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Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Hayao Miyazaki

The Best and Worst Manga of 2022

January 1, 2023 by Katherine Dacey

When I sat down to compose my Best of 2022 list, I was certain I’d compiled a similar one as recently as 2017, only to discover that I hadn’t done so in almost seven years. In looking over some of my earlier efforts, I hardly recognize myself: who was this person with the energy to review 40 or 50 books in a year? Or who thought that Yowamushi Pedal was the best new series of 2015? It felt a little daunting to revisit those lists, honestly, as I’ve often let my blog lie fallow for months at a stretch as I adjusted to a more demanding teaching schedule or a longer commute; I’ve been vowing to “bring back” The Manga Critic for years. Reading other bloggers’ year-end lists, however, inspired me to get back in the saddle and take stock of the manga I loved—and didn’t—in 2022.

Best New Manga: Shuna’s Journey
By Hayao Miyazaki • Translated by Alex Dudok de Wit • First Second
In this deceptively simple work, Hayao Miyazaki creates a richly detailed world filled with beautiful, strange imagery that invites the reader to contemplate where and when the story takes place without definitively answering those questions. Miyazaki’s hero is just as mysterious as the landscapes he crosses; Shuna’s odyssey is not a journey of self-discovery but a practical quest that, despite its myriad hardships, leaves him fundamentally unchanged. Is a he a folkloric hero or a witness to environmental catastrophe? Miyazaki leaves that question unanswered as well, creating a work that’s more ambiguous and less didactic than Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind or Princess Mononoke, but similar in its emphasis on the complex relationship between humans and the natural world.

Best Archival Project: Talk to My Back
By Yamada Murasaki • Translated by Ryan Holmberg • Drawn & Quarterly
“For six years now, I’ve never walked at a pace that was mine,” observes Chiharu, the protagonist of Yamada Murasaki’s sharply observed Talk to My Back. First published in the 1980s, Murasaki’s thirty-six vignettes chronicle the small pleasures and intense disappointments of a middle-class Japanese housewife. Through spare linework and judicious use of blank space, Murasaki conveys Chiharu’s quest to define herself outside the role of mother and wife, documenting Chiharu’s anger, frustration, and alienation in a restrained fashion that suggests how stifled and powerless Chiharu often feels. In a thorough, thoughtful companion essay, translator Ryan Holmberg explores Murasaki’s trailblazing role as an alt-manga creator; Murasaki was one of the first women artists to be featured in the pages of COM and Garo magazines, opening the door for creators such as Akino Kondo and Junko Mizuno. Here’s hoping that Drawn & Quarterly decides to publish more of Murasaki’s work in English.

Best New Sci-Fi Manga: Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou
By Hitoshi Ashinano • Translated by Daniel Komen • Adapted by Dawn Davis • Seven Seas
I’m not sure if I would have been as receptive to Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou five or ten years ago, as its low-key depiction of life in the aftermath of an environmental catastrophe might have struck me as hopelessly twee. With the worst of the pandemic behind us, however, I found the series’ emphasis on small, everyday moments more resonant; Hitoshi Ashinano convincingly evokes the rhythm of everyday life in a world of scarcity, minus the Hobbesian emphasis on violent competition. Alpha, the main character, is an android who divides her time between running a small cafe and roaming the coastline on her scooter, photographing the empty roads and submerged towns as well as the small, vibrant communities where people still find time to hold rowdy association meetings and stage elaborate firework displays. Her efforts to document humanity’s final chapter offer a wistful—and hopeful—meditation on what it means to persevere in the face of uncertainty and change.

