Manga Connection

Changes~!

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:11:51 -0400

Three exciting updates:

1. New layout! I wanted to get away from the default theme and make my blog look more like a blog. There are a few things I need to tweak, namely the missing forward and back buttons (for now, check the archive, but I should have that fixed shortly). Check out the sidebar, and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter.

2. I’m now an official manga writer/reviewer at Organization Anti-Social Geniuses. I’m pretty new at reviewing, but decided to give it a shot. I’ll be posting weekly; check out my first review of Drifters, volume 1:

Part history, part fantasy, and all fast-paced action, Drifters has all the ingredients to become a great manga, but feels disjointed in this first volume. The “from the creator of Hellsing” bit makes this series an understandable license, but without a basic knowledge of the important figures in Japanese history one has to wonder if some important nuances in the story are going to be missed by the casual English reader.

3. I won free manga! (This may be the first time ever.) Thanks to The Manga Critic, I’ll be receiving the first volume of Vertical’s The Flowers of Evil, and the first volume of Dark Horse’s Gate 7. I’ll definite be reviewing these series when they reach my doorstep!

Love, an Incoherent Fan (or “Three Reasons Why I Love The Viz Signature Line”)

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:57:48 -0400

I’m extremely excited about this month’s Manga Moveable Feast topic – Viz’s Signature imprint. I’ve been so excited in fact, that I haven’t been able to come up with a coherent topic for the Feast all week, despite racking my brain. What makes it even more difficult is that, in preparation for the Feast, I counted all the series from the imprint that I have at least one volume of. I came out in the neighborhood of 20.

I suppose that speaks volumes (ha!) in and of itself. The imprint is really just that awesome. Since an MMF post with just the sentence “THIS IS AWESOME!” written over and over again isn’t especially compelling, I racked my brain a little harder for some reasoning behind my love affair with the line. I came up with three.

3. The Horror

While some of Junji Ito’s work is published elsewhere (Dark Horse has Tomie) Viz has two great series of his in the line: namely, Uzumaki and Gyo. Uzumaki (literally “spiral”) deals with seemingly random spirals appearing all over a small town and slowing driving the inhabitants mad. Uzumaki deals with… fish with legs running amok. Initially the concepts seem silly and supremely unscary, but what Ito seems to do best is make the mundane unsettling. A man is so tormented by spirals he becomes one, while a woman is so afraid of spirals she gouges out her ears. And I’ll admit to already thinking fish are icky (tasty when cooked, though), but give them mechanical legs and the ability to burst through walls and I’m wishing I hadn’t read the book at work. At the end of both series I found myself thinking, “Could something like this really happen?” (Note: I couldn’t help but wonder if this was infinitely scarier to the Japanese population with fish seemingly a popular food. Your food is growing legs and killing you!)

Are you listening Viz (or any publisher for that matter)? I WANT MORE HORROR MANGA. (Or at least more Ito…)

2. The Diversity

A quick wiki of most of the Signature series I own lists the demographic as overwhelmingly seinen. Still, the range of subject matter is so wide – wheelchair basketball in Real, a school filled with historical clones in Afterschool Charisma, a role reversed take on Japanese history in Ooku, or a retelling of an old Tezuka favorite in Pluto – that there’s something in the gigantic catalogue for everyone. If I get sick of reading one title, I can pick up another series from the same imprint that has an entirely different feel. Sometimes you can’t get this with Shounen Jump or Shojo Beat.

1. Urasawa, Urasawa, and more Urasawa

Besides Naoko Takeuchi, Naoki Urasawa of Monster fame is the only other manga creator I hope to one day meet. Years ago, I stumbled across some scanlations of Monster, read a little, and then pushed it out of my mind. Years after that, I picked up the first volume in the store and flipped through it. Realizing it was the manga I randomly stumbled upon years earlier (and shocked that it was licensed), I snagged all the volumes they had. I LOVE this manga. I think it’s important to say here that I am no history buff by any means, so I missed a lot of the deeper layers and allusions to real events. Even lacking a honed critic’s eye and knowledge of the context, I loved this manga to pieces. While the ending fizzled a little for me, it was the tension, the ride Urasawa took us on over the course of 18 volumes that forever cemented this manga in my heart.

