Features & Reviews

3 Things Thursday: Wishful Thinking

April 18, 2013 by MJ 11 Comments

Today, as the Battle Robot chatted about next week’s new manga (see Sean’s post later this evening), a title came up that is one I have tried hard to like, but failed utterly to do so. My desire to “like” is large, in general. I’m a liker. I like to like things. My ability to “like” is a major contributor to my quality of life. This may diminish my worth as a manga critic, but in the big picture I’m okay with that if it means that, above all else, I get to deeply enjoy the medium I spend so many hours with. Obviously I don’t like everything, and I’m not afraid to complain loudly and often, especially when it comes to genres directed at my gender, like BL, shoujo, and josei manga. (Yes, Black Bird, I’m looking at you.) But I always approach a new series with the desire to like it (even love it, if possible), and I’m occasionally heartbroken when that desire bears no fruit.

So, with that in mind…

3 manga series I wish I could like:

1. Black Butler | By Yana Tobaso | Yen Press – Though I’ll admit I gave up many volumes ago, I initially tried hard to like Black Butler. I’ll usually give any series at least three volumes to grab me, and I gave this one five, but my efforts were in vain. Why did I want so much to like Black Butler? I suppose it’s a longing for connection. With its enormous female fanbase and significant slash fandom, it crosses over heavily into circles I once called my own, and my lack of ability to connect lends itself to a sort of (mild) identity crisis. Furthermore, the series runs in my pet “shounen” magazine GFantasy, home of many series I do like (and even love), such as Gestalt, Nabari no Ou, and my beloved Pandora Hearts. Is it just me? I fear it may be.

2. Alice in the Country of Hearts | By QuinRose & Soumei Hoshino | Yen Press – My desire to like this series has a name, and that name is “Michelle.” Normally, I’d feel no alarm or sadness at all over my inability to like a reverse-harem series based on a game. In fact, I’d consider any positive reaction to be more of a pleasant surprise. In this case, however, Michelle’s enjoyment of the series (and her oft-stated hope I might share in her enjoyment) raises the stakes considerably, and I’m rather sad and ashamed to admit that after reading through two of Yen Press’ new omnibus volumes I just can’t quite get there. I’m so sorry, Michelle. I really, really wanted to like this. Can you forgive me?

3. Saiyuki Reload | By Kazuya Minekura | Tokyopop – Of all of these, I think Saiyuki Reload makes me saddest of all. Those who know me must be aware of my fervent love for the works of Kazuya Minekura, especially her unfinished BL noir-action series Wild Adapter, which Michelle, David, and I have spent much time praising to high heaven (or the non-theist equivalent of same). Wild Adapter, in fact, is one of the few topics capable of compelling me to discuss things like industry news. Somewhat less beloved by me, but still thoroughly enjoyed, is Minekura’s nine-volume shounen fantasy-adventure Saiyuki, which was extended into a shoujo series for Comic Zero Sum called Saiyuki Reload.

I originally borrowed all the then-available volumes of Saiyuki and Saiyuki Reload from a friend, and it’s telling that afterwards I made it my business to acquire my own copies of the former and not the latter. I don’t know what it was—maybe the increased indulgence in the characters’ hotness and BL subtext demanded by a shoujo magazine—but something about the continuation just didn’t click. Though I’ll admit that, were it possible to get my hands on these volumes again, I’d be open to giving it a second chance. License rescue, anyone?

Readers, what manga series do you wish you could love? And why?

Unico

April 18, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Osamu Tezuka. Released in Japan by Sanrio, serialized in the magazine Lyrica. Released in North America by Digital Manga Publishing.

Here’s an unusual one: a Tezuka title that read left-to-right originally. Unico was apparently written for a magazine that was going to come out in the West, so was drawn in the Western way. It’s also full-color, and (given it’s Sanrio) features an adorable, thoroughly marketable creature on the cover and throughout the story. But it’s also Tezuka, so you know there’s going to be some darkness in there, even if it’s for kids. The question is, how does the story hold up?

The main plot is basically a MacGuffin to let Tezuka tell whatever story he wants, as the goddess Venus, pissed off as usual that she isn’t the fairest in the land, banishes Unico for basically being too adorable and awesome. He’s whisked all over space and time, and whenever he shows signs of being happy or achieving something, the West Wind whisks him away again. He’s also mindwiped so he never remembers anything. It’s really pretty horrible if you swell on it. Luckily, Unico is nothing if not earnest, and knows enough about himself to help others with his unicorn magic… though occasionally that help goes sour.

The stories themselves are basic children’s fairy tales, with talking animals and mythical beasts, a place where Unico will not have much trouble at all fitting in. The saddest is the first one, a tale of a forbidden love between a young Native American boy and a white settler girl, who become older via Unico’s magic so they can experience adult passion. The concepts behind that are staggeringly fascinating (and creepy), and it’s no surprise that everything goes wrong. Honestly, I was pleased that the rest of the volume didn’t get quite that morally ambiguous… or political.

The rest of the stories are slightly less ambiguous. The longest one is about a cat who yearns to belong to a witch, and I believe it was adapted into a movie. It features a man who is so over the top evil that I had to laugh. All he lacked was a mustache to twirl. That said, the shots of him massacring the animals of the forest are quite dramatic, and small children might find them quite scary. Other highlights include a young girl being kidnapped by a sentient factory that has fallen in love with her (didn’t Demon Seed come out around the time Tezuka wrote this?) and a young Russian thief who secretly wants to be a shy princess, but can’t quite pull it off as she’s simply too awesome.

As you’d expect, the translation is quite good, being simple without sounding childish. There are footnotes for the few culture references in here, most of which have to do with the band Pink Lady, who were becoming superstars at the time Tezuka was writing this. And a few of Tezuka’s ‘star system’ characters can be glimpsed in here, in different roles. But even if you aren’t a Tezuka fan, Unico is worth checking out. it’s family friendly, straightforward, and cute. It doesn’t have much of an ending, but that’s what you get when your lead character drives the plot but isn’t really the plot himself.

The Story of Saiunkoku, Vol 9.

April 16, 2013 by Anna N

The Story of Saiunkoku, Vol. 9 by Sai Yukino and Kairi Yura

It is rare for a manga series to end leaving me wishing that it was twice as long, but that is exactly what happened as I was reading the final ninth volume of Story of Saiunkoku. The eighth volume was a natural stopping point, and this volume has some side stories that help shed some light on the histories of selected members of the supporting cast. This volume might not be totally necessary to round out Shurei’s main story, but fans of the series will enjoy visiting with the extended Hong clan and the amazingly eccentric Ryuren.

The first story, “So Began the Fairy Tale” focuses on Shurei’s father, giving greater background into the more ruthless personality behind his smiling exterior. While he’s an amazingly gentle and wonderful father, his past as an assassin gives a bit of an edge to all of his actions in the manga. Here we see the beginnings of his ability to plot as he takes action to make sure that the Hong clan isn’t endangered. “Hurricane Ryuren Strikes the Capital” flashes back to the examination period, where we see Shurei and Eigetsu start to cement their friendship with the eccentric Ryuren despite his crazy clothes, horrible flute playing, and tendency to make odd pronouncements. This story ends up serving as a meditation on the nature of friendship, even as Shurei and Egitsu’s overtures to Ryuren wind up taking them on a detour through the gambling underworld. The final story focuses on the Hong family again, with “Someday I Will Come to You (Though I Love You, How Far You Are From Me)” focusing on Shurei’s uncle Reishin Hong’s bizarre psychological hang-ups. This volume featured plenty of humor, as a series of masks duplicating the expressions of Shurei’s father are put to an unorthodox use, and the reactions Ryuren accidentally provokes from the people surrounding him are always funny.

It does make me a little sad knowing that there’s a very long light novel series containing more adventures of The Story of Saiunkoku that we’ll never see translated here, but the manga adaptation of the story was certainly fun to read. This is going to be a “keeper” series for me, as I can see myself wanting to reread this every few years. It is so unusual to find a shoujo ending where the happy ending for the heroine is a life of civil service as opposed to everything wrapping up nicely with a romantic interest. Many things combined to make this an entertaining manga – the clear art, fun supporting cast, and the blend of humor and drama made this manga very enjoyable.

