Features & Reviews

Weekly Shonen Jump Recap: November 4, 2013

November 12, 2013 by Derek Bown Leave a Comment

We’re finally caught up for the most part, minus this one which will be a little late. I apologize for the long wait on these reviews, but hope you were able to enjoy them as they came out. In the meanwhile, let’s talk manga!

One Piece Ch. 726
I’d feel a lot better about completely calling the identities of Ricky and the Toy Soldier if it weren’t completely obvious in hindsight. Perhaps a better twist might have been having their identities switched around. I suppose now the question is whether or not Oda is getting predictable and if that’s a bad thing. Personally I don’t mind it too much, it makes me feel clever when I call twists, just as long as Oda manages to get back into the swing of things and doesn’t make every twist feel like it was telegraphed several months in advance.

And yet, this chapter was great not only because the reveals were fun despite being easy to call, but because we’re slowly learning more about Dresrossa and how all the plot threads tie together. While we don’t know everything yet I can tell that the climax will certainly be satisfying.

Toriko Ch. 256
I find it odd how suddenly Midora, the shadowy antagonist for most of the series, could possibly become a protagonist based on hints from this chapter. If this really does happen then I must say that is a pretty unique development. Antagonists becoming heroes isn’t all that unusual, but the big bad of the entire series, not just a single arc, becoming a hero is not very common at all.

What confuses me is whether this true enemy spoken about is supposed to be the new group, or if this is a fourth group. Either way, it looks like Shimabukuro is branching out in an attempt to find new story threads and so far it looks pretty promising.

Naruto Ch. 653
This chapter…was odd. On the one hand we’re resolving the big issue of Obito. On the other hand everything that was said has basically been said throughout the rest of this arc, we barely had any new information. In which case it might be a good idea not to reveal information needed during the climactic scene earlier in the series. And perhaps try to avoid finishing every single arc by having Naruto talk everyone down. It gets dull.

World Trigger Ch. 37
This series has definitely been growing on me more and more. The overall story for this chapter was good enough, but it’s all the character moments that really make this manga a little more worthwhile. Kitora is easily my favorite character in the entire series based on her personality ticks alone. I loved seeing her reaction to Osamu being praised or berated. And the scene with Chika was great with how it gave the director fellow more of a personality. Overall this series is turning into something that just might be worth your time, just be aware that the first thirty or so chapters is a bit of a slog.

Bleach Ch. 555
Why doesn’t this chapter look familiar? It’s almost as if we’ve seen this exact same thing more than once before in this series. We usually figure that the hero will arrive on time, but if you do it more than once then there is no tension whatsoever. And are we worried about someone dying before Ichigo can arrive? Not really, it’s not like anyone important has ever actually died in this series. If Kubo is taking that perception and turning it against us by actually having permanent deaths in this arc then I think this series just might end on a high note. As for this chapter it’s nothing new and my hopes aren’t high for the rest of the series.

Nisekoi Ch. 97
Whatever is wrong with Marika we don’t know yet. Really getting tired of these false cliffhangers. A good chunk of this chapter was really funny, but there were plenty of moments that dragged towards the middle. I actually put the issue down halfway through this chapter just because the dramatic moment in the ferris wheel dragged too much for me. But, that happens at times with this series and I imagine we’ll get back to basics next week.

One-Punch Man bonus chapter
If you’re one of the people that thinks it’s not possible to write a good Superman story, then I challenge you to read this chapter of One Punch man and tell me if it’s impossible to write a great story based around an all powerful being.

The problem I find most of the time is that people don’t realize that there is more to writing than any kind of physical threat. If you think that problems need to be solved by punching and a story about someone that is the best at that then I’m afraid you don’t know how to actually write. For example, what about a story involving Superman trying to pay his rent now that journalism is in the decline. Sure it doesn’t use his powers, but it could make for a very satisfying story. Which is, after all, what this chapter is. The focus isn’t on the villain, the focus is on the tension between the superheroes and the cops, and the resolution of this tension is what makes the chapter so good. Saitama punching the monster is a tertiary concern and we don’t even get to see it. Because One knows that good stories don’t always end with a villain being punched. Sometimes the meat of the story lies outside the physical violence and can be found by sidelining the character that can punch very hard for a little bit.

And thus, Saitama has become one of my favorite heroes.

Blue Exorcist Xh. 51
Can we please agree that the scientist is unnecessarily creepy and never let him be drawn again? Please?

I enjoyed this chapter because it did a good job of setting a very unsettling tone throughout the entire story, while also keeping things ambiguous. Is Shima really a traitor? Probably, but there’s enough doubt there. Why is Kamiki acting like everything is her fault? What is really going on? I’m asking plenty of questions and I feel that’s crucial for a good story. So overall a well crafted chapter even if it has a character in it that should never have been designed. I mean really, could Kato try any harder to make this guy unlikable?

Dragon Ball Z Ch. 38
I’m amazed at how fast this battle is moving. It really goes to show that the Dragon Ball manga really does move at a faster pace than the anime, because what we’ve done in a couple chapters took what feels like years worth of episodes in the anime. I’m definitely getting back into this series after approaching it with a “Been there, done that” attitude.

This week had some amazing chapters, and some mediocre chapters. But the amazing chapters really did stand out much more than the bad ones. Do you agree? Were they good or not?

If you want to hear more, check out the Manga^3 Podcast Archives.

Bookshelf Briefs 11/11/13

November 11, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Anna N and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

This week, Sean, Anna, & Michelle look at recent releases from Viz Media and Vertical, Inc.

Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 5 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical, Inc. – There is quite a good space battle towards the end of this, but as usual I’m focused on other things. The reason that I keep coming back to Sidonia is the balance it maintains between different aspects. I will never get over how this is still a wacky harem manga, complete with Nagate being a clueless dope and Izana running off in best cliched “I hate you!” form. But I will also never get over the scene with Tahiro’s possession – and, I have to assume, death – which is some of the sickest body horror I’ve ever seen, and is done slowly and silently so that you revel in its horribleness. These are both in the same manga! And yes, there is also a great Star Wars-style battle with SPEED GAUNA and Nagate showing off his awesome skills as well. It’s become a must-read title. – Sean Gaffney

Knights of Sidonia, Vol. 5 | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical, Inc. – I honestly never thought I’d love a mecha-centric manga like I do Knights of Sidonia, but then again, this is not your average mecha manga. Humanity’s desperate fight for survival never lets up—which isn’t to say the series is devoid of light moments, only that they are few and far between—and just when it seems they’ve possibly got a leg up on the enemy, the enemy grows more clever while an unknown threat begins to grow within Sidonia itself. The characters have become even more endearing, too, especially Izana Shinatose, Tanikaze’s “middle-gendered friend,” and this is the kind of series where people can easily end up dead—dead en masse, in fact—so watching them fly into battle can be a somewhat stressful reading experience, but oh so addictive and rewarding. I’m counting the days until volume six! – Michelle Smith

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 15 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Viz Media – The class trip that I thought would take the entire volume only took half of it, but things are all the better for it. First, we get just enough time devoted to Mafuyu trying once again to hide her past, Yui realizing that his deep cover role is a lot deeper than I suspect he’s truly comfortable with, and Saeki once again being ridiculous. To my surprise, though, I also loved the second half. I didn’t think much of Shibuya when he was introduced, as he was putting up a very false front. Now, with everyone else off on the trip, we can delve closer into that, and see what happens when he runs up against someone he can’t read like a book. As for our latest mini-villain, Komari… well, she’s finding the exact same thing happening to her. Clearly these two are made for each other. Depth is always welcome in my favorite shoujo comedy. – Sean Gaffney

Oresama Teacher, Vol. 15 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Viz Media – I’m a bit in awe of the capacity of this series to seem absolutely silly and hilarious even as the cast grows and almost nothing happens in terms of forward-moving plot. The class trip is funny, and I especially enjoyed Saeki’s unholy obsession with ping pong. While sometimes the large cast gets a bit tricky to keep track of, the story shift in the latter half of the volume to Shibuya fending off Komari’s aggressive cuteness is both amusing and intriguing from a character development standpoint. It is always nice to have a manga to turn to that always makes me smile, and Oresama Teacher delivers every time. – Anna N

Slam Dunk, Vol 31 | By Takehiko Inoue | Viz Media – The final volume! It feels a bit like the end of an era. I didn’t think this basketball game could get any more intense, but the tension and strain were palpable as the underdog heroes of Shohoku High face the final minutes of their battle against Sannoh. There’s a bit of bittersweet resolution as Sakuragi and Rukawa acknowledge each other as teammates in the closing moments of the game. I feel like this series has just been a wonderful gift, seeing Inoue’s style and storytelling skills evolve and grow over the 31 volumes of this series serves as a master class in manga appreciation. I would happily have read 31 more volumes of this series, yet it is utterly appropriate that Sakuragi gets the last word, delivered with his characteristic confidence to conclude the volume. – Anna N

