Features

License Request Day – More Bestsellers in Japan

April 6, 2014 by Sean Gaffney

Last time I did this, back in July, I lucked out – 20 of the 32 bestsellers were already licensed, so I didn’t have as much to talk about. No such luck here, as only 8 of the Top 30 I looked at this week are licensed in North America in some way, shape or form. Plus it’s the week where all the shoujo came out and hit the charts. Needless to say, there are a LOT of potential Shojo Beat series here. Shall we take a look?

Firt, let’s set aside what’s licensed. Kimi ni Todoke, One Piece, Fairy Tail, Skip Beat!, Watamote, and Haganai all come out here physically. Space Brothers is up on Crunchyroll’s site, and Kadokawa’s new Comic Walker is putting out Kagerou Days, so I am counting those as licensed, if only digitally.

JoJo Lion (Shueisha, Ultra Jump) is the latest in the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure epic tale, and its popularity has been resurgent lately, what with the new anime. That said, JoJo’s manga did not sell well here, and this is technically Vol. 110 if you think of it as one big series. It’s possible Viz might take a flyer on this, but I’d be surprised.

Yokai Watch is a franchise based off of a 3DS game that seems to be a cross between Natsume’s Book of Friends, Doraemon, and Yu-Gi-Oh. This particular volume is the shonen manga version from Corocoro, there’s also a shoujo manga that just started in Ciao. Oh, and there’s an anime as well. If Viz does license this, it might be via Perfect Square.

Kobayashi ga Kawai Sugite Tsurai!! is a shoujo manga running in ShoComi, which just got an OVA series. It is not based on a light novel, despite the title translating as Kobayashi Has It Tough Being So Cute!!. It features a twin brother and sister who go to single-sex schools. One day, they decide to dress as each other and switch. The plot spins out from there. Sounds a bit odd for a Shojo Beat title, but you never know.

Moyashimon has just wrapped up in Japan, and Volume 13 is the final one. It was once licensed by Del Rey, but never got past Vol. 2. You could try asking Kodansha for a license rescue, but make sure you’re surrounded by witnesses so you don’t get demoned away.

ReRe Hello, a Betsuma manga from Shueisha, has what sounds like a very cliched premise. Hardworking earnest girl who’s lost her family, aloof boy who falls for her, etc. That said, it’s not like titles are licensed for originality here anyways. This has gotten some very positive buzz, and it’s only about 3 volumes to date, so it’s definitely a possibility.

Hachimitsu no Hatsukoi translates as ‘First Love is Like Honey’, basically. It’s a childhood friend romance, and another ShoComi title. The artist used to be Tanemura’s assistant. This has gotten to Vol. 7, so it’s doing pretty well in Japan.

Hirunaka no Ryuusei is a Margaret title that is a teacher/student romance, so moving on.

Neko to Watashi no Kinyoubi has a very good chance of being licensed, mostly as it’s a title by Arina Tanemura, running in Margaret. Its male lead is quite young, and it also has a cousin romance, which would normally I suspect prevent it from coming out over here, but given its creator and her huge popularity I expect we’ll see it before long. Girl has a crush on guy but is too shy to say anything, her young cousin loves her. More on Tanemura later this post.

Ace of Diamond is a baseball manga that is now at 40 volumes, so moving on.

Ayakashi Hisen is another ChoComi title, this one with a touch of the supernatural to it, something Shojo Beat always likes. The premise seems quite similar to Kamisama Kiss and Demon Love Spell, so I would not be too surprised to see it, even though at 12+ volumes to date it’s hitting the top end for shoujo manga length.

I’m skipping the Kagerou Days anthology, which will only get licensed if the Kagerou Days manga is a big success here. Which means it would have to get into print somehow, I suspect.

31 Ai Dream is another title that would have no chance to come out over here except it’s by Arina Tanemura, who is doing multiple series in Japan at the moment. It runs in Melody, home to Gatcha Gacha and Ooku, so you know it’s going to be odd. The premise is dark: a former class president and idol of the school never confessed to her love. Now, at a reunion where she’s 31 years old, she sees he’s with another girl and decides to kill herself. Instead, she gets a medicine that sends her back to when she was 15. Readers of fanfics will recognize this premise as a standard ‘Peggy Sue’, but I’d be very interested to see where Tanemura goes with it. Want to see Shojo Beat get this, even if it’s an odd fit there.

Kaze Hikaru is actually licensed by Viz, something I keep forgetting. This is Vol. 35, which should see release here in 2027. But it is still coming out, I note, and I’m sure if more folks bought it it would come out more often.

Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou just had an anime start, so there’s potential there. The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior is a seinen ‘apartment life’ manga from Young King Ours, and I’m honestly unsure which company it would fit best with. Shonen Gahosha does business with everyone, so…

Clover Trefle is the sequel to a very popular josei manga called Clover (no, not that one) (no, not that one either), which is 24 volumes and would need Viz to put those out first before its sequel comes out.

Sora no Otoshimono is relatively popular, and has an anime, but it’s 20 volumes, so I’d have to assume if it was going to be licensed it would be. It’d be the perfect Tokyopop title were they still around.

17-sai, Kiss to Dilemma is classic ShoComi smut. It has a lot of creeptasticness to it, apparently, so I’d suspect Shojo Beat would look at other titles first, as the smut they’re doing now is more of a josei bent than high schooler smut.

Shinrei Tantei Yakumo. See my entry for Sora no Otoshimono, then cut and paste it here, only ’11 volumes’.

Silver Spoon is an incredibly heartwarming, funny and awesome manga that sadly continues to be about farming. Still, I am hoping Viz’s defenses are weakening against this series.

Mujaki no Rakuen is a Young Animal title, and I think far too lolita complex/pedophilic overtones for the North American market. It’s also a Peggy Sue, like 31 Ai Dream. A loser NEET is mocked at a reunion by his female classmates. Then he goes back in time to where they were all 5th graders, but with his adult memories/experiences. A lot of naked 5th grade girl art follows. Of all the titles I discuss here, this is the one I expect is least likely. And thank God for that.

Angel Heart’s ‘2nd Season’ is up to Vol. 8, but the 33 volumes of its first season were never licensed, and anyway, why would you license something with a dead Kaori? Finish the series with living Kaoris, City Hunter!

Lastly, Kuroko’s Basketball has all the drawbacks of sports manga in North America. That said, now that Slam Dunk is finished, it’s possible. It certainly has a large female fanbase over here.

And there you have it. Of all these titles, which do you want to see the most? Which do you think is the most likely to be announced? Which makes you weep bitter tears you’ll never see it?

Manga the Week of 4/9

April 3, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, MJ, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: After a large first week, things settle down a bit, but there are several tasty titles coming out next week.

Amazon had the 7th and 8th volumes of Ze bouncing around in release date hell for so long, I feel like these books have already come out five years ago. In any case, Vol. 8 is listed for next week, so let’s cross our fingers.

MJ: I… seriously did not realize that this series went on so long.

ASH: It does! Eleven volumes total. We should see the end of the series in English sometime in 2015.

SEAN: Between the clouds, the shirts, and the hair fluttering around the cover of Crimson Spell 3, it’s sort of hard to tell where the guys are, though I assume they’re fondling each other with dark, serious expressions. (As one normally wears when fondling.)

ASH: Fondling is serious business!

SEAN: Knights of Sidonia has reached its 8th volume, and I still only half understand what’s going on at any point in the narrative. But it looks nice, and manages to keep me riveted and longing for more. Just a confused kind of riveted.

ASH: I experienced a similar sort of riveting confusion reading Nihei’s Biomega, too.

MICHELLE: Sidonia is actually lots easier to decipher than Nihei’s BLAME!, if you can believe it.

MJ: I rather love being confused in this manner.

ANNA: I also love being confused by Nihei. This is very tricky for an author to pull off, but he manages it very well!

SEAN: I can’t believe Case Closed has hit 50 volumes. Kindaichi Case Files is burning with jealousy. BURNING.

MICHELLE: The phrase “BURNING” conjures up Prince of Tennis flashbacks.

SEAN: We’re at the penultimate volume of Dawn of the Arcana, a series I got behind on and never really caught up to. I hear it had some really nice things going on, though.

MICHELLE: Yep! I like this one a lot.

ANNA: This series is really good, I enjoy it.

SEAN: Deadman Wonderland 2 also hits from Viz, and will no doubt give new meaning to the word nihilistic, at least if my impression of the first volume continues into this one.

MJ: I. Hm. Yeah. I will read it, but I don’t know.