Weekly Shonen Jump Recap: April 15, 2013

April 16, 2013 by Derek Bown 5 Comments

Hey kids, you want to hear a nerd get irrationally angry over a fictional character? Head over to the Manga^3 Podcast Archives to hear the first time I get legitimately angry at a manga chapter. It should be up on Tuesday, but no guarantee, it’s a long one this week, so it might not be out until Wednesday.

But besides that, the rest of this week’s chapters were all either good or great.

Toriko Ch. 229
We start this week off strong with the return of Toriko. Surprisingly enough, Shimabukuro manages to continue making a fight between two characters we only just met entertaining. Writing and drawing interesting and dynamic fights is difficult enough, but to keep that up using characters that were only introduced to the series recently is impressive.

Not only that, but once again he explains powers in a way that makes sense. I don’t know how such outlandish powers could ever really make sense, but Shimabukuro pulls it off. He even manages to end the fight in a believable way—another thing that doesn’t break the established rules of this conflict. I’m all-around impressed. This chapter solidifies the idea that the enemies are getting slaughtered here. Granted, I hope a major character ends up losing to keep the fights from getting predictable.

Naruto Ch. 627
Based on my previous statements about this series I imagine most of you figured out it would be Naruto that had me so riled up. And yes, yes it is. This is the big chapter, where Sasuke finally realizes how much of an idiot he’s been (he doesn’t actually) and decides to fight for the village instead of against it. Oh, like how he probably should have done when he found out his brother died to protect the village! I have many reasons I dislike Sasuke as a character, all of which are major. But his ridiculous decision making process certainly hasn’t endeared him to me. No, I still remember the two years worth of manga that focused entirely on him. I remember and I will never, ever forgive. Mostly this decision comes across as not being properly developed. He spent the entire manga stubbornly blaming his woes on everyone else, and just one meeting with his brother was enough to finally have him change his mind. I don’t even believe anything Hashirama said actually influenced him. Were it not for that meeting with Itachi he never would have changed his mind; and after multiple years of negative character development I don’t buy for one second that Sasuke suddenly is going to be one of the good guys.

And then, of course, Karin comes back into the story and we get another of the major reasons I despise Sasuke as a character. He negatively influences others’ character development. Remember how Ino got great character development? Nope, she hasn’t developed in the slightest throughout the series. Remember how Sakura became a much more enjoyable character after Sasuke left? Well, the moment he comes back into the equation all that character development is discarded. I will be furious if Sakura just forgives him after he tried to kill her. And she probably will, because here comes Karin, immediately forgiving him the moment he apologizes. Her decision to give up on him was the first time any of his fangirls finally had character development that makes sense. And of course that is thrown out the moment he comes back into the picture. I just loathe, beyond all reason or sanity, how this character influences the series. He wasn’t interesting in the first place, and ever since the time skip he has consistently negatively influenced Naruto. Tip for any aspiring writers, if you have a character who negatively influences other characters’ development, consider cutting that character or rewriting them. Because chances are your readers will hate him or her as much as I hate everything to do with Sasuke and the Uchiha in general.

Hopefully that will be the last time you get an kind of major rant from me. I hope Naruto doesn’t ever give me a reason to do it again.

One Piece Ch. 705
I liken this week to a sandwich made of the most delicious bread, with a slice of month old spam in the middle. One Piece doesn’t disappoint in terms of being entertaining. Rather than a single storyline being expanded, all the storylines of this arc are properly established. And it wasn’t until this week that I realized how many different stories we had to follow. This is going to be a long, long arc. And I don’t mind. I like long stories out of One Piece. While I don’t have much to say about this chapter itself, I can say that from the snippets we got I’m looking forward to the rest of the arc. Something big is going down and it will probably devolve into a massive battle as the marines move in to take on the criminals at the arena, and most likely Doflamingo himself.

One-Punch Man Ch. 013
One-Punch Man wasn’t at its greatest this week. While it still had funny moments, they were overshadowed by the surprisingly gory deaths of Hammerhead’s gang. Not to say One-Punch Man isn’t gory, but usually it’s monsters being killed. I’m surprised to see so many regular humans killed. And since most of the chapter was the fight against Sonic and Hammerhead, there wasn’t enough comedy for me to really enjoy the chapter like I have previous chapters. It was still good, just not as good as I’ve grown accustomed to with One-Punch Man.

Dragon Ball Z Ch. 011
I definitely enjoy Dragon Ball most when it lets itself just have some fun with the world it is set in. The fights are interesting and everything, but those chapters are always far too fast and make for bad week-to-week reading. As long as we get more chapters like this I’ll be satisfied—especially as the mythology of the Dragon Ball world is expanded. Though, as we creep up the power scale, I’ll be laughing at the idea of characters like Enma and King Kai being more powerful than the main characters.

World Trigger Ch. 010
Nothing like a bunch of new characters I don’t care about to solidify how uninspired World Trigger has turned out to be. I found myself complaining against all the board members acting like idiots and discussing Osamu’s relatively trivial rule breaking instead of spending all their time figuring out why gates are opening where they shouldn’t be. I’d been giving World Trigger more than a few chances, but this chapter solidified it as one of the less interesting manga to be published in the online edition of Weekly Shonen Jump.

Cross Manage Ch. 029
Cross Manage, on the other hand, has endeared itself to me so much that I will be enraged if it gets cancelled. I don’t even care about the fact that we never see the games (though we better at least see the game against Choran), it’s all about the characters and the small moments between them. And that’s what this chapter was, a bunch of excellent small moments. All the cumulative development in the series coming together to make an enjoyable chapter. I pray that Cross Manage makes the next cut and lets us see what Kaito can do with the other characters.

Bleach Ch. 533
Besides the fact that I’m convinced Aizen and Urahara are conspiring to make Isshin and Masaki have a kid (hard to take the chapter seriously that way), I quite liked this chapter. This story has been a long time coming, and my general disappointment with Bleach over the last few years is being ignored in favor of finally figuring out what Isshin and Masaki’s story is. There are quite a few questions left to be answered, and a few this chapter has raised that I am interested to learn the answer to, rather than being annoyed that too many questions are muddling the story. I would like to get back to the characters I’m actually interested in, aka, the characters we started this series with (Orihime, Chad, Uryu, etc.) but since that’s probably not going to happen I can at least enjoy the series when it’s actually being good.

Nisekoi Ch. 070
This chapter was cuter than it should have been. Tsugumi is kind of the odd duck among Rakku’s love interests, being the only one not to have a childhood connection to him, but she’s also one of the more interesting characters. This chapter makes me root for her more, while at the same time employing some oddly out of place fanservice. It doesn’t happen that often in this series, and I’m impressed that Naoshi has avoided resorting to fanservice to help his ratings. I know harem endings are the worst endings for romantic harem comedies, but I can’t help but want that to happen for this series. All the girls are great, and I don’t want to see any of them disappointed!

I apologize if I offended anyone with my rant earlier, but it had to be said. And I know I can’t be the only person thinking it. Though, from what I can tell I have the majority of Naruto fandom on my side on this one. Let me know if you disagree, or if you have comments about what I said for any of the other chapters. In fact I might prefer if you talk about those instead.

If you want to hear more, check out the Manga^3 Podcast Archives. Or go directly to last week’s episode,

It Came From the Sinosphere: Yanyu Mengmeng (TV Drama) Part 1

April 16, 2013 by Sara K. Leave a Comment

The English title of this drama is “Love in the Rain,” but I will henceforth use the Mandarin title, Yanyu Mengmeng, which roughly means “The Misty Rain is Hazy.” It’s more poetic.

Example Scene

In this scene, Erhao brings his girlfriend, Fang Yu, to meet his “warm and loving” family for the first time. I have translated the dialogue to the best of my ability, but I think some of liveliness has been lost.

[Erhao and Fang Yu enter the house]

Erhao: This is … hey, Mengping! Could you shut off the record player? Show a little respect for your brother.

