Words of Truth and Wisdom: I Put A Spell On You``xNibley``xOkay, so we were reading a review of the latest volume of Negima! that came out (twenty... seven days ago...? How pathetic is it that I don't know? I guess I could just look it up really fast. Or I could ask Athena. She says it's twenty-seven.) and a comment was made that inspired a column! ...Or we thought it inspired a column, but then we felt like we'd talked about it before, so we weren't sure if it was a good topic. So we checked the titles of all our old columns, but none of them seemed to say anything about it, so we figured if we had talked about it before, it was long enough ago that it's okay to do it again now. At any rate, we apologize if this is old news.

The comment that was made in the review was something about how the most challenging thing in translating the whole volume would be keeping all the Latin straight. We would like to say that this is not actually true, but I guess it's all about perspective. As the translators/adaptation writers, the main thing we're concerned about is turning the Japanese text into English text. So when Latin or Greek shows up, that just means we get to leave it as is! Simple!

Okay, that's an over-simplification. We do have to make sure everything is spelled properly, which is a little difficult when dealing with the Greek spells, because Greek has a different alphabet. But we like that, because the characters are pretty, and we get to learn all the Greek letters, which is important for people with Greek names like ours.

And I'm going off on a tangent.

Once a spell has showed up in the series, it's pretty easy to make sure it's spelled correctly (it's always important to spell your spells correctly. aaaahh ha ha... ha...) after that, because we put it in the style guide! For the curious, the style guide is a list we keep of all the names and special terms and stuff that show up in the series, so when it shows up again, all we have to do is glance at the style guide and ta-dah! That's how we spelled it.

Of course, in the case of Negima!, we are constantly “fixing” the way we spell something in the style guide. I think we've only done that with the Greek spells, and it's always because we weren't paying enough attention to our Greek alphabet chart the first time around. But overall, the style guide makes it so that spells aren't even a challenge in translating Negima!.

Unless! there's a new spell. The one thing we dread about new spells is that inevitably they will show up in the lexicon. The lexicons are by far the most terrifying thing about translating this series. But on the other hand, we learn a lot of neat stuff, because Ken Akamatsu did a ton of research to make everything make sense in the Negima! world, so it's always very insightful and fascinating. And a pain in the neck to translate, because we have to cross-reference, like, Herodotus and Aristotle.

But again, translating the spells themselves isn't even close to the most challenging thing about translating the lexicons. For one thing, the Japanese version of the spell is supplied right there, so we don't have to know any Latin at all. And second, English borrows enough from both Latin and Greek that the spells themselves are a big help in choosing what vocabulary to use in the English versions. And for language geeks like us, it's super fun! (Usually.)

Negima! does tend to be a challenge to translate regardless of how easy the spells can be. Of course there's the usual tons and tons of dialogue, which wasn't as much of a problem in volume twenty-seven because they were too busy fighting to talk. (Though there was the usual shounen-manga running commentary by fighters and spectators alike.) But the biggest challenge with this volume was just two kanji: 雷化, read “ikazuchi-ka” (try saying that ten times fast).

It seems simple enough. The first kanji just means “lightning.” But the second kanji, in this case, basically means “-ification.” So until we settled on something, between the two of us, it was “lightningification.” And you know, I look at it and kind of wonder why we didn't just go with it, because we like fun imaginary long words like that. Anyway, it's basically one word that's a noun meaning “in a state of having become lightning.”

Checking our script (because our English copy is aaaaaall the way in the other room), it looks like we went with “lightning form.” I look at it and wonder why we had such a hard timing coming up with that. And we asked people for help on this one, too, so that actually was probably someone else's idea. I'm going to go ahead and blame it on our attachment to lightningification, and hope this doesn't cast more doubt on whether or not we deserve to be translators...

I'm going to go hide now.
``xEklkZuyuAlVOxkYGau``x1282746498``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg BREAKING: Paprika, Perfect Blue Impresario Satoshi Kon Dead at 47``xCharlesWebb``xThis story seems to be popping up all over, and despite any Japanese news outlet sourcing it would appear that writer/director Satoshi Kon has died. Via FEARnet:

"The news comes from Anime News Network. The site reports that Jim Vowles, a member of the Otakorp Board of Directors for the Otakon anime convention, announced today that Kon had died at the age of 47.

'The staff of Otakon confirmed his passing with MADHOUSE studio founder Masao Maruyama. Maruyama had wrote on his Twitter account on Tuesday night in Japan that an important director of the studio had suddenly passed away.'"

Kon's projects - typically concerned with identity and reality - were sometimes challenging, just as often odd, and always interesting. His unique voice in both the filmmaking and animation scenes will be missed. ``xEklkyApFppcGFjnWsR``x1282690300``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``xsatoshi kon_1.jpg``x``x``x REVIEW: Arata, The Legend v2 ``xPennyKenny``xThings are not going well for Arata Hinohara. After magically trading places with another Arata from another world, he's framed for murdering the Princess Kikuri and sent to the island prison of Gatoya. To escape and fulfill a promise he made to the princess, he must learn to control his Hayagami, a powerful, mystical weapon, and defeat the prison's warden.

I didn't expect to like Arata the Legend as much as I did. Generally Yuu Watase's stories appeal to me more in the abstract than in the execution, but there's something very appealing about Arata Hinohara. He's the typical shonen hero. He doesn't have it all together, but he has potential. He believes in keeping his promises no matter what the cost to himself and he's willing to help others. It's that good heart of his that's his real strength. His willingness to believe there's good in everyone despite outward appearances is the driving force of this volume. He has doubts and fears, but he doesn't let them stop him from doing what's necessary to save himself and others.

At this point, there's not much of a supporting cast. Basically there's Kotoha and Kannagi. Kotoha is the Arata of the mystical world's companion/servant. She thinks Hinohara is her Arata with amnesia. This is a handy plot device that allows Watase to fill readers in on things they need to know about this world. Kotoha has the ability to heal. Like Hinohara, she's always willing to help others. She's also impulsive and slightly possessive.

Kannagi is the villain of the piece at this point. Though he only appears in a couple of scenes, his obsession with Hinohara and his Hayagami is obvious. His willingness to disobey his superiors to follow after Hinohara shows his stubbornness and curiosity. He'll make a formidable opponent for Hinohara. Or, if Watase follows shonen conventions, a good friend later on.

Also appearing in this volume are a mysterious cloaked man who offers inspiration to Hinohara and two plucky, young boys who are also prisoners on the island. The latter play off Hinohara well. Their loyalty to one another under extremely difficult circumstances also inspires Hinohara and it seems possible they might become allies.

Watase does a good job of getting necessary information across to the readers. The characters' relationships to one another and to the plot generally come across in the dialog and action. Between solid-storytelling skills and a helpful character/what has gone before page, I was easily able to jump into the volume though I hadn't read the previous one.

That isn't to say the volume is perfect. There are two places where the action is hard to follow because too close close-ups and vague dialog obscure which character is being focused on. In another spot, the page layout causes some confusion as to what's happening. In the main, however, the eye can easily follow the flow of action.

Arata the Legend, Volume 2 moves the story forward, develops Hinohara's character and ends with a scene sure to bring readers back for more. In my book, that makes for a satisfying reading experience.
``xEklkyypAkkMEiIQnHr``x1282660922``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421534215``xYuu Watase``x``x``x``xFantasy``xAdventure``x``xJN Productions``x``xViz Media``xTeen``xA+``x9.99``x150``x225``xaratav2.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Sumomomo, Momomo v4``xLizMcKinney``xSumomomo, Momomo: The Strongest Bride on Earth—just saying that is fun, and trust me, the story is just as hilarious as its title. Volume 4 picks up with the budding relationship between Koushi Inuzuka, a normal high school student who comes from the Dog Martial Arts Family, and Momoko Kuzuryū, the strongest bride on Earth from the Dragon Family. While Koushi is still apprehensive about their arranged engagement, they find themselves sleeping side by side, with their companions left to assume the night is getting hot and heavy. After Iroha and Tenka walk in on Momoko beating up her pillow in frustration (which looks much more erotic behind a sliding door), the comical situation paves way for future laughs at the characters’ expense, especially Koushi’s.

As a first time reader, I found the first chapter of the volume difficult to understand because the story wastes no time recapping or reintroducing characters. However, Koushi’s sullen personality and frequent misfortunes helps the reader understand his situation as the heir of a clan he has no interest in. He never bothered to learn martial arts or even how to defend himself at the most basic level, leaving his life and those of his friends at constant risk. His macho father’s demoralizing speeches about disappointing the family name constantly echoes through his head and pushes him to accept a fate he resisted for so long.

Tenka’s siblings, four of the Koganei Five, follow the group’s trail as they try to assassinate Koushi and dominate the Twelve Families that control the Zodiac martial arts powers of Japan. When Koushi is poisoned and has seven days to retrieve the antidote, the group kicks into gear and begins training to destroy the Koganei siblings. Koushi even agrees to read his family scrolls and practice, which induces many sidesplitting panels of failure and humiliation.

The story lost me during a long explanation of the Koganei clan and the first battle between the rival groups. Perhaps if I had known more of the story from the beginning, I’d be interested in who they were and why they were fighting. However, these parts are rather dull compared to the heartfelt moments between Momoko and Koushi, Iroha’s tragic past, and Tenka’s shameful secret. Momoko is a heroine anyone can love—she doesn’t cry when yelled at, holds power much greater than any of her other travel companions, and speaks in a smart, reassuring tone when Koushi’s weakness shows through. It’s definitely not your typical gender role relationship, which I found to be refreshing and engaging. Even when Koushi attempts to break and force her to leave, Momoko does not budge, only holding a stern look on her face. This impressive moment gained her respect points in my book, and her fiancé’s as well.

Koushi’s mood swings and inability to protect himself are generally frustrating, but the whole point is to build up suspense for what is sure to be a good show when he realizes his potential. Other characters like Iroha, Tenka, and Sanae are developed further as well, and their side stories and inner struggles provide a much-needed break from what could turn into the “Koushi show.” More of their secrets and pasts are revealed to build tension for the final battle between the Koganei siblings.

The drawing style is a very mainstream Shonen style—I felt like I was reading another volume of Bleach or One Piece. But Koushi and Momoko stuck out the most to me, the fact that Momoko, the “strongest bride on Earth,” is portrayed as a short, pink-haired girl with (for once) a normal sized chest adds further to her overall fascinating character. Koushi too is drawn more like a Shoujo, dreamy bad boy with dark edgy hair and piercing eyes. He looks fairly intimidating until he’s actually attacked, which I admit made me laugh when the story wasn’t even trying to be funny.

By the end of Sumomomo, Momomo v4, you’ll have had a good laugh at Koushi’s scroll training and will be stunned by the grotesque nature of Tenka and his younger brother’s human soccer match. I can’t say I’m running out to buy volume 5 anytime soon, but I am curious to read volume 1 and see if the story captures my interest from the beginning.

Review copy of this title provided by Yen Press.

