SERIES UPDATE
Wow.
I was sorta expecting after the first volume for the series to take a sharp turn downhill, into the land of suck. Because often that is how stories end up, that the girl would go crazy and start debating back and forth, or what have you. I am not saying that the series breaks bold new ground -- they do have the mandatory so-sick-with-a-cold-he-passes-out storyline, and the everyone-goes-to-an-amusement-park-storyline -- but what happens are events I can sorta see happening, in that time of your life when everything seems so important and life as you know it hangs by a thread. And the problems people have don't just come from everyone not talking to each other and refusing to even attempt it, but make some sort of sense. You do not have to completely suspend your disbelief to follow this series and enjoy it. You just need to take it out for a night on the town and ply it with sake for a little bit.
Kayano and Takeru move closer together, but Takeru has severe mother abandonment issues which I sense are going to come up, and may turn into a wedge because no girl likes being compared to her mother. Ignore the covers, they are attractive but meaningless and do not represent anything story-wise.
I know people gave CMX in general a bad rap, but if you want a shoujo series that treats the creepy guy who professes love at the drop of a hat as actually creepy rather than annoyingly cute -- which seems a little more connected with reality and with a girl that seems almost normal and sane -- try this.
style="font-family:verdana;">such a way that you don't really think about it until you try to break it down. The secret of Neo is revealed -- and it's something more complicated and more reasonable than just a prehistoric creature -- and how this ties into Misaki's own background. The series ends with a mild recommendation. I wanted to give it a stronger recommendation due to the story and the characters, but the lack of background is holding it back.
The Devil Does Exist vol. 2 and vol. 3 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Mamotte! Lollipop, v. 1
By Michiyo Kikuta
Published in the U.S. by Del Rey Manga
Dishonorable Mention
The way our heroine (Nina) keeps going on about wanting a boyfriend who would protect her, you'd think she was living in Iraq. The story goes on to hit every shojo stereotype: she's swept up into a competition, there's two guys competing for the lead role, they suddenly transfer to her school, several people are clinically insane and obviously unqualified for the powers they're wielding, we go to a hot springs resort and play towel games, people keep asking about Nina's hairstyle, and on an on and oh, wait, this all happened because she accidentally swallowed the magic pearl. You know what? It should only take about 24 hours for this problem to fix itself.
This book is rated for 13+. I'd like to think that 13-year-olds are smarter than this.
Mamotte! Lollipop vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Del Rey Manga
Dishonorable Mention
The way our heroine (Nina) keeps going on about wanting a boyfriend who would protect her, you'd think she was living in Iraq. The story goes on to hit every shojo stereotype: she's swept up into a competition, there's two guys competing for the lead role, they suddenly transfer to her school, several people are clinically insane and obviously unqualified for the powers they're wielding, we go to a hot springs resort and play towel games, people keep asking about Nina's hairstyle, and on an on and oh, wait, this all happened because she accidentally swallowed the magic pearl. You know what? It should only take about 24 hours for this problem to fix itself.
This book is rated for 13+. I'd like to think that 13-year-olds are smarter than this.
Mamotte! Lollipop vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
The Gentleman's Alliance Cross, v 1
Story and Art by Arina Tanemura
Released in the U.S. by Viz Shojo Beat
Slugline: Is being sold really that fun for tween girls?
Okay, bankruptcy laws in Japan must be horrible, because so many of the characters in anime get into their situations because of debts and so on. Either that or lawyers in Japan have an even worse reputation there than I thought. Plus, Japan must have not only imported European school systems, but also European concepts of nobility (despite having their own already.) Though their nobility is a very American one, you are rich because you are good, therefore if you are rich you deserve to be in charge. Ugh.
The only somewhat redeeming feature that the main character Haine has is that she can occasionally kick ass. But it's a aspect of her sordid past, something I wish she would have kept because she has every right to be angry at her situation, even angry at the boy she likes because he pretended to be gay to avoid entanglements.
The details of the world are well constructed and the art is nice, but it is like a building with no rules, or asking "How did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?" There is no real point. Maybe it cleans up later in the series, but this is one of those manga that I had to force myself to finish, and whose details immediately started fading from my mind as if to protect itself as soon as I put it down.
I don't give out Dishonorable Mentions like Miranda, but this is as close as I have ever gotten to giving one.
The Gentleman's Alliance Cross vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Released in the U.S. by Viz Shojo Beat
Slugline: Is being sold really that fun for tween girls?
Okay, bankruptcy laws in Japan must be horrible, because so many of the characters in anime get into their situations because of debts and so on. Either that or lawyers in Japan have an even worse reputation there than I thought. Plus, Japan must have not only imported European school systems, but also European concepts of nobility (despite having their own already.) Though their nobility is a very American one, you are rich because you are good, therefore if you are rich you deserve to be in charge. Ugh.
The only somewhat redeeming feature that the main character Haine has is that she can occasionally kick ass. But it's a aspect of her sordid past, something I wish she would have kept because she has every right to be angry at her situation, even angry at the boy she likes because he pretended to be gay to avoid entanglements.
The details of the world are well constructed and the art is nice, but it is like a building with no rules, or asking "How did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?" There is no real point. Maybe it cleans up later in the series, but this is one of those manga that I had to force myself to finish, and whose details immediately started fading from my mind as if to protect itself as soon as I put it down.
I don't give out Dishonorable Mentions like Miranda, but this is as close as I have ever gotten to giving one.
The Gentleman's Alliance Cross vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Thursday, April 19, 2007
King City, v.1
by Brandon Graham
Published by Tokyopop
Slugline: The future of slackerdom is full of strange tech and cool cats.
The art has a retro feel and it's set in a future that is weirdly different, yet the characters are completely human and familiar. Joe and his cat, and his friend Peter who wears Mexican wrestling masks, hack their way through life doing errands and odd jobs on the fringes of organized gangs and larger evils. Joe's ex-girlfriend Anna and her new boyfriend make cameo appearances that are sure to be a set-up for later adventures.
The cat in particular is a bit of strange, unexplained fun that must be taken at face value or not at all: the cat is alien, smart, and with a juice injection can do almost anything. In fact, a great deal goes unexplained in King City, but since our characters are so easy to get along with, I'm quite willing to wait until later volumes.
This is an OEL book, left-to-right reading, and the art is a funky manga-by-way-of-R. Crumb that contributes to this book's quirky science-fiction flavor. I'm pretty annoyed that Amazon doesn't have a cover to show you. Hey, T'pop, fix that!
King City vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published by Tokyopop
Slugline: The future of slackerdom is full of strange tech and cool cats.
The art has a retro feel and it's set in a future that is weirdly different, yet the characters are completely human and familiar. Joe and his cat, and his friend Peter who wears Mexican wrestling masks, hack their way through life doing errands and odd jobs on the fringes of organized gangs and larger evils. Joe's ex-girlfriend Anna and her new boyfriend make cameo appearances that are sure to be a set-up for later adventures.
The cat in particular is a bit of strange, unexplained fun that must be taken at face value or not at all: the cat is alien, smart, and with a juice injection can do almost anything. In fact, a great deal goes unexplained in King City, but since our characters are so easy to get along with, I'm quite willing to wait until later volumes.
This is an OEL book, left-to-right reading, and the art is a funky manga-by-way-of-R. Crumb that contributes to this book's quirky science-fiction flavor. I'm pretty annoyed that Amazon doesn't have a cover to show you. Hey, T'pop, fix that!
King City vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
The Devil Does Exist, v. 1
By Takanashi Mitsuba
Released in the U.S. by CMX
Slugline: A girl chooses between two guys and makes her intentions clear to them?!? Is this even a manga?
Kayano is about to admit her feelings to Yuichi in the standard shoujo form of a letter when the school bully, Takeru, intercepts said message before delivery. Takeru is untouchable in the school because his father is the principal. (Which makes me wonder about Japanese schools: is there any particular reason a school principal would need Men In Black?) Unfortunately, Takeru's father and Kayano's mother are dating and have become engaged, which will make them siblings. Start the hapless confusion music here, as the standard romantic triangle follies begin. But Kayano admits to herself that while they may be fun to read about in manga, they suck when you are living through them and she makes a decision and starts implementing it by the end of the first volume.
Yes, the girl makes a solid decision. Like I said, is this even a manga? I'm glad they skipped the endless vacillations that are often the whole point of shoujo and make the girls seem weak-willed and the guys like saps for putting up for it. And then making decisions that cause just as much tension, if not more, than not. Now we get to see what the characters are really made of, how driven they really are, when what drives them is not some genetic imperative (like how some girls in manga are always perky no matter how depressing the situation) or constant indecision. There are some interesting little artistic devices, but the author is trying something interesting here, which bumps this above most other shoujo in my opinion.
The Devil Does Exist vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Released in the U.S. by CMX
Slugline: A girl chooses between two guys and makes her intentions clear to them?!? Is this even a manga?
Kayano is about to admit her feelings to Yuichi in the standard shoujo form of a letter when the school bully, Takeru, intercepts said message before delivery. Takeru is untouchable in the school because his father is the principal. (Which makes me wonder about Japanese schools: is there any particular reason a school principal would need Men In Black?) Unfortunately, Takeru's father and Kayano's mother are dating and have become engaged, which will make them siblings. Start the hapless confusion music here, as the standard romantic triangle follies begin. But Kayano admits to herself that while they may be fun to read about in manga, they suck when you are living through them and she makes a decision and starts implementing it by the end of the first volume.