ANNA: I read the first 2 volumes or so from the Tokyopop translation and enjoyed it, although it is incredibly dark.

SEAN: Itsuwaribito has a long ways to go before it gets to its endpoint, but it has at least hit its double digits. Vol. 11 ships next week.

ASH: Almost halfway there!

SEAN: Lastly, the 5th volume of Magi comes out, and if it has as much of Morgiana kicking ass as the 4th one did, I will be very pleased.

MICHELLE: I’m a few volumes behind with Magi now; perhaps it’s time to get caught up.

SEAN: Anything appeal?

My Week in Manga: March 24-March 30, 2014

March 31, 2014 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Posts last week at Experiments in Manga included a new manga giveaway as well as two new in-depth manga reviews! There’s still time to enter the giveaway, too. Head over to the Battle Angel Alita Giveaway to enter for a chance to win the first omnibus in Yukito Kishiro’s manga series Battle Angel Alita: Last Order. As for the reviews: I took a look at the most recent Moyoco Anno manga to be released in English, Insufficient Direction. It’s an autobiographical manga about her married life with Hideaki Anno and is quite funny. I adore Anno’s work, so was happy to learn a little more about her. I also wrapped up my Manga March Madness project. I was rather pleased that I managed to pull it off. Every weekend in March I reviewed a volume of Takehiko Inoue’s basketball manga Real. Since there were five weekends in March and I started with the first volume in the series, my last review for the project was for Real, Volume 5. I hope I was able to at least begin to express why Real is such a fantastic manga in my reviews, because it really is a phenomenal series.

Speaking of Takehiko Inoue, David Brothers, writing for Comics Alliance back in 2010, had a great article that was recently brought to my attention again–From Samurai to Shooting Hoops: Takehiko Inoue, Art Chameleon. As for other things found online: Nahoko Uehashi (the author of Moribito) won the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Author Award, which is a pretty big deal. As usual, Organization Anti-Social Geniuses had some great manga content last week. I particularly enjoyed What Manga Publishers Can Actually License in The US and Advice on Manga Editing, From Manga Editors. Tokyopop’s Stu Levy participated in a recent “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit. The daughter of Osamu Tezuka opened a drawer of her father’s desk that had been locked since 1985 and found some pretty cool stuff. And finally, I was pointed towards a brief biography of Takashi Nagasaki, who works closely with Naoki Urasawa.

Quick Takes

Berserk, Volume 37 by Kentaro Miura. I love the early story arcs of Berserk and continue to enjoy the series, so I’m always excited when another volume of the manga is finally released. After reading the thirty-seventh volume, I’m particularly anxious to get my hands on the next installment, whenever that may be. The battle between Guts and the rest of the crew against the sea god and its minions reaches its climax in this volume. They are aided by the merrow, Berserk‘s mermaids. Even though Miura’s version of mermaids is fairly traditional, though perhaps slightly more fish-like, I did like them. The thirty-seventh volume also contains a long flashback to Guts’ past as a young mercenary, which I particularly enjoyed reading. It’s set during a time when magic and the supernatural were more hidden and uncommon in the world, though hints of it could still be seen. The end of the volume also turns towards the current activities of Griffith’s army, which recently hasn’t had much prominence in the manga. After so much action and fighting, which I do enjoy, I’m very glad to see more story and plot development.

Black Sun, Volume 2 by Uki Ogasawara. It’s been quite a while since I read the first volume of Ogasawara’s boys’ love manga Black Sun. I had a few issues with the story itself, mostly that the lead characters’ relationship moved a little too quickly from lust to possible love, but overall I thought the manga had good potential. I particularly liked the setting of Black Sun, a medieval fantasy inspired in part by the Crusades. Ogasawara’s artwork was also excellent, with particular attention given to the beautiful details of clothing and weaponry as well as attractive, muscular men. When I read the first volume of Black Sun I didn’t actually realize that it was a first volume. I appreciated it’s somewhat ambiguous ending, but was ultimately glad to discover that there was more to the series. The ending of the second and final volume is much less ambiguous, and much happier than I expected that it would be. Black Sun is part of Digital Manga’s 801 Media imprint, so unsurprisingly there is a fair amount of sex to go along with the plot. And Black Sun actually does have a plot. The relationship between Jamal and Leonard plays out against a backdrop of war and political intrigue.

From the New World, Volumes 2-3 written by Yusuke Kishi and illustrated by Toru Oikawa. I was very torn over the first volume of the From the New World manga. I absolutely loved its dark tone, but found the blatant, pandering fanservice to be a bit off-putting and out-of-place. Thankfully, the fanservice in the second volume is greatly toned down. The outfits worn by the young women are still fairly ridiculous and revealing, though, especially when compared to the male characters who tend to be covered from head to toe in oversized clothing. The lesbian sex returns in the third volume, but it makes much more sense within the context of the series than it did in the first volume. Part of this is because the worldbuilding has progressed significantly. From the New World suffers a little from large info dumps, but at least all of the information is new to the characters, too, so it’s not as egregious a problem as it could be. I’m still loving the actual story of From the New World. The series atmosphere is creepy and ominous, contrasting magnificently with what is supposed to be a perfect and pristine society. What humanity is willing to give up and the terrible steps that have been taken to maintain that system are now being revealed.

Swan, Volumes 13-15 by Kyoko Ariyoshi. In Japan, Swan lasted for twenty-one volumes, only fifteen of which were released in English. It’s too bad that CMX folded before the series could be completely released. Swan is fantastic, and I’m very glad for the fifteen volumes that were translated. These last three volumes of the English edition follow Masumi as she travels to New York with Leonhardt to continue her study of ballet following the aftermath of the Tokyo World Ballet Competition. It’s the beginning of an important new story arc. Masumi has grown tremendously as a ballerina as well as a person, but her time in the United States presents new challenges. Her foundation is in classical ballet but now she is faced with modern ballet which is completely outside of her experience. She has trouble understanding modern ballet and so struggles greatly with its performance. Also introduced in these volumes are new characters and even a potential new love interest, which offers another set of problems for Masumi to deal with. Swan is a beautiful and surprisingly intense series; I was very impressed by it.

Arakawa2 Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge, Season 2 directed by Akiyuki Shinbo. I enjoyed the first season of Arakawa Under the Bridge a great deal. I very much enjoyed the second season, too, but for some reason wasn’t quite as taken with it. I’m not really sure why that is though since not much really changed between the two. Arakawa Under the Bridge is still funny and absurd. I still like the humor and the characters. While the first season focused on Rec as he gets to know everyone living along the banks of the Arakawa River, everyone’s personalities and quirks have been well established by the start of the second. Maybe it’s that sense of newness and discovery that the second series lacks. But then again maybe not: the second season introduces new cast members as well as a storyline that provides an ongoing framework for some of the gags. (Ultimately it doesn’t really end up going anywhere, though.) One of the things that particularly amused me about the second season of Arakawa Under the Bridge is that Rec has more or less become a shoujo heroine, complete with flowers and sparkles. Nods to Riyoko Ikeda’s series are right at home alongside references to Fist of the North Star and other “manly” anime.

Manga the Week of 4/2

March 27, 2014 by Sean Gaffney 5 Comments

SEAN: Before we begin with next week’s books, apologies to Yen Press, as I accidentally forgot one of THIS week’s books in my last post. Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki is a deluxe omnibus hardcover based off the movie franchise, and in a similar vein to Summer Wars. It’s definitely worth your time.

MJ: I’ll definitely be reading it!

SEAN: Now let’s see what actually is out next week, and we’ll start with a long-awaited release from the purgatory of Dark Horse Poor-Selling Manga. Eden: It’s An Endless World has reached its 14th volume, a mere 2 1/2 years after its 13th. That said, it’s here now, and I’m sure it will be worth the wait for its many… well, selected fans.

MICHELLE: I am ashamed to admit that I actually completely forgot this series existed.

SEAN: There’s also the 4th Lone Wolf and Cub omnibus, for the finest in samurai revenge manga.

ASH: I’m still glad that Dark Horse found a way to keep this series in print. Plus, I can actually read the tiny text in the larger omnibus edition.

MJ: Agreed!

SEAN: And Dark Horse also has the 2nd Shinji Ikari Detective Agency, which I believe is also the final volume. This shoujo take on Evangelion ran in Kadokawa’s oddball shoujo magazine Asuka, and is for Shinji and Kaworu fans in particular.

This month’s Alice in the Country of Clover gives us a new love interest, in case we were tired of Blood or Elliot. Nightmare has sort of been an eccentric mentor to Alice in the previous books, we’ll see how he steps up into the role of lead male here, in his eponymous book.

