Features

Manga the Week of 1/8

January 2, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ, Anna N and Michelle Smith 3 Comments

SEAN: Well, the holidays are over. HOPE YOU LIKE MANGA. We have, between Amazon and Comic Shop sources, 26 titles coming out this week (some of which have already shipped from certain distributors, yes). Buckle up, folks, we’ll be here a while.

ASH: Excellent. I happen to love manga.

MJ: Yes, yes, yesssssss.

SEAN: Dark Horse has the 2nd Trigun Maximum omnibus. I’m hoping that in larger form the art will somehow make more sense.

Digital Manga Publishing has had a slow return from Print Hiatus, but they seem to be back with a vengeance this week. First we have A Century of Temptation, a vampire/barista romance. The author is best known here for Brave 10 (from DMG) and Sengoku Basara (from Udon).

ANNA: Wow, vampire/barista romance? I am somewhat intrigued.

ASH: Indeed! I had somehow missed that particular detail.

MJ: Well, huh.

SEAN: Volume 2 of Depression of the Anti-Romanticist wraps things up, hopefully with less depression and less anti-romance. Given its BL demographic.

Mr. Mini-Mart certainly wins the cute cover of the week award. A NEET shut-in tries to hold down a job at a convenience store, but must deal with his loud, outgoing coworker. Will romance develop? (Spoiler: yes.)

MICHELLE: Heehee. I approve of the presence of a kitty. I wonder if it figures into the story?

MJ: I’m completely on board with this. I almost don’t care what’s inside.

SEAN: Also with a cute cover, President Momoi-kun is, I inform my fellow Manga Bookshelf writers, an Opera manga. It also looks to be very silly indeed, with lots of funny gags in among the BL. Intriguing.

MICHELLE: I like that the lead dude is crushing on an older, married coworker!

MJ: Anything from Opera deserves a look, so count me in!

SEAN: And in DMP’s one non-BL title, we have – finally – Volume 1 of Takasugi-san’s Obento, which feels like it was pushed back about eight times. A grad student has to take in his cousin after her mother dies, and they learn to bond through cooking. The cousin is twelve, so I think this is meant to be more of a family bonding. It’s 7+ volumes in Japan, and runs in one of my favorite magazines, Comic Flapper, so I definitely want to try this out.

MICHELLE: Me too!

ANNA: I read this when it was available digitally, and liked it! We get food manga so seldom, titles like these are a treat.

ASH: More food manga is always a good thing.

MJ: I’m so glad to see this in print!

SEAN: Fantagraphics shipped the 6th volume of Wandering Son when I wasn’t looking, so most of you may have it already. We’ve talked before about why this should be a must-buy title for all of you.

MICHELLE: I am so dreadfully behind on Wandering Son. Catching up will be one of my resolutions, methinks.

ANNA: Ugh, me too! Too much manga!

ASH: I am still eagerly waiting for my copy to arrive. I can’t wait!

MJ: Same here!

SEAN: Kodansha has Fairy Tail 34, still in the Grand Magic Games arc. I’m falling behind on my Fairy Tail, need to catch up.

Seven Seas expanded greatly in 2013, and this shows no sign of stopping now that it’s 2014. We start with the 2nd and final volume of Alice in the Country of Hearts: The Mad Hatter’s Late-Night Tea Party, which continues the romance between Alice and Blood Dupre.

Dictatorial Grimoire has the 2nd in the Snow White arc, featuring its Alice in the Country of Hearts genderswap-esque plot. I was more interested in Vol. 1 than I expected, so will check the 2nd out.

ASH: I haven’t read the first volume yet, but I am tempted.

SEAN: Monster Musume was a giant hit, and everyone except me seemed to love it. Proving, if nothing else, that I do not drive the taste of most manga readers. Vol. 2 should make even more people happy.

ASH: Monster Musume was a huge success for Seven Seas! I had no idea it was such a popular series.

SEAN: Zero’s Familiar wraps up with the 3rd omnibus, containing Vols. 6-7. Fear not, though, the sequel has been licensed and is coming in the spring.

Flowers of Evil has gotten to Volume 8. Is it still just as twisted? I’m curious.

ASH: The cover art for this story arc is absolutely beautiful.

MJ: I’m still pretty well engaged with this series, so bring it on!

SEAN: And there is the traditional Pile Of Viz. Bleach has a 7th 3-in-1 omnibus, getting towards the end of the Soul Society arc, which many people feel it has never bettered.

Hana-Kimi also gets its 7th 3-in-1. If I recall, it should wrap up with the 8th. Bleach, not so much.

ANNA: I love Hana-Kimi!

SEAN: I adore every single volume of Kimi ni Todoke that comes out, even now that it’s at Volume 18. The cast start to think about their futures around this point, as graduation is near.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to this one, too. It’s a definite favorite.

ANNA: Viz does great shoujo.

SEAN: Midnight Secretary 3 continues to combine office lady romance with vampire romance, and is doing a damn fine job of it. I expect more intrigue to happen here.

ANNA: I do enjoy this series.

MJ: As do I.

SEAN: Oh look, another 3-in-1 Volume 7. This is Naruto.

Natsume’s Book of Friends 15! Another series I always love to read. I wish it had more Taki in it, but I’m happy to accept whatever gentle, melancholy yokai antics it will give me.

MICHELLE: Another definite favorite!

SEAN: I reviewed Nisekoi Volume 1 when the digital volume hit, and it’s now coming to print. It’s a fairly typical Shonen Jump romantic comedy, which will appeal to those who like tsunderes, yakuza, and lots of shouting.

MICHELLE: Which is not me, I’m afraid. I found the premise and characters tiresome.

MJ: I’ll be checking this one out for sure, despite Michelle’s reservations.

MICHELLE: I look forward to seeing what you think of it!

SEAN: Otomen 17, completing a trilogy of addicting shoujo I always read first whenever the new volumes come out. Last time we had a nasty cliffhanger, are things going to get worse?

MICHELLE: Someday I will catch up on Otomen.

ASH: I’ve been saving the last few volumes to read in one go; I really enjoy this series.

SEAN: Psyren 14 barrels on to its finale, and will presumably be bringing all the major players together back in the Psyren World for a big battle royale.

Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration has now fulfilled its purpose of advertising the recent movie, so it can end with Vol. 2, which indeed it does.

MICHELLE: Ha! Really? I wonder if it was always intended to be so short! Does this mean it doesn’t attempt to rewrite the Kyoko Arc, which needed no rewriting? I am relieved!

ANNA: I didn’t realize that it was going to be so short either, but it makes sense. The original manga was so good, it didn’t really need a reboot.

SEAN: Strobe Edge is nearing the end of its run with Vol. 8, and so surely the two leads will finally start to work out their angst and get closer… no, huh? Oh well.

MICHELLE: Soon!

ANNA: I hope so! I do enjoy this series, but am ready for it to wrap up.

MJ: This series continuously surprises me with its ability to keep me engaged… but I do hope we’ll see some movement here, finally.

SEAN: Lastly, Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal 4 does whatever it is Yu-Gi-Oh volumes do these days. It could have become a wacky 4-koma about high school girls for all I know. :)

How much of this pile appeals to you?

My Week in Manga: December 23-December 29, 2013

December 30, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week I posted a review of Hinoki Kino’s manga No. 6, Volume 4. The series has been getting better with each installment and things are starting to get really good. I also wrote a little bit about some of the manga, comics, and fiction releases that for me were particularly Notable in 2013. It’s not exactly a “best of” list, and it isn’t exactly a list of my favorite manga of the year, either. Basically it’s a list of interesting releases from 2013. And speaking of 2013, there’s still time to enter the last manga giveaway of the year! Check out the 4-Koma for You manga giveaway for a chance to win the omnibus edition of Kiyohiko Azuma’s yonkoma manga Azumanga Daioh.