Yes, the girl makes a solid decision. Like I said, is this even a manga? I'm glad they skipped the endless vacillations that are often the whole point of shoujo and make the girls seem weak-willed and the guys like saps for putting up for it. And then making decisions that cause just as much tension, if not more, than not. Now we get to see what the characters are really made of, how driven they really are, when what drives them is not some genetic imperative (like how some girls in manga are always perky no matter how depressing the situation) or constant indecision. There are some interesting little artistic devices, but the author is trying something interesting here, which bumps this above most other shoujo in my opinion.
The Devil Does Exist vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Tactics, v. 1
by Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama
Published in the U.S. by Tokyopop
Slugline: Kantarou and his enslaved spirits try to pay the bills by... well, they actually only do one exorcism, if you can call it that...
The back of the book says this manga "influenced the popular anime" so I'm guessing whoever wrote the anime had a better grasp of story structure and somehow managed to make Kantarou sympathetic. Because one bishonen tengu isn't going to carry loosely plotted stories with annoying and/or cardboard characters very far.
The tengu himself, Haurka, is the only real bishie in the book and he spends all his time either throwing hissy fits or whining about his tea bowl. Kantarou has no qualms about manipulating these spirits that he has enslaved, and he claims that he is trying to help spirits as a whole. But as I said, he really only helps one person -- maybe two, if you overlook all of the religious flimflam that was involved.
What saves this from a Dishonorable Mention is folklore content, even though it's revealed in awkward bits in between awkward plotting. The translator's footnotes at the end are especially informative, to the point where I have to assume the dialog is crummy because the translator didn't have much to work with.
Tactics vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Tokyopop
Slugline: Kantarou and his enslaved spirits try to pay the bills by... well, they actually only do one exorcism, if you can call it that...
The back of the book says this manga "influenced the popular anime" so I'm guessing whoever wrote the anime had a better grasp of story structure and somehow managed to make Kantarou sympathetic. Because one bishonen tengu isn't going to carry loosely plotted stories with annoying and/or cardboard characters very far.
The tengu himself, Haurka, is the only real bishie in the book and he spends all his time either throwing hissy fits or whining about his tea bowl. Kantarou has no qualms about manipulating these spirits that he has enslaved, and he claims that he is trying to help spirits as a whole. But as I said, he really only helps one person -- maybe two, if you overlook all of the religious flimflam that was involved.
What saves this from a Dishonorable Mention is folklore content, even though it's revealed in awkward bits in between awkward plotting. The translator's footnotes at the end are especially informative, to the point where I have to assume the dialog is crummy because the translator didn't have much to work with.
Tactics vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Murder Princess, v. 1
By Sekihiko Inui
Published in the U.S. by Broccoli Books
Slugline: For a title called Murder Princess, she is not doing a lot of murdering, and technically she isn't even a princess, she is a queen.
Murder Princess does suffer from one really silly conceit in the beginning: that by falling and bonking their heads together, a tough-as-nails female bounty hunter and a princess fleeing a coup would end up exchanging souls. Sure, I am willing to take some weirdness, but it is just there, dropped into the story. If we can get past that, there is an actually a not-half-bad story here, though for some reason it does feel more like a Saturday afternoon special than anything else. You have the recurring villian, a mad scientist who has created two incredibly cute but incredibly deadly robots disguised as children to do his bidding. Whenever we need a random threat to illustrate some aspect of a character's personality, said trio conveniently show up to wreak some destruction before having to flee.
There is some sort of prophecy being floated that Falis, the bounty hunter in Alita's body, is going to destroy the kingdom, but it doesn't really seem to drive the plot, and how she ends being paid to help protect the kingdom is a little threadbare. The action scenes, on the other hand, are decent, and if you are willing to overlook the plot holes, it is reasonably entertaining.
Murder Princess vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published in the U.S. by Broccoli Books
Slugline: For a title called Murder Princess, she is not doing a lot of murdering, and technically she isn't even a princess, she is a queen.
Murder Princess does suffer from one really silly conceit in the beginning: that by falling and bonking their heads together, a tough-as-nails female bounty hunter and a princess fleeing a coup would end up exchanging souls. Sure, I am willing to take some weirdness, but it is just there, dropped into the story. If we can get past that, there is an actually a not-half-bad story here, though for some reason it does feel more like a Saturday afternoon special than anything else. You have the recurring villian, a mad scientist who has created two incredibly cute but incredibly deadly robots disguised as children to do his bidding. Whenever we need a random threat to illustrate some aspect of a character's personality, said trio conveniently show up to wreak some destruction before having to flee.
There is some sort of prophecy being floated that Falis, the bounty hunter in Alita's body, is going to destroy the kingdom, but it doesn't really seem to drive the plot, and how she ends being paid to help protect the kingdom is a little threadbare. The action scenes, on the other hand, are decent, and if you are willing to overlook the plot holes, it is reasonably entertaining.
Murder Princess vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Paintings of You
By Mia Paluzzi and Chris Delk
Published by Iris Print (Release date: June 6, 2007)
Slugline: Claude likes Ben likes Beatrice likes Hero likes John likes Honey who is actually a bizarre rag doll... okay, that part's a little strange...
Everybody knows the standard relationship-misunderstanding trope: our overwrought hero/ine overhears and/or misunderstands something the Lust Object says, mentally blows it all out of proportion and silently flagellates him/herself for dozens or hundreds of pages because they can't possibly say anything to anybody.
Imagine my shock when not only was the relationship misunderstanding extended to every member of the cast, but our hero (Claude) actually gathers information from Ben's friends (but since they misunderstand too, it's the wrong information) and realizes there's been a misunderstanding.
All this plus good art, snappy dialog and some insightful, honest portrayal of the inner agony of artists (someone is speaking from experience, methinks.) I'm giving this four stars and I don't even like straight-up romances, as a rule, since they all end the same.
Porn content: two boy-on-boy kisses, both well earned. There's no rating on this promo copy, so I'm basing the rating tag on the fact that there's nothing remotely nasty in this book unless you're violently homophobic.
- Miranda
Published by Iris Print (Release date: June 6, 2007)
Slugline: Claude likes Ben likes Beatrice likes Hero likes John likes Honey who is actually a bizarre rag doll... okay, that part's a little strange...
Everybody knows the standard relationship-misunderstanding trope: our overwrought hero/ine overhears and/or misunderstands something the Lust Object says, mentally blows it all out of proportion and silently flagellates him/herself for dozens or hundreds of pages because they can't possibly say anything to anybody.
Imagine my shock when not only was the relationship misunderstanding extended to every member of the cast, but our hero (Claude) actually gathers information from Ben's friends (but since they misunderstand too, it's the wrong information) and realizes there's been a misunderstanding.
All this plus good art, snappy dialog and some insightful, honest portrayal of the inner agony of artists (someone is speaking from experience, methinks.) I'm giving this four stars and I don't even like straight-up romances, as a rule, since they all end the same.
Porn content: two boy-on-boy kisses, both well earned. There's no rating on this promo copy, so I'm basing the rating tag on the fact that there's nothing remotely nasty in this book unless you're violently homophobic.
- Miranda
Series Update: Chikyu Misaki, v. 2 & 3
SERIES UPDATE
For a manga, this seems to be a rather short series, done in three volumes. Something I would like to bring up is that the lettering at times seems to have been poorly done, making it hard to read, though that might have simply have been the limitations of the panel layout. The story pulls together the separate storylines into an ending that seems to wrap up most of the major plot points, and at the same time doesn't really answer a lot of questions but handles them in such a way that you don't really think about it until you try to break it down. The secret of Neo is revealed -- and it's something more complicated and more reasonable than just a prehistoric creature -- and how this ties into Misaki's own background. The series ends with a mild recommendation. I wanted to give it a stronger recommendation due to the story and the characters, but the lack of background is holding it back.
Chikyu Misaki vol. 2 and vol. 3 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
For a manga, this seems to be a rather short series, done in three volumes. Something I would like to bring up is that the lettering at times seems to have been poorly done, making it hard to read, though that might have simply have been the limitations of the panel layout. The story pulls together the separate storylines into an ending that seems to wrap up most of the major plot points, and at the same time doesn't really answer a lot of questions but handles them in such a way that you don't really think about it until you try to break it down. The secret of Neo is revealed -- and it's something more complicated and more reasonable than just a prehistoric creature -- and how this ties into Misaki's own background. The series ends with a mild recommendation. I wanted to give it a stronger recommendation due to the story and the characters, but the lack of background is holding it back.
Chikyu Misaki vol. 2 and vol. 3 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Pleasure Dome
by Megumu Minami
Published in the U.S. by Kitty Media
Dishonorable Mention
This dishonorable mention has little to do with the yaoi rape and torture in this volume of short stories. I'm not into that sort of thing, but I'm sure there's someone out there who is. And it's not the art, because the art is good except for the complete lack of genitals on anybody.
(So actually it's a bunch of well-dressed Ken dolls raping each other.)
The stories are rushed, disjointed, and juxtapose surprisingly dull dialog with images of coerced sex. Good art can carry a mediocre story -- but it can't carry this mess.
Pleasure Dome is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Kitty Media
Dishonorable Mention
This dishonorable mention has little to do with the yaoi rape and torture in this volume of short stories. I'm not into that sort of thing, but I'm sure there's someone out there who is. And it's not the art, because the art is good except for the complete lack of genitals on anybody.
(So actually it's a bunch of well-dressed Ken dolls raping each other.)