Urasawa’s tension-building was at its best though in Pluto, an eight volume retelling of one of the “Godfather of Manga’s” Astroboy stories. Not only was that manga one of the few to make me tear up, it was also one of the few that made my heart race at the cliff hangers. I remember telling someone, “It feels like I’m watching a movie!” Again, I lacked any sense of context, having not read the original Tezuka story Pluto was based on, and I still loved this manga. Once I catch on my 20^th Century Boys backlog, I expect to be as enthralled by that as well.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Viz Signature Line made me love manga again. It came at an in-between stage as a manga fan; not in high school anymore, out of my teens, what’s there for me to read? Editor’s Choice, Signature, IKKI all wrapped in one brought me back to the hobby I loved again. That’s why I’m sad to see the line slightly neglected nowadays, especially the IKKI variety. Viz! You have readers! We’ve grown up, and while Blue Exorcist and Bakuman sit happily on my shelves, Monster is nestled right next to them. We will gladly take more if you give it to us.

This piece is a part of the April 2012 Manga Moveable Feast, hosted by The Manga Critic.

Jiro Taniguchi MMF: A Zoo in Winter

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 22:08:00 -0400

This month’s Manga Moveable Feast features the works of Jiro Taniguchi, a creator I only know by name. I was excited to dive into someone completely new to me, and a quick search of my local library system turned up three choices — the first volume of The Times of Botchan, Samurai Legend, and the A Zoo in Winter. I remembered the last of the three getting a little buzz before it came out; I always enjoy a good coming of age story (being at that age, I suppose) so I snagged A Zoo in Winter and read it slowly throughout this past week.

The story focuses on nineteen year old Hamaguchi, who’s recently moved to Kyoto. Not exactly sure where he wants to go in life (or how to get there), Hamaguchi has spent the last six months working at a fabric wholesaler delivering merchandise to retail stories, all the while dreaming of becoming a manga artist. He doesn’t seem particularly passionate about his current job (but doesn’t seem to outright hate it either), and makes no obvious moves to break into the manga biz. With seeming no driving force or passion – typical in that fuzzy time between schooling and being established – things simply “happen” to Hamaguchi. In reading A Zoo in Winter, I thought it was interesting that three particular happenings – Ayako, Kondo, and Mariko – eventually cause Hamaguchi to find his own driving force in life.

The first thing to “happen” to Hamaguchi is the boss’s daughter, Ayako. The talk of the office, Ayako’s husband has given her the dump, presumably after finding out she’d been having an affair. Ayako seems less than apologetic, and her humiliated father (the ex-husband came from a family of textile makers, surely a divorce didn’t help business) demands a chaperone. Not one to protest, Hamaguchi eventually becomes Ayako’s full-fledged chaperone. Annoyed at first, it becomes obvious Hamaguchi enjoys Ayako’s company. Hamaguchi even goes so far as to try and find information on Ayako’s lover, Tsuruta, though I wasn’t sure of the motives behind this — romantic feelings, perhaps? On one final outing to the zoo on a cold winter day, Ayako asks Hamaguchi to follow her to a specific spot — where Ayako’s lover, Tsuruta is waiting.

Naturally Ayako elopes, which makes things prickly at Hamaguchi’s job. He’d let Ayako “get away”; rumors swirled that he’d even helped her do so. Confiding in his friend Tamura about his job woes, this leads to the second thing to “happen” to Hamaguchi — the manga artist, Kondo Shiro.

Eager to help Hamaguchi (who’s “really gifted at manga,” apparently) Tamura sets up a meeting (in Shinjuku, I believe) between a manga artist acquaintance of his — Kondo Shiro — and Hamaguchi in hopes that Hamaguchi can land an assistant gig. What Hamaguchi experiences is no less a “trial by fire”; thrown into the mix right before deadline, Hamaguchi is introduced to the other assistants — Moriwaki; Fujita; the female editor, Higashino — as well as the lively Mr. Kikuchi. Hamaguchi is immediately put to work with adding finishing touches to the manga. Overwhelmed, nervous, but awed by the energy of the group, Hamaguchi manages to quickly find a home at the manga studio. He socializes a bit more (even getting drunk at a bar) and finds himself swept up in the energy of the city and his co-workers.

An important interlude comes in the form of an unexpected visit from Hamaguchi’s big brother (giving him the familial validation for his chosen career and acknowledging him as an adult), followed by the final thing to “happening” to Hamaguchi — Mariko. The younger sister of a lady friend of Mr. Kikuchi and very sickly, Mariko isn’t able to get out much. Hamaguchi is again cast in the chaperone role. Prior to meeting Mariko though, Hamaguchi had been struggled to finish a manga of his own about a boy who gets sucked into the world of a picture book and has to save a princess. Pretty standard fare, but it becomes the crux of the Hamaguchi and Mariko’s budding relationship. Hamaguchi opens up about his writer’s block and Mariko is full of ideas. Ideas and inspiration are just what Hamaguchi needs (and the thrill of a new crush certainly helps) and he works to finish the manga just for Mariko. When Mariko and Hamaguchi’s relationship hits a roadblock, Hamaguchi is forced to confront his own feelings – ranging from love, selfishness, and general insecurity — in order to find his own passion and to see things through until the end not only for Mariko, but for himself.

