creation capable of attracting new readers. Genbu Priestess Takiko Okuda is a much more likable heroine than the original’s Miaka, and the primary romance here is one that leaves me more touched than annoyed. I was actually expecting to like Tomite and Hikitsu the best (especially Hikitsu), since they appeared in the original story (and since Hikitsu is very pretty), but my favorite characters have actually turned out to be the Celestial warriors appearing here for the first time. I’m surprised by how much I like Uruki (Takiko’s love interest), but my favorite is probably Namame, the mute (only Takiko can hear his voice) but ever-helpful warrior who spends most of his time in the form of a stone doll.

In volume ten, the Celestial warriors have infiltrated the capital, where one of their number is being imprisoned and made to use his powers for the protection of the power-hungry emperor. Some nifty revelations ensue, including a tour through the memories of Uruki’s corrupt dad, but by far the most significant aspect of the story is that Takiko has begun to show signs of the same illness that claimed her mother’s life, but is trying to hide it from the others. She knows now that she will be compelled to sacrifice herself if she summons Genbu, but since her death seems imminent anyway, it might as well serve the purpose of saving people who are dying from war, cold, and starvation.

Although there are a few lighthearted moments—as well as a smattering of romantic ones—on the whole, this is a much more sober tale than the original and definitely its equal, if not its superior. I’m exceedingly glad to see volume eleven on the near horizon (March 2013) and hope that one day Watase is able to pen the Byakko saga, as well!

MJ: I’m so glad you’ve caught up on this series, because now we can share the squee! Having (still!) not read the original—something I’ll rectify soon—I don’t have the same reference for comparison, but I’ve enjoyed Genbu Kaiden immensely. I’ve also been surprised by how much I like Uruki, and I thought his romance with Takiko was one of the highlights of volume ten. And could Namame possibly be more adorable? I don’t think so!

MICHELLE: I am starting to think you may want to avoid the original until Genbu concludes, because it does give away the ending, though I am sure Watase has some surprises in store on that account.

Anyway! Once again, we have both read the debut volume(s) of a newly released series, which is something we enjoy doing and something we intend to do more of in future! Care to tackle the introductory duties this time, MJ?

MJ: I’d be happy to!

So, this week’s mutual read comes from online publisher JManga, whose wealth of recent acquisitions includes Yukari Ichijo’s josei series Pride, originally from Shueisha’s Chorus magazine.

Pride follows the stories of two aspiring classical singers—Shio Asami, whose upscale musical education is abruptly halted by a sudden downturn in her widower father’s fortunes, and Moe Midorikawa, whose lower-class background has made entering the elitist world of opera an uphill battle from nearly every angle. Though the series’ plotline mainly concerns their mutual struggle to keep singing while maintaining day-to-day survival (along with the obligatory rivalries, both professional and romantic), the real meat of it all lies in the ways that their disparate backgrounds have formed their personalities and how that affects the way they approach their respective lives and careers.

Shio’s respectable upbringing and musical pedigree (her late mother was an international opera star) have burdened her with a sense of pride that is ultimately unhelpful when she requires assistance from others, and her well-schooled refinement hinders her ability to perform with any real emotional resonance. Meanwhile, Moe’s natural expressiveness as a singer is not quite enough to make up for inferior training, and her desperate personal circumstances have made her absolutely ruthless (and fairly ungraceful) in her quest for career success.

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.

How about you?

MICHELLE: Kudos on that summary! I loved Pride almost without reservation. Let’s see if I can count the ways…

I love that Shio doesn’t follow the “poor little rich girl” stereotype. She and her father have a genuinely loving relationship, and though the fact that she’s been protected from pain and hardship all her life later becomes a weakness, it’s still this relationship that gives her the strength to persevere. As a musician, I really identify with Shio’s struggles with expressiveness and the realization that perfection is sometimes boring. I was especially interested when she abandons the fantasy of herself as a singing princess and really begins to recognize the reality of her situation. I worry that marrying Jinno, the producer, will allow her an only temporary return to that sparkling world, only to be followed my massive despair. (I worry for her marrying him much like I worried about Hachi marrying Takumi in NANA, actually.)