The stories are rushed, disjointed, and juxtapose surprisingly dull dialog with images of coerced sex. Good art can carry a mediocre story -- but it can't carry this mess.
Pleasure Dome is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Chikyu Misaki, v. 1
by Iwahara Yuji
Published in the U.S. by CMX Manga
Slugline: Is this manga about the Loch Ness monster or Ranma 1/2?
This book is not what I expected it to be, and that was a refreshing experience. Misaki moves to the remote village where her mother grew up and learns there is a legend of a Loch Ness-type monster called Hohoro. Like all manga, said mother is dead, but Misaki quickly makes a new friend at the local school named Sanae, and on the way home they comes across the Hohoro, who they name Neo after a movie character. Hohoro is rather small, but can transform with the aid of a kiss into the form of a ten-year-old-boy that promptly follows them home. Meanwhile, there is a subplot of a rich girl, Tokuko, who has been kidnapped and then returned for the ransom. The kidnappers, including her piano teacher Reiko who was in on the plot, are getting away but crash near the lake, sending the ransom money to the bottom of the lake.
I wish that there was some way I could convey that this plot, in comparison to other manga, fairly bustles along. Things are happening, and no one is truly stupid. For instance, Neo, the human form of Hohoro, is accepted without question by the adults in the story for a day or two before they demand some sort of explanation. It is almost an American- stylestory, which is probably why CMX picked it up. Giving it a rating that reflects that is hard, because it is a competently done story, so far, but by the same token it is doing something that is different to manga readers but not to American readers. That is not to say there are not elements of manga here, such as the lonely rich girl who pushes everyone away, but I suspect that there are more familiar elements here than otherwise.
Chikyu Misaki, vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published in the U.S. by CMX Manga
Slugline: Is this manga about the Loch Ness monster or Ranma 1/2?
This book is not what I expected it to be, and that was a refreshing experience. Misaki moves to the remote village where her mother grew up and learns there is a legend of a Loch Ness-type monster called Hohoro. Like all manga, said mother is dead, but Misaki quickly makes a new friend at the local school named Sanae, and on the way home they comes across the Hohoro, who they name Neo after a movie character. Hohoro is rather small, but can transform with the aid of a kiss into the form of a ten-year-old-boy that promptly follows them home. Meanwhile, there is a subplot of a rich girl, Tokuko, who has been kidnapped and then returned for the ransom. The kidnappers, including her piano teacher Reiko who was in on the plot, are getting away but crash near the lake, sending the ransom money to the bottom of the lake.
I wish that there was some way I could convey that this plot, in comparison to other manga, fairly bustles along. Things are happening, and no one is truly stupid. For instance, Neo, the human form of Hohoro, is accepted without question by the adults in the story for a day or two before they demand some sort of explanation. It is almost an American- stylestory, which is probably why CMX picked it up. Giving it a rating that reflects that is hard, because it is a competently done story, so far, but by the same token it is doing something that is different to manga readers but not to American readers. That is not to say there are not elements of manga here, such as the lonely rich girl who pushes everyone away, but I suspect that there are more familiar elements here than otherwise.
Chikyu Misaki, vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Friday, April 06, 2007
Thanks for the year
Yep, Miranda noticed this week we have been posting a year, and if you look on the side of the blog here we have very nice stats, with tons of reviews for virtually every company.
...
Okay, back to work we go. Thanks for sticking with us for a year, and we hope you all stick around for many more.
-Ferdinand
...
Okay, back to work we go. Thanks for sticking with us for a year, and we hope you all stick around for many more.
-Ferdinand
Thursday, April 05, 2007
The Dark Goodbye, v. 1
Written by Frank Marraffino, Art by Drew Rausch
Published by Tokyopop
Slugline: Noir vehicle takes a right on Lovecraft Ave and hits the gas hard so as to fly over the potholes.
This is a really mixed bag, for me, so I will just list pros and cons.
Pros: It's darn hard to find good Lovecraftian horror, and this is pretty good. The art fits perfectly with the mood. Lots of fast-moving action and flying body parts. The ancient noir stereotypes fit in well, too. And did I mention how hard it is to find decent Lovecraft?
Cons: The speed of the action hides some real plot holes. This is a manga, guys, you can slow down a bit and fill in those holes, don't be shy. And endings are always a problem in Lovecraftian stories, because chanting in made-up languages just doesn't have the impact you need to make a big finish.
So it's enjoyable if you don't pay too much attention to how we got from A to B, and if you know how to pronounce apostrophies. (F'tgh! F'tgh! W'TF?) And I very much hope to see a volume 2 where the writer isn't in such a hurry.
The Dark Goodbye vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published by Tokyopop
Slugline: Noir vehicle takes a right on Lovecraft Ave and hits the gas hard so as to fly over the potholes.
This is a really mixed bag, for me, so I will just list pros and cons.
Pros: It's darn hard to find good Lovecraftian horror, and this is pretty good. The art fits perfectly with the mood. Lots of fast-moving action and flying body parts. The ancient noir stereotypes fit in well, too. And did I mention how hard it is to find decent Lovecraft?
Cons: The speed of the action hides some real plot holes. This is a manga, guys, you can slow down a bit and fill in those holes, don't be shy. And endings are always a problem in Lovecraftian stories, because chanting in made-up languages just doesn't have the impact you need to make a big finish.
So it's enjoyable if you don't pay too much attention to how we got from A to B, and if you know how to pronounce apostrophies. (F'tgh! F'tgh! W'TF?) And I very much hope to see a volume 2 where the writer isn't in such a hurry.
The Dark Goodbye vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Series Update: Aishiteruze Baby v. 2 & 3
SERIES UPDATE
You know how I said the first volume of Aishiteruze Baby did stuff that I had rarely seen in manga? Well, never mind that. In the second and third volumes they didn't forge new ground or keep up the inventiveness, but instead just started using all of the cookie-cutter plot points that I have seen before in manga, especially in shoujo style titles. In retrospect, the relationship between the two now seems to spring up fully formed, and this odd relationship that Kippei and Kokoro have now seems to be based on Kokoro's trauma of a lost mother and since her father is moving away with his new wife, well, remember what I said about how most manga characters don't seem to have a full set of parents? True, it has become rarer in real life, but I am not asking for happy shiny people. Still -- maybe Miranda said this -- it appears that the most dangerous occupation in Japan is parenting, since they seem to die with unusual frequency. Does no one get divorced? I know it is infrequent in Japan, but it has to be less infrequent than this...
Short version: what was interesting and special about the first volume of Aishiteruze Baby gets covered up with standard shoujo fare in the following two volumes.
Aishiteruze Baby vol. 2 and vol. 3 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
You know how I said the first volume of Aishiteruze Baby did stuff that I had rarely seen in manga? Well, never mind that. In the second and third volumes they didn't forge new ground or keep up the inventiveness, but instead just started using all of the cookie-cutter plot points that I have seen before in manga, especially in shoujo style titles. In retrospect, the relationship between the two now seems to spring up fully formed, and this odd relationship that Kippei and Kokoro have now seems to be based on Kokoro's trauma of a lost mother and since her father is moving away with his new wife, well, remember what I said about how most manga characters don't seem to have a full set of parents? True, it has become rarer in real life, but I am not asking for happy shiny people. Still -- maybe Miranda said this -- it appears that the most dangerous occupation in Japan is parenting, since they seem to die with unusual frequency. Does no one get divorced? I know it is infrequent in Japan, but it has to be less infrequent than this...
Short version: what was interesting and special about the first volume of Aishiteruze Baby gets covered up with standard shoujo fare in the following two volumes.
Aishiteruze Baby vol. 2 and vol. 3 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Love Circles
by Laura Carboni
Published in the U.S. by Yaoi Press (on sale May 28, 2007)
Slugline: Nerdy boy is transformed into a hottie by the meathead who's secretly nice, and then they fall in love.
Oddly, this has to be the most Western-style title we have reviewed here on Prospero's Manga (short of Making Comics) and it's another Italian import (like Wishing for the Moon). This sort of "ugly duckling to swan" story is not anything new and there are no surprising twists, but it is solidly written and stocked with characters within the confines of its template.
I'm not entirely sure why, but the art just does not appeal to me in this story. I'm a long-time reader of Marvel and DC so I'm no stranger to uber-muscular men, but these guys have such well defined butts that they could lose TV remotes in there. And really, guys whose necks are as wide as their heads have never been my type. Despite the explicit muscles, this is not a hardcore porn and there is no full-frontal nudity.
In its defense against myself, the use of chibi is frequent, effective and generally cute -- and you know, I could have enjoyed the whole story with the chibi versions of these guys.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Yaoi Press (on sale May 28, 2007)
Slugline: Nerdy boy is transformed into a hottie by the meathead who's secretly nice, and then they fall in love.
Oddly, this has to be the most Western-style title we have reviewed here on Prospero's Manga (short of Making Comics) and it's another Italian import (like Wishing for the Moon). This sort of "ugly duckling to swan" story is not anything new and there are no surprising twists, but it is solidly written and stocked with characters within the confines of its template.
I'm not entirely sure why, but the art just does not appeal to me in this story. I'm a long-time reader of Marvel and DC so I'm no stranger to uber-muscular men, but these guys have such well defined butts that they could lose TV remotes in there. And really, guys whose necks are as wide as their heads have never been my type. Despite the explicit muscles, this is not a hardcore porn and there is no full-frontal nudity.
In its defense against myself, the use of chibi is frequent, effective and generally cute -- and you know, I could have enjoyed the whole story with the chibi versions of these guys.