Strobe Edge, Vol. 7 | By Io Sakisaka | Viz Media – I would like to note that it is starting to beggar belief that every single ex of every single character is converging on the same school now. But, having gotten that out of the way, this was a solid volume of Strobe Edge. The focus on Sayuri was appreciated, and showed how experiences (and indeed lack of communication) from past relationships can affect future ones. I’d argue that even more than most shoujo manga, this series reads like a primer for first love, with the characters talking about their feelings out loud far more than we normally see. Sadly, Ninako and Ren are rather static right now, as they enjoy their close friendship and think “This is enough, right?” Well, no, it’s really not, and I think Ren is going to be the first to break. We shall see… – Sean Gaffney

Vampire Knight, Vol. 17 | By Matsuri Hino | Viz Media – For the past several volumes of Vampire Knight, I’ve noted that I’ve enjoyed its mood and flavor, but really haven’t been able to follow the plot from one volume to the next. That’s getting worse and worse, and this volume can only coast on style for so long before I start to skim. We’re clearly in endgame, but most of what’s happening involves Kaname trying to kill Sara and Yuki trying to stop him, and everything else here is pretty much added window dressing to those two things. There’s some attempt at development for Ichijo, and some romantic sacrifice by Souen, but honestly it’s been 17 volumes, I should not still be turning to the back to remember who everyone is. Still, the art is gorgeous, and everyone suffers beautifully. It’s the manga equivalent of Rococo art. – Sean Gaffney

My Week in Manga: November 4-November 10, 2013

November 11, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week I announced the winner of the Sankarea manga giveaway. The post also includes a list of zombie manga that has been licensed in English, for those who might be interested. Considering the recent popularity of zombies, I was actually a little surprised to discover there weren’t more. I also posted two reviews last week. The first was for Makoto Kobayashi’s What’s Michael, Book Two, a fantastic cat manga sent to me by a Manga Bookshelf reader for review. My second review from last week was for Coffinman: The Journal of a Buddhist Mortician by Shinmon Aoki, which was the inspiration for Yōjirō Takita’s award-winning film Departures.

And now for a few things that I’ve come across online over the last couple of weeks. Crunchyroll Manga is now up and running. Deb Aoki wrote a good article about it for Publishers Weekly–Kodansha, Crunchyroll Talk Global ‘Simulpub’ Manga . At A Case Suitable for Treatment, Sean took a quick look at the manga series currently being offered through the platform–Kodansha and Crunchyroll Partnership: What Are We Getting?. Mostly unrelated, Kodansha posted on its Tumblr account a great summary of why some manga may never be licensed in North America, even if it’s really good. Rob Vollmar’s essay for World Literature Today “Dark Side of the Manga: Tezuka Osamu’s Dark Period” is actually from last year, but was recently brought to my attention again. And finally, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund focused on Gene Luen Yang’s Boxers & Saints (which I think is one of the best comics to be released this year) as part of its Using Graphic Novels in Education column.

Quick Takes

Animal Land, Volumes 5-8 by Makoto Raiku. It took a few volumes for Animal Land to really grow on me, but now that it has I find that I quite like the series. The occasional focus on scatological humor feels a bit out-of-place to me, though it seems to have become less common as the series progresses. The artwork in Animal Land is a little strange–a combination of realism and anthropomorphism–but generally engaging. The characters, particularly Taroza, are very likeable. I have enjoyed watching him grow up. A newborn at the beginning of the series, by the end of the eighth volume he has become a young man who has had to face the hard truths about his idealism. Taroza wants to put an end to the cycle of killing and eating, but to do so will require him to throw all of Animal Land into turmoil. He is not the only one who has an interest in shifting the power dynamics of the world–four other humans have made themselves known and have their own ideas about how things should be. I was a little surprised to see a bit of science fiction and time travel work its way into Animal Land, but I am very curious to see how things continue to develop.

Battle Vixens, Volume 1 by Yuji Shiozaki. Supposedly, Battle Vixens (aka Ikki Tousen) is somehow based on, or at least inspired by the classic Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Had I not known this going into the series, I’m not sure I really would have picked it up from reading the first volume. As far as I can tell, the references are barely there. (Which reminds me, I really do need to get around to finishing Romance of the Three Kingdoms.) What is readily apparent from the first page of the manga is that the English title, Battle Vixens was aptly chosen. The series is all about the fights and the fan service. There might be some sort of plot, too, but after only one volume I am still incredibly confused as to what is actually supposed to be going on. Basically there’s this girl, Hakufu Sonsaku, with a sizable chest and the penchant for getting into brawls. Towards what end? I am unsure. She simply seems predisposed to violence and having her clothes ripped off of her in the process. For a series based on fights the action unfortunately tends to be somewhat difficult to follow, but some of the panels have great composition.

No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!, Volume 1 by Nico Tanigawa. Okay, I’m just going to refer to this series by its Japanese abbreviation WataMote because I can never seem to remember the title in its entirety. (Plus, it’s really long.) WataMote is simultaneously one of the most funny and depressing manga that I’ve read recently. The story follows Tomoko Kuroki, an extraordinarily awkward and socially inept young woman who has just started high school. Most of her “life experience” has come from reading manga and playing video games, which may explain why she has difficulty interacting with her classmates. They mostly just ignore her or at least tolerate her existence. Occasionally she tries to be more than the weirdo in the corner, but it doesn’t often turn out well for her. I care about Tomoko and find her to be a sympathetic character which is why her trials and errors, though humorous, can also be a bit painful to watch. WataMote isn’t exactly mean-spirited, but it’s not particularly pleasant either. Her interactions with her younger brother are fantastically awkward (granted, all of Tomoko’s relationships are awkward), but there are some glimpses of familial love, too.

Flowers of Evil directed by Hiroshi Nagahama. Based on the manga series by Shuzo Oshimi, the Flowers of Evil anime series is a phenomenal adaptation. It’s one of the rare cases where I might actually prefer the anime over the original manga. That being said, the anime is definitely not a series that everyone will be able to enjoy. First of all, the pacing is excruciatingly slow. It worked for me and I think it creates marvelous tension, but someone who needs a bit more action and forward movement from their anime will be very frustrated. Not much actually happens from episode to episode; the focus is more on the inner turmoil and crises of the characters. The animation also relies heavily on rotoscoping techniques, resulting in a style that doesn’t personally bother me, but I know plenty of people who can’t stand it. I think it was suitable for Flowers of Evil, creating a slightly disconcerting and surreal mood that fits the unsettling atmosphere and darker nature of the series. The use of music and silence in the series is also quite remarkable. The twisted triangle of a relationship between Kasuga, Nakamura, and Saeki is intense. The Flowers of Evil anime captures it perfectly using art film-like sensibilities.

K-On! High School

November 11, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Kakifly. Released in Japan by Houbunsha, serialized in the magazine Manga Time Kirara Carat. Released in North America by Yen Press.

And so at last we come to the end of the K-On! gravy train, with the sequel that never really made sense. With the college series, at least we had several things going for it: it had the original characters we’d loved from the start, we could see their continued development and growth as a band, and they could finally stop telling school jokes. Well, that last one didn’t really happen, but still. But with the High School volume, we have one remaining main character, whose best moments came when she was interacting with Yui, who’s gone. She’s put together with a few of the supporting cast and two new girls. It’s not really that much of a surprise to see this is the less compelling of the two stories.

That said, Kakifly is making an effort, and this isn’t a total slog. Probably the best joke in the entire book comes right at the start, with Azusa deciding to ditch the pigtails to give herself a more mature, sempai-esque image. This doesn’t last long at all. Then Ui, who we all recall is identical to Yui despite not being a twin, takes her hair down and starts to glomp Azusa. The gag is then carried further when Ui announces she’s really Yui, who snuck back to high school just to snuggle some more. As Azusa herself notes, this makes perfect sense because Yui only thinks with her senses. Of course, it is still Ui in the end, having mastered the art of taking a joke to its logical conclusion. (I could do without the dumb bust-size capper, though.)

We get two new characters added to the threesome (sorry, did I forget to mention Jun? It’s because she makes that little impression on me), one of whom is there to emphasize similarities and one of whom is there to be different. The moment Sumire appeared we were going to compare her to Mugi just based on appearance alone, so it was a good choice to actually make her be Mugi’s maidservant. They’re both sweet and mellow, but Sumire tends towards the shy end of the spectrum, whereas Mugi… tends more towards the yuri end. As for Okuda, the quiet stoic girl is a type we hadn’t yet seen in the series, and it’s amusing to see her total lack of ability at singling or playing instruments, as well as seeing how she brings something to the club anyway.

Of course, this title was always going to be short-lived by virtue of 3/5 of its cast already being third-years. Azusa and company do their one big concert, it goes pretty well… but that’s it, it’s time for them to graduate. I’d hoped we’d get a better sense of whether Azusa would try to continue a band with Ui and Jun or just join back up with Afterschool Tea Time, But there’s not even that much closer, the series just sort of stops. There’s nothing actively boring or bad about this, and it was reasonably fun to read. But you forget most of it 90 minutes later, and the problem is that of all the K-On books, this one was the least necessary.