Quick Takes

Fairy Tail, Volume 33 by Hiro Mashima. It’s the second day of the Grand Magic Games and it’s still not looking good for the two Fairy Tail teams, although some of their members have surprising victories. Unfortunately, considering their prior string of defeats, it’s not enough to make much of a difference this early in the tournament. There are some great battles and moments of humor in this volume, but I still don’t find the tournament arc to be as compelling as the arcs that came before it. New characters continue to be introduced; I particularly enjoyed the addition of Bacchus, a powerful wizard from the Quatro Cerberus guild. Personality-wise, he can be a bit of a drunken jerk and isn’t always particularly likeable. What caught my interest is that his style of magic is based on Piguaquan, a legitimate Chinese martial art. Not too surprising considering his name, Bacchus combines this with Zui Quan, or “drunken fist.” Granted, it’s the fictionalized version of drunken fist that requires the practitioner to actually be intoxicated, but this is fitting and meshes well with the existing magic systems in Fairy Tail.

Smuggler by Shohei Manabe. Originally released in English by Tokyopop, Smuggler is now available in a new edition from One Peace Books. I missed the manga the first time around, and since it also received a live-action film adaptation, I was particularly curious to read it. Kinuta is a failed actor who has accumulated a fair amount of debt. In order to pay back what he owes he has been smuggling and illegally dumping cargo outside of Tokyo. What he didn’t initially realize was that he was helping to transport and dispose of dead bodies for the yakuza. And now that he does know, Kinuta owes the mob his life as well as his money. When a job goes terribly wrong and an extraordinarily dangerous assassin escapes on his watch, Kinuta suddenly finds himself pulled even deeper into Japan’s underworld. Smuggler is a dark and violent manga, quickly paced, and unrelenting. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart. Smuggler held my interest, and there were some marvelously gut-wrenching scenes, but in the end I can’t say that the manga left much of a lasting impression on me.

Swan, Volumes 4-9 by Kyoko Ariyoshi. I am still completely in love with Swan and am astounded that it has taken me this long to actually get around to reading it. The series is incredibly well done–it’s just so intense and passionate, not to mention beautifully drawn. I’m also learning a bit more about ballet and its history as I read, which I count as a bonus. There are quite a few themes being addressed in these particular volumes. One of the themes that is especially prominent deals with sacrifice and what people are willing to give up in order to pursue what the truly love. It’s not always an easy decision. As someone who was deeply involved in the performing arts (in my case music, not dance), it’s a conflict with which I can personally identify. The characters in Swan all have to struggle to find the balance between their lives as dancers and their relationships with other people. Matters of love and romance complicate things greatly, but they also serve as a source of inspiration for creative expression. Swan piles on the drama and it’s fantastic.

Wolfsmund, Volume 2 by Mitsuhisa Kuji. While the first volume of Wolfsmund was violent and intense, the second volume is arguably even more so. In response to the rebellion gaining strength and numbers, the questioning of those trying to cross through the Wolf’s Maw at Sankt Gotthard Pass has become even more invasive and thorough. The gate’s overseer Wolfram–who is almost always shown with a terrifyingly pleasant smile on his face–seems to take particular delight in this. In order to get the information he needs, he’s more than willing to order the death or torture of a person no matter who they are. Cruelty isn’t limited to Wolfram. Even the rebellion’s heroes are capable of terrible deeds. I am a fan of dark historical manga, so Wolfsmund is right up my alley. Wolfsmund is definitely for mature readers. Considering its brutal nature (women and girls in particular suffer greatly in this volume) it’s not a series that I would recommend to just anyone. That being said, I am looking forward to the next volume.

Random Musings: Notable in 2013

December 28, 2013 by Ash Brown

Despite having written at Experiments in Manga for over three years, I have never once attempted to create a “best of the year” list and I’m not about to start. However, I thought it would be interesting to write a post reflecting on what I have read in the past year. This isn’t a best of list. It’s not even necessarily a list of my favorite releases of the year (although, some of them certainly are). Instead, it’s a collection of manga, comics, and fiction from 2013 that, for one reason or another, were particularly notable for me.

I’ll start out with Moto Hagio’s The Heart of Thomas. Fantagraphics released the entire series in a beautiful, hardcover omnibus. Technically, I think it was published at the end of 2012, but I wasn’t able to get my hands on one until 2013. I adore Hagio’s manga and wish more of it was available in English. The Heart of Thomas in particular is a historically significant work and one of the precursors to the boys’ love genre. Plus, it’s a wonderful work in its own right.

The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame: The Master of Gay Erotic Manga probably couldn’t be more different from The Heart of Thomas, but I anticipated its release just as much. Tagame is an incredibly influential gay comics artist. The volume was not only the first collection of his work to be released in English, it was also the first collection of bara manga to be released in print. Happily, it won’t be the last. More of Tagame’s manga is already scheduled to be published.

I have become increasingly interested in yokai over the last few years. And so I was thrilled when Drawn & Quarterly released Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki. The volume collects stories from the first few volumes of Mizuki’s GeGeGe no Kitaro which is the yokai manga that started it all and which continues to influence creators to this day. I found Kitaro to be utterly delightful and can understand why it’s so well-loved. I hope more of the series will be translated.

I picked up Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin for one reason–it was written and drawn by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. I’m not at all a Gundam fan, but I am a fan of Yasuhiko’s work. Even so, I didn’t anticipate how much I would enjoy The Origin. The manga ended up being an extremely well done space opera. It doesn’t hurt that Vertical’s edition of the series is one of the highest quality manga releases available in English, either. I’m still not a Gundam fan, but I am a fan of The Origin.

Another manga that I was pleasantly surprised by was Osamu Tezuka’s Unico. As much as I appreciate Tezuka’s work, I will admit to have grown a little tired of it. (I wish that other classic manga received the same amount of attention in English.) I approached Unico more as a curiosity than anything else; the full-color artwork and unusual page layouts had caught my attention. It turned out to be an endearing manga that is both heartbreaking and charming.

After years of delay, Suehiro Maruo’s The Strange Tale of Panorama Island was finally released by Last Gasp in 2013. The manga is an adaptation of Edogawa Rampo’s novella Strange Tale of Panorama Island which, coincidentally, was also released in English in 2013. I cannot think of a more perfect artist to adapt Rampo’s work; Maruo’s exquisite, sensual, and erotically charged illustrations with hints of the macabre are an ideal fit. The Strange Tale of Panorama Island was worth the wait.

As for continuing series in 2013, Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son remains a manga that is incredibly important to me on a very personal level. I’m pretty sure that I’ve mentioned it before, but Wandering Son has quite literally been life-changing for me. In addition to that, I simply think it’s a wonderfully sensitive and sincere look at personal identity. Fantagraphics released both the fourth and fifth volumes of Wandering Son in 2013; I’m looking forward to reading more of the series great deal.

2013 also saw the release of Ai Yazawa’s Paradise Kiss, Part 3–the third and final volume in Vertical’s edition of the series. I missed out on the manga when it was originally licensed by Tokyopop and I’m very glad to have had the opportunity to read it. Over the last year, I have been extremely impressed by Yazawa’s work. I don’t have a particular interest in fashion, but the complex characters and complicated relationships in Paradise Kiss were extraordinary.