- Miranda
Series Update: The Drifting Classroom, v. 2 & 3
SERIES UPDATE
Umezu-san's characters react to their extreme situation in realistic ways: some freak out, some keep a cool head, some commit suicide, some act selflessly. And many are willing to follow the lead of a strong (or brutal) personality. The body count starts rising quickly and the sixth graders have to begin taking on leadership roles and dealing with some dangerous grown-ups in their midst. Some discoveries are made about what seems to have happened and exactly how dire their situation is.
And back home, our hero's mother is, understandably, losing her mind. Or is she?
Drifting Classroom vol. 2 and vol. 3 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Umezu-san's characters react to their extreme situation in realistic ways: some freak out, some keep a cool head, some commit suicide, some act selflessly. And many are willing to follow the lead of a strong (or brutal) personality. The body count starts rising quickly and the sixth graders have to begin taking on leadership roles and dealing with some dangerous grown-ups in their midst. Some discoveries are made about what seems to have happened and exactly how dire their situation is.
And back home, our hero's mother is, understandably, losing her mind. Or is she?
Drifting Classroom vol. 2 and vol. 3 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Aishiteruze Baby, vol. 1
Story and Art by Yoko Maki
Released in the U.S. by Viz Shojo Beat
Slugline: Cute kids remain cute no matter the language and country, damn their scheming, innocent eyes!
Kippei is that guy you hated back in high school, the one that all the girls fell in love with even though he didn't do anything worthy to deserve it and treats them casually and interchangeably. That all changed one day when Yuzuyu, his female five-year-old cousin moves into their home since her mother left her after Yuzuyu's father died. Kippei is given the job of taking care of her. Okay, besides the point of who in their right mind would make the primary caregiver of a five-year-old a seventeen-year-old who seems barely able to take care of himself, never mind someone else, this is actually a fairly affecting and sweet story.
Kippei doesn't immediately make himself over in order to become the world's best caregiver, but by the same token his attempts to help Yuzuyu are believable and just confused enough to seem reasonable. I am not sure if the whole situation behind getting Yuzuyu is believable, but once she is part of the family, Kippei starts making changes. Not big ones, and not ones he himself realizes he is making, but changes nonetheless. The supporting female character Kokoro has a very reasonable desire to stay the heck away from Kippei, if for no other reason than he seems to use women up like -- well, how can I say this without seeming mean or getting an R rating -- like they weren't real, more like they were masturbatory devices that thankfully did not require much care.
Plus, this is an attempt to show an actual parent-child relationship, not the fake ones that seem to proliferate in manga where one parent is dead and the other is never around. Not exactly the woe-is-me stuff of more typical manga, but still very interesting.
Aishiteruze Baby vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Released in the U.S. by Viz Shojo Beat
Slugline: Cute kids remain cute no matter the language and country, damn their scheming, innocent eyes!
Kippei is that guy you hated back in high school, the one that all the girls fell in love with even though he didn't do anything worthy to deserve it and treats them casually and interchangeably. That all changed one day when Yuzuyu, his female five-year-old cousin moves into their home since her mother left her after Yuzuyu's father died. Kippei is given the job of taking care of her. Okay, besides the point of who in their right mind would make the primary caregiver of a five-year-old a seventeen-year-old who seems barely able to take care of himself, never mind someone else, this is actually a fairly affecting and sweet story.
Kippei doesn't immediately make himself over in order to become the world's best caregiver, but by the same token his attempts to help Yuzuyu are believable and just confused enough to seem reasonable. I am not sure if the whole situation behind getting Yuzuyu is believable, but once she is part of the family, Kippei starts making changes. Not big ones, and not ones he himself realizes he is making, but changes nonetheless. The supporting female character Kokoro has a very reasonable desire to stay the heck away from Kippei, if for no other reason than he seems to use women up like -- well, how can I say this without seeming mean or getting an R rating -- like they weren't real, more like they were masturbatory devices that thankfully did not require much care.
Plus, this is an attempt to show an actual parent-child relationship, not the fake ones that seem to proliferate in manga where one parent is dead and the other is never around. Not exactly the woe-is-me stuff of more typical manga, but still very interesting.
Aishiteruze Baby vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Series Update: Eternal Sabbath, v. 3 & 4
SERIES UPDATE
Their first encounter with the enemy having gone badly, our three main characters fall back, regroup, and get subjected to Issac's ability to unhinge people a few more times. This costs them a few friends and allies. But they start doing their homework (rather than relying on a magical revelation/weapon/asspull) and trying to formulate ideas of how to strike back.
Still enjoying this series very much and looking forward to more.
ES vol. 3 and vol. 4 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Their first encounter with the enemy having gone badly, our three main characters fall back, regroup, and get subjected to Issac's ability to unhinge people a few more times. This costs them a few friends and allies. But they start doing their homework (rather than relying on a magical revelation/weapon/asspull) and trying to formulate ideas of how to strike back.
Still enjoying this series very much and looking forward to more.
ES vol. 3 and vol. 4 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, v. 1
Adapted by Shiro Amano
Released in the US by TokyoPop
Slugline: Wanting better stories than this is what got me to stop watching Disney movies.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is a follow-up to the best-selling Kingdom Hearts, which incorporates Disney characters into a manga story. Sora, an original character, leads a rescue party of Jiminy Cricket, Goofy and Donald Duck to find King Mickey. I wish the story explained the title's popularity, but after reading it, I am afraid that I am going to ascribe its popularity to having Disney characters and being based on a video game.
This title is a continuation of the original Kingdom Hearts, drawing directly from the previous series often and without clear explanations, meaning that despite this being the first volume, it still would be better to read Kingdom Hearts first. And if the reader has watched Disney movies before, scenes from the movies are repeated rather than expanding on them.
The title earns a low ranking because while it is technically well executed, if you are not a young Disney fan or looking for a gift for someone who is, there is very little to draw one in. This is rated all ages, but in this case it really means it is best suited for only its target ages, 9-12.
Kingdom Hears: Chain of Memories vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Released in the US by TokyoPop
Slugline: Wanting better stories than this is what got me to stop watching Disney movies.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is a follow-up to the best-selling Kingdom Hearts, which incorporates Disney characters into a manga story. Sora, an original character, leads a rescue party of Jiminy Cricket, Goofy and Donald Duck to find King Mickey. I wish the story explained the title's popularity, but after reading it, I am afraid that I am going to ascribe its popularity to having Disney characters and being based on a video game.
This title is a continuation of the original Kingdom Hearts, drawing directly from the previous series often and without clear explanations, meaning that despite this being the first volume, it still would be better to read Kingdom Hearts first. And if the reader has watched Disney movies before, scenes from the movies are repeated rather than expanding on them.
The title earns a low ranking because while it is technically well executed, if you are not a young Disney fan or looking for a gift for someone who is, there is very little to draw one in. This is rated all ages, but in this case it really means it is best suited for only its target ages, 9-12.
Kingdom Hears: Chain of Memories vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Series Update: Kamui 2 - 5
SERIES UPDATE
Long overdue, yes. Had very mixed opinions about the next few volumes... they seemed so... limp... so flat... and then I... realized... that it wasn't the dialog... it was... too many... ellipses... draining... the passion... from the text... I know... English doesn't fit well... in Japanese word balloons... but come on guys... everybody... sounds like... they're sighing... and hopeless... and it's hard to keep reading when you're fighting the urge to call the waahmbulance.
And the sad part is, the art's nice. The plot isn't bad. There's decent worldbuilding, too. The pacing of the dialogue is a major problem for me, though, and I think the blame lies with the translation and the layout. Can anybody who has read the Japanese confirm/deny this for me?
Kamui vol. 2, vol. 3, vol. 4 and vol. 5 are all available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Long overdue, yes. Had very mixed opinions about the next few volumes... they seemed so... limp... so flat... and then I... realized... that it wasn't the dialog... it was... too many... ellipses... draining... the passion... from the text... I know... English doesn't fit well... in Japanese word balloons... but come on guys... everybody... sounds like... they're sighing... and hopeless... and it's hard to keep reading when you're fighting the urge to call the waahmbulance.
And the sad part is, the art's nice. The plot isn't bad. There's decent worldbuilding, too. The pacing of the dialogue is a major problem for me, though, and I think the blame lies with the translation and the layout. Can anybody who has read the Japanese confirm/deny this for me?
Kamui vol. 2, vol. 3, vol. 4 and vol. 5 are all available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Kung Fu Klutz & Karate Cool
Created by D.J. Milky, Written by Mark Seidenberg with Art by Erich Owen.
Released by TokyoPop as a Manga Chapters
Slugline: Why yes, bullies are easily fended off and embarrassed and never immediately return any humiliation tenfold.
TokyoPop's Manga Chapters are a combination of manga and text pages intended for the eight-and-up audience. In this one Marvin is the Klutz of the school and is the continual target of bullies. He decides that he needs to learn Karate in order teach the bullies a lesson. Unsurprisingly, Marvin remains a klutz in karate class, despite his best imaginings otherwise. He does remember one piece of advice that his sensei gave him regarding patience, and despite his best efforts, it manages to be useful and literally trips up his tormentor.
Okay, I am always willing to give titles some slack over suspension of disbelief, but not for something as basic as human motivation and response. Bullies do not crumble that easily. Teachers would, or at least should not tolerate the amount of disruption that Marvin creates daily without some sign that he is absorbing some of the lessons. The fact that he has a rich fantasy life isn't a problem, but the fact that his fantasy life does nothing to help, and only serves to reinforce his obliviousness to the world around him, is. Not a good message and not a believable story. There was nothing in this story that was bad, per se, but it was bad idea well executed.