Mengping: Hey, you sure have guts to hang out with a guy like my brother. Don’t you know how many girlfriends he’s had? The last one…

Erhao: What are you saying [grabs Mengping’s ear]

Mengping: That hurts!

Erhao: Pay no attention to my sister. She loves to make up rumors and stir things up.

Mengping: Erhao, you don’t care about anything other than chasing girls! Erhao!

[Erhao covers Mengping’s mouth]

Mengping: Even before you’ve married her, you’re already bullying your little sister!

Erhao: What are you saying!

Mengping: Ma, save me!

Xueqin (the mother): Aya, you’re all going to be the death of me. It’s always yelling all the time.

Erhao: Ma, this my girlfriend, Fang Yu. I’ve mentioned her before.

Fang Yu: (using very polite language) Erhao has said a lot about you. I should have met you earlier.

Xueqin: So you’re Fang Yu. You look very nice. No wonder my son fell in love. How old are you?

Fang Yu: 20 years old.

Xueqin: Ah, so you’re the same age as our Ruping. Ruping, come here! Look at Fang Yu.

Ruping: I’m Ruping, Erhao’s younger sister. Fang Yu, welcome to our home. Please sit down. Father is upstairs, he’ll come down soon.

Xueqin: Ruping! I want you to take a good look at Fang Yu.

Ruping: Ma, I’m looking at her.

Xueqin: Look at her … her eyebrows … her eyes … she’s dressed herself up very nicely. Her waist, her figure, she doesn’t look at all like your sloppy appearance. So she has a boyfriend. Ruping, you’re also 20 years old. Why do you spend all day alone in your room? You really are stupid.

Ruping: Ma.

Erhao: Fang Yu, my mother is praising you.

Fang Yu: So, we’re the same age! Erhao often says that he has a sweet and warm-hearted sister. He certainly means you. Ruping, we’ll surely become good friends.

Xueqin: Ayo, this little mouth knows its sweet talk. No wonder she’s won little Erhao’s heart. Ruping, you should learn how to be like her.

Ruping: Ma, I know I’m useless. I’m plain. I don’t know how to dress up. I can’t speak. I especially can’t keep a boyfriend. I’m damaged goods, damaged goods, damaged goods. I’m sorry that you had to bear a daughter like me, who only embarasses you.

Ruping: But if you want to reprimand me, please reprimand me behind closed doors. This is Fangyu’s first time visiting our home. Please let me have the tiniest bit of dignity, and show Fangyu a little respect, and show Erhao a little respect. Criticizing me in such a heartless way, letting other people see it … why! Why! [Ruping runs up the stairs in tears]

Mengping: Wow, Ruping has a spine after all. I want to call out “Long Live Ruping” three times. She’s finally grown up.

Mengping and Erjie: Long Live Ruping! Long Live Ruping! Long Live Ruping!

Xueqin: What kind of world is this? Do you children have the slightest regard for your mother? Even Ruping is talking back to me. I’ve lived in vain. I’m going to drag that girl down here and get a straight answer about what the hell is going on!

Erjie: Long Live Ruping! Long Live Ruping! Long Live Ruping!

Xueqin: You backstabber [hits Erjie]

Erjie: Papa, Mama hit me. I was just saying “Long Live Ruping!” I’m not allowed to say “Long Live Ruping”? Papa! Papa!

Xueqin: Don’t call for Papa. If you continue…

Erjie: Papa, save me!

Zhenhua (Father): What is everybody fighting over! You don’t even let me have a few minutes of peace! What nonsense.

Erhao: Papa, this is Fangyu.

Zhenhua: Erjie, come here. [Erjie comes over]. Sit down. Where were you hit?

Erjie: Here.

Fangyu: Bo… bo… bofu [in Mandarin, ‘bofu’ is a polite way to address an older man with whom one has a personal relationship, for example, your boyfriend’s father]

Erjie: What “bo-bo-bo”? It’s “bo-po-mo-fo” [this is a reference to how Taiwanese children learn how to read].

Erhao: [grabs Erjie’s ear] What are you saying!

Erjie: Papa, Erhao is hitting me!

Zhenhua: Erhao, how dare you! You bring your girlfriend how, and then turn this house upside down! Erhao! Let go!

[Erhao lets go, and Erjie hits him]

Zhenhua: What nonsense! [Notices Fang Yu] Ah, so you’re Erhao’s girlfriend? What’s your name?

Fang Yu: My name is Fang… fang… fang…

Erjie: Then there’s yuan, yuan, yuan [this is a reference to the word “fangyuan,” which means “circumference”]

[Mengping giggles]

Zhenhua: Ah, how did you meet Erhao.

Fang Yu: I’m Yiping’s classmate, and met him at Yiping’s place.

Zhenhua: So you’re Yiping’s classmate? Excellent! Of all of my children, Yiping has the strongest personality and temper. She’s resilient and stubborn, proud and sharp. Every word she says is just like a razor blade. What a pity she was born in these times, and born as a girl. After that fight, I don’t know when she’ll ever come back. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have hit her.

***

So, that’s the Lu family. Now it’s time for a song! Notice how much grabbing/hitting/pushing there is (even some of the kissing looks violent):

Background

This TV series is adapted from the novel by Chiung Yao, who I’ve discussed before, first published in 1964. Chiung Yao also wrote the script for the TV show, had some say in the casting of the actors, and even wrote the lyrics for the songs, so I also consider the TV Drama to be one of her direct artistic works. Between the writing of the novel and the production of this TV drama, Chiung Yao had more than 20 years to grow and change as a writer, and I consider this drama to be a re-write of the story reflecting that change.

It’s one of the most popular Taiwanese dramas of the 1980s, and these Chiung Yao dramas have a strong influence on Taiwanese idol dramas.

Can you stare down Leanne Liu?

This TV drama, like many other 80s Chiung Yao dramas, stars Leanne Liu, who is famous for her expressive eyes. The co-star is Chin Han, who has appeared in tons of Chiung Yao adaptations, and is one of the “Two Chins, Two Lins” who repeatedly starred in Chiung Yao adaptations through the 70s and 80s.

Maybe it’s time to meet the characters whom Leanne Liu and Chin Hao play…

The Leads

He Shuhuan. He is a close friend of Lu Erhao and, at the beginning of the story, Lu Ruping’s potential new boyfriend. One day, when he was going to visit the Lu family, he sees a young woman outside in the pouring rain, with visible injuries and no umbrella. She refuses to report anything to the police, but agrees to let He Shuhuan take her to his apartment so she can clean herself up. When she finds out that she is a “friend” of the Lu family, she refuses to have anything more to do with him, and runs out.

Shuhuan is incredibly curious about this young woman. Erhao at first says he knows nothing, but then they encounter this young woman at a dance club, where it’s clear that she and Erhao have some kind of personal relationship, though Erhao insists that she is not his girlfriend. Eventually, Shuhuan finds out that the mysterious, proud young woman is none other than…

Lu Yiping. The heroine (or anti-heroine). The novel is written in first person from her perspective. She is the half-sister of Erhao / Ruping / Mengping et al. Her father had driven her mother and herself out ten years ago, and since then they had been living from hand to mouth on what little money he would deign to give them. Yiping would personally have to go to “that place” to beg her father for money.

When they are several months behind on rent, there isn’t enough money for food, her mother needs to see a doctor, and Yiping needs new shoes, she once again goes to “that place.” While Ruping has a nice dog and an expensive new ring, Mengping dances to a fancy record player, and Erjie has a shiny new bicycle, their father, Lu Zhenhua, only agrees to give Yiping a fraction of the money they need to make ends me. Yiping says because he refuses to support his own daughter, he is not a real man. This makes him furious, so he whips her. Everybody else watches silently.

After the whipping, Yiping says she will get revenge on ALL of them. Her father finally decides to give her the money, but she throws it in his face, saying that they are no longer father and daughter. She runs out in the rain … and that’s when Shuhuan first sees her.

When she finds out that Ruping is in love with Shuhuan and he might become her new boyfriend, Yiping sees her first opportunity for revenge. But can Yiping break other people’s hearts without breaking her own?