Coffinman: The Journal of a Buddhist Mortician

November 10, 2013 by Ash Brown

Author: Shinmon Aoki
Translator: Wayne Yokoyama
U.S. publisher: Buddhist Education Center
Released: January 2002
Original release: 1993

Shinmon Aoki’s Coffinman: The Journal of a Buddhist Mortician was originally brought to my attention when I learned that Yōjirō Takita’s 2008 film Departures (which I love) was loosely based on the work. I came across the title again when I was looking into embalming practices in Japan. Embalmers are a rarity in a country where cremation soon after death is almost exclusively practiced. Instead, bodies are generally prepared for funeral by a nokanfu, or “coffinman.” Aoki’s autobiographical Coffinman was initially published in Japan in 1993. The Buddhist Education Center released the book in English in 2002 with a translation by Wayne Yokoyama. Also included in the volume is a foreword by Taitetsu Unno, the author of River of Fire, River of Water, a major work and introduction to Pure Land Buddhism in English.

Nearly thirty years before writing Coffinman, Shinmon Aoki pursued the unusual career more out of necessity than by choice when he and his family were facing bankruptcy. The profession, as well as others that deal with the dead, is looked down upon and even reviled by some, the taboo and impurity associated with death extending to those who make their living from it. After becoming a coffinman, Aoki lost friends and was shunned by family members. When his wife discovered what his new job entailed even she was incredibly upset by it. But Aoki provided an important and needed service to those left behind to grieve the loss of their loved ones as well as for the dead who had no one to mourn for them. Working so closely with corpses day after day put Aoki in a position to understand what death and life really means in both physical and spiritual contexts. It’s not happy work, but death is also not something to fear.

Coffinman is divided into three chapters but can also be seen as consisting of two parts. The first two chapters, “The Season of Sleet” and “What Dying Means” make up the first part of Coffinman. In them Aoki relates personal anecdotes and stories about his career as a coffinman–how he came to be employed, people’s reactions to him and the job, how working in an environment surrounded by death changed him and his way of thinking, and so on. He frequently uses poets and poetry as a way to express his thoughts to the reader. The third and longest chapter, “The Light and Life,” makes up the second half of the book. Although Aoki’s personal recollections can still be found in this section, the focus turns to the role of death in Shin Buddhism (the largest sect of Japanese Buddhism) from a layperson’s perspective.

Particularly when reading the second half of Coffinman it does help to have some basic understanding of Buddhism. However, it is not absolutely necessary as plenty of end notes are provided for guidance. Additionally, Aoki’s style of writing is very personable and approachable even for those who might not have a familiarity with Buddhism. Many of Aoki’s philosophical musings, such as those dealing with the relationship between religion and science or how society as a whole has come to view life and death, are not only applicable to Buddhist ways of thought. Although there is a strong sense of spirituality throughout the book, it is only the second half that focuses on the more religious aspects of the subject matter. As interesting as I found Aoki’s reflections on Buddhism, what appealed to me most about Coffinman were the more autobiographical elements of the work–the impact that becoming a coffinman had on his life and how that career fits into the culture of Japan.

Attack on Titan, Vol. 9

November 9, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Hajime Isayama. Released in Japan by Kodansha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. Released in North America by Kodansha Comics.

(Note: This review is based on a review copy provided by the publisher. So was the Sailor Moon review yesterday, come to think of it. Also, DO NOT discuss spoilers for Vol. 10-present in the comments, even if it is legal on Crunchyroll now. Also, this review spoils shamelessly everything before Vol. 10.)

There’s so much to talk about in Volume 9 of Attack on Titan that there’s no way I can get to everything. So I apologize to Mike, who tried to have an awesome battle scene but showed off his human frailty instead, and Beast Titan, who is fascinating and clearly very important from here on out, and the horrible tragedy of Connie’s village, and Eren, who finds new resolve – again – in finding ways to destroy titans. Because I’m going to talk about Sasha right now.

It’s not exactly a secret that I am very fond of Sasha. Her scene in Volume 4 was not only funny, but came at a point where the author was finally trying to differentiate the non-stars from each other and help us remember who they were. We saw her resolve even in the face of stark terror when she chooses to join the Survey Corps, and see that resolve fail in action when she begs for her life after a Titan gets the upper hand. She, along with Connie and Jean, represent the “normal folks” of the 104th Trainees. And now she’s on a mission to notify the Northern villages that Titans are coming – including her own village.

The way this chapter is framed is fascinating, though I do wonder if I only see that because of extracanonical knowledge. The author apparently planned in this chapter to kill Sasha off, only to have his editor say “Doesn’t it feel like the wrong time to do that?”. And really, up until the moment Sasha slips out of the Titan’s wet, bloody grip, the whole chapter feels like an epic farewell. She was able to rescue the kid, and now she goes out fighting in a glorious death scene that contrasts against Mike’s stand against Beast Titan in the previous chapter.

We get a flashback to her father, which establishes Sasha as conservative, set in the old traditional ways, and (of course) ravenous. He calls her a “bit of a coward”, which apparently sticks in her craw, as it doesn’t seem like too long after that she’s joining up. We also get another flashback, seeing Sasha interacting with Krista and Freckled Girl Always With Krista, showing Sasha has been trying to hide her natural accent and talk formally so she doesn’t sound like a hick. Freckled Girl objects to her not being herself, while Krista notes that no matter how she acts, Sasha IS herself by definition. It’s a cute flashback, even if Sasha is somewhat puzzled as to why she’s thinking it as she heads for her death. We even get the “yes, my life was filled with moments like these” musings we always see before a character is killed off.

Except she doesn’t. She uses her hunting skills to get arrows in the Titan’s eyes, has a narrow escape, and meets up with the one survivor of the village, a little kid who has met up with… her own village, who are alive and OK. Including her father, who is rather stunned that the cool woman who took down a Titan as his daughter. So instead of going out in a blaze of glory, the entire chapter is recontextualized as a women coming into maturity, realizing what is selfish and what is selfless, and gaining the respect of her family. Love it.

By the way, Freckled Girl is actually relevant enough to get a picture in the front of the book now, though she’s listed as “Name Unknown”, which might surprise anyone reading this volume, who has forgotten that her name was never revealed till now. It’s a surprise as THE ENTIRE INTERNET knows her name. Luckily, we learn it here as well, in Sasha’s flashback, as Krista calls her Ymir. Hrm… where have we heard that name before? Not since Vol. 5, so the reader might be forgiven for forgetting. Hange doesn’t forget, though, and is stunned to find that someone named Ymir is among the 104th Trainees… especially as Krista seems to be hiding a big secret as well.

The Attack on Titan manga tends to veer back and forth between big revelations that are well signposted in advance (Annie’s true identity, Ymir) and things that come pretty much as “Wait, WHAT?” moments. Krista having a secret identity and being the one person who can choose to say why the Walls Are Full Of Titans is the latter. I suppose you can connect her general kindness to all things to a religious upbringing, but it still seems a bit much. That said, I like that we are slowly giving the rest of the squad their own backstories and motivations, and presumably we’ll hear about Reiner and Bertholt at some future date.

In the meantime, everyone wants to find Krista, which is a problem, as she and Ymir are trying to figure out where the wall is broken and how Titans got in. (The wall isn’t broken, but let’s leave that aside for now.) We get a nice little character sketch of her and Ymir here: Ymir wants Krista safe, and if that means being a coward or acting like an obnoxious jerk, well, that’s what it takes. Krista, meanwhile, placed 10th in the trainee exams, and knows that Ymir should have been there – indeed, may have been higher – but slacked off so Krista could get the choice to go with the MPs. Krista, of course, didn’t. Krista suspects that Ymir is always next to her because of her family, but Ymir notes no, it’s for her own sake.

The two search squads, having not found a hole in the wall, and forced by Titans to hole up in an old abandoned castle. This includes Ymir, Christa, Bertholt, Connie, and Reiner. First, off, we have an amazingly over the top scene where Connie, who has seen the devastation of his village with no actual bodies, and also a Titan who looks a lot like his mother, starting to wonder if his village all became Titans, similar to Annie. Ymir promptly laughs and starts mocking Connie in an amazingly loud voice while sweating, changing the subject away from humans who can turn into Titans entirely. It’s hard not to see this as incredibly suspicious.

They go scrounging for food, and we now hit the scene that forced the yaoi and yuri fandoms to unite as one in one giant pile of squee. Reiner sees Ymir in a storeroom looking at cans, and she jokes about guys creeping into a girl’s room at night. Ymir says she didn’t think that Reiner was the sort to be interested in girls, to which he responds that he didn’t think Ymir was the sort to be interested in guys. Attack on Titan is, at heart, a military-themed sci-fi thriller, with romance really, really low on the list. So seeing two characters casually joking about being gay in a non-romantic setting is just amazing. And if we weren’t guessing that Ymir was always around Krista because she was in love with her, we certainly are now. Also, she can apparently read ancient writing that no one else can.

Sadly, a Titan assault interrupts this before we can find out more, and we finally get to a cliffhanger. What a volume. I’m not sure the pacing always works (admittedly Ymir has been in the background since the start, but her sudden rise to main character status is still a bit of a shock), and there are still the usual art issues. But this is an amazing page-turner, and I fully support any shoehorned-in characterization as long as it deepens and expands their relationships with each other. And it’s nice to see an expanded sexuality in the series as well. In the end, how much did I enjoy this volume? Well, I wrote a review that’s almost three times as long as my normal reviews. Get it.