Best New Romance: Kowloon Generic Romance
By Jun Mayuzuki • Translated by Amanda Haley • Yen Press
The aesthetic of Kowloon Generic Romance is pure 80s manga—think City Hunter or RG Veda—but the story and characters suggest the work of filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai, as Kowloon focuses on an intense but unconsummated flirtation between Reiko, a real estate agent, and Kudou, her brash, horny colleague. Like Kar-Wai, manga-ka Jun Mayuzuki is as enamored of settings as she is of characters, leading the reader on a languid tour of Kowloon’s shopping districts, cafes, back alleys, and apartment blocks, conveying how densely settled this city-within-a-city truly is. Though there are some minor elements of science fiction in play, the main attraction is the artwork and pacing; Mayuzuki devotes an entire chapter to depicting, in rapturous detail, Reiko’s evening ritual of enjoying a cigarette on her flat’s meager balcony, allowing the reader to experience the moment as Reiko does: a brief, wordless respite from the hustle and bustle of Kowloon.

Best New Comedy: Phantom of the Idol
By Hijiki Isoflavone • Translated by Max Greenway • Kodansha
In this delightfully bonkers series, a grumpy male pop star swaps bodies with the ghost of a former teen idol whose discipline and talent help transform Yuya into a charismatic, telegenic performer. The twist? Yuya’s been possessed by Asahi Mogami, a perky girl whose budding career was cut short by a car accident. The physical slapstick takes the humor in some unexpected directions as Asahi navigates the complexities of inhabiting the lazy Yuya’s body, while the dialogue offers plenty of sly pokes at the music industry, as well as some not-so-subtle reminders that pop stardom can be as grueling as it is exhilarating.

Best Manga I Thought I’d Hate: The Men Who Created Gundam
By Hideki Ohwada, Hajime Yatate, and Yoshiyuki Tomino • Translated by Jason Moses • Denpa
Of all the ways you could tell the story of Japan’s most famous robot franchise, it seems only right that Gundam creators Hideki Ohwada and Yoshiyuki Tomino opted for an over-the-top manga that dramatically recreates key moments in the series’ early history. The prevailing tone is reminiscent of a VH-1 Behind the Music special, complete with sudden reversals and last-minute triumphs; every line of dialogue is delivered with the kind of urgency usually reserved for a nuclear crisis, even when the conversation is focused on the more mundane aspects of creating a hit television show. Interspersed among the chapters are brief but useful essays connecting the storylines to real events, offering readers a more nuanced explanation of how Gundam helped the create the template for modern pop-cultural fandoms around the globe.

Worst Manga I Thought I’d Love: Crazy Food Truck
By Rokurou Ogaki • Translated by Amanda Haley • VIZ Media
On paper, Crazy Food Truck sounded like a blast, a cross between Mad Max: Fury Road and The Great Food Truck Race. In practice, however, Crazy Food Truck was surprisingly dull, serving up fight sequences as unimaginative as the food its hero serves his few paying customers. The central joke might be funnier if Gordon’s menu was so good that people would risk life and limb for his gourmet sandwiches, but when a BLT with mustard is his signature dish, it seems more like a failure of imagination than a real attempt at humor, especially when creator Rokurou Ogaki frequently reminds us that Gordon has mounted a cannon on top of his truck to ward off bad guys. Gordon’s sidekick Anisa is a one-note character, inserted into the narrative primarily for fan service that’s so indifferently executed it’s hard to muster any outrage. I have no doubt this series rocked some reader’s world, but I found it flavorless. (Reviewed at The Manga Critic on 6/7/22)

Worst Manga I Read in 2022: Rooster Fighter
By Sou Sakuratani • Translated by Jonah Mayahara-Miller • VIZ Media
Rooster Fighter is a disappointment: the premise is too slight to sustain a long series, the script is strenuously unfunny, and the storylines are numbingly predictable. In every chapter, the nameless hero wanders into a new town, antagonizes and befriends the locals in equal measure, then kills a grotesque demon that’s been terrorizing the community. About the only good joke in whole series is how the rooster kills demons; anyone who’s lived on or near a farm will enjoy a rueful laugh or two at the hero’s superpower. Otherwise, this series is a total Cock-a-Doodle-Don’t. (Reviewed at Manga Bookshelf on 8/16/22)

