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Manga the Week of 10/5

September 29, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ, Anna N and Michelle Smith 1 Comment

SEAN: It’s the first week of October, so time for a BIG PILE O’ VIZ! But first:

Dark Horse has the first of what may be several Hatsune Miku manga tie-ins, Mikubon.

Seven Seas has a 5th volume of Golden Time, the one that’s not Toradora.

Magical Girl Apocalypse 9 continues to prove that kids love cute stuff being brutally slaughtered.

The debut this week is My Pathetic Vampire Life, which I know very little about besides that it runs in Futabasha’s Manga Action and hey, vampires.

Since Persona 4’s manga has done pretty well for Udon, it’s no surprise we’re now seeing the debut of Persona 3. It’s a Mediaworks title form Dengeki Maoh.

ASH: I’ve actually played Persona 3, so I’m curious to see how it’s adapted.

SEAN: Since we’ve caught up with Japan, the 8th volume is the first My Neighbor Seki in a while from Vertical. It’s very welcome.

ASH: My Neighbor Seki continues to be a delight.

MJ: Indeed!

SEAN: And now for Viz. Assassination Classroom has its 12th volume, which I believe has a heavy dose of Irina.

And a third volume of Black Clover. What will it be imitating today?

There’s a 6th volume of The Demon Prince of Momochi House.

ANNA: I really like this series, it just keeps getting better and better.

SEAN: And a 14th Food Wars!, which may be starting a new arc?

Haikyu! has a 4th volume. It’s coming out so fast you’d think it was monthly.

ASH: … There may be a reason for that.

ANNA: I haven’t read volume 3 because my kids keep stealing it from me.

SEAN: And there’s a 4th volume of Honey So Sweet.

ANNA: Looking forward to this!

SEAN: I always love a new volume of Kamisama Kiss when it comes out, even now, at the 22nd volume.

ANNA: This is so great. There is totally room in my heart for two shoujo series with handsome male spirit people running around.

Kuroko’s Basketball has a 2nd omnibus, ensuring it remains caught up with Haikyu! despite being bimonthly.

ASH: Speaking of catching up, I still need to dig into Kuroko’s Basketball.

ANNA: I really liked the unconventional hero.

SEAN: Guess what’s hit double digits but is still adorable? My Love Story!!, that’s what.

MICHELLE: Each of the last seven is on my list!

ASH: I love this series so much.

ANNA: It is just excellent.

SEAN: Naruto has a 16th 3-in-1, even though ninjas are so 2006.

And if you enjoy getting One Piece in massive box sets for Christmas, there’s a 3rd one here for you.

The debut this week is Platinum End, a new manga from the creators of Death Note and Bakuman that runs in Jump Square. I hear it’s more towards the Death Note end of the spectrum in terms of seriousness.

MICHELLE: I’m not generally interested in angels, but I’ll give this a shot.

ASH: I’m always willing to give a manga illustrated by Obata a try.

MJ: You know I’m on board for this, for the artwork if nothing else. Obata 4evah.

ANNA: I will try it for the art alone for the first couple volumes, even if I don’t care for the story.

SEAN: 7th Garden has a 2nd volume, which means only 5 more till I get to make an obviously lame joke.

A 9th So Cute It Hurts!!. It must be cute if it’s that long a series.

ANNA: It is pretty cute, but maybe a bit too long?

SEAN: And a 6th Twin Star Exorcists. This month is big on series I don’t read, alas.

Lastly, a series I do read, the 2nd Yona of the Dawn. Love love love this.

MICHELLE: The second volume is even better than the first.

ASH: I’ve actually got a giveaway for the first volume going on right now. I can’t wait to get my hands on the second one!

MJ: Well, I’ll have to check this out!

ANNA: EPIC FANTASY MANGA FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!!!

SEAN: Is there a series here for you?

Manga Giveaway: Yona of the Dawn Giveaway

September 28, 2016 by Ash Brown

The end of September is almost here, which means it’s once again time for Experiments in Manga’s monthly giveaway. This month everyone participating has the opportunity to enter for a chance to win the first volume in Mizuho Kusanagi’s manga series Yona of the Dawn as published in English by Viz Media. And as always, the giveaway is open worldwide!

I generally appreciate a good epic fantasy, but I seem to particularly enjoy those with compelling female leads. Some of the Japanese novels, manga, and anime that I love the most fall into this category, such as Nahoko Uehashi’s Moribito, Fuyumi Ono’s The Twelve Kingdoms, and Yumi Tamura’s Basara to name just a few. One of the most recent manga of this type to be released in English is Mizuho Kusanagi’s Yona of the Dawn which, like Basara, is even more specifically a shoujo fantasy epic. And so, it’s probably not too surprising that I’m looking forward to reading the manga series, and there’s an anime adaptation to watch, too!

So, you may be wondering, how can you win Yona of the Dawn, Volume 1?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about one of your favorite shoujo fantasy manga with a great female lead. (Haven’t read one? Simply mention that instead.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

That’s all there is to it. Those participating can earn up to two entries for the giveaway and have one week to submit comments. Comments can be sent directly to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com if you have trouble using the comment form or if you would prefer. I will then post those comments here in your name. The winner of the giveaway will be randomly selected and announced on October 5, 2016. Good luck!

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

Contest Winner Announced–Manga Giveaway: Yona of the Dawn Giveaway Winner

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My Week in Manga: September 19-September 25, 2016

September 26, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week at Experiments in Manga I posted an in-depth review of Human Acts, an incredibly beautiful, tremendously powerful, and absolutely devastating novel by South Korean author Han Kang. (Some may recognize Kang as the author of The Vegetarian which has earned her a fair amount of international attention and acclaim.) Human Acts is one of the best books that I’ve read in quite some time, but it’s a chilling and challenging read due to its subject matter. The book focuses on the violent Gwanju Uprising and its long-lasting aftermath, however it’s not at all necessary to be familiar with that particular incident to understand and appreciate the novel.

Elsewhere online, there was some very exciting licensing news: Pantheon Books will be releasing Gengoroh Tagame’s My Brother’s Husband! The impending English-language release has been hinted at, but now it’s official and I’m absolutely thrilled. Digital Manga’s Juné imprint also had a few licensing announcements from Yaoicon: Velvet Toucher’s Eden’s Mercy, the third volume of Yoneda Kou’s Twittering Birds Never Fly, and Junko’s The Prince’s Time. And over the weekend Yen Press slipped in an announcement for the acquisition of Tsukumizu’s Shojo Shumatsu Ryoko. A few other interesting things that I came across last include a video of Viz Media’s SDCC 2016 Panel, the Comic Book Resources feature “20 Years Ago, Dragon Ball Z Came to America to Stay,” and Otaku Champloo’s BL Manga Starter Kit. Also, a couple of recent queer comics Kickstarters caught my eye: Ngozi Ukazu’s already massively successful campaign to release Check Please!, Year Two and a project to raise funds for the final volume and omnibus edition of Jennie Wood’s Flutter.

