SERIES UPDATE
Volume 7 wraps up the first story arc, and then we skip a few years to start round two with some new characters. How do you keep a story fresh and interesting, especially one so saddled with exposition and complexity?
Well, leather pants would not have been my first choice but it works. The Deathnote show moves to the U.S. for a little while and the portrayal of Americans, particularly the president, does not ring very true. (Particularly if you try placing Bush in the role.) On the other hand, the story does begin to branch in some new and complicated ways -- and the writer runs the risk of it all turning into deadwood now that the novelty of the series has worn off.
We'll see what happens.
Check out our review for Deathnote vols 1-6 also on Prospero's Manga.
Deathnote vol. 7, vol. 8, vol. 9 and vol. 10 are all available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Me & My Brothers, v.1
by Hari Tokeino
Published in the U.S. by Tokyopop
Slugline: After Grandma dies, Sakura comes home to find she has an assortment of stereotypical half-brothers.
This is almost exactly the same setup as Crossroad, but in a more typical, sitcom-ish vein. Nobody bothered to tell Sakura that her father had four sons by a previous wife, and so when Grandma dies (yes, her parents are dead too -- it's a deadly job, in Japan) it's a big surprise when they turn up instead of Child Protective Services (does Japan even have a CPS?)
Much is made of the fact that Sakura is not even her father's daughter, though I'm not clear on why that matters when you're building a family from scratch anyways. Sakura doesn't remember the brief time they all lived together when she was a baby, so it's a houseful of strangers and all the awkwardness that comes with.
The flashbacks are sweet without being too syrupy. However, the boys fall neatly into stereotype -- the angry one, the cross-dressing housekeeper, the responsible one, and the shy one -- and Sakura herself is a typical manga girl. So this is a competent, but not exceptional, first volume.
(Note that only in manga would "cross-dressing houskeeper" be a stereotype. Oh, how jaded I've become...)
Me and My Brothers, 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: After Grandma dies, Sakura comes home to find she has an assortment of stereotypical half-brothers.
This is almost exactly the same setup as Crossroad, but in a more typical, sitcom-ish vein. Nobody bothered to tell Sakura that her father had four sons by a previous wife, and so when Grandma dies (yes, her parents are dead too -- it's a deadly job, in Japan) it's a big surprise when they turn up instead of Child Protective Services (does Japan even have a CPS?)
Much is made of the fact that Sakura is not even her father's daughter, though I'm not clear on why that matters when you're building a family from scratch anyways. Sakura doesn't remember the brief time they all lived together when she was a baby, so it's a houseful of strangers and all the awkwardness that comes with.
The flashbacks are sweet without being too syrupy. However, the boys fall neatly into stereotype -- the angry one, the cross-dressing housekeeper, the responsible one, and the shy one -- and Sakura herself is a typical manga girl. So this is a competent, but not exceptional, first volume.
(Note that only in manga would "cross-dressing houskeeper" be a stereotype. Oh, how jaded I've become...)
Me and My Brothers, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Kingdom Hearts II, v.1
By Shiro Amano
Released in theU.S.
Slugline: Isn’t this supposed to have Disney characters? Or, you know, real characters rather than ciphers?
Kingdom Heart II, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Released in the
Slugline: Isn’t this supposed to have Disney characters? Or, you know, real characters rather than ciphers?
Kingdom Heart II, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Monday, July 16, 2007
Sale on Icarus Publications at Right Stuf
There is a sale going on at Right Stuf International for the Icarus Publications titles. Since those titles are not usually available via amazon.com, I thought I would point them out here. Remember, all of the Icarus Publications are adult!
Check out all of the reviews from us for Icarus here!
-Ferdinand
Check out all of the reviews from us for Icarus here!
-Ferdinand
Friday, July 13, 2007
Re: last night's lack of post
Last night fell into the "Too busy with paying work and oh no it's late already, I need to get to bed" category. Hopefully, next week won't be as crazy -- and we will be able to do all three days of Otakon, with any luck. Weekend after that, we are off to San Diego Comic Con, so no post on the 26th, and maybe-maybe-not on the 31st.
Stay cool,
Miranda
Stay cool,
Miranda
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Million Tears, v.1
by Yuana Kazumi
Published in the U.S. by Tokyopop
Slugline: Immortals wrestle with the meaning of existence, since they don't have much else to do.
Another reviewer compared this story to Anne Rice's work, which added tremendous depth and dramatic possibility to vampires. I don't think this is at all on par with Interview with the Vampire -- Lestat has more passion for life in his pinky finger than the three characters here have, combined.
And if you're going to live forever, being as dispassionate, petty and purely ornamental as possible is even more pointless than when mortals do it.
But about the story: starts out a bit interesting, falls into a standard-issue romance, then picks up a few more interesting elements which, unfortunately, seem to disagree with the beginning. This is supposed to be a two-volume series, so hopefully things will be explained in the next book. Our three immortals are bland, thus far, and the only character of any real interest -- or in any real danger -- is the "extra" girlfriend. The artwork is described on the back cover as "gorgeous" but I don't find it particularly noteworthy. The cover's nice, I'll give them that.
This is the kind of story that's bound to have its devoted fans and probably a slew of fanfic, but on the grand scale of things I can't say that it's dealing in any novel ideas or personalities.
Million Tears, 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: Immortals wrestle with the meaning of existence, since they don't have much else to do.
Another reviewer compared this story to Anne Rice's work, which added tremendous depth and dramatic possibility to vampires. I don't think this is at all on par with Interview with the Vampire -- Lestat has more passion for life in his pinky finger than the three characters here have, combined.
And if you're going to live forever, being as dispassionate, petty and purely ornamental as possible is even more pointless than when mortals do it.
But about the story: starts out a bit interesting, falls into a standard-issue romance, then picks up a few more interesting elements which, unfortunately, seem to disagree with the beginning. This is supposed to be a two-volume series, so hopefully things will be explained in the next book. Our three immortals are bland, thus far, and the only character of any real interest -- or in any real danger -- is the "extra" girlfriend. The artwork is described on the back cover as "gorgeous" but I don't find it particularly noteworthy. The cover's nice, I'll give them that.
This is the kind of story that's bound to have its devoted fans and probably a slew of fanfic, but on the grand scale of things I can't say that it's dealing in any novel ideas or personalities.
Million Tears, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Avalon High: Coronation, v. 1
Written by Meg Cabot, art by Jinky Coronado
Published by TokyoPop
Slugline: Meg Cabot is a great writer, but not a great scriptwriter.
I admit I have read some of Meg Cabot's books for teens, most of which are aimed at girls. Her most famous series is the Princess Diaries, which have very little to do with the movies. But I appreciate good writing no matter what the genre, and she is able to provide a view of teen life that at least seems real, if not exactly accurate. Avalon High: Coronation is a sequel to a previous work, where tomboy Ellie moves to a new town, ends up dating Will Wagner. Will's best friend Lance ends up dating Arthur's ex Jennifer, and helps Arthur survive a confrontation with his half brother Marco. If all this sounds familiar, there is a reason for it. An ancient society believes that Arthur is the reincarnation of King Arthur, and that many of the people in their shared lives are reincarnations of Arthurian legends, with Ellie herself the reincarnation of the Lady of the Lake.
For the actual story, not much actually happens here. Ellie, Jennifer and Jennifer's former best friend Morgan are all nominated for homecoming queen. Ellie has been having unnerving dreams about Marco, and there is an attempt to get Arthur to reconcile with his father, who expected him to go to the Naval Academy instead of aiming for a liberal arts education, and his mother, whom he had never known until recently was more than his step-mother. There is a lot of back story, presumably from the first book that was in prose, taking up what feels like the first third of the book. That is the downside of prose versus graphic novels -- you can cram a lot more story in just a few words than in graphic fiction, where each moment has to be its own panel. So this doesn't feel like its own story, merely a continuation of another, and one that ends definitely in the middle so that you just got the second act and nothing else. And some of the character moments, which Meg Cabot usually handles so deftly, come across like a sledgehammer, telegraphed both coming and going. I presume that is because of her unfamiliarity with the medium rather than anything else.
I wanted to like this a lot but I found it hard to do so, and this may only be worth your while once the additional volumes are out so you can go from the prose novel into a completed graphic fiction storyline.
Avalon High: Coronation, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published by TokyoPop
Slugline: Meg Cabot is a great writer, but not a great scriptwriter.
I admit I have read some of Meg Cabot's books for teens, most of which are aimed at girls. Her most famous series is the Princess Diaries, which have very little to do with the movies. But I appreciate good writing no matter what the genre, and she is able to provide a view of teen life that at least seems real, if not exactly accurate. Avalon High: Coronation is a sequel to a previous work, where tomboy Ellie moves to a new town, ends up dating Will Wagner. Will's best friend Lance ends up dating Arthur's ex Jennifer, and helps Arthur survive a confrontation with his half brother Marco. If all this sounds familiar, there is a reason for it. An ancient society believes that Arthur is the reincarnation of King Arthur, and that many of the people in their shared lives are reincarnations of Arthurian legends, with Ellie herself the reincarnation of the Lady of the Lake.