What’s Michael?, Vol. 2

November 8, 2013 by Ash Brown

Creator: Makoto Kobayashi
U.S. publisher: Studio Proteus
ISBN: 9781560600787
Released: February 1991
Original release: 1985
Awards: Kodansha Manga Award

Before there was Konami Kanata’s Chi’s Sweet Home there was Makoto Kobayashi’s What’s Michael?, proving that the international appeal of cats and cat manga is nothing new. What’s Michael? began serialization in Comic Morning in 1984 and ran for five years and nine volumes, winning a Kodansha Manga Award in the process. In addition to English, at least part of the series has been translated into French, German, and even Polish. What’s Michael?, Book Two is the second of two volumes to be released in English by Studio Proteus. The volume, published in 1991, collects material that was originally released in Japan in 1985. Although only two volumes of What’s Michael were released by Studio Proteus, Dark Horse later released the series almost in its entirety. (Some strips were left out due to potentially objectionable content.) Unfortunately, both the Studio Proteus and Dark Horse editions of What’s Michael? are long out of print.

Michael is an orange tabby tomcat, an American Shorthair with plenty of personality and representative of all cats and their quirks. What’s Michael? follows him and his interactions with other cats and humans, who are often just as peculiar as the felines they love. There’s the man who seems to be a living cat-magnet, the couple who didn’t completely think through the combination of claws and their new wicker furniture, the man who put far too much thought into living with a cat, a girl who delights in pestering Michael, the yakuza who despite their hardened demeanor have a soft spot in their hearts when it comes to four-legged fuzzballs, and all of the other people who can’t get enough of or who have had way too much of cats. Michael’s fellow felines, along with all their foibles and charms, also make frequent appearances. The result is an entertaining and highly amusing collection of short cat manga.

What’s Michael? works so well because Kobayashi is exceptionally attuned to cats and their behavior as well has how humans react when confronted by that behavior. Everything in What’s Michael? I have seen before with the cats, family members, and friends that I have known, which is what makes it so delightfully funny. One of the things that impressed me the most about What’s Michel?, Book Two was how little of the comedy relied on dialogue, which makes sense considering that cats don’t really communicate through words. Instead, Kobayashi relies on the actions, reactions, and overreactions of the cats and other characters to drive the humor of the series. And he succeeds magnificently–What’s Michael? is hilarious. It really is a shame that the series is currently out of print and somewhat difficult to find in English; it’s definitely worth tracking down.

Although there are recurring characters and running jokes, and even a few continuing storylines, What’s Michael? is largely episodic in nature. Before reading What’s Michael?, Book Two, I had only seen a few random chapters from the series; my unfamiliarity did not at all detract from my enjoyment of the volume. Each strip is only six pages long and range from the completely realistic to the utterly fantastic, but they are all authentic representations of the nature of cats and their owners. What’s Michael? is a genuinely funny and slightly surreal manga. Cat lovers will especially appreciate the series, but even those without a particular affinity for felines should at least occasionally find What’s Michael to be amusing. I know that I enjoyed What’s Michael?, Book Two immensely and would love to read more of the series, but then I live with cats and am quite familiar with their antics. Kobayashi captures them perfectly in What’s Michael?.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Short Stories, Vol. 2

November 8, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Naoko Takeuchi. Released in Japan as “Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon” by Kodansha, serialized from various sources. Released in North America by Kodansha Comics.

And so we come to the final final volume of the Sailor Moon manga. Kodansha has indicated there’s an artbook coming along, but for the moment, this is it. And I really wish that it ended better. I’ve been a huge supporter and preacher for this entire series, pointing out how awesome it is, and thus it saddens me that this collection of three short stories has only one that really measures up to the standards set by the series in the past. And no, that’s not the one the anime chose to adopt into a movie. (I do give big props for that cover, though, which has a post-coital Usagi and Mamoru in bed, with Usagi winking at the viewer. Fourth-wall breaking has always been in the Sailor Moon manga to a degree, but this really takes it in new directions of cute.)

Let’s start with the story that takes up over half this volume, Princess Kaguya’s Lover. This was adapted into the 2nd of the 3 Sailor Moon movies, Sailor Moon S. And indeed that’s quite deliberate: Takeuchi wrote it with a movie in mind. I don’t think it ran in a magazine, but instead appeared straight in the original tankobon. It also stars Luna. Luna, Artemis, and Diana have gotten dramatically less focus in the manga than they did in the anime, which ironically helps the story a bit here. We’ve never seen Artemis pining over Luna quite as much as we do in animated form, so there’s less bafflement at Luna’s treatment of him. And the invasion of yet another female villain poised to destroy the world is handled with the usual Sailor Moon aplomb. At heart, though, this is a love story about a cat and a human, and that’s just sort of uncomfortable, even if Sailor Moon does transform Luna into a human so she can say goodbye to her (already in love with his childhood friend) crush. (Also, Venus and Jupiter have birthdays 6 weeks apart! Throw them separate parties, sheesh.)

Casablanca Memory is the reason to pick up this volume, as it’s excellent. Given Rei had to share a short story with Minako last time (and that really was Minako’s more than Rei’s), it’s fitting she gets one of her own. This takes place early on in the Senshi’s lives, around the time they first met Jupiter. Rei’s background has been quietly mentioned before, but this story is all about it: her father is a prominent politician with no time for family, and has assistants to remember things like “when is Rei’s birthday” and “get her something nice.” Her mother was a quiet supporter of her father, but fell ill and died, which Rei has never forgiven him for. Then there’s Kaido, the assistant of Rei’s father, who’s like an older brother to her… or maybe something more. The story isn’t perfect – it’s never clear if Kaido is possessed or was posing as a Dark General all this time, and his death is also very ambiguous. But it really gives you a good sense of Rei, and is at least very much in character.

And so we come to Parallel Sailor Moon, the final story in the manga, and the nadir of the series. This was written a couple of years after the series ended for an artbook, and the author noted it was in an alternate universe AND THANK GOD, because everyone in this is shallow and awful. Takeuchi has, throughout the manga, had a bad habit of making her characters shallow and annoying for the sake of humor. Since this story is all humor, that’s all we get. The premise has our heroines all grown up and married, with kids of their own, and apparently not senshi as they all live in modern-day Tokyo. They’re all noted to be daughters of prominent families who had arranged marriages, and the kids are “wise above their years” cynics who would not be out of place on an 80s ABC sitcom. Usagi has had a 2nd child, Ko. Ko is hyper-annoying and loves to eat, and everyone hates her. There’s not even the “we love Usagi for all her faults” here, except for one panel where they realize she’s in trouble. It’s just “Ugh, her.” I just… I identify with the characters more than anything, so seeing them portrayed like this hurts my soul. I laughed once the entire story, when Hotaru remarked about how they were going to take over the world as civil servants. That was it.

There are a few extras here, with a timeline for the series (real-life timeline, i.e. publishing dates) and Takeuchi’s description of visiting Cape Kennedy to see space shuttle launches. But overall, despite Rei being cool and beautiful, this book is for those who want t have the complete collection, and I suspect that of all the re-releases it will be the one I dip into least. Still love Sailor Moon, though.

Manga the Week of 11/13

November 7, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, MJ, Anna N and Michelle Smith 2 Comments

SEAN: This week isn’t quite as bad as the previous two, but there’s still a chunky bit of stuff coming onto the shops.

Dark Horse has the 3rd of their Lone Wolf & Cub omnibuses. That’s a chunky item hitting the shops all by itself, and very good value for money it is too.

ASH: I’m happy to see Lone Wolf & Cub being re-released. The larger format means I have a better chance of actually being able to read the text, too.

MJ: I’ve been so happy to have a fresh opportunity to fall in love with this series. And fall in love, I have!

ANNA: Nice! I need to check this out again, I think I only read the first five or so volumes of the original series but I did enjoy it.

SEAN: We have a trio of releases from DMP. Lies Are A Gentleman’s Manners certainly wins the title of the week award, but I know nothing else about it. The description seems to involve LSD and blackmail.

ASH: I don’t know much about this one, either. But, megane alert!

MJ: Thanks to David Welsh, I’m thrilled to see anything from Opera, so count me in!

Moon and Blood 4 is still doing its mini-manga thing.

And Triton of the Sea finishes up with its 2nd omnibus. Are we getting near the end of print Tezuka releases, headed for a digital-only future?

ASH: I think we’re getting close. There are only two forthcoming Tezuka print releases that I’m currently aware of: The Mysterious Undergound Men and The Crater.

SEAN: Drawn & Quarterly has been putting out a lot of Shigueru Mizuki lately, and this is one of his big magnum opus projects. Showa 1926-1939: A History of Japan seems to actually be half history book and half yokai (come on, can we really expect no yokai in a Mizuki book?), as we switch between his childhood and the events that shaped Japan. I can’t wait for this one. There’s a sequel, covering World War II, out in the spring.

MICHELLE: Oh, that *does* sound interesting.

ASH: I’m very much looking forward to this series. If the first two omnibuses do well, we should see two more.

MJ: Ditto!

ANNA: This looks cool.

SEAN: Kodansha has Cage of Eden 12, with more extinct animals, action sequences, and naked teenage girls bathing in rivers.