Quick Takes

Attack on Titan, Volume 19 by Hajime Isayama. For a while there I was starting to become a little weary of the sheer number of plot twists in Attack on Titan. Instead of renewing my interest in the story, I started to lose confidence in it. However, the more recent volumes of the series have regained some focus. The story developments and turns in the story are more exciting because of it, even if there are still a few major mysteries which have yet to be fully explained. The nineteenth volume of Attack on Titan is an exciting one as a massive confrontation between a contingent of intelligent Titans and the decimated Survey Corps begins. Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and the rest will have to directly face off against the Armored Titan and the Colossus Titan, knowing that the humans controlling them were once their comrades. It’s a kill-or-be-killed situation with very little room for negotiation. The action sequences in the nineteenth volume are dramatic and well-done, but the most notable aspect of the manga is probably the psychological impact that the battle for survival against one-time friends has on the characters. Also, for Attack on Titan fans who are interested in Levi and Erwin, the special edition of the nineteenth volume comes along with the second and final part of the No Regrets OVA anime adaptation. I haven’t had a chance to watch it myself yet, but I am glad that it’s available and am looking forward to seeing it.

Curveball by Jeremy Sorese. Although I’m only now finally getting around to reading Curveball, I’ve actually been meaning to for a while now. The comic was first brought to my attention when it became a finalist for the 2016 Lambda Literary Award for best LGBT Graphic Novel. And then at TCAF 2016 I had the opportunity to hear Sorese talk about Curveball specifically and queer science fiction in general. There are two things in particular that I especially love about Curveball. The first is the inherent queerness of the characters and worldbuilding. Numerous genders are represented in the comic and relationships, romantic and otherwise, occur in a multitude of combinations. The main character, Avery, is non-binary and there are a fair number of others who are genderqueer or genderfluid as well. This isn’t at all a big deal in the comic, it’s simply a natural and unobtrusive part of the setting. The second thing that I particularly enjoyed about the comic is Sorese’s use of color. The illustrations in Curveball are primarily grayscale except for the use of an extraordinarily vibrant and literally fluorescent orange to represent technology, and more specifically energy. The effect is very striking. Curveball is mostly about relationships, but the characters are also dealing with a developing energy crisis. The fluorescent orange and the occasional lack thereof is a constant visual reminder of this.

The Seven Deadly Sins, Volume 15 by Nakaba Suzuki. The stakes can’t get much higher than they are at the moment in The Seven Deadly Sins seeing as the fate of the entire world is in grave peril now that the extraordinarily powerful demons known as the Ten Commandments have been released. Granted, just about everyone and everything in The Seven Deadly Sins is extraordinarily powerful, so it’s sometimes difficult to get a good feel for the grand scale of the series; the shock and awe is frequently lost. Despite the tremendous abilities that everyone has and despite the massive amounts of damage dealt to both people and property, it ends up coming across as common rather than impressive. Recently Suzuki has resorted to having Hawk actually announce the combat classes and magic levels of the various characters are, but that just seems superfluous when there is effectively no difference between a class level of 3,370 and 5,500 on the page. Even so, the fight scenes and battle sequences somehow still manage to be engaging and entertaining and are honestly one of the best things about the series. The fifteen volume of the manga sees the Seven Deadly Sins starting to fight off the Ten Commandments on two separate fronts. First they must try to fend off the Commandment’s minions and are largely successful, but eventually one of the demons appears to confront them directly. By the end, things aren’t looking good for the Deadly Sins.

Yona of the Dawn, Volume 1 by Mizuho Kusanagi. Even if it wasn’t for the fact that I tend to enjoy epic fantasy series with strong female leads, the amount of excitement surrounding the anime adaptation and the licensing announcement for the original manga series in English would have been enough for Yona of the Dawn to catch my attention and interest. Admittedly, Yona spends a large part of the series’ first volume in shock and barely able to function. The reason is understandable–she has witnessed the murder of her beloved father the king at the hands of one of the people she most loved and trusted in the world. The unexpected betrayal leaves her stunned; the only reason she avoids a similar fate is that her personal guard whisks her away from the palace. However, the very beginning of the volume implies that Yona will take control of her own destiny. That’s the story that I really want to read. I want to see Yona overcome her tragic circumstances, to find the strength to protect herself and those she loves. If the manga is able to deliver its promise (and I suspect that it will), Yona of the Dawn will indeed be a series well-worth following. While Yona comes across as weak and helpless for a significant portion of the first volume of Yona of the Dawn, showing Yona at her lowest does provide the necessary setup required for dramatic story and character developments. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Yona of the Dawn.

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Manga the Week of 9/28

September 22, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ, Michelle Smith and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: Duck and cover, folks.

Kodansha gives us a 3rd Colossal Edition of Attack on Titan, which no doubt still remains a potent blunt instrument as well as a good way of catching up.

ASH: These volumes truly are colossal.

SEAN: And a 56th volume of Fairy Tail, which had one of my pairings become canon recently, and apparently other stuff is happening as well.

The first of three debuts from Kodansha next week, Happiness is from the creator of Flowers of Evil (and Inside Mari, and Drifting Net Café, for those who want to be reminded that there are iffy things the author has done too). It seems to combine school bullying and vampires, and runs in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine.

ASH: I’m not especially interested in vampires, but I’ll definitely be checking out this series.

MJ: I’d give this a look.

SEAN: The Prince in His Dark Days is an Aria title, so file it under shoujo-ish. This seems to involve some gender bending, and the author is better known for her BL. We’ll see what it’s like.

MICHELLE: This is already in my Amazon cart!

ASH: I’m very curious about this series!

ANNA: I’m curious too, but I will wait until you guys read it.

MJ: I’m absolutely on board for this!

SEAN: Sweetness and Lightning may have just finished its anime, but the manga goes in, with Vol. 2 coming out next week.

And Welcome to the Ballroom is from Weekly Shonen Magazine, and from what I can tell may be a sports manga, only the sport is ballroom dancing. Of the three debuts, this one excites me the most.

MICHELLE: And so are both of these!

ASH: It’s a strong week for Kodansha debuts; I want to read them all.

ANNA: BALLROOM DANCING MANGA! I am amazed.

MJ: So excited!

SEAN: Franken Fran has an omnibus of Vol. 5 & 6. It’s not for everyone, as many have discovered, but I do love its combination of excessive horror and excessive humor.

ASH: As do I.

And there’s a 7th volume of Servamp, which… OK, look, there’s a LOT of vampire titles this week. I have to save my bad jokes for other vampire titles down the list.

And Vertical has a 3rd volume of Devil’s Line. See what I mean? It’s just awash with vampires around here.

Yen Press takes up the rest of this list, but trust me, we aren’t almost done. First, there’s the digital line, with 6th volumes for Aphorism, Crimson Prince (not vampires, but demons), and Sekirei.

Yen On time. The 7th novel of Accel World will hopefully involve the nasty cliffhanger from the last volume, but will we really be free of the constant threat of the corrupting armor? And will Haru get actual self-confidence?

Since the last volume of Kagerou Daze was delayed, that means we get this 5th volume sooner than expected. This one should explain how Shintaro’s dead not-quite-girlfriend, Ayano, is connected to all this.

At last, we have the debut of Yen On’s first light novel series with no fantasy elements, My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected. You can tell it’s a light novel by that wordy title, just call it OreGairu. It comes highly recommended, I will see what the fuss is about.

MJ: I will check this out as well.

SEAN: And a 2nd volume of Overlord, as we continue to see how ‘trapped in a game’ works if you’re a villain.

And there is a 4th volume of Strike the Blood, which I continue to find very generic but enjoyable despite that.

On to Yen Press proper. We get a 3rd volume of Akame Ga KILL! preview ZERO.

And we get the final volume of Aldnoah Zero First Season. The Second Season is not yet licensed, as far as I can tell.

There’s a 2nd volume of the manga adaptation of The Boy and the Beast.