The 60s and the 80s

The novel was written in and is set in 1960s Taiwan. The TV drama, likewise, is set in 1960s Taiwan. Occasionally, the TV drama shows distinctly 1960s culture—for example, the references to Huangmei opera, which were not in the novel.

However, if you look at this drama, it looks totally 80s. In fact, it feels so thoroughly 80s that the occasional throwbacks to the 60s feel jarring to me, even though I know the story is technically set in the 1960s.

This shows that the makers of the drama were oblivious to just how much they were infusing contemporary style into the show, assuming that the 80s were not terribly different from the 60s. And since this was made in the 80s, they probably were able to notice the 80s style about as well as fish can see water.

Pouring Sugar on Stakes Thrust through the Heart, or TV Drama vs. Novel

This is the title of the first section of Part 2. If you want to know what I’m talking about, or why I hate this story, be sure to come back next week!

Sara K. is hosting April’s Carnival of Aces over at her personal blog. If you’re inclined, you’re welcome to submit something of your own.

A Certain Scientific Railgun, Vol. 7

April 16, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Kazuma Kamachi and Motoi Fuyukawa. Released in Japan as “Toaru Kagaku no Railgun” by ASCII Media Works, serialization ongoing in the magazine Dengeki Daioh. Released in North America by Seven Seas.

First off, in case I forget to actually review the book, this was a fun volume of Railgun. The Sisters arc was wrapped up, we started a new one about the city-wide athletic festival, and there’s lots of awesome, heartwarming, and funny.

Now, let’s talk continuity, aka “Wait, when the hell did Kuroko get put in a wheelchair?!?!”

First, a brief timeline:
1) A Certain Magical Index Light Novels: April 2004-present. The “Sisters” book came out in September 2004, and the “athletic festival” books (which didn’t focus on Misaka entirely) in April-May 2006.
2) A Certain Scientific Railgun (manga): April 2007-present. It runs in a monthly magazine.
3) A Certain Magical Index (manga): May 2007-present. Also in a monthly magazine.
4) A Certain Magical Index (anime): October 2008-March 2009. This includes the “Sisters” arc, from Touma’s perspective.
5) A Certain Scientific Railgun (anime): October 2009-March 2010. Note that the manga had only just barely started the Sisters arc (from Misaka’s perspective) when the anime began. Which is why you didn’t see it.
6) A Certain Magical Index II (anime): October 2010-April 2011. This has the athletic festival from Touma’s POV, but likely won’t crossover with the Railgun storyline much.
7) A Certain Magical Index (film): February 2013.
8) A Certain Scientific Railgun S (anime): April 2013-present. Judging by the OP credits, this *will* have the Sisters arc, including the battle with ITEM.

For the most part, the Railgun manga has been pretty good about letting casual readers follow along, and explaining things as they go. The only time the storyline ever really connects with index is during the Sisters arc, and other than that, Railgun has its own plots and its own problems. There are, of course, little bonuses for those who follow the books. ITEM are given a major role in the Sisters arc as the child soldiers Misaka battles, right around the time they were becoming very important in the Index books proper. (This is why Rikou, who really wasn’t all that active in the battles, gets a larger picture on the cover than Frenda, who was. She’s more important later.)

Around Vol. 7 is where the continuity starts to snarl, though. First of all, the anime, needing to fill up episodes since they couldn’t animate the Sisters arc (as the manga hadn’t finished it yet) introduces Mitsuko Kongo much earlier, and gives her different plotlines to play around with. Not that the manga is ready to introduce her, it doesn’t really have the time to. So Mitsuko’s introduction takes about 2 chapters, where she sets herself up as the rich rival character and is very quickly humbled. (This actually has the added benefit of making her more likeable, and I thought she was pretty cute.)

And sometimes the manga simply has to abandon even explanations, and just trust the reader will go “OK, something happened.” The athletic festival takes place about a month after the Sisters arc ends, and somehow Kuroko is now in a wheelchair (and Uiharu is blaming herself for the injuries.) What happened? Well, the 8th Index novel, in which Kuroko, as a member of Judgement, goes after a fellow teleportation expert who is trying to steal valuable plot macguffins. In the midst of this, she nearly gets killed, and thus is now in said wheelchair for the duration of the festival. Unfortunately, the series is not called “A Certain Perverse Teleporter”, so Kuroko’s story is just elided away.

There’s also lots of other little things: Accelerator appears again, and seems to be crippled (from Touma’s beating? Actually, no.) and also not, apparently, in any trouble for the experiments. Actually, the manga does a nice little flashback showing how Accelerator was manipulated by scientists just as much as Misaka was, and makes you ponder if “I was only following orders” might be a valid excuse for someone so young. It gets to the point where when we see characters who actually ARE appearing for the first time (such as the “Queen”, or the Aztec girl at the end of the volume), we wonder if they’ve been in the main source and we missed it.

More accurately, I wonder this. Most casual readers likely are fine with reading this typically exciting and fun Railgun volume. But Kuroko’s injury and its out-of-nowhere appearance has been mentioned as confusing, so I thought I’d talk about it a bit.

Oh yes, and Saten is still awesome. But you knew that.

Bookshelf Briefs 4/15/13

April 15, 2013 by Sean Gaffney and MJ 1 Comment

This week, Sean and MJlook at recent releases from Viz Media, Yen Press, and Vertical, Inc.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 9 | By Kazue Kato | Viz Media – We wrap up the Impure King arc here, with some really impressive fire power by Rin, and a cute epilogue. Most of this volume, as you’d expect from this series, revolves around Rin and Yukio – Rin learning to accept himself for what he is and use his satanic powers for good, and Yukio learning to trust his brother (though not enough to reveal his own inner demons). Meanwhile, Mephisto continues to do what he does best – look mysterious and not give anything away. Shura, at least, seems to know he has plans for Rin, though can’t do anything about them right now. And I must admit, even if Western fans complain about “nobody dies in Jump”, I was pleased to see a few characters I thought were goners survive through the arc. As ever, Blue Exorcist is a fun romp with lots of alluring backstory. – Sean Gaffney

Devil And Her Love Song, Vol. 8 | By Miyoshi Tomori | Viz Media – Now that Anna is gone, we need to introduce new conflict into the storyline, and much to my surprise it wasn’t that signing teacher. Instead, we get a new first year, Shintaro Kurosu, who is secretly head of a vampire… wait, wrong Shojo Beat series. What Shintaro is is a classic “playboy who finds himself falling in love for real” character, and also has a way of speaking his mind. He and Maria go quite well together, something that Shin immediately notices and is quite pissed off about. Things all come to a head on the beach (great swimsuit montage as well), where Shin confronts some family demons and Shintaro makes his move. I love love love this series. Also, why ids that evil teacher STILL THERE? Why couldn’t Maria’s class be taught by Onizuka? Or Pin? (It would have been much a much shorter manga, yes.) -Sean Gaffney

The Flowers of Evil, Vol. 5 | By Shuzo Oshimi | Vertical, Inc. – Time and again this series manages to be genuinely surprising—at least on the surface. As summer vacation approaches, Kasuga and Nakamura begin to hatch their plan for taking things to “The Other Side.” Meanwhile, Saeki goes to extremes to try to win back Kasuga’s attention; but what exactly is she jealous of? Though Saeki’s actions surprised me, the feelings behind them ring uncomfortably true. Once again, these characters seem to have reached an impasse, but what will that mean for them this time? With its new anime series currently running, it seems likely that this story is far from over, but Oshimi has a gift for writing characters into corners they must forcefully bust out of on nothing but their own steam. As always, I’m dying to know what comes next. Still recommended. – MJ