For the actual story, not much actually happens here. Ellie, Jennifer and Jennifer's former best friend Morgan are all nominated for homecoming queen. Ellie has been having unnerving dreams about Marco, and there is an attempt to get Arthur to reconcile with his father, who expected him to go to the Naval Academy instead of aiming for a liberal arts education, and his mother, whom he had never known until recently was more than his step-mother. There is a lot of back story, presumably from the first book that was in prose, taking up what feels like the first third of the book. That is the downside of prose versus graphic novels -- you can cram a lot more story in just a few words than in graphic fiction, where each moment has to be its own panel. So this doesn't feel like its own story, merely a continuation of another, and one that ends definitely in the middle so that you just got the second act and nothing else. And some of the character moments, which Meg Cabot usually handles so deftly, come across like a sledgehammer, telegraphed both coming and going. I presume that is because of her unfamiliarity with the medium rather than anything else.
I wanted to like this a lot but I found it hard to do so, and this may only be worth your while once the additional volumes are out so you can go from the prose novel into a completed graphic fiction storyline.
Avalon High: Coronation, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Le Chevalier d'Eon, v.1
Story by Tou Ubukata, art by Kiriko Yumeji
Published in the U.S. by Del Rey Manga
Slugline: d'Eon, spy for Louis XV, lets his dead sister do the dirty work of cleaning up the mass murderers in Paris.
Apparently, horror can be spiced up with a few random Bible verses and throwing the name "Thoth" around. (Why would the Egyptian god of scribes patronize a sword?) And also by setting it in pre-Revolutionary France so we can enjoy the costuming even though it's terribly impractical for fighting in. Add yet another goofy action hero -- one who seems more inept than usual, even though he's supposedly the king's spy -- who's posessed by the vengeful spirit of his dead sister, the "Chevalier", crazed "poets" prone to turning into toothy snakes, and a big heaping pile of publisher's hype and here we are. Chevalier d'Eon.
The art reminds me of Priest, deliberately rough, reminiscent of woodcuts, and so busy in the details that I think clarity begins to suffer. Sadly, there's also a certain lack of imagination here. There's plenty of combat, but none of it particularly original. There are plenty of characters, none of them particularly innovative in their depiction or their actions within the story. Toward the end, a little effort is put into developing what may be a real character but by that time, I was thinking of the next manga I had to read.
And the most discouraging point is, I think, that anybody with the slightest observational powers ought to notice the rather distinctive cat who hangs out with both the Chevalier and d'Eon. Duh, people.
Maybe the anime kicks ass. I'll still give that the benefit of a doubt.
Le Chevalier d'Eon, 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
Slugline: d'Eon, spy for Louis XV, lets his dead sister do the dirty work of cleaning up the mass murderers in Paris.
Apparently, horror can be spiced up with a few random Bible verses and throwing the name "Thoth" around. (Why would the Egyptian god of scribes patronize a sword?) And also by setting it in pre-Revolutionary France so we can enjoy the costuming even though it's terribly impractical for fighting in. Add yet another goofy action hero -- one who seems more inept than usual, even though he's supposedly the king's spy -- who's posessed by the vengeful spirit of his dead sister, the "Chevalier", crazed "poets" prone to turning into toothy snakes, and a big heaping pile of publisher's hype and here we are. Chevalier d'Eon.
The art reminds me of Priest, deliberately rough, reminiscent of woodcuts, and so busy in the details that I think clarity begins to suffer. Sadly, there's also a certain lack of imagination here. There's plenty of combat, but none of it particularly original. There are plenty of characters, none of them particularly innovative in their depiction or their actions within the story. Toward the end, a little effort is put into developing what may be a real character but by that time, I was thinking of the next manga I had to read.
And the most discouraging point is, I think, that anybody with the slightest observational powers ought to notice the rather distinctive cat who hangs out with both the Chevalier and d'Eon. Duh, people.
Maybe the anime kicks ass. I'll still give that the benefit of a doubt.
Le Chevalier d'Eon, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
War Angels, v.1
By Jae-Hwan Kim
Released in the U.S. by Tokyopop
Slugline: I may have paid attention in school more if we had nuns like these!
In 2504, mankind has been decimated by a nuclear apocalypse and the starvation that followed killed most of humanity. What remains lives in fear of the Beastmen, genetic amalgamations of man and beast that were created before the apocalypse to fight in wars, but now rule over the remainder of humanity. There is a hope that there will be a messiah born to free humanity, but the Mother of said messiah has been captured by powerful Beastman. Archangels, powerful agents of the Church who are dedicated to the Messiah, have been sent out to rescue her but they are just as evenly matched by the Beastmen, with superhuman abilities.
There is a nun with a big gun, a sword guy and a martial arts master for the Archangels team. Their names barely were noticed, because they fell so easily into stereotype, and to complete the typecasting, the villain muses philosophically as he brushes off martial arts attacks that compress stone. Jae-Hwan Kim does have a US fanbase because of his prior work on King of Hell and Warcraft, both from TokyoPop, so they will be attracted to this because it delivers what Jae-Hwan Kim's titles always promise: action that is so over the top that it needs an oxygen mask. It may also be of interest for Original Global Manga fans, since this was made for TokyoPop, rather than being licensed like the rest of Jae-Hwan Kim's work.
War Angels, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Released in the U.S. by Tokyopop
Slugline: I may have paid attention in school more if we had nuns like these!
In 2504, mankind has been decimated by a nuclear apocalypse and the starvation that followed killed most of humanity. What remains lives in fear of the Beastmen, genetic amalgamations of man and beast that were created before the apocalypse to fight in wars, but now rule over the remainder of humanity. There is a hope that there will be a messiah born to free humanity, but the Mother of said messiah has been captured by powerful Beastman. Archangels, powerful agents of the Church who are dedicated to the Messiah, have been sent out to rescue her but they are just as evenly matched by the Beastmen, with superhuman abilities.
There is a nun with a big gun, a sword guy and a martial arts master for the Archangels team. Their names barely were noticed, because they fell so easily into stereotype, and to complete the typecasting, the villain muses philosophically as he brushes off martial arts attacks that compress stone. Jae-Hwan Kim does have a US fanbase because of his prior work on King of Hell and Warcraft, both from TokyoPop, so they will be attracted to this because it delivers what Jae-Hwan Kim's titles always promise: action that is so over the top that it needs an oxygen mask. It may also be of interest for Original Global Manga fans, since this was made for TokyoPop, rather than being licensed like the rest of Jae-Hwan Kim's work.
War Angels, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Battle of the Bands
by Steve Buccellato
Published by Tokyopop
Slugline: Lightweight, slapstick action. Please check your brain at the door to avoid damage.
This book caught me at the wrong time, and I'm trying not to blame it for that. It's a silly romp through a world where punk bands battle more literally, but despite the katanas and light anti-tank weapons, nobody really gets hurt. Unless it's useful to the plot, of course.
I do have to call the writer on a detail that I bet he thought nobody would be old enough to catch: the climactic battle between our heroines in Led Salad and their dastardly French enemies, the Whores d'Oeuvres, is a rip-off (or a homage) of the the classic Duran Duran "Wild Boys" video. Gotcha!
The story felt rushed, as there's a lot to cram in for one volume... and I'm not a fan of the dialog. It gave me whiplash going from heavy, intellectual Deathnote to this much lighter fare, and that put me in a bad mood. But slapstick has its place and it can be fun, so fill your flamethrower with tar and feathers, and have at it.
Battle of the Bands, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published by Tokyopop
Slugline: Lightweight, slapstick action. Please check your brain at the door to avoid damage.
This book caught me at the wrong time, and I'm trying not to blame it for that. It's a silly romp through a world where punk bands battle more literally, but despite the katanas and light anti-tank weapons, nobody really gets hurt. Unless it's useful to the plot, of course.
I do have to call the writer on a detail that I bet he thought nobody would be old enough to catch: the climactic battle between our heroines in Led Salad and their dastardly French enemies, the Whores d'Oeuvres, is a rip-off (or a homage) of the the classic Duran Duran "Wild Boys" video. Gotcha!
The story felt rushed, as there's a lot to cram in for one volume... and I'm not a fan of the dialog. It gave me whiplash going from heavy, intellectual Deathnote to this much lighter fare, and that put me in a bad mood. But slapstick has its place and it can be fun, so fill your flamethrower with tar and feathers, and have at it.
Battle of the Bands, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Flashbang!
Flashbang! and all other explicit titles have been moved to Prospero’s Manga – Mature, a review blog for explicit manga titles. Please check there for reviews of such titles.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Deathnote, v. 1 - 6
Story by Tsugumi Ohba, art by Takeshi Obata
Published in the U.S. by Viz
Slugline: It's simple: write someone's name in the Deathnote and they die. Getting away with it is the tricky part.
I know, Deathnote is old news and everybody loves it already, but this review is for everybody who hasn't tried it yet. I only just started it, myself.
It took me five volumes to think to myself that normally, this amount of dense exposition would be godawfully boring to slog through. With how short my attention span has gotten from reviewing manga, that should tell you something right there. The dialog is packed with information. There's not a lot of action. The plot is Byzantine, to say the least. The artwork is good but not what I'd call fabulous. And it's got a few blazingly unique characters.
The only thing I can think of that might turn readers off is the complexity, in fact, but everybody's actions are well documented beforehand -- which in itself ought to be godawfully boring, too. How is the writer getting away with this?
I think I'll need to read all 83 (or whatever) volumes to get to the bottom of it.
Check out our review of Deathnote vols. 7-10 also on Prospero's Manga
Death Note vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3, vol. 4, vol. 5 and vol. 6 are all available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Viz
Slugline: It's simple: write someone's name in the Deathnote and they die. Getting away with it is the tricky part.