As you might guess from the cover, A Bride’s Story 8 will be focusing on Pariya, our favorite tsundere, and her own marriage – assuming she does not blush herself to death first.

ASH: Looking forward to seeing more of A Bride’s Story on my shelf.

MJ: This, always.

SEAN: Chaika the Coffin Princess is also ending with its 5th and final volume.

And if you like fanservice, have a 2nd volume of Demonizer Zilch.

There’s also a 5th volume of the heartwarming and sometimes creepy First Love Monster.

Fruits Basket’s collectors Edition gives us 2 more volumes with its 5th omnibus, and a new zodiac, of course, of course.

MICHELLE: And a nice Ayame pic on the back cover!

MJ: These are so beautiful, I could not be happier.

SEAN: He’s My Only Vampire has ended in Japan, but still continues here with Vol. 8.

Now that I’ve read its source, I expect The Honor Student at Magic High School’s 4th volume to make 100% more sense.

And speaking of LN adaptations, there’s the 2nd My Youth Romantic… I’m not typing that out again.

Of the Red, The Light, and the Ayakashi is adapting a game, but still intrigues me as we hit Volume 4. I’m in it for the savvy little sister.

MICHELLE: I’m intrigued, as well.

SEAN: Overlord’s 2nd manga is coming out the same day as its 2nd light novel. That’s never not confusing!

And Space Dandy wraps up with a 2nd volume. This is the trouble with anime tie-ins.

Strike the Blood has a 4th manga volume, coming out the same day as… see my entry on Overlord.

Triage X may be up to a 12th volume, but on the bright side, we’ve caught up with Japan.

Ubel Blatt has a 6th omnibus that is really its 7th. Still bitter.

ASH: Understandably so.

SEAN: And lastly, Erika Furudo continues to RUIN EVERYTHING as we get a 2nd Umineko: Dawn of the Golden Witch omnibus. Can we get a happy ending with Battler controlling things? Don’t bet on it.

Are you buried under the weight of all of this? If not, what are you getting?

My Week in Manga: September 12-September 18, 2016

September 19, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week at Experiments in Manga I posted the Bookshelf Overload for August. I picked up some great out-of-print (or soon to be out-of-print) manga and comics last month in addition to some highly-anticipated new releases. I was particularly busy with work and taiko last week so I wasn’t online much, but there is one thing that I’d like to draw attention to–the thirty-eighth and most recent issue of Sparkler Monthly. In it is the first part of a Skyglass side story written by Jenn Grunigen and illustrated by Mookie called “The Mud God” which, in addition to being adorably cute, is partly my fault as it’s related to another Skyglass commission that the author is working on for me. (Hopefully that one will be able to be shared soon, too!)

Quick Takes

Inuyashiki, Volume 4 by Hiroya Oku. The fourth volume of Inuyashiki begins immediately where the third volume ends, with the devastating and gruesome aftermath of Inuyashiki’s confrontation with an powerful organized crime group. It then turns to follow Shishigami’s story again. One thing that I found to be particularly interesting about Inuyashiki, Volume 4 is the character development of the two main leads. Since the beginning of the series, Inuyashiki and Shishigami have been opposites, using their newly-granted powers in vastly different ways. Though they both are mechanical monsters with many of the same abilities, Inuyashiki has focused on helping others, whether that be by curing major illnesses or fighting on behalf of those who are weaker, while Shishigami has been going on killing sprees for his own selfish reasons. Inuyashiki abhors violence, even when he is a willing participant; Shishigami delights in it. But the fourth volume of Inuyashiki sees some of that change. Inuyashiki is learning to consciously use and control his more deadly powers, specifically in order to put an end to Shishigami. He still considers it to be a necessary evil, though. As for Shishigami, his mother’s illness inspires him to use his abilities for less destructive purposes, but it’s still difficult to sympathize with him since he shows very little regret or remorse for the suffering he has wrought in the recent past.

One-Punch Man, Volumes 4-8 written by One and illustrated by Yusuke Murata. I continue to be greatly impressed by both the artwork and writing of One-Punch Man although the series is not without its flaws. The manga plays around with many of the tropes of the superhero genre and makes use of plenty of stereotypes in the process. Unfortunately, that means the introduction of an unquestionably gay hero and the perceived threat of his sexuality is intended to be comedic, resulting in an uncomfortable setup in which implied sexual assault is treated as a joke. Personally, I didn’t find this to be particularly funny. However, other than that glaring misstep, the humor in One-Punch Man is fantastic. A slew of new heroes and villains have been brought in; their powers are frequently over-the-top and frankly ridiculous, fitting the overall tone of the series perfectly. Murata’s artwork can be absolutely stunning and is incredibly dynamic, shifting from simplified illustrations to those that are nearly photo-realistic depending on the needs of the story and humor. The action sequences are great, filled with intense battles between absurdly powered opponents and accompanied by a suitably tremendous amount of destruction. It’s not at all surprising that One-Punch Man has been adapted into an anime series–the manga as a whole but especially the visual components seem to beg for it.

Queen Emeraldas, Volume 1 by Leiji Matsumoto. Older manga are not often released in English, so I was very excited to learn that Kodansha Comics would be publishing a classic series. I was even more interested when I found out that series would be Matsumoto’s space opera Queen Emeraldas which takes place in the same universe as his Captain Harlock stories. Although the hardcover English-language edition is based on a Japanese release from 2009, Queen Emeraldas was originally serialized in the late 1970s. The story largely follows a young man by the name of Hiroshi Umino, a runaway from Earth who crash lands on Mars in a spaceship he cobbled together himself. The titular Emeraldas is charismatic and enigmatic woman, a living legend who metes out justice as she wanders the stars. She takes a particular interest in the boy, repeatedly aiding him in his struggle to survive in space. Initially her concern seems to emerge from the fact that his story shares so many similarities with her own although later it is implied that she may have a deeper connection to him. However, like much of Queen Emeraldas, the nature of that connection is still a mystery. So far, I am thoroughly enjoying Queen Emeraldas. The manga is moody, atmospheric, and melancholic with a Western frontier flair. The characters are ambitious, seeking a life of freedom in a world that is harsh and unforgiving.

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Volume 9 by Miki Yoshikawa. It’s fairly common for bodyswap manga to incorporate a fair amount of fanservice, especially when different genders are involved, and Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches is no exception to that trend. Generally, the fanservice in the series doesn’t bother me that much especially considering the context, but every once in a while it’s more of a distraction than anything else. A case in point is a completely inexplicable panty shot in the ninth volume which completely threw me out of the story; it served no purpose for either characterization or plot, and even how the scene was illustrated didn’t make any sense. Usually, Yoshikawa is much better than that. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the ninth volume of Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches. There are some interesting twists and revelations as Yamada tries to find a way to return everyone’s missing memories. I’m not always very fond of amnesia plotlines in stories simply because they can be a lazy way for creators to write themselves out of a corner or cause unnecessary drama, but in the case of Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches it actually works really well. At it’s very heart the series about friendship and overcoming isolation. Yamada, intentionally or not, was the one who brought so many of the characters together in the first place and he will do everything that he can to bring them together again.

Manga the Week of 9/21

September 16, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: Another big chunk of books to talk about next week. There’s no breaks anymore.

The adult coloring book has been a hot new trend for a while now, so it’s no surprise that Kodansha is getting in on it with the Attack On Titan Adult Coloring Book. Be sure to have lots of red.

Complex Age gives us a 2nd volume of cosplay drama and adult fear.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one!

