Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Features & Reviews

Heaven’s Will

by 1 Comment

By Satoru Takamiya
Viz, 200 pp.
Rating: Teen

The only things that terrify schoolgirl Mikuzu Sudou more than boys are ghosts and monsters (also known as oni). This is an unfortunate fact, since they are especially drawn to her and, unlike most humans, she can see them. Fortunately, she meets up with Seto, a cross-dressing exorcist with a deep appreciation for cake, and his companion, Kagari, a vampire who can transform into a wolf. Seto provides protection from the monsters, Mikuzu provides the cake, and a winning team is born! Things are never as simple as that, of course, and as the three work together as exorcists-for-hire, we learn more about the individual challenges and frailties that complicate the relationships between them.

The first chapter of the volume was intended as a stand-alone piece, and trips along quite lightly for a story about monsters. As the volume continues, however, things get serious fast. As it turns out, Seto dresses like a girl in memory of his sister, who was the real exorcist of the family. She died saving him from oni, and it is Seto’s intention to earn enough money to have a sex-change operation, after which he will find a way to transfer her soul into his living body, resurrecting her and ending his own existence. Kagari, who has been too long miserable in the loneliness of immortality, is devoted to Seto because he has promised to exorcize Kagari’s soul (effectively killing him) before he kills himself. Mikuzu, who is terrified of men, is able to work comfortably alongside Seto because he has the non-threatening appearance of a cute girl. She even falls in love with him, so of course she wants to keep him in this world as long as possible, which means she must work against his plans. All of this is complicated by the fact that Mikuzu is the only one who is able to communicate with the spirit of Seto’s dead sister.

The tale Satoru Takamiya has woven is complex, very poignant, and has no hope whatsoever of working successfully as a single volume. The plot as it stands makes very little sense. There are interesting (if not wholly original) ideas, but without exception, the execution is rushed, clumsy, and generally muddled. Nothing is resolved in a satisfying way, and everyone’s stories are left woefully unfinished. Yet despite the clunky storytelling, the characters’ personal journeys and their relationships with each other are maddeningly compelling. Takamiya’s ideas are far too ambitious for the time and space alloted (possibly also for her current level of skill), and she frequently loses the thread while trying to pull it together, but at the core of it all there is that deep, shining honesty that is the seed of all powerful fiction.

The art in Heaven’s Will is simple, yet expressive. The character’s facial expressions are extremely nuanced, allowing them to move from emotion to emotion with an unexpected genuineness and fluidity, the result of which can be quite moving. Seto’s look of embarrassment when he admits he likes cake, for example, provides a surprising glimpse of vulnerability in his character early on, without being at all melodramatic or cloying.

Although Heaven’s Will is deeply flawed, and not something that can be wholeheartedly recommended, there is much promise there of better things to come.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally published at PopCultureShock.

Find of the day!

by 8 Comments

Thanks to Lori Henderson at Manga Xanadu, I have discovered the wonderful world of Mangatude, where people swap volumes of manga they don’t want for volumes that they do. With my tight budget these days this is a godsend, and I’m sure I’m not the only one in that boat right now. I’ve signed up, and already have a trade in the works!

Of course, as wonderful a find as this is, I’m thinking about how it affects the industry for us to be trading books instead of buying new ones on our own. Right now, I’ve justified it in that my budget is pretty inflexible, and I wasn’t going to be spending more anyway, so better to be maintaining my interest in series that I eventually *will* buy more volumes of. Better, too, that books I don’t need (like our accidental duplicate copy of Fullmetal Alchemist vol. 8) will find their way into grateful hands. It’s made me think a lot also about what series I *really* want, and what I’d be willing to give up in order to get something I want more.