You can read more of Liz’s work at Japanization.
``xEklkFEkVkEoDQqvwbp``x1282312521``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0759531145``xShinobu Ohtaka``x``x``x``xAction``x``x``xStephen Paul``xTerry Delgado``xYen Press``xOlder Teen``xB``x10.99``x150``x225``xSumomomo Momomo v4.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: House of Five Leaves v1``xCharlesWebb``xThe last time I reviewed the work of Natsume Ono it started a train of thought about the nature (and value) of melodrama in modern fiction. Specifically, I took note of how deftly - and unashamedly, even - the author would employ melodramatic elements to hook her readers. Part of me suspects that this is what she's up to with her latest, House of Five Leaves, a piece of samurai fiction involving a hapless ronin, a wily gangster, and a gang of kidnappers who might have more on than minds than bilking the local wealthy merchants out of their gold.

Akitsu Masanosuke ("Masa"), is a ronin in the Edo period incapable of keeping a job because of his shy demeanor. His size and deftness with a blade are outweighed by his inability to look anyone in the eye. Enter the roguish Yaichi, who offers Masa a small job: accompany him to a business meeting and act the part of bodyguard. What Yaichi conceals from Masa until after the fact is that the "meeting" was actually a ransom pickup and that Yaichi is a member of a gang of discreet kidnappers calling themselves the Five Leaves. They operate out of a tea house in town, their members part of the lower rungs of society able to get in close to potential targets.

Masa, good and honorable and decent samurai that his is, wants nothing to do with it. So of course, he's drawn into repeated kidnapping schemes carried out with military precision by Yaichi and his eclectic crew.

Ono mines the obvious conflict between Masa's sense of righteousness and his growing relationship with the other members of Five Leaves. At first glance, it seems that the script is trafficking in formula here - in fact, my instinct is to say that by the final volume of this story all the members of the Five Leaves will have been revealed to have hearts of gold with Yaichi possessing the gold-caked heart of all. But contained in this volume is just enough material to cast doubt on that assumption.

There's just something to Yaichi, the handsome thief and kidnapper who sees some unique quality in Masa that makes him want to keep the ronin around. I have the sense that the gang leader may be up to something more, and while the conventions of this type of story may end up being observed, I think the mystery that is Yaichi may elevate the work. I believe this is possible because he's already brightening this first volume. As with Not Simple, I suspect that Yaichi's story may be one rife with trauma and heartbreak that could potentially affect the present.

Masa is a character that could potentially derail a story like this. I described him as "hapless" in the introduction and he is that, and he's noble, kind, and trusting to a fault, but I think his essential gentleness that saves the character. It's clear that he should never have chosen the life of the samurai and that he's acting solely to support his family back home. It's also clear that there's something missing in him that an association with Yaichi is able to fill. I can pay this book two compliments that are, for me, the highest I can give: first, I want to know where the character is going in future volumes, and second, he reminds me of the heroic leads of the films of Yoji Yamada, whose Twilight Samurai and The Hidden Blade I count as two of the more moving and honest tearjerkers of recent memory.

The animated version of this story has recently been added to both Funimation and Hulu's rosters of streaming titles. You can find it at their respective links.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Viz Signature.

If you'd like to read more of Charles's work, check out his blog, Monster In Your Veins.``xEklkkpuAuEgnHGnrTb``x1282204941``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421532107``xNatsume Ono``x``x``x``xDrama``xCrime``x``xJoe Yamazaki``x``xViz Signature``xTeen``xA-``x12.99``x150``x225``xhouse of five leaves v1.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Happy Cafe v3 ``xZackDavisson``xYou know how you can love one cupcake, and maybe another, but by the third one the sweetness starts to get to you? It still tastes good, but that initial delight of the first bite is fading, and you find yourself wanting something with a little more substance.

That’s the feeling I get reading Happy Café. Although I loved the first two volumes, which were little more than light and frothy fun featuring the kind of wacky cast that couldn’t exist outside of a manga, with this third issue the taste is starting to turn. I can’t really put my finger on what it is. Things are pretty much the same as the last two volumes. But volume three is somehow less satisfying.

It might be that this volume has no real story, just a series of unconnected vignettes. It starts out with Uru taking Shindo and Ichiro home for dinner to meet her parents, and the usual misunderstandings occur. Uru’s mom is egging her own to hook up with one of the guys, while her step-father is over-protective. Next up some of the girls at school see Uru walking with Shindo and Ichiro, and after seeing how hot they are the Café Bonheur becomes a hot hang-out which doesn’t please Uru at all. Then it is time for more misunderstandings as Uru goes to visit the Abekawa brothers at their home, and after that Uru’s sixth grade cousin comes to town to confess his love for her. The last two stories are the origin of Ichiro’s strange sleeping habit, and Uru helping a lost young boy find his way home.

Volume three is definitely not bad. There are some great gags here, and Matsuzuki’s expressive artwork is still is good as ever. She has a way of drawing Uru’s smile that gives me an equally big grin every time I see it. The “Lil’ Ichiro” scenes are fantastic, showing Ichiro as a young boy. Fortunately, the Abekawa brothers don’t appear as much so their ridiculously translated accents aren’t there to bother me.

Matsuzuki has created some great characters, and I really enjoy jumping into her world of happiness where there are few problems that can’t be solved by a really tasty treat, but she can’t expect to keep interest up by serving up the same dish every time. Even though the previous two volumes were filled with equally fluffy filler I am ready for a more filling story to begin. I am hopeful that the story starts to pick up with volume four, but Matsuzuki is going to have to go deeper story-wise to keep me coming back.

Review copy of this title provided by Tokyo Pop

You can read more of Zack’s work at Japan Reviewed.
``xEklEuVEpZpZGAEMuio``x1282021980``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427817324``xKou Matsuzuki``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``xAlethea Nibley and Athena Nibley``xLianne Sentar``xTOKYOPOP``xTeen``xB``x10.99``x150``x225``xHappy Cafe Volume 3 Cover.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Time and Again v3 ``xCharlesWebb``xThere comes a point when the heavy stylization and conventions of a genre make it unapproachable. That's pretty much the case with Time and Again whose visual quirks of an entirely feminized cast make reading the book something of a challenge. Which is a shame, because the book has a couple of interesting ideas.

The book acts more or less as a running anthology of stories with exorcist Baek-On taking a variety of cases in historical Korea alongside his partner and bodyguard, Ho-Yeon. As the formula goes, Baek-On's the fussy, occasionally hysterical and often greedy one, while, Ho-Yeon is often a taciturn cipher, content to occasionally call his partner on his bad behavior. The volume offers up four stories including "Karma" and "Shin-Wal," which involve direct confrontation with the supernatural; "Bound" which is a kind of moralistic tale about paternal loyalty taken too far which keeps the leads at arms' length; and "A Forked Road," which provides a bit of backstory for an old friend of Ho-Yeon's.

In and of themselves two of the three stories - "A Forked Road" and "Karma" - are actually quite good. "Bound" is interesting but feels out of place in this collection with these characters while "Shin-Wal" spends an excessive amount of time on the origins of an anthropomorphic sword. Where this collection is hurt is with the art style which frequently makes characters hard to differentiate and occasionally leaves some action hard to follow due to poor staging.

As I noted above, it's a shame, because there are some interesting ideas here about the idea of being a slave to Karma and trapped in patterns in one's current life. Each story (regardless of quality) is thematically sound in this regard, touching on this theme in some way or other and advancing the idea that it is possible to break free. If only the scripts had the art they deserved, Time and Again could be a real winner.

A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Yen Press.

If you liked this review, be sure to check out more of the author’s work at Monster In Your Veins.``xEklEyFFAuEqMERYOzc``x1281633941``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0759530602``xJiUn Yun``x``x``x``xFantasy``x``x``xHyeYoung Im``xJ. Torres ``xYen Press``xOlder Teen``xB``x10.99``x150``x225``xtime and again v3.jpg``x``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdom: Filters``xNibley``xWe've been a little preoccuppied over the last week, so I'm not entirely convinced this column will have a point to it, but I'm going to try anyway.

We happened to watch Howl's Moving Castle today, and even though we haven't read the book it's based on, the friend we watched the movie with has, so of course the differences between the book and the movie became a topic of conversation. Actually, the differences between books and movies in general has been a recent topic of conversation for us, as the other day we got into a discussion about how Disney tends to change stories when making them into movies. So because we made the same connection watching Howl's today, we figured we could ramble about it a little for our column.

Recently we decided it would be a good idea, Disneyphiles that we are, to start reading all the original stories that Disney’s animated movies are based on. When we went online to start ordering them, we checked out some reviews, and a few reviewers seemed to get some fiendish delight out of recounting the original versions of certain fairy tales, because they're so dark and gruesome. One man we know at church gets a kick out of leaning over to people while watching Cinderella and asking something like, “When is she going to cut her toes off?”

He only does it to tease, but then there are the people who can't stand certain Disney adaptations of something just because it's different. Lately, we've been feeling like Disney gets all the flack for that, but now that I think of it, I've definitely heard people say they can't stand the Harry Potter movies because they're not like the books. But the point is any time anything gets changed from one medium into another it's going to be changed, because it goes through the filter of whoever's doing the adapting. This of course is the same when translating, and that led us to an interesting question.

Our friend who's read the novel Howl's Moving Castle is based on told us that there's a lot more banter between the leads Sophie and Calcifer in the book than in the movie, so you don't get a lot of Calcifer's humorous personality unless you hear Billy Crystal in the English dubbed version. There's always the possibility that there's some humor that just doesn't translate well to non-native speakers of Japanese, but when we were thinking about it, we wondered if maybe there's not as much banter in the Japanese translation of the original book!

So what we have is an English language novel, translated into Japanese, translated into a Japanese movie, translated into an English dub. That's a lot of filters to go through. But then again, if all the people in charge of the English translation of the movie had read the book, so it would be more like mixing the filtered version with the original, unfiltered version. Does that make any sense? I really have no idea where we're going with this.

Let's stick with the whole filter thing. When anything is translated from one language to another, it goes through the filter of the translator. That means that any time you read a manga that we translated it, you're reading our interpretation of it. Or if there's been an English adaptation writer assigned to it, then you're reading their interpretation of it. Or actually, you're reading their interpretation of our interpretation. Ideally, all interpretations are as close as possible to what the author intended.

...And I feel like we only talk about this in every single column we write. Hm. How can we put a new spin on it...? Um... I know! We'll teach you a new Japanese word!

I was going to try to be all random about it, and be like, “I know! “Arigatou” means thank you! The end.” But I wanted the Japanese word to be more closely connected to the content of the column, so I went to look up the Japanese word for “filter,” and it looks like in this context it would probably actually be “filter.” Or “firuta,” if you want to get technical. If you want to get REALLY technical, we could go into how the F and R aren't pronounced the same way in Japanese as they are in English, but that's going a bit too far, don't you think?
``xEklEVukFlEqbyrMJLy``x1281542381``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg REVIEW: Happy Cafe v2 ``xZackDavisson``xI enjoyed the light fluffiness of Happy Cafe Volume 1, and after reading volume 2, I am officially a fan of the gang at Café Bonheur. Happy Café has taken some hits for being a by-the-numbers shojo series, and maybe rightfully so, but personally it is a series that I really enjoy and is just a lot of fun.

