manga

Bigotry as bad business

May 28, 2009 by MJ 54 Comments

As I’ve poked around the manga blogosphere over the past few days, I’ve found myself developing a number of Opinions (with a capital “O”). Whether this is a good thing or not remains to be seen, but it is the kind of thing that compels me to blog and so here I am. Opinion, the first:

This morning I followed a link from Brigid Alverson’s mangablog to an article on the Yaoi Press blog regarding an issue they had experienced recently with a printer, Docucopies, who refused to print their Yaoi Coloring Book due to images they found “disturbing.” …

We Were There, Volume 4

May 27, 2009 by MJ 5 Comments

We Were There, Vol. 4
By Yuki Obata
Published by Viz Media

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“Why do people make promises they can’t keep?”

After hastily announcing that she was ready to have sex with Yano at the end of volume three, this volume opens with Nana in a state of abject terror as she’s faced with actually doing the deed. Reassured by Yano’s unexpected sweetness, she shakily plunges in only to be interrupted by the return of Yano’s mom before anything can really happen. Though this is somewhat of a relief for Nana, Yano immediately begins trying to raise money for a love hotel which Nana manages to stall by suggesting they save up for something nicer. The volume’s charmingly awkward beginning becomes more troubled in later chapters when Nana finally persuades Yano to tell her the truth about his association with his ex-girlfriend’s sister, Yamamoto. Yano’s past with Yamamoto, however, is not nearly as difficult for Nana as the discovery of his lingering feelings for his deceased ex, revealed in a stunningly poignant scene at the end of the volume.

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Manga Minis, Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 18

May 26, 2009 by MJ 2 Comments

Just a couple of quick links to reviews offsite! First of all, I reviewed DMP’s yaoi one-shot Awaken Forest for this week’s Manga Minis. In more exciting news, I just posted a review of volume 18 of Fullmetal Alchemist (reprinted here after the demise of CSBG), which still stands as one of my favorite series of all time.

Since FMA 18 was released last week, I picked it up at the Comicopia booth at Anime Boston, and it took me all of, oh, two hours before I gave in and headed to the manga library room to read it. Oh, Fullmetal Alchemist! I know I’ve already gone on and on here about how fantastic a storyteller Hiromu Arakawa is, and how I think the series is tragically underrated despite its popularity. But. Gah. I have to say it again. Hiromu Arakawa is a great storyteller of our time, and if you’ve avoided Fullmetal Alchemist for some reason, you are seriously depriving yourself of something special. If you’ve only watched the anime (which is great, yes) you honestly have no idea what you’re missing. If you think you don’t like shonen manga, try it anyway. You won’t regret it. FMA transcends its genre. Don’t let 50,000 cosplayers scare you away!

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 18 By Hiromu Arakawa Published by Viz

At the end of volume seventeen, Winry had been brought to Fort Briggs by the ever-slimy Kimblee as a means of controlling the Elric brothers, both of whom display how much they’ve grown over the course of the series by handling the situation with surprising restraint. Al, still locked up in the Briggs brig (yes, I just wanted to say that), carefully waits for his chance to escape while Ed, under orders to carry out mass murder (or else), chooses to put aside pride, bravado, and the ever popular lying-to-people-for-their-own-protection in favor of just straightforwardly telling Winry what’s going on. Meanwhile, Lt. Hawkeye has discovered a chilling truth about President Bradley’s young son–one she can’t reveal even to Colonel Mustang. As the volume continues, Ed and Al encounter Scar once again with whom they must form an uncomfortable alliance, and Al experiences an even more disturbing encounter–with his own physical body.