MICHELLE: Ooh. I’ve always rather fancied Nightmare.

SEAN: I’m pretty sure this 5th Dance in the Vampire Bund omnibus wraps up the main series.

I’m not sure why the final Dictatorial Grimoire volume is separated out from the others with the Red Riding Hood suffix, but in any case, feel free to think of it as Vol. 3.

This volume of Strike Witches: Maidens in the Sky is also the final one for this particular series, but expect more Strike Witches spinoff manga soon.

Bleach has hit Vol. 60! Though if you take out the chapters involving someone showing off their Bankai, it’s actually only 15.

MJ: Heh.

SEAN: Dragon Ball is still in Full Color for this 2nd volume, and I think is still actually Dragon Ball Z. Someone needs to verify this for me.

The 8th and final Hana-Kimi omnibus will interest even fans who got it the first time around – this has the “After School” chapters that got a separate release in Japan, but I don’t think were ever published here until now.

ANNA: Oh! I have all the original volumes, but I might be picking this up if there are new extra chapters!

Happy Marriage?! gets halfway there with Vol. 5, so I guess we’re halfway to happiness? At least there’s sexy times now.

MICHELLE: This brings to mind an Anya quote about being “upside down and halfway to happy land.” :)

ANNA: I do enjoy this series!

MJ: As do I!

SEAN: I believe that with the publication of this volume of Hunter x Hunter, the 32nd, we are caught up with Japan, where its creator is on another extended hiatus.

I love Library Wars, and simply can’t wait to dig into this 11th volume. It’s gotten better as it’s gone along, too. Shoujo action at its best (well, OK, Dengeki Daisy is better, but not by much).

MICHELLE: Library Wars has definitely gotten better as it has progressed, to the point where I’m surprised by how much I like it now.

ASH: I always loved the premise of Library Wars and am happy to see the series starting to really live up to its potential.

ANNA: I have also always loved this series, even if it helps to suspend disbelief a lot at the idea of library censorship battles being fought with military action. It really does get better as it goes along.

SEAN: After One Piece 70 earlier this month, and Bleach 60, we naturally have Naruto 65, splitting the difference. Is Sasuke still evil?

And because today is Shonen Multiples Of Five Jump Day, here’s Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan 20.

Sweet Rein 2 has taken a while to come out, but I’m hoping this volume of a Santa and her reindeer will be as quirky yet sweet as the first one.

MICHELLE: I’ll be reading it!

ANNA: This is a very cute series.

SEAN: Toriko, you are ruining Shonen Multiples Of Five Jump Day! Sheesh. Vol. 21 indeed… Go to your room!

MICHELLE: *snerk*

SEAN: Lastly, will our heroine be able to hold onto her princely voice at last and move up in the voice acting world? Here’s Vol. 4 of Voice Over: Seiyu Academy to tell us.

There’s pretty much something for everybody here. What are you getting?

Manga Giveaway: Battle Angel Alita Giveaway

March 26, 2014 by Ash Brown

Perhaps because March follows the shortest month of the year it seems to have lasted a particularly long time for me. Granted, that feeling may attributed to how incredibly busy I’ve been recently. Regardless, the end of March is almost here, which means it’s time for another manga giveaway! This month you’ll all have the chance to win the first omnibus in Yukito Kishiro’s Battle Angel Alita: Last Order as published by Kodansha Comics. The omnibus collects the first three volumes of the series as well as additional stories by Kishiro not previously released in English. As always, the giveaway is open worldwide!

It’s not at all a secret that I am a fan of androids (I blame the absurd amount of Isaac Asimov that I read in my youth), so it probably isn’t too surprising that I’m rather fond of cyborgs as well. That’s one of the reasons that Battle Angel Alita particularly appeals to me. The existence of ancient Martian martial arts and space karate in the series doesn’t hurt, either. In general, cyborgs aren’t a particularly uncommon element in near future science fiction and I’m aware of quite a few from manga specifically. Much as with android stories, I enjoy stories about cyborgs because they allow creators a way to explore what it means to be human in interesting ways.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of the first Battle Angel Alita: Last Order omnibus?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about your favorite cyborg from manga. (If you don’t have one, you can simply mention that.)
2) For a second entry, name another manga that features a cyborg that hasn’t been mentioned yet by me or by someone else.
3) 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).

That’s all there is to it. Each person can earn up to three entries for the giveaway and has a week to submit comments. If you have trouble leaving a comment, or if you would prefer, entries may also be submitted via e-mail to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com which will then be posted in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on April 2, 2014. Best of luck to you all!

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: Battle Angel Alita Giveaway Winner

My Week in Manga: March 17-March 23, 2014

March 24, 2014 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Experiments in Manga featured two manga reviews as well as something a little different last week. First up, I took a look at Saki Nakagawa’s Attack on Titan: Junior High, Omnibus 1. It’s a rather absurd and ridiculous series, but I was amused. The manga does require some familiarity with both Attack on Titan and Attack on Titan fandom to fully appreciate it, though. Not too long ago, I read Jeffrey Angles’ Writing the Love of Boys which introduced me to the work of Kaita Murayama. Not much about Murayama has been written in English, and only two of his short stories have ever been translated, but I was interested in learning more about him and his work. The result was a Spotlight on Kaita Murayama. (I’m actually very happy with how the post turned out!) Finally, as the actual March Madness begins, I posted the penultimate review in my own Manga March Madness–Real, Volume 4 by Takehiko Inoue, which delves more deeply into Togawa’s past. Real is a fantastic series, and one of my favorite manga.

And now for a few things found online! Vertical’s tumblr often has something interesting to read. Last week’s response to a question about licensing old Tokyopop titles was particularly informative. I enjoy House of 1000 Manga, but the most recent column focuses on Usamaru Furuya and his work, which I’m always happy to read more about. Sequart has a great interview with Kumar Sivasubramanian, the translator of some of my very favorite manga. Gay Manga posted an excellent article about the censorship of a billboard designed by artist Poko Murata promoting HIV awareness which also addresses some of the history of gay artwork in Japan. And in other censorship news, it looks like the manga series Barefoot Gen, after running into some trouble last year, may end up being banned again in parts of Japan.

Quick Takes

Brody’s Ghost, Book 4 by Mark Crilley. It’s been quite a while since I’ve read any of Brody’s Ghost, but I do enjoy the series. Each installment is frustratingly thin though (each is less than a hundred pages) and only one book is released per year. Once the story is finished, I’d love to see Brody’s Ghost collected into a single omnibus. I think the series would benefit from being read in larger chunks or all at once. Which is not to say the individual books aren’t enjoyable. Each one has a great mix of action, story, and character development. I enjoy Crilley’s artwork, too. I also enjoy the bonus content that Crilley includes, outlining some of his design choices and storytelling decisions. In this particular volume of Brody’s Ghost, Brody is doing everything that he can to track down the Penny Murderer, including impersonating a detective. His ex-girlfriend, who he still cares about, may very well be the next victim and he is desperate to prevent that from happening. Things are even more complicated now that he has discovered that Talia–the ghost who pressured him into the investigation–has been lying to him.

Flutter by Momoko Tenzen. I appreciate it when a boys’ love manga includes a character who is actually openly gay, so that aspect of Flutter particularly appealed to me. Mizuki is that man–a respected and skilled project leader at his company. He presents himself as someone who is extremely well put together, but that public face is deliberately crafted to hide his weaknesses and insecurities. Asada is one of Mizuki’s coworkers. He finds himself inexplicably drawn to Mizuki. After the two of them are assigned to the same project they get to know each other, first as friends and then as something possibly more as Mizuki begins to drop his guard around Asada. Flutter is a slowly paced and relatively quiet manga, which is somewhat surprising as Mizuki’s backstory is fairly melodramatic. However, that melodrama is completely lacking from Mizuki and Asada’s somewhat awkward relationship; I enjoyed watching it develop. Asada’s personality is very kind and candid and his inability to hide what he is thinking and feeling is adorable. This open honesty is just what Mizuki needs, whether he realizes it or not.