There are no big changes here, no added depth. The series remains just like the deserts served up at the café; tasty little bits of sugary goodness that give you a nice feeling but lack any nutritional value or true substance. The infectious joy of lead character Takamura Uru goes a long way, and Kou Matsuzuki has this way of drawing Uru with this big grin on her face that makes me happy every time.

Volume two sets up a rivalry for the Café Bonheur with the traditional Japanese confectionary Abekawa-ya who challenges Bonheur to a bakery showdown at a local festival. It turns out that the little girl who bought the strawberry shortcake in volume 1 is actually the little sister of the Abekawa sons, and they are none too happy that she has been shopping at Bonheur instead of getting her sweets at the family shop. Of course, the two sons who run Abekawa-ya, Sou and and Kashiwa, are almost mirror-images of Café Bonheur staff Ichiro and Shindo, but with different personalities.

Aside from the competion, Uru's mom stops by to make sure her daughter isn't being a pest and is pulling her own weight at the café. Both Shindo and Ichiro are amazed at what a babe Uru's mother is, and do their best to support Uru in proving to her mom that she is doing well on her own.

An additional back-up story, Estimated Young Man and Woman, takes up the last third of the book. The story is Kou Matsuzuki's first published manga, and although it is quite different in tone from Happy Café it shares some similar themes of people who look young/old for their age, and of daughters being raised by a single mother.

The only real complaint I have about Happy Café is the translation choice made for the Abekawa brothers dialog. I hate, hate, hate it when the Osaka dialect is translated as some sort of English Southern accent! For one thing, the Osaka dialect is an Urban dialect, closer to a Boston or New York accent rather than a "country" accent, and for another thing it just makes for a jarring reading experience throwing the reader out of the flow of the story. I know that regional dialects are a challenge for translation but there are better ways to handle it the cheap trick of "Y'all come back now, y'hear!"

Aside from that, if you like the sweets being served up in Happy Café, then you are going to enjoy this continuation of the story. Something about Matsuzuki's style just touches a cord with me, and the only thing I can really compare it to is Yotsuba&! That is another series that I can't explain why I like it so much, I just do. Because it makes me happy!

Review copy provided by Tokyo Pop.

You can read more of Zack’s work at Japan Reviewed.
``xEklEuVkuFyjlFEqBYP``x1281452436``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427817316``xKou Matsuzuki``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``xAlethea Nibley and Athena Nibley``xLianne Sentar``xTokyoPop``xTeen``xB``x10.99``x150``x225``xHappy Cafe Vol 2 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Maybe You're Not Using It Right :On Japanese Load Words``xZackDavisson``xFrom Dictionary.com
loan•word - a word in one language that has been borrowed from another language and usually naturalized.

From The Princess Bride (1987)

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

So, I have had this article on my mind for awhile, but two things finally gave me the poke necessary to get it written. The first was watching entrants to Tokyopop’s America’s Greatest Otaku contest give little speeches on “What the word otaku means to me.” The second was the recent Alethea and Athena Nibley column right here in MangaLife talking about how manga fans want them to leave certain words un-translated so that they can learn some cool new Japanese terms.

I can relate. Like most manga fans, I have called myself an otaku and thought I had picked up quite a few cool Japanese terms myself and even felt a bit smug about my broad vocabulary. I memorized the titles of favorite shows in Japanese, had no problem with the difference between –chan, -tan and –san (I though) and could tell you exactly why Uchū Senkan Yamato shouldn’t be refered to as Star Blazers. I had even taken a few years of Japanese in high school back when it was offered. Clearly, when it came to Japanese I was a few steps ahead of the average joe.

Then I moved to Japan.

There I was forced to realize that my anime education had not quite been as helpful as I had hoped. With even the most basic terms like manga, anime and otaku; I knew what they meant in English but I didn’t know what they meant in Japanese. This is due to a linguistic phenomenon called loan words, where one language borrows words from another, often altering the meaning or changing it entirely.

For example, if I told you that in Japan I was living in a mansion (in Japanese: mansion) and looking forward to getting a goal in (in Japanese: goal in suru) this year, you might think that I was doing pretty well money-wise and maybe taking up sports. A Japanese person would think that I was living in a crappy concrete apartment (mansion) and was planning to get married (goal in).

Now, seven years living in Japan later, along with a Master’s Degree in Japanese and a Japanese wife I know a little better.

(The wife portion is by far the most important when it comes to mastering a language by the way. It is one thing to learn academically ala my Master’s Degree, but quite another to share your life with someone in that language. Nothing like living in a language daily to really help you appreciate the nuances.)

So after that long intro, here is a guide to the Big Three, the loan words that everyone both knows and does not know at the same time.

Manga

I think most people in the scene know the origin of this word. The word manga first appeared around the late 18th century, and translates literally as whimsical pictures. Artists used the term to refer to their sketchbooks or practice drawings not really intended to be serious art. Santō Kyōden was the first to popularize the term back in 1798, followed up by legendary artist Hokusai Katsushika’s Hokusai Manga in 1814.

In English - Manga refers to Japanese comic books, specifically printed comics done in the style associated with Japanese comic book artists.

In Japanese - Japanese usage of the word manga is roughly equivalent to the English use of the word comics. It can mean printed comics, or toys, or anything associated with the comics world.

In Japanese manga doesn’t really differentiate between Japanese or American comics. In my house, my wife refers to my admittedly awesome collection of Captain Marvel memorabilia as manga. If I am hanging out reading the latest issue of Hellboy, she would tell me to put down my manga and help clean the house. Manga can also mean movies, animation, t-shirts and pretty much anything comic-orientated. If I am looking forward to the new manga-movie, I could just as easily be talking about Iron Man 2 as the latest Miyazaki flick.

In Japan, the loan word “comic” is used just as often as manga when referring to Japanese comic books. I love artist Mizugi Shigeru, and my new copy of his version of Toyono Mongatari proudly announces the new “comic” by Shigeru on the back, not the new manga. When I went shopping in Japan for new goodies, the bookstore had signs for the “comic section” and not the “manga section.” It is kind of funny how English borrowed from Japanese, and Japanese borrowed from English right back.

Anime

When (Japanese) anime first started getting popular in the US, there was almost a contest as to what to call it. Some people went for Japanimation while others went for anime. I was totally opposed to the term Japanimation and was glad when anime eventually won the battle. Why? Because like the most dedicated otaku I preferred what I thought was the Japanese original to the English-created portmanteau.

In English - Anime refers to Japanese animation. Pretty straight forward (unless you watch the credits of pretty much any American animated show for the last twenty years and realize that it is all Japanese animation. And Korean animation. And Filipino animation…).

In Japanese - Also pretty straight forward, the term anime in Japanese refers to animation. Any animation. From any time, any country, in any style. Finding Nemo? Anime. Sponge Bob Square Pants? Anime. Avatar? Well, that one is up for debate. Live action? Anime? A little bit of both?

Japanese likes to shorten terms, especially words borrowed from English that are cumbersome to pronounce. My wife likes Bra Pi (Brad Pitt), and goes shopping at Tre jo (Trader Joes). Anime is just one more example of this, being the shortened form of the word animation which is the proper term in Japanese just like it is in English.

Otaku

This word is really the tough one, as it is used so differently in both languages.

In English - Otaku are fans of manga and anime, usually a more dedicated fan that does cosplay and goes to conventions. Its not a bad term, and many people are happy to call themselves otaku. You can even head to Otakon convention without shame and send in your entry to be crowned “America’s Greatest Otaku.”

In Japanese - Literally, o-taku means “honorable home” and is used in Japanese respect language (called keigo) to refer to a residence or household. By contrast, ji-taku is a less polite way (but still polite) of saying your own home. The o- prefix is generally reserved for showing respect to others, and not to yourself.

By contrast, the o-prefix can also be used to show distain for something, as using an inflated honorific is a particularly Japanese way of mocking someone. The classic example of this is the Japanese term for country bumpkin, which is o-nobori san, literally translating as “The Honorable “Mr. Going to Tokyo”.”

Aside from its keigo meaning, otaku is used in Japanese for obsessive hobbyists. There is no real connection to anime or manga, and you can be a car otaku or a camera otaku just as easily as a manga otaku. All that matters is that you are really, really into your hobby. (Of them all, the cooking otaku are probably the most welcome, as they can whip out some good food. But you still want to keep them behind the kitchen and not out in front with your guests.)

It is tempting to translate otaku as nerd or geek or something, but that doesn’t really do the word justice. (Especially not in modern times, as both those words have gone through a bit of a renaissance and “geek chic” is taken seriously rather than used for mockery.) Maniac or fanatic would probably be a more accurate translation.

No one really knows how the word otaku got tagged onto obsessive hobbyists, but the image is there of someone who is so single-mindedly focused on something that they never leave the house. Otaku are those people who are so into their hobby that it makes other people feel uncomfortable. They have no social skills, smell bad from lack of bathing in dirty apartments, and are the kind of people that when they step onto a bus you hope desperately won’t sit next to you, of when you are at a party you cross the room to avoid for fear of being dragged into some boring conversation about the obsessive details of whatever hobby that person is into, all the while trying to figure out how to escape.

In Japanese, otaku is not a nice word. I have seen Japanese people spit out the word otaku the same way someone might say child molester in English as if the word itself was distasteful to them. And to be honest, otaku and child molesters are pretty much connected in the minds of most Japanese, and saying one is pretty much saying the other, as most child murderers in Japan seem to be found with a hefty collection of manga in their apartments. Killer Tsutomu Miyazaki was known as the Otaku Killer in Japan, causing a moral panic that cast all otaku as potential deviants and murders. The association wasn’t helped by otaku Kobayashi Kaoru murdering a seven-year old girl in 2004 or Katō Tomohiro going on a killing spree in otaku-paradise Akihabara in 2008.

There has been some attempt to “reclaim” the word otaku in Japan, the same way gay activists have reclaimed the word “queer,” but most of these efforts have been largely unsuccessful. The former Prime Minister of Japan Taro Aso famously proclaimed himself to be an otaku in 2008 in an attempt to appeal to overseas fans of Japanese culture and increase tourism. His fandom didn’t go over quite as well in his home country though, as he was mocked with the sobriquet “His Excellency Rosen” after being seen reading a Rozen Maiden comic and he was finally voted out of office in 2009 serving barely a year as Prime Minister.

Aside from a few instances and a few upswings in opinion, otaku are still considered the dregs of society, a lonely, despicable and somewhat dangerous portion of the population who sit at home masturbating furiously to plastic dolls. Or perhaps haunting the paths that school girls take on their way home from school, waiting for the opportunity to add a real-life doll to their figure collection. Either way, as I said, in Japanese otaku is not a nice word.

Not that all manga fans are otaku. Just like the United States, there are fans and then there are otaku My wife, hates, hates HATES otaku more than pretty much anything else, but her husband is a guy who writes for a couple of comic websites and has a whole room in their house dedicated to his comic collection. But I am not an otaku.

And it’s true. By Japanese standards, I am not an otaku. It requires a single-mindedness of focus where you shut out everything unrelated to your hobby, shunning all else until you are so creepy that your mere presences is disturbing. Even though I love my comics and start every morning with an anime before heading to work, I have outside interests. I like to talk to people and have social skills. I like cooking and camping and movies and books and all sorts of other hobbies.