I know, Deathnote is old news and everybody loves it already, but this review is for everybody who hasn't tried it yet. I only just started it, myself.
It took me five volumes to think to myself that normally, this amount of dense exposition would be godawfully boring to slog through. With how short my attention span has gotten from reviewing manga, that should tell you something right there. The dialog is packed with information. There's not a lot of action. The plot is Byzantine, to say the least. The artwork is good but not what I'd call fabulous. And it's got a few blazingly unique characters.
The only thing I can think of that might turn readers off is the complexity, in fact, but everybody's actions are well documented beforehand -- which in itself ought to be godawfully boring, too. How is the writer getting away with this?
I think I'll need to read all 83 (or whatever) volumes to get to the bottom of it.
Check out our review of Deathnote vols. 7-10 also on Prospero's Manga
Death Note vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3, vol. 4, vol. 5 and vol. 6 are all available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Time Guardian, v. 1
By Daimuro Kishi and Tamao Ichinose
Released in the U.S. by CMX
Slugline: There is no manga that could not improved by a monkey. A monkey’s paw, that is.
Miu, a girl who always seems to be late, by fiddling her watch while trying to get ahead of things manages to finds a curious little shop. The proprietor Kusaka calls it a pawnshop for time: by placing a precious memory as collateral, you can borrow time from your future in order to accomplish what needs to be done now. Though Miu has no need for it (despite appearances to the contrary) apparently one of the clocks of the pawnshop has selected her as the Go-Between, and her role is to guide the people who are borrowing time in a direction that is ‘just.’ Miu is one of those typical spunky girls, and has a mild infatuation with Kusaka, so she takes to the role, helping a sick girl have the perfect date, a pop idol reconcile with her father, and helping a fellow student confront his parents and tell them of his true love.
At first I was thinking that there was going to be a monkey’s paw aspect to this story, as in the gift that will turnaround and bite you. While Kusaka is very mercenary in his choices, he seems to be following both the letter and spirit of his agreements. At first I was little down on this story, for while it is okay it doesn’t exactly sizzle, and none of the characters exactly leap off the page and are immediately interesting.But then I saw that this is rated for E for Everyone, and got it.There is nothing here that is offensive, and the story is not too challenging but still has goals -- just not for Miu, at least not yet.It also explains the use of the talking frog Ginzo, whose purpose I didn’t immediately get but who serves as a foil to Kusaka to fully bring out his thinking.So I think this is a good intro-level or early reader manga title, while someone who has read a few, or is just more sardonic, may find it a little slow.
Time Guardian, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Monday, June 25, 2007
Right Stuf and referrals
We had one comment, and a couple emails about this, so I thought I would lay things out.
Yes, we do get referral fees from both Right Stuf and Amazon, along with all the Google Ads.
No, we have not become rich. I don't even think we have earned more than $20 from all sources of revenue from Prospero's Manga.
That being said, we are currently not thinking of shutting Prospero's Manga down, but I hope you can understand that the site can be time sink, and sometimes we have to prioritize our time with the stuff that pays.
Yes, Right Stuf does gives us a better referral fee than Amazon, and anything you find via both the links and our link to the search page (right column, just under the Pocky ads and above the ratings/genre listing) gets credited to our account.
That seem reasonable and fair?
Yes, we do get referral fees from both Right Stuf and Amazon, along with all the Google Ads.
No, we have not become rich. I don't even think we have earned more than $20 from all sources of revenue from Prospero's Manga.
That being said, we are currently not thinking of shutting Prospero's Manga down, but I hope you can understand that the site can be time sink, and sometimes we have to prioritize our time with the stuff that pays.
Yes, Right Stuf does gives us a better referral fee than Amazon, and anything you find via both the links and our link to the search page (right column, just under the Pocky ads and above the ratings/genre listing) gets credited to our account.
That seem reasonable and fair?
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Oh My Goddess!, v. 1
by Kosuke Fujishima
Released in the U.S. by Dark Horse
Slugline: If you haven't already heard about Oh My Goddess, reading a slugline isn't going to help.
Let me you tell you a tale. Way back in the year 1994, when there was nary a single manga in ye ole bookstore, back before people had the book larnin' to read right to left, there was a small little title called Oh My Goddess...
Sorry, I just can't keep that going and I suspect what I have already written is bad enough. Oh My Goddess is one of the grand dames of US manga publication, and here it is presented in its original format. Initial print runs of the title were flipped, but this reprint brings it back to its original orientation and includes several color pages that were left out of previous versions released in the US. The basic story is almost universally well known in anime/manga fandom: the lovable loser Keiichi dials the wrong phone number and the goddess Belldandy appears to make his wish come true. For the more experienced manga readers, reading the first volume may illuminate the roots of all harem comedies (except without the full harem as of yet) -- but that feeling comes not from copying the other comedies, but instead this being one of the parents of that genre.
That being said, how is it as itself, rather than as the vanguard of the entire manga boom? I have to admit, the first volume does show its age. The art style is starting to look old-fashioned (these pages were first drawn in the late 80s) so readers expecting something something else will be disappointed. These are mostly standalone stories that don't quite link together right and you can see the seams between them. That is the downside of its age -- most people have seen the other versions of the story in anime, so they were introduced to the stories in their most finished form, while here it is still raw. So while it is put together well, it is not up to the standards that many people are expecting out of more current titles that are being licensed, which I hope explains my less than stellar rating for the title.
- Ferdinand
Released in the U.S. by Dark Horse
Slugline: If you haven't already heard about Oh My Goddess, reading a slugline isn't going to help.
Let me you tell you a tale. Way back in the year 1994, when there was nary a single manga in ye ole bookstore, back before people had the book larnin' to read right to left, there was a small little title called Oh My Goddess...
Sorry, I just can't keep that going and I suspect what I have already written is bad enough. Oh My Goddess is one of the grand dames of US manga publication, and here it is presented in its original format. Initial print runs of the title were flipped, but this reprint brings it back to its original orientation and includes several color pages that were left out of previous versions released in the US. The basic story is almost universally well known in anime/manga fandom: the lovable loser Keiichi dials the wrong phone number and the goddess Belldandy appears to make his wish come true. For the more experienced manga readers, reading the first volume may illuminate the roots of all harem comedies (except without the full harem as of yet) -- but that feeling comes not from copying the other comedies, but instead this being one of the parents of that genre.
That being said, how is it as itself, rather than as the vanguard of the entire manga boom? I have to admit, the first volume does show its age. The art style is starting to look old-fashioned (these pages were first drawn in the late 80s) so readers expecting something something else will be disappointed. These are mostly standalone stories that don't quite link together right and you can see the seams between them. That is the downside of its age -- most people have seen the other versions of the story in anime, so they were introduced to the stories in their most finished form, while here it is still raw. So while it is put together well, it is not up to the standards that many people are expecting out of more current titles that are being licensed, which I hope explains my less than stellar rating for the title.
- Ferdinand
Series Update: Kuro Gane 4 & 5
SERIES UPDATE
Volume 5 ends the series, and this is still a series of individual adventures with some recurring characters and a lot of recurring themes. I hadn't realized that yakuza, moneylenders and vengeance-driven youngsters were so thick on the ground in 19th-century Japan. Jintetsu doesn't seem to have made a dent in their numbers, despite his efforts.
I would average the series out at two and a half stars -- some interesting elements, more predictable elements, and characters who are not very unusual for this genre.
- Miranda
Volume 5 ends the series, and this is still a series of individual adventures with some recurring characters and a lot of recurring themes. I hadn't realized that yakuza, moneylenders and vengeance-driven youngsters were so thick on the ground in 19th-century Japan. Jintetsu doesn't seem to have made a dent in their numbers, despite his efforts.
I would average the series out at two and a half stars -- some interesting elements, more predictable elements, and characters who are not very unusual for this genre.
- Miranda
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Right Stuf links
I originally added the Right Stuf sales links for items that were not sold through Amazon (mostly the adult titles) but then started adding them to all entries to give people more choice. However, so few people have used them I am thinking of no longer including them for all entries, and just put them as needed.
So do readers have any thoughts about this? Email or comment here if you want to keep the Right Stuf links around...
So do readers have any thoughts about this? Email or comment here if you want to keep the Right Stuf links around...
Gunsmith Cats Burst, v.1
by Kenichi Sonoda
Published in the U.S. by Dark Horse Manga
Published in the U.S. by Dark Horse Manga
Slugline: A follow-up to the original Gunsmith Cats, this series puts the girls back in action.
This volume contains a few very short stories and a longer story that only gets more and more complicated as it goes. I'm not sure whether the author expects us to know the characters already (I managed to miss both the anime and manga Gunsmith Cats) or if he just has not burdened them with a lot of personality, but I didn't find Rally or Minnie May terribly interesting.
The short stories were light and amusing and even the detailed gun-describing episode was interesting (then again, I've been known to find Punisher's equipment issues "interesting" -- though I'm not a gun nut at all.) The longer story was, however, increasingly tedious though I will give points for a more accurate portrayal of America than I've seen in other manga. The gun-toting granny was fun and the story has its good points, but on the whole it failed to grab me.
Fans of the Cats shouldn't let me stop them from trying Burst, of course. But if you're new to it, like me, this isn't the best place to start... try to find the original anime instead, it has a good reputation from what I hear.