Though it is a matter of characterization more than plot, the most exciting aspect of this volume is actually Ed’s willingness to be fully honest with Winry about her role in Kimblee’s machinations, something which he surely would have tried to “protect” her from earlier in the series. This actually puts Winry in a position to make her own informed decisions on well-earned equal ground, and though it may not (and does not) keep her safe, it gives her the opportunity to grow up just as her two childhood friends have, something which will inevitably benefit them all. Already her grounded fortitude is an asset, particularly to Ed, and though she’s in peril once again by the end of the volume, there is no doubt she will continue to lend her strength to both brothers in the future. A romantic future with Ed also begins to feel inevitable (if undeniably distant), assuming they both survive, and this volume contains a surprisingly touching scene in which Winry gives her earrings (too dangerous to wear in the deadly cold outside Fort Briggs) to him for safekeeping, leaving him stammering after her. Arakawa plays this perfectly simple and matter-of-fact, which is somehow much more romantic than any labored, tearful goodbye could ever be. This is actually Winry’s volume all over–another highlight being her confrontation with Scar, the man who killed her parents.

With each new volume, this series gets stronger and stronger. Arakawa’s ability to maintain an incredibly complex plot with multiple locations and dozens of supporting characters, thick with moral and philosophical themes, while still turning out kick-ass shonen-style action sequences (of which there are at least two in this volume) is unmatched in my experience, and her story is as satisfying and honestly moving as anything I’ve encountered in any genre. I tend to consider Fullmetal Alchemist to be the most popular underrated series out there–tragically overlooked despite (or maybe because of) its massive sales numbers.

This volume ends with a sense of strong foreboding, as Al is trapped in a snowstorm, battling the effects of coming in contact with his real body, Winry is headed into a deadly trap, and Ed is stuck playing “human weapon” under Kimblee’s watch. For fans of the series, this volume provides new revelations, strong character development, and some anxious anticipation of what’s to come. For those who have avoided picking up this long-running shonen series, it’s never too late to catch up. Head to your local library before volume nineteen arrives on July 21st!

Moon Child, Volume 1

May 25, 2009 by MJ 6 Comments

Moon Child, Vol. 1
By Reiko Shimizu
Published by CMX

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Art is an aspiring Broadway dancer, struggling to live up to the expectations set for him by family and friends who viewed him as a child prodigy. Deep in the middle of a slump, things are made worse when he ends up in a car accident that injures him. Also involved in the accident was a young boy who, while otherwise uninjured, appears to have lost his memory. Feeling responsible for the boy’s condition, Art takes him in, but it soon becomes clear that the boy (named “Jimmy” by Art) is not normal. Jimmy can move objects around with his mind, frequently involuntarily, and his presence sometimes causes people to see strange apparitions.

…

U Don’t Know Me

May 21, 2009 by MJ 7 Comments

U Don’t Know Me
By Rakun
Published by NETCOMICS

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“I realized that the reason the two of us couldn’t stand forever in the same place wasn’t just because I couldn’t keep up with his height–a height, by the way, which began outgrowing my own little by little.” – Prologue, U Don’t Know Me

Seyun and Yoojin have been close since childhood, raised like brothers by their parents who were best friends–so much so that when Seyun’s father made the decision to take on the debt left by his own father, Yoojin’s parents offered to take Seyun in as their own child to ease his burden. Though Seyun’s father refused the offer and moved his family to a cheaper neighborhood to tough it out, Seyun and Yoojin remained friends, despite the distance and their ever-shifting lives. …

Detroit Metal City, Volume 1

May 17, 2009 by MJ 19 Comments

Detroit Metal City, Vol. 1
By Kiminori Wakasugi
Published by Viz Media

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Soichi Negishi is a kind, polite young man who loves his mother and dreams of being in a Swedish pop band. Unfortunately, he’s ended up as the lead singer of a Japanese evil-core death metal band called Detroit Metal City, in which he must play the part of Krauser II–a crude, angry, death metal god who claims to have murdered his own parents. Though he is exceptionally talented as a death metal god (much to his dismay), Krauser II’s impact on his everyday life is nearly unbearable for Soichi. He can’t be honest with his family (or his dream girl, Aikawa), his own musical ambitions are completely buried, and his metal-crazy manager trashes his apartment, insisting, “We’re going to make you death metal, all the way down to your balls.” Each chapter of this volume illustrates yet another way in which Soichi’s double life destroys everything he cares about, and it does so with increasing hilarity.