Too, I love that the rivalry between Shio and Moe is so very equal. They’ve each got skills the other doesn’t possess, which makes them the perfect mate/muse for the guy that the other girl fancies, and it all builds so organically. True, I can’t really like Moe very much, but I absolutely sympathize with her. About the only aspect of Pride that I didn’t love were the scenes involving Moe’s incredibly horrible mother, but I acknowledge they were necessary and am grateful that Ichijo kept them fairly brief.

Although each woman is dealt some awful blows, each also has a few lucky breaks, too, so everything balances out.

MJ: Well said, Michelle, on all counts!

I’ll add, I guess, that though I share your reservations about Shio marrying Jinno, at least she’s going in with her eyes open, unlike Hachi did in NANA. Shio’s not remotely in love with Jinno and has no illusions about him being in love with her, so while I think she’s ultimately in for a very unhappy marriage, at least she’s not fooling herself into thinking it’s a real marriage to begin with. In a way, that’s what makes it such a powerful plot point. She’s prepared for it to be disappointing, romantically, but I suspect it’s going to disappoint and hurt her in other ways that she’s not anticipating at all. And I’m sure it’ll make for great drama in future volumes!

MICHELLE: I’m sure it will! All in all, this is just a great depiction of how just plain old life can get in the way of one’s dreams, and how two women still have enough fight left in them to keep trying to attain what they want, rather than just giving up.

Thank you so much, JManga, for introducing us to Pride! Please, sirs, can we have some more?

MJ: Yes, yes, more!

The Best Manga You’re Not Reading: Mail

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Have spirit gun, will travel — that’s the basic plot of Mail, a three-volume collection of ghost stories penned by Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service illustrator Housui Yamazaki. Like Kurosagi, Mail follows a spook-of-the-week formula, pausing occasionally to fill us in on the personal life of its chief exorcist, Detective Reiji Akiba. Akiba initially presents as a Columbo-esque figure, disarming clients with his rumpled coat and penchant for napping on the job, but his true nature is soon revealed in the first story: he’s handy with Kagutsuchi, his trusty pistol, and unflappable in the presence of the undead.

As we learn over the course of the series, Akiba was born blind. Medicine restored his sight, but with a side effect: he began seeing dead people. After years of living in fear of ghosts, Akiba learned to perform exorcisms with Kagutsuchi, a skill he parlayed into a career as a modern-day onmyoji.

If Akiba’s strategies for assisting his clients are decidedly hi-tech — websites, cellphones, GPS devices, bullets — the stories have a pleasantly old-fashioned quality to them. Some are morality plays; in “The Doll,” for example, a toy becomes the vessel for a hit-and-run victim to bring her killer to justice. Others read more like good campfire tales; in “Suppressed,” for example, a young woman begins receiving mysterious calls from a “friend” who’s en route to her home, the last of which appear to be originating from inside her apartment. Still others draw on urban legend for inspiration; “Ka-tsu-mi,” the fifth chapter in the series, focuses on a girl who dies after accidentally photographing a ghost.

I’d be the first to admit that Yamazaki is not a master of suspense. Though Mail is filled with suitably gruesome imagery and creative variations on oft-told ghost stories, the reader is never in doubt about Akiba’s ability to save his clients. The endings have a sameness that becomes more apparent when reading them back-to-back, as Akiba’s only method for banishing the undead is to fire Kagutsuchi. And while Akiba demonstrates remarkable sangfroid when confronting murdered babies, vengeful lovers, and drowning victims, his undeniable coolness doesn’t quite compensate for the predictability of the denounements.

What Mail lacks in suspense it makes up in atmosphere. Yamazaki shows considerable flair for turning ordinary urban environments into unbearably scary places, whether he’s depicting an empty public bathroom or a high-rise building. In one of Mail‘s best stories, for example, a woman receives a letter urging her to move out of her apartment right away. Shortly after reading the letter, she catches glimpse of something moving along the ceiling of the adjacent room:

Though we’re outside the picture plane, viewing the action from a different angle than the hapless apartment dweller, we don’t have any more information about what’s lurking in the other room than she does; Yamazaki is relying on the reader to guess what might be crawling along the ceiling by planting one suggestive detail.