I don’t have a lot for trade right now (and half of what I did have is already gone), but I’m sure that will grow as time goes on. In any case, I’m passing the info along in the event that I’m not actually the last person to know about this. :)

Princess Ai: The Prism of Midnight Dawn, Vol. 1

by Leave a Comment

Princess Ai: The Prism of Midnight Dawn, Vol. 1
Created by Courtney Love & Stuart “D.J. Milky” Levy
Story by Stuart “D.J. Milky” Levy
Written by Christine Boylan, Art by Misaho Kujiradou
TOKYOPOP, 192 pp.
Rating: OT (16+)

Set after the original Princess Ai series, this story begins back in Ai-land, where Princess Ai is performing in a “prism-cast” concert, simulcast to both Ai-land and Earth, thanks to the power of the magical and mysterious “Prism of Midnight Dawn.” Unfortunately, as the concert begins, the prism (along with prophet Sir Edwin See) is stolen away from Ai-land by a huge vulture, presumably taken to the other side. Princess Ai uses a second prism to transport herself and her bodyguards, the three Furies, back to Earth to rescue Sir Edwin and return the Prism of Midnight Dawn to Ai-land. All is not well on Earth, and Ai soon discovers that much of the population has become addicted to a substance called “Tank,” including her old flame, Kent Kawa Scott.

Like many sequels, Princess Ai: The Prism of Midnight Dawn feels more like merchandising than fiction. The plot and dialogue move along predictably in this first volume. There are a few moments that could be dramatic, if only they were a bit more hard-won. Kent too easily throws aside his Tank addiction in order to make a televised plea to recapture Ai’s heart, and Ai is quickly lured into a trap, leaving her captive at the end of the volume.

The volume contains onstage performances by both Ai and Kent’s band, The Rebel Paupers, but unlike in Ai Yazawa’s NANA, where music provides the soul of the story, here it works as a clunky plot device, with too much time being spent on watery lyrics like, “How far away is never, How soon yesterday. Tomorrow waits forever, And ever three more days.” That said, probably the most enjoyable piece of this volume is the attached Ai-Tunes CD, which offers up songs from various artists such as Skye (who provided the voice of Ai on TOKYOPOP’s Princess Ai Soundtrack) and California bands Divine Madness and Intercept.

Princess Ai: The Prism of Midnight Dawn‘s first volume is prettily packaged and presented, with attractive art and fashions, and may offer fans of the original series more of what drew them there in the first place. On its own, however, it lacks any real drama or substance to bring in new readers.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally published at PopCultureShock.

Monday morning links!

by Leave a Comment

First of all, for anyone who may have missed it, last night saw the first post here by guest blogger, Deanna Gauthier! As I mentioned around the New Year, she’s going to be turning up here on a regular basis to share with us all her wonderful enthusiasm for manga! Please read her self-introduction here, and take a moment to say hello! Deanna’s posts, by the way, will not appear on my livejournal, so keep your eyes open for them here at the main blog!

Secondly, a couple of Manga Recon links: Michelle posted her Picks of the Week over the weekend, including NANA volume 14 (*heart*) and a whole slew of other fantastic shojo titles. Go check it out! Also, in today’s Manga Minis, I review Tokoyopop’s Princess Ai: The Prism of Midnight Dawn.

Lastly, Matt (see, I can do it, really) at Rocket Bomber made a fairly lengthy post that was partly spurred on by my questions regarding age portrayals in Lucky Star and Shugo Chara! (which had been, in turn, inspired by a previous post of his). Matt’s whole post is worth reading, but I wanted to address one point in particular, because it is near and dear to my heart. …

Read More

Red Blinds the Foolish by est em: A-

by

From the back cover:
Rafita is the young, rising star of the bullfighting world known as “The Red Matador.” He has never feared facing a bull since his first kill at the age of twelve. But when he falls in love with Mauro, a butcher who rends the bulls that Rafita kills, his confidence begins to waver. In the matador’s dreams, Mauro (who, like a bull, is colorblind) is, alternately, the bull he faces in the ring and the butcher who carves up his own skewered corpse. Beautifully observed and drawn by est em, the author of Seduce Me After the Show, with a depth of style and passion, Red Blinds the Foolish depicts a complex relationship, and a cultural form, in a place where the sublime and the savage meet.