So be careful if you go to Japan and start tossing these words around. Be aware that what they mean in English is different from what they mean in Japanese, even though they are the exact same word. And while manga and anime might cause you some confusion, you wouldn’t want to say to a room full of Japanese people I am an otaku!. They just might get the wrong impression.

You can find more of Zack's writing at Japan Reviewed.
``xEklEEplpVZhBwppHfo``x1281108057``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xjapanese load words.jpg REVIEW: Black Jack v12``xCharlesWebb``xIt's been a couple of weeks since I reviewed Vol. 11 of Black Jack, the book serving as my introduction to the character. In that time, I've actively sought out the earlier volumes, building up a nice little collection on my bookshelf. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to find this recently-released volume waiting for me given that I'm more or less (and unabashedly) in the tank for this series.

Which, in turn, creates a challenge in reviewing this volume. I've spent quite a few words talking about what I appreciated in the last book, and this collection simply succeeds in bringing me more of what I like. The art is still as sharp as ever, the title character remains a fascinating engine for a variety of story types, and Vertical has collected the works in a way that continues to create a bit of continuity to Black Jack, giving shape to his past and context to his actions and behaviors in the present.

Speaking of this last point, it's gratifying to see that Tezuka wasn't about to let the character stagnate. With stories like "The Second One" and "Prone to Laughter" the author gets beneath and around the icy veneer of the world's greatest unlicensed surgeon. Both stories provide opportunities to see the doctor's responses to tragedies from his past, and humanize him in interesting and complex ways.

Looking back at the previous volumes alongside this one, it's clear that Vertical has put a great deal of care into the reproduction of Tezuka's work. A special acknowledgment should be given to the production team, whose editorial decisions of which works to include from volume to volume provide ample variety and freshness to each collection. Additionally, the many asides and translations notes included at the bottom of the relevant pages provide much-needed insight into the history of the work, the creator, and the manga industry as a whole. And I would be remiss is commenting on just how pretty the whole thing is, continuing the die-cut cover motif on the outside, with large, clean reproductions of the artwork on the inside.

This will, of course make it tougher still to review any future volumes given that I feel I've heaped superlatives on the book and don't want to come off as fawning in later reviews. But having a book that's consistently excellent - well, that's a great problem to have.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Vertical, Inc.

You can read more of this writer's work on his blog, Monster In Your Veins. ``xEklEpkFlVAJBWCGFiN``x1281023859``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1934287792``xOsamu Tezuka``x``x``x``xThriller``x``x``xMaya Rosewood & Kate Robinson``x``xVertical, Inc.``xMature``xA+``x16.95``x150``x225``xblack jack v12.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: I'll Give It My All... Tomorrow v1``xZackDavisson``xI am not quite sure how to classify I’ll Give It My All…Tomorrow. Is it a comedy? A slacker-drama? Autobiographical? All I really know is that it is completely brilliant.

The story begins with our hero, Shizuro Oguro. Overweight, forty years old and a fifteen-year employee of a job he hates, Shizuro is in a classic mid-life crisis. Unsure of what he wants to do, but completely sure he doesn’t want to keep living like he is now, Shizuro quits his job and does… nothing. He sits around in his underwear and plays video games. A month into his new joblessness and with both his father and daughter giving him a hard time, Shizuro has an epiphany: he will become a manga artist.

The fact that Shizuro has never drawn before, got only Ds in art in school, and generally knows nothing about being a manga artist won’t get in his way. With his new life decided, Shizuro sets to it with all the lack-of-dedication that a forty-year old slacker can bring to the table. To keep money in his pockets, Shizuro gets a job at a local fast-food burger joint, and has a variety of misadventures in his quest for publication.

When I flipped the first pages of I’ll Give It My All…Tomorrow, (Japanese title: Orewamada Honkidashiitenaidake or I Just haven’t Done My Best Yet ) I didn’t think I was going to like it as much as I did. The artwork is somewhat primitive and lacking in detail, and the whole thing is unpolished. The comic looks like something that would appear in an underground `zine rather than as a published book. As I got into the story however, and saw how artist Shunju Aono played with surface colors, with perspective and characterization, I saw that this unpolished nature was a conscious choice that added to the story rather than just a lack of skill. The series has a unique look to it.

The real treasure here is the characterization. Shizuro is a total slacker, without too many redeeming qualities other than his greatest talent, which is accepting the flaws in others without judging. Because he is such a loser himself, he doesn’t put anyone down for their choices. In one scene, when he is feeling a bit frisky and so heads to a local brothel for recreation, then runs into his high school aged daughter working there, he doesn’t freak out, but just checks in with her to make sure she is OK. When one of his co-workers turns out to have a shady past involving prison, he just blows it off and invites the guy out for drinks. All of this made me love Shizuro myself, and want to cheer him on. He is a supportive guy with a kind heart, and he deserves some success of his own.

I’ll Give It My All…Tomorrow is all about personal relationships. Shizuro and his father. Shizuro and his daughter. Shiziro and his agent. Shiziro and his co-workers. Shiziro and himself. There is no action to speak of, unless it is in brief panels where, Walter Mitty-like, Shiziro dreams of himself as an athlete or successful manga artist. Oh, and he gets into a fistfight with God. Can’t forget about that. But that one isn’t a daydream.

Just like life, there are some funny bits here, some sad stuff, some triumphs and some defeats. It is hard to put my finger on what I loved about this comics so much, but there is a lot here to love. Props to translator Akemi Wegmuller who did a great job and delivered some great lines: “Well you fathered the Stupid Fool, so you are a Stupid Fool too, Dad!” “Look, you’ve been stuck in a rut your whole life. It’s been one long slump, Sonny.”

Along with the main story, there is a bonus story To Live that has Shizuro coming across a young woman attempting suicide due to her past as an adult video actress. In typical Shizuro fashion, he befriends her and watches out for her, completely unconcerned with her past or suicidal tendencies. I hope that this character will reappear, and it actually seems like she could be a good romantic interest for Shizuro (again with great dialog “You want to make out?” “No I don’t.” “Mm... Of course not.”)

Quirky. Realistic. Funny. Sad. I’ll Give It My All…Tomorrow is many things, and all of them good.
Review copy of this title provided by Viz Media.

You can read more of Zack’s work at Japan Reviewed.
``xEklpZFpEFkKlLsnySI``x1280730132``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421533650``xShunju Aono``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``xAkemi Wegmüller``xAkemi Wegmüller``xViz Media``xOlder Teen``xA+``x12.99``x150``x225``xillgive it my all cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdom: Translation Notes ``xNibley``xThe other day we were lamenting the fact that translations mainly seem to get noticed in reviews when people think there's something wrong with them. This makes sense, because most people can't really tell how good or bad a translation is, because not only would they have to know both languages involved, but they'd have to have a copy of the original plus the translation to compare them.

Of course, they could probably tell how good or bad the writing of the translation is based on whether or not it sounds like natural English, or if the characters have unique voices, etc. But in most cases the reviewers tend to focus on the story, the art, and maybe whether or not there are a ton of translation notes. Then, as I said earlier, if the translation does get mentioned, it tends to be something like, “I wish they'd left that title in Japanese and given a note instead of translating it,” or, “I can't believe they used a Southern accent again!”

As translators, it makes us sad that nobody seems to notice our hard work unless they want to point out what we did wrong. So we came up with a brilliant idea! We can point out when a translation has been done well!

But this idea has not been easy to implement, mostly because we like to think we're better than everyone else (a fact which is obviously debatable). Of course everyone thinks differently, and every time we see someone else's translation we're going to want to think of how we would do it better. I want to say it's an occupational hazard but it probably isn't necessarily. Even so, there are times when we'll see a translation and think, “Wow, that was really good!” So we decided to ignore all the thoughts of, “But they didn't get this part right!” and write down some specific translations we thought were well done.

The easiest way to compare a translation with the original language is through subtitles! And, since we happened to be watching Soul Eater at the time we came up with this plan, we wrote down some examples of nice translations that we came across while reading FUNimation's Soul Eater subtitles. I think these are from around episode 24 - 26.

The first one is very simple, and may be a pretty common one, but since it hadn't occurred to us before (and if we'd seen it in subtitles before, we probably forgot about it, eheh), I wrote it down. It was a fight scene, and in fight scenes, you tend to get the line “saseru ka!” a lot. Literally, “saseru ka” means “Am I going to let you?” The unspoken continuation is something like, “Heck, no!” So it could be translated to, “You think I'll let you?” or “I won't let you!” But the FUNimation subtitles said, “No you don't!” It gets the meaning across really well, and it really sounds like the kind of thing someone would say in that situation if they were speaking English.

The next one might take a little context explanation. For those of you unfamiliar with Soul Eater, basically the bad guys are trying to revive some ancient evil, called a Kishin, and the good guys are trying to stop them. One of the good guys (Black Star) shows up and does something cool and thinks he's pretty much beating the bad guys (because he always thinks that) and says “Kishin fukkatsu wa nashi!” Literally, that means “There will be no Kishin revival!” but that sounds a little more sophisticated than something Black Star would say if he were speaking English (it doesn't sound quite so sophisticated in Japanese). The subtitles said, “No Kishin revival for you!” That really seemed to capture Black Star's personality while still meaning basically the same thing as what he said in Japanese, so it gets a thumbs up!

The last example we have for today is... a line that I don't quite remember the context for. I can't even quite remember who said it. I think it was one of the bad guys talking about her sidekick/pet thing. I also don't remember all of the Japanese line, but it was something “o muda ni shinai!” (There might have been a “wa” or a “yo” or something at the end, but that wouldn't change the meaning, so don't worry about it.) It literally means “I won't waste...” whatever it was that went before the “o.” The subtitle translated the whole line to, “I won't let your bravery be in vain!” It means the same thing, but adds a fun sense of melodrama. It's not an especially original or creative translation, but sometimes cliches really work best. The line is cliche in Japanese, after all, so why not use an English cliche, too, right?

And that's all we have for now, but we plan on doing more of these every so often. We hope everyone will remember that there are good translations out there! And remember that there's more to translation than trading one word for another and deciding whether or not to keep name honorifics.
``xEklpukZAlplvUbYAEs``x1280427980``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg AFFD 2010 Review: The People I've Slept With``xLizMcKinney``xTitle: The People I’ve Slept With
Director: Quentin Lee
Writer: Koji Steven Sakai
Starring: Karin Anna Cheung, Archie Koa, Wilson Cruz
Grade: B

The first 15 minutes of The People I’ve Slept With were the most uncomfortable, in your face moments I’ve seen in a movie in a long time - and not in a good way with sub-par acting and a story too shallow to believe. But after getting over this difficult hurdle, the remaining 74 minutes are full of beyond hilarious situations, with an intimate look at love of all forms, and over-the-top characters you’ll grow to appreciate. Yes, after getting over the film’s self-expectation to feature raunchy sex scenes and lust, there actually is a sexy love story about responsibility, taking risks, and most of all, independence.