Another intriguing debut is Black Bard, which One Peace Books is putting out as a done-in-one omnibus. From Media Factory’s oddball shoujo magazine Comic Gene, and the plot sort of sounds like Shoulder-A-Coffin Kuro, only less depressing.

ASH: I’m definitely checking this one out. I just can’t pass up the music and magic combo.

MJ: Again, what Ash said!

ANNA: I am reserving judgement until the first reviews get posted, but it does sound interesting.

SEAN: One Peace also has the 4th of the reissue volumes of Crayon Shin-chan, which has been their main manga product to date, though with Black Bard they’re starting to expand. Shin-chan is pure kiddie fun, though be aware it’s a kid’s idea of fun, not a parent’s.

Picturebox has been known for having some old-school seinen, and this week is no different with the release of Gold Pollen and Other Stories. Actually, instead of seinen, it’s more pure alternative, and sounds quite interesting in an “indie comix” way.

ASH: I’ve already got my copy of this one! Picturebox has been doing some really interesting manga releases this year and the production quality has been top-notch. Gold Pollen is the first volume in its Masters of Alternative Manga series; I’m very curious to see what else will be picked up.

MJ: I’m pretty anxious to see this!

SEAN: SubLime has the 3rd volume of Blue Morning, which I understand has garnered some praise from other corners of the Manga Bookshelf. Anyone want to chime in?

MICHELLE: I described it as “more like a genuine period drama than BL romance with some token period frills.” The characters are well developed and complex, too, and I really couldn’t recommend it more highly.

MJ: I’m really enjoying this series, and Michelle’s recent review has made me anxious to dig into this volume!

SEAN: “I am hot.” “I am also hot.” “And naked.” “I too am naked.” “We fight crime.” “In an erotic way.” “We are… Spiritual Police.” “From SubLime Manga, November 6.” “Revel in our hot bods.” “And sultry gazes.”

MICHELLE: Bwa-ha-ha!

MJ: <3

SEAN: Vertical dips into the world of post-apocalyptic sci-fi with From the New World Vol. 1. I really didn’t like the first volume, but others may disagree with me.

ASH: I’ve been told the manga follows the novels more closely than the anime adaptation, but I’m really not sure what to think about this series yet.

SEAN: 07-Ghost Vol. 7 comes as close as it ever will to being symmetrical.

MICHELLE: Sigh. Somehow I am now really, really far behind on this.

MJ: I’m mesmerized by the near-symmetry.

ANNA: I need to get caught up! I enjoy this series.

SEAN: Fullmetal Alchemist 3-in-1 Vol. 6 introduces Olivier Armstrong, which is the best possible reason to buy it, as she is amazing.

MJ: Yes. Yes she is.

Speaking of omnibuses, Inu Yasha’s VizBIG Edition is up to Vol. 17, which I’m sure is also an exciting and thrilling part of the story, probably.

MICHELLE: I have actually never finished InuYasha. I have the last ten volumes hanging around, ready for me to read them, but I have been delaying it for years now. Kind of like how I never watched that one episode of TNG and thus it is not actually finished for me.

SEAN: Lastly, Rin-Ne ambles slowly along with lucky Vol. 13. Perhaps Sakura will show an emotion this time around… nah, never gonna happen. Still, it’s enjoyable spirit comedy.

MICHELLE: I have a warm spot in my heart for RIN-NE despite its lack of forward momentum of any kind.

SEAN: Any favorites?

Weekly Shonen Jump Recap: October 28, 2013

November 6, 2013 by Derek Bown 2 Comments

Naruto Ch. 652
Please take a good close look at the following image, people that still like Naruto. Take a good long look and realize what your manga about ninja has come to.

That’s right. The climactic battle has come down to a tug of war. I have no words. And really, anything I say couldn’t possibly convey exactly how ridiculous this manga has gotten more effectively than that single image from the chapter.

I probably would read a tug of war manga if that were a thing, but I came here for ninja battles, not a giant tug of war for demon energy. And if it feels like I’m saying tug of war too much that’s because it’s a silly name and I want to be sure that everyone realizes how ridiculous it is to finish off a battle with a tug of war.

Tug of War.

Bleach Ch. 554
The reveal that apparently Quincy have some kind of super powered form aside…actually, no let’s not put that aside. That makes no sense whatsoever. With the Arrancar having a different form made sense, their entire powerbase was based on changing shapes. With the Soul Reapers it made sense because the concept of swords changing shape was introduced very early on in the series. So of course they’d have an ultimate form. But with Quincies there is nothing about their power that suggests they would have any kind of ultimate form. Their power lies in gathering and manipulating spirit particles, they get more powerful by getting more spirit particles. So how are they suddenly able to take on a more powerful form?

And I know that most of the powers in this series have some kind of power up form, but with the Fullbringers it worked because their introductory arc introduced everything there was to know about their powers. But the Quincies have been around since basically the beginning of the series. So to suddenly change their powers like this is just jarring.

Though, I do love Komamura’s new armor, and I love seeing Shinji get the better of Bambieta using just his Shikai. It may be OP, but I gotta love seeing someone that doesn’t rely on their bankai all the time.

One-Punch Man Bonus Chapter
This was a pretty pointless chapter, and that’s what made it so much fun. You could probably call this series “The Daily Lives of Superheroes” and fill it with a bunch of inane events that would still be plenty fun to read about. In fact, I’d love that idea, taking the concept that Saitama is unbeatable and instead just show his daily life with the monster attacks being incidental events. Which is what this chapter basically was. So more please.

World Trigger Ch. 36
I would complain that there was far too much explaining in this chapter, except the payoff was worth it. I would love to see more intelligent fights from battle manga, since I get tired of the old “I’m more powerful than you, but now you are more powerful than me oh no!” that too many manga resort to. Show me some clever strategery and I’ll be happy. I may still hold a grudge for almost thirty chapters of pointlessness, but if I get more battles like this one I might just consider forgiving the terrible start this manga had.

Nisekoi Ch. 96
I do hope that the twist next chapter isn’t that Marika is sick. Because we already know that. It’s not like it’s some kind of surprise, so trying to pull a dramatic reveal on information we’re already aware of would be a major faux pas.

As massively non-pc as someone like Mikage would be, I get a good laugh out of her antics. And of course Tsugumi manages to be the butt (or bust?) of the joke once again. Though I did like that she complains about this and previous bad touch situations.

Chitoge’s reaction to Raku and Marika’s supposed relationship was of course perfect. The only way it works is that Chitoge actually tries to be cool about it at first, assuming that it’s just another one of those weird situations they get into. It isn’t until after she’s convinced that the relationship is real that she overreacts. After so many other manga go the easy route of “misunderstanding then punching” it’s refreshing to see some characters act a little more genre savvy.

Seraph of the End Ch. 3
We’re just three chapters in and it’s official. I hate this manga. I hate how it keeps trying to justify the bland high school setting, I hate how it acts like it’s post-apocalyptic but insist on keeping the trappings of the most generic shonen manga. I hate that the main character goes beyond shonen enthusiasm and becomes a legitimately stupid character. Characters like Naruto, Luffy, and Goku may have their stupid moments, but they back it up by actually being intelligent in fights. This guy, I still refuse to waste space remembering his name, is just flat out stupid. The worst part is that he’s apparently not supposed to have the “I’m an idiot shonen hero” gag going on. And yet, somehow we end up with a character who is legitimately worse than the dumbest of shonen heroes.

And what’s up with the “Virginity is bad” junk? Is that the creative team just trying to be edgy? Or hip and with it? Either way it’s an attempt at humor that falls as flat as the rest of this series.

Oh, and look there! The kid who was bitten by a vampire in the first chapter came back as a vampire and we’re supposed to be surprised!? It would take a five year old reading this manga to be surprised by that twist. Literally the entire world knows that if a vampire bites you, you become a vampire. How is this meant to be a surprise!?

And why has he aged? Vampires are dead! They cannot age! Even Twilight got that part right! (Mostly) You hear that manga? Twilight did a better job at writing vampires than you are!

Toriko Ch.255
I’m legitimately surprised Ichiryu is alive. I thought for real that he was going to die, especially after all the buildup the past several chapters. But, other than that twist the rest of the chapter mostly just shows people dealing with the meteor spice, and for the most part it looks like everyone will be fine. Still, a very fun chapter.

Dragonball Z Ch. 37
Goku continues to win, breaking the chapter by chapter flow that we’d established prior. Which works well because it allows the reader the illusion that the battle may be over soon. Which of course we know is not true, or at least those of us reading this series for anything but the first time. I have to continue wondering, why is Goku’s Kamehameha yellow when the one in the anime was blue?

So with three chapters in, what does everyone think about Seraph? Let me know in the comments if I’m overreacting or if it’s not pissing me off enough.

If you want to hear more, check out the Manga^3 Podcast Archives.

Summer Wars, Vol. 1

November 6, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Mamoru Hosoda, Iqura Sugimoto, and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. Released in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in the magazine Young Ace. Released in North America by Vertical.

Adaptations of something into another form, be it a manga, anime, novel series, or movie always carries an inherent risk that it won’t recapture the moments you loved from the original material, or that people will say it’s dumbed down or exaggerated. And yet the appeal is there as well – I really loved this in one form, so why not take a look at it from a different angle? Certainly companies hope you’ll spend your money to check something out that you liked before. Luckily, with Summer Wars, I seem to be one of the few people who never saw the original movie this is based on, so I came at this adaptation fresh. And now I really want to see the movie, and worry the original won’t match up. As this first volume was just terrific.