Review:
Red Blinds the Foolish includes the title story, told in three chapters, and four additional stories, one of which deals with one of the characters from “Red Blinds the Foolish” as a younger man.

The title story is definitely my favorite of the volume. I like the languid mood, the unique setting of Madrid, and the incorporation of some Spanish bullfighting terms. There are some things that transpire between them that I don’t really get, like some things Mauro says to Rafita that apparently drive away his bad dreams and enable him to be a success in the ring again, but on the whole I really like this story. One of the things est em does best is show the guys having intelligent conversations that don’t in any way revolve around romance or their relationship. Like with Seduce Me After the Show, these are grown, professional men with ambitions and skills, and I enjoy when they talk about such things with their lovers.

Three of the remaining short stories are good, but not great. “Corpse of the Round Table” explains the origin of a scar Mauro has as well as how he ended up a butcher. “Baby, Stamp Your Foot” is about a shoemaker who gets aroused when his lovers wear shoes he has made for them. “Tiempos Extra” is about a rabid soccer fan and the stadium security guard who fancies him.

The last story, “Lumiere,” is another that I liked a lot. An old, bedridden man is dictating a story to a younger man. The story is about a choreographer who encounters a phenomenal male dancer, which resonates with the younger man because he, too, is in love with a dancer. Not a lot happens in this story, but it, too, has the languid mood that seems to be what all my favorite est em stories have in common.

Ultimately, I liked Seduce Me After the Show a little more, but this is a very close second.

Hi. My name is Deanna and I’m a mangaholic.

by 33 Comments

It is an honor beyond measure to be invited by MJto be a guest blogger. I have such a deep respect and admiration for MJ’s thoughtful reviews and insightful analysis of manga. Honestly after my initial excitement over the invitation abated a little, I froze for several days in a fit of self-consciousness. But manga means too much to me to pass up this wonderful opportunity to share my love of it with more people.

I cannot promise the eloquence and insight that you have come to expect from MJ, but as so many of my favorite characters say, I will do my best.

…

Read More

NANA volume 14

by 3 Comments

There is little that fills my heart with such joy as a new volume of NANA, though the story itself has gotten pretty troubling. From the back cover:

As Blast gears up for their major label debut, their fan club starts mobilizing. Led by the chic Shion, these ladies are serious fans who won’t let anyone mess with their band. But the fan club has it out for Misato, a maverick fan who has gotten too close to Nana. What will they say when they find out Misato is applying for a job with Blast?!

I find it hilarious that this is what they’ve chosen to talk about on the back cover of this volume, for though this certainly something that happens (sort of) in volume 14, it is so far from being the real drama, it’s almost funny. Real spoilers after the jump. …

Read More

On my way out the door…

by 9 Comments

Just a quick note before I run off to work this morning! Over at Manga Recon, we have a new roundtable discussion about which series we’d like to see licensed over here. As I said in my answer, I’m still playing catch-up on all the series that have already been licensed, so everyone else has much more to contribute than I do. Still, it gave me a chance to talk about Bakuman again. :D My other picks were a couple of older Ai Yazawa series, and Hikaru Nakamura’s Saint Oniisan which I’m dying to be able to share with my mother.

Work and life have been pretty busy this week, so I haven’t had a lot of time to spend on manga, but what time there is, I’ve mainly been spending reading Basara. It reads more slowly for me than most series (I’m a notoriously fast reader), which is a real pleasure, though I’ll be out of volumes soon and need to figure out how to pick up more. You may recall that I was a bit iffy on this series at first, but wow, continuing with it has really paid off. I’m completely enthralled. And Shuri is slooooowly moving toward a place where he may be able to shake off the title I gave him after volume 2 (“The Jerk King”), though I’m not entirely sure how much of that can really be credited to him, and how much is just due to the fact that I’ve now met one who is much worse.

Off to work now. Happy Friday everyone! More later, perhaps!