Missions of Love, Volumes 1-4 by Ema Toyama. I’ll admit it, I’m addicted to Missions of Love. I actually began reading the series with the fifth and sixth volumes, but I enjoyed them enough that I wanted to go back and read it from the beginning to learn how the whole mess between Yukina, Shigure, Akira, and Mami came to be. Missions of Love isn’t the most believable series and some of it is admittedly silly, but I don’t think I would enjoy the manga as much as I do if Toyama took a more serious or realistic approach. The story itself might be somewhat ridiculous, but the complicated relationships and emotions are real enough. Ultimately, that’s what appeals to me about Missions of Love–the intensity of the characters’ feelings paired with a plot that can be over-the-top. In the beginning, Yukina and Shigure don’t even like each other which is what allows them to resort to blackmail and manipulation. But as the series progresses, they come to care for and rely on each other in a way that is incredibly twisted. All of the relationships in Missions of Love are like that. I can’t help but want to watch the emotional chaos and turmoil unfold.

The Mysterious Underground Men by Osamu Tezuka. The Mysterious Underground Men is the second volume in Ryan Holmberg’s Ten-Cent Manga series which explores classic manga influenced by classic American comics and cartoons. Tezuka, often called the grandmaster of contemporary manga and anime, has had many of his works released in English. Granted, only a small fraction of his total output has been translated. As much as I appreciate Tezuka’s manga and his importance as a creator, I’m actually much more interested in the work of other classic mangaka who are less likely to be licensed. Initially, I wasn’t even planning on reading The Mysterious Underground Men. But because I was so impressed by the first volume of Ten-Cent Manga, I decided to give it a try after all. I’m glad that I did, not so much for the manga itself (which I did enjoy), but more for the supplementary material–Tezuka’s afterword, in which he describes The Mysterious Underground Men as his first story manga, and Holmberg’s essay which puts the manga into historical context, specifically noting its Western pop culture influences.

Time of Eve directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura. It’s not a secret that I have a fondness for stories about androids, so it probably shouldn’t be too surprising that I liked Time of Eve, a six episode anime series that was first released online. The series revolves around an unusual cafe, the titular Time of Eve, where humans and androids can interact while ignoring the laws that normally separate them. The cafe has only one rule, that there is to be no discrimination between the two groups. Rikuo discovers the cafe while looking into the unexpected behavior of “Sammy,” his household’s android. Along with his close friend Masaki, Rikuo’s assumptions about androids and how humans treat them are challenged as he gets to know the other customers at the cafe. Time of Eve doesn’t break any new ground when it comes to androids and makes good use of Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics. I’ve read and watched so much android fiction that nothing about the series surprised me (including what were supposed to be dramatic reveals), but I still found the anime to be immensely enjoyable.

Random Musings: Spotlight on Kaita Murayama

March 21, 2014 by Ash Brown

Kaita Murayama Self-Portrait, 1916 Kaita Murayama, born in 1896, was a Japanese artist, poet, and author. He was best known for his work as an artist, and especially for the originality and vibrancy of his paintings. Although some of his writings were printed while he was alive, most of Murayama’s poetry and prose was collected and published by his friends after his death in 1919 of tuberculosis. Very little has actually be written about Murayama in English. Likewise, very little of his work has been translated. This is unfortunate because both Murayama and his writings are fascinating.

I had previously encountered a few of Murayama’s paintings, but it wasn’t until I read Jeffrey Angles’ academic work Writing the Love of Boys: Origins of Bishōnen Culture in Modernist Japanese Literature (released by the University of Minnesota Press in 2011) that I discovered Murayama as an author. This isn’t terribly surprising as only two of Murayama’s short stories have so far been released in English in their entirety–“The Bust of the Beautiful Young Salaino” and “The Diabolical Tongue”–both of which are discussed at length in Writing the Love of Boys and both of which were translated by Angles. Writing the Love of Boys is a particularly interesting examination of the portrayal of male-male desire in Japanese literature during the early twentieth century with a specific focus on Kaita Murayama, Edogawa Rampo, and Taruho Inagaki. After reading Angles’ translated excerpts and analyses of Murayama’s work, and because I wasn’t previously aware of Murayama’s writing, my curiosity was piqued; I wanted to experience his stories for myself.

The first short story by Murayama to be translated and published in English was “The Bust of the Beautiful Young Salaino,” which was included in Modanizumu: Modernist Fiction from Japan, 1913–1938. The volume, edited by William J. Tyler and released by the University of Hawai’i Press in 2008, is the first major anthology of Japanese modernist short stories to be translated and analyzed in English. “The Bust of the Beautiful Young Salaino” isn’t a well-known story in Japan. However, it is the first work included in Modanizumu and is noted as being representative of early, experimental modernist prose. It incorporates themes of same-sex desire and the spectacular, both of which were not at all uncommon in modernist Japanese literature. Murayama wrote “The Bust of the Beautiful Salaino” between 1913 and 1914, soon before making the decision to leave Kyoto to study art in Tokyo, but it wasn’t actually published until 1921. The story is short, barely over two pages long, but it leaves a strong impression. In it a young man is wandering through a city at night when he has a vision of the head of Salaino, a beautiful youth whom he loves, after which he is confronted by an apparition of Leonardo da Vinci. Murayama’s writing is highly visual and descriptive, almost hallucinatory, and intensely erotic. This atmospheric quality can be seen beginning with the very first line–“It was a night thick with yearning, a yearning so viscous that it was as if dark purple and precious black liqueurs had replaced the air and covered the earth.”–and continues through to the very end. “The Bust of the Beautiful Young Salaino” is a lush, surreal, and dreamlike tale, but it can also be read as an allegory challenging the dominance of Western art.

The second of Murayama’s stories to be translated into English was “The Diabolical Tongue.” It was included in Tales of the Metropolis, the third and final volume of Kurodahan Press’ series Kaiki: Uncanny Tales from Japan, released in 2012. Kaiki, which collects weird and supernatural Japanese short stories, is edited by Higashi Masao, who specializes in kaidan–tales of the strange and mysterious. “The Diabolical Tongue” was published in 1915 and was one of Murayama’s last works to overtly deal with male-male desire, though it is perhaps not as obviously homoerotic as “The Bust of the Beautiful Salaino.” It reminded me quite a bit of some of Edogawa Rampo’s stories, which makes sense as Murayama was one of Rampo’s direct inspirations. “The Diabolical Tongue” was a precursor of ero guro nonsense, a literary movement which came into prominence in Japan in the 1920s and 1930s. The story incorporates themes which are frequently found in ero guro–decadence, eroticism, mystery–as well as archetypal elements of the bizarre, grotesque, and taboo. Like “The Bust of the Beautiful Salaino,” an important part of “The Diabolical Tongue” focuses on a young man who wanders a city at night in search of his desires. He satisfies his unusual appetite and cravings by eating stranger and stranger things until he is finally driven to cannibalism. He is particularly drawn towards beautiful young men and women, imaging how exquisite they will taste. Unlike “The Bust of the Beautiful Salaino,” which ends in ecstasy, “The Diabolical Tongue” is fundamentally a tragic and horrifying tale that begins and ends in death. It is deliciously disconcerting, very much in the same vein as the ero guro literature which would soon follow.

Personally, I would love to see more of Murayama’s work translated into English and to read more of his poetry (examples of which can be found in Writing the Love of Boys) as well as his prose. I am aware and do understand how unlikely that is to happen. Poetry is notoriously difficult to translate and the demand for century-old short stories, as much as I and others would be interested in reading them, is generally low. However, I am glad that “The Bust of the Beautiful Salaino” and “The Diabolical Tongue” have been translated. The two stories share some commonalities but are ultimately very different from each other, exhibiting the versatility and range of Murayama’s creative output.

Manga the Week of 3/26

March 20, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Anna N, Michelle Smith and MJ 9 Comments

SEAN: Lots of things to enjoy in the very busy final week of the month, from a variety of publishers.

I’m not entirely certain who Kintaro is or why he’s so incredible, but 801 Media’s The Incredible Kintaro is here to preach the good word to BL fans everywhere.

ASH: I have it on very good authority that The Incredible Kintaro is one of the most ridiculous BL manga to have been recently released in English.

ANNA: I am looking forward to seeing someone review this! How ridiculous is most ridiculous? Inquiring minds want to know!

SEAN: I have to think that Castle Mango is a very unthreatening name for a castle, and hope it’s not a really sexy yaoi euphemism. Vol. 2 is being released from DMP.

MICHELLE: Thanks for consistently making me giggle with this column, Sean!

ASH: I don’t think it’s a euphemism, but it is the name of a love hotel…

ANNA: That seems logical, I suppose.

SEAN: When Kodansha says they’re doing a speedup, they don’t mess around. Fairy Tail has been coming out so fast it’s almost too hard to keep up, and here’s Vol. 36.