Kung Fu Klutz and Karate Cool vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Released by TokyoPop as a Manga Chapters
Slugline: Why yes, bullies are easily fended off and embarrassed and never immediately return any humiliation tenfold.
TokyoPop's Manga Chapters are a combination of manga and text pages intended for the eight-and-up audience. In this one Marvin is the Klutz of the school and is the continual target of bullies. He decides that he needs to learn Karate in order teach the bullies a lesson. Unsurprisingly, Marvin remains a klutz in karate class, despite his best imaginings otherwise. He does remember one piece of advice that his sensei gave him regarding patience, and despite his best efforts, it manages to be useful and literally trips up his tormentor.
Okay, I am always willing to give titles some slack over suspension of disbelief, but not for something as basic as human motivation and response. Bullies do not crumble that easily. Teachers would, or at least should not tolerate the amount of disruption that Marvin creates daily without some sign that he is absorbing some of the lessons. The fact that he has a rich fantasy life isn't a problem, but the fact that his fantasy life does nothing to help, and only serves to reinforce his obliviousness to the world around him, is. Not a good message and not a believable story. There was nothing in this story that was bad, per se, but it was bad idea well executed.
Kung Fu Klutz and Karate Cool vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Poison Cherry Drive
by Motoni Modoru
Published in the U.S. by Kitty Media
Slugline: Some guys of flexible sanity run an internet revenge site for victims of gay rape. Naturally, wackiness ensues.
Needless to say, this is an odd single-volume manga. Some of it succeeds at being funny, but some just comes across as confused and strange. Mamezo and Ai, who run the revenge service, claim to be gay and this manga seems to claim to be yaoi, but there isn't much going on in that department. There's no romance to speak of, very little sex, and in the full-frontal shots there's... nothing there. At all. So this is more of a very adult comedy than a yaoi romance or porn.
The comedy derives from outrageous claims and non sequitors, with some success... and some not so much. (What's funny about OPEC? I don't know either.) Character development is slight and the dialog is sometimes clunky, so it's not exactly a big recommendation but it's mildly amusing.
Poison Cherry Drive is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Kitty Media
Slugline: Some guys of flexible sanity run an internet revenge site for victims of gay rape. Naturally, wackiness ensues.
Needless to say, this is an odd single-volume manga. Some of it succeeds at being funny, but some just comes across as confused and strange. Mamezo and Ai, who run the revenge service, claim to be gay and this manga seems to claim to be yaoi, but there isn't much going on in that department. There's no romance to speak of, very little sex, and in the full-frontal shots there's... nothing there. At all. So this is more of a very adult comedy than a yaoi romance or porn.
The comedy derives from outrageous claims and non sequitors, with some success... and some not so much. (What's funny about OPEC? I don't know either.) Character development is slight and the dialog is sometimes clunky, so it's not exactly a big recommendation but it's mildly amusing.
Poison Cherry Drive is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
100% Perfect Girl, v.1
Art and Story by Wann
Published in the US by NETCOMICS
Slugline: A manhwa Cinderella story where the girl dumps the boy.
Will the girl eventually get back to the boy? Probably. But Jay Jin has every right to dump the guy, since the magic of shoujo plot manipulation first arranges for J. Max first get a little too frisky and then get a little too upset. J. Max is the fairytale prince though, so it should not be too much of a surprise that he is the more unrealistic of the characters, a little too perfect and a little too unreal. J. Max is also the one that suffers from the fall-in-love-at-first- sight syndrome, something that he even mocks himself for.
Jay Jin is a student who wants to study art, but because of her older brother's medical schooling everything in the family has been sacrificed in order to pay for that, including her love of art. So when a foreigner bumbles into her path, she ends up helping him out of a sense of duty, since one of her additional jobs is being a foreigner host. J. Max on the other hand is just smitten with her, not because of any particular beauty on her part, though she is cute, but because she just fits in a way he doesn't pretend to understand.
Now of course there are the all the usual problems that shoujo likes throw at a relationship, and while there are some problems with J. Max, prince of a small European principality, Jay Jin feels more honest and true, confused, angry at her family but at the same time forgiving, and just trying to understand what J. Max means to her.
100% Perfect Girl vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published in the US by NETCOMICS
Slugline: A manhwa Cinderella story where the girl dumps the boy.
Will the girl eventually get back to the boy? Probably. But Jay Jin has every right to dump the guy, since the magic of shoujo plot manipulation first arranges for J. Max first get a little too frisky and then get a little too upset. J. Max is the fairytale prince though, so it should not be too much of a surprise that he is the more unrealistic of the characters, a little too perfect and a little too unreal. J. Max is also the one that suffers from the fall-in-love-at-first- sight syndrome, something that he even mocks himself for.
Jay Jin is a student who wants to study art, but because of her older brother's medical schooling everything in the family has been sacrificed in order to pay for that, including her love of art. So when a foreigner bumbles into her path, she ends up helping him out of a sense of duty, since one of her additional jobs is being a foreigner host. J. Max on the other hand is just smitten with her, not because of any particular beauty on her part, though she is cute, but because she just fits in a way he doesn't pretend to understand.
Now of course there are the all the usual problems that shoujo likes throw at a relationship, and while there are some problems with J. Max, prince of a small European principality, Jay Jin feels more honest and true, confused, angry at her family but at the same time forgiving, and just trying to understand what J. Max means to her.
100% Perfect Girl vol. 1 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Wishing for the Moon
by Dany & Dany
Published by Yaoi Press
Slugline: Those silly Italian theater boys! Don't they know they're in love?
Well, it's not explicitly said that they're in Italy, but it's implied. This is a single-volume romance with exactly one explicit scene, which is a bit conspicuous for being the only scene with bare butts (no full frontal) despite other opportunities.
But it's pretty well written, otherwise -- maybe a bit heavy on the narrative boxes, which is unusual for a manga and even a bit odd for current American comics. It's right-to-left reading and obviously manga-influenced, but the authors come from the European school of graphic novels and that makes for a slightly different flavor of yaoi.
From what is on their web page, it looks like there will be plenty more from Dany & Dany in the future. Maybe it's time to renew that Heavy Metal subscription and get myself back into the European fantasy/scifi/erotic side of graphic novels...
- Miranda
Published by Yaoi Press
Slugline: Those silly Italian theater boys! Don't they know they're in love?
Well, it's not explicitly said that they're in Italy, but it's implied. This is a single-volume romance with exactly one explicit scene, which is a bit conspicuous for being the only scene with bare butts (no full frontal) despite other opportunities.
But it's pretty well written, otherwise -- maybe a bit heavy on the narrative boxes, which is unusual for a manga and even a bit odd for current American comics. It's right-to-left reading and obviously manga-influenced, but the authors come from the European school of graphic novels and that makes for a slightly different flavor of yaoi.
From what is on their web page, it looks like there will be plenty more from Dany & Dany in the future. Maybe it's time to renew that Heavy Metal subscription and get myself back into the European fantasy/scifi/erotic side of graphic novels...
- Miranda
p.s. I wanted yaoi boys willing to take turns and boom! Here they are! Bonus points to the writers for not treating gay men like a heterosexual couple.
Series Update: Genshiken, v. 3 & 4
SERIES UPDATE
It is in these volumes that the anime and the manga start to diverge, with the differences being more issues of timing than radical changes in the story. We are introduced to Chika Ogiue, and while we don't quite get the fact that she is into yaoi (a sin that many in the US gleefully indulge in) she starts out very bitter but is brought short by Kasukabe of all people, who points out that Ogiue needs these people, these otaku, for companionship if for nothing else. Also in the manga you can see the weird trajectory of Kasukabe's and Madrame's non-relationship a little better, along with Kasukabe's journey if not to otakudom, at least to her acceptance of it. Sasahara starts growing into a leadership role by helping the Genshiken move out of their apathy and into action. This is a strong continuation of the series, with no major missteps that shows that the characters can remain true to themselves yet still grow.
Genshiken vol. 3 and vol. 4 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
It is in these volumes that the anime and the manga start to diverge, with the differences being more issues of timing than radical changes in the story. We are introduced to Chika Ogiue, and while we don't quite get the fact that she is into yaoi (a sin that many in the US gleefully indulge in) she starts out very bitter but is brought short by Kasukabe of all people, who points out that Ogiue needs these people, these otaku, for companionship if for nothing else. Also in the manga you can see the weird trajectory of Kasukabe's and Madrame's non-relationship a little better, along with Kasukabe's journey if not to otakudom, at least to her acceptance of it. Sasahara starts growing into a leadership role by helping the Genshiken move out of their apathy and into action. This is a strong continuation of the series, with no major missteps that shows that the characters can remain true to themselves yet still grow.
Genshiken vol. 3 and vol. 4 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Thursday, March 15, 2007
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, v.2
by Eiji Ohtsuka and Housui Yamazaki
Published in the U.S. by Dark Horse Manga
Slugline: If the victim is already dead, is it murder?
This is a strange and compelling horror story, well written, well drawn, and complete within the volume. I'm going to have to track down v.1.
Kurosagi Delivery Service is made up of people with unusual abilities who try to make a living helping the dead fulfil their final wishes. It's not a very profitable line of work. Between their attempts to get paying jobs, they are drawn into the strange goings-on at a funeral home that involve a young girl who can raise the dead -- sort of. Mostly.
