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Combat Commentary: Naruto (The Entire Series)

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You know what the most disappointing thing is about Naruto?

It’s not the story that’s stagnated to the point of resembling a soap opera that’s passed its prime. Neither is it the considerably large female cast that gets absolutely no focus. Nor is it the fact that Kishimoto insists on focusing on the one character more mind-numbingly awful than the actual protagonist.

No, it’s that Naruto used to be good.

That isn’t to say that Naruto can’t be enjoyed by a very particular breed of person, but when considering the first three volumes of the manga I can’t help but wonder: What the heck happened?

As far as shounen fighters go, Naruto was something of a godsend in its early days. Rather than focus on two muscley men punching each other to death, Naruto had the audacity to focus on preteen children punching each other to death. With magic! And as anyone who has spent an extended amount of time around children can attest, this is an incredibly cathartic experience.

Rather than the admittedly much simpler, “Guy A punches Guy B very hard” repeated ad nauseum, Naruto instead had fights that were more about strategy and trickery. This led to a variety of intelligent ways in which Guy A could halt Guy B’s vital functions. Even with the addition of magic powers (Kishimoto can call it “chakra” and “chi” or whatever he wants, one’s inner energy does not give one the ability to shoot fireballs with one’s eyes!) Naruto remained intelligent and fast moving—a battle manga for the intellectual. Sort of.

(click images to enlarge)

But somewhere along the line Naruto lost its way. Focus was placed on the magic, rather than the clever ninja fighting techniques. Fights became longer and more repetitive. The biggest problem was the grave misuse of the sharingan powers. Rather than be satisfied with just two powers, Kishimoto decided at some point the sharingan needed to be so powerful that it made every other technique obsolete.

It’s a problem of escalation really. Dragon Ball experienced the same problem. After you introduce a villain that can destroy a planet, where do you go from there? By introducing a villain that can destroy planets—only he does it harder! The problem is found in most battle manga, and is a curse of the way in which manga is published. If a manga is clever and engaging then the readers will connect with it. And when they connect with it they want more. And when the readers want more the publishers squeeze the creator for everything he or she has, even if the creator’s best ideas dried out a long time ago.

It would be easy to dismiss Naruto as one of those comics that outstayed its welcome. The problem is that not only has Kishimoto never shown any signs of being close to done, but he’s single handedly responsibly for the downgrade in quality. Just like he decided Sasuke was the most engaging character anyone would want to read about, so he decided that magic eyeballs were the way of the future.

One of Kishimoto’s signature stylistic choices was having diagrams describing what happened in the action scene, as a kind of recap or to explain new techniques. I was never a fan of this, as it broke the flow of the story in favor of presenting information with more tedium than my entire undergrad program. For a while Kishimoto abandoned this—one of the only good decisions he’s made in the past few years I’d say. But as those who have been reading Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha know, Kishimoto recently brought that particular feature back—to describe yet another inane sharingan power. It’s as if Kishimoto realizes he doesn’t have that spark anymore, and so he’s reaching back to the early days of his manga. A note to the wise, perhaps try bringing back the engaging parts of your manga, not the one lousy thing that should have stayed buried.

As easy as it is to complain but not provide a solution to the problem, I’m afraid it’s too late for Naruto. The escalation has gone too far. Characters are capable of leveling mountains now—going back to throwing shuriken just won’t work. Which begs the question, why do they still bother carrying the things?

While I’m sure there are still those who read and enjoy the series, I for one have long since abandoned it to that depressing part of my mind where good manga go to stagnate. It seems that’s been happening far too often with current ongoing shounen manga. Bakuman had the right idea and got out while the getting was good.

My current negative opinion of the series isn’t going to stop me from reviewing later fights in, for some, excruciating detail. Please stay tuned, unless you like Naruto—might be a good idea to avoid those future reviews.

Monday morning manga links

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If you weren’t able to attend San Diego Comic-Con, fear not: Sean Gaffney has posted a report detailing the major licensing news from Kodansha Comics, VIZ Media, and Yen Press. Among the most exciting announcements at SDCC came from JManga, which has teamed up with Kodansha to rescue titles left unfinished by Tokyopop and Del Rey. JManga hasn’t revealed which titles it will be releasing through its online portal, so stay tuned.

Chip Kidd announced that he’s working on a new anthology of bara manga for PictureBox. Entitled The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame: Bara Master, the book will feature a dozen or so short stories by Tagame, and will be translated by Anne Ishii.

In honor of the just-announced Sailor Moon reboot, Mike Toole takes a look at the franchise’s fascinating twenty-year history, from storylines to swag.

The Manga Bookshelf gang — myself included — weigh in on this week’s new arrivals.

File under “Not Manga, But Relevant”: Manga Bookshelf contributor Sara K. offers tips for mastering a new language. Not surprisingly, she recommends reading comics as a fun vocabulary-building exercise.

Erica Friedman rounds up the latest yuri manga news at Okazu.

DMP’s ambitious Kickstarter campaign is entering its final week. Currently, the publisher has raised enough funds for two titles — Osamu Tezuka’s Unico and A*Tomcat — but is hoping to attract additional support for a third, Triton of the Sea. Readers curious about Triton can read a short preview at Kickstarter.

Reviews: MJ and Michelle Smith dedicate their latest Off the Shelf column to supernatural shojo titles, including Jiu Jiu and Natsume’s Book of Friends. Over at Experiments in Manga, Ash Brown reviews Bond(z), Hikaru no Go, and Olympos.

Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Kristin Bomba on vol. 20 of Claymore and vol. 9 of Rosario + Vampire Season II (Comic Attack)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 7 of House of Five Leaves (The Fandom Post)
Ash Brown on NonNonBa (Experiments in Manga)
Matthew Alexander on vol. 6 of Omamori Himari (The Fandom Post)
Anna Neatrour on Roman Holiday (Manga Report)

Bookshelf Briefs 7/16/12

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

Dengeki Daisy, Vol. 10 | By Kyousuke Motomi | VIZ Media – It is interesting that, despite the fact that we are all rooting for Teru and Kurosaki to get together in the end, the fact that she’s still a student and he’s about 8 years older than her is never allowed to be forgotten. There’s that vague element of discomfort to the whole thing, which is why we’re happy that Kurosaki is never overly affectionate with Teru, even if everyone else is pushing him to be. As for Teru, here she finds that being the one always protected and always in danger sucks, especially when she gets beaten (literally) by Akira, who the author is clearly trying to show is a troubled child but we haven’t seen enough of his past to sympathize yet. Teru ends up wanting to get stronger and the the one who’s protecting. Admirable sentiment, especially as her friend Rena may be in trouble soon. We’ve caught up with Japan, so it will be a wait till the next volume, but always highly recommended. –Sean Gaffney

Fairy Tail, Vol. 20 | By Hiro Mashima | Kodansha Comics – Nirvana is taken care of right at the very beginning of this volume, leading us to expect most of thee volume will be a ‘breather’ and more comedic. Not at all. From Jellal’s arrest (I’m sure we’ll never see him again, wink wink) to the fate of Wendy’s Guild, this is a volume filled with heavy emotional moments. And Mashima is very good at those, better perhaps than his big shonen fights. I particularly liked Natsu’s talk with Gildarts – the clueless mage asks about Lisanna, and Natsu’s reaction is like nothing we’ve ever seen before – clearly her death affected him greatly. (Gildarts himself is fun, being that powerful yet goofy ‘dad’ type the guild has needed for a while.) As the volume ends, though, we start a new arc, with Natsu and Wendy in a land filled with opposite-personality duplicates of everyone. No doubt hijinks will ensue. –Sean Gaffney

Kobato, Vol. 6 | By CLAMP | Yen Press – CLAMP has a long and not-so-proud history of leaving series unfinished: witness X/1999, Clover, and Legal Drug, three stories that never got the ending they deserved. I’m pleased to report that CLAMP provides a satisfactory resolution to Kobato, tying up all the plot threads in a manner that should appease all but the most cynical of readers. If the storytelling is lazy at times — and what says “lazy” more than characters explaining things to one another that they’d presumably know? — CLAMP wins points for its elegant, graceful artwork and warm-hearted portrayal of even the most difficult characters. Their redemption may strike some readers as unbearably sappy, but honors the story’s greater message of selflessness and courage. – Kate Dacey

Kobato, Vol. 6 | By CLAMP | Published by Yen Press – And so Kobato comes to an end. It actually wraps up better than I expected it to, though I would’ve vastly preferred the ending if the final chapter had been omitted. Even now, there are several elements of the story that still feel half-formed—I feel like it could’ve truly been compelling if only I could’ve cared about anyone, but I never managed to do so. And while I would stop short of saying it all feels rushed, CLAMP takes the shortcut approach of having large amounts of backstory conveyed via dialogue, which gets a bit tiresome. At one point, one of the characters, having been lectured at length about a past for which he was present, cries, “I recall it all!” I doubt CLAMP was making commentary on the awkwardness of the exchange, but that remark still prompted a snicker from me. Ultimately, not bad but not a keeper, either. – Michelle Smith

Rin-Ne, Vol. 9 | By Rumiko Takahashi | VIZ Media – I really wish that Rin-Ne had more obvious flaws and faults, as it’s just not quite dull or bad enough to justify my dropping it. At the same time, however, there’s so little substance here that it’s like reading air. There’s no forward plot momentum here – even when Rinne’s father appears again, it’s in a fairly comedic story about a dead ramen owner. What we get instead are basic short stories about ghosts who cannot pass on unless they have aired out their grievances. That said, one thing that Takahashi’s work has kept throughout, from UY to Ranma to now, is that humans are basically horrible jerks. The ghosts are petty and perfectly happy damning others to their fate, while the loved ones they left behind are cruel cheaters who didn’t care in the first place. It lends a tart air to this otherwise generic supernatural comedy. –Sean Gaffney

Skip Beat!, Vol. 28 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | VIZ Media – For those who wanted more focus on the not-quite-romance between Kyoko and Ren, this is the volume for you. A near-deadly car accident leaves Ren having post-traumatic flashbacks to his time in America, and at last we start to get an idea of what actually happened that broke him so much. I liked the fact that, even though Kyoko is once again his guiding light and moral conscience, he also relies on advice from his friend Rick, which is… actually used in a pretty funny way, but whatever seems to work for him. As for Kyoko, it seems to finally be dawning on her what her feelings for Ren are, and she’s none too happy about it. That said, things seem to finally be moving forward for those two, so no doubt Vol. 29 will be filled with hideous complications that will screw everything up. Just as we like it. –Sean Gaffney

Slam Dunk, Vol. 22 | By Takehiko Inou | Published by VIZ Media – This is one of those in-between volumes, where the excitement of the Prefectural Tournament has passed but the Nationals have not yet begun. A few important things happen, though, with the most significant being that Hanamichi finally seems to grasp that, at his present skill level, he’s nowhere near as good as Rukawa. When the rest of the team goes off to a week-long training camp, Hanamichi stays behind with Coach Anzai for some rigorous practice. Although I prefer the fast-paced, volume-spanning games, there is still something satisfying about a volume like this, in which intense hard work pays off with measurable, definitive progress. If only real life were as simple as sports manga! – Michelle Smith

Toriko, Vol. 10 | By Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro | VIZ Media – Jump manga, especially the type brought over here, tend to follow certain patterns. Thus you know that there’s going to be a volume or two – or four – that are 200 pages of nothing but fights. This doesn’t necessarily mean I have to like it, though, and this volume had me flicking pages quickly to try and see what would happen after our heroes eventually triumphed over the bad guys. Not to say there isn’t a bit of cost – Toriko has now lost an arm, and I wonder what plot contrivance will let it grow back – and Teppei is another in a string of powerful yet dumb/weird guys we’ve seen in this series. But this volume didn’t even have people eating food – it was just punching, punching, punching. MORE FOOD, PLEASE. –Sean Gaffney

Pick of the Week: Nagato, Sakuran, 13th Boy final!