Princess Mia by Meg Cabot: B

by

From the back cover:
It’s so typical: Mia can’t even attend a performance of Beauty and the Beast with her best friend’s boyfriend without it ending up in the New York Post. And that’s the last thing she needs after her dramatic breakup with Michael.

But that’s the life of a princess. And to make matters worse, Mia’s been asked to deliver a speech for the Domina Rei women’s society—and she has absolutely no idea what to say! Still, being down is no reason for her parents to force her to see a therapist. And just when things couldn’t get any worse, Mia discovers the long-hidden diary of a teen princess and stumbles upon revelations that will make everything else seem like a walk in the park.

Review:
My first inclination is to complain that “nothing much really happens in this book,” but that’s really not true. A good deal happens, but it’s just mostly inner stuff. Mia is still reeling from her breakup with Michael, and stupidly agrees with his suggestion to be just friends, rather than voicing any objections to this plan. She spends a week in bed, and eventually begins parent-mandated therapy sessions that ultimately help her realize that she’s waiting for other people to solve her problems for her. This leads to some good things and some bad things.

I’ve long wondered why on earth Mia likes Lily, when Lily often engages in really crappy behavior. In Princess Mia, Lily is giving Mia the silent treatment for various angsty reasons, and I was happy that this prompts Mia to wonder whether she even wants Lily’s friendship back. Mia’s not portrayed as entirely in the right, though, as Lily’s complaints about Mia aren’t invalid. Mia may not have intended to do various things that hurt Lily, but that doesn’t stop the fact that they happened anyway because of her wishy-washyness. I like that their relationship is not mended by the end of the book, and hope that, in the next and final installment, Mia will realize how she is actually at fault in some measure.

I also liked that, when Mia receives a love confession from J.P., she responds by saying that she needs to take some time to figure out who she is without Michael before she starts going out with someone else. Unfortunately, this doesn’t last long, and by the end of the book, maybe a day or two after her stated need for time, she is seeing him as acceptable “moving on” material and snogging him in a freak September snow flurry. It’s not that I think teen romance needs to last FOREVER AND EVER OMG, but J.P. is just so boring. I can’t imagine that anyone reading this series really wants her to end up with him and not Michael.

While seeing growth from Mia is nice, she’s also incredibly annoying sometimes, like when a week of missing school results in heaps of make-up work and she whines a lot about how unfair it is. She also continues to be oblivious to obvious things, like J.P.’s feelings and the fact that Boris has been in communication with Michael. I guess I just didn’t find her very likable this volume, even though she definitely made progress.

Cabot’s writing style also continues to be annoying. Here’s an example:
1. Mia goes on a shopping trip with two popular girls from her school, Lana and Trisha.
2. Then she goes to hang out with Tina fewer than ten pages later.
3. Mia does not tell Tina about the outing “You know, with Lana and Trisha.”

Um, yes, I do happen to recall that! It was fewer than ten pages ago! I am not a moron. I seriously think Cabot has a word count that she’s contractually obligated to meet, so she just sticks those kinds of needless reiterations in as padding.

Princess Mia is not bad, and I appreciated the emphasis on inner growth. The challenge ahead for Forever Princess is an interesting one—it should be atypical and feature Mia realizing that she is responsible for allowing certain things to happen but be typical and satisfying by having her back with Michael at the end (or, at least, not dating the dull J.P.). At least, that’s what I want to see.

Ash vs. Shahryar

by 4 Comments

That title makes it sound like a new fighting game, or a superhero comic, but there it is. :) I said in my last post that there was a lot I had to say about Han SeungHee and Jeon JinSeok’s One Thousand and One Nights that didn’t make it into my Manga Recon review, and one of those things was elaboration on a particular statement from the review. I said at one point, regarding the relationship between the two main characters in the story (Sultan Shahryar and his “Scheherazade,” Sehara):

“Their relationship is reminiscent of that between Ash Lynx and Eiji Okamura in Akimi Yashida’s classic shojo manga, Banana Fish (though more overtly sexualized), as both stories feature a pure, open heart coming to the rescue of a man with too much blood on his hands.”