The One Trick Rip-Off + Deep Cuts is a fantastic anthology which collects fifteen comics by Paul Pope, including those he created for Kodansha while in Japan. The volume makes a great introduction to Pope’s comics, exhibiting a nice range of styles and stories selected from nearly a decade of his work. The influence of manga can be seen in the collection, but Pope definitely has his own approach to comics. I’ve become very fond of his work and the quirkiness of his stories and characters.

Written and illustrated by Gene Luen Yang with colors by Lark Pien, the Boxers & Saints duology is honestly one of the best comics that I read in the past year. It’s a powerful retelling of the Boxer Rebellion–a violent uprising in China that began in the late 1800s–from two different sides of the conflict, neither of which were entirely in the right. Yang put a tremendous amount of research into the work, making it historically accurate while still maintaining a very human element to the story.

I already knew that I enjoyed Toh EnJoe’s short stories and essays and so I was excited for the release of Self-Reference Engine, the first book-length work of his to be translated into English. It’s not quite a novel, and it’s not quite a collection of short stories, but whatever it is it’s good stuff. I expected Self-Reference Engine to be intellectually stimulating as well as entertaining, and it was, but I wasn’t prepared for how funny and mind-bending it would be.

Manga the Week of 1/1

December 26, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: Attack on Titan 10.

Thoughts?

(sorry, couldn’t resist)

(Happy Holidays all)

MICHELLE: *snerk* Same to you!

ASH: I have thoughts! I have lots of thoughts!

MJ: I see that the manga gods have taken this opportunity to remind me how out of step I am with the world, having let this series go after the first volume. Perhaps I’ll rectify this in the new year?

Manga Giveaway: 4-Koma for You (Azumanga Daioh)

December 25, 2013 by Ash Brown

2013 may be nearing its end, but there’s still time for one more manga giveaway here at Experiments in Manga before the year is over! For December’s giveaway, you all have a chance to win a copy of the Yen Press omnibus edition of Kiyohiko Azuma’s yonkoma manga Azumanga Daioh. The entire series collected in one convenient volume! As always, the giveaway is open worldwide.

If I recall correctly, Azumanga Daioh was the first yonkoma manga that I ever read. Yonkoma, or 4-koma, is a four-panel format frequently used for gag manga. I know several people who consider Azumanga Daioh to be one of the best examples of yonkoma manga currently available in English. Yonkoma tends to be fairly hit-or-miss for me, but I was consistently entertained by Azumanga Daioh–it’s a goofy yet charming series.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of the Azumanga Daioh omnibus?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about a four-panel manga that you have read and why you did, or didn’t, like it. (Haven’t read any? You can simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

And there you have it! Each person can earn up to two entries for this giveaway. As usual, there will be one week to submit comments. Entries may also be sent via e-mail to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com and I will post them in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on January 1, 2014. Good luck and a Happy New Year, everyone!

VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address, 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: 4-Koma for You Winner

My Week in Manga: December 16-December 22, 2013

December 23, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Two reviews were posted last week at Experiments in Manga. The first review was for Yaya Sakuragi’s boys’ love manga Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love, Volume 3. Although the series isn’t my favorite work by Sakuragi, I tend to enjoy her manga and Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love has been growing on me. The second review was for Tales of Moonlight and Rain, the most recent English translation of Ueda Akinari’s Ugetsu monogatari, a collection of short stories about ghosts and other mysterious happenings that was originally published in Japan in 1776. It may be over two centuries old, but it’s still a great read.

I came across quite a few interesting things online last week: The Advocate posted its 10 Great Graphic Novel Gifts. It’s a great list of queer comics that came out this year and it includes a few excellent manga selections as well; Some Fog uses Kazuo Umezu’s Drifting Classroom as an example on how to creat comics–Lessons from Umezu; Voting has opened for the second Manga Translation Battle; The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund reports that Core Magazine Pleads Guilty in Japanese Obscenity Case, feeling that a “guilty plea would be a better option than a protracted legal battle.; On a happier note, the Toronto Comic Arts Festival has announced it’s initial list of featured guests. Among other great comics creators, Est Em will be coming to TCAF 2014!

Quick Takes

About Love written by Narise Konohara and illustrated by Tomo Ootake. Despite his family’s misgivings over his choice of career, Asaka has become an enthusiastic wedding planner. But recently things haven’t been going so well–several of the couples that he has been working with have canceled their weddings. That’s when he reunites with his first client, a man by the name of Sasagawa who has the perfect marriage and serves as an inspiration to Asaka. However, his marriage isn’t nearly as perfect as it seems. About Love is a slow-burning romance; Asaka and Sasagawa’s relationship takes a great deal of time to develop and solidify, but it’s a natural progression from acquaintances, to friends, to possibly something greater. About Love focuses on the emotional connection between the two men more than it does on their physical intimacy, although that has a role to play as well. In addition to their evolving relationship, About Love addresses some issues of same-sex marriage and there are other gay and lesbian couples important to the story as well.

Attack on Titan, Volume 10 by Hajime Isayama. I’m not entirely sure how Isayama pulls it off, but it’s rather impressive how many twists and turns Attack on Titan has been taking lately. I went into this volume expecting a respite from major plot reveals since there have been so many recently. I was wrong. The focus of the tenth volume is on 104th’s struggle to survive against a massive titan attack on the castle in which they were hoping to hide and recover. They are without weapons or maneuvering gear, making their situation particularly precarious. This alone would have been enough to carry the volume and there are some very exciting moments in the fight. But no. After an extended action sequence, Isayama throws in not one but two (well, maybe three depending on how you’re counting) major story twists. Although there are still plenty of questions that need to be answered, the titans themselves are becoming less of a mystery. I actually kind of miss when they were beyond humanity’s comprehension, but I’m still interested in seeing how things play out.

Baron Gong Battle, Volumes 1-6 by Masayuki Taguchi. Only six out of the nine volumes of Baron Gong Battle have been released in English. After his girlfriend is horrifically murdered by a Neo Hume, Baron is determined to seek revenge against those who killed her. The Neo Hume’s are extraordinarily powerful creatures born out of the Nazi’s biological experiments. Baron Gong Battle is an utterly absurd and violent action-packed manga series that can be a tremendous amount of trashy fun when it’s not being completely offensive. Baron is an over-the-top badass and the dialogue is extreme. However, the more that I read, the less enamored I became with Baron Gong Battle. The manga’s utter ridiculousness is highly entertaining, and it becomes more and more outrageous as the series progresses, but I soon became tired of the role that the women play. Occasionally they can be very competent fighters, but more often than not they seem to only be a part of the series in order to fawn over Baron and to run around mostly if not entirely naked.

Pink by Kyoko Okazaki. While I didn’t find Pink to be as brutal or as hard-hitting as Okazaki’s later work Helter Skelter, I still think that the manga is an excellent work and I enjoyed it a great deal. Pink is rather curious manga filled with rather curious characters. In general, they are much more likeable than those in Helter Skelter, but they are definitely an odd bunch. Yumi works as a part-time call girl in order to feed her pet crocodile Croc. Although Yumi’s on great terms with her younger stepsister Keiko–a precocious girl with a bottomless stomach–she and her stepmother hate each other. Things get a little complicated when Yumi becomes involved with Haruo, her stepmother’s manstress and wannabe novelist. I was actually surprised by how much of the Pink was told from Haruo’s perspective. His strange relationships with these three women, and Croc, forms the basis for much of the story. But even so, it’s Yumi who really seems to be the focus of the manga. Pink has a very cynical and oddball sense of humor which I could appreciate.