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SEAN: It’s rare for me to recommend a manga purely on the basis of OH MY GOD IT’S SO ADORABLE, if only because there are so many other moe titles that ply on that trait that I dislike. Puyo’s alternate universe take on the 4th Haruhi Suzumiya novel, however, The Disappearance of Nagato-Yuki-chan is an exception. The artwork may not be perfect, especially at the start, but otherwise this is basically Haruhi reimagined as a cute romantic comedy starring Kyon and Yuki. (Don’t worry, Haruhi won’t stay away for long). Funny in a cute way, angsty in a cute way, and romantic in a very cute way, this is for everyone who thought that Haruhi’s story would be great if only everyone was simply nice to each other. And wait till you see Ryoko Asakura. (Of course, non-Haruhi fans likely won’t get the same value, but…)

KATE: Midtown Comics isn’t listing Sakuran among this week’s new arrivals, but the book’s official street date is July 17th, so Sakuran is my pick. I’ve always been torn about Moyocco Anno’s work: though I love her stylish art, I wasn’t crazy about the gender politics of Happy Mania and Flowers and Bees. Sakuran, however, made into an Anno convert. Not only is it beautifully illustrated, it’s told with humor, grit, and surprising sensitivity, given the subject matter. The story also boasts one of the fiercest, most complicated heroines in recent memory; Kiyoha isn’t someone I’d like to emulate (or even spend time with), but I came to admire her tenacity and survival skills.

MICHELLE: There are other worthy entries on this list, but I only have eyes for 13th Boy. As was my rationale with Ouran High School Host Club a few weeks ago, it’s impossible for me not to pick the final volume of a beloved series when it’s my last opportunity to do so. 13th Boy is easily one of the strongest, most interesting and surprising manhwa series to be released in America; if you’re at all curious about comics from Korea, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

MJ: Well, I’m with both Kate and Michelle this week. But since I’ll get another crack at Sakuran whenever it does show up on Midtown’s list, this week I’ll side with the final volume of 13th Boy. For some perspective on this pick, I think by now you all know how much I love the beautiful coats and shirtsleeves in Pandora Hearts (another of this week’s bounty), and just how much sway that holds with me… and I’m still picking 13th Boy. Make of that what you will.

Readers, what looks good to you this week?

Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz, Vol. 1

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By Quin Rose and Mamenosuke Fujimaru, based on the game by Quin Rose. Released in Japan as “Clover no Kuni no Alice – Cheshire Neko to Waltz” by Ichijinsha. Released in North America by Seven Seas.

I was less than impressed with the first spinoff from the Alice books, Bloody Twins. This second one promises a much longer and more involved plotline – it’s 7+ volumes in Japan – and like the heart volumes has Alice bonding with a lot of people while clearly being romantically paired off with only one of them. Here it’s Boris, the Cheshire Cat of Alice’s dream world.

The premise, supposedly, of the ‘Clover’ world is that the player, playing Alice, did not actually pick anyone while playing the ‘Hearts’ game – which involved a love based on passion. So the world changes to the ‘Clover’ country, where Alice once again interacts with most of the cast she knows (Julius is gone, and I missed him), along with a few new characters, and tries to see if she can find a love based on ‘companionship’. The manga thus fairly unapologetically plots out one of the ‘routes’ you can take as Alice in the game.

What this means in terms of an actual manga plotline is that Alice is uprooted from her comfortable life at the amusement park (as I said, different world from the Hearts manga) and dumped into a lonely forest. Much of this first volume involves her fear and uncertainty at having her life turned upside down right after she decided to stay there and not return home to her sister. Luckily, she eventually finds Boris, and through a series of wacky situations, ends up staying at the Hatter’s place and getting a new job.

Like Bloody Twins, this manga is focused far more on the romance than the Hearts manga. Alice’s sister is mentioned once or twice, but the implication we get at the end of Hearts is never brought up. Instead, we get the Hatter, and the Twins, and above all Boris, all trying to get into Alice’s pants. I’d mentioned in Bloody Twins that there was a far more sexually suggestive air to the book, and that continues here – at one point the Hatter says ‘So maybe you’ll *stay* if I make you *come*’ and his implication is clear. Of course, this manga series – and the original games – were written for female fans, not male ones. As a result, the tendency to try to keep all the harem characters virgins so as not to offend male otaku is absent. Nothing actually happens here, but I would not be terribly surprised if Alice and Boris come together – so to speak – in the future.

This volume does tend to get a little aimless at times, and risks being as light and frothy as Bloody Twins was. The good thing, though, is that it’s not afraid to show how emotionally damaged all its cast is. Alice and Boris are both filled with doubts and unfulfilled needs, and can’t communicate well at all – part of Alice’s worries are that Boris doesn’t love her as much because he’s a cat deep down. Meanwhile, thankfully Peter White and Ace are both in this universe as well, and they’re as insane as ever – Peter is the worst stalker ever, and Ace always seems to be one step away from a mass murder spree. If the title can balance its romantic comedy elements with the discomfort at its heart, it should prove just as fun as the original.

SDCC Round-Up

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Once again, I was not at San Diego Comic Con this year, but I have access to The Internet, so can offer my unsolicited opinions anyway. :) SDCC over the last few years has been more ‘media’ oriented than ever, so it’s no surprise that the manga news was relatively quiet, though there were a couple of ‘big news’ items.