ASH: As am I! I was surprised by how much I was able to identify with the first volume. I’m also curious to see if the series will take the same direction as the original one-shot.

ANNA: I loved the first volume and am excited to read this!

SEAN: And there’s a 3rd manga volume of Ninja Slayer Kills, which is totally written by two American guys, honest.

And a 4th volume of Real Account. Has the survival game genre peaked?

And a 16th volume of The Seven Deadly Sins.

Lastly (from Kodansha, at least), Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches has hit double digits, but we still haven’t dealt with those pesky witches just yet.

ASH: I’ll admit, I’m still enjoying this series.

SEAN: This has been out in comic shops for a while now, but Amazon has the debut of Kuma Miko from One Peace. It’s half cute slice-of-life comedy about a shrine girl and her talking bear, and half weird and somewhat uncomfortable comedy.

Seven Seas has an 8th volume of the criminally underrated Arpeggio of Blue Steel, the Tom Clancy of anthropomorphic girl series.

Make no mistake about it, NTR – Netsuzou Trap is about cheating on one’s boyfriend – NTR stands for ‘netorare’, the Japanese word for ‘cheating’ that has become used and abused by North American otaku. That said, it’s about two girls cheating on their boyfriends with each other, and runs in Ichijinsha’s Yuri Hime. We’ll see. My expectations are near the bottom of the sea, so…

MICHELLE: Huh. I’d definitely want to read a story like that if it were, say, josei, but the boob-smushing on the cover is not encouraging.

SEAN: And a 3rd Tomodachi x Monster, for Pokemon fans who want more death and violence.

Vertical has a 3rd omnibus of Mysterious Girlfriend X, which is highly regarded once you get past the drool thing.

MICHELLE: Which… I haven’t been able to do.

SEAN: Viz gives us a 3rd volume of the brilliant but amazingly depressing Goodnight Punpun.

ASH: Goodnight Punpun is so, so good. But, yeah, it doesn’t really make for light reading.

SEAN: And an 8th Master Keaton – I think 9 is the last? Man, I never thought we’d see this title here at all. HOT INSURANCE ACTION.

MICHELLE: *snerk*

ANNA: Hooray for insurance!

SEAN: And Terra Formars is up to Vol. 14.

So what’s in your shopping cart?

My Week in Manga: September 5-September 11, 2016

September 12, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week was a relatively quiet week at Experiments in Manga (granted, that’s true of most weeks these days), but the winner of to Tokyo Ghoul giveaway was announced. The post also includes a list of some of the manga available in English which feature half-humans of one type or another. Elsewhere online, there were plenty of interesting things posted: Massive and gay manga were featured at Edge Media Network, and it sounds like we should be seeing more of Jiraya’s work in English later this fall; Alice Nicolov wrote an article on queer representation in manga for Dazed and Confused Magazine; Nami Sato, the creator of Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto was interviewed for the first time in either English or Japanese; and Publishing Perspectives posted some of the highlights of a conversation with Allison Markin Powell and Hiromi Kawakami about Japanese literature translation. Also, the Kickstarter project for Power & Magic, a queer fantasy comics anthology about witches of color (which looks like it should be fantastic), was recently launched.

Quick Takes

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Volume 8 written by Ryo Suzukaze and illustrated by Satoshi Shiki. It’s been a while since I’ve read Suzukaze’s Before the Fall light novels so I may be misremembering, but the novel adaptation seems to include characters and storylines not found in the original. It also expands on some of worldbuilding and characterizations of the franchise as a whole, so readers interested in the most comprehensive Attack on Titan experience will want to read the manga even if they’ve already read Suzukaze’s novels. Sharle, while still managing to come across as a stereotypical maiden in distress at times, is a more well-rounded and independent character in the manga. Her brother plays a more prominent and slightly more sympathetic role as well although he’s still one of the main human antagonists (and an ass). The Titans actually don’t even make an appearance in this volume and are barely mentioned as the manga focuses on the conflict and intrigue among the military, political, and religious factions. Overall, it’s an exciting volume with some interesting twists. Unfortunately it suffers some from Shiki prioritizing cool-looking panels and scenes over continuity and logical plot developments. (I’m sorry, if someone is going to daringly scale a wall to sneak into a city, they really shouldn’t be attempting the maneuver above the few guards that are present unless there’s a good reason for it.)

Devil Survivor, Volume 6 by Satoru Matsuba. I wasn’t especially enamored with the first volume of Devil Survivor and so haven’t really been following the manga very closely. However, the series had potential, and I’m glad to see that the sixth volume delivers on that promise. The Devil Survivor manga is based on a video game in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, one of many adaptations from the megaseries to have recently been translated in English. Probably my biggest criticism of the first volume of Devil Survivor was that it read too much like a video game and not enough like a manga. If the sixth volume is anything to judge by, the series has greatly improved in that regard. While the video game elements are still readily clear, the manga seems to be focusing more on plot and characters. I actually really like the underlying story and find some of the characters to be interesting as well. The artwork is serviceable, understandably keeping close to the designs of the video games, but the way Matsuda draws the more well-endowed women can be a bit awkward to say the least. Many of the demons invading Tokyo look pretty good, though. The sixth volume is a turning point in the story as the series enters its final arc. Important revelations are made, a major boss battle is fought, and already dangerous situations become even more dangerous as the characters prepare to do all that they can to survive and save Tokyo from destruction.

The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime by Toshio Ban. While I certainly understand why Stone Bridge Press chose to release the entirety of The Osamu Tezuka Story in a single volume, the book is huge, amounting to over nine hundred pages of material. Most of the volume consists of Ban’s manga, but it also includes an excellent introduction by the translator (and friend of Tezuka) Frederick L. Schodt and one of the most exhaustive lists of Tezuka’s work that I’ve seen in one place. I’ve read my fair share of works examining the life and career of Tezuka so I wasn’t especially surprised by anything in the manga, but The Osamu Tezuka Story provides one of the most comprehensive, engaging, and accessible biographies. The manga, which is largely chronological, is divided into three parts which delve into Tezuka’s childhood, his entry into manga, and the expansion of his career into anime. Commissioned following Tezuka’s death in 1989, the biography incorporates many of Tezuka’s own words taken from his essays and earlier interviews. Ban, who was one of Tezuka’s sub-chiefs in the manga department, adopts an illustration style very similar to that of Tezuka and excerpts from some of Tezuka’s manga and anime are also used. The Osamu Tezuka Story reveals just how remarkable and influential a creator Tezuka was and is highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of Japan’s manga and anime industries.

Our Little Sister directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. I’m not sure when (or if) Our Little Sister will receive a home video release, but I recently had the opportunity to see the film in a theater. Our Little Sister is actually a live-action adaptation of Umimachi Diary (the title more literally translates to “Seaside Town Diary”), an award-winning ongoing manga series by Akimi Yoshida who some will likely recognize as the creator of Banana Fish. I’ve seen one other film by Kore-eda (Like Father, Like Son) which is similar in both theme and tone to Our Little Sister. Both films, despite intense interpersonal drama, are fairly quiet and gentle without becoming saccharine and focus on the complexities of familial relationships. In the case of Our Little Sister, the story primarily follows three sisters whose father left their mother for another woman more than fifteen years ago and whose mother largely left them behind to be raised by their grandmother. After their father dies they meet their half-sister, the daughter of his second wife (out of three), for the first time while at the funeral. For a variety of reasons, they invite her to live with them. While this does cause some raised eyebrows and strain in the family, both immediate and extended, the decision is ultimately a healing one as all four sisters grow closer as they pull together their fragmented lives. Our Little Sister is simply a lovely film. (And I’d certainly be interested in reading the original manga, too!)