- Miranda
Eden: It's an Endless World, v. 1
By Hiroki Endo
Released in the U.S. by Dark Horse Manga
Released in the U.S. by Dark Horse Manga
Slugline: Ho-hum, just another post-apocalyptic disease ridden future with killer robots. How sad is that?
Eden is a rarity nowadays: a post-apocalyptic future that was wiped out by a plague that did not turn everyone into zombies. Instead it is more about what the people that survive the aftermath of an apocalypse, admittedly one that leaves the survivors relatively intact (dying of radiation disease is not very conducive for anything but a story about a slow slide into death.) (Hey, On The Beach pulled it off -- Miranda) There is a lot of dime-store philosophy, but I am not sure if I buy it. Plus there seem to be two completely different stories going on here, centered on different children of the same man (I think.) However, the stories are told consecutively rather than being intermingled so that they could play off each other. But this jump between characters makes me wonder how much the stories are separated by time, because a robot is in both of them and I am not sure if it is the same robot or different ones. That uncertainty is not entertaining, actually, it's just confusing. Plus the big bad of the series is an organization that apparently is trying to take over the world -- what remains of it -- but for the moment it exists just as a name, nothing more. Mysterious, without having a point to it.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Trinity Blood, vol. 1
As some of you may know, I also do reviews for the Comic Buyer's Guide over on their own website. Their format is a little different from what we use here, they have a 4 star system as compared our five star system, and the focus is on titles that would appeal to the readers of traditional western comics, but I thought it would be easier if I just directly linked them from here.
First up, a review of Trinity Blood, vol. 1
Trinity Blood, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
-Ferdinand
First up, a review of Trinity Blood, vol. 1
Trinity Blood, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
-Ferdinand
Thursday, June 14, 2007
The Twelve Kingdoms, Sea of Shadows
Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow
Written by Fuyumi Ono
Released in the U.S. by TokyoPop
Slugline: Even in Japan, the books are better than movies/anime
Yoko was the stereotypical good girl, desperately working too hard just to be like everyone else in her high school and fulfill everyone else's expectations of her, but she is swept out of this world and into the Twelve Kingdoms, with demons, flying tigers (I wonder if that is some sort of joke on the WW2 US flying unit in China) and green monkey swords. This is what the anime is based on, and you can see the hasty joints of the work where it broken apart in order for it to work in the anime format.
Because the story is basically about Yoko's journey, a solitary one, in which she first discovers what it means to be alive rather than dead to the world, then what it means to be open to others and trust once you decide that what you are and what you do mean something. The novel expands the time experienced by the characters, so that weeks and months fly by and developments that felt odd and rushed in the anime are smoother here. In the anime the solitary nature of the journey had to be overcome because it wouldn't have been much fun to run episodes where the main character doesn't even talk, so they gave Yoko companions. However, that immediately and irrevocably changes the nature of her journey. While the anime was okay, this light novel is much stronger and still is a relatively quick read with a large type on small pages.
The Twelve Kingdoms, Sea of Shadows is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Site updates and other slowness
Hey there, sorry for the slowness in updating, both of us are working like madmen at our RL work, partly to catch up and pay for that vacation a few weeks ago, add in the typical couple miscommunication, and you get a little lagging in the posting.
But if you check out along the side, you will find that we were able to accomplish something. We now have links on the side for Pocky! Necessary fuel for when you are trying to read six different manga in a row.
More posting soon!
-Ferdinand
But if you check out along the side, you will find that we were able to accomplish something. We now have links on the side for Pocky! Necessary fuel for when you are trying to read six different manga in a row.
More posting soon!
-Ferdinand
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Dragon Eye, v. 1
By Kairi Fujiyama
Released in the U.S. by Del Rey Manga
Slugline: Is there much of a difference between Dragon Eyes and Nine Tailed Demon Foxes?
In the near future, a virus that acts like the ones in zombie movies but turns the victims into Dracules -- creatures that are transformed from into something large, nasty, immortal and crazed with a desire for killing and infecting humans -- has forced the survivors of humanity to live in protected cities. They are protected by the VIUS, those that have an immunity to the virus and also have kick ass mystical martial art skills. Leila is a new VIUS recruit, wanting to gain the Dragon Eye, a semi-mythical artifact that allows one to kick even more Dracule patootie, but discovers that her new superior has it/one, but it is a curse. Plus the same superior, Issa, has recruited another VIUS, one who hates his guts, thinking he is the one who killed his sister without reason years ago.
Released in the U.S. by Del Rey Manga
Slugline: Is there much of a difference between Dragon Eyes and Nine Tailed Demon Foxes?
In the near future, a virus that acts like the ones in zombie movies but turns the victims into Dracules -- creatures that are transformed from into something large, nasty, immortal and crazed with a desire for killing and infecting humans -- has forced the survivors of humanity to live in protected cities. They are protected by the VIUS, those that have an immunity to the virus and also have kick ass mystical martial art skills. Leila is a new VIUS recruit, wanting to gain the Dragon Eye, a semi-mythical artifact that allows one to kick even more Dracule patootie, but discovers that her new superior has it/one, but it is a curse. Plus the same superior, Issa, has recruited another VIUS, one who hates his guts, thinking he is the one who killed his sister without reason years ago.
Okay, this looks and feels a lot like Naruto, with Issa being a very close stand-in for Naruto himself. But the missing element is that despite a similar mystery around both main characters -- who and what they are -- Issa by design is in on his secrets and is party to them, while Naruto is discovering what is going on with the readers. For with Naruto it is a joint journey of discovery. With Issa and Dragon Eye it is more like trying to worm information out of someone who takes far too much pleasure in hiding it from you. Maybe if there wasn't Naruto to be such a close comparison to I would be able to rank this title higher -- it does have nice art and a clearly written story -- but it still suffers in comparison.
Dragon Eye, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
-Ferdinand
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Canon. v. 1
By Chika Shiomi
Published by in the U.S. CMX Manga
Slugline: A story about vampires that aren't vampires. You can sense my thrill through the computer screen, can't you?
Canon is requisite lucky student who survived a mysterious attack on her entire class by a vampire -- albeit a vampire who seems to operate under strange rules completely inconsistent with ones that we are familiar with, and whose minions can be cured of their vampire state with some willpower. Once cured, they are fortunately completely unaware of what they did while under the vampiric bloodlust. This is fairly episodic: the situation is set up, her sidekick is fleshed out (a vampiric crow!) and we meet the hot guy who will be a mysterious figure of assistance and hotness in the story glides through. I could go on describing it, but it is like so many other stories of its ilk.
I tried to find some aspect of originality or interest, but everything I found in this manga reminded me of at least a dozen other manga. The art is okay, and the story structure is functional, so it's not bad. It is just completely uninteresting and aspects of the vampire's nature that would normally create tension and danger are so waterd down that becoming a vampire is, well, like a headcold that can be easily cleared up. So there is not even the ambiguous moral choices of what to do with the innocent driven to bloodlust. Ho hum.
Though if someone can point toward any folklore references (Japanese or otherwise Asian, since these definitely aren't Western-style vampires) which explain these vampires, please do.
Canon, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published by in the U.S. CMX Manga
Slugline: A story about vampires that aren't vampires. You can sense my thrill through the computer screen, can't you?
Canon is requisite lucky student who survived a mysterious attack on her entire class by a vampire -- albeit a vampire who seems to operate under strange rules completely inconsistent with ones that we are familiar with, and whose minions can be cured of their vampire state with some willpower. Once cured, they are fortunately completely unaware of what they did while under the vampiric bloodlust. This is fairly episodic: the situation is set up, her sidekick is fleshed out (a vampiric crow!) and we meet the hot guy who will be a mysterious figure of assistance and hotness in the story glides through. I could go on describing it, but it is like so many other stories of its ilk.
I tried to find some aspect of originality or interest, but everything I found in this manga reminded me of at least a dozen other manga. The art is okay, and the story structure is functional, so it's not bad. It is just completely uninteresting and aspects of the vampire's nature that would normally create tension and danger are so waterd down that becoming a vampire is, well, like a headcold that can be easily cleared up. So there is not even the ambiguous moral choices of what to do with the innocent driven to bloodlust. Ho hum.
Though if someone can point toward any folklore references (Japanese or otherwise Asian, since these definitely aren't Western-style vampires) which explain these vampires, please do.
Canon, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Apothecarius Argentum, v.1
By Tomomi Yamashita
Published in the U.S. by CMX
Slugline: From enslaved food taster to free apothecary -- but things only get more complicated for Argent.
At last, an explanation for the hair color of "platinums" -- it's a side effect of being acclimated to poisons. Argent is a "basilisk", a slave raised on toxins until he's toxic himself (a story idea explored long ago by, believe it or not, Nathaniel Hawthorne in "Rappaccini's Daughter"), used as a food taster for a young princess, Primula, whose kingdom is under a great deal of pressure.
Escaped and/or freed by the princess (there's some difference of opinion), he returns as a healer to help rather than kill. But it's never that simple for a basilisk.
The art is fairly standard. The plot has some non-surprises but also some good, unpleasantly realistic moments. The same can be said of the characters. It's set in a generically European fantasy world and the violence is indeed mild as noted on the cover, so I'm interpreting their age rating as 13+.
Apothecarius Argentum, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by CMX
Slugline: From enslaved food taster to free apothecary -- but things only get more complicated for Argent.