Viz was the first panel, and didn’t have any major print manga announcements. However, they did debut their Android VizManga app at last. I downloaded it to my phone. There were initial hiccups with zooming and availability, but as I look at the site this morning, both are fixed, though the zoom seems to be very fussy – I had to go forward and back a bit to get to the size I wanted. I didn’t initially have my Excel Saga volumes available for download, but that seems to have resolved itself as I type this. No doubt there will be improvements and upgrades, but this is a good first step for Viz in stepping away from the iMarket. The other big news of interest for manga fans was the Nausicaa boxset, which looks impressive, and apparently will have a poster.

Kodansha came next. Obviously, their big push was for Sailor Moon, which has done very well for them. I was a bit disappointed that they did not announce the two ‘short story’ volumes that come after the 12-volume re-release – I hope there isn’t a hold-up with Takeuchi. (The rumor is she asked them not to put the extras in the NA versions, though that is of course merely a rumor.) They discussed previously revealed releases: Genshiken: 2nd Season in September; Missions of Love (aka Watashi ni xx Shinasai!) in November, and Battle Angel Alita: Last Order 16 in December, which moved companies in North America just as it did in Japan. Alita also gets an omnibus so folks can catch up on what they missed – I presume the omnibus is only of Last Order, rather than the original series.

The new announcement was that of Negiho!, a spinoff/alternate universe of the original Negima series that was not written or drawn by Akamatsu but apparently had his consent. The premise is that the majority of the female students in Negi’s class are kindergartners, and Negi is their 15-year-old teacher that they all get crushes on. It started in one of Kodansha’s magazines for kids, but rapidly moved to a shonen spinoff Bessatsu Shonen Magazine as everyone realized it was more otaku-oriented. It’s meant to hit all the moe and cute buttons at once, so if you like cute little moe girls, you should enjoy it. Further, deponent sayeth not. >_>

JManga was the big news of last year’s SDCC, and they did their best to make this year the same. They are close to finally getting the iOS and Android apps for their site, and those should be going live in October – and that includes Android tablets.

They announced a few new titles coming out in the next couple of weeks, the big surprise of which to me was Sun-Ken Rock, a martial arts yakuza manga set in Korea that runs in Shonen Gahosha’s Young King. It’s… a very, very Young King title, let me tell you, and I would definitely expect to hit that ‘yes, I am over 18’ button if you plan on reading any of it.

There’s also a much-anticipated BL title: Dousei Ai (Same-Sex Love), from the author of After School Nightmare. It’s an old Biblos title from the 1990s, so I’m going to guess it ran in Be x Boy. It apparently has a complex plot with multiple protagonists.

JManga also announced at the last minute (literally: they got the OK to announce it minutes before the panel) that they will be working with Kodansha to rescue some of the old North American titles that were coming out via Tokyopop and Del Rey but are now either out of print or were killed for low sales. They can’t say what they are, but there are several I’d love to see. Love Attack? Kindaichi Case Files? Moyashimon? School Rumble? The possibilities are limitless! Speaking of Kodansha, they’re joining with Shueisha and Futabasha to sponsor a translation contest for JManga, the grand prize being a trip to Japan. Contestants get either a shoujo Shueisha title, a seinen Kodansha title, or a seinen Futabasha title. No word on whether the winners end up on the site – if so, it would mean Shueisha would join Kodansha in finally letting some of their works on the JManga site. Which can only be great. All in all, a very good panel for JManga, and I’m pleased to still see them doing well 1 year on.

Normally, Udon’s video-game based manga is not one I pay attention to all that much. (We can basically guess Silent Mobius was cancelled by now, right?) But this time around they announced the start of an artbook line, with Evangelion’s Chronicle: Illustrations leading the way. The intriguing one for me is the Read Or Die archive, which apparently takes in both the OAVs and TV, and a Haruhi Suzumiya book as well. Most artbooks are 75% pictures and 25% text at the back, so get imported a lot by fans who don’t care they can’t read 1/4 of it. If there are some cool interviews or the like with these, it would definitely justify a purchase.

Yen Press also had a few goodies to tell us about. The big one was leaked a little early by Amazon.uk (really, Amazon takes all the fun out of company panels these days), but that’s OK. It’s BTOOOM!, a survival game title for the video game fan from Shinchosha, running in their Comic Bunch line. The covers, at least in Japan, are parodies of real-life ‘game covers’ you’d see for the X-Box, Playstation, etc. – let’s hope those can stay. It should do quite well for action fans.

Another intriguing title for Yen was Momoiro Shoten e Youkoso, aka Welcome to the Erotic Bookstore. This is a comic essay series from Media Factory (did it run in Flapper?) about, well, a bookstore that decides to add a few toys to their line. It’s going to be digital only, possibly both to avoid bookstore issues with the content and also as it would cost less than printing it out. I’m definitely intrigued, though – these sort of titles almost never get licensed over here.

Lastly, there is Another, a 5 volume (4 + prequel) manga based on a horror light novel, which Yen has also licensed. Yen says it hopes to put out more novels in the future, which hopefully shows that Book Girl is at least not selling poorly. The manga ran in Kadokawa Shoten’s Young Ace, and is about a classroom that features a girl that everyone seems to ignore, and who looks like Abiru Kobushi from Zetsubou-sensei. Between Higurashi/Umineko and this, Yen seems to be dipping its toes more and more into the horror market. Hopefully it sells scarily well! (slap) I’m sorry, that pun was uncalled for.

Shonen Jump Alpha had one new announcement, with a series so new I don’t have a picture of it. From what I have seen of Takama-Ga-Hara, though, it seems the sort of manga that is very much in line with all the other Jump manga that currently run in Alpha. It’s ‘that Jump sort of manga’, if you know what I mean. They’re also speeding up Blue Exorcist a bit in order to catch up with Japan; it will be appearing 2 chapters a week for a month, then will be every month, 2 weeks after Japan (as with the other Weekly Jump titles).