From the New World directed by Masashi Ishihama. Overall I really liked the story and setting of the From the New World anime, an adaptation of the novel by the same name written by Yusuke Kishi (which sadly has yet to be licensed in English.) However, I frequently found the series’ pacing and narrative structure to be frustrating and somewhat disjointed. Saki, the main protagonist, also had an annoying habit of echoing back whatever was being said to her by someone else. I did like that the story focused on the characters at several different points in their lives. From the New World takes place in what is eventually revealed to be a post-apocalyptic environment. I actually would have liked to have seen more about how society reached the point that it is at in the series; most of the past events are merely hinted at. From the New World deals quite a bit with the terrible lengths humanity is willing to go to when driven by fear. It’s very well done in places. The anime also gets bonus points for the nice use of music from Dvořák’s From the New World symphony.

Manga the Week of 12/25

December 19, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N, Michelle Smith and MJ Leave a Comment

SEAN: For the most part, it’s a Merry Christmas and not a lot of manga, as most publishers take the holidays off. We do have a couple of titles trickling in, however…

Kodansha has the 4th volume of Sankarea, which continues to walk the line between harem romance and horror movie. As you can see from the cover art seen here, Kodansha is gunning more for the latter.

ASH: Sankarea is such a strange manga. I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would, but some of the fanservice really detracts from the series’ quirky charms.

SEAN: And Seven Seas has the 3rd and final volume of Crimson Empire. I really like the heroine and basic premise of this series, but I admit I have not really enjoyed the manga as much as I have the author’s Alice series. Perhaps the otome game plays out better, or perhaps this volume will give us a big finish.

ANNA: I actually enjoyed the first volume of Crimson Empire quite a bit, and was planning on picking up subsequent volumes but hadn’t got around to it yet. Perhaps I’m just easily amused by the idea of an assassin maid in a reverse harem series.

SEAN: That’s it. Either of these under your stocking?

MICHELLE: Not for me, this time.

MJ: Sadly, I’m with Michelle, in that neither of these titles is for me. But that doesn’t mean I’m not buying this week! So much to catch up on…

My Week in Manga: December 9-December 15, 2013

December 16, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week I posted the first review in my new monthly review project, A Year of Yuri. This project will focus on comics and manga with yuri and lesbian themes. For this month’s review, I took a closer look at June Kim’s debut graphic novel 12 Days which was even better than I remembered it being. It’s a beautiful work that addresses the complexities of grief, family, love, and loss.

Also last week, I wrote a post that focused on how to find manga in libraries–Finding Manga: Library Love. The post is sort of a combination of two of my semi-regular features–Finding Manga and Library Love. (I’ve actually decided to retire Library Love, so the post was also a way for me to give the feature a nice send-off.) It’s a pretty long post; if you don’t feel like reading the whole thing, you can always just skip to the quick tips at the end.

As for interesting things found online: The Pew Research Center coincidentally posted its report on How Americans Value Public Libraries in Their Communities the same day I was expressing my own love of libraries; over at Geekscape, Kari Lane discussed yaoi with Jennifer LeBlanc, SuBLime’s editor; and Erica Friedman talked about some of the differences between the U.S. and Japanese comic book industries on Quora.

Quick Takes

Fake Fur by Satomi Yamagata. For a boys’ love manga, Fake Fur is surprisingly realistic in its portrayal of Yamashita–a young man who in high school is just starting to come to terms with his sexuality and homosexuality. The manga follows him as he becomes aware that he is in love with his close friend Kubo and how he handles the aftermath of that realization and his changing relationships. Fake Fur deals with both physical and romantic desire and how those two aspects of love can often be in conflict with each other. In some cases, sex and physical pleasure is used as a replacement for true affection. For Yamashita and several of the other characters in Fake Fur, this is something that is both comforting and heartbreaking. On the other hand, for better or for worse, physical intimacy can naturally lead to emotional intimacy. After all, a sexual relationship is still a relationship. In Fake Fur Yamashita and the others grapple with this, hoping to find love but also recognizing that there is more than one way to be close to another person.

Sankarea: Undying Love, Volume 4 by Mitsuru Hattori. The covers for the English-language edition of the Sankarea manga tend to focus on the horror elements of the series. While that horror is certainly a part of Sankarea, I still see it as more of a romantic comedy than anything else. Granted, it is a very strange romantic comedy with even stranger characters. I like the series best when it’s focusing on the relationship between Chihiro and the recently zombified Rea, which has some interesting developments in this volume. For one, Rea continues to become more zombie-like, her cravings for flesh barely being held in check by her natural inhibitions. However, I was less impressed with the mostly unnecessary scene between Chihiro and Rea’s mother in which she drunkenly and nakedly propositions him. Apparently the volume’s fanservice quota needed to be met somehow. My favorite part of this volume was actually the side-comic “I Am Also…A Zombie…” which is told from the perspective of Chihiro’s pet cat (and zombie) Bub. Bub is the greatest.

Showa: A History of Japan, 1926-1939 by Shigeru Mizuki. Originally published in Japan as an eight-volume series, Drawn & Quarterly’s edition of Showa: A History of Japan is being released in four, two-volume omnibuses. Japan’s Showa era, corresponding to Emperor Hirohito’s reign, lasted from December 25, 1926 to January 7, 1989. In the introduction to the first volume of Showa, Frederik L Schodt describes the Showa era as one of “the most tumultuous, violent, and tragic” periods in Japan’s history. There are actually two intertwining stories contained in Mizuki’s Showa: the factual history of the country as a whole at that time and Mizuki’s personal history as someone who lived through it. Mizuki’s artwork also reflects these two different portrayals of the Showa era. The illustrations range from the highly detailed and realistic, based on news and photographs from that period, to the more free-form and cartoonish. Showa is an informative read. I’m personally more familiar with the late Showa era, so I appreciated being able to learn more about early Showa in such an engaging format.

The World Exists for Me, Volumes 1-2 written by Be-Papas and illustrated by Chiho Saito. The literal translation of the Japanese title for The World Exists for Me would actually be The World of S and M. Though I’m sure it was intentionally chosen, it’s a rather peculiar title for a rather peculiar manga. Only two volumes were ever published, but I get the feeling that The World Exists for Me was originally conceived of as a much longer work. The ending comes very suddenly and very little, if anything, is actually resolved. The series definitely had some potential–I found its use of time travel, destiny, and historical figures and events to be interesting–but the story never quite pulls together as something particularly coherent. It’s a bit of a mess, really. While it can be enjoyable, it doesn’t really make much sense at all. The World Exists for Me was developed by the same creators involved with the Revolutionary Girl Utena manga. Some similarities can be seen between the two series, but I much prefer Utena.

Manga the Week of 12/18

December 13, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ, Anna N and Michelle Smith 2 Comments

SEAN: Just before Christmas, we have a fairly big week with lots of stuff to give folks for the holidays (or request for your own present.)

First off, another “Sean missed this” entry. Since I go by Amazon now, I forgot that Right Stuf shipped Hetalia Axis Powers Vols. 4 and 5 and left them off last week’s list. I’ve already devoured my own copies, and can safely assure Hetalia fans these are well worth picking up. Non-Hetalia fans likely find the whole phenomenon baffling.

ASH: I’m hoping that Hetalia continues to do well (at least I think it’s doing well) so that Right Stuf will be able to expand it’s print-on-demand program.

MJ: I’ve never been able to muster interest in Hetalia, but hearing that you’re so hooked on it, Sean, makes me feel foolish. So. Hm.