At last, an explanation for the hair color of "platinums" -- it's a side effect of being acclimated to poisons. Argent is a "basilisk", a slave raised on toxins until he's toxic himself (a story idea explored long ago by, believe it or not, Nathaniel Hawthorne in "Rappaccini's Daughter"), used as a food taster for a young princess, Primula, whose kingdom is under a great deal of pressure.
Escaped and/or freed by the princess (there's some difference of opinion), he returns as a healer to help rather than kill. But it's never that simple for a basilisk.
The art is fairly standard. The plot has some non-surprises but also some good, unpleasantly realistic moments. The same can be said of the characters. It's set in a generically European fantasy world and the violence is indeed mild as noted on the cover, so I'm interpreting their age rating as 13+.
Apothecarius Argentum, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Brave Story, v.1
Story by Miyuki Miyabe and Art by Yoichiro Ono
Released in the U.S. by ToykoPop
Slugline: For once, a manga about a video game player whose game has not come to life (yet) .
It's a sad situation when I read the outline for the story on websites and they talk about this epic journey on the part of the main character Wataru, which I presume is the main thrust of the series? I say presume because there is not a single hint at the end of the first volume that Wataru is even thinking of, let alone packing for, an epic journey. I know manga takes some time to get going, but if that is going to be the main arc of the series, at least drop some hints by the end of the first volume. Yes, there is some need for setup, but by same token one of the tenets of writing is to start as close as possible to the main action of the story. Sure, there is action in this volume, but now I am not sure if it really was there for any particular reason other than that you need to beat something up in every episode of a shonen story.
The one bit of the story I found interesting was the conflict within Wataru about his parents' unfolding breakup, divorce, and his father's apparent abandonment of him. It is the process of currently trying to deal with those tragedies which is interesting, rather than it being some abstract tragedy in his past. Everyone has a tragic past in manga; it is watching the present that is engaging. Interesting contrast between the two main characters here: one has a father who can't let go and the other has one that can't hold on.
Maybe in the next volume things kick in and the 'real' story begins. You know, I have often found stories which go immediately into a lost world, so that the main character leaves his life, sort of annoying in that we don't see the character in his more normal state before he is thrown into the deep end and we don't have anything to compare his behavior to. Here, the fact that we get to see the character in his normal state makes it feel like a lie since we know (thanks to the outline) that it is soon going to all go out the window. If they had timed it better, maybe so it kicks in at the end of this volume so we are building up to it, I would be more forgiving. Despite this being a solid title with some interesting character bits, I am still pretty annoyed at it.
Brave Story, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
(That's too bad. I like the cover design. - Miranda)
Released in the U.S. by ToykoPop
Slugline: For once, a manga about a video game player whose game has not come to life (yet) .
It's a sad situation when I read the outline for the story on websites and they talk about this epic journey on the part of the main character Wataru, which I presume is the main thrust of the series? I say presume because there is not a single hint at the end of the first volume that Wataru is even thinking of, let alone packing for, an epic journey. I know manga takes some time to get going, but if that is going to be the main arc of the series, at least drop some hints by the end of the first volume. Yes, there is some need for setup, but by same token one of the tenets of writing is to start as close as possible to the main action of the story. Sure, there is action in this volume, but now I am not sure if it really was there for any particular reason other than that you need to beat something up in every episode of a shonen story.
The one bit of the story I found interesting was the conflict within Wataru about his parents' unfolding breakup, divorce, and his father's apparent abandonment of him. It is the process of currently trying to deal with those tragedies which is interesting, rather than it being some abstract tragedy in his past. Everyone has a tragic past in manga; it is watching the present that is engaging. Interesting contrast between the two main characters here: one has a father who can't let go and the other has one that can't hold on.
Maybe in the next volume things kick in and the 'real' story begins. You know, I have often found stories which go immediately into a lost world, so that the main character leaves his life, sort of annoying in that we don't see the character in his more normal state before he is thrown into the deep end and we don't have anything to compare his behavior to. Here, the fact that we get to see the character in his normal state makes it feel like a lie since we know (thanks to the outline) that it is soon going to all go out the window. If they had timed it better, maybe so it kicks in at the end of this volume so we are building up to it, I would be more forgiving. Despite this being a solid title with some interesting character bits, I am still pretty annoyed at it.
Brave Story, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
(That's too bad. I like the cover design. - Miranda)
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Princess Resurrection, v.1
By Yasunori Mitsunaga
Published in the U.S. by Del Rey Manga
Slugline: The children of the night... they make such beautiful music... (chainsaw revving up).
The cover may be trying to pass this off as a horror, but it's a comedy. It's honest about the chainsaw, though; Hime ("Princess") does seem to favor the chainsaw over the rapier. She has recently added Hiro, a classically clueless abuse magnet, to her stable of servants, and keeps him alive and useful by feeding him her blood. We also have a classically clueless older sister to Hiro as a housemaid and a classic chibi sidekick/superstrong robot/only-says-one-word girl. Plus a half-werewolf angry-and-violent-stereotype girl who will be the backup asskicker for the series.
They're not the most original group of characters. And the storyline is not shaping up to be too unusual either - Hime and her siblings are trying to kill each other, and I'm sure we'll be regaled with stories of mutual trauma soon enough. And sadly, the artist had a lapse of physical plausibility when Hime delivered a strong upward slash to an enemy standing in front of her and the next frame depicted the rapier stuck through his forehead. Skewered upward through his chin, I would have bought, but I'm sorry. Yes, I am picky.
Still, it's got chainsaws, and that counts for something around here.
Princess Resurrection, 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
Slugline: The children of the night... they make such beautiful music... (chainsaw revving up).
The cover may be trying to pass this off as a horror, but it's a comedy. It's honest about the chainsaw, though; Hime ("Princess") does seem to favor the chainsaw over the rapier. She has recently added Hiro, a classically clueless abuse magnet, to her stable of servants, and keeps him alive and useful by feeding him her blood. We also have a classically clueless older sister to Hiro as a housemaid and a classic chibi sidekick/superstrong robot/only-says-one-word girl. Plus a half-werewolf angry-and-violent-stereotype girl who will be the backup asskicker for the series.
They're not the most original group of characters. And the storyline is not shaping up to be too unusual either - Hime and her siblings are trying to kill each other, and I'm sure we'll be regaled with stories of mutual trauma soon enough. And sadly, the artist had a lapse of physical plausibility when Hime delivered a strong upward slash to an enemy standing in front of her and the next frame depicted the rapier stuck through his forehead. Skewered upward through his chin, I would have bought, but I'm sorry. Yes, I am picky.
Still, it's got chainsaws, and that counts for something around here.
Princess Resurrection, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Platina, v. 1
By Yeon Joo Kim
Published in the U.S. by CPM Manhwa
Slugline: I am not sure that there is a story here, but it is amusing to read.
Auna was a rich girl whose family lost everything, and was forced to work for the government and her kingdom's demanding princess to maintain the old family home which was foreclosed on. The Princess gives Auna a fox cub, who promptly turns into a boy thief with a mother complex that defies easy description. Needless to say, the transformations from fox cub to boy and back again, are half of the humor of the book. All of the characters have hidden depths, but it is hard to actually pick out a coherent storyline here. We have secret pasts, but also an awareness that they are in a manhwa since they reference things that they know will not happen until the next chapter. Evil background characters are evil because they are in the background, and they know it. But hidden in the midst of all this frivolity there are the character's secret pasts. And what the hell is the Princess up to? Is she supposed to be a sympathetic character or not?
So as long as you don't mind being purposefully confused and seeing the structure of the story laid bare to you, this is a pretty good read. I rank it above stories that are confused because the author thinks that is the best way to be mysterious, or the author just can't tell the story coherently, which are sins of commission, whereas I think the omissions here are very purposeful.
Platina, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published in the U.S. by CPM Manhwa
Slugline: I am not sure that there is a story here, but it is amusing to read.
Auna was a rich girl whose family lost everything, and was forced to work for the government and her kingdom's demanding princess to maintain the old family home which was foreclosed on. The Princess gives Auna a fox cub, who promptly turns into a boy thief with a mother complex that defies easy description. Needless to say, the transformations from fox cub to boy and back again, are half of the humor of the book. All of the characters have hidden depths, but it is hard to actually pick out a coherent storyline here. We have secret pasts, but also an awareness that they are in a manhwa since they reference things that they know will not happen until the next chapter. Evil background characters are evil because they are in the background, and they know it. But hidden in the midst of all this frivolity there are the character's secret pasts. And what the hell is the Princess up to? Is she supposed to be a sympathetic character or not?
So as long as you don't mind being purposefully confused and seeing the structure of the story laid bare to you, this is a pretty good read. I rank it above stories that are confused because the author thinks that is the best way to be mysterious, or the author just can't tell the story coherently, which are sins of commission, whereas I think the omissions here are very purposeful.
Platina, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Series Update: Basilisk 4 & 5
SERIES UPDATE
The series wraps up in volume 5, after much bloodshed, much anguish, and some really bizarre death scenes. I haven't mentioned Segawa-sama's lovely artwork, which makes his women look soft and lush even while they're dishing out the pain. Needless to say, this war of attrition between superpowered ninjas comes to a very Japanese ending (or Shakespearian tragedy, if you prefer) and in the end, despite some serious contenders, I have to give the award for Most Bizarre "Ninja Technique" to the superpowered nose hairs. Yes, you read that right.