Taken a whole, this is a nice coming of age story. I was a bit bored initially, but things picked up during the “Big Brother” arc as I realized just how Hamaguchi was being forced to buck up and finding a driving force within himself. What’s ironic is how much Hamaguchi’s passivity annoyed me initially. Hamaguchi reminded me of a leaf in the wind, allowing himself to be blown whichever way fate saw fit. Why he could take the reins of his own life almost made me dislike Hamaguchi. At the end I realized the real rub – Hamaguchi reminds me a lot of myself. Hamaguchi lack of direction seems so true to life; most don’t wake up one morning and decide to be a doctor or a lawyer, so it takes a bit of bumping around, tripping, random happenings, and just general growing up to get onto a road you can eventually be pleased with.

I think it would be great to revisit the story a few years from now and see my viewpoint then. For now, I would say I’m satisfied enough to check out more of Taniguchi’s work – A Distant Neighborhood, or The Walking Man, perhaps?

This piece is a part of the March 2012 Manga Moveable Feast, hosted by Manga Worth Reading.

Today I Read: A lot.

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:20:00 -0400

My daily reading log fell off big time, but here’s what I’ve read since:

Old Boy - Volumes 1-8

Paradise Kiss Volumes 1-5

From Far Away - Volumes 1-3

xxxholic - Volumes 1-2

Emma - Volume 8

No Longer Human - Volume 3

Dengeki Daisy - half of volume 9

Evyione - Volume 1

Whew! Will have to try and keep this thing daily so the list isn’t so long!

More Manga: Dengeki Daisy

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:14:00 -0400

Dengeki Daisy - Volume 9

As a guilty pleasure series of mine, I always try to get the newest Dengeki volume as close to release date as possible. I thought the backstory in the last volume went on way too long (I loved that the characters joked about that at the beginning of the volume), so I’m glad to see more Teru and Kurosaki this volume.

Thoughts: Where is your manga community?

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:00:37 -0400

Here’s something that’s been running through my head for a bit: What is the manga (or anime) community like where you live, if there is one?

For me personally, I specifically starting blogging because I really like manga, but I’ve yet to find a community of sorts to really get into my hobby and discuss it. I live in Kentucky, and while not the manga capital of the world (despite popular belief, I know) I live in a decent sized city that has things like a university anime club, manga at libraries, and anime clubs at the library. Still I’ve yet to feel a sense of community outside of the internet.

I’ve always imagined the mecha of manga fandom to be centered on the West Coast and New York City, with their Bookoffs and Kunokuniya’s and Viz’s and Tokyopop’s. I figured that was the place to be. Any time I go out of town anywhere, I google to see if the place I’m visiting has anything manga (or anime) related. I’d like to visit California one day, where I’m sure streets are lined with pages of manga. :)

What do you all think? Is there an area in the country (the United States, that is) “best-suited” for an manga fan? Is there a sense of community outside of the internet? If not, can it be created?

Thoughts: Why I Like Vertical

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:25:06 -0500

I can’t remember how I became familiar with Vertical, Inc. I think the first series of theirs I bought was 7 Billion Needles, so pretty recent. After that it was Twin Spica (which I’m so, so painfully behind on). I got the sense just from those two series that Vertical was a little different; they didn’t have a ton of manga out like Viz, but the manga they did publish seemed interesting and varied. I was sort of reminded of Viz’s Signature imprint, in that Vertical’s manga seemed a bit more adultish. After a while, you want something a little more than your standard shounen fighting fare and shoujo love triangles. (Though I love those things, too.)

Still, I didn’t fall in love with Vertical. Yeah, I liked their stuff and all, but since I was a Tezuka newbie I didn’t feel the rush to run out and buy everything Vertical.

No, what made me fall in love about Vertical is their social networking, their Twitter and Facebook (d’aww Twin Spica cover photo!).

To be fair, other companies have these things and ultilize them to interact with their customers/fans. But for some reason, I feel like Vertical really listens, that those Facebook comments and tweets directly affect what’s on the shelves.

And maybe I’m biased, but the first time I commented on Vertical’s Facebook (excitement over a picture of a new volume, I think) they commented back with the in-store datein under a minute. Now hey, maybe someone just happened to be sitting on Facebook and could answer comments quickly, but I remember thinking, “Wow, a publisher is talking to me, a random fan.” Except I notice this with a lot of comments — Vertical responds. Now maybe other companies don’t have time (or don’t feel the need to answer questions like, When is volume 5000 of random shounen series coming out?” or “Why can’t you license [insert random series dropped by different publisher]?”) or it could be because Vertical fans/consumers tend to be older and more patient/understanding/not prone to capspeak demands, but the fast response has enamored me.