There’s also a new shonen debut, the 4th one this month and the only one not connected with another Kodansha property. The Seven Deadly Sins is the new hot ticket in Japan, so it’s no surprise that it’s getting a release over here. A fantasy adventure manga with holy knights and fanservice, as you’d expect from Shonen Magazine, it should appeal to Fairy Tail fans.

ASH: I’ve heard good things about this one, so I’m interested in giving it a try.

SEAN: Readers may be surprised that I did not reserve the feature image for this post to Vertical’s What Did You Eat Yesterday?, the new seinen manga about a gay couple and the meals that they eat. The reason I did not is I have a sneaking suspicion the Pick of the Week will be unanimous, and therefore the image should be saved for that. As evidence, see the comments below.

MICHELLE: (incoherent “eeeeeeeeeeeee” noise)

ASH: Eeeeeeeeexcitement!!!

ANNA: Sooooooo Eeeeeeeeeexcited!

MJ: I am down with the flu, but I must perk up just a little to join in on this little celebration. Woooooo! *cough* Woo.

SEAN: And there’s a giant pile of Yen, starting with Vol. 4 of fantasy headtwister Are You Alice?

For those who enjoy Blood Lad but wish it was more of a 4-koma series, we bring you the first volume of spinoff Bloody Brat.

MICHELLE: Normally, this wouldn’t be my sort of thing, but I enjoy the humor in Blood Lad so much that I’m gonna give Bloody Brat a try.

SEAN: And if that’s not enough blood for you, have some more with Bloody Cross 2, along with a plethora of religious imagery.

MICHELLE: I was moderately intrigued by volume one, so I’d say it merits checking out the second installment.

SEAN: I keep forgetting about the Kingdom Hearts releases from Yen, so my apologies. This time around we have the 3rd volume of bafflingly named Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

The new Madoka Magica spinoff, A Different Story, seems to star Kyouko and Mami, and ties into the movie. We shall see how different the story really is.

Soul Eater 19 promises a battle between Black*Star and the corrupted Death The Kid, and if I recall correctly will finally give us an origin story for Liz and Patti.

Lastly, Yen debuts Sword Art Online, a fantasy about MMORPGs based on a light novel series (which debuts from Yen next month). The 2 volumes of the debut arc, Aincrad, seem to have been combined into one omnibus for North America.

MJ: I’ll also mention, I guess, that I’ve seen some of this anime, so I’m actually a little excited about both the light novel and the manga.

SEAN: What manga are you discussing over the dinner table?

My Week in Manga: March 10-March 16, 2014

March 17, 2014 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

I managed to post three in-depth reviews last week, and two of them were for manga! First up was my review of Mieko Kanai’s delightful novel Indian Summer. Technically, it’s the third book in her Mejiro series, following Oh, Tama!, which I also recently read and enjoyed. However, Indian Summer was actually her first novel to be translated in English. As part of my Year of Yuri review project, I took a look at the omnibus edition of Milk Morinaga’s manga Kisses, Sighs, and Cherry Blossom Pink. So far it has been my favorite yuri manga by Morinaga to have been released in English. It’s very cute, sweet, and romantic. And to wrap things up, over the weekend I posted the next review in my “Manga March Madness” project which focuses on Takehiko Inoue’s wheelchair basketball series Real. It was the third week in March, so I reviewed Real, Volume 3. I still think that Real is one of the best comics currently being released in English.

Quick Takes

Heart written by Blair Butler and illustrated by Kevin Mellon. At one point Oren “Rooster” Redmond was a run-of-the-mill office worker. Bored with his job, he decides to take control of his life. Following in the footsteps of his older brother he starts by becoming an amateur MMA fighter. After months of grueling training he finally has the opportunity to go pro, but that’s when the hard work really begins. Heart follows the rise and fall of Rooster and the sacrifices that he makes. There’s too much face punching, blood, and machismo to call Heart sentimental, but it is a very human story. Rooster’s fights both in the cage and internally with himself are also representative of anybody’s struggle to accept themselves for who they are. Sometimes, no matter how hard someone tries or how much they improve, it will simply never be enough. It’s how someone deals with that fact that really determines who they are as a person. Heart is a great comic and one that I personally found to be inspirational, and not just because I’m a martial artist.

Prince of Cats, Issue 1 Prince of Cats, Issues 1-4 by Kori Michele Handwerker. Prince of Cats is an ongoing webcomic that is free to read, however the print edition of the series includes some bonus content not available online. I knew going into Prince of Cats that the comic was a queer love story, but what I didn’t realize is that the series also features a transgender character, which I was rather pleased to discover. Handwerker hand paints each page of the comic and the watercolors are beautiful. The story itself is also lovely, focusing on the relationship between Lee and Frank who were once very close but who are starting to drift apart. Despite the high school drama, Prince of Cats tends to be quiet and subdued but very realistic (with the exception of talking cats, of course.) I could easily empathize with the characters and the portrayal of growing up in a conservative, rural area. It’s hard enough trying to fit in to begin with, let alone while also being a member of a minority (of any sort). I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Prince of Cats.

Sherlock Bones, Volume 4 written by Yuma Ando and illustrated by Yuki Sato. In previous volumes of Sherlock Bones the answer to the various mysteries were known from the beginning. The challenge was simply to find evidence to prove who was guilty. However, in the fourth volume Sherdog and Takeru actually have to do some legitimate investigation and sleuthing. Granted, in all but one case the readers are already aware who the culprit is. I’m still enjoying Sherlock Bones more than I expected I would. The silliness of the premise is a bit at odds with the seriousness of many of the crimes (homicide, accidental and otherwise, is the one that is most frequently encountered), but for the most part it somehow works; Sherlock Bones can be unexpectedly entertaining. I would like to say that I will be extremely disappointed if Meowriarty doesn’t make another appearance in the series. As if Sherlock Holmes as a small puppy wasn’t ridiculous enough, Moriarty as a bruiser of a cat is marvelously absurd. Also, Sherdog needs an arch-nemesis.

Stone Collector, Book 1 written by Kevin Han and illustrated by Zom-J. Stone Collector is Gen Manga’s first manhwa series, but it reads from right to left, which is a little odd. I was rather surprised when I saw the first volume of Stone Collector; I’m used to the smaller trim sizes used by Gen Manga and hadn’t realized that Stone Collector was going to be so much larger. The oversized format shows off Zom-J’s artwork, which is very clean and fairly dynamic with great facial expressions. Frequently, I found that I was vaguely reminded of Kohta Hirano and especially Hellsing. Some of the battle sequences in Stone Collector are a little difficult to follow, and the lack of backgrounds often made it seem more like a storyboard than a fully realized comic. More attention is given to the fights and monsters than is given to a completely comprehensible plot or well-developed characters. However, it is a quickly paced, action-packed series. I could see a film adaptation of Stone Collector actually doing quite well.

Manga the Week of 3/19

March 13, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ 1 Comment

SEAN: There are no quiet weeks for the month of March, each week having a surprisingly robust group of manga coming out. Here’s what’s next week.

Genshiken returned after a hiatus, never a good sign, and with a ‘next generation’ cast that almost immediately brought back the previous generation, an even worse sign. Despite this, it’s been incredibly entertaining, always remembering to focus on the people rather than the otaku. Vol. 4 of Season 2 comes out next week.

MICHELLE: Will I lose my manga badge if I admit I’ve never read Genshiken?

ASH: I only got around to it after the omnibuses were released, but I’m glad that I did. I’m enjoying the second season, too.

ANNA: I will have to lose my manga badge too, because I have never read it either.

MJ: I’ve had this on my “to read” list forever. Perhaps I can finally start picking up the omnibus release.

SEAN: Speaking of returning after a hiatus with a next-gen cast, UQ Holder is Ken Akamatsu’s new work for Kodansha after the abrupt end of Negima. The series takes place in 2086, and magic is now known to the world after the events of Negima. The main cast (with perhaps one exception) is not from Negima, however, but a new crew getting ready for some adventure. Expect action, humor, and gratuitous nudity.

And while CLAMP has indeed gone back to the well and restarted their old series xxxHOLIC, we aren’t getting that new run yet. Instead, here’s the first omnibus putting back into print the old series that came out 11 years ago – an eternity in manga boom years! – from Del Rey Books, who also published Negima. And Genshiken.

MICHELLE: Ooh! I somehow missed out on buying the last couple of volumes of the first run of xxxHOLiC, and now they’re pretty expensive. Maybe I’ll pick up the final omnibus instead.

MJ: This makes me very happy!