The film follows Angela (Karin Anna Cheung), an Asian American, self-proclaimed “slut” who takes pictures of her lovers and creates sex “baseball cards” (stats and all) to remember her conquests. Angela’s rowdy lifestyle comes to a halt when her pregnancy test comes back positive and the father could be one of four people. With the help of her gay best friend Gabriel (Wilson Cruz), Angela decides to collect DNA samples from all of the mystery men to identify the father, and hopefully, make him fall in love with her.

To live up to its name, the film feels like it has throw in the shock value somewhere, and must have figured that by squeezing out Angela’s animalistic sex scenes and experimentation in the beginning, the audience will realize they’re in for a wild ride. And while the (for lack of better words) memorable scenes of Angela collecting DNA samples from a used condom or making out with a woman against a brick wall grab a few cheap laughs, The People I’ve Slept With isn’t really so much about the people— it’s instead a story of a woman coming to terms with her past and realizing she is now is responsible for something greater than herself. When Angela pats her belly while scarfing down a bowl of cereal or sees her first ultrasound, these are the real moments that drive the film and make Angela a sympathetic character.

When the movie first introduces Gabriel, it’s hard to judge whether or not he will play the stereotypical “gay best friend” for the remainder of the film. But as Angela matures, Gabriel matures, and his devotion to his partner inspires Angela to rethink her master love plan. Wilson Cruz plays this role with resounding confidence, and is arguably the funniest character in the script.

But don’t get me wrong, the “people” that Angela slept with—all of them are truly a product of their own genius. Nice-But-Boring-Guy’s stalker-esque behavior (and “hung” personality) provides laugh after laugh to keep the mood light. Mystery Guy (Archie Kao) is the definition of the dream man—his honesty and toothy grin make it hard to stay mad at him for too long. And don’t forget Angela’s easygoing father, with his mantras about life, love, and sex that will have your sides splitting long after his scene are over.

But while these outrageous characters deliver the entertainment, the message about loving oneself and finding freedom from societal constraints is what makes the film. So don’t expect this to be your ordinary romantic comedy, “boy meets girl” type of movie—The People I’ve Slept With explores a generation of Asian Americans, homosexuals, and 30-somethings trying to fit into a world that much too often tells them no.

Even if you don’t sympathize with the characters at first, they are really only “bad” people who want the good things in life, like families, wearing white at their weddings, and, um, daily pleasure. The film is funny, engaging, and not as predicable as you would think. What more can you ask for from a romantic comedy?

[This review has been cross-posted at Twitch Film.``xEklpFkkyuVmWObrSjT``x1280322645``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xthe people ive slept with.jpg AFFD Review: Ip Man 2``xLizMcKinney``xTitle: Ip Man 2
Director: Wilson Yip
Writer: Edmond Wong
Starring: Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Lynn Hung, Huang Xiaoming
Grade: B+

Ip Man 2 is not about ass-kicking Sifu (Master) Ip Man showing Westerners who’s boss. It’s not even about proving oneself in the face of adversity. At its core, the film instead advocates spirit, self-cultivation, and foremost, respect among people of all races and backgrounds. But don’t let that scare you away—while the message seems preachy, the visually stunning fight sequences, paired with witty characters and relatable relationships, will have you at the edge of your seat, believing every word and teaching Master Ip has to offer.

The film is a self-described “semi-autobiographical martial arts film” about legendary Master Ip Man (Donnie Yen), who taught Wing Chun martial arts to the infamous movie hero Bruce Lee. The sequel picks up where its predecessor left off: Ip’s escape from Foshan and the Second Sino-Japanese War and move to Hong Kong, where he hopes to start his own Wing Chun school. Now settled with his pregnant wife and son, Ip struggles to attract students to his school and make ends meet.

After a comical battle with a tough young man named Wong Leung (Huang Xiaoming), students begin flocking to Ip’s school to learn Wing Chun. However, his newfound popularity creates strains in the martial arts community, and Ip is challenged by other masters in Hong Kong to prove his worth. His jaw-dropping fight on a wobbling table with Master Hung (Sammo Hung) helps seal his status and friendship with the Hung Ga Master.

In the midst of British-colonialism and a post-war era, Ip Man 2 stays close to historical facts and the struggles of a broken country. When British boxing coordinators organize a tournament in Hong Kong and boxing champion Twister defames Chinese martial arts, Ip Man stands as the last hope for his disgraced people. This clash of Eastern and Western values are still relevant in the 21st Century, and director Wilson Yip helps erase this discrimination through Ip’s relatable determination and prowess as the film’s hero.

The movie’s tragic flaw is Ip’s lack of conflict between family and martial arts. While the viewer can tell the love for his wife and Wing Chun creates a rift in their marriage, this aspect is hardly developed, and makes Ip a less sympathetic character when he returns to them in the end. While Ip is painted as a humble and peace-abiding man, I can’t tell if the negligence of his family stems more from the limited script or his true personality. Lynn Hung’s silent portrayl of Cheung Wing-sing seems more for looks than ability, and her stoicism remains through most of the film.

But despite this minor setback, the film flourishes through Ip’s incredible and complex fight sequences (I can’t even begin to pick a favorite) and his likeability as a pure hero, set on breaking stereotypes that come not only from the British, but the Chinese as well. The end is a true testament to his character as a whole, and we even get to see a quick interaction between a young Bruce Lee and his future Sifu.

Ip Man was selected as the Audience Award winner at last year’s Asian Film Festival of Dallas, and I’m sure people can expect to be equally pleased about what the action-packed sequel has to offer.


[This review has been cross-posted at Twitch Film.
``xEklpkuFyFuIlpBQgzU``x1280243634``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xip-man-2-poster.jpg AFFD Review: Summer Wars``xLizMcKinney``xTitle: Summer Wars
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Writer: Satoko Okudera
Starring: Ryūnosuke Kamiki, Nanami Sakuraba, Sumiko Fuji
Grade: A-

Summer Wars isn’t your average anime movie - while we do get the familiar visuals of perverted nosebleeds, oversized sweat drops and magical worlds where almost anything can happen, the difference with this film is that it feels too real. Yes, even during the supernatural chaos.

The script revolves around the online world of OZ, an Internet sensation where people can socialize, control businesses, and play games from sports and cards to martial arts showdowns, all in the guise of a personalized avatar. Facebook meets Gaia much? It’s all eerily familiar, which seals the movie’s message about the destructive powers of social networking.

One OZ security worker and high school math genius, Kenji Koise (Ryūnosuke Kamiki), finds his summer plans rapidly changing when the most popular girl in school, Natsuki Shinohara (Nanami Sakuraba), hires him to accompany her to a family reunion for a few days – with the job details to be disclosed at a later time.

Natsuki’s large and invasive family bombards Kenji with questions about his personal life, and he gets more than he bargained for when a disowned cousin crashes the party and creates discord among the family. But the real trouble begins when OZ is taken over by a mysterious hacker and Kenji is framed for it. The family must put aside their differences to solve the mystery before chaos and devastation transfers from the Internet world to their own.

The animation and camera work are so incredible in some sequences that the film seems to create a new form of anime. The 3D effects and use of color in OZ make the audience actually feel like they are avatars floating around in the virtual world. But while OZ is fun, bright, and exciting, reality is, well, real.

The film explores the struggles that test a family’s strength, like jealousy, anger, and death, in ways that feel too relatable for an animated movie. The scenes of the reunion will make you hide your face in embarrassment, hold back tears, and laugh out loud through the colorful characterization of the Shinohara family, but even still, the viewer cannot wait for them all to return to OZ, where life is easier and painless. But OZ’s uncomplicated lifestyle creates more problems than good in the family, which is reminiscent of our own technologically charged generation.

Kenji’s timid and awkward personality makes him more comic relief than hero in the film, but when paired with the Shinohara family men, this testosterone-charged team delivers action and comedy in the same punch. The Shinohara women are even kookier than their husbands and children, but remain the rocks of the family when tragedy strikes. And while you may want to strangle Natsuki in the beginning of the film, she’ll win back your affection in the end thanks to a hidden talent and amusing Sailor Moon transformation reference.

While I saw a lot of kids at the showing, this movie isn’t really geared for one generation over another, and the heavy material (and daunting 114 minute length) makes this anime more sophisticated than a lot of the films that are out this summer.

But maybe this is what makes Summer Wars so divinely unique and entertaining. Not only will you bounce in your seat during some of the fast-paced battles in OZ, but you will also feel all the emotions of a broken family while at the same time laughing at the well-placed awkward moments and one-liners. This anime isn’t only about action, romance, drama, or magical worlds—it’s a hodgepodge of real life, fantasy, and everything in between.

The film has won multiple awards, including Animation of the Year from the Japan Academy Prize Association, and I don’t see it going away anytime soon. I even dragged a self-proclaimed anime hater along with me to the showing and all she could say at the end was, “That was actually really good!” I’ll take that as a win.

Social networking, beware—real life never seemed better thanks to the imaginative world of Mamoru Hosoda’s Summer Wars.


[This review has been cross-posted at Twitch Film.

``xEklpkukVulLgNYFWxF``x1280242548``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xsummer wars.jpg MangaLife: Why We're Living It ``xLizMcKinney``xWhat makes manga so special and distinct from any other type of comic book and cartoon in the world? Why do Western audiences love that a character has blue hair, pink eyes, and a mouth half the size of his/her face? What drives people all over the world to gather at conventions dressed like their favorite characters, complete with ten-foot swords and spiked wigs?

In the coming weeks, I hope to analyze why we love manga and what actually makes manga… well, “manga.” While it’s all a very subjective topic, I hope to look at the “essence” of the art form, both Eastern and Western, broken down into the different components of a whole: Culture, Art, Characters, Plot and Dialogue, and Tone/Mood. While this may (hopefully not painfully) remind you of high school English class, in any literature analysis you must look at all the pieces of the puzzle if you wish to understand what makes manga a worldwide phenomenon. It isn’t just one component, but rather, the way each gear turns to get the machine in motion. Many of these gears may overlap, but all in all, you can’t really go forward without one or the other.

I mean, if Goku or Usagi didn’t have their memorable one-liners and the ditzy personalities behind all their power, would Dragon Ball Z or Sailor Moon have become two of the most popular series in the history of anime/manga?

But what do culture, art, character, plot and dialogue, and tone/mood mean? How about I introduce “Culture,” as it’s the first component I’m eager to analyze in the world of manga. Using the all-knowing Wikipedia, we find that culture stems from the Latin colere, which means “to cultivate.” Wikipedia lists the following as definitions:

• Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as high culture.
• An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning.
• The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group.

Now, recognizing culture as an element of manga, I believe we can use a combination of all three definitions to understand it better. For the first, Japanese manga has collectively preserved the history of the country in pre-World War II (pre-Meiji) and post-WWII (Meiji). Manga reflects high society, wartime society, children’s society, popular society etc., etc. While many may not consider manga itself a fine art, it’s hard to argue that the stories and characters behind the art have influenced Broadway plays, feature length films, and even actual novels that gain national attention and awards.

For the second and third definitions, Japanese manga embodies cultural customs, relationships, values, and landscapes that enchant readers worldwide. This demonstration of tradition and principles entices me as a reader, and I know I can’t be alone. It’s exciting and fresh… it’s exotic.