Links to reviews of v. 1, v. 2 & 3
Basilisk vol. 4 and vol. 5 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
The series wraps up in volume 5, after much bloodshed, much anguish, and some really bizarre death scenes. I haven't mentioned Segawa-sama's lovely artwork, which makes his women look soft and lush even while they're dishing out the pain. Needless to say, this war of attrition between superpowered ninjas comes to a very Japanese ending (or Shakespearian tragedy, if you prefer) and in the end, despite some serious contenders, I have to give the award for Most Bizarre "Ninja Technique" to the superpowered nose hairs. Yes, you read that right.
Links to reviews of v. 1, v. 2 & 3
Basilisk vol. 4 and vol. 5 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
King of Thorn, v. 1
Created by Yuji Iwahara
Published in the U.S. by TokyoPop
Slugline: A good zombie movie, probably because it has no zombies.
The Medusa virus is sweeping the world, painfully turning its victims into chalky statues after a incubation period of weeks. Without a cure, one sibling of a twin sister set, Kasumi, wins a lottery to be put into suspended animation until a cure is found. After an unknown amount of time, she along with a number of the other lottery winners awaken to discover that their animation center is now overgrown with vines, and there are unknown creatures right outside the chamber waiting to eat them. Kasumi, the shyer of the twins, is left wondering why she was spared, what happened to the world, and how long she has left until the Medusa virus claims her and the rest of the survivors. Tensions among the small group that manages to escape, for the time being, only rise.
This is a horror title that feels very reminiscent, but still different from, of the isolation and paranoia of the best zombie movies. But instead of the infected losing their identity to become just another zombie, here, the Medusa virus strips everything but their identity away, leaving a statue. The shy Kasumi has to find meaning in herself, no longer relying directly on her sister, to make her way in a strange world that is familiar like a badly remembered echo.
Not sure if the later volumes will keep up with this book's quality, but for setting up a situation and immediately placing characters into jeopardy, this book is very good. In addition, this is second book we have reviewed here on Prospero's Manga from Yuji Iwahara, the first being Chikyu Misaki released by CMX, but now I am going to look forward and for any other works by this creator.
King of Thorn, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published in the U.S. by TokyoPop
Slugline: A good zombie movie, probably because it has no zombies.
The Medusa virus is sweeping the world, painfully turning its victims into chalky statues after a incubation period of weeks. Without a cure, one sibling of a twin sister set, Kasumi, wins a lottery to be put into suspended animation until a cure is found. After an unknown amount of time, she along with a number of the other lottery winners awaken to discover that their animation center is now overgrown with vines, and there are unknown creatures right outside the chamber waiting to eat them. Kasumi, the shyer of the twins, is left wondering why she was spared, what happened to the world, and how long she has left until the Medusa virus claims her and the rest of the survivors. Tensions among the small group that manages to escape, for the time being, only rise.
This is a horror title that feels very reminiscent, but still different from, of the isolation and paranoia of the best zombie movies. But instead of the infected losing their identity to become just another zombie, here, the Medusa virus strips everything but their identity away, leaving a statue. The shy Kasumi has to find meaning in herself, no longer relying directly on her sister, to make her way in a strange world that is familiar like a badly remembered echo.
Not sure if the later volumes will keep up with this book's quality, but for setting up a situation and immediately placing characters into jeopardy, this book is very good. In addition, this is second book we have reviewed here on Prospero's Manga from Yuji Iwahara, the first being Chikyu Misaki released by CMX, but now I am going to look forward and for any other works by this creator.
King of Thorn, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Love Pistols, v.1
By Tarako Kotobuki
Published in the U.S. by Blu
Slugline: Monkeys and leopards and bears, oh my! Let's get it on!
Norio turns out to be a special critter in a previously unknown world of spirit-critters and he spends most of his time freaking out amusingly while various giant-shouldered guys hit on him. It comes down to two guys, quickly, and my one complaint is that the guy who's trying to be nice about seducing Norio is obviously losing out to the one who's being an ass about it. I've never bought the whole "jerks are sexier than nice guys" thing, personally.
But for a yaoi, this story contains an unusual amount of world-building to explain these alternatively evolved human-animal-spirit beings amung us -- which I like, because porn deserves just as much effort as any other story, in my opinion. It goes a long way toward making the "must breed! don't care if it's male!" situation feel less contrived. Plus, it's a good excuse for people to turn into animals.
There's a parallel story about another romance in development, one that will take more work and may be more interesting in the long run. In the meantime, everyone's fantasizing about hot, non-explicit monkey sex (kinda literally) and I'm sure we'll get around to the real thing eventually.
Love Pistols, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Blu
Slugline: Monkeys and leopards and bears, oh my! Let's get it on!
Norio turns out to be a special critter in a previously unknown world of spirit-critters and he spends most of his time freaking out amusingly while various giant-shouldered guys hit on him. It comes down to two guys, quickly, and my one complaint is that the guy who's trying to be nice about seducing Norio is obviously losing out to the one who's being an ass about it. I've never bought the whole "jerks are sexier than nice guys" thing, personally.
But for a yaoi, this story contains an unusual amount of world-building to explain these alternatively evolved human-animal-spirit beings amung us -- which I like, because porn deserves just as much effort as any other story, in my opinion. It goes a long way toward making the "must breed! don't care if it's male!" situation feel less contrived. Plus, it's a good excuse for people to turn into animals.
There's a parallel story about another romance in development, one that will take more work and may be more interesting in the long run. In the meantime, everyone's fantasizing about hot, non-explicit monkey sex (kinda literally) and I'm sure we'll get around to the real thing eventually.
Love Pistols, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
My Heavenly Hockey Club, v. 1
Created by Ai Morinaga
Published in the U.S. by DelRey Manga
Slugline: For once, the boy and the girl are both incredibly ludicrous.
Hana has worked long and hard to get into a prestigious local school. But for once it was not to prove something to her parents or to meet up with a cute guy that she had a crush on ever since she was a small child. No, she wants to sleep in, and the closest school just happened to have the hardest standards. But on the way there, she is accidentally hit by the car of one of the most powerful students at the school, Izumi, who decides upon meeting her that her indestructibility would be useful to have around in the Hockey Club. A club of course, that doesn't know how to play hockey, but they do go very far during away games, stay at nice resorts and indulge in food. All of which seems to be ideal to Hana, but unfortunately the morning practices involve learning which end of the stick is up and mean that she has ended up not getting any extra sleep. And despite all of their practice they never actually get to play a game, despite their best efforts to at least end up on the field to play.
Do Izumi and Hana have something going on between them? Yes, but it's overshadowed by the fact that their obsessions blind them to, well, reality. Usually one of the main characters in a manga is the voice of sanity or reason, but fortunately here that character seems to be relegated to a minor supporting role so he is easily ignored. It is the story's fidelity in taking itself not very seriously, but never pushing the characters in areas of insanity, that walks a fine line. Why the characters do crazy things is never unbelievable, but what they do they is. Despite being over-the-top, I still felt that the characters were real. The subject of the story is fluff, nothing out of the ordinary and one may even say it is less important than most other such stories, but the writing is such that you never really notice that the story is really about nothing. Well, less than the nothing that most relationship manga seem to fall into.
My Heavenly Hockey Club, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published in the U.S. by DelRey Manga
Slugline: For once, the boy and the girl are both incredibly ludicrous.
Hana has worked long and hard to get into a prestigious local school. But for once it was not to prove something to her parents or to meet up with a cute guy that she had a crush on ever since she was a small child. No, she wants to sleep in, and the closest school just happened to have the hardest standards. But on the way there, she is accidentally hit by the car of one of the most powerful students at the school, Izumi, who decides upon meeting her that her indestructibility would be useful to have around in the Hockey Club. A club of course, that doesn't know how to play hockey, but they do go very far during away games, stay at nice resorts and indulge in food. All of which seems to be ideal to Hana, but unfortunately the morning practices involve learning which end of the stick is up and mean that she has ended up not getting any extra sleep. And despite all of their practice they never actually get to play a game, despite their best efforts to at least end up on the field to play.
Do Izumi and Hana have something going on between them? Yes, but it's overshadowed by the fact that their obsessions blind them to, well, reality. Usually one of the main characters in a manga is the voice of sanity or reason, but fortunately here that character seems to be relegated to a minor supporting role so he is easily ignored. It is the story's fidelity in taking itself not very seriously, but never pushing the characters in areas of insanity, that walks a fine line. Why the characters do crazy things is never unbelievable, but what they do they is. Despite being over-the-top, I still felt that the characters were real. The subject of the story is fluff, nothing out of the ordinary and one may even say it is less important than most other such stories, but the writing is such that you never really notice that the story is really about nothing. Well, less than the nothing that most relationship manga seem to fall into.
My Heavenly Hockey Club, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Crossroad, v.1
by Shioko Mizuki
Published in the U.S. by Go!comi
Slugline: "Blended" families are unusual, in Japan, and here we see a little of why.
In the US, the scenario would be sad but not strange at all: three kids were dropped off at various times at Grandma's house after their footloose mom fell in and out with various men. They go their separate ways, but are drawn back together by Grandma's death -- including Mom, who ditches yet another child with them and takes off for parts unknown.
Ranging from the 20-year-old, delivery-man eldest brother to the newest, elementary schoolgirl sister, they decide to make a go at being a family. The standard-issue transfer-student dramas and the teens awkwardly attracted to each other are well and humerously written, but it's the mundane problems of getting a place to live, getting themselves into school at all, that make this title stand out. In many shojo, these things are glossed over or handled by grown-ups, if they are even mentioned at all. As a grown up who has to worry about these things, I find it fascinating to see how it's done in Japan. And since our heroine is just a teenager, she's learning the ropes right along with us.