The author does not feel the need to make the reader laugh much -- this is a straight-up, dark and uncensored thriller. Which is not to say that it does not have its lighter moments, or that it doesn't end on an hopeful note. It's a nice change of pace: a horror story that doesn't involve ongoing, grim situations.
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service vol.2 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Dark Horse Manga
Slugline: If the victim is already dead, is it murder?
This is a strange and compelling horror story, well written, well drawn, and complete within the volume. I'm going to have to track down v.1.
Kurosagi Delivery Service is made up of people with unusual abilities who try to make a living helping the dead fulfil their final wishes. It's not a very profitable line of work. Between their attempts to get paying jobs, they are drawn into the strange goings-on at a funeral home that involve a young girl who can raise the dead -- sort of. Mostly.
The author does not feel the need to make the reader laugh much -- this is a straight-up, dark and uncensored thriller. Which is not to say that it does not have its lighter moments, or that it doesn't end on an hopeful note. It's a nice change of pace: a horror story that doesn't involve ongoing, grim situations.
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service vol.2 is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Series Update: Genshiken v. 1 & 2
SERIES UPDATE
Genshiken is another series that we started partway through, with volume five, so here we are backtracking a little bit to talk about it. As we have said before, Genshiken is an unapologetic look at otaku life in college. If you have seen the anime series, the first 2 volumes of the manga are almost entirely used in the first 8 or so episodes of the anime. This is where the "Seduction of the Innocent" (and if you don't get the reference, read up on your comic history or look here) of our main character Sasahara begins: being introduced to the perils of the otaku lifestyle, especially the doujinshi-loving end of it. Kasukabe is introduced with her original hard edge, being far from accepting of the otaku lifestyle but desperate to lure Kousaka into her grasp. It also shows that this series is unveiling in anything but real time, with time between chapters uncertain but certainly moving quickly. I would definitely pick this up, for no other reason than that the progress of Kasukabe's character is easiest to see with this as a reference point to show the beginning of her journey.
Genshiken vol. 1 and vol. 2 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
-Ferdinand
Genshiken is another series that we started partway through, with volume five, so here we are backtracking a little bit to talk about it. As we have said before, Genshiken is an unapologetic look at otaku life in college. If you have seen the anime series, the first 2 volumes of the manga are almost entirely used in the first 8 or so episodes of the anime. This is where the "Seduction of the Innocent" (and if you don't get the reference, read up on your comic history or look here) of our main character Sasahara begins: being introduced to the perils of the otaku lifestyle, especially the doujinshi-loving end of it. Kasukabe is introduced with her original hard edge, being far from accepting of the otaku lifestyle but desperate to lure Kousaka into her grasp. It also shows that this series is unveiling in anything but real time, with time between chapters uncertain but certainly moving quickly. I would definitely pick this up, for no other reason than that the progress of Kasukabe's character is easiest to see with this as a reference point to show the beginning of her journey.
Genshiken vol. 1 and vol. 2 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
-Ferdinand
Series Update: Pastel v. 4 & 5
SERIES UPDATE
The random cover story that Yuu and Mugi are related is starting to fray around the edges, but still I guess it is mostly believable. Volume 4's highlight is the appearance of a foe of Yuu, a girl who is certain that all guys are scum and when people are not, she wants to "help" them no longer hide who they truly are. For once, a romantic opponent who does not have a long term hidden crush, or has a secret hidden past? Nah, she's just mean. And by the end of the volume she has not hopelessly fallen for Mugi. Well, maybe she will in another volume, but it hasn't happened yet. In Volume 5, the interesting bit is Mugi finding a job in a restaurant so he can finally use that cooking skill that has been a running subplot so far in the book. The romantic entanglements of the restaurant just aren't interesting to me, and quite frankly smack of paternalism.
Pastel vol. 4 and vol. 5 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
-Ferdinand
The random cover story that Yuu and Mugi are related is starting to fray around the edges, but still I guess it is mostly believable. Volume 4's highlight is the appearance of a foe of Yuu, a girl who is certain that all guys are scum and when people are not, she wants to "help" them no longer hide who they truly are. For once, a romantic opponent who does not have a long term hidden crush, or has a secret hidden past? Nah, she's just mean. And by the end of the volume she has not hopelessly fallen for Mugi. Well, maybe she will in another volume, but it hasn't happened yet. In Volume 5, the interesting bit is Mugi finding a job in a restaurant so he can finally use that cooking skill that has been a running subplot so far in the book. The romantic entanglements of the restaurant just aren't interesting to me, and quite frankly smack of paternalism.
Pastel vol. 4 and vol. 5 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
-Ferdinand
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Thunderbolt Boys Excite, v.1
By Asami Tojo
Published in the U.S. by Kitty Media
Slugline: Four guys in the modeling business are busy seducing each other.
This story is set in that manga universe where all men are gay, even the would-be rapists. These four guys spend the volume pairing up and agonizing over each other -- some more than others, and some more convicingly than others.
There's a modest amount of character development and slightly different story trajectories, but on the whole it's a fairly standard set of two romances driven by insecurity and hurt/comfort. There's some not-quite-hardcore porn which is well placed in the context of both fantasies and reality. No surprises about who's on top, either. I think it would be refreshing for the smaller guy to be the dominant one or, even wilder, that they could take turns. I mean hey, it's a lot easier for two guys to switch off than for a hetero couple -- what, these semes can dish it out, but they can't take it?
Thunderbold Boys Excite vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Kitty Media
Slugline: Four guys in the modeling business are busy seducing each other.
This story is set in that manga universe where all men are gay, even the would-be rapists. These four guys spend the volume pairing up and agonizing over each other -- some more than others, and some more convicingly than others.
There's a modest amount of character development and slightly different story trajectories, but on the whole it's a fairly standard set of two romances driven by insecurity and hurt/comfort. There's some not-quite-hardcore porn which is well placed in the context of both fantasies and reality. No surprises about who's on top, either. I think it would be refreshing for the smaller guy to be the dominant one or, even wilder, that they could take turns. I mean hey, it's a lot easier for two guys to switch off than for a hetero couple -- what, these semes can dish it out, but they can't take it?
Thunderbold Boys Excite vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Series Update: Pastel, v. 1
SERIES UPDATE (v.2, v.3)
One of the things that we are doing here at Prospero's Manga is filling in some of the holes in our reviews. When we first started receiving out review copies from the publishers, we ended up starting up in the middle of some series, such as Pastel. My sense of completism drives me to at least try to talk about the previous volumes in the series. Sometimes when I look back at some of my earlier reviews I wonder if I was being too easy on them back then, or more appropriately after months of reviews I've become jaded and bitter. Well, more jaded and bitter than before I started reviewing manga regularly. The first volume of Pastel sets up the situation of the series and why Mugi doesn't feel like he can just admit his feeling for Yuu, and it just barely makes sense. Barely. Making that setup work requires the sort coincidences that are de rigeur in these sort of titles. I know I originally said I liked this title, but maybe it is the effect of reading a whole whack of the series in a sitting that other than the occasional moment of interest it is just not grabbing me.
Pastel vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
One of the things that we are doing here at Prospero's Manga is filling in some of the holes in our reviews. When we first started receiving out review copies from the publishers, we ended up starting up in the middle of some series, such as Pastel. My sense of completism drives me to at least try to talk about the previous volumes in the series. Sometimes when I look back at some of my earlier reviews I wonder if I was being too easy on them back then, or more appropriately after months of reviews I've become jaded and bitter. Well, more jaded and bitter than before I started reviewing manga regularly. The first volume of Pastel sets up the situation of the series and why Mugi doesn't feel like he can just admit his feeling for Yuu, and it just barely makes sense. Barely. Making that setup work requires the sort coincidences that are de rigeur in these sort of titles. I know I originally said I liked this title, but maybe it is the effect of reading a whole whack of the series in a sitting that other than the occasional moment of interest it is just not grabbing me.
Pastel vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Series Update: Suzuka 2 & 3
Series update
When I put down Suzuka 2 after reading it, I was more than a little worried. The characters were starting to degenerate into the same old same old stereotypes that moan about the lack of love in their life, and why nothing ever goes their way, and other things along those lines that make me want to pluck out my eyes and use them for racketball. But in Suzuka 3 the reason for Suzuka running hot and cold was revealed, and while not the deepest rationale, it is one that is believeable. And Yamato has decided to do something about his love rather than just mope about it, to become worthy of Suzuka's attention. Maybe it isn't the smartest or best decision he could have made, but at least it was a decision and showed that he had a little bit of spine.
Suzuka vol. 2 and vol. 3 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
When I put down Suzuka 2 after reading it, I was more than a little worried. The characters were starting to degenerate into the same old same old stereotypes that moan about the lack of love in their life, and why nothing ever goes their way, and other things along those lines that make me want to pluck out my eyes and use them for racketball. But in Suzuka 3 the reason for Suzuka running hot and cold was revealed, and while not the deepest rationale, it is one that is believeable. And Yamato has decided to do something about his love rather than just mope about it, to become worthy of Suzuka's attention. Maybe it isn't the smartest or best decision he could have made, but at least it was a decision and showed that he had a little bit of spine.
Suzuka vol. 2 and vol. 3 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Pixie Pop, v.1
by Ema Toyama
Published in the U.S. by Tokyopop
Slugline: Because of an accident, Mayu is cursed to transform whenever she drinks something.