I also like how Vertical updates about the licensing process. This is really cool. Occasionally they’ll tweet asking for license requests, and obviously sometimes the answer is “no.” Still, they explain why: sometimes politics with Japanese publishers, other English manga publishers have stronger ties, etc. Watching Vertical’s tweets has literally sent me searching online to learn about the major Japanese publishers and their respective magazines. Heck, Vertical’s licensing chatter has even taught me what English publishers best to request certain titles I’m interested from, based on their specific ties with certain Japanese publishers.

As for upcoming series I’m looking forward to from them, definitely Flowers of Evil and Sakuran. Oh, and Dororo! And I desperately want to read MW…

Right now Vertical is fielding for the licensing season, so go cast your vote if there’s a series you’ve been eyeing!

More Manga: Old Boy, No Longer Human, Paradise Kiss

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:21:26 -0500

Old Boy - Volumes 1-8

No Longer Human - Volume 3

Paradise Kiss - Volumes 1-5

My most recent manga purchases consisted of two bargain manga bundles: $50 for all of Old Boy and $30(!!!) for the out of print Paradise Kiss. Paradise Kiss technically hasn’t arrived in the mail, though.

Super excited to see the ending of No Longer Human. I read the final volume at work, and I remember shaking my head and thinking, “Oh no, no, no,” a lot. Three volumes was the perfect length for this series; they felt like “acts” in a play. Because I wrote about the first two volumes of the series, I’d like to write about the last some time this week. It really is one of the best manga I’ve read; I wonder if the book holds the same feeling of impending dread throughout.

I pretty much plowed through Old Boy in two days minus the last two volumes, and that’s only because I accidentally left them at work over the weekend. Ilovethis manga. I started reading it and thought, “Oh, I have to blog about this volume by volume,” but I wound up plowing through four volumes in one day. I will admit it doesn’t seem like the re-readability of this series is very high; everything leads up to finding out why Goto was imprisoned, so once that comes to light I’m not sure one would be able to get any new insights by re-reading it. But the ride is great, really. I can see why the Korean movie was so popular (and is on my to watch list).

So much great manga~

Osamu Tezuka MMF: The Good Ol' Doctor

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 22:57:00 -0500

My second Manga Moveable Feast posed an intimidating topic for me: The “God of Manga,” Osamu Tezuka. Considered the father of manga, I can’t help but know who Tezuka is but I admittedly hadn’t been exposed to any of his work up until a few months ago.

Organization Anti-Social Geniuses posed the question earlier this week that got my mind going: How were you introduced to Tezuka?

My answer: Black Jack.

I just happened to stumble across three random volumes of the series at my local Half-Price Books a few months ago, and finished half of the first volume before I even left the store. If anything, Tezuka knows how to entertain. So for the MMF, I decided to (mostly) re-read the first volume of the series and post some general thoughts.

Black Jack seems like a mostly episodic series, and the first volume contains twelve of the doctor’s adventures. The first story, “Is There A Doctor?” quickly lets the reader know that while Black Jack is enigmatic, unlicensed (and later, always demanding ridiculous fees), he’s not without a sense of justice. When the son of well-known tycoon is injured in accident, the father goes as far as to have a random bystander implicated and sentenced to death, all so Black Jack can have the spare body parts to save his son’s life. Black Jack completes the operation, but warns the tycoon that “I won’t bear responsibility for what happens afterwards.” While I don’t want to spoil things for people that have yet to dive into the series, Black Jack’s sense of “justice” (and ominous warnings) add little twists to stories that always keep them fresh.

Other stories in the volume give a little of Black Jack’s background. “In Something Like Pearls,” Black Jack is receives a strange object in the mail from someone with the initials J.H. — Jotaro Honma. Not only is Honma Black Jack’s mentor and a fellow doctor, he also saved Black Jack from near death as a child, later inspiring our hero to follow in his follow in his occupational footsteps. Now dying, Dr. Honma has a few secrets of his own to admit to Black Jack before he goes…

Did I mention that Black Jack’s side kick Pinoko (or “the wife” as she prefers to be called) is fashioned from…a tumor? And somehow, it works within the story and doesn’t seem completely outlandish. If that not a series selling point, I don’t know what is.