SEAN: It’s definitely not for everyone… Hetalia requires a love of World War II-era history and at the same time an ability to completely disassociate the atrocities of that period from the characters that represent each country. It’s pure fluff, and just the idea that it’s pure fluff really bothers folks – and rightly so. That said, if you can bend your brain that way, there are a lot of fun stereotypes here that are all done with a kind, loving heart.

Dark Horse’s Evangelion spinoff, The Shinji Ikari Raising Project, is getting close to actually surpassing the main manga series in terms of volume count. Vol. 13 hits next week, and promises an actual plot!

The fourth volume of No. 6 comes out from Kodansha. Is the BL tease in this series the same as the yuri tease in series like Sunshine Sketch?

ASH: I haven’t read Sunshine Sketch to be able to compare, but I am enjoying the development of Rat and Shion’s relationship in No. 6.

SEAN: One Peace has an omnibus collection of Smuggler, a seinen series that ran in Kodansha’s Afternoon back in 2000. Tokyopop apparently released this before, but I have no recollection of it at all. More seinen is always good, especially from a new-ish publisher.

ASH: One Peace tends to license some interesting manga. I’m particularly curious about this rescue since I missed Smuggler the first time around.

MJ: Ditto!

SEAN: Vertical has a new hardcover edition of Gundam The Origin, the 4th. It’s subtitled Jaburo, and I presume it will keep the stellar quality of the previous releases. Must buy.

ANNA: The world is a better place due to the existence of this glorious manga. And Char Aznable.

ASH: The Origin is definitely one of the highest quality releases of manga in English right now.

SEAN: There’s also the 2nd and final volume of Summer Wars. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the first one of this series – far more than I expected – and look forward to the 2nd with bated breath.

MJ: I’m looking forward to this as well!

SEAN: Viz has the 11th volume of one of my pet favorites, Dorohedoro. It can be hard to dip in and out of, but it’s a series that rewards close reading and re-reading. Plus it’s filled with awesome characters.

ASH: I’m always excited to see a new volume of Dorohedoro! It also makes me want to eat mushroom gyoza.

SEAN: And then there’s a giant pile of Yen. The 3rd volume of Are You Alice? continues the Alice trend we’ve seen all year, which looks to pile up even more titles in 2014.

Bloody Cross is one of those series that cried out to be licensed. Vampires, demons, hot guys, hot girls… all this and it runs in Shonen Gangan, a magazine with a very good reputation to exciting series. This should be fun.

MJ: I’m cautiously optimistic.

SEAN: High School of the Dead is still popular enough to get those giant full-color omnibuses, and here is the 2nd.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimiya manga is wrapping up soon, mostly as the novel author hasn’t written new material. The final arc continues in this 17th manga volume.

Pandora Hearts 19. I think that says it all.

MICHELLE: Pandora (Will Break Your) Hearts!

MJ: Yes, it really will. In the best way possible. *heart*

SEAN: Puella Magi Kazumi Magica has its 3rd volume coming out. The movies have made this franchise even more popular, though I am also hearing talk of a backlash against the darkness. Will this manga make things even bigger?

The 10th Spice & Wolf novel continues to combine fantasy, moe, economics and confusing people who buy it thinking it’s the manga. This is the novel.

Sunshine Sketch not only has its 7th volume ship to stores, but it also has all 7 volumes available in ebook format next week! Great news. As for whether Sae and Hiro finally graduate and the title is forced to continue without them… I suspect that may get dragged out a bit longer.

Finally, Until Death Do Us Part has its 5th omnibus arrive. Mamoru has been having a rough time of it lately, and this volume is not likely to help him in any way.

MICHELLE: I really need to catch up on this one; I definitely liked the first omnibus more than I’d expected to.

SEAN: Deck the halls with volumes of manga! What’cha getting?

Finding Manga: Library Love

December 11, 2013 by Ash Brown

Support manga, support your library!

National Library Symbol I recently came to the decision to retire my bimonthly Library Love feature. With the slogan “Support manga, support your library!,” Library Love was a way for me to highlight manga that I was borrowing and reading from my local libraries. It’s time for me to finally say goodbye to Library Love in order to make room at Experiments in Manga for other features and reviews. In the future, I will be including my thoughts on my library manga finds in the “Quick Takes” section of the My Week in Manga feature. As I say my final farewell to Library Love (the feature, not my actual love for libraries which is eternal), I wanted to make one last special Library Love post that focused on actually finding manga in libraries. What I’ll have to say specifically applies to libraries in the United States and Canada since those are what I am most familiar with, but hopefully my comments will apply to library systems in other countries as well.

I adore libraries and I have since I was very young. I don’t think anyone was really very surprised when I fell into librarianship as a career. There are many, many reasons that I’m thankful for libraries which I won’t get into here, but I would like to say this: If it wasn’t for libraries, I would not have become the manga fanatic that I am now. When I first started reading manga, it was all borrowed from libraries. For one thing, collecting manga requires both money and space. Making use of libraries that are already doing some of that collecting is a good thing. It benefits you and it benefits libraries, too. Manga and comics tend to circulate well, and good circulations statistics help libraries in a variety of ways. Plus, by supporting manga at your library, you are also supporting the creators and publishers of that manga.

Manga can be found in all types of libraries: public, academic, school, special. Archives and museums get in on the manga action, too. It’s somewhat difficult to make generalizations regarding how to find manga in libraries because each library is different and serves a different population. Broadly speaking, libraries are organized in the way that best serves its patrons, which means that the same manga found in one library may be shelved in another area entirely at a different library. Some libraries will shelve manga and other comics by subject, mixed in with the rest of the collection. Other libraries will have an entire section devoted specifically to manga and graphic novels. In some cases, a library may divide materials by age group. There any number of ways to organize a collection, and each library is different. Familiarize yourself with your library’s system and be aware that you may need to look in multiple places to find all of the manga.

One of the benefits of a library is that it is a physical location that you can visit. After you figure out where the manga is shelved, take time to browse! It’s a quick and easy way of determining what sorts of manga your library collects and sampling what it has. There’s also this wonderful phenomena called serendipity–you might discover manga that you didn’t even know you wanted to read. But don’t limit yourself to what you can see on the shelf, because the library will always have more manga available. Be sure to make use of the library’s catalog, too. Most libraries have an online catalog that supports searches by title, creator, subject, ISBN, general keyword, and more. Some libraries are even beginning to explore digital options for manga and comics, too.

Finding manga through a library doesn’t stop there, either. Many libraries participate in interlibrary loan programs which allow one library to borrow materials that another library owns. This is a fantastic way to track down copies of hard-to-find or out-of-print manga to read. Many libraries also accept and pursue purchase suggestions from their patrons. If there’s a manga you’d like to read or that you think would be a good fit for your library, let someone know! Generally, libraries want to provide access to the materials that people want or are excited about; they want to spend money on materials that will actually be used. Which brings me to my final point about manga in libraries: Don’t be afraid to talk with the librarians and other library workers! Make suggestions, ask questions, and give feedback. We really are here to help.

Quick Tips for Finding Manga in Libraries
1) Manga might be kept in multiple areas, you may need to look around
2) Browse the shelves, but search the catalog, too
3) Check to see if your library participates in an interlibrary loan program
4) Many libraries accept purchase suggestions. Don’t see what you want? Ask for it!
5) Don’t be afraid of the librarians and other library workers (We’re here to help!)