Sailor uniforms, Tokyo Tower, Christmas as a “romantic” holiday, the honorifics san, sama, chan, etc., and the offbeat cultural jokes are only a few traits I can begin to think about when I envision manga. I love learning about Japanese culture and school life when I pick up a new title—it’s much more striking and romantic than the American lifestyle I’ve always known. To me, the relationships and romance of shoujo manga is more intense and intriguing than that of American TV shows like Gossip Girlbecause of the cultural differences. The reserved, I-must-protect-her-virtue nature of shoujo bishounen characters are much more chivalrous and charming than the hormone-crazed teenagers America is known for.

But how does this all play into the growing popularity of Amerimanga (Original English-language manga, commonly used to describe comic books or graphic novels in the "international manga" genre of comics whose language of original publication is English), Korean manhwa, Chinese manhua, French la nouvelle manga, etc.? Let’s explore further in “Culture,” the first in the series of features in which I hope to discover the relationship of Eastern and Western manga, how this dynamic may impact the future, and if Japanese manga is truly an irreplaceable form.

You can find more of Liz's work at her site, Japanization. ``xEkZAyVlEElYLvlsAff``x1279687380``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xwhy_living it _cvr.jpg AFDD REVIEW: Au Revoir, Taipei``xLizMcKinney``xTitle: Au revoir Taipei
Director: Arvin Chen
Writer: Arvin Chen
Starring: Amber Kuo, Jack Yao, Fankie Kao
Grade: B

Showing: July 23 at 7:00 p.m. at the Landmark Magnolia in Dallas, as part of the Asian Film Festival of Dallas.

If you could blend awkward relationships, quirky humor, and upbeat guitar-and-fiddle music with stunning shots of urban Taiwan, you’d get a taste of what Au revoir Taipei is all about. As a film without a clear-cut genre (I’d say indie-romantic-comedy with a splash of crime), you wouldn’t expect it to be so intriguing and lighthearted at the same time. But first-time director Arvin Chen took risks, and they definitely paid off.

The script follows the lovesick Kai (Jack Yao), who is determined to learn French and win back the affection of his Paris-bound girlfriend. As he studies every night, he attracts the attention of a bookstore employee, Susie (Amber Kuo), who attempts to make conversation despite Kai’s indifference. But when Kai borrows money from a retired gangster (Frankie Gao) and must secretly deliver a package to Paris, he finds himself being chased by a police officer and some odd characters in bright orange suits, while his lanky best friend, Gao, gets kidnapped before his eyes by a pimped-out purple Scion.

While the first twenty minutes are too slow for comfort, the remaining hour delivers laugh after laugh thanks to the eccentric orange suit gang, Gao’s offbeat personality, and some well-placed, amusingly awkward interactions between Susie and Kai. The film explores love most of all—unrequited, forming, and dying—through the interwoven subplots of Kai’s dramatic breakup, Susie’s sweet persistence, Gao’s open-mouthed admiration of his co-worker, and the police officer’s flailing, half-hearted relationship.

Au revoir Taipei’s buoyant soundtrack literally makes this movie—from the cool jazz sounds that follow the actions of the foolish orange suit gang to the country Western guitar-and-fiddle licks that narrate Susie and Kai’s escape from the police officer, the music just makes you want to smile and indicates that the film doesn’t take itself too seriously, without which would take away from its charm.

A variety of shots of the Taipei “City of Lights” landscape (hilariously paired with Gao and Kai’s Vespa adventures) also add to the film’s bright charisma. Jack Yao and Amber Kuo’s chemistry is a surefire favorite, but the film’s true gem is Paul Chiang, whose simple yet hilarious portrayal of Gao will make you wish his side of the story were featured more in the film.

Au revoir Taipei beat out 11 other films for the NETPAC/Asian Film Award in Berlin earlier this year, and will make its U.S. debut at the Asian Film Festival of Dallas on July 23. At the very least, I think you can expect to walk away from this film smiling and still laughing about the random closing sequence.

[This review has been cross-posted at Twitch Film.
``xEkZAyuAVFVTHKGMUKA``x1279687380``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xAu revoir Taipei.jpg REVIEW: Darker Than Black``xCharlesWebb``xI'm not completely sure how to react to something like Darker Than Black. Is it like a trailer for the anime or maybe even just for animation studio Bones itself? I certainly didn't react to it as a piece of fiction with characters and a plot that I was supposed to, you know, care about in any way. It's one of those titles that has all the components of big ideas without the benefit of any actual human characters knocking around in its goofy plot.

About that plot: well, I'm at a loss, to be honest. There's something called "Hell's Gate" in the middle of Tokyo, and it does something, I'm not entirely sure what. Then there are various factions of "Contractors" - people given super powers in exchange for their emotions - who fight for control of "Hell's Gate," I think. In the midst of all of this is a high school girl named Kana, who becomes part of the bloody story when she spots her presumed-dead father on the street.

The book suffers from what I like to call "Equilibrium Syndrome" (ES) which involves a high concept sci-fi piece about people with no emotion acting in wildly emotive ways in the service of a fairly shaky script and unconvincing world. So far, ES has afflicted only two works of which I'm aware, but I'm sure there are more. The emotional component (or lack therof) makes Darker Than Black a tricky read. We're supposed to contrast the normal Kana with Contractor protector Hei, but this just shows how flat Hei is as a character. The lack of emotion is intended to be shown through a lack of expression in the artwork. This too, is problematic in that it makes the Contractor characters very stiff "actors" for the script, relegating them to props in the action scenes.

On the plus side, the book is packaged really nicely in one clean, compact volume that contains a little under 400 pages of story. It's slightly oversized when compared to your typical manga volume but this has the benefit of allowing the art on the pages room to breathe. It actually gives the action scenes (one area where the script excels) a widescreen feel, making them feel larger in scope. This serves the artwork of Nokiya well, emphasizing the use of space around the typically spare lines used in the story, giving the action a thematically-appropriate austerity that fits with the clandestine nighttime world of the script.

Still, it's unfortunate that there's not a story between these pages that deserves the stellar production values.

A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Yen Press.

You can read more of Charles' work at his blog, Monster In Your Veins. ``xEkZAyupFlybJCPxZFi``x1279640386``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x031607330X``xBones``xTensai Okamura``xNokiya``x``xAction``x``x``xMatt Del Guice for MX Media, LLC``xLaura Wyrick for MX Media, LLC``xYen Press``xOlder Teen``xC-``x18.99``x150``x225``xdarker than black complete.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Rasetsu v4 ``xYsabet``xRasetsu Hyuga may be the title character of Rasetsu, but despite her ample amount of "screen" time in the fourth volume, this book doesn't feel like it's as focused on her as the earlier volume I read (vol. 2) was. Rather--and it's hard to say this without sounding as if I'm dismissing her role here--this time around she's mainly one factor in what seems to be a growing rivalry between two of her male coworkers, Yako and Kuryu. That doesn't mean she's passive or doesn't have anything to do during this volume, but most of her attention is given to the male leads, which means readers look there too.

Volume 4 is as episodic as volume 2 was, but it feels less so, probably because the characters only actually go out on one assignment. Instead, the first half of the book is devoted to the rivalry I mentioned. Kuryu uses his kotodama to antagonize Yako in a few small ways, which doesn't work out quite as (presumably) planned, but Yako is able to get some payback later on. The second half of the volume brings a case to the forefront of the action, and provides both a glimpse into Kuryu's past and a reminder of how precarious Rasetsu's situation is.

There's a fair bit of relationship exploration going on this time out: Rasetsu is figuring out her feelings for Yako (which is nicely handled), and while I'm not really a fan of two guys posturing at each other, we do at least get character development out of the antagonism between Yako and Kuryu. I can't say that I actually like either of them all that much, but they're interesting. Rasetsu comes across as a more pleasant character than either of them, although she can be equally stubborn and difficult.

My impression of Rasetsu is largely unchanged: this isn't a mind-blowing series, but it's fun and readable.

Volume 4 of Rasetsu includes one page of bonus manga.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkZAVuluuFYZJUOKve``x1279548443``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421527537``xChika Shiomi``x``x``x``xRomance``xSupernatural``x``xKinami Watabe``xKinami Watabe``xViz``xOlder Teen``xB``x9.99``x150``x225``xRasetsu 4 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Peepo Choo v1 (of 3) ``xCharlesWebb``xI've been thinking a bit lately about how we give an exotic air to other cultures. I've actually been in discussions with our own Liz Reed about just that very subject in preparation for a piece she's putting together for the site. Think about it: to what degree has your interest in manga and/or anime been impacted by so-called "Japanese culture?" Is it somehow a problem? Does it matter?

Felipe Smith's guns-girls-breast-blood-fest Peepo Choo seems interested in the subject in a really incisive way. Huh, I just noticed that when you squint a bit, the title reads as "Peep Show." This might be appropriate.

At once funny, thoughtful, and deeply unpleasant, the book isn't too kind to fan communities. The book doesn't have time for nerds, otaku, or 'banger wannabes, but it's sympathetic to how they're created.

This nasty little story starts in Chicago, where little Milton, a black kid with bottle cap glasses from the ghetto, dreams of Japan as some kind of otaku fantasy land: everyone is nice and non-confrontational, everything is shiny and colorful, and everyone knows about his favorite show, the bizarre Peepo Choo. He works in a comic shop under the table for the nerd-hating Jody so he can feed his figure/manga/anime habit, yearning for the opportunity to one day travel to Japan.

There's more to all of this, including a vicious murderer named Fate from the Chicago streets with a contract in Japan, an upstart young Yakuza, Morimoto Rockstar, who gets his style from American ghetto-sploitation movies, and his mentor who's had just about enough. Smith creates a masala out of these elements that more often shocks and titillates than it does illuminate but for all that it's still an effective piece of pop fiction.

Perhaps it's because the book is so far off the reservation: it's not exactly cynical - more hostile. Milton is bound to be disappointed by an "authentic" Japanese experience because people like him want the world to take shape around them. The same goes for Morimoto, to an extent, whose adoption of a new name and persona after his recruitment into the gang is at right angles to the codified behavior of the Yakuza. Then there's the stunning, top-heavy model, Reiko who adorns the cover of the book - she's frustrated with being so overtly sexualized. You can almost sense her chafing at being in a book with so much graphic sex.

Oh, the book is incredibly graphic, but that's appropriate for the fractured, hostile world created by Smith. There will be explicit sex and incredibly detailed violence, but many of you probably already knew that (and are on your way to pick this one up right now). It gets lower marks because none of the characters are at the end of the day recognizably human yet - but I'm sympathetic with many of Smith's ideas.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Vertical Inc.``xEkZAFAlklpiYbxqbxJ``x1279398280``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1934287830``xFelipe Smith``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``x``x``xVertical, Inc.``xMature``xB+``x12.95``x150``x225``xpeepo choo v1.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Raiders v1 ``xLizMcKinney``x“If either of us was staring into the face of death, don’t you think you’d give it a try? No matter what might be in the bottle?”

In the opening pages of Raiders v1, you are introduced to the first of countless ethical questions that the manga explores through the moral and physical consequences of playing God. However, don’t think too much about these overarching themes of immortality and religion, for jarring action sequences, grotesque imagery, and gallons—yes gallons—of blood often overshadows what this manga is all about.