By far my favorite story of the volume — and one that reminds me of the time period this was written in and that I take issue with — is “Confluence.” (Spoilers follow for this one.) Black Jack receives a call from a Dr. Kisaragi, an old friend. Black Jack quickly grabs his things — including an old photo album with pictures of woman — and rushes off to meet Kisaragi in Yokohama. When a (jealous) Pinoko pries Black Jack about the woman in the photos, he admits she’s an old lover, and the sister of the Dr. Kisaragi Black Jack is to meet. Jealous, Pinoko runs off and later bumps into Kisaragi and he tells the tale: Black Jack and the woman in the photos, Megumi, worked together in the same medical department. Black Jack is outwardly cold to her, but Megumi notices his kindness: an umbella left behind whenever it rains. Eventually, Black Jack saves her from a group of thugs she walks home. They fall in love, but it’s not meant to be: Megumi has uterine cancer. All of reproductive organs need to be removed if there’s any hope of saving her, and Black Jack demands to do it himself. As romantic as it all seems to be, Black Jack (or Tezuka, I can’t tell who’s narrating here) remind us that, “The uterus and ovaries secrete crucial hormones that define a woman’s sex. To have them removed is to quit being a woman.” Ouch, Tezuka. Not only that, but even Black Jack love confession before the operation is marred: “I’ll say this while you’re still a woman, Megumi, I love you with all my heart!” Sigh. A sign of the time, perhaps? Regardless, with one final kiss, Black Jack operates, and we’re unsure of the outcome. And while that definitely pulled me out of the story (and still bugs me) the ending is a good twist: Black Jack finally gets the photo album to Kisaragi, saying, “I forgot to give you this album, with old pictures of you.” The editor’s note at the bottom all but seals it, noting “Kisaragi’s first name, “Kei,” and “Megumi” are alternate readings of the same Chinese character.”

Aha, tricky. Despite it’s dated-ness, I look forward to more of the doctor’s entertaining adventures, and more of Tezuka.

More Manga: xxxholic, Sugar Sugar Rune, Sailor Moon novel

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:24:01 -0500

My manga reading/buying has slowed down, but a trip to Half-Price turned up some bargains:

xxxholic - Volumes 6-9, 11, 14

Sugar Sugar Rune - Volume 1

Sailor Moon Novel 2: The Power of Love

xxxholic was a surprise find with each volume for five bucks. I’m really enjoying reading this series.

I read a review, a blurb, or something recently about Sugar Sugar Rune that made me want to pick it up. I like Moyoco Anno and have a seen a little of the Hataraki Man anime and enjoyed it. I think her art style takes a little getting used to, but from what I can tell it works well for Sugar Sugar Rune.

And lastly, while the Sailor Moon novel is obviously not a manga, I couldn’t resist it for 50 cents. I suppose it was a nostalgia thing for me; I still have the first novel that I got as a kid. I’ll have to sit down and read through those.

Today I Read: Emma, A Bride's Story, Kimi ni Todoke

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:39:00 -0500

Semi-daily reading log:

Emma - Volume 7

A Bride’s Story - Volume 2

Kimi ni Todoke - Volumes 9 & 10

We’re in the midst of the slow season at work, so I’m able to read manga to pass the time. I finished off the last volume of Emma in the main story arc today, and while I’m sad to see it end, I’m sure Mori does an excellent job with these last three volumes of side stories, too.

I’m equally engrossed by Mori’s other series, A Bride’s Story, so I decided to knock out the most recent volume of that. Things definitely intensified way more than the first volume, but I’m glad say that Mori does action scenes as well as she does everything else. I’m a little sad it looks like we’re tagging along with Smith in the next volume to meet another bride, as I’d gotten attached to Amir. I’m sure the upcoming third volume will be a worthwhile read regardless, but we’ll have caught up to the Japanese releases; after that, we probably won’t see another collected volume of A Bride’s Story for awhile. Sigh.

Kimi ni Todoke I adore, but had started to fall into the backlog abyss. Not from lack of interest, far from it. I actually hated being read all the way up to the newest release because that means I’d have to wait, so I purposely lagged a few volumes behind. I actually had to refresh my memory a bit by re-reading half of volume 8. Without spoiling too much, volume 10 gives you exactly what you’d be hoping for, filled with plenty of squee worthy moments of girlish glee. I still have two more volumes waiting on me!

This daily logs are really encouraging me to stay on my manga reading toes; soon the backlog will be no more!

More Manga: Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor Moon, xxxHolic

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:02:46 -0500

Sailor Moon - Volume 3

Cardcaptor Sakura - Omnibus 1

xxxHolic - Omnibus 1 (Volumes 1-3), Volumes 4-5

My weakness for cheap manga knows no bounds (at least while I still have the money for it). I found a used copy of the out of print xxxholic omnibus for 7 bucks on Amazon, and snagged the other two volumes for about that much.