The other thing that makes this image so unsettling is the very mundaneness of the setting. With its square rooms and bland furnishings, this scene could be unfolding in almost any Tokyo neighborhood, in almost any modern apartment complex. (Add a parquet floor, and it could just as easily be taking place in any postwar building in Manhattan.) More unsettling still is that this scene is taking place in broad daylight, not at night; whatever is haunting the apartment isn’t relying on the camouflage of darkness, but is sallying forth at a time of day when spirits are supposed to be hidden and, more importantly, impotent.

Not all of the stories take place in Tokyo; several unfold in the countryside. Mail is at its best in urban settings, however, as the very nature of city living gives Yamazaki ample material to work with, whether he’s spinning a cautionary tale about the anonymity of modern life or simply reflecting on the myriad layers of history buried underneath new roadways and buildings. As a life-long city-dweller, I found stories such as “The Drive” — which takes place on an urban freeway — “The Elevator” — which takes place in a stalled elevator car — and “Hide-and-Seek” — which takes place in a haunted apartment — among the spookiest in the collection, as they tapped into a deep well of fear that all urban folk share: that cities harbor something even bigger and scarier than crime, high property taxes, or gridlock.

MAIL, VOLS. 1-3 • BY HOUSUI YAMAZAKI • DARK HORSE • RATING: OLDER TEEN/MATURE

The Best Manga You’re Not Reading: Mail

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Have spirit gun, will travel — that’s the basic plot of Mail, a three-volume collection of ghost stories penned by Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service illustrator Housui Yamazaki.

Like Kurosagi, Mail follows a spook-of-the-week formula, pausing occasionally to fill us in on the personal life of its chief exorcist, Detective Reiji Akiba. Akiba initially presents as a Columbo-esque figure, disarming clients with his rumpled coat and penchant for napping on the job, but his true nature is soon revealed in the first story: he’s handy with Kagutsuchi, his trusty pistol, and unflappable in the presence of the undead.

As we learn over the course of the series, Akiba was blind as a child. Medicine restored his sight, but with a side effect: he saw dead people. After years of living in fear of ghosts, Akiba learned to perform exorcisms with Kagutsuchi, a skill he parlayed into a career as a modern-day onmyoji.

If Akiba’s strategies for assisting his clients are decidedly hi-tech — websites, cellphones, GPS devices, bullets — the stories have a pleasantly old-fashioned quality to them. Some are morality plays; in “The Doll,” for example, a toy becomes the vessel for a hit-and-run victim to bring her killer to justice. Others read more like good campfire tales; in “Suppressed,” for example, a young woman begins receiving mysterious calls from a “friend” who’s en route to her home, the last of which appear to be originating from inside her apartment. Still others draw on urban legend for inspiration; “Ka-tsu-mi,” the fifth chapter in the series, focuses on a girl who dies after accidentally photographing a ghost.

I’d be the first to admit that Yamazaki is not a master of suspense. Though Mail is filled with suitably gruesome imagery and creative variations on oft-told ghost stories, the reader is never in doubt about Akiba’s ability to save his clients. The endings have a sameness that becomes more apparent when reading them back-to-back, as Akiba’s only method for banishing the undead is to fire Kagutsuchi. And while Akiba demonstrates remarkable sangfroid when confronting murdered babies, vengeful lovers, and drowning victims, his undeniable coolness doesn’t quite compensate for the predictability of the denounements.

What Mail lacks in suspense it makes up in atmosphere. Yamazaki shows considerable flair for turning ordinary urban environments into unbearably scary places, whether he’s depicting an empty public bathroom or a high-rise building. In one of Mail‘s best stories, for example, a woman receives a letter urging her to move out of her apartment right away. Shortly after reading the letter, she catches glimpse of something moving along the ceiling of the adjacent room:

Though we’re outside the picture plane, viewing the action from a different angle than the hapless apartment dweller, we don’t have any more information about what’s lurking in the other room than she does; Yamazaki is relying on the reader to guess what might be crawling along the ceiling by planting one suggestive detail.