The story begins with young archeologist Irel Clark’s quest to find the Holy Grail with his mentor, Professor Langhem. After Irel snatches a plain vial from a crumbling statue of Jesus, he thinks nothing of his discovery until Professor Langhem reveals a terrifying secret: The Holy Grail itself is not what grants immortality, it’s what’s inside — The Blood of Christ.

Irel laughs off the superstition and continues his expedition, that is, until a living corpse shows up with a machete and a thirst for holy blood. At knifepoint, Irel can only remember the professor’s question, “to drink, or not to drink?”, and swallows the contents in desperation. From there, Lamia (a Greek mythology warning at its finest), vows to eternally devour his body as punishment for stealing the Blood of Christ and forces him to locate the remaining four vials. War between Heaven and Hell ensues.

But through all the chaos of Raiders v1, the trickiest part is deciding whether or not the characters are likeable, sympathetic, or even worth the page space. Irel’s naïveté and hunger for adventure makes him seem like the unfortunate hero, but when Lamia reveals her true need for the Blood — to cure a curse that requires her to consume human flesh for survival — you can’t help but want to slap Irel for his narrow-mindedness… Well, until she begins tearing off his arm or jaw and consuming his undying body. It’s all a little unsettling.

The reader is also introduced to a slew of mysterious characters that will undoubtedly play a larger role in the later volumes, but their minor appearances and limited dialogue in volume 1 are more annoying than intriguing. For example, Clarion reveals she is a messenger that helps the damned gain forgiveness from God, yet the interactions between her and what is presumed to be the “messenger” boss always ends with her lying in a pool of her own blood. The mysterious intentions of each character prevents anyone from being labeled as a “good” or “bad” guy, which is perhaps another reference to the corruption and injustice that follows the quest for immortality.

Taken as a whole, Raiders contains unique themes, plenty of Greek mythology references, and a new twist to a well-known legend that made me question my own morals through each character’s situation. However, the heavily and darkly lined action sequences strained my eyes more than impressed them, and the over-the-top gore was hardly appealing. Maybe if you enjoyed any of the Saw franchise movies you would get a kick out of the art, especially a tribute scene where Irel cuts his foot off to escape. But if you’re just looking for an unusual adventure title to grab your interest, I can’t safely say Raiders is vying for that type of attention.

Review copy of this title provided by Yen Press

You can read more of Liz’s work at Japanization
``xEkZAkEuyZAlTqwSGMU``x1279214679``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0759530491``xJin-Jun Park ``x``x``x``xAction``xSupernatural``x``xJiEun Park``xJamie Rich``xYen Press``xOlder Teen``xC``x10.99``x150``x225``xraiders v1.jpg``x``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdom: Notes Revisited ``xNibley``xI'm pretty sure that lots of people have different opinions on what makes a good translation. And, because twins are mischievous by nature, sometimes we like to amuse ourselves by taking those opinions to the extreme. This is why we've post once or twice about what a translation would look like if it was super-literal. Our opinion is that a good translation accurately conveys the meaning spirit of the Japanese text in clear, readable English.

It's understandable that a lot of manga reviewers wouldn't be able to judge the accuracy of a translation, but most of the time, when we see reviews that mention the translation at all it's probably because the reviewer doesn't like the way a dialect was rendered.

Never mind.

The point is one opinion that seems to stand out about what makes a good translation is logical spellings of the characters' names and copious translation notes. That seems to be the only criteria --apparently accuracy and readability don't matter as long as we get to learn some cool new Japanese terms. To be fair, we don't have anything against learning cool new Japanese terms, but as translators, we like to try exercising our creativity to find just the right English term.

And sometimes, failing that, we want to throw certain manga across the room.

Of course, the wanting to throw the book usually happens with terms we think would interrupt the readability if left un-translated. For example, the term “nayamu” tends to give us some trouble, and it came up a lot in a certain volume of The Portrait of M and N. It basically means “to brood or worry to the point of suffering.” I might be remembering this wrong, but I'm pretty sure that was one of the tricky spots that had us constantly saying “I quit” a few months back.

It might have been nice to leave the word in Japanese and provide a note, then let the adapter or editor deal with it, but we think that that would have been a major cop-out solution. Especially because, in the end, the reader probably still wouldn't have gotten to learn a fun new Japanese term. We did eventually come up with “agonize,” as in “to agonize over a problem,” and we think it fit very well.

Anyway, back to my original point. Since fans like us to leave the occasional word in Japanese, we started wondering what it would be like if we left as many words in Japanese as possible. Then we thought that was going too far, so we asked, “What if we leave all the nouns in Japanese?” And so... the plan WAS to present a translation with excessive Japanese terms. But we pulled out a volume of My Darling! Miss Bancho to translate, and the page we randomly opened up to was going to be chock full of notes anyway! It was all “yukata” this, and “bancho” that, and “matsuri” and “ryokan” and all kinds of things like that.

Let's try something else, shall we?

Alright, we're still in My Darling! Miss Bancho. (You might still be able to find volume one online somewhere!) This is volume three, where Souka has been kidnapped! Oh no! Here is a conversation she has with her captor.

Souka: At this mama, anata will get farther and farther away from minna!
Captor: ... Anata's data has kachi.
Souka: No, this isn't a hanashi about data. (I'm gonna break your megane.)
Captor: If I can kaiseki anata 100%... I might be able to install anata's sekai into watashi's sekai.

Notes:

Mama: A term used to described a state of affairs that continues through the next action described.
Anata: A second-person pronoun that indicates distance between the speaker and the addressee. Neither Souka nor her captor feels close enough to the other to use a more casual term.
Minna: All or everyone. In this case, everyone with whom Souka's captor may want to make friends.
Data: In Japan, they often use the English word data to refer to... well, data.
Kachi: Relative worth, merit or important. He's saying that Souka's data is valuable.
Hanashi: A word that refers to the subject being talked about. Comes from the Japanese word “hanasu,” which means “to speak.”
Megane: An item worn on the face to improve eyesight. Because some people find megane to be very attractive, in Japan, people might wear them even though they don't need optical assistance.
Kaiseki: To examine carefully and in detail so as to identify causes, key factors, possible results, etc.
Sekai: Any sphere, realm, or domain, with all pertaining to it.
Watashi: First-person pronoun. We can tell that Souka's captor is very proper, because he uses the more formal “watashi,” rather than the more casual “boku,” or the even more casual “ore.”

Okay, so we cheated and copied some notes directly from Dictionary.com (see if you can guess which!). Also, we learned some neat things about Souka and her captor that we might not otherwise have learned if anata and watashi had just been translated.

But on the other hand, I can't imagine that dialogue making much sense to anyone who doesn't know Japanese, and it would be an enormous hassle to have to check a glossary every two words. And so, we come to the inevitable conclusion when faced with a question such as this. Do we leave things in Japanese and add a ton of notes (fans' opinion), or do we just translate the darn thing (our opinion)? The best answer is, as usual, a little of both. We like to save everyone some effort and translate it, but we can still see about making notes about the kind of language the characters are using.

Of course, whether or not those notes get left in the book is entirely out of our hands.
``xEkZlyVkEVpzDsxMCBA``x1279112940``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg [UPDATED] UK READER CONTEST: Win Kaji: The Ultimate Gambler on DVD ``xCharlesWebb``xStill interested in winning this one? Just drop me a line at cwebb39(at)gmail(dot)com for a chance to get a free copy of this new release from 4DigitalMedia Entertainment.

This one's strictly for our UK readers.

4Digital Media and MangaLife are teaming up to give away a copy of the upcoming live-action adaptation of Kaji: The Ultimate Gambler. What do you have to do to win?

Simple. If you haven't done so already - hit the "like" button below for Facebook and follow the MangaLife page. Then drop a comment on the wall post for this article about anything - just to say hello, a link to your favorite article from the site, your favorite color - we're just happy you're showing you care. The deadline is next Tuesday, July 13.

Kaji: The Ultimate Gambler Official UK DVD Trailer from Charles Webb on Vimeo.



From the press release:

Based on Nobuyuki Fukumoto's manga "Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji" and 26 part anime series

Kaiji Ito (Tatsuya Fujiwara - Death Note/Battle Royale) moves to Japan after graduating from high school. Unable to find a job and frustrated with society at large, Kaiji spends his days gambling, vandalising cars, and drinking. Two years later and his life is no better. A debt collector named Endo arrives to collect payment. She then offers two choices to Kaiji: spend 10 years paying off his loan or board a gambling boat for one night to repay his debt and possibly make a whole lot more. Meanwhile, the unscrupulous Endo is actually conning Kaiji, believing he won't come back from his voyage. Kaiji is then up for the night of his lie...``xEkZluFVkAklDWfXhKN``x1279031580``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``xkajidvd.jpg``x``x``x DVD REVIEW: Kaji: The Ultimate Gambler``xZackDavisson``xDirector: Toyo Sato
Writer:
Starring:
Publisher: 4Media Entertainment
MSRP: £15.99

Japan has a lot of words for their layabout population of 20-30 year olds who aren’t up to anything useful. “Freeter” is an old term left over from the Bubble Era that was basically a shortened form of “Freeloader” meaning those who chose not to work even though there were plenty of jobs available. “NEET” is a more modern term, meaning “Not in Employment, Education or Training” meaning those who have no job or goals, and just kind of drift though life aimlessly. “Parasite Single” is the latest term, talking about those who are old enough to know better (30+) but are still unmarried, jobless and ambitionless.

In Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler, (Japanese title Kaiji: Jinsei gyakuten gemu or Kaiji: The Turn-your-Life-Around Game) all of these people get tagged with a single word: Loser.

The story begins with Kaiji (Fujiwara Tatsuya, Light Yagami from the live action Death Note movies) being confronted by an attractive older woman named Endo (Amami Yuki, Inugami) who has come to collect a debt. Because Kaiji co-signed a loan years ago for a friend, he is now responsible for paying back the loan. Far beyond Kaiji’s means, Endo gives him two options. Work of the debt for the next ten years, or join some other losers on the gambling boat Espoir for a chance to win enough money to clear the debt entirely and become rich in the process.

The Espoir boat turns out to be a scam led by Okata Kazutaka (Veteran actor Sato Kei, Kwaidan) to create a debt-slave labor force to build an underground city and new society for which he will be king. Those who lose on the Espoir find their debts increased by the millions, and are soon chain-ganged underground digging in tunnels. Even down below, Okata attempts to increase their debts by offering them beer and tasty snacks to comfort them in their labor, but the purchase of which only lengthens their stay.

The only way out of the slave camps is to gamble your life in a further series of games, which lead to even deadlier consequences for those who take the challenge. But a man with nothing to lose and everything to win might just be willing to take that chance, and such a man is Kaiji.

Based on the long-running manga series Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji (Japanese title Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji) by Nobuyuki Fukumoto, Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler tackles Japan’s pressing social issue of these parasite singles in a unique and interesting way, by pitting them against each other in various contests for the entertainment of the wealthy classes. Dangling the promise of easy wealth before them, these perpetual losers are manipulated and toyed with, and only one of them is able to see how they are being used like slaves and has the audacity to attempt to break free.