I’d been meaning to pick the new Sailor Moon up for a bit now.

The Cardcaptor Sakura omnibus ensnared me at the bookstore one day; gosh it’s so pretty in omnibus form. I have 6 of the old Tokyopop/Mixx ones too, but wow, Del Rey did such a good job with this re-release. All the color pages. I want to lend this to young children and make them manga fans, I do. The subtleties of the some of the relationships are even more squee-worthy now that I’m an adult.

Today I Read: Cardcaptor Sakura, Eternal Sabbath, Please Save My Earth, xxxHolic

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:54:00 -0500

Semi-daily reading log:

Cardcapter Sakura - Omnibus 1 (about two chapters or so)

Please Save My Earth - Volumes 3 & 4

Eternal Sabbath - Volume 3

xxxHolic - Omnibus 1 (one chapter)

Please Save My Earth is good, pulling me in for sure. I’m already going back to previous books and exclaiming “How did I miss that!” while trying to keep everyone’s Moon/Earth personas straight. So much easier to do when you’re not pulling them in random chunks across library branches.

A bit of an accidental CLAMP kick, too.

Today I Read: A Devil and Her Love Song, Please Save My Earth, Eternal Sabbath

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:11:26 -0500

I suppose it’s best to actually read the manga I buy, so nothing like a semi-daily log:

A Devil and Her Love Song - Volume 1

Please Save My Earth - Volumes 1 & 2

Eternal Sabbath - Volumes 1 & 2

Eventually, I like to post short daily blurbs about what I read, but since I’m a bit pressed for time tonight I’ll have to hold off. Admittedly though, Eternal Sabbath is actually a re-read. I love that series so much, but bought about half of the volumes as they came out, meaning I haven’t touched it in years. PSME begs a bit a slow read, because keeping everyone’s Earth and Moon names straight is tripping me up even in the first volumes. And like I noted earlier, A Devil and Her Love Song was about as good as I was expecting, but I feel like I need a few more volumes to really get into the story.

Gonna try to knock out Eternal Sabbath 3 before hitting the hay.

More Manga: A Devil and Her Love Song, Blue Exorcist

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:02:03 -0500

A Devil and Her Love Song - Volume 1

Blue Exorcist - Volume 6

I went to the bookstore earlier this week in hopes that A Devil and Her Love Song (a new Viz Shojo Beat property) would be in-store a tad early (it’s not due out until the 7th, Tuesday). Surprisingly it, along with the newest volume of Blue Exorcist (also officially due out on the 7th) were on the shelves a little early, so I snagged them both.

I went ahead and breezed though A Devil and Her Love Song a little earlier; I like it, but I definitely need two more volumes or so to be completely sold on it. Not sure if the story is going to continually revolve around Maria getting harrassed or what. Hmm.

Thoughts: 3-in-1 editions

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:00:00 -0500

Yesterday on both Twitter and Facebook, Viz posed the question: “Shojo Tuesday - Which title would you like to see in a 3-in-1 edition?”

First, I love that Viz does the whole “more bang for your buck” thing. Thank you, Viz.

That being said, I’ll be honest: I prefer the VIZBIG editions as opposed to the smaller 3-in-1’s. A good example of a series that I loved having a VIZBIG for is Hot Gimmick; I wavered on the series (I know it’s reputation…) but the VIZBIG sold me. I also love the VIZBIGs for series with really detailed artwork and a crazy amount of volumes. See: Vagabond. I don’t hate the 3-in-1’s, but I really don’t care for the cheaper, sort of off-color paper, like in the newest Naruto and Kekkaishi releases. Cross Game was the perfect merger to me; nice white pages, not too big to hold in your hand. (Granted, that was the ONLY format CG was released in, and not a re-release like the other series mentioned.)

So the question I would really like to answer: What series (regardless of publisher) would you like to see in omnibus format?

I’ll go with 5 series:

Blade of the Immortal: I already own this series, but I would buy it all over again if we got a big, beautiful omnibus release of some sort. I guess we’re lucky the series is even still being released, given how long Dark Horse has been at it (over 10 years!), but the art so deserves an omnibus. If I woke up tomorrow to a Dark Horse press release proclaiming BoTI omnibuses, I might actually shed a tear.

xxxholic: I’ve borrowed this series from the library a few times over the years, enjoyed it. Watched the anime, enjoyed it. The series is wrapping up at about 18, 19 volumes I think, and it’s just so late to get in the game and collect them all. There was an omnibus of the first three volumes (that’s out of print now), so someone, please omnify this for me. I will buy it.