The other thing that makes this image so unsettling is the very mundaneness of the setting. With its square rooms and bland furnishings, this scene could be unfolding in almost any Tokyo neighborhood, in almost any modern apartment complex. (Add a parquet floor, and it could just as easily be taking place in any postwar building in Manhattan.) More unsettling still is that this scene is taking place in broad daylight, not at night; whatever is haunting the apartment isn’t relying on the camouflage of darkness, but is sallying forth at a time of day when spirits are supposed to be hidden and, more importantly, impotent.

Not all of the stories take place in Tokyo; several unfold in the countryside. Mail is at its best in urban settings, however, as the very nature of city living gives Yamazaki ample material to work with, whether he’s spinning a cautionary tale about the anonymity of modern life or simply reflecting on the myriad layers of history buried underneath new roadways and buildings. As a life-long city-dweller, I found stories such as “The Drive” — which takes place on an urban freeway — “The Elevator” — which takes place in a stalled elevator car — and “Hide-and-Seek” — which takes place in a haunted apartment — among the spookiest in the collection, as they tapped into a deep well of fear that all urban folk share: that cities harbor something even bigger and scarier than crime, high property taxes, or gridlock.

MAIL, VOLS. 1-3 • BY HOUSUI YAMAZAKI • DARK HORSE • RATING: OLDER TEEN/MATURE

Girl Friends The Complete Collection, Vol. 1

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By Milk Morinaga. Released in Japan by Futabasha, serialized in the magazine Comic High!. Released in North America by Seven Seas.

I had reviewed the first digital volume of this series when JManga released it a while back, but it’s always worth revisiting things, especially in print. This omnibus contains the first half of the series, i.e. 2 1/2 volumes. It’s a chunky read, but I think that works to the book’s favor as it helps us really get to know the two heroines before we get to plunge into their new friendship and growing romance.

You’ll note the title is split into two words, and I think that’s for the best, as the author makes it a point to show us Mari and Akko bonding as friends for an entire volume before it really starts getting into the potential yuri romance. Given Mari’s shyness and insecurities, this helps keep things realistic. It also ups the stakes: Akko is Mari’s best friend, and while the romance may take all five volumes to really break out the friendship is close and endearing immediately. Mari is a sweet and sympathetic protagonist. and Akko is outgoing, impulsive and oblivious without it becoming too irritating, as many who read one-sided crushes know can happen easily.

But of course this is a yuri manga, and so Mari’s admiration of Akko soon turns into attraction to Akko. This can be tricky, as there’s a vague line between the sort of close ‘skinship’ friendships that aren’t necessarily sexual, and those what do turn into blooming relationships. Indeed, Akko’s reaction on hearing that Mari kissed her while she was sleeping is ‘oh, girls do that *all the time*’. Of course, when Mari is a little more drunk and a lot more forceful, even Akko manages to notice what’s going on.

These are teenagers, so there’s a lot of puzzlement and ‘is this what love is really like?’ on both sides, as well as yuri’s addition of ‘it will never work out because we are both girls’. Akko has a presumed sexual past with a guy (though we quickly learn that nothing happened, of course – this did run in a seinen magazine) which adds to Mari’s dread that all she’s doing is making herself miserable for something that can’t happen. So she turns to a guy from middle school who happens to like her – and manages to get Akko jealous, though she’s not quite sure why…

This is meant to feel like a fluffy shoujo soap opera, just with two girls as the lead, and that’s mostly what it does. There are also two best friends who are also very touchy-feely with each other but clearly aren’t going to be a couple, which is a relief in a genre that sometimes has everyone pairing off with everyone else. Seven Seas’ omnibus obscures the well-times endings of the first two books (Mari thinking she kissed Akko for Vol. 1, Akko boggling at Kiss #2 in Vol. 2), but that works out fine as it gives the omnibus volume a better cliffhanger, as Mari reveals she went all the way with her new boyfriend. (Does anyone really believe her? Well, except for Akko…)

This isn’t a lights out of compulsively addictive series. But it’s fun, wtih likeable characters and as realistic a yuri romance as you’re going to get in something that’s basically “Story A”, written with little consequence besides ALL THESE FEELINGS… IN MY HEART. I hope the second volume resolves said tortured feelings.