More than that would have been out of place in the review, but I’d like to discuss it further here. The truth is, Sehara and Eiji are very much alike, and both of them are of a particular type that draws me to a story like Touya Akira to a goban. My “bullet-proof” character-type if you will. Both are unusually pure of heart, but in a wonderfully understated kind of way that fills me with delight.

Ash and Shahryar, however, though each a fearsome leader with a bloody history, differ in one especially significant way that I’ll explore after the jump! …

Read More

A few quick links

by Leave a Comment

First of all, I’m glad I stopped using LiveJournal as my main blog a while back, considering the news that is circulating today. I’m posting this mainly for those of you who are reading on the LJ-mirror of this blog, but also to whine about how I’m going to have to spend time making sure I backed up all the freakin’ fanfiction, most of which I was hoping never to look at again. Oh, *sigh*. On the heels of this news, Squeaky has posted over at InsaneJournal to reassure users of that site’s financial stability.

Secondly, Deb Aoki has added a poll about 2008’s new shonen manga to go along with yesterday’s shojo poll. Both polls are open for several weeks, so there’s even time to read up on what you’ve missed! Apparently there is a seinen poll coming up too! Keep your eyes on about.com!

Lastly we come to my main reason for this entry, which is to point you all toward my full-length review of the first six volumes of One Thousand and One Nights, a manhwa retelling of the 9th century classic, over at Manga Recon. I’m especially excited about this review, because I hadn’t heard much about the series before I was sent the review copies, and I completely fell in love with it, which was pretty damn exciting. I’m sure this will happen many more times as I continue at Manga Recon, but after such winners as Hanky Panky and Make Love & Peace it really was an intoxicating experience.

I actually have a lot more to say about it than I could fit in the review, so I may talk more here later on. For now, check out my review!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight 3 by Drew Goddard: C

by

From the back cover:
A team of Japanese vampires who can transform into wolves, panthers, and fog attack the Slayer compound in the highlands of Scotland, stealing Buffy’s mystical scythe—the weapon that transformed thousands of young women into Slayers. Unable to fight these mysterious new foes, Buffy sends Xander to see his old friend—the only vampire known to possess these incredible powers—Dracula.

Review:
I really disliked the “Wolves at the Gate” arc when it was coming out, but it works a little better when read all in one sitting, and with the stand-alone issue “A Beautiful Sunset” as an introduction. “A Beautiful Sunset” itself is quite good. In it, Buffy warns Satsu about the dangers of being in love with her, and has an encounter with the Big Bad, Twilight. I love that Twilight asks Buffy whether all of these additional Slayers have actually helped her in any way, and she can offer no response.

“Wolves at the Gate” spans issues twelve to fifteen, and it’s here where things start to get kind of annoying. How so? I’ll bust out the bullet points. Warning: full of spoilers.

* The Buffy/Satsu publicity buzz. Even though Joss insists that Buffy’s hook-up with a fellow Slayer was not a publicity stunt, you could’ve fooled me. There were reports of comic shops being told to stock up in advance on this one because it would be popular, and all kinds of interviews and stuff being given. I also don’t like that we never see how the two of them got to that point. Without that, I just can’t buy Buffy being attracted to a girl.

* Dracula. I am so tired of Season Eight bringing back random characters from the show. Please focus on the core group! Oh, and he supposedly lost his powers to this bunch of Japanese vampires by gambling.

* Andrew’s lecture on Dracula, during the course of which he says that Xander and Dracula have been letter-writing pals and that, after Anya died, Xander went to live with Dracula for a while. Um, what the hell?! This is stupid and retconny and entirely only there so that “Antique,” a short story Goddard contributed to the non-canon graphic novel Tales of the Vampires and which features Buffy coming to Dracula’s castle to retrieve Xander after this period of cohabitation, can become canon. I cry foul. (Note: Not that Andrew is at all a reliable source, but his comments are not contradicted.)