Swan: I never even knew I missed CMX, and then the library put this series in front of me. I love Swan. It’s so, so old school shoujo, something I haven’t seen a lot of here in the States. How it even made it over here in the first place is beyond me, but thank goodness it did. Not only do I want this series omnified, I WANT IT FINISHED. Please?

Emma: Apparently libraries loved CMX, because last week or so I ran across this series there. Now I’m trying to stop myself from throwing down ridiculous amounts of money just to own an out-of-print set. Mori does such a good job of capturing the day-to-day moments that may seem mundane, but ultimately define the relationships between characters. Emma’s pretty short at 10 volumes (and only 7 are actually the main story) but I would love to see Mori’s art blown up, maybe even in hardcover like her newest A Bride’s Story. If Yen Press picked this up again, I would send them a handwritten letter in the mail thanking them. Hopefully that will be convincing enough.

Basara: This series is so out of print, it’s crazy. It’s so epic and the art is so busy and different. Another library gem. I can’t even make a coherent statement to argue this series needing an omnibus (and nothing less than a VIZBIG, nothing less) because the series is really that great. This was my official response to Viz’s Facebook and Twitter question, and surprisingly, it popped up in a lot of other people’s comments, too.

What manga would you all like to see in omnibus format?

Thoughts: My First MMF, Twitter, etc.

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:00:00 -0500

I was really excited and nervous (thus why I put it off for most of the week) to submit for this month’s Usamaru Furuya Manga Moveable Feast (a monthly manga book club on a chosen topic, basically) hosted at Experiments in Manga, but I made it my goal to do and I did. I always feel like my thoughts are scattered, if not a bit random, but it was still a lot of fun. The Feast Archive is really worth checking out.

I hope to participate next month, but the topic is daunting: Osamu Tezuka. My exposure him is really limited, but darnit if I don’t like Black Jack a whole heck of a lot. I’m not sure where I’ll go with that in the Feast, but my library carries a lot of Tezuka so I can always try to dig into some of his other work.

I also have a Twitter under the same name, so feel free to follow me.

And because it looks like someone actually knew it existed, I have a Wordpress blog under the same name as well. That’s where I originally started when I got bitten by the manga blogging bug, but my enthusiasm for long form blogging fizzled quickly. I feel like my manga related thoughts come in short bursts, but with a full-fledged blog like Wordpress I felt more compelled to make long in-depth posts that literally took me hours. Tumblr’s a bit easier for me, and I actually look forward to making posts. I also think that I’m just lazy.

In the same vein, I don’t consider myself much of a manga reviewer. I thought about giving it a shot (mainly as a way to justify how much manga I buy and ease my guilt), but right now I think trying to be in depth about every volume I pick up would burn me out quick. I’m not ruling it out for later, but now I’m just having fun wading my way through the community as more a participant and less as a lurker. It’s been fun so far!

Library Stacks: Dr. Slump, Emma, Evyione

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:23:27 -0500

Dr. Slump - Volumes 4 & 5

Emma - Volumes 3-9

Evyione: Ocean Fantasy - Volume 1

I am obsessed with Emma. Snagging the six volumes actually took two separate trips to the library; thank goodness the branch a block from work had volumes 5-9. Sometimes I feel a smidge odd going in the library and snagging manga; a few of the branches include manga in there “teen hangout” areas, and a teen I am not (no matter how I may look). Either way, I couldn’t help but be tickled when I lugged up my Emma volumes and the librarian exclaimed, “This is the series I’ve been wanting to read! I like how it’s so vintage.” I assured her that it was a really good series.

I could gush about Emma here and now, but I think it deserves a post later in the week.

Dr. Slump surprisingly appeals to the nine year boy in me, volumes 1 and 2 had me stifling laughter at work. Despite being about my age when the series got rolling, Toriyama captures kid humor so well. It’s so hard not to love all the characters, and I’m assuming the cast only gets bigger as the series progresses. Volume 3 didn’t happen to be at the branches I visited though, so I’ll have to check a few others to fill the gap.

As for Evyione: Ocean Fantasy, literally everything I know about this series comes from this guest post at Manga Bookshelf. I didn’t even know the library had this, but it just so happened to be sitting next to Emma and I remembered the post. The art caught my eye, so I figured I’d give it a shot.

I can’t sing the praises of my local library enough, really. All this manga for free.

More Manga: Please Save My Earth

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:19:00 -0500

Please Save My Earth - Volumes 1-6, 10, 14-15, 17-20

This may be one of the best used manga finds ever. Thirteen volumes of the super out of print Please Save My Earth, for two dollars a piece. Thank you, Half-Price Books. I do wish they’d had the whole run (perhaps they did and I missed them) but hopefully I can fill in the gaps from the library.