Filed Under: Manga, Manga Critic, Recommended Reading, REVIEWS Tagged With: Bad Manga, BEST MANGA, Denpa Books, Drawn & Quarterly, First Second, Gundam, Hayao Miyazaki, Hijiki Isoflavone, Hitoshi Ashinano, Jun Mayuzuki, Kodansha Comics, Seven Seas, Yamada Murasaki, yen press

The Manga Review, 11/4/22

November 4, 2022 by Katherine Dacey Leave a Comment

This week’s biggest news story: Kadokawa has purchased Anime News Network. On November 1st, publisher Christopher MacDonald posted an open letter to ANN’s readership to reassure them that the site’s “editorial independence is contractually guaranteed,” and explain that the biggest changes would be in the site itself, not the content. “KWE will be investing significantly in ANN’s software development,” he noted. “A number of new projects will be launched, and a number of projects that have been stuck in development for way too long will be prioritized.” As expected, reader reactions were mixed, with some posting congratulations, and others voicing skepticism about having a major Japanese publisher as a corporate parent. “Yeah, gonna be tough to trust reviews for Kadokawa stuff now,” opined user Albion Hero. “You can say all you want about ‘we will keep our independence’ but its [sic] been long proven that companies that own sites and magazines don’t like those reviews to be critical of their products… Seen this same song and dance plenty of times in gaming media. All the staff say how good their new corporate overlords are, and how they will keep their independence and all. Then 2 years later all the staff is gone and the site no longer has their original integrity.” They concluded: “Would love to be proven wrong but I’ve seen this story too many times.”

NEWS AND VIEWS

Earlier this week, Seven Seas unveiled a fresh crop of licenses, among them Homonculus, a horror series from the creator of Ichi the Killer; Soara and the House of Monsters, a fantasy manga; and Cat on the Hero’s Lap, a comedy about a warrior whose efforts to save his homeland from destruction are thwarted by a cute cat. [Seven Seas]

In other licensing news, Azuki announced two new acquisitions: BLITZ, a sports manga set in the world of competitive chess, and Zombie Makeout Club, a horror manga about–you guessed it–a teenage zombie. [Azuki]

The October 2022 NPD Bookscan numbers are in, and once again Spy x Family, My Hero Academia, and Chainsaw Man dominated the Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels chart. [ICv2]

Bill Curtis posts a complete list of manga and light novels scheduled for a November 2022 release. [Yatta Tachi]

If you’re an avid sports manga enthusiast, you’ll want to check out the newly launched Sports Baka substack, where you’ll find essays on Hajime no Ippo, Dive!!, Days, Ryman’s Club and more. [Sports Baka]

The Manga Mavericks dedicate their latest episode to Red Sprite, a Shonen Jump title from 2019. [Manga Mavericks]

On the latest episode of Shojo & Tell, Ashley and Asher critique Skull-Faced Bookseller Honda-san. [Shojo & Tell]

Walt Richardson and Emily Myers dissect the October 2022 issue of Shonen Jump. [Multiversity Manga Club]

In keeping with the Halloween spirit, Gee and Ray explore the highs and lows of Junji Ito‘s extensive catalog. [Read Right to Left]

Parents, teachers, and librarians interested in learning more about yokai manga will find Brigid Alverson’s latest article for the School Library Journal a helpful resource; not only does she delve into the history of the genre, she also compiles a list of age-appropriate titles for kids, tweens, and teens. [School Library Journal]

Over at TCJ, Ritesh Babu and Ari Gardner interview Juan Albarran, a Spanish artist who’s currently working with Shoji Fujimoto on Matagi Gunner, a seinen action series about “an elderly rural hunter who proves unexpectedly skilled at video game first-person shooters, and soon becomes embroiled in the colorful world of e-gaming.” [The Comics Journal]