There was some disappointment on Twitter that the popular mid-level Jump series were once again ignored by Viz. Sket Dance, Kuroko no Basket, Beelzebub, Medaka Box, and Nisekoi. All but the last even have anime series that could be tied in. Though, notably, none of them have anime series with a dub. The reason that we’re seeing Takama-Ga-Hara and Barrage, I expect, is that they’re low-risk high-reward investments. They’re the type of title casual Jump readers like. If they sell well, great. If they bomb in Japan and end after 3 volumes, well, a new series can replace it that is also low-risk. On the other hand, licensing, say, Sket Dance would require releasing 24 volumes in a hurry to catch up with Japan. Same goes with all the others I listed. Nisekoi is popular in Japan, and only has a few volumes to its name, but it has a different problem; it’s a romantic comedy with no supernatural content. I can’t even recall the last Jump manga Viz licensed without some type of fantasy element. Was it Strawberry 100%? In any case, I’d love to see all these titles, but sadly can understand why they were once again not mentioned at Jump’s panel.

And so that’s a wrap; I don’t think today has any major manga content, at least not of the ‘new licenses’ variety. Any thoughts or opinions? For a slumping market, I thought this was a pretty good SDCC; certainly we’re seeing more evidence that digital is the wave of the future.

Manga Bestsellers: 2012, Week Ending 10 June

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Comparative Rankings Based on Consolidated Online Sales

last week’s charts
about the charts

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Manga Bestsellers

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon 5 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2012 [471.0] ::
2. ↑1 (3) : Sailor Moon 3 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [420.8] ::
3. ↑1 (4) : Sailor Moon 4 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [419.5] ::
4. ↑2 (6) : Sailor Moon 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [395.0] ::
5. ↔0 (5) : Naruto 56 – Viz Shonen Jump, May 2012 [376.0] ::
6. ↑17 (23) : Black Bird 14 – Viz Shojo Beat, May 2012 [341.1] ::
7. ↑21 (28) : Ouran High School Host Club 18 – Viz Shojo Beat, Jun 2012 [337.8] ::
8. ↓-6 (2) : Sailor Moon 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [321.5] ::
9. ↑8 (17) : Bleach 40 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jun 2012 [320.6] ::
10. ↑4 (14) : Death Note vols 1-13 box set – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Oct 2008 [319.8] ::

[more]

Top Imprints
Number of volumes ranking in the Top 500:

Viz Shonen Jump 86
Yen Press 79
Viz Shojo Beat 61
Tokyopop 55
Kodansha Comics 43
Viz Shonen Jump Advanced 35
DMP Juné 23
Dark Horse 16
Vizkids 13
Seven Seas 12

[more]

Series/Property

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon – Kodansha Comics [1,173.1] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Naruto – Viz Shonen Jump [854.4] ::
3. ↑2 (5) : Bleach – Viz Shonen Jump [674.6] ::
4. ↑16 (20) : Ouran High School Host Club – Viz Shojo Beat [507.9] ::
5. ↑1 (6) : Death Note – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced [488.3] ::
6. ↑5 (11) : Black Bird – Viz Shojo Beat [483.3] ::
7. ↓-4 (3) : Black Butler – Yen Press [466.0] ::
8. ↓-4 (4) : Maximum Ride – Yen Press [465.8] ::
9. ↓-1 (8) : Highschool of the Dead – Yen Press [462.1] ::
10. ↓-3 (7) : Negima! – Del Rey/Kodansha Comics [457.2] ::

[more]

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

5. ↔0 (5) : Naruto 56 – Viz Shonen Jump, May 2012 [376.0] ::
6. ↑17 (23) : Black Bird 14 – Viz Shojo Beat, May 2012 [341.1] ::
7. ↑21 (28) : Ouran High School Host Club 18 – Viz Shojo Beat, Jun 2012 [337.8] ::
9. ↑8 (17) : Bleach 40 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jun 2012 [320.6] ::
12. ↑22 (34) : Dance in the Vampire Bund 12 – Seven Seas, Jun 2012 [284.8] ::
13. ↓-3 (10) : Sailor Moon 6 – Kodansha Comics, Jun 2012 [282.3] ::
21. ↓-2 (19) : Soul Eater 9 – Yen Press, May 2012 [262.4] ::
24. ↑2 (26) : Pandora Hearts 10 – Yen Press, May 2012 [244.8] ::
25. ↑5 (30) : Bleach 41 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jun 2012 [237.2] ::
26. ↑14 (40) : Omamori Himari 7 – Yen Press, May 2012 [215.7] ::

[more]

Preorders

11. ↔0 (11) : Sailor Moon 9 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2013 [295.0] ::
14. ↓-5 (9) : Sailor Moon 8 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2012 [280.8] ::
16. ↓-8 (8) : Sailor Moon 7 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2012 [276.7] ::
28. ↓-15 (13) : Black Butler 9 – Yen Press, Jul 2012 [210.4] ::
32. ↓-3 (29) : Naruto 57 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jul 2012 [189.7] ::
33. ↑6 (39) : Finder Series 6 Passion within the View Finder – DMP Juné, Jul 2012 [189.0] ::
46. ↑12 (58) : Negima! 35 – Kodansha Comics, Jul 2012 [141.3] ::
49. ↑21 (70) : Velvet Kiss 1 – Project H, Jul 2012 [138.0] ::
53. ↑11 (64) : Only the Ring Finger Knows (novel) 5 – DMP Juné, Sep 2012 [125.6] ::
74. ↑2 (76) : Negima! 36 – Kodansha Comics, Oct 2012 [106.7] ::

[more]