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Age Called Blue & the Drabble

May 17, 2009 by MJ 4 Comments

It’s been a big weekend of reviews for me so far, with three posted at Manga Recon (and one that should appear here sometime tomorrow). First of all, I review volume ten of La Corda d’Oro and volume seven of Wild Ones for the On The Shojo Beat column. The greatest treat for me, however, was reviewing est em’s new manga, Age Called Blue, which is probably my favorite work of hers so far, and that’s saying a lot.

Something that strikes me every time I read est em’s work, is how much it reminds me of a fannish form of writing I was very fond of not so long ago–a form known as the “drabble.” A drabble is a complete story told in exactly 100 words (no more, no less). Something I used to enjoy very much (both writing and reading) was a larger story made up of a series of 100-word drabbles, each complete on its own, yet contributing to the larger work. As I mention in my review, all of est em’s larger story arcs (such as “Red Blinds the Foolish” and “Age Called Blue”) are actually series of smaller stories strung together to make a whole, just like those series of drabbles I used to be so fond of, and there is a very specific feel to this kind of storytelling that is unlike anything else. Each piece feels fragile in its brevity–without a single extraneous word or gesture–remove even the tiniest piece and the entire thing shatters. This extends, too, to the larger structure, which would fall apart without its smaller pieces, for though each of them stands on its own, the series itself relies on these small stories in order to maintain its delicate thread. This is the nature of an est em manga. Every word and every panel are so important, even if you just read too quickly the whole thing crumbles from the loss.

Why do I like this kind of story? I don’t know. I know that I’m drawn to the delicate melancholy of a series of isolated moments, but I don’t know why. I also don’t know how it is that I can claim to love this when I’ve gone on and on about how much I want to read epic, multi-volume stories, and how it is these stories that got me into manga in the first place. This is undeniably true. It is indeed long stories that drew me to manga, and they are what keep me involved in the medium to this extent. Perhaps in the end it is just that the work of est em revives in me an old love–one I thought to be dead–in a form that I am still able to appreciate.

Read Age Called Blue. You won’t regret it.

Nabari No Ou, Volume 1

May 15, 2009 by MJ 9 Comments

Nabari No Ou, Vol. 1
By Yuhki Kamatani
Published by Yen Press

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Middle school student Miharu, a quiet loner whose life’s plans extend to the inevitable inheritance of his parents’ okonomiyaki shop, carefully avoids becoming involved in anything that would require him to care about anyone (or anything), or worse, require anyone to care about him. Unfortunately, his dreams of perfect apathy are shattered when he discovers that he holds The Secret Art (shinra banshu)–the power to control everything in creation–inside his own body. …

Comic, Volume 6

May 14, 2009 by MJ 5 Comments

Comic, Vol. 6
By Ha Sihyun
Published by Yen Press

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Volume five ended with turmoil for both protagonist and aspiring manhwa-ga Alice Song and her love interest, established manhwa-ga Patrick Kang. Having not quite escaped the clutches of manipulative queen bee Daria, Patrick lied to Alice about it, only to be shocked by a furious slap in the face from Alice who (unbeknownst to him) spotted them together in the physics classroom at the very worst time possible. Volume six opens with the reintroduction of the infamous piano room “pervert” whom Alice caught dancing half-naked back in volume four. …

Nodame Cantabile, Volume 2

May 13, 2009 by MJ 7 Comments

Nodame Cantabile, Vol. 2
By Tomoko Ninomiya
Published by Del Rey

Nodame Cantabile 2

This volume opens with the introduction of new character Masumi Okuyama, a timpani player with massive crush on Chiaki who sees Nodame as his rival. His initial attack against her consists of various childish pranks, like sending her an ominous chain letter and taping a sign that reads “IDIOT” on her back. Eventually, the two of them become engaged in a competition to see who can procure a Christmas Eve date with Chiaki–a challenge they both lose (or both win, depending on how you look at it). Also introduced in this volume is a new professor of conducting, Maestro Franz von Stresemann–a notorious skirt-chaser who takes photographs of the female students’ underwear, and who creepily pursues Nodame from the first moment he appears. He later forms his own personal orchestra made up mainly of colorful characters and pretty girls chosen without regard to their actual musical talent.