Can I mention that the volumes are in perfect condition? I’ve read some of the series through the library, but I’ll admit to be excited about owning some really cool out of print manga for really, really cheap. I almost want to donate them to the library to help fill some gaps in their collection, but right now I’ll just bask in their 27 dollar glow.

Edit: It looks like some of the volumes are still available on Amazon, so the series may not be as “super out of print” as I thought! Ahaha, still, nailing some of the missing volumes looks like it won’t come as cheaply!

Usamaru Furuya MMF: We're All A Little Human

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:00:00 -0500

My first Manga Moveable Feast! I’ve lurked in the manga blogging community, but this is my first contribution, so hopefully it’s not too terrible!

Having no prior familiarity with the original No Longer Human novel that Usamaru Furuya’s manga adaption is based on, I picked up the manga for two reasons: a) I liked Lychee Light Club b) the premise for the original novel — a young man alienated from other human beings, having no idea to relate to them genuinely — seemed like a personal struggle I could identify with and appreciate. It turns out I could relate to the main character Yozo, but it left me with some uncomfortable feelings.

“I also need to pay attention to my teachers. I make sure to give the wrong answers at critical moments. A perfect student isn’t popular. I need a bit of slipping up in order to be liked.” — Volume 1, p. 15

For someone who didn’t necessarily feel an innate understanding of or connection to other human beings, Yozo’s calculated displays of emotions seemed learned to perfection. Having learned social rules as an “outsider” (almost like he studied them), it seemed easy for Yozo to manipulate people’s perceptions of himself. Soon, he was a class clown, popular with women and well-liked. At the same time, I couldn’t helped but feel sorry for Yozo; it was clear early on he’d suffered some trauma at the hands of his father, and his constant inner battle to appear perfect and agreeable all the time seemed like it would wear on anyone. I thought, “Yozo just wants everyone to like him,” and I found myself rooting for and relating to Yozo, ultimately thinking that Yozo would connect more and more genuinely with people as the volume progressed.

Instead, Yozo “calculated displays of emotions” were used to survive. He seemed to care less about whether people liked him as opposed to using people in order to sustain himself. This became apparent when Yozo met Misaki in the middle of the first volume; Misaki is kind (it’s obvious she has a crush), buys Yozo food and a laptop, and eventually has sex with Yozo; Yozo on the other hand seems this than taken with her and more excited that he “scored a laptop.” Even with Ageha, I find it odd that Yozo just so happened to be sitting outside in the rain right after her work shift ended; another warm bed to get him through the night. Everything with Yozo seems calculated just right to take advantage of whatever situations and people arise.

The more I read, the more I felt like an “outsider” to Yozo; a voyeur almost, not unlike the Usamaru character in the manga as he scrolled through the “Ouch Diary.” “This is awful,” I thought. “How can anyone manipulate people like this?” My feelings of disconnect with Yozo especially intensified with the mother and child arc in the second volume. Shiori, the daughter, quickly gets attached to Yozo; the mother, Shizuko, admits that she loves Yozo, despite his drinking, apathy, and generally being a leech. At this point, I thought Yozo was downright pathetic, caught in a downward spiral I wasn’t sure he even cared to escape from.

Realizing he’s in far too deep emotionally, Yozo leaves the mother and daughter for good, escaping to a bar run by an older lady that he’d recently began to frequent. It’s here that Yozo makes me re-think his entire character: “If God exists and if he’d listen to the prayer of scum like me, just this once in my life, I pray this — May those two find happiness. Some modest happiness.” Yozo isn’t trying to hurt anyone, he isn’t completely with feeling — he’s simply surviving the only way he knows how.

And in retrospect, maybe everyone else is too. For me, Yozo seemed so dislikeable because of how calculated all of his actions were. Had things simply happened, would I have liked Yozo more? How are his actions any worse than the Shizuko’s, who knew Yozo didn’t love her? Did Misaki buy things and lavish attention on Yozo because she wanted a boyfriend? Did Ageha keep seeing Yozo because she was lonely? None of these things excuses Yozo’s actions and outright manipulation, but it struck me that the character that feels less than human was so aware of how his actions affected other people, while the other characters in his relationships simply reacted to their own feelings, wants, and needs. It’s here I realize that I’m left with uncomfortable feelings towards Yozo. Yozo is a manipulator and takes advantage, no doubt, but how many of us acknowledge it like he does? Does that make him any better or worse that us — no longer human? These are questions I could mull over a long time.

That being said, the end of the second volume gives the sense that Yozo is redeemable, but whether he’ll get the chance to be is doubtful. Now I’m glad I’m not terribly familiar with the source material so the ending will be a surprise. Thanks for this one, Vertical.