Max explains how BL manga such as Go For It, Nakamura! offered him an alternative model of masculinity. “I could be kind, thoughtful, and cute like the boys in BL anime and manga,” he notes. “Maybe some people wouldn’t understand, but I’d always have BL to reassure me that there was nothing wrong with me, and that it was okay to be myself.” [Anime Feminist]

REVIEWS

It’s a measure of how mainstream Hayao Miyazaki’s work has become that both the New York Times and the New Yorker commissioned reviews of Shuna’s Journey, available in English for the first time this month. Writing for the Times, Susan Napier declares Shuna’s Journey “eerie, enchanting, and surpassingly strange,” while Sam Thielman observes that “Shuna’s Journey moves and surprises because of the reader’s disorientation at being dropped into a world that is both generously detailed and miserly with explanations.”

New and Noteworthy

  • Atom: The Beginning, Vol. 1 (Grant Jones, Anime News Network)
  • The Beginning After the End, Vol. 1 (Kevin T. Rodriguez, The Fandom Post)
  • Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle, Vol. 1 (Azario Lopez, Noisy Pixel)
  • Dandadan, Vol. 1 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • Daughter of the Emperor, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • Delicious in Dungeon World Guide: The Adventurer’s Bible (Antonio Mireles, The Fandom Post)
  • Dinosaur Sanctuary, Vol. 1 (J. Caleb Mozzoco, Good Comics for Kids)
  • Dinosaur Sanctuary, Vol. 1 (Danica Davidson, Otaku USA)
  • Dinosaur Sanctuary, Vol. 1 (Jonathon Greenhall, CBR)
  • Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree (Levi Winslow, Kotaku)
  • The Elusive Samurai, Vols. 1-2 (Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network)
  • The Executioner and Her Way of Life, Vol. 1 (Brett Michael Orr, Honey’s Anime)
  • The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • Hi, I’m a Witch and My Crush Wants Me to Make a Love Potion, Vol. 1 (Kevin T. Rodriguez, The Fandom Post)
  • Romantic Killer, Vol. 1 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • Romantic Killer, Vol. 1 (Kirsten Carey, The Mary Sue)
  • She Likes to Cook, and She Likes to Eat, Vol. 1 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
  • She, Her Camera, and Her Seasons, Vol. 1 (Jalil Shareef, Noisy Pixel)
  • Shuna’s Journey (Danica Davidson, Otaku USA)
  • Sweetness and Lightning, Vol. 1 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
  • Tearmoon Empire, Vols. 1-2 (Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network)
  • To Strip the Flesh (Jalil Shareef, Noisy Pixel)
  • The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, Vol. 1 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)

Complete and Ongoing Series

  • The Detective Is Already Dead, Vol. 2 (Azario Lopez, Noisy Pixel)
  • Fist of the North Star, Vol. 6 (Grant Jones, Anime News Network)
  • Gabriel Dropout, Vol. 11 (Krystallina, The OASG)
  • Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 3 (Jalil Shareef, Noisy Pixel)
  • Kaiju No. 8, Vols. 3-4 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • Solo Leveling, Vol. 5 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
  • Soul Eater: Perfect Edition, Vol. 8 (Krystallina, The OASG)
  • A Witch’s Printing Office, Vol. 6 (Justin and Helen, The OASG)
  • Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, Vols. 5-6 (Justin, The OASG)

Filed Under: FEATURES Tagged With: Anime News Network, Azuki, BL Manga, Hayao Miyazaki, Junji Ito, Kadokawa, Manga Sales Analysis, Seven Seas, Shonen Jump, Sports Manga, Yokai

Miyazaki Talks Manga; Ninja Overload

November 10, 2014 by Katherine Dacey

MiyazakiSamuraiTop

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, legendary director Hayao Miyazaki discusses his current project: a manga about samurai warriors. Don’t hold your breath, however; Miyazaki told Variety that he doubts he’ll finish it. “I wanted to put a lot of  effort into it, ignoring costs, like a hobby,” he tells the magazine. “I thought I’d have free time, but I keep getting project offers.”