You can believe I picked this book up reluctantly -- it has all the marks of an awful cookie-cutter story. Well, it's not perfect but it ain't half bad either.
Mayu's parents run a cafe (oddly, she hasn't been conscripted to work there, it seems) and she runs afoul of a "drink fairy," which is something like a house elf/brownie/water sprite, only chibi. As a result, drinking liquids makes Mayu transform in various ways and Pucho the fairy is acting as both the un-transformer and the comic relief/PITA.
Mayu is also slightly obsessed with The Cute Boy At School, who shows little interest in girls. (Well, they are only twelve -- girls may be hitting puberty, but it could be a year or two off for the boys.) Some aspects of the story are predictable, like transformations wearing off at the worst moment, and some parts are realistic, like using her invisibility (from drinking water) to spy on The Boy. Yes, transforming has been used plenty of times in manga, but the variety of changes balances that out somewhat.
I was expecting to write a Dishonorable Mention, but Pixie Pop beat the odds. I wonder if she will start using her ability to fight crime...
Pixie Pop is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Tokyopop
Slugline: Because of an accident, Mayu is cursed to transform whenever she drinks something.
You can believe I picked this book up reluctantly -- it has all the marks of an awful cookie-cutter story. Well, it's not perfect but it ain't half bad either.
Mayu's parents run a cafe (oddly, she hasn't been conscripted to work there, it seems) and she runs afoul of a "drink fairy," which is something like a house elf/brownie/water sprite, only chibi. As a result, drinking liquids makes Mayu transform in various ways and Pucho the fairy is acting as both the un-transformer and the comic relief/PITA.
Mayu is also slightly obsessed with The Cute Boy At School, who shows little interest in girls. (Well, they are only twelve -- girls may be hitting puberty, but it could be a year or two off for the boys.) Some aspects of the story are predictable, like transformations wearing off at the worst moment, and some parts are realistic, like using her invisibility (from drinking water) to spy on The Boy. Yes, transforming has been used plenty of times in manga, but the variety of changes balances that out somewhat.
I was expecting to write a Dishonorable Mention, but Pixie Pop beat the odds. I wonder if she will start using her ability to fight crime...
Pixie Pop is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Kedamono Damono, v.1
By Haruka Fukushima
Released in U.S. by TokyoPop
Slugline: Is it still bisexuality if you are attracted to both sexes of the same sex-changing person?
You know, I hate to bring this up, and it may shock some people, but women have sexual desires of their own at times. From manga it would seem that all women want is LOVE in the epic sense, but don't lust or think about initiating sex much. In Kedamono Damano, there is a girl who is very forward in her affections, which could be a refreshing change but since she is only a she at night -- during the day he is normal shy Japanese schoolboy -- I am not sure if this some sort of backhanded compliment for women or showing the dark side of male self-control. Or maybe I am giving the creators too much credit.
Konatsu begins the book as the manager of basketball team with a crush on Yamaguchi, the head of the team. In pursuit of her lust she discovers that Haruki, another basketball player, has a tragic condition which turns him into a girl in the evening. Once determining that Yamaguchi is a jerk not worthy of her time, Konatsu starts a relationship with Haruki by way of the usual confusion and plot twists that fill these gender-twisting romances. While those elements of the story are forgettable, the confusion of which version of Haruki Konatsu is attracted to, and her willingness to be emotionally accessible to them both, does pique my interest slightly.
- Ferdinand
Released in U.S. by TokyoPop
Slugline: Is it still bisexuality if you are attracted to both sexes of the same sex-changing person?
You know, I hate to bring this up, and it may shock some people, but women have sexual desires of their own at times. From manga it would seem that all women want is LOVE in the epic sense, but don't lust or think about initiating sex much. In Kedamono Damano, there is a girl who is very forward in her affections, which could be a refreshing change but since she is only a she at night -- during the day he is normal shy Japanese schoolboy -- I am not sure if this some sort of backhanded compliment for women or showing the dark side of male self-control. Or maybe I am giving the creators too much credit.
Konatsu begins the book as the manager of basketball team with a crush on Yamaguchi, the head of the team. In pursuit of her lust she discovers that Haruki, another basketball player, has a tragic condition which turns him into a girl in the evening. Once determining that Yamaguchi is a jerk not worthy of her time, Konatsu starts a relationship with Haruki by way of the usual confusion and plot twists that fill these gender-twisting romances. While those elements of the story are forgettable, the confusion of which version of Haruki Konatsu is attracted to, and her willingness to be emotionally accessible to them both, does pique my interest slightly.
- Ferdinand
Friday, March 02, 2007
Wild Adapter, v.1
by Kazuya Minekura ublished in the U.S. by Tokyopop
Slugline: We meet Makoto as his path begins to cross that of a strange new street drug.
It's taken me a week or so to sort out my opinion of this volume. There's not much that's easy about it -- particularly, it's not easy to sympathize with the characters and that makes it difficult to stick with. Makoto is an assassin, and possibly a serial killer or at least a mass murderer, and the author offers only a few hints of complexity behind the face. His friend Komiya is a bit more human, but it's not a lot to hang a story on.
And on the other hand, it's well written in the gritty action style ("noir" the back cover says, and it's a very modern, sociopathic noir.) The art is harsh and angular, which complements the story well. It comes shrink wrapped due to a few stray boobs and butts.
The other problem is that the back cover actually tells you more about the big picture than the book does. I think this all averages out to a mild recommendation, with hopes the writer cashes in on the potential this story has.
Wild Adapter is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Slugline: We meet Makoto as his path begins to cross that of a strange new street drug.
It's taken me a week or so to sort out my opinion of this volume. There's not much that's easy about it -- particularly, it's not easy to sympathize with the characters and that makes it difficult to stick with. Makoto is an assassin, and possibly a serial killer or at least a mass murderer, and the author offers only a few hints of complexity behind the face. His friend Komiya is a bit more human, but it's not a lot to hang a story on.
And on the other hand, it's well written in the gritty action style ("noir" the back cover says, and it's a very modern, sociopathic noir.) The art is harsh and angular, which complements the story well. It comes shrink wrapped due to a few stray boobs and butts.
The other problem is that the back cover actually tells you more about the big picture than the book does. I think this all averages out to a mild recommendation, with hopes the writer cashes in on the potential this story has.
Wild Adapter is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Get Backers, v.1
Story by Yuya Aoki with Art by Rando Ayamine
Published in the U.S. by TokyoPop
Slugline: For guys that have superpowers, it does seem odd that they can't afford food out of snack machines.
Get Backers is about the specialist recovery team of Ginji and Ban, a pair of hapless guys who are barely making enough money to feed themselves despite having an "almost 100% success rate" in their job. This also is despite Ban having electric powers while Ginji has the evil eye, allowing him to inflict illusions on his victims. By the end of the first volume part of their support network is revealed, but only the most basic caricatures of them are shown.
Get Backers is a long, ongoing series that still has not been completed, but the first volume makes it hard to understand how this title survived long enough to grow in popularity. Not that it is bad, but the characters of Ban and Ginji are walking stereotypes. They want to help an old man reconcile with his daughter, but there is yakuza in the way. How the story unfolds from that premise is so predictable that as soon as a character spoke I could tell what was going to happen for the next ten pages or so, and that included the "tragic" ending that could be seen as far off as when the character was introduced. The fact that the art and layout just confused things at times didn't help either.
Get Backers is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published in the U.S. by TokyoPop
Slugline: For guys that have superpowers, it does seem odd that they can't afford food out of snack machines.
Get Backers is about the specialist recovery team of Ginji and Ban, a pair of hapless guys who are barely making enough money to feed themselves despite having an "almost 100% success rate" in their job. This also is despite Ban having electric powers while Ginji has the evil eye, allowing him to inflict illusions on his victims. By the end of the first volume part of their support network is revealed, but only the most basic caricatures of them are shown.
Get Backers is a long, ongoing series that still has not been completed, but the first volume makes it hard to understand how this title survived long enough to grow in popularity. Not that it is bad, but the characters of Ban and Ginji are walking stereotypes. They want to help an old man reconcile with his daughter, but there is yakuza in the way. How the story unfolds from that premise is so predictable that as soon as a character spoke I could tell what was going to happen for the next ten pages or so, and that included the "tragic" ending that could be seen as far off as when the character was introduced. The fact that the art and layout just confused things at times didn't help either.
Get Backers is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Series Update: Kuro Gane, v.3
SERIES UPDATE
Kuro Gane started off with an interesting premise in v.1, coasted in v.2, and now that we've gotten through v.3, I have to ask. If he's got a talking sword who never seems to misunderstand him, and he eats and drinks and is wounded normally, exactly what is the point of making your hero a voiceless clockwork man? In the execution of the story, I'm not seeing any difference between Jintetsu and any other strong-and-silent samurai hero.
This does not make it a bad series, but it sure does not make it stand out from the competition.
Kuro Gane vol. 3 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
-Miranda
Kuro Gane started off with an interesting premise in v.1, coasted in v.2, and now that we've gotten through v.3, I have to ask. If he's got a talking sword who never seems to misunderstand him, and he eats and drinks and is wounded normally, exactly what is the point of making your hero a voiceless clockwork man? In the execution of the story, I'm not seeing any difference between Jintetsu and any other strong-and-silent samurai hero.
This does not make it a bad series, but it sure does not make it stand out from the competition.