Manga the Week of 9/14

September 8, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: In a month this big, even the smaller 2nd and 3rd weeks can be packed with manga titles, and that proves to be the case here.

Dark Horse has its 24th volume of Vampire Hunter D, showing that it was way ahead of the vampire curve.

Devil Survivor has come out so fast from Kodansha it’s hard to believe it’s almost done. Vol. 7 is the 2nd to last.

There’s also a 4th volume of shonen romance Forget-Me-Not.

If you want a parody of Attack on Titan but would like it to be closer to its source material as opposed to a high school AU, Spoof on Titan may be for you. It’s a cute 4-koma gag series that originally ran on the Mangabox app a few years back. It’s quite amusing.

One Peace has now caught up with the old Maria Holic releases, so I believe Vol. 7 is new content.

The description of Lord Marksman and Vanadis, Seven Seas’ debut this week, on a manga info site has keywords like ‘based on a light novel’, ‘big breasts’, ‘tsundere’, and the like. Still, it’s in Comic Flapper rather than Comic Alive, so maybe it’s not as cliched as it sounds…

And we also get the 2nd volume of Masamune’s Revenge, whose first volume surprised me by not being terrible, so there’s always hope.

And a 2nd volume of The Other Side of Secret, which… nah, can’t say the same. Moving on.

Remember Blue Morning? From so long ago? We now have a 6th volume of it, courtesy SuBLime. Yay!

MICHELLE: Yay, indeed!

ASH: I’ve been waiting for this! I’m loving the series.

SEAN: And they also have a 2nd 2-in-1 omnibus of Don’t Be Cruel.

MICHELLE: I had major issues with the first volume, but I admit that I kind of want to read this.

SEAN: Udon has a 4th volume of the manga adaptation of Persona 4.

Vertical has what I think most Manga Bookshelf peeps will consider the big release of the week, the first omnibus re-release of BLAME!, rescued from the out of print Tokyopop doldrums thanks to the performance of Knights of Sidonia by the same author. I actually never read this back in the day, so look forward to seeing what it does. And if it has bears.

MICHELLE: I’ve read all of BLAME! and enjoyed it very much, especially the art and labyrinthine setting. Alas, I don’t recall any bears.

ASH: It’s also a literal big release–the volume is huge!

ANNA: I haven’t read it before, so I am excited!

SEAN: Hayate the Combat Butler, from Viz, is exciting no one this week but me, but I am still excited to see a 28th volume of another of my ‘lost cause’ series.

Lastly, a 16th Ranma 1/2 omnibus gives us more of what you like from Rumiko Takahashi, unless you like character development, it doesn’t have that. But it’s funny, so who cares?

ASH: Still happy to see Ranma 1/2 back in print.

SEAN: What are you getting from this list?

My Week in Manga: August 29-September 4, 2016

September 5, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

The end of August has come and gone, but there’s still time to enter Experiments in Manga’s most recent giveaway. This time around you all have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win the first three volumes of Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul. (The winner will be announced on Wednesday.) Other than that, it was a fairly quiet week at Experiments in Manga. I was actually on vacation last week, too. I wasn’t online much, but I did catch that Viz Media will be releasing Hidenori Kusaka and Satoshi Yamamoto’s Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire manga as well as a Pokémon Pocket Comics box set.

Quick Takes

Kiss Him, Not Me!, Volumes 5-6 by Junko. The overall narrative of the last few volumes of Kiss Him, Not Me! has fallen into a noticeable pattern; the series focuses on Serinuma’s potential romantic interests one after another in turn, each of them becoming the subject of their very own mini story arc which briefly delves into their relationship with Serinuma and how they have changed (generally for the better) because of it. Much to my surprise, yet another character has been introduced who has developed feelings for Serinuma, though just how serious he is is somewhat ambiguous. Granted, it’s mostly because of him that everyone ends up confessing their own feelings to Serinuma. As for Serinuma herself, she still seems to be completely uninterested in romance, though she is enjoying having a larger group of friends. Kiss Him, Not Me! continues to be an over-the-top romantic comedy that doesn’t take itself at all seriously. Even when the basic story elements start to feel a little repetitive (such as when Serinuma goes on a date with each of her admirers) the series is unpredictable and varied enough that it remains both entertaining and engaging. The characters aren’t especially deep, and there’s plenty about the series that’s unbelievable, but Kiss Him, Not Me! is silly fun.

Tramps Like Us, Volumes 10-14 by Yayoi Ogawa. I am so glad that I made a point to collect Tramps Like Us when I did; the series is now very much out of print and unlikely to be rescued. (Although, considering the recent expansion in Kodansha’s digital offerings, there might yet be some hope there.) I’m really not sure why it took me so long to actually get around to reading Tramps Like Us, because I ended up loving the manga and its characters. The basic premise is somewhat strange and the series frequently takes off on flights of fantasy, but somehow the emotions and relationship dynamics still manage to be incredibly real and relatable. The final volume of the series did feel a little rushed to me, and everything might have been tied up a little too nicely, but I still found the slightly bittersweet but predominantly happy ending to be very satisfying. Some of the developments weren’t really that surprising; it was only a matter of time before Sumire and Momo/Takeshi had to face what their relationship had become and actually do something about it. Although she has to give some things up, Sumire is able to find a balance between her career, home life, and love life that makes her happy. And I have to admit, although it might ultimately be a little idealistic, the ending made me happy, too.

Your Lie in April, Volume 8-9 by Naoshi Arakawa. As a musician, I’m naturally drawn to manga in which music is featured in some way. And so, because music plays a very prominent role in Your Lie in April, the series immediately caught my attention. Arakawa captures the deep emotional connection a person can have with music remarkably well in Your Lie in April. My own relationship with music is a complicated one, so I’m glad to see that sort of complexity reflected in the manga as well. Generally, however, the series does tend more towards the angst associated with performance rather than the joy of music. Many of the characters are pouring their whole selves into their art; being a musician can be both a thrilling and terrifying experience. Effectively expressing oneself through music is a tremendous accomplishment, but frequently this is accompanied by fear and worry that one will never be good enough. Still, there are wonderful moments in Your Lie in April in which the characters are able to break through their insecurities. While music is an important part of Your Lie in April, probably even more important are the relationships between the characters, even if Kosei still seems oblivious to the fact that he means so much to so many different people.

Manga the Week of 9/7

September 1, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

SEAN: It’s September! Summer vacation is over, time to go back to school, and a whole lot of manga seems to be coming to a close.

Dark Horse has a 10th New Lone Wolf and Cub. There are swords in it.

Paradise Residence wraps up with its third volume, It felt fairly inconsequential, but then so did Oh My Goddess! much of the time.

ASH: I actually didn’t realize the series was only three volumes.

SEAN: Seven Seas has a 5th volume of Citrus, whose cover looks suggestive, but if it’s like previous volumes it will have more angst than seduction.

And a 5th Non Non Biyori, which has yuri tease but otherwise could not be more different than Citrus.

Vertical gives us a 4th volume of Nichijou, which is funny and weird, not necessarily in that order, but always worth getting.

And now the rest is Viz. Bloody Mary has a 4th volume, and, well, vampires.

ANNA: I enjoy this because the vampires are so pretty, and I think secretly in love with each other.