As Naruto draws to a close, Jason Thompson attempts the impossible: he’s reading the entire series in 48 hours, recording his impressions as he goes. The first installment is now live, and covers volumes 1-27.

Speaking of everyone’s favorite spiky-haired ninja, worldwide sales figures for Naruto have topped 200 million volumes. Though the lion’s share of books were sold in Japan, fans in 35 countries around the world have purchased a whopping 75 million volumes during the series’ fifteen-year run.

Masashi Kishimoto chats with The Asahi Shimbun about the phenomenal success of Naruto.

The latest installments of Attack on Titan and Black Butler top this week’s New York Times Manga Bestseller list.

Good news for anyone who missed Ode to Kirihito the first time around: Vertical Comics will be re-issuing ten classic Tezuka titles in ebook form.

In other licensing news, Seven Seas announced two more Alice in the Country of… manga, while VIZ added two new titles to its Shojo Beat line-up: Hiro Fujiwara’s Maid-Sama! (formerly published by Tokyopop) and Maki Minami’s Komomo Confiserie.

News from Japan: Io Sakisaka’s Blue Spring Ride is winding down, as is Yukinori Kitajima and Yuki Kodama’s detective series Hamatora.

Reviews: Alexander Hoffman reviews Monokuro Kinderbook, an oldie but goodie from the Fanfare/Ponet Mon catalog. Over at the Infinite Rainy Day, Jonathan Kaharl shares a list of his favorite horror manga, from xxxHolic to Franken Fran.

Nic Wilcox on vols. 1-4 of Alice in the Country of Jokers (No Flying No Tights)
Leroy Douresseaux on All You Need Is Kill (Comic Book Bin)
Alice Vernon on vol. 1 of Barakamon (Girls Read Comics)
Matthew Warner on vol. 4 of Bloody Cross (The Fandom Post)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 12 of Blue Exorcist (Lesley’s Musings on Anime & Manga)
Ken H. on vols. 40-41 of Fairy Tail (Sequential Ink)
Megan R. on Hetalia: Axis Powers (Manga Test Drive)
Kristin on vol. 1 of Kiss of the Rose Princess (Comic Attack)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 1 of Kiss of the Rose Princess (Lesley’s Musings on Anime & Manga)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 23 of Naruto (Lesley’s Musings on Anime & Manga)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 16 of Rin-ne (Comic Book Bin)
Khursten Santos on Sono Otoko Amatou nitsuki (Otaku Champloo)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 7 of Until Death Do Us Part (The Fandom Post)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 1 of Voice Over! Seiyu Academy (Lesley’s Musings on Anime & Manga)

 

Filed Under: MANGABLOG Tagged With: Hayao Miyazaki, naruto, Seven Seas, Vertical Comics, viz media

The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty

January 26, 2012 by Katherine Dacey 2 Comments

Among the many books I read and loved as a child, few left as indelible an impression as Mary Norton’s The Borrowers (1952). The book featured the Clocks, a family of mouse-sized people who lived, unseen, in the floorboards and walls of an old English house, stealing small objects and transforming them into furniture, cookware, and decorations. Norton’s rapturous descriptions of the Borrowers’ home so enchanted me that I still view thimbles and buttons not as human tools, but as tea-cozies and dinner plates for tiny folk.

The Borrowers made a similarly powerful impression on legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, who saw in the Clocks’ resourceful gathering a metaphor for the way ordinary people were living through “chaotic, unsure times.” In 2007, he teamed up with Keiko Niwa to adapt Norton’s story into a screenplay. He then hired Hiromasa Yonebayashi to direct the film version, The Borrower Arrietty, which took nearly three years to complete. (N.B. For the North American release, the film has been re-titled The Secret World of Arrietty.)