Soul Eater, Vol. 13 | By Atsushi Ohkubo | Yen Press – There are three storylines that get attention as we continue our long march through the castle to stop Arachnae. First, and probably best, is Black*Star’s arrival and battle against Mifune. I say best as we get a terrific flashback showing Black*Star visiting Tsubaki’s family and seeing his resolve to get stronger is not for killing but to protect. I always love seeing the meisters and their weapons bond in Soul Eater, and this gives some additional depth. Second, we see Ox and Harvar battling Kim and Jacqueline, which is a typical “snap out of it, I still love you” shonen battle, but still sweet. And lastly, Kid and Free battle Mosquito, which gives us this volume’s cliffhanger and shows Mosquito is more than just a goofy old guy in a nice hat. Also, the “finest nose” line made me laugh out loud. Complex, but recommended. -Sean Gaffney

The Story of Saiunkoku, Vol. 9 | By Kaira Yura and Sai Yukino | Viz Media – The publishers decided that this would be a good place to end the manga, even if the light novels went on for a while longer. As a result, what we get here is a volume of ‘side stories’ that flesh out a few of the other characters. In theory, this allows us to see the depths of the familial bonds in this series, and how even if they fight, brothers still love each other. In practice, everyone in the entire cast is a giant dork throughout the volume. It’s fantastic—this is mostly gloriously silly, especially the Ryuren chapter (which is justifiably the longest), and I can’t even describe the hilarity that the ‘Shoka masks’ provoked in me. This series was a real surprise winner for me—girl strives to become a civil servant is so refreshing after a lot of “girl struggles to tell boy she likes him” series. Well done, Shurei! -Sean Gaffney

Tiger & Bunny, Vol. 1

April 14, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Mizuki Sasakibara, based on the franchise created by Sunrise, Masafumi Nishida, and Masakazu Katsura. Released in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in the magazine Newtype Ace. Released in North America by Viz.

I will admit up front that I haven’t seen the anime series this is based on, which Viz is obviously selling hard. I am familiar with Katsura’s work via Video Girl Ai, DNA^2, etc., but aside from Blue Rose looking a bit like Karin Aoi (naming her Karina doesn’t help), there’s not really much influence here. As a result, for once I can ignore all the other variations and alternate continuities I’m familiar with and enjoy this for what it is – a goofy Japanese take on superheroes and mass media, with a very compelling lead duo.

The artist for this manga seems to have worked for Marvel Comics before, and it shows – this is a Japanese take on American superheroes that knows what it’s doing, and can get behind the ridiculousness of people in spandex running around as well as the awesomeness. But as much as it’s a take on superheroes, it’s also examining the state of mass media and marketing in the modern age, with the superheroes being sent out at precisely the right time to grab ratings, and having to work together in pre-scripted ways… while still actually trying to capture the bad guys, who aren’t (so far) pre-scripted. The fact that they’re actually trying to do good helps this title avoid the cynicism of, say, a Max Headroom, but it’s still all a bit false.

Naturally, Tiger, aka Kotetsu Kaburagi, is an old-school hero who doesn’t hold with all this televised ratings crap. Not that he doesn’t actually go along with it… after all, a hero’s gotta work. His working-class superhero attitude not only contrasts with the rest of the superheroes we see, but also with his new partner, Barnaby Brooks, Jr. Barnaby looks to be the classic insufferable genius, who regards ‘teamwork’ as a dirty word and fights crime with a sneer on his face. Actually, this doesn’t seem to be the case, as when he’s in action he seems to be quite friendly and smiling to those he rescues. He just dislikes Tiger. I have no doubt he will have a horribly tragic past.

I was rather surprised that both Tiger and Bunny have the same power – an unusual thing for a superhero team-up, but one that helps to show why they don’t get along at first. As for the other superheroes, we don’t see much of them here, but they have moments where it seems they’re chafing against the script as well. The sooner we get away from heroes-as-wrestling and into serious character drama, the better. As for the fights, they looked fine. The action was easy to follow and exciting, and definitely showed some Marvel influence.

This is a very good first volume, leaving you wanting to go hunt down the anime to find out more. Even the character bios intrigue me – Tiger having a daughter means his tragic past can war with Bunny’s. (How sad is it that my first thought on seeing “guy with daughter” is “how did his wife die in the backstory”? Heck, maybe he’s just divorced. But I doubt it.) I’ll admit I was expecting this to be just another tie-in, but it’s quite worthy on its own. Recommend it to friends who want to try manga but have never ventured beyond the X-Men.

Manga the Week of 4/17

April 11, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, MJ and Anna N 3 Comments

SEAN: After a relative deluge the last two weeks, it’s much quieter this week. So what have we got here?

I admit that I’ve never been able to get into Animal Land, the shonen series that Makoto Raiku started up when he left Shogakukan loudly and angrily and moved over to Kodansha. But then I was never into Zatch Bell either. That said, I know some people who really enjoy this series about humans, animals, and families. And it’s still going in Japan, so don’t expect Vol. 7 to be the last.

MICHELLE: I read volume one and wasn’t sure what to make of it. I liked some things, but the art was ugly and there was lots of pooping and in the end I could never convince myself to read a second volume.

SEAN: I had actually thought that Arisa ended with Volume 10, but it turns out that it has two more volumes after this. Presumably the manga has not finished its advanced course on psychological drama and twin switches. Not that I’m complaining, it’s good stuff, even if I’ve fallen way behind.

MICHELLE: I’m several volumes behind, too, but I’ve been really looking forward to catching up when volume ten comes out.

SEAN: Drawn and Quarterly have said that despite Amazon saying their Kitaro collection is out next week, this is not the case – May is the date being given. But if you want yokai, only about 20 times more moe, why not try Seven Seas’ Kanokon omnibus? It features a busty fox girl yokai, and is also a classic harem with meek male lead. I suspect the crossover audience between D&Q’s yokai title and Seven Seas’ is zero, myself. But these series do pretty well for the publisher, as we found out in this interview.

Vertical gives us two of the hotter new series out there. Flowers of Evil hits Vol. 5, and people are certainly talking about it now that it has an anime adaptation! Hey, all publicity is good publicity. Plus it’s still a riveting psychodrama, no matter what the characters look like.

MJ: I’m not a big anime person, but I’ve been quite a fan of this manga series, so I’ll always look forward to more.

SEAN: There’s also Vol. 2 of Knights of Sidonia, which MJjust praised earlier today. I expect to see lots of space battles, lots of angst, and probably not a lot of humor. But hey, these sorts of series have surprised me before. Perhaps more bears?

MJ: Probably this goes without saying, given my post earlier, but YAY! I really can’t wait.

MICHELLE: I enjoyed volume one very much, and can’t wait for the second installment!

ANNA: I am looking forward to this as well!

SEAN: Speaking of series getting closer to their end, Bokurano: Ours must be running out of characters to kill off, as it only has 3 volumes to go after this. I admire the plot of the story and what the author is trying to say, but oh, so not for me.

MICHELLE: It *is* very depressing, but I still like Bokurano: Ours a lot. I think it’s the grim horribleness of the truth behind what’s happening that really hooks me.

SEAN: Dorohedoro, on the other hand, is not ending anytime soon, possibly to Viz’s chagrin. Still, I am pleased they’re still churning it out, as it remains my absolute favorite Ikki series, and it has the RIGHT kind of nihilism for me to get into (even if, yes, it also kills off a lot of its cast).

And it’s not manga, but it’s probably the most anticipated release of the week. Pepita: Takehiko Inoue Meets Gaudi is, in Viz’s own words, “Half travel memoir, half art book, all beauty.” Given the love folks have for Vagabond/Slam Dunk/Real, and the love many manga and non-manga fans have for Antoni Gaudi, this has all the hallmarks of a seriously impressive book. I hope to be amazed.

MJ: This is definitely my most-anticipated release for this week. I’m thrilled about the existence of a book like this in English, and I can’t wait to read it!

MICHELLE: I love architecture and I love Takehiko Inoue, so I don’t know how I could fail to love this book.

ANNA: This and Knights of Sidonia are honestly the only things I’m excited about this week. I plan to check it out!

SEAN: What are you buying this week? Also, doesn’t “God’s Architect” sound like the title of a Stephen Chow movie?