SEAN: Seven Seas reminds manga bloggers who don’t follow the series that casual readers who don’t follow manga bloggers can’t get enough of Dance in the Vampire Bund. The spinoff The Memories of Sledge Hammer has Vol. 2 arrive, and still does not star David Rasche.

MJ: Heh.

SEAN: They are also bringing you Vol. 5 of Mayo Chiki, which is what it is, and no amount of my wishing it was more like Railgun or Toradora will change that.

And there’s another Witch Buster omnibus on the manwha front, as Vols 9-10 are due out next week.

On the Viz front, we have the final volume of March Story, which is not quite manwha – the creator is Korean, but the story itself ran in the Japanese Sunday GX, home of Black Lagoon. I never did get around to reading it, but always heard good things.

MJ: I’m looking forward to this! I’ve enjoyed it from the start!

SEAN: Lastly, it has been a full year since the last volume of Vagabond, so Vol. 35 had better be worth the wait. Oh wait, it’s still an Inoue manga, of course it is.

MICHELLE: Someday, I will read more Vagabond. I just seem to prefer basketball!Inoue, though I know Anna disagrees with me! :)

ASH: I adore Inoue’s work and Vagabond is fantastic. I’ve actually read the novel that the series is based on, too. They’re both epic, and I love Inoue’s interpretation.

ANNA: Vagabond is the best. I pine for more VizBig editions of this excellent series.

SEAN: Sadly, there are no Irish manga this week, just Japanese (and Korean). What are you getting?

My Week in Manga: March 3-March 9, 2014

March 10, 2014 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week the Smuggler Giveaway Winner was announced. As usual, I took the opportunity to compile a list. In this case, I pulled together some of the manga licensed in English that feature assassins. And speaking of assassins, last week I reviewed Hiroaki Samura’s Blade of the Immortal, Volume 28: Raining Chaos which focuses on the confrontation between the remnants of the Ittō-ryū and the Rokki-dan warriors and the Mugai-ryū assassins. There isn’t much plot development in the volume, but there are some great battle sequences. I also reviewed Real, Volume 2 by Takehiko Inoue, which features battles of an entirely different sort. Real is a mix of human drama, tragedy, and hope as its characters deal with events in their lives beyond their control. It’s a truly fantastic series.

There was quite a bit of manga industry news and analysis last week. I’m particularly excited that Moyoco Anno will be a featured guest at TCAF! ICv2 interviewed Dark Horse’s manga editor Carl Horn (Part 1, Part 2). Deb Aoki took a look at the state of digital manga for Publishers Weekly. Vertical’s licensing survey is currently underway. Vertical also posted a little more information about past surveys and how they’ve been used. Sean Gaffney rounds up some of the recent licensing announcements at A Case Suitable for Treatment. Not directly related to the current state of the manga industry but still worth a read is Dan Mazur’s post about early shōjo manga.

Quick Takes

My Little Monster, Volume 1 by Robico. On the first day of school, Haru was suspended and he hasn’t been back since. As a favor to a teacher, Shizuku agrees to bring him his homework which Haru interprets as a sign of friendship. Now, much to Shizuku’s dismay, the two of them have become nearly inseparable. Because of Haru’s propensity towards violence and his almost complete lack of understanding as to what is socially appropriate behavior, some of the situations in My Little Monster can be extremely uncomfortable and worrisome. However, although they are often used as a source of humor, I was very happy to see that Haru’s actions were not romanticized. His tendency to lash out and physically intimidate others, whether out of fear or for some other reason, was not generally portrayed as a desirable characteristic. It’s completely understandable that some people are afraid of him. However, Haru’s naivety and earnestness can be very endearing. Shizuku, one of the few people who can seem to handle the volatile Haru, is an interesting character in her own right with both flaws and strengths. They are both social misfits in their own ways; I’m very curious to see how their relationship continues to develop.

Thermae Romae, Omnibus 3 by Mari Yamazaki. If it seems like it’s been a long time since the last Thermae Romae omnibus was released, that’s because it’s been almost a year. Thermae Romae is a series that started out more like a gag manga, following the exploits of the Roman bath engineer Lucius as he somehow time travels to modern-day Japan and back after repeated near-drownings. With the second omnibus, the series shifts into a romantic comedy when Lucius meets Satsuki after becoming stuck in Japan. That ongoing plot continues through the rest of the series. Although there is still plenty of humor in the third omnibus, Thermae Romae takes a decidedly more serious turn when it looks like Satsuki and Lucius will be torn apart. Satsuki’s grandfather, an incredibly skilled massage artist (as well as a man who should definitely not be trifled with), plays an increasingly important role in the story. Thermae Romae is a great deal of fun. It has drama and romance and comedy, not to mention great art. The ending does feel a little abrupt, but Yamazaki notes that she hopes to write additional Thermae Romae stories that address some of the lingering questions that readers may have about the series and its characters.

Arakawa Under the Bridge, Season 1 directed by Akiyuki Shinbo. The Arakawa Under the Bridge anime series is based on an ongoing manga by Hikaru Nakamura. Kou Ichinomiya lives his life following one very simple rule that has been instilled in him by his father: never be indebted to another person. So when Nino, a rather strange young woman living on the banks of the Arakawa River, saves him from drowning, Kou wants to repay the favor and move on as quickly as possible. Except, the only thing that she wants is for him to stay with her and so Kou finds himself obligated to move in under the bridge. There he meets the other residents of the Arakawa River, all of whom are not just a bit peculiar and strange. Though Kou is supposedly the “normal” one, it quickly becomes obvious that he fits right in and is just weird as the rest of them. I found Arakawa Under the Bridge to be highly entertaining and enjoyable in all of its absurdity. The series doesn’t have much of an ending, which makes some amount of sense seeing as there is a second season (which I’ll definitely be watching), but the anime tends to be fairly episodic so I wouldn’t necessarily expect it to have a definitive conclusion, either.

Like Father, Like Son directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. Ryota and Midori Nonomiya are stunned when they discover that their son Keita isn’t related to them biologically. Six years ago at the hospital where he was born, Keita was somehow switched with Ryusei, the son of Yudai and Yukari Saiki. Now the two families must decide how to handle the situation and whether blood ties are stronger than those of time. Ryota, who has his own father issues to work out and whose relationship with Keita wasn’t especially strong to being with, is having a particularly difficult time, but his wife is struggling tremendously as well. The members of the Saiki family tend to be a little more easy-going in comparison, but the situation is a challenge for them as well. And caught up in the whole mess are Keita and Ryusei, who have very little say in the matter. The revelation of the two boys being switched at birth disrupts both families, resulting in both joy and heartbreak as they grow to know each other better. Like Father, Like Son is a beautiful film about parental and familial love as Ryota learns what is important in life and what it really means to be a father.

The Wind Rises by Hayao Miyazaki. The anime film The Wind Rises is historical, biographical fiction, following the life of Jiro Horikoshi, an aeronautic engineer who designed fighter planes for Japan during World War II. Almost as much of the film takes place in Jiro’s dreams as it does in his waking life. At first, the designs of the planes in The Wind Rises are very fantastical but as the film progresses they become more and more realistic as Jiro makes his dreams a reality. There is an emphasis placed on the beauty of design and creativity, but this is contrasted with the ugly, destructive forces of war and the terrible applications of those innovations. His planes may have been beautiful, but their purposes were not, which begs the question–how much responsibility do artists hold over their creations and their use? The Wind Rises‘ answer to that question is left ambiguous. As with many of Miyazaki’s other films, The Wind Rises has gorgeous flight sequences and an anti-war sentiment. Some of the time skips were a little difficult to follow at first, and I think the film was a little longer than it really needed to be, but overall The Wind Rises was well done. It’s far from my favorite Miyazaki film, though.

Manga the Week of 3/12

March 6, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and MJ 5 Comments

SEAN: There’s a lot of new titles here next week, so it’s a great one if you want to start off a series. Even if two of those are spinoffs of an already existing series. And one is a re-release omnibus. Details, details!

I honestly keep forgetting Drifters exists. It’s one of those manga titles Dark Horse puts out once in a blue moon. That said, I believe I’ve enjoyed both volumes that have come out to date, and it’s different enough from Hellsing while still attracting fans of its author. Let’s see if I remember what happened before when I read Vol. 3.

MICHELLE: I had completely and utterly forgotten about Drifters.

ASH: I’ve been looking forward to the next volume of Drifters. It’s a bombastic series and I’ve been getting a kick out of Hirano’s liberal reimaginings of historical figures.

MJ: I was just thinking about picking up Drifters! Good timing, I guess.