SEAN: Dragon Ball has its final 3-in-1, the 14th. Worry not, however, because…

There’s a 3rd Dragon Ball Full Color Freeza Arc, and that’s not done yet! There will always be Dragon Ball in Oceania.

I liked Everyone’s getting Married’s first volume, and am interested in seeing how far it goes with its premise. Vol. 2 next week.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one.

ASH: Somehow, I’ve already fallen behind. I’ll need to change that.

ANNA: So good! I’m always happy when there’s a regular josei series coming out.

SEAN: Haikyu! is still monthly, with its third volume. My guess? Volleyball practice.

MICHELLE: With the new defense specialist kid!

ASH: I’m really enjoying this series!

ANNA: I am too, it just keeps getting better and better.

SEAN: Idol Dreams continues to come out at a very slow rate, which is what happens when you catch up to Japan almost immediately. Will Volume 3 still be uncomfortable? We shall see.

ANNA: Still here for any Arina Tanemura series.

SEAN: Also caught up with Japan is Kimi ni Todoke, but that’s OK, it’s always worth the wait, even at Vol. 25.

Komomo Confiserie wraps up with its 5th volume. It wasn’t a Special A, or even a Voice Over, but it was pretty good.

MICHELLE: Yeah, I certainly didn’t hate it, but I don’t know that I’d reread it.

ANNA: I liked it, but I agree, probably not a series I’d reread every few years.

SEAN: Nisekoi 17 is the first one to be released after the manga has ended in Japan. Will sales still be good? And is the harem safe? Think of the poor harem!

One Piece’s 17th 3-in-1 has reached Thriller Bark, which I wasn’t fond of at the time but has grown on me after the endless Dressrosa arc.

One-Punch Man 8! PUNCHING!

ASH: INDEED!

ANNA: SO MUCH PUNCHING!

SEAN: Seraph of the End 10! SERAPHING!… OK, no, that doesn’t work. Vampires?

ANNA: I’ve fallen behind on this series but I enjoy the vampires, complex worldbuilding, and angst.

SEAN: Skip Beat! is not coming to an end anytime soon, despite reaching its 37th volume. That said, we do reach a plot I’ve been waiting for since the first volume.

MICHELLE: I actually do not know anything about the plot in this volume, so now I am all excite.

ANNA: I don’t know either, but I’m always excited for Skip Beat! May it run eternally.

SEAN: World Trigger is up to a dozen volumes. And I still have almost nothing to say about it.

And lastly, the 9th and final volume of Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, which totally wraps up the franchise forever and ever… wait, there’s already a new series solicited. Nevermind.

So what’cha want?

Manga Giveaway: Tokyo Ghoul Trio

August 31, 2016 by Ash Brown

Not only is it the last Wednesday of August, it’s the last day in August which means it’s yet again time for Experiments in Manga’s monthly giveaway! This month you’ll all have the opportunity to win not one, not two, but three volumes of Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul as published in English by Viz Media. The giveaway is open worldwide, too!

Tokyo Ghoul has been doing very well for Viz Media. The first volume has currently been on the New York Times’ Best Sellers list for fifty-nine weeks strait. The eighth and most recent volume is currently at the top of that list, and other volumes are frequently found on it, too. While I haven’t followed the series closely beyond the first few volumes, there are still quite a few things I like about the manga. In addition to the series’ dark and gritty aesthetic, I particularly appreciate that the protagonist must come to terms with who he is, struggling to find his new identity after a near-death experience leaves him part-ghoul and part-human. In general I find explorations of personal identity to be engaging and Tokyo Ghoul‘s supernatural variation on the theme to be interesting.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win the first three volumes of Tokyo Ghoul?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about your favorite half-human from manga. (If you haven’t encountered any half-humans, simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting, or retweeting, about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

Not too difficult, is it? Participants in the giveaway can earn up to two entries and have one week to submit comments. If you have trouble with comment form or if you prefer, comments can be sent directly to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com. The comments will then be posted here in your name. The winner of the giveaway will be randomly selected and announced on September 7, 2016. Best of luck to you all!

Contest Winner Announced–Manga Giveaway: Tokyo Ghoul Trio Winner

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My Week in Manga: August 22-August 28, 2016

August 29, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

A new review was posted last week at Experiments in Manga! I’ve been meaning to get around to it since the book was first released back in February, but I’ve finally written up my thoughts on Know What You Want, written by Lianne Sentar. It’s a collection of short, sexually-charged side stories related to Tokyo Demons which is a series that I absolutely love. Reading Know What You Want isn’t necessary to understand the main series, but it does provide more character development, worldbuilding, and background information. Also, like Tokyo Demons proper, the stories can often be heartwrenching.

As for other interesting things found online: Two Tsutomu Nihei interviews were recently posted, one from Brigid Alverson for Barnes & Noble and one from Deb Aoki for Anime News Network. Taiyo Nakashima has a write up of a dialogue between Tetsuo Hara and Kentaro Miura for the Silent Manga Audition website. Publishers Weekly’s podcast More to Come recently featured Frederik L. Schodt discussing Osamu Tezuka. The second episode of the Translator Tea Time podcast is now available. Also at The OASG, eleven translators of anime and manga answer how they learned Japanese.

Quick Takes

Fantasy Sports, Volume 2: The Bandit of Barbel Bay by Sam Bosma. I adored the first volume of Fantasy Sports. While I was looking forward to the next volume, I was also a little afraid that it wouldn’t live up to expectations. Happily, The Bandit of Barbel Bay is just as good as the first Fantasy Sports. I actually may have somehow enjoyed it even more. After defeating an ancient mummy in an epic game of basketball in order to secure an impressive amount of treasure, Wiz and Mug are trying to return to the pyramid of the Order of Mages when they end up robbed and stranded in Barbel Bay. This time they will have to win an ultimate volleyball tournament if they want to escape with the treasure and their lives. All goes well until they must face the champions of Barbel Bay, a pair of twins with godlike powers who rule the court. The story definitely has its fair share of silliness, but there’s also something sinister about the Order of Mages that is slowly being revealed. The Bandit of Barbel Bay is fantastic. Bosma’s artwork and colors are great; the characters are wonderful (the twins in particular are highly entertaining); the comic’s sense of humor is marvelous. Fantasy Sports is an absolute delight and incredibly charming; I can’t wait for the next volume to be released!

Livingstone, Volume 3 written by Tomohiro Maekawa and illustrated by Jinsei Kataoka. For the most part, Livingstone continues to be a largely episodic manga. However, there is also an underlying story about Amano and the truth behind his existence that seems to be taking some precedence. Livingstone is apparently only four volumes (for some reason I thought it was longer than that), so I suspect that the fourth volume will largely be devoted to Amano. I was actually a little surprised by some of the recent developments in Livingstone and their implications–either I completely misunderstood some of the worldbuilding in the series or the creators have completely changed what they originally established. Either way, while the ambiguity is a little frustrating, overall I do find the series interesting. The individual stories, all of which deal with death in some way, range from uplifting to depressing although the series does have comedic undertones. Kataoka’s artwork fits the tone of the series well, creating a vaguely unsettling and disconcerting atmosphere while still managing to convey the humor. (One of primary reasons I was interested in Livingstone to begin with was actually because of Kataoka’s involvement.) Livingstone is a kind of a strange and uneven manga, but I’m still curious enough to want to see how it concludes.