3 Things Thursday: First Quarter Favorites

April 11, 2013 by MJ 5 Comments

Now that we’re getting into April, it seems natural to look back at the first three months of the year with a view towards understanding the year to come. And despite some real tragedy in the English-translated manga industry, I am surprised to note just how good things look from here. Brigid Alverson posted a great article on the state of the industry at Publishers Weekly—a must-read if any of you missed it—but as usual, I’m better equipped to offer a personal take.

When I looked back at the first quarter of the year, what I mainly notice is just how many new and continuing manga being currently released (and re-released!) are truly catering to my tastes. So with that in mind, let’s talk about…

3 beloved first quarter manga releases

1. The Heart of Thomas | By Moto Hagio | Fantagraphics – The Heart of Thomas was my most eagerly anticipated manga of the year, and while its January release date set the bar perhaps unfairly high for the year to come, I can’t bring myself to be sad about that. Michelle and I discussed the book at length in our first BL Bookrack column of the year, and every moment spent with it was a true pleasure. My concluding thoughts from that column: “In case it isn’t obvious to anyone reading this, I loved this manga with my whole heart. And I’ll admit that’s not exactly what I expected. I expected to find it visually beautiful and worthy as a classic, but I also expected it to be very dated and I thought the story might not appeal to my tastes as a modern fan. Instead, I found it to be both beautiful and emotionally resonant to an extent I’ve rarely experienced—especially in BL manga. This is a book I’d wholeheartedly recommend to any comics fan, without reservation. It’s an absolute treasure.” Yeah. That.

2. Tokyo Babylon | By CLAMP | Dark Horse Comics – 2013’s first quarter was incredibly strong for MJ-friendly re-releases, the most spectacular of these being Dark Horse’s new edition of CLAMP’s Tokyo Babylon, a long-time favorite now back in print with a fresh English adaptation and gorgeous print production. I previewed the first omnibus for Off the Shelf in March, and I couldn’t be happier. From that column: “… Dark Horse’s English adaptation is noticeably different, presumably thanks to the hand of its new editor, Carl Horn. Carl has a gift for making English dialogue really come alive, and his influence is apparent immediately … I really do recommend the new adaptation. Plus, if the trim size is as promised, it’s going to be gorgeous. I’m hoping they’ve used really nice paper, too.” And yeah, they have. It’s beautiful. Don’t miss it.

3. Knights of Sidonia | By Tsutomu Nihei | Vertical, Inc. – One new favorite that really snuck up on me is Tsutomu Nihei’s Knights of Sidonia, the first volume of which appeared in early February. Never having read the author’s well-known title Blame!, I didn’t know what to expect from this series. But apparently it’s just my thing! Michelle and I took at look at it for Off the Shelf, and it easily charmed us both with its intriguing characters and wonderfully detailed artwork. From that column: “… while there is still a lot of mystery still for readers (as well as for Nagate) at the end of the first volume, that sense of the unknown is far from overwhelming. I’ll admit that I had to read the book twice in order to feel that I really understood it, but I honestly don’t consider that a negative in any way. I’m a fast reader, but it’s not too often that a single volume captures me so easily that I’m really happy to re-read it immediately afterwards, just to catch more of its details.” I’ve re-read it again since, too. It’s that interesting.

Special shout-outs too, to Viz Media’s new digital re-release of From Far Away and Archie Comics’ charming OEL series Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within. It’s a great year so far, really.

Readers, any special favorites in the first quarter of 2013?

Excel Saga, Vol. 25

April 11, 2013 by Sean Gaffney

By Rikdo Koshi. Released in Japan by Shonen Gahosha, serialized in the magazine Young King OURS. Released in North America by Viz.

I have to remind myself at times, when Miwa or Kabapu are making master plan after master plan and putting different personas in different robot bodies of other characters, that Excel Saga is still predominately a satire. Yes, the plot and characterization are a cut above the anime (and again, I remind readers that when the anime was licensed, Shonen Gahosha’s caveat was that the show would NOT use Rikdo’s plots), but it’s still making fun of everything, be it the fall of Japan’s bubble economy, the everyday 3-jobs-a-day week of the Japanese working girl, sentai shows like Power Rangers, or power-mad villains stockpiling schemes like Aizen. To a degree, the inability to truly understand what’s going on may be hard-wired into the format – that’s the joke.

That’s not to say there aren’t points of interest here. Il Palazzo has always been the hardest character to get a grip on in this series, even more so than Hyatt, and even Miwa is having difficulty figuring out what he’s doing. Indeed, he may not know himself – we’ve seen he is having a war with some other personality in his head. And for that matter, how many people are possessing Iwata at any one time, and re any of them Iwata himself? It gets bad enough that even Misaki is taking to making guesses – she picks Shiouji’s father, and is informed that she’s incorrect (if fan theories prove to be correct, she’s more wrong than she knows). For that matter, how much of ACROSS’s base runs on ancient technology?

This being Excel Saga, there are many moments of hilarity here. Elgala’s crucifixion, The meta commentary on Iwata and Excel being the sort who would “be the hero of a manga” (notably, Hyatt is absolutely correct, but for the wrong reasons – I’m afraid we’re at the point where Excel is simply never going to climb that pedestal Hyatt puts her on), and almost everything with the Department of City Security folks imprisoned in ACROSS’s base with, theoretically, minimal food and water. Even Misaki, who is usually out Only Sane Woman, finds herself losing it a bit here. One of the more serious parts of the book is her self-awareness of how close she’s coming to a total nervous breakdown, and trying to calm herself and stop it from happening – or at least put it to good use for things like blowing up walls.

Then there’s Umi, the one remaining innocent in this series, who’s been sent/lured down to ACROSS’s base by Miwa in order to see if Excel will break. It works, to a degree – Excel’s berserker rage is distracted for a moment – but I think as long as Excel still thinks that Robot Body allows her to be more useful than Human Body she’ll continue to make the same decisions, whether Teriha’s memories are still talking in her head or no. Of course, this may all be moot now that she has a giant hole blown into her. The thoughts in her head about “not wanting to be alone” are odd – are they Teriha’s, or is she picking up Umi in some odd way? Honestly, we’ve never seen Excel have much of a problem with solitude, and I think as long as Il Palazzo was with her, she’d be absolutely fine being alone.

(Great seeing Shiouji SUPER PISSED, too – for all that he finds Umi annoying, he doesn’t want to see her hurt in any way – indeed, a large part of his actions in the series are to avoid Umi getting emotionally damaged.)

And of course there’s the endnotes by Carl Horn, which are marvelous as always. They contain actual info about obscure references, meta-commentary on the series itself, they have their own in jokes (Carl is right – that line absolutely should be read by George Takei), and there’s a long endnote afterword discussing Rikdo’s current series, which he is drawing and Masamune Shirow is writing. Yes, Ghost in the Shell Shirow. As for Excel Saga 25? It was great, though the plot was not advanced a whole lot, and there may not be as much to advance as I think – see point #1. And it’s good to see all the Ropponmatsu vs. Ropponmatsu battles, after so long apart. Can’t wait till August, for the penultimate volume!

We, the Children of Cats

April 10, 2013 by Ash Brown

Author: Tomoyuki Hoshino
Translator: Brian Bergstrom and Lucy Fraser
U.S. publisher: PM Press
ISBN: 9781604865912
Released: August 2012
Original release:1998-2006

We, the Children of Cats is a collection of Tomoyuki Hoshino’s early short works. Published in 2012 by PM Press under its Found in Translation imprint, the volume gathers together five short stories and three novellas which were originally released in Japan between 1998 and 2006. (PM Press is also the publisher of the only novel by Hoshino that is currently available in English, Lonely Hearts Killer.) Three of the stories in We, the Children of Cats were previously translated and released in English, but the others are appearing for the first time. Although one story, “Chino,” was translated by Lucy Fraser, Brian Bergstrom was primarily responsible for editing and translating the collection as a whole. Bergstrom also contributes a substantial afterword to the volume, “The Politics of Impossible Transformation.” We, the Children of Cats was my introduction to Hoshino’s work.