Manhwa

129. ↑102 (231) : Bride of the Water God 11 – Dark Horse, May 2012 [80.9] ::
176. ↑617 (793) : Priest Purgatory 1 – Tokyopop, Aug 2010 [65.3] ::
371. ↑159 (530) : Bride of the Water God 9 – Dark Horse, Oct 2011 [31.9] ::
524. ↑277 (801) : Bride of the Water God 10 – Dark Horse, Jan 2012 [21.0] ::
688. ↓-378 (310) : Ragnarok 1 – Tokyopop, May 2002 [13.9] ::
765. ↓-39 (726) : Toxic (anthology) 1 – Udon, Jul 2012 [11.3] ::
931. ↓-356 (575) : JTF-3 Counter Ops – RealinterfaceStudios.com, Mar 2011 [7.0] ::
1040. ↓-353 (687) : Jack Frost 1 – Yen Press, May 2009 [5.2] ::
1285. ↓-391 (894) : Angel Diary 1 – Yen Press, Oct 2005 [2.8] ::
1514. ↓-401 (1113) : Jack Frost 2 – Yen Press, Nov 2009 [1.3] ::

[more]

BL/Yaoi

33. ↑6 (39) : Finder Series 6 Passion within the View Finder – DMP Juné, Jul 2012 [189.0] ::
53. ↑11 (64) : Only the Ring Finger Knows (novel) 5 – DMP Juné, Sep 2012 [125.6] ::
79. ↓-1 (78) : Ai no Kusabi (novel) 7 – DMP Juné, Sep 2012 [103.4] ::
82. ↑26 (108) : The Tyrant Falls in Love 6 – DMP Juné, May 2012 [102.1] ::
108. ↑26 (134) : Finder Series 5 Truth in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Dec 2011 [90.5] ::
122. ↑21 (143) : In These Words – 801 Media, Jun 2012 [83.5] ::
123. ↑28 (151) : Private Teacher 3 – DMP Juné, May 2012 [83.2] ::
158. ↓-32 (126) : Love Mode 1 – Tokyopop Blu, Nov 2005 [70.8] ::
186. ↑659 (845) : Gravitation vols 3-4 collection – Tokyopop, Aug 2009 [62.9] ::
203. ↑84 (287) : Samejima-Kun & Sasahara-Kun – DMP Juné, May 2012 [58.0] ::

[more]

Ebooks

5. ↔0 (5) : Naruto 56 – Viz Shonen Jump, May 2012 [376.0] ::
18. ↓-3 (15) : Naruto 55 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [271.6] ::
23. ↓-7 (16) : Maximum Ride 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2011 [252.1] ::
32. ↓-3 (29) : Naruto 57 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jul 2012 [189.7] ::
34. ↑20 (54) : Naruto 54 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [183.6] ::
36. ↓-29 (7) : Maximum Ride 1 – Yen Press, Jan 2009 [179.2] ::
40. ↑13 (53) : Naruto 53 – Viz Shonen Jump, Dec 2011 [166.4] ::
42. ↑15 (57) : Haruhi Suzumiya Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 12 – Yen Press, May 2012 [157.4] ::
45. ↑29 (74) : Blue Exorcist 1 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Apr 2011 [144.2] ::
56. ↑49 (105) : Naruto 52 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jul 2011 [124.9] ::

[more]

Off the Shelf: Communicable Crankiness

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MICHELLE: Hey, MJ! What’s orange and sounds like a parrot?

MJ: Um. A carrot?

MICHELLE: Um, yeah. That’s it.

MJ. Well, huh. Uh. Read any good manga this week?

MICHELLE: I did! I spent the week conducting a massive catchup marathon of Natsume’s Book of Friends, and while I now lament that it took me so long to really immerse myself in the gentle beauty of this fantastic series, it was nonetheless a lovely experience to luxuriate in a dozen volumes!

The twelfth volume came out earlier this month and features mostly episodic stories, though not without personal consequence for Takashi Natsume, a lonely teenage boy with the ability to see yokai. First, he helps a yokai read an old, damaged letter from a human. Next, there’s a story about an old lady yokai who thought Natsume’s grandmother (who bound yokai to her by writing their names in the Book of Friends) was a yokai. And then Natsume gets captured in a jar and taken off as tribute to a newly awakened god, whereupon his friend Tanuma (possessed of a very limited supernatural sensitivity) steps up to attempt to rescue him.

I really loved getting to see Tanuma in action in this volume, and though everyone will probably roll their eyes when I say this… I could help but notice the Buffy parallels! You’ve got a teenager with a powerful supernatural ability that he’s not supposed to tell anyone about—and who is worried that knowledge of this information will put the people that he cares about in harm’s way—who has managed to make a couple of friends and struggles with how much to tell them, how much to let them be involved, and guilt when they end up getting hurt while trying to help. It’s unusual for someone with this gift/curse to maintain such friendships, but Natsume is determined to try.

And, of course, the episodic tales themselves are often quite nice—I love that Natsume is unable to ignore anyone in need of help, including yokai—and I positively adore Nyanko-sensei, the powerful yokai who acts as Natsume’s bodyguard. He took up this role because Natsume promised he could have the book if Natsume died, but it’s obvious that Nyanko really cares for him. It reminds me of Wesley and the Dread Pirate Roberts in Princess Bride, where Roberts adheres to the formula of threatening to kill Wesley, but he never really does because he’s grown fond of him. Nyanko-sensei protests too much that he’s only there to inherit the book, methinks.

To sum up, I have now been converted into a major Natsume fangirl.

MJ: Oh, I’m so glad you’ve become a fan! I’m actually several volumes behind in this series now, but it’s long been a favorite, for many of the same reasons you mention here. I’m especially anxious to read that story involving Tanuma.

Also, I too am exceedingly fond of Nyanko-sensei. It doesn’t hurt that he usually looks like a really cranky cat.

MICHELLE: I like it best when he actually acts like a cat, like getting distracted by butterflies, etc. There’s a really cute random illustration in this volume where Midorikawa-sensei has depicted him sleeping atop a wall with several other feline companions. It’s very cute.

Anyway! What’ve you been reading this week?

MJ: Well, I may not be a cat, but I’m definitely feeling cranky.

My first read this week was the penultimate volume of La Corda d’Oro, Yuki Kure’s manga adaptation of the romantic video game of the same name. I’ve generally been a fan of this sweet little reverse-harem series, even with its blatantly ridiculous ideas about classical music (particularly violin repertoire) and its thin, supernatural plot. Most of the characters are genuinely likable, and even when they fall into very standard types (which most of them do), they’re quite fun.