Things start off looking like a very typical shonen romantic comedy. Kenji is a high schooler, somewhat shy, good at math but not good enough to be in a national competition. He has a crush on Natsuki, who takes kendo and is the pure awesome Japanese high school student. One day she asks for a favor, though is cagey about the details. Those with experience in such stories won’t be surprised by what happens next: he’s pretending to be her boyfriend, so that she can get through a huge family reunion without a lot of hassle. And a lot of the beats that follow are familiar as well, though they’re all handled deftly. Some of the family like the kid, some don’t. There’s an older cousin that Natsuki has a crush on, which makes Kenji feel awkward. And her awesome old grandma sees right through both of them, realizing that Natsuki made this up, but also that Kenji is a good kid.

But that’s only half the story, and this is also a techno-thriller. Much of the world works in the manga via a virtual reality network. One day the network is hacked, and it’s put out on TV that it was Kenji who did it. (This turns out to be false, and there are many culprits who were conned into doing this, which I think is a shame. I loved the joy on Kenji’s face as he solved the math problem that ended up being a hack, and wish he had been more culpable later on.) And now the world is slowly spiraling into chaos by an AI that turns out to be far smarter than it was previously thought. Natsuki’s family, who are huge, positioned in just the right places, and can work together awesomely, try to stop the AI… so the AI kills off Natsuki’s grandmother, in a way that reads “this could be a coincidence, but really probably isn’t.) Now things are at a crisis point.

This is a two-volume manga in the Vertical edition (originally 3 in Japan), and it’s paced almost perfectly, with every scene having meaning. Even the Summer Wars title works well – the Summer and the Wars balancing each other out – romantic comedy with heartwarming family, and computers destroying everything we must now stop them. I didn’t mention Kazuma, another of Natsuki’s cousins who’s a young (and androgynous -I thought he was a she for a while) prodigy who will no doubt have a larger part to play in Vol. 2, which also suggests that Kenji will find his inner General. This manga really makes me want to see the original, one of the best things you can say about an adaptation, but also works great as its own story. And the couple’s cute, too. Highly recommended.

BL Bookrack: Simply SuBLime

November 5, 2013 by MJ and Michelle Smith 3 Comments

Welcome to the latest installment of BL Bookrack! This time, MJand Michelle take a look at two titles from SuBLime Manga, The Man of Tango and Sleeping Moon. In Brief: Blue Morning, Vol. 3, Off*Beat, Ch. 14, and Tableau Numéro 20.

The Man of Tango | By Tetuzoh Okadaya | SuBLime Manga | Rated M (Mature) – So distant are the days when I found SuBLime’s selection of titles mostly unimpressive, that it’s a bit of a struggle to recall them. And, in face of a book like The Man of Tango, it’s hard to believe that I ever distrusted this imprint.

Though tango dancer Angie is irresistible on the dance floor (and in the bedroom), he’s never experienced any love approaching his passion for the dance until he meets Hiro, a biracial salaryman who finds himself unexpectedly drawn into Angie’s tango-focused world. Hiro is initially reluctant to become sexually involved with a man, but his growing passion for both Angie and the tango eventually wins him over, introducing him to a kind of warmth and happiness he’s never known.

On the face of it, this sounds like any average BL premise, even down to the reluctant “straight” man, but The Man of Tango is anything but average. Even its looks defy the norm, as the manga features bulky, muscular characters who skew more bara than BL, but given that the artist was influenced by bara legend Gengoroh Tagame, that’s no surprise. More unusual, perhaps, is the story’s fantastic female costar, Bene, whose dream of returning to Buenos Aires is ultimately left for Angie and Hiro to pursue. The self-made family created by the three of them is really at the heart of the story—perhaps even more than its romance—and this isn’t a negative thing by any means. Bene’s presence somehow brings more meaning to everything, including Angie and Hiro’s relationship.

That said, friendship and romance are hardly the volume’s only draw, which is to say that it’s pretty much teeming with sex—passionate, graphic, manly sex—the likes of which are seldom seen in BL, at least on these shores. You’ll find no grimacing, helpless uke here, which dramatically affects my perception of the story’s initial sex scene, in which Hiro is clearly too intoxicated to give consent. It’s a rare BL manga that can overcome my distaste for rape fantasy, but this is one of the rare few. Furthermore, I often complain that sex scenes get in the way of stories rather than genuinely enhancing them, but this could not be less the case with The Man of Tango. Not only do Okadaya’s sex scenes advance the story and the characters’ relationship, but they’re genuinely sexy, which is also surprisingly rare for BL manga.

In short, The Man of Tango is well-crafted, emotionally compelling, and downright hot. Recommended.

– Review by MJ

Sleeping Moon, Vols. 1-2 | By Kano Miyamoto | SuBLime Manga | Rated M (Mature) – I’ve read my share of Barbara Michaels novels, quite a few of which feature the heroine returning to her ancestral home to unearth family secrets. Sleeping Moon evokes that same feeling by sending its protagonist, 27-year-old graduate student Akihiko Odagawa, into the countryside to the home in which his father grew up, searching for the origins of a family curse that dooms the male descendents to die young. There, he reconnects with his younger cousin, Ren, but also takes dream journeys into the past, where he meets a scholar named Eitarou, for whom he soon develops feelings.

Sleeping Moon is complete in two volumes, which is a little bit of a disappointment, because it definitely seemed at first that there was enough meat to the premise for it to go on a little longer. That’s not to say the resolution is unsatisfying, though I do admit to being more interested in the origins of the curse itself than in Akihito and Ren’s rather rushed romance. Miyamoto-sensei sustains a nicely creepy atmosphere, and I definitely could’ve read lots more about the fox spirit attempting to protect the family.

I also really liked how Miyamoto depicted the home’s resident kitty. He just kind of wanders through scenes, stepping on people who are in the midst of having a conversation, etc. I hate, though, that his whereabouts are not accounted for at the end, and that no one, in fact, seems to care at all about whether he’s okay, given what happens. (How’s that for vague?) Do not introduce us to a cute kitty then not show him all safe and happy on the last page!
Anyway, Sleeping Moon is a solidly enjoyable supernatural yarn. The romance aspect is somewhat lacking, and it’s not exactly the most original story ever, but it’s still definitely worth reading.

– Review by Michelle Smith

In Brief:

Blue Morning, Vol. 3 | By Shoko Hidaka | SuBLime Manga | Rated M (Mature) – When I reviewed volume one, I wrote “Complex, dark, and a bit twisted, Blue Morning is the best BL I’ve read so far this year.” Happily, subsequent volumes of the series have only further cemented this impression. By volume three, Akihito and Katsuragi’s relationship has evolved as Akihito himself has matured and Katsuragi has begun to change in ways Akihito has yet to notice. Complications abound, however, and because so many of these arise due to the status-conscious society of the day, Hidaka-sensei spends a lot of time on this aspect of the story, with the result that Blue Morning feels more like a genuine period drama than BL romance with some token period frills. With characters this compelling and storytelling this nuanced and sure, there’s potential for much more riveting story to come, and I couldn’t be happier about that. This one is a keeper, for sure. – Michelle Smith

Off*Beat, Ch. 14 | By Jen Lee Quick | Chromatic Press | Rated YA – Because this series is American, it gets out of having to label itself “BL” (or not), but if there’s ever been a more gorgeously written love story between two teenaged boys, I certainly don’t know what it is. Part of what makes it work so well, of course, is that it reads as both YA and supernatural (or fringe science) mystery more than it reads as genre romance, and somehow that’s the magic formula for actual romance, at least in the hands of Jen Lee Quick. Her ability to capture her teens’ smart dialogue and awkward body language is, frankly, astounding, and volume 14 is absolutely fraught with these things, along with considerable romantic tension. Then she follows it up with a scene between Tory and his mother that had me nearly in tears. If you’re still holding out on this series… well, stop it. Dive in now. Highly recommended. – MJ

Tableau Numéro 20 | By est em | SuBLime Manga | Rated M (Mature) – Let’s be honest, this title pretty much had me at “est em,” but even among her rather generous English-translated catalogue, it ranks among my favorites, and that’s saying quite a bit. Her style here favors short manga, as is generally expected. The book’s title story, a wistful love story between a long-dead painter and his subject, is more fanciful than the author’s norm, but no less moving. Even so, it may not actually be the strongest of the bunch. I was especially fond of “Rasgueado,” a story about a young zapateado dancer who is pulled out of a rut by an older guitarist, but each of the volume’s five short stories is a splendid work of art. Like most of est em’s work, I would consider this book appropriate for any adult manga fan, regardless of his or her preferred genres. Absolutely recommended. – MJ

Other recent BL reviews from MJ & Michelle: Sleeping Moon, Vol. 2 (SuBLime), Off*Beat, Ch. 13 (Chromatic Press)

Bringing the Drama: I Hear Your Voice

November 5, 2013 by Anna N, Nancy Thistlethwaite and Emily Snodgrass 1 Comment

Anna: I Hear Your Voice is a show with a somewhat bland title considering the way it turns viewers into emotional punching bags. I’ve spent the past several weeks working through this show with a mixture of delight and dread. I Hear Your Voice takes some fairly typical plot elements like poor girl vs rich girl conflict and actually makes them interesting all while exploring the good and evil sides of human nature. Throw in a cute psychic teenage boy and an awkward but secretly handsome prosecutor into the mix, and you end up with one of the most unique dramas I’ve watched recently. I Hear Your Voice is streaming on Dramafever.