My Week in Manga: December 2-December 8, 2013

December 9, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

I posted two reviews here at Experiments in Manga last week. The honor of the first in-depth manga review for December goes to Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Volume 3: Ramba Ral. The fourth volume in the series is scheduled to be released this month, so I wanted to make sure to catch up with my reviews. Though I wouldn’t call myself a Gundam fan, I’m still really enjoying The Origin manga. The second review was for Ivan Morris’ The Nobility of Failure: Tragic Heroes in the History of Japan. Originally published in 1975, the work was recently brought back into print by Kurodahan Press. It’s an extremely illuminating and fascinating volume. I also announced the Fairy Tail Feast Winner last week. In case you’re looking for some epic manga to read, the post also includes a list of series that have had at least thirty volumes published in English.

I’ve come across quite a few manga-related things online recently. Sadly, that includes the news that PictureBox will no longer be releasing any new titles. PictureBox had some fantastic manga releases this year, including the start of the Ten-Cent Manga and Masters of Alternative Manga series. It also released The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame. PictureBox’s closing means that the previously announced anthology Massive: Gay Erotic Manga And The Men Who Make It, originally scheduled for release in 2014, is now in limbo.

In happier news, Manga Bookshelf’s MJ was interviewed at Diamond Bookshelf–Understanding Manga: Editor MJ Discusses CBLDF Presents Manga. I thought that Manga: Introduction, Challenges, and Best Practices was a great resource when I read it, so it was interesting to hear about some of the behind-the-scenes work that went into it.

And speaking of interesting interviews, Organization Anti-Social Geniuses has been Talkin’ Seven Seas and Manga Business With Conner Crooks. Crooks is the Social Media Manager at Seven Seas, which has been having a very good year. Part 1 and Part 2 of the interview series are currently available. Part 3 should be posted on Tuesday.

Continuing on with the Seven Seas theme, Sean Gaffney took a look at the publisher’s recently announced licenses over at A Case Suitable for Treatment. And if you’re interested in all of the anime, manga, artbook, and light novels that were licensed in 2013 (as well as related successful crowdfunding projects), Reverse Thieves has you covered with All the Titles Fit to License, 2013 Edition.

Quick Takes

Hero Heel, Volumes 2-3 by Makoto Tateno. Out of the boys’ love manga by Tateno that I have so far read, I think that Hero Heel is probably one of her better works. At least it has some of the most interesting and believable character development. Although that being said, I’m not sure that I’m entirely convinced by the ending, but that might just be because I feel bad for Katagiri. Minami in particular goes through a lot of change as the series progresses. In the first volume he’s almost the villain of the story, blackmailing and forcing his feelings on Sawada. By the end of Hero Heel he’s a much more sympathetic character and has matured significantly. As for Sawada, he comes across as rather harsh from the start, though how much of an asshole he really is isn’t revealed until later. The themes of hero and villain and what it means to be a good person are very prominent in Hero Heel. It’s interesting to see the parallels between the characters that Minami and Sawada play on the superhero show they costar in and their lives off the set.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Short Stories, Volume 2 by Naoko Takeuchi. For the most part, I think I probably enjoyed the second (and final) volume of Sailor Moon short stories more than I did the first. In general, they don’t rely as heavily on knowledge of the main series; a basic understanding of the Sailor Moon universe is sufficient to follow the short manga in the second collection of stories. Well, at least that’s true for the first two stories. The third short manga “Parallel Sailor Moon” requires a bit more, and even then it’s a really strange, almost nonsensical piece. I much preferred the first two stories in the collection. “Princess Kaguya’s Lover” is the longest and most involved, basically amounting to a one-sided love story between Luna and Dr. Ohzora, an astronomy professor. It has space and astronauts, which I’ll admit to having a fondness for, so that made me happy. (Takeuchi even visited the Kennedy Space Center on a research trip for the story.) “Casa Blanca Memory” is a shorter work featuring Rei, which also made me pretty happy.

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Legends, Omnibus 2 (equivalent to Volumes 3-4) by Yak Haibara. I get a huge kick out of the Sengoku Basara: Samurai Legends manga. I’ve never played Sengoku Basara 2–the video game on which it is directly based (it hasn’t been released in North America)–nor have I seen any of the Sengoku Basara anime (though I may make a point to check it out now), but I do have some familiarity with the Warring States period. Because of the number of characters, battles, alliances, castles and such to keep track of in Samurai Legends, which are all based on historical figures and events, that familiarity has come in handy. Overall, I think the first omnibus of Samurai Legends was a little stronger than the second omnibus. The last half of the series has a few continuity problems in the artwork, and there are some characters who are introduced more because they are a part of the franchise than because they had an important role to play in the manga, but it was still a lot of fun. I really enjoy the series’ over-the-top fights, characters, and dialogue.

Sickness Unto Death, Volume 2 written by Hikari Asada and illustrated by Takahiro Seguchi. Probably because it doesn’t employ nearly as many clichés, the second volume of Sickness Unto Death is much better than the first. Granted, the first volume was needed to set it up the whole scenario; I just think it could have been handled better. But the payoff is mostly satisfying. Even so, the manga still makes me vaguely uncomfortable, and not in the way I think it was intended to. The problem I have with the story of Sickness Unto Death stems from the way Emiru’s case is handled. That Kazuma wants to help and treat her I’m fine with. In fact, there’s some really interesting conflicts of interest and ethical and philosophical questions that arise because of it. At its best, Sickness Unto Death has some marvelously dark psychological elements to it. What particularly bothers me about the series is that Kazuma’s continued “treatment” of Emiru is actually encouraged by his professor, which is highly irresponsible not to mention unprofessional.

Manga the Week of 12/11

December 5, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, MJ, Anna N and Ash Brown 6 Comments

SEAN: A fairly quiet Week 2 for this last month of 2013, with just a few tasty morsels of manga to take in while you drink eggnog.

MICHELLE: Mmm, eggnog.

MJ: Gimme.

ANNA: Woo hoo!

SEAN: If you like all the wacky misunderstandings, school romance, and tsunderes of shoujo manga, but would like it with BL flavoring, well, here’s Vol. 4 of Awkward Silence, whose cover resembles Ouran High School Host Club if they ditched Haruhi.

Meanwhile, if you want a fantasy sword and sorcery title with demons who insatiable lust for young men knows no bounds, well, SubLime has you covered there as well, with Vol. 1 of Crimson Spell, from the author of Finder.

ASH: Crimson Spell is actually my favorite manga by Ayano Yamane. Only two volumes were released by Media Blasters back in the day, so I’m very excited that SuBLime rescued the series.

MJ: i am really looking forward to reading this. I missed it originally, and it’s so well-loved.

ANNA: Hmm, I’m looking forward to hearing what you guys think about this!

SEAN: Fairy Tail 33 was actually out 12/4, but I forgot about it, possibly as 32 only came out two weeks ago. There’s speedup and then there’s ridiculous.

I will admit, the body horror scene in the last volume of Knights of Sidonia still freaks me out. That said, I’m totally on board with this series now, which hopefully will try not to kill off its entire cast by the time it finishes. Vol. 6 is coming out this week.

ASH: Body horror, mecha battles, and romantic comedy all in one convenient package!

MICHELLE: Not to mention Tsutomu Nihei’s atmospheric art. I still prefer BLAME! for sheer landscape awesomeness, but Sidonia comes close and is far more accessible.

MJ: Yes! I can’t wait to read this!

ANNA: Such a great series, I need to get caught up.

SEAN: Arata the Legend is up to Vol. 16, which means only 2 more volumes and it’s as long as Fushigi Yuugi, which is the series everyone remembers its author for. At least for now. Arata’s day in the sun is coming!