After a newly written preface by Hoshino for the collection, “To All of You Reading This in English,” We, the Children of Cats begins with the short story “Paper Woman.” This story ended up being my favorite piece included in the volume and made me want to read everything that Hoshino has ever written. This set my expectations pretty high for the rest of We, the Children of Cats; for the most part, I wasn’t disappointed. I did tend to prefer Hoshino’s short stories (“Paper Woman, “The No Fathers Club,” “Chino,” “We, the Children of Cats,” and “Air”) over his longer novellas (Sand Planet, Treason Diary, and A Milonga for the Melted Moon.) For me, reading Hoshino’s works was often a heady and even dizzying experience; his shorter pieces are still mystifying but more grounded, immediately accessible, and easily grasped as a whole.

The stories collected in We, the Children of Cats are not directly related to one another although many share common elements and themes. Faint echoes of Hoshino’s earlier stories can often be seen in his later works. Latin America is a frequent touchstone in We, the Children of Cats. Which, considering Hoshino’s personal interest and time spent in the area, shouldn’t be too surprising. The influence of magical realism, which has strong ties to Latin American literature, is also readily apparent in Hoshino’s stories. Perhaps my favorite recurring theme to be found in We, the Children of Cats is that of the power granted to words and language and their ability to change, process, create, restore, and transform truth and reality.

As Bergstrom’s illuminating afterword asserts, transformation is the key to We, the Children of Cats. Some of the stories are more realistic (some are even based on or inspired by actual events) while others are more fantastic, but they all deal with transitions, growth, and changing identity in some way. Hoshino’s writing style tends to be discursive and his stories aren’t always particularly straightforward, but his imagery is powerful and poetic. Every once in a while there would be a thought, idea, or phrase that would momentarily floor me. After reading We, the Children of Cats, even I felt changed or transformed in some nearly indescribable way. We, the Children of Cats isn’t an easy collection, at times it can be difficult and even troubling, but I am glad that I put in the effort needed to truly appreciate it.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Vol. 1

April 9, 2013 by Anna N

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Volume 1 by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko

It has been a long long time since I’ve encountered the Gundam franchise. I’m familiar with the basic story, but the Gundam that made a big impression on me wasn’t the first series but Zeta Gundam, which I watched back in the day when people’s only access to anime was attending random university-affiliated clubs that showed fansubbed VHS tapes. I don’t even remember very much about Zeta Gundam other than the fact that young teenage me thought it was awesome. Most anime mecha featuring protagonists with daddy issues owe a lot to the original Gundam series, so it was fun to experience it again through this manga interpretation.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin opens with a glimpse of a future where the human race has a tenuous hold on life in outer space. Humans have migrated to space colonies, which are now gripped in a civil war as the colony Zeon has decided to become independent. Amuro Ray is the young teenage protagonist, and while he does fit in generally with the type of character the reader would expect to see, he’s still interesting and sympathetic. He’s a moody teenage boy who spends his spare time neglecting to clean his room and hacking into his father’s work computer. His father is a scientist who has invented a new type of Zaku (mechanized battle suit). Amuro is out with his friend Fraw when their colony is attacked by Zeon fighters. Amuro stumbles across the unmanned Gundam prototype that he recognizes from his father’s plans and he throws himself into the defense of his colony. Amuro changes from frightened to angry when he sees the civilians under attack, and he stumbles through his first battle aided more by the Gundam’s advanced capabilities than his own skill.

One of the interesting things about Mobile Suit Gundam is the way the story doesn’t only focus on giant battle robots with light sabers fighting each other. The military ship protecting the colony has to take on a large influx of civilian refugees. Amuro is installed as the pilot of the Gundam, and Fraw starts helping out with the civilians. Char Aznable, the masked commander who is the Zeon ace pilot is the Red Baron to Amuro’s Snoopy, but Char is dealing with his own troubles related to the way he keeps losing Zaku that go up against the Gundam prototype. Char’s skills as a pilot outmatch Amuro, but he seems to enjoy the challenge provided by the advanced weaponry of the Gundam. As Char and Amuro clash, Char is toying with the young pilot in a gleeful way that makes him a very entertaining villain. In addition to the growing rivalry between Char and Amuro, there’s a well-developed supporting cast. I was particularly fond of Sayla, whose imperious attitude and willingness to brandish a gun were a good contrast to Fraw’s more gentle personality. Seeing Bright struggle with his new command responsibilities as well as Amuro’s issues with dealing with military protocol helped enhance the general sense of the story taking place in a larger society, where the civilian and military points of view were often at odds even in the middle of a war.

I had a pleasant jolt of nostalgia as I was reading when I encountered dialog like “Release the Minovsky particles at battle density!” and to and was able to experience again what an intriguing antagonist Char Aznable is. This is without a doubt one of the nicest manga volumes I’ve owned, since Vertical chose to print this in an oversized hardcover format with glossy paper. This is a must buy for any past and present Gundam fans, and if you haven’t encountered the franchise before, I’m betting this manga will win you over. I’m actually happy that I don’t remember the exact details of this story so I can be pleasantly surprised as the story unfolds in the next three volumes.

Weekly Shonen Jump Recap: April 8, 2013

April 9, 2013 by Derek Bown Leave a Comment

This is another one of those weeks that is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because we get two extra chapters of manga. And a curse because my workload has been increased by two. But you’re not here to listen to me whine, you’re hear to listen to me whine about manga specifically. So let’s get to it.

Blue Exorcist Ch. 045
Last month’s chapter of Blue Exorcist was weak, mostly because the chapter itself lacked any specific focus. It was developing background information that would be needed later, but the chapter itself—the story itself didn’t have a specific drive. This chapter, while perhaps not to some readers’ comedic tastes, worked much better because there was a specific goal to the chapter. It may have been a bit frivolous, but it was something to latch on to and follow through the chapter with the characters. Though, I think it’s safe to say that Shiemi will probably turn Rin down next chapter. Why else end on that kind of cliffhanger?

One Piece Ch. 704
Okay, I’m not even going to bother making excuses. One Piece was just flat out the best chapter this week. Bar none. I… just… it… My most coherent response to this chapter wasn’t coherent in the slightest. All the reveals, all the characters. All the everything. Especially the illogical scale maille bikini. Seriously, how is that thing staying on? I would go into more depth, but I don’t want to give anything away. This was just an incredible chapter. I’m a lot more optimistic for this tournament’s future.

Bleach Ch. 532
Surprisingly, despite its simplicity, Bleach was excellent this week. Granted, there is not much to talk about because the entirety of the chapter was action. But when Kubo just lets himself go and gives in to the action he can pull off some wonderful chapters. Much less happened this week compared to other series, but in the context of what Bleach is, I loved this chapter. Mostly because it turns out Masaki was a badass. Who knew? This makes the fact that she was killed by a hollow a bit suspect though. Pretty sure this hollow is much more powerful than Grand Fisher. Still, on its own, great chapter.

Naruto Ch. 626
At least the flashback is over. That’s all I’ll say. I had planned to go on a rant about how much I hate that the Uchiha are being shoved down my throat as victims of some kind. As if they aren’t all complete lunatics (as shown by just the past few weeks worth of chapters). But I think you get the idea.

So instead I’ll say that next week we get to finally move on with the main plot. My expectations are low, but we’ll see what happens.

World Trigger Ch. 009
Ultimately, World Trigger is just kind of boring. Perhaps things will pick up, but I haven’t really found a reason to root for this series. With all the series I fell in love with there was a reason I kept reading past the first chapter, and that reason is generally expounded upon in later chapters. World Trigger just hasn’t done that. So I really can’t say anything but that it’s forgettable and dropped the ball really early on in its run.

Nisekoi Ch. 069
And the award for best expressions once again goes to Nisekoi! While I am wary about Naoshi setting up for future ugliness later on, I trust him enough to pull this series off without leaving us all feeling depressed. As for this chapter, it was adorable, and hilarious. That’s all I’ve ever asked for from this series. The moment when Raku tries Onodera’s chocolate was probably my favorite overall moment for this week.

One-Punch Man Ch. 012
One-Punch Man continues the trend of moving beyond single chapter stories, and builds up towards longer stories. Sure we all know that we’re moving towards that final joke. But the journey is as important as the destination, so I say this week’s chapter is a promising start for yet another entertaining story. I don’t even mind the standard serious-type character we get in Sonic, because we all know exactly what’s going to happen with him, and it will be glorious.