This title was first published in the U.S. in 2003, but it's worth looking for.
We have also reviewed Crossroad vols. 2 & 3 and Crossroad vols. 4-7.
CrossRoad, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Go!comi
Slugline: "Blended" families are unusual, in Japan, and here we see a little of why.
In the US, the scenario would be sad but not strange at all: three kids were dropped off at various times at Grandma's house after their footloose mom fell in and out with various men. They go their separate ways, but are drawn back together by Grandma's death -- including Mom, who ditches yet another child with them and takes off for parts unknown.
Ranging from the 20-year-old, delivery-man eldest brother to the newest, elementary schoolgirl sister, they decide to make a go at being a family. The standard-issue transfer-student dramas and the teens awkwardly attracted to each other are well and humerously written, but it's the mundane problems of getting a place to live, getting themselves into school at all, that make this title stand out. In many shojo, these things are glossed over or handled by grown-ups, if they are even mentioned at all. As a grown up who has to worry about these things, I find it fascinating to see how it's done in Japan. And since our heroine is just a teenager, she's learning the ropes right along with us.
This title was first published in the U.S. in 2003, but it's worth looking for.
We have also reviewed Crossroad vols. 2 & 3 and Crossroad vols. 4-7.
CrossRoad, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
May vacation, 2007
We will be away on vacation, so no posts on May 15th, 17th and probably not on the 22nd either. Enjoy!
Grand Theft Galaxy, v.1
Written by Tricia Riley Hale, Illustrated by Jim Roy N. Jimenez
Published by TokyoPop
Slugline: "Intergalactic gentleman thieves" is not a good thing to put down on your pre-law application undr "parents' occupation."
A college student (at last, a college student, as compared to a high school student) is finally the lead in an OEL. True, how it is treated in the manga is not much different from high school, but I will take my little victories where I can. Samantha is an exceedingly and proudly normal girl just trying to get into pre-law when she discovers that her parents are actually intergalactic thieves of the first order, and that some detectives with rather big, planet-busting weapons are going to blow up the planet Earth unless they get a cube that Samantha's parents can't remember stealing and don't know where it is. Samantha, if she wants her romantic date with her boyfriend to ever happen, needs to save the planet.
The is a nice action fluff. Even the destruction of the planet is treated rather lightly, with the sort of over-the-top humor and action that one would expect from a Teenagers From Outer Space story (a classic RPG.) Good art, fun action, but nothing that will probably stick out of my mind after a couple of days. Not saying it is bad, but it is not going to be in the same place in my library as Earthlight is, a title that I remember more of now than I do from Grand Theft Galaxy which I read just a couple hours ago.
And no, this has nothing to do with the Grand Theft Auto series.
Grand Theft Galaxy, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published by TokyoPop
Slugline: "Intergalactic gentleman thieves" is not a good thing to put down on your pre-law application undr "parents' occupation."
A college student (at last, a college student, as compared to a high school student) is finally the lead in an OEL. True, how it is treated in the manga is not much different from high school, but I will take my little victories where I can. Samantha is an exceedingly and proudly normal girl just trying to get into pre-law when she discovers that her parents are actually intergalactic thieves of the first order, and that some detectives with rather big, planet-busting weapons are going to blow up the planet Earth unless they get a cube that Samantha's parents can't remember stealing and don't know where it is. Samantha, if she wants her romantic date with her boyfriend to ever happen, needs to save the planet.
The is a nice action fluff. Even the destruction of the planet is treated rather lightly, with the sort of over-the-top humor and action that one would expect from a Teenagers From Outer Space story (a classic RPG.) Good art, fun action, but nothing that will probably stick out of my mind after a couple of days. Not saying it is bad, but it is not going to be in the same place in my library as Earthlight is, a title that I remember more of now than I do from Grand Theft Galaxy which I read just a couple hours ago.
And no, this has nothing to do with the Grand Theft Auto series.
Grand Theft Galaxy, vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Lovers in the Night
by Fumi Yoshinaga
Published in the U.S. by Blu
Slugline: There's just something about frilly shirts and yaoi, isn't there...
Like Yoshinaga's Gerard & Jaques, this collection of short stories is set in Revolution-era France and involves a master and butler relationship. Of the two, I would say Lovers in the Night is more developed and rings true -- the repartee is wittier, there's good back story, and even if Antoine is sometimes clueless as only a pampered aristocrat can be, he isn't nasty.
Set partly in Versaille and partly in German exile, there is a slight attempt at tension over Antoine and Claude's feelings for each other, but it's not like there's any real doubt. As a slice of "upstairs-downstairs" life, it never really addresses the differences between server and served. The story glides mainly on dialog, character, and a bit of porn (which is much better integrated into the story here than it was in Gerard & Jaques.)
Lovers in the Night is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Blu
Slugline: There's just something about frilly shirts and yaoi, isn't there...
Like Yoshinaga's Gerard & Jaques, this collection of short stories is set in Revolution-era France and involves a master and butler relationship. Of the two, I would say Lovers in the Night is more developed and rings true -- the repartee is wittier, there's good back story, and even if Antoine is sometimes clueless as only a pampered aristocrat can be, he isn't nasty.
Set partly in Versaille and partly in German exile, there is a slight attempt at tension over Antoine and Claude's feelings for each other, but it's not like there's any real doubt. As a slice of "upstairs-downstairs" life, it never really addresses the differences between server and served. The story glides mainly on dialog, character, and a bit of porn (which is much better integrated into the story here than it was in Gerard & Jaques.)
Lovers in the Night is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Warriors: The Lost Warrior, v. 1
Created by Erin Hunter, Written by Dan Jolley and art by James L. Barry
Published by TokyoPop
Slugline: When in doubt, assume your cat is plotting escape and your downfall, in that order.
I have heard that Warriors is a popular young adult series, with something like 12+ books released since 2003. But fortunately this book explains everything you need to know about the world of Warriors without having to read the whole series, and not in a boring, infodumpy way. Graystripe is a warrior of a clan of cats who, in the effort of freeing them, is captured himself and ends up in a human home. He suffers a crisis of faith, so to speak, but thanks to his dreams of the passed-on cats of his clan, and a local pet cat named Millie, he begins the trip that will hopefully reunite him with his clan.
This is a nice, solid piece of story. It is whole upon itself, it has both internal and external struggles, along with a love interest. It is nothing specutular, once you get it is about the story of a cat trapped in the world of man, but it works. I get the feeling that Graystripe is an older cat, almost world-weary but still willing to shoulder his burden of being a provider and defender of his extended family. There are some tantalizing hints about the rest of the world of Warriors, which I am sure will please fans of the series. I find myself particularly driven to find out more about them since we have three cats, so I'm feeling a need to understand what is going on in their minds and make sure that they don't kill me in my sleep. The art is okay, nothing too exicting, but I never got confused over which cat is which, which a nice touch.
Warriors: The Lost Warrior vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published by TokyoPop
Slugline: When in doubt, assume your cat is plotting escape and your downfall, in that order.
I have heard that Warriors is a popular young adult series, with something like 12+ books released since 2003. But fortunately this book explains everything you need to know about the world of Warriors without having to read the whole series, and not in a boring, infodumpy way. Graystripe is a warrior of a clan of cats who, in the effort of freeing them, is captured himself and ends up in a human home. He suffers a crisis of faith, so to speak, but thanks to his dreams of the passed-on cats of his clan, and a local pet cat named Millie, he begins the trip that will hopefully reunite him with his clan.
This is a nice, solid piece of story. It is whole upon itself, it has both internal and external struggles, along with a love interest. It is nothing specutular, once you get it is about the story of a cat trapped in the world of man, but it works. I get the feeling that Graystripe is an older cat, almost world-weary but still willing to shoulder his burden of being a provider and defender of his extended family. There are some tantalizing hints about the rest of the world of Warriors, which I am sure will please fans of the series. I find myself particularly driven to find out more about them since we have three cats, so I'm feeling a need to understand what is going on in their minds and make sure that they don't kill me in my sleep. The art is okay, nothing too exicting, but I never got confused over which cat is which, which a nice touch.
Warriors: The Lost Warrior vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Series Update: OldBoy 2 & 3
SERIES UPDATE
In the original review, I mostly talked about the movie version of this story. To give the manga a fair shake, it's well written and drawn, but it's still slow-paced (even for a manga) and our hero's revenge still depends entirely on those he is pursuing. He hasn't become proactive, yet.
Goto, our hero, pursues his revenge with great deliberation, and it's only when the enemy reaches out to contact him that things start happening. The artist also spends a great deal of time -- too much, actually -- establishing the mood and the surroundings and how many cigarettes everyone is smoking. I think I'll stick with the movie, mean-spirited as it was.
OldBoy vol. 2 and vol. 3 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
In the original review, I mostly talked about the movie version of this story. To give the manga a fair shake, it's well written and drawn, but it's still slow-paced (even for a manga) and our hero's revenge still depends entirely on those he is pursuing. He hasn't become proactive, yet.
Goto, our hero, pursues his revenge with great deliberation, and it's only when the enemy reaches out to contact him that things start happening. The artist also spends a great deal of time -- too much, actually -- establishing the mood and the surroundings and how many cigarettes everyone is smoking. I think I'll stick with the movie, mean-spirited as it was.