SEAN: The BL manga debut of the week is Deadlock from DMP, involving going undercover in a prison to make contact with the one man who can possibly make our hero feel all squishy inside. Or something. In any case, the cover does indeed look sultry.

MJ: Is it wrong that this sounds enticing to me? I think that must be terribly wrong.

SEAN: Kodansha has most of next week’s debuts (and indeed this month’s, as we shall see). First we have Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, a manga adaptation of the novel prequel to everyone’s favorite military vs. monsters series. Different artist, but the titans are still pretty horrible.

ASH: So far it seems to be a fairly decent entry point for readers who gave up on the original Attack on Titan manga because of the art but who are still interested in the franchise. (I’m also looking forward to reading the Before the Fall novels later this year.)

SEAN: If you’re in the mood for something lighter, there’s an omnibus of the first two volumes of Attack on Titan: Junior High, which is exactly what it sounds like, and is actually quite funny.

ASH: It’s true!

MJ: Okay, I might have to check that out.

SEAN: Lastly, our shoujo debut next week is My Little Monster, a Dessert title about a girl trying to blaze through high school with top grades so she can lead an International Life of Success, and the incredibly weird boy who gets in the way of that.

MICHELLE: Hmm… Maybe.

MJ: I’m also maybe on this.

SEAN: In non-debut Kodansha titles, we have Vol. 4 of Sherlock Bones. So far, there is no sign of a dog that looks like Lucy Liu. This saddens me.

MICHELLE: Is there an otter that looks like Benedict Cumberbatch?

MJ: Heh.

SEAN: SubLime has the 2nd Embracing Love omnibus, which has possibly the best BL synopsis I’ve seen in months: the two leads are so exhausted after a 10-day sex bout that it’s affect their work as adult film stars. With a description like that, it cannot possibly fail.

ASH: Embracing Love is actually one of my favorite BL series. I’m happy that SuBLime rescued this one.

SEAN: As for Vol. 2 of Hide and Seek, it looks as if one of the men is breaking the other one’s wrist on this volume’s cover. Sad to see true love end so badly.

ASH: I’m also a fan of Yaya Sakuragi manga, so it looks like this is a good week for me from SuBLime!

07-Ghost is a thing that still comes out. I still can’t really think of much to say. Seems filled with dark intrigue. Vol. 9 ships next week.

MICHELLE: I must shamefully report that I still haven’t progressed beyond the first volume. But I will one of these days!

MJ: I will speak up for Anna here and say, “yay!”

SEAN: There’s a 17th volume of Arata the Legend, which is timely given that Fushigi Yuugi just finished. Can it pick up the audience desperate for more Watase? (Or did it have them already?)

MICHELLE: I do like Arata, but it’s a series I tend to forget about between releases. Then when one shows up, I’m like, “Oh yeah! Arata exists!”

SEAN: Assuming there are still some people who have not yet read Fullmetal Alchemist (and I despair of a universe that allows such people to exist), the 7th 3-in-1 is out from Viz.

ASH: With the omnibuses getting close to the end of the series, they’re a great way to go for people just getting into Fullmetal Alchemist.

MJ: Yes, yes, yes. I’m always going to push this series.

SEAN: Lastly, the big reissue this week is Viz’s first omnibus of Ranma 1/2, the title that basically WAS Viz back in the 1990s. It was the title that, along with Sailor Moon, started the 2nd wave of North American fandom, and many folks – including myself – got into anime and manga due to Ranma. The artwork is apparently miles better than the third-generation xeroxes we used to have, and the translation, while still no doubt filled with Shampoo-isms and Kuno babies, will be touched up a little. Also, unflipped. Find out for yourself what the fuss was all about, newbie fans!

MICHELLE: I must confess that I have never read or seen any Ranma. Well, aside from the briefest glimpse of an anime episode. So I’m definitely looking forward to checking it out!

ASH: I already own the entire series, but the reissue does look tempting!

SEAN: You no buy manga this week? Sean kill! (cough) Sean is no Shampoo, that’s for sure. What are you getting this week?

My Week in Manga: February 24-March 2, 2014

March 3, 2014 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week ended up being surprisingly busy here at Experiments in Manga. The most recent manga giveaway was posted, and there’s still some time left to enter for a chance to win a copy of the new edition of Shohei Manabe’s Smuggler. All you have to do is tell about your favorite assassin in manga. Last week I also posted my review of Hinoki Kino’s manga No. 6, Volume 5. I already knew going into the series that I liked the characters and story, having seen the No. 6 anime, but each volume of the manga is progressively stronger than the last. Over the weekend, I posted February’s Bookshelf Overload for those of you who are interested in that sort of thing. Also over the weekend, I reviewed Real, Volume 1 by Takehiko Inoue. I honestly believe Real to be one of the best manga currently being released in English. The review is part of what I’m calling “Manga March Madness.” Each weekend in March I will be posting a review for another volume of Real. At least that’s the plan. We’ll see if I can pull it off or not.

On to other interesting thing online! The Guys with Pencils podcast posted the second part of their interview with TCAF-founder Chris Butcher. Organization Anti-Social Geniuses has some Advice on Manga Lettering, From Manga Letterers. Khursten Santos wrote about The Silence on Josei Manga on Otaku Champloo, and had some feedback and followup to the post show up on Tumblr. Finally, the Comics Book Legal Defense Fund has an interesting article about the impact government regulations can have on creative freedom–History Repeats Itself: How Korean Manwha Met the Same Fate as American Comics

Quick Takes

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Volume 1 written by Ryo Suzukaze and illustrated by Satoshi Shiki. Set some seventy years before the main events of Hajime Isayama’s original Attack on Titan manga, Before the Fall is based on a series of light novels by Ryo Suzukaze (which Vertical will begin releasing later this year). Despite having a different author than the original manga, Before the Fall fits right in with Isayama’s worldbuilding and the tone set by Attack on Titan–there is still plenty of fear and darkness. The most striking difference, which didn’t come at all as a surprise, is that the artwork in Before the Fall is much stronger overall. The story follows Kuklo, a young man who, due to the unusual circumstances of his birth, is feared, abused, and reviled by those around him. It’s not pretty. People who have read the original Attack on Titan will have a slightly better understanding of the world than those who haven’t, but so far Before the Fall seems to stand quite well on its own. Before the Fall has a lot of potential; I look forward to seeing how it develops.

I Give to You by Ebishi Maki. As far as I can tell, I Give to You is Maki’s first and currently only boys’ love manga. It’s not a typical boys’ love story, either. The focus is very much on the characters themselves and their personal struggles and less on romance. The manga addresses what it means to be normal and lead a normal life, which isn’t an option for either of the leads. Ryoichi is being pursued by debt collectors after his ex-boyfriend defaults on a loan they co-signed together. He takes shelter from a storm in a teahouse run by Ren, another young man with a past he’d like to put behind him. The two are very different–despite his financial worries, Ryoichi tends to be fairly warm and happy-go-lucky while Ren is cooler and much more reserved. In the beginning, it’s Ryoichi who needs help and acceptance from Ren, but by the end of I Give to You their roles have almost completely reversed. The evolution of their relationship happens so slowly and naturally over the course of the manga that I was quite impressed with how it was handled. I would definitely be interested in reading more of Maki’s manga.

Knights of Sidonia, Volumes 6-7 by Tsutomu Nihei. For most of Knights of Sidonia, it has been the Gauna who have been adapting and evolving by adopting human strategies, techniques, and even form. In these volumes, it’s the humans who have begun to apply the abilities and characteristics of the Gauna to their own technologies, creating terrifying and powerful human-Guana hybrids in the process. Understandably, not everyone is comfortable with these developments, but humanity is running out of options if it wants to survive. Knights of Sidonia has this odd mix of comedy and creepiness that somehow works. Although by this point in the series he has largely been accepted by the rest of the population of Sidonia and even has a few romantic interests, Nagate continues to be incredibly awkward socially. Because of this he still has a tendency to unintentionally create quite a commotion, often with humorous results. At the same time, Knights of Sidonia is also a horror manga. The Gauna, and now the hybrids as well, have very disconcerting designs that can be both grotesque and beautiful.