Dragon Ball Z Ch. 010
Dragon Ball Z is one of those series where the action may be fun, but doesn’t leave much to discuss. I am amused by the blasé attitude already being shown towards death. But I am even more amused by the tragedy that is Raditz. Not only is he the weakest Saiyan, but the two people he thought were his friends could care less about him. No point bringing him back to life—just wish for immortality. Raditz is as forgotten by his friends as he is by his creator. Tragic.

Cross Manage Ch. 028
Cross Manage may have had a weak beginning, but I think by this point most readers are on board and praying that it gets to continue. We get a small glimpse at the characters who haven’t been explored yet, and it makes me wish that Kaito could just take his time and tell the story he wants without having to worry about cancellation. The downside is that we don’t actually get to see the game, but as I’ve said, the game is not really the point. The point is how the characters grow; their training is a metaphor for their personal growth. The fact that they won their first game doesn’t matter, what matters is who they have become thanks to their training and victories. I just hope we get more time to see who they actually are. Out of a large cast we’ve had development for a relatively small group. It sounds like the volumes are selling well, so here’s hoping that makes up for what seem to be low rankings.

Rurouni Kenshin Ch. 009
And finally, the series I have not been a fan of. This week I actually quite liked it. It helps that Megumi makes a cameo, though she is robbed of all the characterization that made her one of my favorite characters. And sure the action is well rendered but ultimately confusing, but this chapter really drives home that since it is a retelling, anything goes. I won’t give away the end, nor do I really think Watsuki will go through with it. But if he does, then he has serious guts. He’s taking advantage of this being a different continuity, and he now has my attention.

And somehow I got through all those chapters in fewer words than normal. How odd. Let me know if I missed anything, or if there is anything from this week’s chapters you would like to discuss. The comment section is just at the bottom of this page.

If you want to hear more, check out the Manga^3 Podcast Archives. Or go directly to last week’s episode, Episode 042 – April 1, 2013 – Abridged Series | My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Volume 1.

It Came From the Sinosphere: Burning Moon

April 9, 2013 by Sara K. Leave a Comment

It’s about time I said something about Selina Lin, one of Taiwan’s most popular female manhua artists. Though she’s sometimes called the “queen” of girl-oriented Taiwanese manhua, all of her works are quite short. Burning Moon, her longest work, is only five volumes long.

The Story

The emperor’s concubine wants to maintain her status by bearing a son. The problem is that she bore a girl, so she wants to swap her newborn daughter with her sister’s newborn son, Duan Chengfeng. To prevent him from getting kidnapped, Duan Chengfeng’s mother poisons him. His father intervenes, but to fend off future kidnapping attempts, Duan Chengfeng has to live as a sick child.

Duan Chengfeng gets pretty tired of this, so as a boy he sneaks out to experience a bit of freedom. That’s how he meets a girl called Yue Shuchan. Realizing that their son doesn’t want to live the rest of his life with his freedom confined, his parents decide to drop the illness ruse and arrange a marriage for him…

Background

All of the explicitly girly manhua I’ve covered so far came from Star Girls magazine. That’s because it’s the only magazine dedicated exclusively to girly manhua put out by a major publisher. However, there is also Mon-mon magazine (the name in Mandarin is “mèngmèng,” and “mèng” means “dream”). Most of the comics which run in Mon-mon magazine are shojo manga translated from Japanese, but they also publish original material from local artists, of whom the most popular is Selina Lin.

The latest issue of Mon-mon.

Selina Lin’s work has been translated into quite a few languages, but the only two works that I could find which have been officially published in English are:

1) White Night Melody (the first volume was published by Tokyopop, and I suspect this will never be license-rescued)
2) Manga Tarot, which technically is a card deck, not a comic book.

This was originally supposed to be only three volumes long, but readers felt that the original ending was too tragic, so Selina Lin wrote two more volumes set in the present day, featuring the reincarnations of the original characters, and made a happy ending.

The Art

I do not like the art style of shoujo manga currently coming out of Japan, unless it’s retro, and that’s one of the reasons my interest in current shoujo is … limited. What I love is a) Showa 24 group artwork and b) late 80s-90s shoujo artwork.

Selina Lin’s art is very much like current shoujo styles in Japan … but somehow, she gets me to actually like it.

Take this picture for example. Though it features the “cute” glass-eyed look which I dislike, it’s got lots of nice round curves, with nice crisp folds in the dress and dark ribbons to add some visual structure. I can dig this.

And even when it’s being “cutesy,” it also manages to have a bit of a crystal quality a well—the pearl-like roundness, the crisp patterns—which neutralizes my usual distaste for this style.

Of course, in a storytelling medium, it’s not enough for art to look nice; it also has to tell a story. Is the artwork a little too busy? Perhaps. However, I think it does a good job of letting the characters express themselves, such as in the following picture:

I can feel the warm, light-hearted joy.

Now, speaking of the storytelling…

Underdeveloped Storytelling

One of the reasons I’ve waited so long to discuss Selina Lin is, well, I think her stories are boring. I was hoping that, as her longest work, this might be better, but …. well, it’s not much better.

It’s not that the ideas are bad. For example, Duan Chengfeng could have been a really, really interesting character—someone who is forced to pretend to be ill for his own safety as he itches for adventure can be the basis of a really engaging story. However, this potential was wasted. The manhua covers too much plot in too few pages, so there’s no room to explore the inherent conflict in Duan Chengfeng’s situation. As soon as the love triangles come into the story, Duan Chengfeng’s problem with having to feign illness get dropped, which makes it seem like it wasn’t important in the first place.

And the romance … I actually do believe that love at first sight can happen (or at least, that people can fall in love with each other at lightning speed). But even when the bond is established instantly, it still has to grow and evolve. In all of the romantic relationships in this story, I felt there was no growth. Instead, the storyteller just said, “Okay, these people are in love with each other,” and didn’t offer much more. That makes the whole romance angle of the story feel empty to me.

Normally, I would have been stubborn and read all five volumes. However, considering my previous disappointments with Selina Lin, I did not feel inclined to read beyond Volume 3. After reading a plot summary of Volumes 4-5, I feel even less inclined to finish the series.

I don’t know much about how Mon-mon magazine works, so perhaps there are editorial constraints which make Selina Lin limit most of her manhua to three volumes. But even if the length of her work is being limited by her editors, she should tell a story which fits a three-volume length, instead of telling a story with much plot and little substance.

Availability in English

Well, it’s never been licensed in English… and to be honest, I don’t think it should be.

Conclusion

Selina Lin makes me like an art-style which usually turns me off, which is an accomplishment. That said, I dearly wish her storytelling was as good as her drawings. Her stories aren’t even bad, they’re just poorly executed.

I don’t get why she’s so popular. Sure, the art is nice, but her manhua simply bores me.

Maybe she should team up with somebody who is a much better storyteller.

Next Time: Love in the Rain / Yanyu Mengmeng (TV drama), which most certainly is NOT boring

Since her last post at Manga Bookshelf, Sara K. has soaked in one of the only three mud hot springs in the world, visited a bat cave, walked a trail with a 60 degree gradient (downhill, thank goodness), seen fireflies for the first time in her life, had her blood sucked by wild leeches, seen trees that are over 2000 years old, visited the “forgetting sorrow” bamboo grove, saw a wild male Swinhoe’s pheasant, went to Taiwan’s highest automobile-accessible mountain pass, dealt with her computer going haywire, bought her first new computer in over two years, went hiking above 3000 meters with someone who grew up in Soviet Russia and someone from South Africa, learned how to play Perudo, ate a wonderful meal of mountain vegetables she had never knew existed at a restaurant over 2700 meters above sea level, saw a bunch of beautiful waterfalls and forested hills, saw the beginning of the Matsu Pilgrimage (with over a million participants, it’s one of Asia’s biggest religious pilgrimages), and much more. It was way, way, WAY more interesting than this manhua.