MICHELLE: This is a fun series. I’ll be catching up soon!

Itsuwaribito has wrapped up in Japan recently, but we have a long way to go here in North America. But at least Vol. 10 gets us into double digits. Wikipedia links to some pretty brutal reviews, to be honest. Perhaps a reassessment is needed?

Magi 3 will send us into the manga’s second story arc, and I have been very pleased with what I’ve read so far. I don’t expect that to change.

MICHELLE: Same here! I really like the direction the plot seems to be heading at the end of volume two, and am looking forward to seeing how the story develops from here.

MJ: I’m late beginning this, but it sounds like this is a good time to start.

SEAN: Lastly, the Tiger & Bunny series, like Code Geass, has led to an ongoing series of doujinshi anthologies, which likely lends itself more towards the deep male bonding most fans of this series want to see. (Still clean, though – c’mon, this is being put out by Viz.) We get the 2nd anthology this week.

What appeals to you in this list?

My Week in Manga: November 25-December 1, 2013

December 2, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

To start things off, I would like to thank everyone who voted in the poll to pick my next monthly review project. I am very pleased to announce that over the next year I will have a series of reviews that focuses on yuri and lesbian comics and manga. A Year of Yuri took an early lead in the poll and earned just under half of the votes. I’m now in the process of determining exactly which comics I’ll be reviewing for this project. Nothing has been finalized yet, but ideally there will be a good variety of both old and new titles. I’d also like to thank those of you who took time to comment on the poll as well. I was sincerely interested in reviewing all of the choices; taking into consideration all of your input and suggestions, I’m currently working on other ways to review some of the manga outside of a monthly review project. I had fun with the poll, so thank you again for indulging me!

There was a mix of different posts at Experiments in Manga last week. Of particular note, the monthly manga giveaway–a Fairy Tail Feast–is currently in progress. I completely underestimated the popularity of Fairy Tail; I’ve never had so many people turn out for a giveaway before. Not even for Tezuka. There’s still time to enter for a chance to win volumes thirty, thirty-one, and thirty-two of Hiro Mashima’s Fairy Tail manga. And as a bonus the winner of the giveaway will also receive a copy of the anime movie Fairy Tail: Phoenix Priestess! November’s Bookshelf Overload was also posted last week as was my review for Ichiya Sazanami’s manga Black Bard. It’s a bit of a mess, but I still had a lot of fun reading it; I couldn’t resist the combination of music and magic.

Since last week was Thanksgiving here in the United States (my favorite holiday!) I was doing quite a bit of traveling. So, I probably missed out on a lot of the week’s manga news. But there are still a couple of links that I’d like to mention here: The most recent Speakeasy Podcast focused on Crunchyroll’s new manga project. And over at Manga Bookshelf proper, MJ posted a Status Update & Station Identification which includes a shout-out to Experiments in Manga which joined the Manga Bookshelf family a few months ago. (She also described my mind as “deeply eloquent” which absolutely made my day. Hopefully I can continue to live up to her expectations!)

Quick Takes

Attack on Titan, Volume 9 by Hajime Isayama. The mysteries keep piling up in Attack on Titan. It makes me wonder how long Isayama will be able to keep the series going without it collapsing under its own weight. The more ideas and plot twists he adds to the story, which can admittedly be very exciting, the less focused Attack on Titan becomes. I have no idea how much Isayama has thought through to the end or how much he is making up as he goes. It’s very possible that he could he write himself into some sort of absurd corner. That being said, I am hooked on the series and I really want to know what’s going on. This particular volume reveals more about some of the secondary characters, especially Sasha, Connie, Krista, and Ymir. It also provides the setup for what will be some very big plot reveals. The artwork in Attack on Titan continues to be incredibly uneven, which is unfortunate. There are a few brilliant panels and the titans are appropriately disconcerting, but the artwork remains one of the manga’s weakest points.

From the New World, Volume 1 written by Yusuke Kishi and illustrated by Toru Oikawa. Honestly, I am more interested in reading Kishi’s original From the New World novel (and I’m still hoping that it will one day be licensed), but it’s the anime and manga adaptations that are currently available in English. After reading the first volume of the manga, I want to read the original novel more than ever. From the New World has a fantastically dark ambiance. I also have an established fondness for dystopias and tales of survival. Unfortunately, the level and intensity of fanservice in the manga feels out of place distracts from what could be an extremely intriguing premise. Saki’s clothing choices in particular are ridiculous and could hardly be described as functional. (Bizarrely enough, some of the outfits aren’t really all that attractive, either.) I’m not even going to try to explain Maria’s underwear. Still, all of the moments in between the nonsensical bath and sex scenes are legitimately engrossing. I do plan on continuing on with From the New World for at least a little longer.

Gold Pollen and Other Stories by Seiichi Hayashi. The first volume in PictureBox’s Masters of Alternative Manga, Gold Pollen and Other Stories collects four of Hayashi’s short manga from the late sixties and early seventies–“Dwelling in Flowers,” “Red Dragonfly,” “Yamanba Lullaby,” and the three chapters from the unfinished “Gold Pollen”–in addition to an autobiographical essay by Hayashi and an essay by the series’ editor Ryan Holmberg. I am particularly grateful for the inclusion of these essays for they reveal some of the semi-autobiographical aspects of Hayashi’s manga that I would have otherwise missed. It is clear that his mother and the concept of what a mother should be influenced him greatly. Each of the manga included in the volume deals with motherhood at least tangentially if not directly. While the manga share some similar characteristics and themes, each is distinctive in both storytelling and art style. Hayashi’s use of color is also rather striking. Gold Pollen and Other Stories is an excellent start to the series; I’m looking forward to future volumes a great deal.

Mr. Flower Bride / Mr. Flower Groom by Lily Hoshino. The powerful Souda family has an unusual marriage custom–in order to prevent disputes over inheritance, the younger sons in the family are partnered with male brides. The basic premise of the two Mr. Flower volumes could have easily been the basis for a comedy manga. But instead, Hoshino plays it straight, honestly addressing the personal challenges and issues that the characters have to deal with in regards to arranged marriage with the additional twist that they both happen to be the same sex. Mr. Flower Bride and Mr. Flower Groom follows two related couples with similar plots–both brides are already in love with their reluctant husbands and both pairs have to navigate jealousy and come to terms with their developing relationships. However, the stories do play out differently. The two Mr. Flower manga end up being rather sweet and even a little lovey-dovey in places, which is not to say that the newlyweds do not have their problems. I enjoyed both volumes, but Mr. Flower Groom has the more interesting gender dynamics of the two.

Kaiji: Against All Rules directed by Yūzō Satō. If I had to choose, I think I enjoyed the first Kaiji anime series slightly more, though I liked the second one, as well. The stakes in the first series were incredibly high–the gamblers were literally risking their lives. To some extent this is still true in the second series, but for the most part the large amounts of money involved have become more prominent than life and limb. The ways of cheating, counter-cheating, and general manipulation of the games in the second series also tend to be much more outlandish, convoluted, and unbelievable than in the first. However, it is impressive for how long, and for how many episodes, a single pachinko game can be stretched. By the end of the series I was starting to anticipate some of the major plot twists and developments before they actually happened which unfortunately made the big reveals much less effective. Even so, there were still a few surprises in store and Kaiji remains an incredibly intense and dramatic anime.

Manga Gift Guide 2013

November 29, 2013 by Anna N

Since Hanukkah is well underway and Christmas looms on the horizon, I thought I’d put together a list of what I’d likely buy manga loving friends, as well as what I’d like to get for the holidays!