Real Account, Volume 3 written by Okushou and illustrated by Shizumu Watanabe. The end of the second volume of Real Account included a major revelation about Ataru and ended with a pretty major twist on top of that. Not everything thing has been explained yet about that particular development, but the third volume abandons Ataru entirely to follow a new lead, Yuma. The creators do mention that Ataru isn’t completely gone from the series, but he doesn’t make even a token appearance in the third volume. Yuma is understandably similar to Ataru in many key ways, but the sudden shift in protagonists doesn’t work especially well. Despite knowing a fair amount of Yuma’s backstory before the volume begins, readers aren’t given much opportunity to really empathize with him before he’s thrown into the same life-or-death game as Ataru. And while I understand why the series is emphasizing how alike Yuma and Ataru are, the first chapter of the third volume feels extremely repetitive. For those reasons, I didn’t enjoy this particular installment of the series as much as the two that came before, but the series is still intriguing and the social media-inspired games are clever (though I did feel a bit cheated by some of their solutions). And I did appreciate that the third volume showed more of what is happening outside of Real Account, too.

Manga the Week of 8/31

August 25, 2016 by Sean Gaffney 1 Comment

SEAN: August ends with a giant pile of manga, mostly via Yen Press, but as always we’ll start alphabetically.

Kodansha gives us the first volume of the Attack on Titan: Lost Girls manga. This is an adaptation of the visual novel that focused on Mikasa and Annie, there’s also a novel that Vertical released. It promises to be quite good.

ASH: Oh! I somehow overlooked the manga being licensed, though I did know about the novel.

SEAN: There’s also a 4th volume of Maga-Tsuki, as well as a 9th Your Lie In April. You know I have little to say when I combine releases into the same line.

ASH: I didn’t care much for Maga-Tsuki, but for the most part I have been enjoying Your Lie in April. It can be a bit melodramatic, but I’m always down for music manga!

SEAN: Seven Seas gives us a 9th volume of runaway monster girl hit Monster Musume.

And they also have a 2nd volume of Shomin Sample, whose full title I won’t bother with. Volume 1 was not very good, but did make me laugh more than I expected to.

Vertical Comics also has a Vol. 9, this one is Witchcraft Works.

OK, that’s it for non-Yen titles. Let’s start with digital, there are new digital volumes of Aoharu x Machinegun (5), Black Detective (5), Corpse Princess (6), and Saki (5). I’m falling behind on Saki, I will admit.

ASH: Still happy if somewhat stunned that Saki is being translated!

SEAN: Yen On has a full 8 light novels out this month; luckily, we already had two of them out this week. For next week, we get the debut of The Asterisk War, a stunning expose of modern copyediting in Japan. Wait, no, this is another fantasy series with magic, swords, and cute girls. But, on the bright side, it does not have anyone getting trapped in a game.

Baccano! has a 2nd light novel, this the first of a 2-part arc subtitled The Grand Punk Railroad (this is the “Local” novel.) It is worth noting that one of the protagonists in this book is named Jacuzzi Splot. This alone should make everyone want to read it.

MICHELLE: Haha. At some point, I will get around to these.

SEAN: And a 4th Black Bullet, which will have to figure out how far down the rabbit hole it can go after last volume’s “kill an entire classroom of adorable children”.

The Devil Is A Part-Timer! is always a treat, and I look forward to the 5th volume.

ASH: I’ve fallen behind on the series, but was greatly amused by its beginning.

SEAN: Likewise, Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? continues to have a batting average above its premise, and the 6th volume should continue that.

And Sword Art Online has an 8th volume, this one devoted to two large novellas and a short story, taking place both during the time in Aincrad and after.

MJ: I’m still reading this, so… that’s something.

SEAN: On the manga front, Yen has a 2nd volume of Anne Happy, a story of several unlucky students and their bizarre classroom.

And there’s a 2nd omnibus of Corpse Party: Blood Covered, which as you can tell from the title is filled with heartwarming fluff.

Yen has a 3rd volume of sci-fi thriller Dimension W.

ASH: I recently picked up the first two volumes since I generally like Yūji Iwahara’s manga. Also, the covers glow in the dark!

SEAN: And a 4th volume of fanservice-heavy Dragons Rioting.

MJ: I know fanservice sells, but it’s become so overwhelming in Yen titles generally, I’ve started to wonder what’s left for me. Then I remember things like Emma and Fruits Basket.

SEAN: Well, Yen Press allied with Kadokawa Shoten, and is now putting out a bunch of its titles. Between Dragon Age and Comic Alive, there’s a lot of titles that cater to the male otaku.

We have reached the end of Emma with its 5th and final omnibus. This one is mostly side stories, but does also give us some time with the main characters themselves. So happy Yen rescued this.

MJ: Yep.

ASH: Yes! I was one of the people who discovered the series after it had gone out of print. I’m thrilled that I can now own it, and Yen has done a beautiful job with the release.

ANNA: I got it the first time around, but am so happy that people who hadn’t read it before have a chance at a nice rerelease.

SEAN: And a 4th omnibus of Fruits Basket, which introduces us to Hiro, who is one of my favorite underappreciated characters.

MICHELLE: This is coming out so fast!

MJ: Delightfully fast!

ANNA: Fruits Basket EEEE! I have all the TokyoPop volume, so I have held off on this but I am delighted it is in print again!

SEAN: Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun is always at the top of my pile when it comes out, because it will always be the funniest thing to read.

MJ: I gotta get into this.

ASH: Definitely! I think you’ll like it. The anime adaptation is great, too.

ANNA: I like it, and it is genuinely funny.

SEAN: School-Live! has a 4th volume of adorable schoolgirls and horrific zombies.

Trinity Seven, Volume Six. I’ve made this joke too many times already, so just insert your football results gag here.

Lastly, there is a 3rd omnibus of Yowamushi Pedal, filled with earnest cycling and the sweat and tears of male athletes. It’s actually quite awesome.

MICHELLE: I love it!

ASH: I enjoy this series so much.

ANNA: I haven’t picked this up yet, which I’m sure indicates that there is something wrong with me.

SEAN: As always, so much stuff you could be behind forever. What are you reading?

My Week in Manga: August 15-August 21, 2106

August 22, 2016 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

After a somewhat tumultuous year, last week marked the sixth anniversary of Experiments in Manga! Though at one point I was very stressed out about the fate and state of the blog, I’m now honestly looking forward to year seven, even if I’m not able to write as much anymore. Thank you to everyone who has read and supported Experiments in Manga in the past, present, and future!

Elsewhere online, Speculative Fiction in Translation interviewed Tyran Grillo, translator of Yusaku Kitano’s award-winning Mr. Turtle, the most recent offering from Kurodahan Press. And Barnes & Noble posted a list of 8 Great Japanese Books in Translation That Aren’t by Haruki Murakami. It’s a great list–I’ve only reviewed one of the novels included (Manazuru by Hiromi Kawakami), but I’m very fond of Keigo Higashino‘s work and several of the other books are very high on my to-be-read pile.

Quick Takes

Forget Me Not, Volume 3 written by Mag Hsu and illustrated by Nao Emoto. I was taken a little by surprise by how much I enjoyed the first two volumes of Forget Me Not and so I was looking forward to reading the third volume as well. The series delves into the life and past loves of Serizawa, a young man who so far has been shown to have very little luck when it comes to romance. Some of his relationship woes can be credited to the fact that he’s still immature and inexperienced, but that’s starting to become less and less of an excuse for him now that he’s in college. Perhaps because of that, the third volume of Forget Me Not didn’t work quite as well for me as the previous volumes did. It is very clear that the relationships shown in the third volume are heading towards an absolute train wreck. Considering the beginning of the series it’s already a known fact that Serizawa ends up alone and full of regret, but it’s still painful to watch the whole mess unfold. I feel just as badly for the two young women involved as I do for Serizawa. They both like him and he likes them both; Serizawa just hasn’t been able to figure out exactly what that means yet. Apparently, he still has quite a bit of growing up left to do. Despite my frustration with the most recent volume of Forget Me Not, I am curious to see how this unfortunate past ties in with the mystery of Serizawa’s current situation.