Kuro Gane vol. 3 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
-Miranda
Innocent Bird, v.1
by Hirotaka Kisaragi
Published in the U.S. by Blu
Slugline: Angels and demons renounce their allegiances in favor of being human -- and maybe a little boy-love somewhere down the line.
Since this title is published by Blu, I'm assuming there will be some boy-love in the later volumes, but right now it's strictly early relationship drama. Karasu, an angel, and Shirasagi, a demon, both have their fallings-out with the entire angel/demon bureaucracy and declare their independence. And then, for whatever reason, there are two chapters of an entirely different story at the end of the volume.
I have no problem with most of the wild variations on Western mythology and Christianity that turn up in manga -- it's just that some of them are so far off base that the author is only confusing me by using familiar names. Innocent Bird takes some liberties with angelic mythology (I'd call gay romance a bit of a liberty) and puts its characters in some interesting situations. Shirasagi has not only given up being a demon, he's gone through seminary. And Karasu doesn't just talk back to his superiors, he cuts a deal with a devil to rescue his friend.
The filler story is quite good, and I like the clean artwork and messy blood spatters. Though these angels have the same problem as most winged people in manga: from the amount of feathers flying around, they must be constantly molting, the poor things.
Innocent Bird is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Blu
Slugline: Angels and demons renounce their allegiances in favor of being human -- and maybe a little boy-love somewhere down the line.
Since this title is published by Blu, I'm assuming there will be some boy-love in the later volumes, but right now it's strictly early relationship drama. Karasu, an angel, and Shirasagi, a demon, both have their fallings-out with the entire angel/demon bureaucracy and declare their independence. And then, for whatever reason, there are two chapters of an entirely different story at the end of the volume.
I have no problem with most of the wild variations on Western mythology and Christianity that turn up in manga -- it's just that some of them are so far off base that the author is only confusing me by using familiar names. Innocent Bird takes some liberties with angelic mythology (I'd call gay romance a bit of a liberty) and puts its characters in some interesting situations. Shirasagi has not only given up being a demon, he's gone through seminary. And Karasu doesn't just talk back to his superiors, he cuts a deal with a devil to rescue his friend.
The filler story is quite good, and I like the clean artwork and messy blood spatters. Though these angels have the same problem as most winged people in manga: from the amount of feathers flying around, they must be constantly molting, the poor things.
Innocent Bird is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Divalicious, v. 1
Written by T Campbell and Illustrated by Amy Mebberson
Published by TokyoPop
Slugline: An idol story about a star who is all about being an idol, no modesty here.
Sometimes even very silly stories with over-the-top premises can hang together on a strong plot line. It's not usual, but Divalicious manages to have both a meaningful story and a frivolous approach. In manga, there are an entire subgenre of idol stories about people beginning music careers to become stars. Divalicious is an OEL, so it is set in the US, and Tina Young, the diva of the title, is already well on her way to stardom but there is one diva yet in her way. Her manager Shaquille tries to direct her, but despite her flighty nature she somehow manages to still keep on track, much to the disappointment of the music management company A Few Notes. The majority of the book seems to be little one-off episodes, but at the very end, the slight problem that A Few Notes has been suddenly blooms into a full blown victory for them as disparate story threads are suddenly woven together to create a prison cell for Shaquille and a gilded cage for Tina that she cannot see.
The art is very manga, with deformation being used far more extensively and organically than most other OEL titles. Though this title's genre is not my usual bag, and I can't remember how many idol manga I've had to read, I actually grinned while reading this. While the story itself is fairly standard, it is very well executed with an art style that fits perfectly.
Divalicious is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published by TokyoPop
Slugline: An idol story about a star who is all about being an idol, no modesty here.
Sometimes even very silly stories with over-the-top premises can hang together on a strong plot line. It's not usual, but Divalicious manages to have both a meaningful story and a frivolous approach. In manga, there are an entire subgenre of idol stories about people beginning music careers to become stars. Divalicious is an OEL, so it is set in the US, and Tina Young, the diva of the title, is already well on her way to stardom but there is one diva yet in her way. Her manager Shaquille tries to direct her, but despite her flighty nature she somehow manages to still keep on track, much to the disappointment of the music management company A Few Notes. The majority of the book seems to be little one-off episodes, but at the very end, the slight problem that A Few Notes has been suddenly blooms into a full blown victory for them as disparate story threads are suddenly woven together to create a prison cell for Shaquille and a gilded cage for Tina that she cannot see.
The art is very manga, with deformation being used far more extensively and organically than most other OEL titles. Though this title's genre is not my usual bag, and I can't remember how many idol manga I've had to read, I actually grinned while reading this. While the story itself is fairly standard, it is very well executed with an art style that fits perfectly.
Divalicious is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Monday, February 26, 2007
Why no posts?
Just letting all our readers know that we went to the NYCC, which made us skip last Thursday's post. Our normal posting will resume on Tuesday.
-Ferdinand
-Ferdinand
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
The Drifting Classroom, v.1
by Kazuo Umezu
Published in the U.S. by Viz
Slugline: An entire school full of kids is transported to an alien world. No warning, no preparation, no idea where they are.
The Drifting Classroom was created in the mid-70s, so the first thing a manga fan will notice is that the artwork isn't what they are used to. But if you like horror that does not rely on splatter to scare you, I encourage you to give this a try.
Like Battle Royale (or Lord of the Flies,) Classroom puts ordinary kids in grim survival situations and then spins out gruesomely realistic stories. The first volume of Classroom sets up the regrets of our hero and the initial freakout as the kids (and teachers) start to realize they aren't in Japan anymore. And who wouldn't freak, honestly? These are ordinary school kids, not ninja masters or supermecha pilots. Their screaming and crying (and the ones trying to bolt for home) set what is sure to be a gruesome stage with few survivors.
Kazuo Umezu has been a prolific manga creator of many horror (and science fiction, such as the adapation of Ultraman, and romance as well) titles from the 1950s straight through the 90s. If you are at all interested in what came before Sailor Moon, Voltron, or even Gatchaman, Umezu is worth looking for. I'm giving this series a preemptive "Classic" tag because of its author and his tremendous influence.
Drifting Classroom is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Viz
Slugline: An entire school full of kids is transported to an alien world. No warning, no preparation, no idea where they are.
The Drifting Classroom was created in the mid-70s, so the first thing a manga fan will notice is that the artwork isn't what they are used to. But if you like horror that does not rely on splatter to scare you, I encourage you to give this a try.
Like Battle Royale (or Lord of the Flies,) Classroom puts ordinary kids in grim survival situations and then spins out gruesomely realistic stories. The first volume of Classroom sets up the regrets of our hero and the initial freakout as the kids (and teachers) start to realize they aren't in Japan anymore. And who wouldn't freak, honestly? These are ordinary school kids, not ninja masters or supermecha pilots. Their screaming and crying (and the ones trying to bolt for home) set what is sure to be a gruesome stage with few survivors.
Kazuo Umezu has been a prolific manga creator of many horror (and science fiction, such as the adapation of Ultraman, and romance as well) titles from the 1950s straight through the 90s. If you are at all interested in what came before Sailor Moon, Voltron, or even Gatchaman, Umezu is worth looking for. I'm giving this series a preemptive "Classic" tag because of its author and his tremendous influence.
Drifting Classroom is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Kilala Princess, v. 1
Art by Nao Kodaka, Story by Rika Tanaka
Released in the U.S. by TokyoPop
Slugline: Remember how they tell you that you should try to avoid Mary Sue characters in your writing? Apparently in manga you can make a nice living publishing it.
Every little girl wanted to be a princess when they were growing up, or at least that seems to be the theory. Of course, when I asked some women about that, none of them admitted to it. Kilala Princess is a story of Kilala and her best friend Erica. Erica is a shoo-in to win their school’s annual princess pageant and wear the school tiara. Two strangers arrive, looking for a princess to save their country, but their unknown enemy kidnaps Erica, leading them into a chase which goes through Snow White’s world, where Kilala and Rei, one of the searchers, face off against the Evil Queen.
This is in the manga readers format, so it shorter than most manga and is aimed at ages 8-12. As such the story is very basic and lifts bits from the Snow White movie. But what I liked about it is the friendship between Kilala and Erica, and despite Kilala not being the most popular or the most hated girl in school, she still can make a difference. Because far more girls are average (by definition) than anything else, that is a good message. So I think for its age range, this is a good title, though realize its rating is for that age range, and precocious readers may outgrow it earlier.
Kilala Princess is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Released in the U.S. by TokyoPop
Slugline: Remember how they tell you that you should try to avoid Mary Sue characters in your writing? Apparently in manga you can make a nice living publishing it.
Every little girl wanted to be a princess when they were growing up, or at least that seems to be the theory. Of course, when I asked some women about that, none of them admitted to it. Kilala Princess is a story of Kilala and her best friend Erica. Erica is a shoo-in to win their school’s annual princess pageant and wear the school tiara. Two strangers arrive, looking for a princess to save their country, but their unknown enemy kidnaps Erica, leading them into a chase which goes through Snow White’s world, where Kilala and Rei, one of the searchers, face off against the Evil Queen.
This is in the manga readers format, so it shorter than most manga and is aimed at ages 8-12. As such the story is very basic and lifts bits from the Snow White movie. But what I liked about it is the friendship between Kilala and Erica, and despite Kilala not being the most popular or the most hated girl in school, she still can make a difference. Because far more girls are average (by definition) than anything else, that is a good message. So I think for its age range, this is a good title, though realize its rating is for that age range, and precocious readers may outgrow it earlier.
Kilala Princess is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
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