Sweet Rein

I wrote when I reviewed it first that Sweet Rein was a great feel-good manga for the holiday season, and I still think that several weeks later! Sakura Tsukuba is an old favorite from the CMX days, so being able to read another series of hers was a real treat. Sweet Rein might be a little TOO sweet, but this is a shoujo manga about a high school girl Santa Claus falling in love with her mystical reindeer boy, so what would you expect? This is a perfect stocking stuffer for a shoujo manga fan.

Vinland Saga

I loved this manga. Sometimes you just need a narratively complex, exquisitely drawn manga about Vikings being Vikings. The deluxe hardcover makes an ideal gift, and the combination of innovative action scenes mixed with great character development makes this manga appealing to anyone who likes things that are good. I feel like this would be a great crossover manga series as well, as Yukimura’s art isn’t too manga-ish, so it might make a great gift for someone who is mainly into western comics but who wants to give manga a try. Plus, if you are starting to feel frustrated by all the holiday good cheer, there’s nothing like a few viking beheadings to serve as a stress release.

Gundam: The Origin

Find on Amazon

You know what another good Christmas gift is!? Char Aznable! Just picture him at your family gatherings smirking in Machiavellian glee, sowing the seeds of destruction wherever he goes! OK, maybe that wouldn’t be so great for your continued health in 2014. But I feel like Vertical gave a wonderful gift to manga fans everywhere by publishing these deluxe editions of Gundam: The Origin. If you enjoy drama and giant robots fighting in space, you can’t go wrong with this series.

Sailor Moon Box Sets

Sailor Moon! In box set formats! If you don’t have them already, buy them in boxes! Actually, I’m thinking of picking up the second box set to finish up my collection.

The box sets have STICKERS! SAILOR MOON STICKERS! By the Power of the Moon, I will decorate your laptop!!!!

Manga by Kyoko Okazaki

I haven’t read Pink yet, but I’m putting it on this list because it would be a great present for me!!! I want to read it! Helter Skelter was so cynical and bonkers, I’m looking forward to reading any of Okazaki’s work.

I think you could induce whiplash in someone by giving them both Sweet Rein and Helter Skelter, but why not? Reading this jarringly cynical take on the fashion world was entertaining, even if I did sometimes feel like I needed to bleach my brain a tiny bit afterwards.

Josei Disguised as Shoujo from Viz Media

I’m pretty stoked that Viz is releasing Happy Marriage and Midnight Secretary under their Shojo Beat line. And really, what could be more festive than vampire bosses who are harsh and demanding feeding on their secretaries and falling in love with them due to their awesome blood or secretaries forced into a marriage of convenience with their strict and stuck-up but secretly caring bosses? There might be a bit of a repetitive theme here, but I love it!

Manga the Week of 12/4

November 28, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ, Anna N and Michelle Smith 2 Comments

SEAN: First week of the month. You know what that means. Let’s go.

Dark Horse has the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s volume on Manga Challenges And Best Practices, which, given its authorship, I will merely leave here to let you all know it’s available. :)

ASH: Well, if you’re not going to say anything, then I will! I got my hands on an early copy a few months ago and thought it was great resource.

MJ: Thanks, Ash!

SEAN: Alice Love Fables: Toy Box is a Seven Seas anthology with stories from a) Alice in the Country of Hearts, as released (in part) by Seven Seas; b) Crimson Empire, as released by Seven Seas; and c) Arabians Lost, as not released by Seven Seas, mostly as it’s the only one of these otome game adaptations not to get an actual series.

ANNA: I have a fairly high tolerance of Alice in the Country of series, but stretching it to an anthology series might be a bit too much for me.

SEAN: Dance In The Vampire Bund has another new spinoff, this one called The Memories of Sledge Hammer. It does not feature David Rasche at all, so I am profoundly disinterested.

ASH: I…actually haven’t read any of the Dance in the Vampire Bund manga, yet.

MJ: I feel certain I never will.

ANNA: I doubt I will either.

SEAN: And Kanokon has an omnibus collecting two new volumes of this supernatural harem comedy (not to be confused with Seven Seas’ other supernatural harem comedies).

There’s also Vol. 3 of The Sacred Blacksmith, which hasn’t knocked me out, but has proven to be better than expected.

On the Viz front, there’s Vol. 5 of Demon Love Spell, which is a hell of a lot of fun and also sexy to boot.

MJ: I kinda can’t wait for this. I’m definitely hooked on this series.

ANNA: It is hilarious. I do wish more of Mayu Shinjo’s angsty series were published over here.

SEAN: Dengeki Daisy is coming to an end, but that end is not out here yet. Instead, we get lucky Vol. 13. If you like shoujo at all, you should be reading this.

MICHELLE: I’ve fallen behind with Dengeki Daisy but will be catching up soon!

ASH: I used consider Dengeki Daisy a guilty pleasure, but I’ve gotten over that and just enjoy the series.

MJ: I dropped Dengeki Daisy early on (not for any profound reason, just time) and I’ve begun to regret it.

ANNA: I always enjoy a new volume of Dengeki Daisy.

SEAN: The penultimate volume of A Devil and Her Love Song really needs to cut back on the angst and trauma and start wrapping things up happily. Do I expect this to happen here? No.

MJ: Heh.

ANNA: That being said, it is somehow weirdly refreshing along with all the angst and trauma, just because the heroine’s personality is so distinctive.

SEAN: The 3rd Dragon Ball omnibus, because there are always new generations of fans.

ASH: I’m glad that Viz is finding ways to keep this series in print–I’m one of those people who somehow missed it the first few times around.

SEAN: Vol. 3 of Happy Marriage?! will no doubt feature more fretting, worrying, and self-doubt, hopefully mixed with some nice romance and comedy.

MJ: No doubt. And no doubt I’ll read it.

ANNA: I’ve read it and it continues to be great!

SEAN: Hunter x Hunter 31 is out. The manga’s back on hiatus in Japan, so I’m not sure when it will dribble to a halt here. Again.

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan started a new arc last time, and I expect things will be quite exciting and supernatural in a “this is pretty good, but not great” way.

One Piece Vol. 69. (cough) You’d think Nami and Robin would be on the cov–(whack) Ow!

Skip Beat! is up to Vol. 32. Easily Hana to Yume’s longest running ongoing series, it may be wrapping up soon, but not yet. Still great.

MICHELLE: I’m very excited about this one!

ASH: Me, too!

ANNA: Probably my most favorite insanely long shoujo manga series.

SEAN: Slam Dunk ends with Vol. 31. A terrific sports manga, and hopefully it has whetted fans’ appetite in case Viz wants to, say, license another ongoing Jump basketball series. Hint, hint.

MICHELLE: And this one! I’ve been saving up the last five volumes to read in one big chunk. It’s gonna be awesome.

ASH: I’m behind in Slam Dunk, but it really is a great series.

ANNA: Slam Dunk is wonderful.

SEAN: Toriko is in the Meteor Garlic arc, and this is Volume 19. I like the series a lot, but it’s hard to really comment on when it comes out.

Lastly, Voice Over: Seiyuu Academy has its second volume drop. It’s classic workaday Hakusensha shoujo, with a fun if dense lead.

MJ: I’m eyeing this with a little bit of dread, but it’ll probably reel me in.

MICHELLE: It might. I definitely liked the first volume more than I expected to.

ANNA:I enjoyed the first volume much more than I expected to.

SEAN: That’s a big pile. Any choices?