Noragami: Stray God, Volumes 15-16 by Adachitoka. Although the series’ quirky humor hasn’t completely disappeared, Noragami has become increasingly dark and dramatic over time. Adachitoka does still find appropriate moments within the series to insert a bit of levity, but for me what makes the manga compelling is its characters. The real heart of the much of the conflict in Noragami–the frequently unpredictable relationships between the various gods as well as the turbulent relationships between the gods and mortals–has once again been thrust to the forefront of the series with the manga’s most recent story arc. One thing that I found particularly interesting about these two volumes of Noragami is that Adachitoka introduces several deities of indigenous origins in addition to recognizing the existence of foreign gods. I’m not sure that they will necessarily have a large role to play in the series (then again, it seems as though they might), but this expansion is marvelous from a worldbuilding perspective, especially as Noragami is currently dealing heavily with the court and political intrigue of the Heavens. Along with that also comes a few tremendous fight sequences. Ocassionally some of the individual actions can be a little difficult to follow amidst the chaos of battle, but overall the scenes are effective and at times even impressive.

Ten Count, Volume 1 by Rihito Takarai. Although the art style in Ten Count looked familiar to me, I actually didn’t make the connection at first–Takarai was the artist of the short boys’ love series Seven Days which I loved. Ten Count, however, is a very different manga than Seven Days. Even before it was licensed in English, I was aware of Ten Count. It’s a massively popular boys’ love manga, but the series also has a fair number of detractors and understandably so. Only one volume in and Ten Count is already a deliberately uncomfortable and troubling story with dark psychological elements, dubious ethics, and emotional manipulation. The manga follows Shirotani, a young man with a severe obsessive-compulsive disorder which has remained untreated since it first manifested. After a chance meeting Shirotani catches the attention of Kurose, a clinical psychotherapist who would seem to have some emotional issues of his own. Kurose takes a particular and decidedly unprofessional interest in Shirotani, offering to help Shirotani deal with his condition off-the-record and off-the-clock. Without realizing it, as Shirotani begins to be able to more easily function within society, he has also become more and more reliant on Kurose. Romantic it certainly is not, but at least for the moment I’m part of the group that finds Ten Count compelling and definitely plan on reading more.

Another: Episode S/0, novel by Yukito Ayatsuji, manga by Hiro Kiyohara. While I was left feeling a little cheated by how some of the major reveals were handled in the horror-mystery novel Another, for the most part I did like the book. And so I was excited when Yen Press licensed both the not-exactly-sequel Another: Episode S (the main action of the novel takes place during the original Another but is only tangentially related) and the short prequel manga Another 0, releasing them together in a single, beautiful hardcover volume. (Out of all the North American manga publishers, Yen Press has had some of the best book designs of late.) Sadly, Episode S has many of the same narrative problems found in Another, namely important reveals that, while they make sense, seem a bit unfair to the readers. I actually really liked the plot twists themselves in Episode S, it’s just that their execution falls short; once again left feeling unsatisfied by the story’s developments. Tonally, Episode S is a little different from Another–while it’s still a ghost story of sorts and there are some marvelously disturbing scenes, the mystery is emphasized far more than the horror. The atmosphere of Another 0, written and illustrated by the creator who helmed the Another manga adaptation, is much closer that of Another. The prequel relies heavily on readers’ familiarity with the original while Episode S largely stands on its own.

Ultimate Conditioning for Martial Arts by Loren Landow. From an athletic standpoint, I have found several of the books published by Human Kinetics to be useful resources in supplementing my study of traditional Okinawan karate. Ultimate Conditioning for Martial Arts, one of the publisher’s most recent titles, can technically apply to any martial artist, but the book does tend to be geared more towards athletes and competitors. Landow also assumes that readers already have basic knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and sports training methods. While perhaps not suitable for absolute beginners, Ultimate Conditioning for Martial Arts does provide a good starting point for established martial artists who want to begin incorporating speed, agility, and conditioning work into their training. In addition to providing suggested conditioning exercises and programs, Landow also incorporates an overview of relevant and closely-related topics such as the evaluation and establishment of fitness baselines, warmups and flexibility, rest and recovery, and nutrition. The book includes a generous number of helpful photographs to accompany the descriptions of the specific exercises, but the photographs selected aren’t always the ones that would be most illustrative or useful. Additionally, rather than explaining the particular functions and applications of the individual exercises, Landow tends to broadly generalize and categorize their benefits. This lack of specificity and guidance can make the creation of an individualized conditioning program challenging for someone who has never developed one before. Ultimate Conditioning for Martial Arts groups commonly practiced martial arts disciplines together as either striking and kicking arts or wrestling and grappling arts. Landow suggests specific conditioning exercises for each category but also emphasizes the benefits of using a blended approach when developing a training program. Mixed Martial Arts is the only discipline that’s addressed in-depth but Ultimate Conditioning for Martial Arts is still broadly applicable to other martial arts and a valuable resource, providing a fine overall introduction to conditioning and endurance training.

Manga the Week of 8/24

August 18, 2016 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Anna N and Ash Brown Leave a Comment

SEAN: The dog days of August are really dragging in my opinion, and there isn’t much coming out this week I’m picking up. But I’ll tell you about it anyway, as it’s what I do.

Dark Horse has the first omnibus re-release of the old CLAMP series RG Veda, which I seem to recall I found the most difficult to get into of their early works. Perhaps Michelle or MJcan enlighten me further?

MICHELLE: I have actually never read RG Veda, either!

ANNA: I read a few volumes of RG Veda, and I agree it is hard to get into.

SEAN: Kodansha is next. Fairy Tail has a 3rd volume of its Wendy-focused spinoff Blue Mistral.

And a 5th volume of The Heroic Legend of Arslan, which may not come out that often but it’s drawn by Arakawa so who cares?

ANNA: I haven’t read this yet, I clearly need to rethink my life priorities.

ASH: I’ve read the first few volumes and definitely plan on reading more.

SEAN: And there’s a 6th volume of L♥DK, which continues to be oh-so-bad for us.

One Peace has a 5th volume of its novel Rise of the Shield Hero.

Seven Seas has a 2nd volume of horror manga Hour of the Zombie, which does not even pretend to be cute or fluffy before going for shocks.

There’s a 4th 4-koma volume of Merman in My Tub.

ASH: I’ve read a few volumes of this series, too, and was generally amused.

SEAN: And a 3rd volume of odd survival-game-ish Not Lives.

Vertical has the 6th Tokyo ESP omnibus – it’s catching up with Japan a bit, so this may slow down soon.

MICHELLE: I do like this series, but I’m a couple of volumes behind now.

Almost all of Yen’s August releases got pushed back a week, but there are two titles mysteriously unaffected at major retail sites, so I will list them here accordingly. The 8th A Certain Magical Index novel gives us a different POV narrator, as Mikoto’s stalker junior Kuroko gets her own series of adventures.

And The Irregular at Magic High School’s 2nd volume wraps up its first arc.

Do you want something from this list, or is it just too hot to read?