Yoon Sang Hyun inexplicably cosplaying as someone not hot.

The not-so-good poor girl in this drama is Jang Hye Sung, a public defender who is sarcastic, apathetic, and is interested in her job only because of the potential for a steady income. Her nemisis is rich girl prosecutor and judge’s daughter Seo Do Yeon, who has a cold and calculated approach to the law. Hye Sung and Do Yeon are connected through a series of incidents in their childhood, with one of the notable incidents taking place when they witnessed the murder of a man with his young son in the car. The son is Park Soo Ha, a boy with psychic powers who grows into a teenager nursing his childhood crush on Hye Sung. As Hye Sung starts the next phase of her professional career, she encounters another new public defender, the almost belligerently idealistic Cha Kwan Woo. These four lives begin to intersect in very interesting ways as they are all affected by the murderer of Soo Ha’s father, Min Joon Gook.

Nancy: The first episode of this drama made me scream out loud! It’s more than just suspenseful–it’s terrorizing. You must be courageous to watch it, but it’s worth it. The characters all face devastating moral dilemmas. Hye Sung often wants to take the easy way out, and Soo Ha becomes her moral compass. But doing the right thing always comes at a high price in this drama. Hye Sung is pursued by Min Joon Gook, a callous murderer with a grudge to settle. The police are limited in what they can do to protect her, and as a lawyer she knows the justice system is imperfect: bad guys go free and the innocent are convicted. Hye Sung has to start believing in the law to fight Joon Gook the “right” way. At times in this drama I wondered how the courtroom players could have so many conflicts of interest going on in the cases because everything is interrelated. But it did make for good drama! Soo Ha’s ability is hearing other people’s thoughts, and he can hear Joon Gook’s true thoughts as the murderer works the system to gain a chance to extract revenge on Hye Sung. It’s positively Hitchcockian.

Anna: One thing that I Hear Your Voice was particularly good at was lulling viewers into a false sense of security. After Hye Sung started her job as a lawyer, I thought briefly that it was going to turn into a more typical romantic comedy show, and then truly terrible things happened! But even when Min Joon Gook is at his worst, the traumatic events never seemed arbitrary or present only for shock value. Everything plays out as the characters deal with the emotional fallout in different ways, and the relationships between them change as a result.

I have to say too, that I appreciated the fact that there were plot elements that set up the opposition between Hye Sung and Do Yeon in a way that gave it much more depth than the typical antagonistic relationship usually explored in dramas.

Soo Ha had some hilarious moments as he began to realize that the woman who was the focus of all his idealistic hopes and dreams lives like a slob and sometimes indulges in snacks while crouching before her refrigerator in the middle of the night. The looks of confusion and disillusionment on his face were priceless. I also liked Hye Sung’s horribly unfashionable ways of shielding her face to avoid giving away her thoughts to Soo Ha.

She is a delicate flower! Who enjoys sausages.

Emily: I admit, I have not finished this drama yet. The reason is because I’m kind of scared to! This show has me that worried for all the main characters! The creators are not afraid to take the plot to very dark places and leave you hanging on terrible cliffhangers. No one is safe! I had to pause while watching as it aired because those cliffhangers were killing me. I couldn’t handle waiting a week to see what happens. For me, this is a marathon show :)

Hye Sung is a great female lead. I like how although she is the ‘poor girl’ (vs the rich girl classmate) she is not a Candy type (the pure and innocent plucky heroine). She feels very… real. She makes good decisions and bad ones and can be both caring and generous as well as selfish and petty. (Soo Ha’s youthful idealism meeting the feminine reality of Hye Sung’s slobbyness was great). Her back story is unusual for a kdrama, and the link she has with Soo Ha must be one of the more unusual relationships I’ve seen in dramaland.

Someone left a perfectly good psychic young man out in the rain!

This is an interesting show in that even though it can be frightening and suspenseful, there is also a good deal of humor and some romance. That has to be a difficult combination to balance. I look forward to watching the rest, though I admit I may need to cling to a plushie to make it through the scary parts :D

Anna: Oh! I’m going to avoid spoilers except to say that I think you really don’t have to be scared of the ending. It is actually a nice counterpoint to all the dark places the show went, but it is still believable.

I also really enjoyed the fact that in the earlier episodes I was genuinely unsure of who the heroine would end up with, and the overall treatment of the second lead guy was much nicer than you usually see in kdramas. Sometimes the male second lead just fades away, but I didn’t think that was the case with this show.

Seo Do Yeon and Cha Kwan Woo bonding in an elevator.

Nancy: I really enjoyed the Hye Sung role. Her character grows to such a satisfying degree. She regains the sense of justice she had as a child, but she’s still crafty as an adult. Although I am a romantic at heart, I thought the drama was stronger before Hye Sung and Soo Ha’s relationship changed in the later episodes, but it’s still worth watching.

Anna: Overall, I thought I Hear Your Voice had a refreshing mixture of plot elements and tone that made it very compelling although a bit nerve wracking to watch. This is definitely a great drama to watch if you are looking for something a bit different to appreciate.

Watch at Dramafever.

I Hear Your Voice – when you need romantic comedy AND terrorizing melodrama

My Week in Manga: October 28-November 3, 2013

November 4, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

I have been so incredibly busy recently (which is why I don’t have any fun online discoveries to share with you all this week) but I was still somehow able to post a few things here at Experiments in Manga. The most recent manga giveaway is underway and there is still time to enter for a chance to win Sankarea: Undying Love, Volume 1 by Mitsuru Hattori. For those of you interested in the absurd amount of manga that make its way onto my bookshelves, October’s Bookshelf Overload was also posted. And finally, I reviewed the second edition of Hedi Varian’s The Way of Taiko. I myself am a taiko player, and there are very few books in English devoted to taiko, so I am very happy to see the volume back in print in a new edition.

Quick Takes

His Arrogance by Takashi Kanzaki. Despite being part of Digital Manga’s 801 Media imprint, His Arrogance isn’t exceptionally explicit. It’s also not very interesting and I found myself bored with both the story and the characters. Even the artwork, while fairly solid, wasn’t particularly outstanding or noteworthy. Although, occasionally Kanzaki would capture a look of utter adoration that was delightful to see. Ryou’s father established a modeling agency specifically to aid Ryou’s older brother Tomohito in his career. In addition to helping out with the company, Ryou also lives in the dorms with the models. Kazuto is one of those models, one of Ryou’s classmates, and the self-proclaimed rival of Tomohito. I think I would have enjoyed His Arrogance more if Kanzaki would have kept the manga’s focus on Ryou and Kazuto’s relationship. Instead, Ryou’s rather bizarre and vaguely incestuous bond with his brother severely encroaches upon the story. Perhaps it was supposed to be played as comedy, but it just ends up being kind of weird and awkward.

Real, Volume 12 by Takehiko Inoue. Many people assume that Inoue’s masterpiece Vagabond would be my favorite of his manga, but that honor probably goes to his series Real. I absolutely love Real, and I’m not even a huge fan of basketball. Although the sport is certainly an incredibly important part of the series, to me Real is much more about the characters themselves, their internal and external struggles, and their development as people. While the previous volume had a particular focus on Nomiya and his tryout for the Tokyo Lightnings, the twelfth volume turns its attention to Togawa and his efforts to become a better team player–something that is extremely difficult for him. Despite of or maybe because of his natural skill as an athlete, Togawa has always been very critical, harsh, and demanding of his fellow players. If there is a theme to Real, Volume 12, I would say that it is change, and specifically the need, desire, and willingness for change. Several of the manga’s characters must make important decisions about who they are and who they want to be in this volume.

Sankarea: Undying Love, Volume 3 by Mitsuru Hattori. The best thing about the third volume of Sankarea? Rea’s father isn’t in it. (That guy is an utter creep.) Hattori also introduces an important new character–Darin Arciento Kurumiya, who is very interested in zombies and therefore very interested in Rea. She also brings along with her a marvelously ridiculous zombie owl. In addition to Kurumiya’s introduction, this particular volume also focuses on Rea and her attempt to return to school after her zombification. There are some challenges, to say the least. Her body continues to decay and fall apart and since she doesn’t really feel pain anymore she has a tendency to overtax herself physically. I was a little surprised to see how toned-down the extraneous fanservice was in this volume. It’s still there, but it’s not nearly as prominent or distracting as it once was. I am honestly enjoying Sankarea much more than I ever expected that I would. It’s a very odd series with very odd characters and I can appreciate its quirkiness. Rea and Chihiro are both weirdos, but they make a cute not-quite-couple.