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One Thousand and One Nights, Volume 7

May 11, 2009 by MJ 3 Comments

I have a mini review out at PCS today for volume seven of manhwa series One Thousand and One Nights. This is such a beautiful and well-crafted series, and I could easily have written a full-length review of this volume so I will add some things here that I did not have room to say in my mini. Bonus: I get to say them here with wholly unprofessional abandon. :)

First of all, let me address the new political turn the series has taken, because that’s probably the thing that most sets this volume apart from the others. Though politically and theologically I’m sure it would be easy to poke at some of the author’s statements made through the characters (Sehara, mainly), but to do that would be missing the point. Fiction is all about expressing ideas, which is what the author does here–and very effectively at that. His notes at the back of the book are incredibly revealing, too. “There are always greedy people who have profited from war. They create a reason for war, and the rest of us go along with it. Young and innocent lives are uselessly sacrificed,” he says, mentioning too that at the time of his writing, Korea had the third highest number of soldiers in Iraq (after the US and England). …

Walkin’ Butterfly, Volume 2

May 9, 2009 by MJ 7 Comments

Walkin’ Butterfly, Vol. 2
By Chihiro Tamaki
Published by Deux Press

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Despite Michiko’s new resolve, her path to a career as a model is not progressing easily. She is raw and untrained, and her impatience and unwillingness to try things she doesn’t understand are huge obstacles for her. Fortunately, her desire to impress childhood friend Nishikino provides some fresh motivation and she digs in once again, but though she finally begins to grasp some of what it means to do the job she’s pursuing so relentlessly, it isn’t enough to win over prickly designer Mihara. Meanwhile, Mihara is facing big decisions of his own as he’s offered an opportunity to join a fashion house in Paris, and Michiko’s agent, Tago, fights what could be the end of her career if she’s unable to make something of Michiko.

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Do Whatever You Want, Volume 1

May 7, 2009 by MJ 9 Comments

Following up on my post, Let’s Talk About Manhwa, I’ve been slowly seeking out early volumes of series recommended in comments by readers. This first volume I was lucky enough to pick up at Mangatude and now I’m itching for more!

Do Whatever You Want, Vol. 1
By Yeri Na
Published by NETCOMICS

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Jiwon and Hosoo are best friends dreaming of musical stardom which they’ve sworn to pursue together to the exclusion of all else, including girls. Their friendship is so close that rumors persist that they are involved with each other romantically, but though Hosoo appears to appears to view Jiwon in much the same way as he does a pretty girl (and Jiwon has examined his own feelings for Hosoo with some concern as well), both of them are too focused on family problems and career goals to dwell too much on questioning the nature of their relationship. …

We Were There, Volume 2

May 6, 2009 by MJ 23 Comments

It’s my fortieth birthday today, and as I was pondering what I’d like to post, I decided that there is nothing closer to my heart on a day like this than my distant past, which brings me to a series that feels more authentic to my teenage heart than anything I’ve read in a long time.

We Were There, Vol. 2
By Yuki Obata
Published by Viz Media

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“Beloved. For the first time I understood what that word truly meant in the winter of my 15th year.”

…

Manga Minis & New Look!

May 4, 2009 by MJ 2 Comments

First of all, I have a review in today’s Manga Minis, for DMP one-shot, Live for Love. This was a rough call for me, because while I really dislike one of the common BL elements present in this story (why, why must someone always be raped?) I really enjoyed the rest of it on a fun, fluffy kind of level, much more so than usual for this type of story. So there you have it.

Secondly, and I’m very happy about this, the site has a new look! After seeing Kate Dacey’s fancy new blog, I was inspired to give this place a slightly more professional look, particularly to make it easier for people to find recent reviews. Please drop me a comment or e-mail if you run into any problems with the site!

I’ve got lots of new content coming this week, including new reviews and discussion topics. We should be hearing more from guest blogger Deanna Gauthier in the next month as well! Stay tuned!