In volume fifteen, emotionally stiff violinist Len finally came to terms with his feelings for the series’ heroine, Kahoko—a surprise to no one, as it’s been obvious for a while which boy in this harem was likely to get the girl. In the latest volume (sixteen), Kahoko begins to finally recognize her feelings for Len, and while this is no surprise, either, its consequences managed to make me actually angry with this series for the first time ever.

Having determined not to tell Kahoko that he would be leaving the country on the very same day she is to play in an important music competition (relationship decisions have never been his strong suit), Len unfathomably blurts out the news on the evening just before Kahoko’s performance, sending her into a loop of anxiety and confusion at the moment she needs it least. What pushes me over the edge, however, is Kahoko’s near-sabotage of her own performance in favor of wallowing in emotional turmoil, which plays just about as wrong with me as it possibly could. For while I realize that the story of a teenager prioritizing her feelings for a boy over a personal dream she’s worked her ass off to achieve is probably more realistic than most of us would like to acknowledge, I think it may have finally eclipsed my tolerance for the series’ lack of devotion to its subject.

Of course, I also realize that the problem may be mine, as perhaps it’s been quite clear all along that the story’s real subject is Kahoko’s romantic dreams rather than her musical aspirations, but it still kinda pissed me off.

Scold me if you must.

MICHELLE: Oh, that would piss me off, too! I will say, though, that this series is definitely capable of provoking some strong emotions in you: here you’re angry, but I remember an earlier plot revelation that actually made you cry.

MJ: *sigh* It’s true. I’m really a sucker for this kind of series, overall. I suspect I won’t be able to resist the final volume, even after this.

So, our final selection for the week is something we both read. Would you like to introduce it?

MICHELLE: Alrighty.

From the creator of Clean Freak, Fully Equipped (long-time readers might recall I talked about this series in the past) comes Jiu Jiu, an extremely generic and unfunny tale of a misanthropic demon hunter named Takamichi who has some angst that results in her ignoring the two half-human half-demon wolfish pups that have been placed in her charge until they turn three, whereupon they proceed to enroll in her high school and sleep nude in her bed.

Over and over again, she leaves them behind for some reason, they whine, she realizes they care about her, or only want to protect her, or something like that. It’s all incredibly disjointed with disorienting shifts in time, and for the life of me, I cannot understand why a hot mess like this gets licensed but 7SEEDS does not.

Sheesh, now I’m cranky!

MJ: Wow. So succinct. And so true, sad to say.

While I’d say my reaction against Jiu Jiu wasn’t quite so violently negative, it certainly was not good. Jiu Jiu does have a few strong points—or at least potential strong points not yet fully realized. Though Takamichi is irritatingly hung up on the notion that she must protect herself by not caring for anybody (is anyone else as tired of that song as I am?), she’s potentially a kick-ass heroine with a fairly kick-ass job. And while I could go the rest of my life without reading yet another introduction of her wolfy companions, Night and Snow (this series really suffers from exposition repetition), the artist does an eerily fantastic job of drawing teenaged boys who actually look and act like dogs. Seriously, it’s kind of impressive.

Trouble is, none of the series’ potential strong points have been actualized fully enough to make up for the fact that so far the story seems to have no direction whatsoever, unless you count the rather disturbing possibility that Takamichi’s increasingly, uh… horny pups may eventually molest her in her bed.

MICHELLE: Exactly. And you’re right, their more canine moments are the best in the volume. I despair, though, that a character who has explicitly stated he passed the high school entrance exams then proceeds to mistake a bra for a pair of glasses. High-larious.

Takamichi herself is not particularly likeable, and I don’t like the art, either. In fact, one particularly ridiculous pose (page 59) made me laugh and say aloud, “Oh my God, what?!” These factors together make it extremely difficult to hope that it will improve in future volumes.

MJ: Ha! I laughed at the very same pose!

There are some (again) potentially interesting musings here and there about the nature of Takamichi’s job and her feelings about her young protectors becoming killers, but these are too brief to make an impact. Probably the one thing that got me through it all was the cuteness of puppy!Night writing in his diary. Ultimately, though? Not cute enough.

MICHELLE: I’m afraid I must conCUR. Harhar.

MJ: And on that note… better luck next time? Let’s hope so.

These aren’t the Androids you’re looking for…

by

Hey, y’all… Brigid is at San Diego Comic-Con this week where she’ll wearing several hats: journalist, panelist, and jurist. (That’s right: Brigid is one of this year’s Eisner Award judges!) That means you’re stuck with me for a couple of days. I’ll do my best to fill Brigid’s shoes; you can help out by emailing or tweeting me links to breaking news stories, interesting articles about manga, and, of course, reviews!

Speaking of SDCC, the first news items are beginning to trickle in. VIZ just unveiled its new Android manga app, which is available through Google Play. Users will be able to purchase volumes of popular VIZ titles such as Naruto and Black Bird, as well as issues of Weekly Shonen Alpha. VIZ also announced that it will be publishing Street Fighter x Sanrio: World View, in which characters from the video game duke it out with characters from Sanrio’s vast empire of cuteness.

Yen Press will be doing a graphic adaptation of James Patterson’s forthcoming novel, Zoo. Zoo is something of a departure for Yen; unlike Daniel X and Maximum Ride, the novel is clearly aimed at adult readers. Andy MacDonald is adapting and drawing the manga.

At the Kodansha Comics panel, Dallas Middaugh reviewed the company’s fall line-up, which will include three new titles: Genshinken: Second Season, Missions of Love, a shojo comedy by Emi Toyama (Pixie Pop, I Am Here!), and Danza, a short story collection by Natsume Ono (House of Five Leaves, not simple). Middaugh also announced that Kodansha would be re-issuing Battle Angel Alita: Last Order in a new, omnibus edition in 2013.