KajiUltimateSurvivor Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor directed by Yūzō Satō. After watching and enjoying Akagi, watching Kaji seemed to be a natural choice. It’s another anime series based on a manga Nobuyuki Fukumoto featuring some exceptionally intense and legitimately life-threatening gambles. But whereas Akagi is calm, cool, and collected, Kaiji is hot-blooded and frenetic. (The actor who voiced Akagi also voiced Kaiji; I was quite impressed by his range and how differently he was able to play the two characters.) Kaiji also has extremely bad luck. His troubles really begin when a friend defaults on a loan that Kaiji agreed to co-sign. A man comes to collect but Kaiji, himself in debt, has no way to repay the loan. But he is given an extraordinary opportunity to clear the debt by participating in a series of absurd and increasingly dangerous gambles. Kaiji is incredibly intense and occasionally disturbing with a huge focus on the psychological aspects of the story and the mental torment and despair of its characters. Even a seemingly simple game of rock-paper-scissors can be a traumatic experience.

Weekly Shonen Jump Recap: October 21, 2013

November 4, 2013 by Derek Bown Leave a Comment

And here I was looking forward to another hilarious chapter of Seraph of the End. But, unfortunately, this new series is a monthly in Japan that has been going on for a couple months. So in order to stretch it out a bit WSJ will be giving us two chapters a month until we’re caught up. Between this series and One-Punch Man, which is also off this week seeing as we just caught up, it feels like WSJ has heard the complaints that some series aren’t doing well because they didn’t start at the very beginning. They’re definitely trying out new ways to make sure we get the whole story, rather than starting at the most recent chapter and then looking the other way as some readers go read scanlations of what came before. But, this has me worried because while this can work for monthly series there still isn’t any clear way to start a weekly series that has been going on for more than a few chapters. And considering how often new series get cancelled I think that the staff at Viz might be a little gun-shy where brand new series are concerned. Besides the series that have been ongoing and everyone has read scanlations for anyway I’m worried that we won’t be getting many more WSJ series added to the magazine.

I can understand not wanting to put effort into something that might get cancelled anyway, but I read this magazine because I like WSJ. To have so many monthly series from different magazines is a bit worrisome. I’m hoping we don’t go the route of making this magazine nothing but monthly series. While they are easier to start from the beginning, and have often been going for a while, I’m afraid that WSJ won’t be WSJ anymore if this goes on for too long.

Cross Manage Special Bonus Chapter
I could go on a rant about how angry I am that this series was cancelled. And I would be well justified, after being reminded of how much I love this series it would be so easy to get back into a rant mode where all I focus on is that we probably won’t be getting any more of this series. But, like the mature and well adjusted adult I am (please don’t listen to the podcast where we review the last chapter, it will contradict what I just said) I’m going to instead focus on the chapter itself.

First off, you’ll probably like this chapter a lot more if you like the main pairing, and they’re innocent enough that it’s hard not to like them. But even if you don’t care for them you’ll still have plenty to enjoy in this little story set in the middle of the final chapter. Everything we love about Cross Manage is here, the characters, the jokes, and just the overall good vibes the series gives off. While it didn’t focus on lacrosse as much I don’t think anyone will be too worried about that. The sport, after all, isn’t the main reason we came to love this manga in the first place.

All in all it’s a satisfying, if bittersweet, goodbye. Cross Manage had so much potential to live up to, and Kato clearly had the skill to make this one of the great series. But instead, because we are forced to live under the whims of the Japanese votes we have lost a series that made a big impact with western audiences.

Now someone please help me make some noise about this series, let’s start a kickstarter, or something to get the funds together to just straight up pay Kato to write more chapters.

Bleach Ch. 553
Aaaand suddenly it seems like the Quincies will all be taken down very easily. Don’t you just love convenient plot developments in shonen action series? Never mind the character actually in the battle figuring out how to overcome their enemy. Let’s have a mad scientist just pull the solution out of his ass. Now that’s some good writing!

We’re probably going to be doing this back and forth chapter to chapter for a while now. I’m giving it two more chapters before I’m walking. I don’t mind the typical back and forth, but I would like it to actually be interesting. Fight scenes have a certain flow, and for the most part the conflict between characters has to remain very personal. Only rarely can an outside force influence the fight in a way that doesn’t feel lazy. This is not one of those times.

Naruto Ch. 651
If ever there was a time that the terrible “Believe it!” catchphrase would be appropriate, this would be it. It would be terrible, but it would be terrible in an appropriate way. It certainly wouldn’t be any worse than telling Lee, who can’t use ninjutsu of any kind, “You can do it!” when he asks if he can actually control the rasengan Naruto made for him. I know that at times writers may ignore logic, hoping that the emotion of the climax will be grand enough to avoid any probing questions. But that only works for me if you happen to be writing Dr Who and your composer is good enough to leave me in tears and unable to question your logic.

And I’m afraid that, “You can do it!” is not a valid explanation. It’s barely even a proper sportswear slogan.

One Piece Ch. 725
The thing about One Piece is that a lot of times we’ll figure out what’s going to happen in advance because of the hints Oda drops. So the fate of the losers of the tournament is not a surprise. And yet, somehow, it’s still satisfying. I think that can be chalked up to the characters. If you have good characters you can get away with a lot. And Oda has some of the best characters, even those that are bit players at best.

I enjoy Rebecca’s fighting style, it’s a lot smarter than just saying “She’s really strong.” Turns out she actually isn’t very strong, she just knows how to fight smart. And this is the first time we’ve seen a character that is able to win despite not being overpowered. It’s nice to see that Oda can write a woman that is a good fighter in a clever and unexpected way. Now if only he’d give Nami and Robin some good fights again.

Speaking of which, I think Nami has become Doflamingo’s most dangerous opponent. All it would take is him chasing them, and her dispelling all the nearby clouds right over the ocean. He falls, he drowns, end of story. Well, end of his story, not the end of One Piece’s story, since there is so much more beyond Doflamingo to discover, even if he is one of the more interesting elements of the story.

The big question now, though, is what exactly are Violet’s intentions? She’s last seen heading back to the palace, was she just playing Sanji really, really well? Or is there some kind of unfinished business she must resolve before she can make her escape? I’d like to see her still be on the side of the villains. Her turning against Doflamingo was too easy, and it would make a great twist to have her still be evil after what we thought was a sincere turn.

The question, ultimately, is what do you think? I could be completely off base about this chapter and my predictions. If so, let me know.

Toriko Ch. 254
This chapter gave us a slightly better explanation for why Midora is evil. It’s still glossed over for the most part, but at least it gives a more emotional reason, rather than the clinical “And now he’s evil because he is sad.”

I keep forgetting that people in Toriko can recover from the most outrageous injuries. When Ichiryu was first injured I thought he was a goner, but now it turns out he actually healed himself. I knew he could do that, I just keep forgetting because it’s actually kind of silly. But even Toriko characters have their limits and it looks like Ichiryu is finished, overpowered by Midora’s dark gourmet cells. We pretty much figured that Ichiryu wouldn’t survive this, but I still look forward to seeing where the story goes from here now that this flashback within a flashback is over.

Nisekoi Ch. 095
Now we’re talking. Nisekoi‘s biggest strength is its characters and the comedy derived from them. So chapters like last week’s do more to hurt the series rather than strengthen it. A character like this one, while not completely original, is a step in the right direction. Basically take the perverted old man and make him a teenaged girl. Quality.

The idea has been done before, but not in many series that are freely available in the West. A good example of the character type is Kaoru from Psychic Squad, a series about espers that is sadly not available as a manga over here, but the decent anime series adaptation has been brought over by Sentai Filmworks. Worth a look if you have the kind of money Sentai prices require.

But Nisekoi has skirted the lines of being derivative before. Major elements of the series are inspired by earlier harem comedies like Love Hina and Ranma 1/2, but I’ve found that they’re incorporated so well that it never stands out as an egregious issue, and since nobody really knows about Psychic Squad but me there won’t be many people calling “foul” on our new character.

So enjoy your new Nisekoi, with all the inappropriate comments being spouted by a teenaged girl.

World Trigger Ch. 035
This chapter wasn’t bad. But it was mediocre, which is a bigger crime in my book. Besides being reminded that Osamu isn’t a good fighter we didn’t learn that much new, even though the majority of the chapter was explaining how the chameleon trigger worked. Granted, Osamu learns about Jin giving away his black trigger, so we might get something interesting next chapter as Osamu asks for one more round.

Dragon Ball Z Ch. 036
I find it odd that I enjoyed this chapter, when earlier I was complaining about Bleach doing the old “first they win during one chapter, then they lose during the next, and back and forth, etc, etc”. Yet somehow it works here. Probably because DBZ was the first manga many read that introduced this formula. And in this case it works because we saw Goku train to use the Kaioken and in this chapter he overpowers it at great risk to himself. There’s tension, possible consequences, all things that Bleach is missing.

I think I may have found out how to review this series, by comparing it to current Bleach chapters. After all, Bleach is called “DBZ with swords”. So let’s see what the original can teach us about how to write a fight scene.

Again, this was a good week where the good chapters clearly outweighed the bad. The return of Cross Manage, even for just one chapter, lifted my spirits immensely. I may not enjoy next week, with One Piece being off (according to the translator), but who knows, maybe some of my least favorite series might surprise me?

If you want to hear more, check out the Manga^3 Podcast Archives.