OldBoy vol. 2 and vol. 3 are both available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Rhysmyth, v. 1
Story by Anthony Andora with Art by Lincy Chan
Published by TokyoPop
Slugline: The best sign that the fans have taken over the kingdom is when they start writing about the fan-intensive stuff.
I have to admit a cardinal sin. Despite being in the prime demographics of my life, I have never owned a Nintendo, PS2, XboX, or even an Atari for that matter. It was a matter of acknowledging my sucky hand-eye coordination and the fact that I would spend time I didn't have in the fruitless pursuit of improving it. So my appreciation of Dance Dance Revolution is at best an cerebral one. But now here is a manga about a souped-up version of it. If that isn't a sign that we have arrived, nothing else is.
But once you strip out the DDR, all that is left is another underdog sports story, which in the first volume doesn't seem to move forward much and not much out of the ordinary happens. Elena can't get into any sports even though she clearly shows grace under pressure, a grace that she somehow has never shown before despite numerous chances and attempts on her part. There is the queen bee of the school putting her down, the jealous guy, the dark and mysterious guy, the wise sensei, and so on. All of the components are there, but they are not meshing together well. Maybe I have just read one too many sports manga recently, but other than the DDR aspect, I felt a little jaded by it, and since I don't play DDR, that failed to excite me.
So maybe for some fans this is exactly what they are looking for. I feel it needs something more.
Rhysmyth vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published by TokyoPop
Slugline: The best sign that the fans have taken over the kingdom is when they start writing about the fan-intensive stuff.
I have to admit a cardinal sin. Despite being in the prime demographics of my life, I have never owned a Nintendo, PS2, XboX, or even an Atari for that matter. It was a matter of acknowledging my sucky hand-eye coordination and the fact that I would spend time I didn't have in the fruitless pursuit of improving it. So my appreciation of Dance Dance Revolution is at best an cerebral one. But now here is a manga about a souped-up version of it. If that isn't a sign that we have arrived, nothing else is.
But once you strip out the DDR, all that is left is another underdog sports story, which in the first volume doesn't seem to move forward much and not much out of the ordinary happens. Elena can't get into any sports even though she clearly shows grace under pressure, a grace that she somehow has never shown before despite numerous chances and attempts on her part. There is the queen bee of the school putting her down, the jealous guy, the dark and mysterious guy, the wise sensei, and so on. All of the components are there, but they are not meshing together well. Maybe I have just read one too many sports manga recently, but other than the DDR aspect, I felt a little jaded by it, and since I don't play DDR, that failed to excite me.
So maybe for some fans this is exactly what they are looking for. I feel it needs something more.
Rhysmyth vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Shugo Chara, v. 1
by Peach Pit
Published in the U.S. by Del Rey Manga
Slugline: Amu recieves not one, not two but count'em three guardian character eggs, simply by wishing for them. Nothing unusual about that, is there?
Well, of course it's unusual. Who'd read a manga about a girl with just one guardian character, like everyone else?
And not only does she get three guardian characters who can power her up (complete with costume change), they're an athelete archetype, an artist and a domestic goddess. I suppose that's as feminist as we're going to get in a Japanese elementary-school drama. Amu's new alternate personalities qualify her for the elite cliques of private elementary school politics and guardianship -- yes, this story is a direct descendant of Revolutionary Girl Utena, and I'll admit it could be worse.
While there are a lot of typical magical girl elements in the story, some of the characters show signs of growing beyond their initial impression. The art is a bit better than your average tweener shojo and while the artist's chibis are roughly sketched, they are used quite effectively to convey shock and anger.
There are, of course, also overtures of romance. I'm not quite sure that I believe they've cured boy-cooties in fourth and fifth graders yet, but this is Japan. Who knows?
Shugo Chara! 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
Slugline: Amu recieves not one, not two but count'em three guardian character eggs, simply by wishing for them. Nothing unusual about that, is there?
Well, of course it's unusual. Who'd read a manga about a girl with just one guardian character, like everyone else?
And not only does she get three guardian characters who can power her up (complete with costume change), they're an athelete archetype, an artist and a domestic goddess. I suppose that's as feminist as we're going to get in a Japanese elementary-school drama. Amu's new alternate personalities qualify her for the elite cliques of private elementary school politics and guardianship -- yes, this story is a direct descendant of Revolutionary Girl Utena, and I'll admit it could be worse.
While there are a lot of typical magical girl elements in the story, some of the characters show signs of growing beyond their initial impression. The art is a bit better than your average tweener shojo and while the artist's chibis are roughly sketched, they are used quite effectively to convey shock and anger.
There are, of course, also overtures of romance. I'm not quite sure that I believe they've cured boy-cooties in fourth and fifth graders yet, but this is Japan. Who knows?
Shugo Chara! vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Gothic Sports, v. 1
By Anike Hage
Published in U.S. by TokyoPop
Slugline: For a German title called Gothic Sports, I expected more pillaging and violence on the field.
More evidence that the manga phenomenon is worldwide: this title was an OGL (Original German Language) mangaput out by TokyoPop Germany. I had seen the title and some cover art pieces, but even with little information I was looking forward to this series just from the title. It immediately conjured up images and a style that, while it is part of this manga, was nowhere near as strong or as important as I hoped.
In fact, in this first volume there is little to tell you that this was first released in Germany. Perhaps that's proof of the saying that there are no new stories, so far as this story is unfolding much like other sports stories do. There is the plucky new girl at school, Anya who wants to be on any sports team she can get on, the mysterious boy Leon from her past who wants to be on her team, and the school's already-existing soccer team that doesn't want any girls on it for fear it would harm their chances of winning.
There are a couple of character mysteries, such as why Anya is so desperate to go to school and be on a sports team despite not having any sport in particular in mind, Leon's role, and what is the deal with Delia, a member of the basketball team. But the reason the series is called Gothic Sports is because in order to attract attention the team wears Gothic-Lolita inspired uniforms. Funny, but I thought the Gothic connection would run deeper than that. This is not a particularly bad series, but I think it is missing opportunities by being, for the current volume at least, just another inspirational sports manga.
Gothic Sports vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Published in U.S. by TokyoPop
Slugline: For a German title called Gothic Sports, I expected more pillaging and violence on the field.
More evidence that the manga phenomenon is worldwide: this title was an OGL (Original German Language) mangaput out by TokyoPop Germany. I had seen the title and some cover art pieces, but even with little information I was looking forward to this series just from the title. It immediately conjured up images and a style that, while it is part of this manga, was nowhere near as strong or as important as I hoped.
In fact, in this first volume there is little to tell you that this was first released in Germany. Perhaps that's proof of the saying that there are no new stories, so far as this story is unfolding much like other sports stories do. There is the plucky new girl at school, Anya who wants to be on any sports team she can get on, the mysterious boy Leon from her past who wants to be on her team, and the school's already-existing soccer team that doesn't want any girls on it for fear it would harm their chances of winning.
There are a couple of character mysteries, such as why Anya is so desperate to go to school and be on a sports team despite not having any sport in particular in mind, Leon's role, and what is the deal with Delia, a member of the basketball team. But the reason the series is called Gothic Sports is because in order to attract attention the team wears Gothic-Lolita inspired uniforms. Funny, but I thought the Gothic connection would run deeper than that. This is not a particularly bad series, but I think it is missing opportunities by being, for the current volume at least, just another inspirational sports manga.
Gothic Sports vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Inubaka (Crazy for Dogs), v. 1
by Yukiya Sakauragi
Published in the U.S. by Viz
Slugline: A competent story about a girl who is especially good with dogs.
Suguri is a high school grad who loves dogs and wants to move to the big city. Like many manga girls with a special ability, she is otherwise inept, overly optimistic, and not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Through a series of misadventures (and one tasteful scene of her mutt humping a purebred bitch) she lands a job at a dog boutique in Tokyo.
As a dog owner myself, I was a bit disappointed by the attitude of the store owner and love interest is that mutts are worthless. That tends to lead to the attitude that some dogs are "good" and some are "bad" when the truth is that any dog can be a good dog -- whether a mutt, a pit bull, Chihuahua or Great Dane -- and any dog can be a bad dog. It all depends on what humans teach them, or fail to teach them.
Suguri does run into some realistic problems, such as dishonest roommates, in Tokyo, but on the whole Inubaka is a lightweight story with lots of cute puppies and dogs.
Inubaka (Crazy for Dogs) vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
Published in the U.S. by Viz
Slugline: A competent story about a girl who is especially good with dogs.
Suguri is a high school grad who loves dogs and wants to move to the big city. Like many manga girls with a special ability, she is otherwise inept, overly optimistic, and not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Through a series of misadventures (and one tasteful scene of her mutt humping a purebred bitch) she lands a job at a dog boutique in Tokyo.
As a dog owner myself, I was a bit disappointed by the attitude of the store owner and love interest is that mutts are worthless. That tends to lead to the attitude that some dogs are "good" and some are "bad" when the truth is that any dog can be a good dog -- whether a mutt, a pit bull, Chihuahua or Great Dane -- and any dog can be a bad dog. It all depends on what humans teach them, or fail to teach them.
Suguri does run into some realistic problems, such as dishonest roommates, in Tokyo, but on the whole Inubaka is a lightweight story with lots of cute puppies and dogs.
Inubaka (Crazy for Dogs) vol. 1 is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Miranda
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