Ral Ω Grad, Volumes 1-4 written by Tsuneo Takano and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. The primary reason I decided to read Ral Ω Grad was because I’m a fan of Obata’s artwork. Ral Ω Grad is a loose adaptation of the 2006 video game Blue Dragon. The manga definitely has a fantasy RPG feel to it–a young hero with special abilities fights against the destruction of the world by gathering together a party of other gifted individuals around him–but familiarity with Blue Dragon isn’t at all necessary to understand what’s going on. Generally, Ral Ω Grad manages to be vaguely entertaining even though it’s breaking no new ground. I found that I enjoyed the series more when I approached it as a parody rather taking it too seriously. (I’m pretty sure it wasn’t intended to be a parody, though…) Ral’s motivation for saving the world? Because he loves women. And boobs. Consequently, there’s fanservice and groping aplenty, but Ral spends quite a bit of his time running around mostly naked, too. In the end, the series’ highlight really is Obata’s artwork, which is consistently excellent. The story, sadly, is less engaging.

Manga the Week of 3/5

February 27, 2014 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and MJ 3 Comments

SEAN: Sooooo much stuff. Let’s break it down. Oh, and apologies for last week, the date of Wallflower 32 got shoved back to May after I’d written the post. This is the danger of last minute date-changes. I will discuss it in May, and no doubt Michelle will have the same “it’s still going?” reaction.

MICHELLE: That is probably true.

SEAN: As for this week, let’s start with a Fantagraphics title from Inio Asano, Nijigahara Holograph. This single-volume release is dark, tragic, and creepy, and should immensely please Asano fans. Hey, if it sells well, maybe Viz will take a flyer on Oyasumi Punpun.

ASH: This is one of my most anticipated releases for 2014! I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on a copy ever since it was announced.

ANNA: I am very excited about this! I enjoy Asano’s works very much, and Fantagraphics editions are always a treat.

MJ: This is definitely a draw for me. Everything about this sounds compelling.

SEAN: Did you enjoy Jiro Tanaguchi’s The Walking Man but wish it took place 300 years earlier? Than you’ll love the same author’s Furari, out from Ponent Mon.

MICHELLE: Ooooh! I really like Jiro Taniguchi!

ASH: It’s always nice to see more Taniguchi.

MJ: Agreed!

SEAN: You cannot stop the Alice in the Country of Hearts spinoffs! They are endless! Here’s March Hare, a 2nd series focusing on Alice pairing up with Eliot.

ANNA: I can take or leave new spinoffs, but sometimes they are fun.

SEAN: Seven Seas also has the 6th volume of Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, featuring the tight group of not-friends getting involved in further not-friendship events.

I’ve enjoyed The Sacred Blacksmith far more than I was really expecting, and hope Vol. 4 keeps me happy despite my general distrust of manga fantasy-oriented stories.

Senran Kagura ended up being pretty much exactly what I was expecting, but the 2nd volume should give us more of that as well.

Vertical’s From the New World gives us a 3rd volume as well, speaking of popular titles I try to say as little as possible about.

ASH: I haven’t read beyond the first volume yet, but I have been told the fanservice was toned down considerably in the second.

SEAN: There’s no blood on the cover of Black Bird 18, and the protagonists are smiling, so we must have reached the final volume! Black Bird sold a pile, so let’s give a round of applause to this title I never warmed to but others most certainly did.

MICHELLE: I hear Strong Bad’s voice in my head, going “It’s over!”

ANNA: I’m sure that this was a financially remunerative title for Viz, so that’s nice even though I really never connected with this series.

MJ: Oh, Black Bird… I really won’t miss you.

SEAN: Blue Exorcist is always a treat, and I’m sure Vol. 11 will live up to the anticipation and not advance any of the potential romances I read it for.

MJ: Hee!

I fell behind with D.Gray-Man’s omnibuses, so should see if I can pound through them now that the 3rd one is coming out.

I can’t even remember if this Dragon Ball 3-in-1 is the original series, Z, or the color edition. Or the VizBIG edition. But hey, it’s Dragon Ball, surely someone hasn’t read it yet. Somewhere. Perhaps in outer Mongolia.

Oh hey, look, a new volume of Fushigi Yu– (Sean is trampled by the rest of the Manga Bookshelf team rushing forward to squee.)

MICHELLE: Hmm, did I just step on something squishy?

ANNA: If trampling is the best way to express my love for this series, I will be right back as I need to put on my trampling boots!

MJ: SO MUCH LOVE. Sorry about the trampling.

SEAN: Ow. Moving on to Midnight Secretary? (cheers but no violence) Excellent. Vol. 4 is approximately halfway through this series, and I expect things will take a darker turn round about now.

ANNA: I do enjoy Midnight Secretary quite a bit!

MJ: As do I!

SEAN: Nisekoi continues to try to catch up to its digital releases with the 2nd print volume. Do you like Jump harem comedies? Sure we all do! Well, a good 40% of us, perhaps…

MICHELLE: Now I’m hearing the voice of Sally Struthers!

SEAN: One Piece hits another milestone with its 70th volume. Donflamingo steps up to what seems to be the next ‘big villain’ role here, and it promises to be a lot of fun.

MICHELLE: Somehow I’ve gotten a couple volumes behind on One Piece. Clearly I need to rectify that!

SEAN: Comedy volume of the week has to go to Oresama Teacher 16, which is filled with idiots being idiotic. Each volume takes it to a new level.

ANNA: This manga never fails to make me laugh.

SEAN: License Rescue of the week absolutely goes to Phantom Thief Jeanne, the one remaining Tanemura title that was out of print after CMX went under. Kudos to Viz for picking it up!

MICHELLE: Despite owning the full CMX run (and watching VHS fansubs of the anime long ago), I have not actually read this series. Perhaps the VIZ edition will compel me.

ANNA: This is my favorite Tanemura series, because it is absolutely bonkers. And Jeanne makes failed attempts to turn rhythmic gymnastics equipment into deadly weapons, which is always good for a laugh.

MJ: I’m definitely looking forward to having a chance at this!

SEAN: We’ve hit the 2nd to last volume of Psyren, which is good, as it feels like it’s just about time to start wrapping things up. Given it’s a Jump series, I’m not sure how sudden the ending will be, but…

MICHELLE: Some day I’ve gotta catch up on this.

SEAN: What’s Rin-Ne 14 doing among all these Shueisha titles? Take your Shogakukan-ness to the 2nd week of the month where it belongs! Wait, likely it’s here so that it doesn’t get in the way of that week’s OTHER Takahashi release…

MICHELLE: I’m torn. Do I like RIN-NE enough to cheer for it?

SEAN: Skip Beat! 3-in-1 hits Vol. 7, which I think means it’s still dealing with Black Moon rather than Box R.

Strobe Edge 9 is also a penultimate volume. How much worse can things get than they already are? Well, it *is* a romantic comedy…

MICHELLE: No question about these two. *Cheer!*

ANNA: I’m impatient for Strobe Edge to wrap up, but I do enjoy it!

MJ: Seconded!

SEAN: Lastly, Tegami Bachi has also reached 16 volumes, and as ever I have next to nothing to say about it.

That’s a lot of manga. What will you get this week, and what will you put off?

Manga Giveaway: Smuggler Giveaway

February 26, 2014 by Ash Brown

For being the shortest month of the year, February seems to be lasting a long time for me. But the end is almost here, which means it’s time for another manga giveaway! This month you all (well, mostly all) will have the opportunity to win a copy of Smuggler by Shohei Manabe. Originally released in English by Tokyopop, Smuggler is now available in a new edition from One Peace Books. Because this manga is aimed at more mature audiences, entries are restricted to those of you who are eighteen years of age or older. Otherwise, as always, the giveaway is open worldwide!

Assassins, they’re everywhere you look. Well, maybe not everywhere, especially as many of them generally stay out of sight as part of their job. However, it’s not uncommon to come across an assassin or two in a manga. It tends to be a fairly manly profession, with the likes of Golgo 13 and Yo Hinamura (Crying Freeman), but there are some pretty kick-ass women working as assassins, too, such as the titular Lady Snowblood and quite a few of the women in Black Lagoon. Why am I talking about assassins? Because the dark and violent Smuggler just so happens to feature more than one extraordinarily vicious killer-for-hire, though the manga’s focus is on one of the guys who has to clean up after them (he just doesn’t realize it at first).

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a copy of the Smuggler?

1) In the comments below, tell me a little about your favorite manga assassin.
2) For a second entry, name another manga that features an assassin that hasn’t been mentioned yet by me or by someone else.
3) 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 three entries for this giveaway. As usual, you will all have a week to submit your comments. If you would prefer or have trouble leaving a comment, entries may also be submitted via e-mail to phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com. I will then post them in your name. The giveaway winner will be randomly selected and announced on March 5, 2014. Good luck!

Contest winner announced–Manga Giveaway: Smuggler Giveaway Winner