Through concept sketches, movie stills, and interviews with Yonebayashi, The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty walks readers through the three-year process of making the movie. We see numerous sketches of Arrietty — sometimes as fierce warrior figure, other times as a round, soft-faced girl — as well as Miyazaki’s first sketches of the Clocks’ tiny home. In every chapter, these rough sketches are juxtaposed with finished images, allowing the reader to appreciate the important role that art directors Noboru Yoshida and Yoji Takeshige played in translating Miyazaki’s ideas into animated sequences. No where is this more evident than in their rendering of the Borrowers’ habitat: the rich color saturation, palpable textures, and intricate patterns make the Borrowers’ world seem utterly real.

Readers should note that the book covers the entire movie, revealing several important plot points. The book also reproduces the complete script — again, something that spoiler-phobes should consider in timing their purchase of The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty. (The film arrives in North American theaters on February 17.) For anyone who’s been impatient to see the film since it was first announced in 2009, or who read and loved Mary Norton’s novel, however, the lush, lovely images in Arrietty are the perfect “trailer” for this much-anticipated film. Recommended.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media LLC. The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty will be released on February 7, 2012.

THE ART OF THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY • BY HIROMASA YONEBAYASHI • VIZ MEDIA • 200 pp.

Filed Under: Manga Critic Tagged With: anime, Hayao Miyazaki, Secret World of Arrietty, Studio Ghibli, The Borrowers, VIZ

The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty

January 26, 2012 by Katherine Dacey

Among the many books I read as a child, few left as indelible an impression as Mary Norton’s The Borrowers (1952). The book featured the Clocks, a family of mouse-sized people who lived unseen in the floorboards and walls of an old English house, stealing small objects and transforming them into furniture, cookware, and decorations. Norton’s rapturous descriptions of the Borrowers’ home so enchanted me that I still view thimbles and buttons not as human tools, but as tea-cozies and dinner plates for tiny folk.

The Borrowers made a similarly powerful impression on legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, who saw in the Clocks’ resourceful gathering a metaphor for the way ordinary people were living through “chaotic, unsure times.” In 2007, he teamed up with Keiko Niwa to adapt Norton’s story into a screenplay. He then hired Hiromasa Yonebayashi to direct the film version, The Borrower Arrietty, which took nearly three years to complete. (N.B. For the North American release, the film has been re-titled The Secret World of Arrietty.)

Through concept sketches, movie stills, and interviews with Yonebayashi, The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty walks readers through the three-year process of making the movie. We see numerous sketches of Arrietty — sometimes as fierce warrior figure, other times as a round, soft-faced girl — as well as Miyazaki’s first sketches of the Clocks’ tiny home. In every chapter, these rough sketches are juxtaposed with finished images, allowing the reader to appreciate the important role that art directors Noboru Yoshida and Yoji Takeshige played in translating Miyazaki’s ideas into animated sequences. No where is this more evident than in their rendering of the Borrowers’ habitat: the rich color saturation, palpable textures, and intricate patterns make the Borrowers’ world seem utterly real.

Readers should note that the book covers the entire movie, revealing several important plot points. The book also reproduces the complete script — again, something that spoiler-phobes should consider in timing their purchase of The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty. (The film arrives in North American theaters on February 17.) For anyone who’s been impatient to see the film since it was first announced in 2009, or who read and loved Mary Norton’s novel, however, the lush, lovely images in Arrietty are the perfect “trailer” for this much-anticipated film. Recommended.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media LLC. The Art of The Secret World of Arrietty will be released on February 7, 2012.

THE ART OF THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY • BY HIROMASA YONEBAYASHI • VIZ MEDIA • 200 pp.

Filed Under: Books, Manga Critic, REVIEWS Tagged With: anime, Hayao Miyazaki, Secret World of Arrietty, Studio Ghibli, The Borrowers, VIZ

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