* Renee’s fate. Okay, yes, I never see these things coming, but jeez. Enough is enough. A happy ending for a couple would be more surprising these days.

* Mecha Dawn. Quite possibly the dumbest thing in this series yet. Why on earth would the Japanese vampires take the time to construct a Dawn mecha? What’s more, they have programmed it to say things like, “I cry a lot.” So they’ve, like, also taken the time to try to learn things about Dawn and her life? Probably this is supposed to be funny, but I think it’s incredibly stupid.

On the plus side, there is some good dialogue. When I first read these issues, I was peeved that Willow wasn’t mad at Buffy for taking advantage of Satsu’s feelings, but now their conversation on the subject works a bit better for me. There’s also lots of good Xander dialogue plus liberal use of the hand gestures Nicholas Brendon always employed. Too, I love Buffy’s reaction at the end of the fight upon hearing that the vampires are fleeing: “So chase them. No prisoners. Seal off the streets. Cut them down as they flee. Kill every single one of them.” Now that’s good continuity with Season Seven Buffy.

So, no, Wolves at the Gate is not a good arc. It has some good moments, but far too much of it is irksome. On its own, it earns a C-; the score for the volume is a bit higher because of “A Beautiful Sunset.”

Random lunchtime notes

by 4 Comments

It’s always disorienting to return to work after a long vacation, and today I’m finding myself yawning much more than usual and having to think too much about routine tasks. I spent most of my vacation enjoying family time, eating too much, reading manga, and writing reviews! The reviews will be turning up at Manga Recon over the next couple of weeks, beginning with today’s Manga Minis, where I review the unremarkable Make Love & Peace from Aurora/LuvLuv, and Yen Press’ whimsical 11th Cat Special.

Vacation also gave us time to binge on Shugo Chara! anime, which just becoming more and more charming. I definitely need to give the manga another chance.

Speaking of manga, I should have a number of volumes of Basara waiting for me when I get home today. I can’t believe I’ve proceeded so slowly with this series, but now that I have some new volumes on the way, I can’t wait to dig in! On one hand, it’s intimidating to think about how many classics I need to catch up on, but on the other hand, it’s wonderful to think about how much great reading I have ahead of me.

And speaking of manga I have to catch up on, Deb Aoki has a poll going on at about.com to determine readers’ favorite new shojo manga for 2008! I haven’t read enough to vote, but I’ll be keeping tabs on the results to help me decide what to catch up on first!

Make Love & Peace

by Leave a Comment

By Takane Yonetani
Luv Luv Press, 224 pp.
Rating: Mature (18+)

College sophomore Ayame is dating Koichi, who is a cop. They have a loving relationship and a very active sex life, which would be even more active if only Kiochi’s work did not constantly interrupt them in bed. Kiochi worries about protecting Ayame, and Ayame worries about Koichi’s safety on the job. Various people come into their lives to keep the story going (criminals, family members, and so on), but the plot is not much more than a vehicle to move from one sex scene to the next. Still, the volume is readable and provides some sweet, if clichéd, moments.

Both of the main characters fulfill the roles set up for them by their gender stereotypes, but with a bit of slack that makes them more likable than they might be otherwise. Koichi is very protective and possessive of Ayame, though warmer and more nuanced than that would suggest. He also appears to be a generous lover, more often than not. Ayame is using college primarily as a time-killer until she is able to get married, but she displays more independence than might be expected. Both are good, kind people who always do the right thing and never stay angry, leaving the other characters who turn up with the job of providing any necessary conflict.

The art is pleasant, though not especially distinctive, and some of the explicit sex scenes become vague in places.

Despite its warm characters and serviceable storytelling, Make Love & Peace never rises above its genre to become anything more than mundane romance.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Review originally pubished at PopCultureShock.

Life of me.

by 8 Comments

I’ve always thought you can tell a lot about a person just by looking at his/her desk. I was looking at mine just now, and I thought it revealed quite a bit about me.

Details after the jump! …

Read More