Rebecca Silverman interviews Kaze editors David Guelou and Raphael Pennes about Japan: One Year Later, an anthology exploring the aftermath of last year’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Last but not least, MJ will be hosting the July Manga Movable Feast at Manga Bookshelf. The topic is CLAMP, and the discussion begins on Monday, July 23rd.

News from Japan: The latest issue of Hana to Yume reports that Julietta Suzuki’s Kamisama Kiss will be getting the anime treatment; no word yet on a possible air date, though Akitaro Daichi (Fruits Basket, Kodocha) will direct the series.

Reviews: Over at Manga Xanadu, Lori Henderson files brief reviews of Bakuman and Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan.

Anna Neatrour on vol. 3 of Alice in the Country of Hearts Omnibus (Manga Report)
Serdar Yegulalp on vol. 2 of The Flowers of Evil (Genji Press)
Jenny on vols. 1-27 of Fullmetal Alchemist (No Flying No Tights)
Kristin Bomba on vol. 7 of House of Five Leaves (Comic Attack)
Paige McKee on vol. 9 of Jormungand (Sequential Tart)
Sean Gaffney on Olympos (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Kate Dacey on Sakuran (The Manga Critic)
Sheena McNeil on vol. 7 of Tenjo Tenge: Full Contact Edition (Sequential Tart)
Nichole on vol. 1 of Ugly Duckling’s Love Revolution (No Flying No Tights)

Sakuran

by

The oiran, or Japanese courtesan, is a product of seventeenth century Japan. Like the geisha who eclipsed them in popularity, the oiran were not simply prostitutes; they were companions and performers, trained in a variety of arts — calligraphy, music, flower arranging — and prized for their ability to converse with powerful men. Though confined to the official pleasure districts of Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka, they were highly visible, formally parading through the streets in elaborate costumes, attended by a retinue of maids. As a potent symbol of the new, hedonistic culture of urban Japan, the oiran were frequent subjects of ukiyo-e, or “floating world” prints. Artists such as Suzuki Harunobou emphasized the oiran’s refinement, the rarefied world in which they operated, and, in their more explicit shunga prints, the bodily pleasures they offered.

Moyocco Anno’s Sakuran presents a less romanticized image of the oiran, documenting one girl’s rise from maid to tayuu, or head courtesan. We first meet Kiyoha as an eight-year-old child: orphaned and undisciplined, she chafes against the strict rules inside Edo’s Tamagiku House, making several unsuccessful attempts to escape. Shohi, Kiyoha’s mistress, is one of the few people to recognize Kiyoha’s potential: not only is Kiyoha quick-witted, she also boasts a porcelain complexion and delicate facial features, both highly prized assets in a courtesan. Shohi’s method for grooming Kiyoha for her new role is less tutoring than hazing, however, a mixture of slaps, insults, and mind games designed to teach Kiyoha to behave in a more dignified fashion.

Anno’s artwork is uniquely suited to the subject matter: it’s both starkly ugly and exquisitely beautiful, capable of conveying the anger and suffering beneath Kiyoha’s carefully manicured appearance. When we first meet Kiyoha, for example, Anno draws her as a “dirty little turnip” with a snot-stained face, unkempt hair, and an ill-fitting yukata. Though Kiyoha undergoes a remarkable transformation over the course of the manga, we are frequently reminded of what she looked like when she first arrived at Tamagiku. Kiyoha’s face contorts into a grotesque, child-like mask whenever she feels wronged or vulnerable, and she frequently reverts to a feral posture when eating, as if her bowl might be snatched from her hands.

In this sequence, for example, twelve-year-old Kiyoha interrupts a transaction between a shinzu (the lowest ranking courtesan of the house) and a lecherous customer. Kiyoha’s motives for intervening are unclear, since her relationship with the shinzu in question is never carefully delineated. As she tussles with the customer, however, we see Kiyoha’s childhood survival instinct emerge in full force, overriding Shohi’s etiquette lessons:

One of the things this sequence also emphasizes is the discrepancy in power between the low-ranking courtesans and the house clientele; any violation of established protocol could result in severe reprisal. Anno infuses this scene with special urgency by using blunt, contemporary speech in lieu of the archaic language that verisimilitude might demand. It’s a welcome departure from the tortured, Fakespearian dialogue that plagues the otherwise brilliant Ooku: The Inner Chambers, focusing the reader’s attention on visual signifiers of class and gender — eye contact, body language, clothing — rather than honorifics and awkward syntax.

Perhaps Anno’s greatest achievement is her ability to capture her characters’ physical beauty and sensuality without reducing them to objects. Even the most erotic images are carefully framed as business transactions: the dialogue reminds us that the oiran are performing for their customers, creating an illusion of sexual and emotional intimacy for the sake of money, while their customers’ grim expressions and sweaty bodies remind us of their determination to get the most bang for the buck (so to speak).

If Sakuran sounds like a hectoring treatise on prostitution, rest assured it’s not. Anno creates a vibrant, fascinating world, teeming with people from every walk of life. Though her female characters have limited agency, they nonetheless find opportunities to exert influence over their customers, improve their social standing, and choose their own lovers.

Kiyoha embodies all the contradictions and complexities of her environment: she’s impetuous, competitive, and unmoved by her peers’ hardships, yet she has a great capacity for feeling — and transcending — pain. That Kiyoha is, at times, a repellant figure, does not diminish her appeal as a character; we appreciate the mental toughness that her job demands, and admire her efforts to push back against its limits. It seems only fitting that the story ends not with the outcome that a modern reader might choose for this fierce woman, but with one that reflects the heroine’s own clear-eyed understanding of what she is. Highly recommended.

Review copy provided by Vertical, Inc.

SAKURAN • BY MOYOCCO ANNO • VERTICAL, INC. • 308 pp. • RATING: MATURE (VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE, AND SEXUAL NUDITY)