To be honest, Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler is not a very good movie. I wouldn’t call it a bad flick, but neither is it good. It falls pretty firmly into the realm of “so-so.”

The mix of social issues with action sequences, while interesting, comes off as clumsy and forced. While Director Sato Toya goes for the same allegorical feel that was so successful in Battle Royale, it just doesn’t work here. Sato is mainly a television director and is probably used to having more time to develop his story. Unfortunately, attempting to squish the multi-volume story of Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji into a two-hour timeframe means that too much is lost or rendered into short sound bites. There is no real distillation of the core story.

There is almost no background or setting for Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler. Is this modern Japan or some alternate reality? We don’t know. Who is the ultra-rich Okata Kazutaka, and why does he want to build an underground kingdom? Never explained. Why does Kaiji choose the exact moment of standing on a thin, electrified iron beam suspended twenty-two stories above the ground, in the rain, to deliver a monologue on changing your life? I don’t know, but I certainly wouldn’t have stood up there. And speaking of which, don’t any police forces notice an enormous amount of missing men between the ages of 20-30, not to mention an occasional rain of bodies from two of the tallest buildings in town?
Plot holes you could drive a fleet of buses through.

The manga has a lot more back story for these characters, and too much has been changed in the film. Okata Kazutaka in the manga is a man who has become so rich that he is endlessly bored and gets thrills from pitting the refuse of society against each other in gambling matches. Kaiji is much more cunning in the manga, being a savvy gambler who takes risks and wins, but always finds himself in the position where he needs to throw the metaphorical dice again. Endo is male in the manga, but changed to female in the movie to create some sexual tension, which is one of the few changes that I thought worked well.

Other things that worked well were the gambling matches themselves. Sato took three of the gambling matches from the first series of the comic, the “Restricted Rock, Paper, Scissors,” “The Human Derby” (here called “The Brave Man Road”) and “The E-Card,” The games are clever, and get the viewer thinking about strategies to win. Even though the “underground kingdom” made no sense, I think it was interesting how Okata tricked the workers into believing they were responsible for their own slavery, thus ensuring no revolt. There were clever bits here and there that kept the film from being a total loss.

A big part of the advertising is that it “Reunites the cast from Death Note,” and it does for a little bit. Matsuyama Kennichi (“L” from Death Note) pops in and out fairly quickly as one of Kaiji’s work-mates underground and a co-contestant on the Brave Man Road. That was one of the highlights of the film, but it isn’t like Matsuyama and Fujiwara have that much screen time together. And even then, both actors’ performances are well below par. Fujiwara in particular seems to have trouble controlling his volume, and simply over-reacts to everything or simply screams at it.

Death Note and later productions like 20th Century Boy really raised the bar for manga-to-film adaptations, and Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler just did not clear that bar.

Grade: C


Review copy of this title provided by 4Digital Media

You can read more of Zack’s work at Japan Reviewed.
``xEkZApFpkluNtDapuwU``x1279030284``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xkajidvd.jpg REVIEW: Rin-Ne v3``xPennyKenny``xMove over Rinne! There's a new exorcist in town and he has a history with your friend Sakura - even if she doesn't remember it. Tsubasa might be an incompetent exorcist, but he's determined in his pursuit of Sakura. Between dealing with ghosts who just want one date before they pass on, faceless spirits, and rogue shinigami, Rinne doesn't have time to feel jealous - or does he?

Rin-Ne is classic Rumiko Takahashi. There's a bit of Ranma 1/2 in the love triangle, Inu-Yasha in the supernatural elements, and even Maison Ikkoku in Rinne's money troubles. Though she mixes all these elements together in a new and fresh way, if you liked those stories, you'll probably like this one.

If you haven't read Takahashi before and are curious, this volume is as good a place to start as any. Viz includes two pages of "Who's Who/What's Come Before" and Takahashi explains the basic set-up in each chapter. It gets a little bit repetitive when reading the volume in one sitting, but I'd rather the information was there than not, since it does make the book "New Reader" friendly.

Sakura is a kind-hearted, mostly sensible, friendly, appealing heroine. She doesn't like people to know she can see ghosts, but she's constantly putting herself in situations where her secret could come out just because it's the right thing to do. I like her matter-of-fact attitude and her courage. She's willing to do what needs to be done to help Rinne, though she doesn't play a very active role in this particular set of stories.

Rinne's poor, proud, and good at what he does. He's one of Takahashi's more level-headed heroes, as he doesn't seem to experience the extreme range of emotions some of her characters do. While he doesn't like to admit it, he's a softy at heart and really wants to help lost spirits. He also doesn't like to admit he cares for Sakura, though it's quite obvious he does. In contrast, Tsubasa is very open about his feelings for Sakura, clueless about anything else, seems to have money to burn, has all the latest exorcism gadgets, and wants to get the spirits out of the way as quick as possible. Yet, he's also a lonely young man looking for friends. The two boys' differing approaches make for some nice dramatic conflict.

There's lots of humor both physical and verbal. Takahashi is always up for a good pratfall or cross-dressing scene and draws both equally well. The supporting cast acts as something like a Greek chorus, commenting on the action and the main characters' behavior.

One of the great pleasures of Takahashi's writing is how she can turn on a dime and go from humor to drama and back and take the reader with her. There are some very sweet scenes here. The resolution of the dating ghost storyline is a wonderful "Awww" moment. The panel where Rinne admits he never thought he'd be able to afford going to the amusement park again and Tsubasa looks over at him just makes you feel warm all over. Of course, the next panel shows Tusbasa's total obliviousness to other's feelings, but it's all part of the story.

As this is a shonen or boys' manga, there's also plenty of action. Rinne is forever leaping into the sky to battle evil spirits. The panels showing him hovering above the school with his scythe, striking at the rogue shinigami are very dramatic and made for animating.

Takahashi knows how to tell a story visually. It's very easy to follow the flow of action. She doesn't put in unnecessary frills. Every panel shows only what it needs to to tell the story. The characters are attractive. Their very simplified features still manage to convey a great deal of emotion. I also have to admit I adore Tsubaba's little string tie and Western style suit. He just looks so cute in it.

Rin-Ne has it all - school life and hi-jinx, humor, action, drama, the supernatural, and a touch of romance. Readers looking for a multi-faceted reading experience should give it a try.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Viz.
``xEkZlAupFFEzIlKwGUj``x1278940331``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421534878``xRumiko Takahashi``x``x``x``xComedy``xSupernatural``xRomance``xChristine Dashiell``x``xViz Media``xOlder Teen``xB+``x9.99``x150``x225``xrinne v3.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Karakuri Odette v2``xZackDavisson``xI like Karakuri Odette far more than logic says I should. Yet another manga about an android in search of a soul - you would think that the genre would be totally played out by now. Apparently not, because author Julietta Suzuki has managed to put together a charming story on that very theme, one that actually has me flipping the pages in enjoyment rather than rolling my eyes at the clichés.

If anything volume two is actually an improvement over volume one. It took awhile for Suzuki to hit her stride and find her voice for the series, but now it is all coming together. The art is still pretty minimalist, with few backgrounds and an emphasis on facial expressions, but that is becoming a strength rather than a weakness.

In volume two, the assassin-droid Chris has been re-programmed by Professor Yoshizawa to be peaceful. Odette takes Chris under her wing, attempting to teach him what she has learned about emotions and desires. For a test of the re-programmed Chris, the Professor takes him shopping for new clothes, but Chris is unable to express a preference for any item, not understanding the terms of “like” or “dislike.” At the shopping mall, the Professor runs into an old schoolmate, Gabriel. Gabriel looks innocuous enough, but it soon becomes clear that Gabriel is tied up with Chris’s original inventor, the person who is still intent on killing the Professor for whatever reason.

Fearing danger, the Professor sends Chris and Odette to live with their classmate, the school bully Asao. Asao is one of the few people who know Odette’s true nature, and while the robot girl frustrates him, he also treats her with more kindness than he shows most human beings. Odette and Asao gradually grow closer, and Odette wishes to please Asao by making him a bento lunch box. Unfortunately, she has a difficult time distinguishing between food that is colorful and food that is “tasty,” and Asao is not one to lie about the results.

Karakuri Odette is at face-value a simple comic with a basic plot, and really it is all Julietta Suzuki’s stylistic approaches to the story that make it worthwhile. There is a dry wit to the series that is so different from the usual over-the-top antics one finds in this kind of series.

This addition of Chris to the cast works really well, positioning Odette as in the middle ground between human and robot. She has been “aware” longer and so has a bit more of a grasp on things than Chris. There are hints of a love story at work, although unlike most manga it is difficult to see where the finish line is. In volume one, Asao seemed to have a thing for Odette’s friend Yoko, but here he is moving closer to Odette. Chris also has imprinted on Odette, but isn’t able to comprehend his own motives in his actions towards her.
The only real complaint I have about the series is that Julietta Suzuki’s art style makes it almost impossible to tell the boys from the girls. When the Professor’s old classmate Gabriel appeared on the scene, I would have sworn it was a girl until the character profile listed Gabriel as a “he.” Many of her characters are similar facially, and it is only the hairstyles that set them apart.

Review copy provided by Tokyo Pop.

You can read more of Zack’s work at Japan Reviewed. ``xEkZlyVkyyEzlJvVFCz``x1278652661``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427814082``xJulietta Suzuki``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``xAmi Tokutake``xPeter Ahlstrom``xTOKYOPOP``xTeen``xB+``x10.99``x150``x225``xkarakuri odette v2.jpg``x``x``x``x FIRST TIMER'S REVIEW: Black God v9 ``xCharlesWebb``xThis wasn't a great first impression. Black God seemed to be rolling along, doing its little supernatural meets fanservice thing and none of it was doing it for me. Maybe it was being thrown into the middle of a lot of jargon, or the breast-centric art which brings the DD's but not so much the, you know, clear and coherent action.

Lim's script has its trio of characters, Keita, Kuro, and Akane, taking sides and using their magic (sci-fi?) powers against the bad guys. You know the ones - they meet up in a building somewhere and plot and talk, and plot, and stand around looking cool but leaving all the heavy lifting the better-designed mini-bosses. It's weird reading this in the same week that I just finished Darker Than Black (review forthcoming) because it's all pretty much the same thing except Black God has a few more interesting character designs. The kind of story Black God tells is one that just sort of rambles along until the lead nuts up enough to kill the bad guy or whatever. I'm not sure what's going to happen in this one, and I'm not sure I care.

There's a short story at the end with the new addition to the cast, older-than-she-looks Namu - a "shrine maiden" from Mt. Jiri in Korea who came to Tokyo for earn some money to restore the shrine. This was the bright spot in an otherwise pretty bland chunk of bland sauce. Actually, if the whole book was about Namu being part jerk, part funny, and 100% rube while hanging in Tokyo. She was actually one of the more interesting and well-rounded characters in the entire book, going from a nervous Korea to Japan transplant to a schemer who bullies and seduces her way into main character Keita's home.

Take note manga writers: gimme some more female leads like this with actual agendas, personalities, and goals and I'll read your book.

Otherwise, I can take or leave Black God.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher. ``xEkZluFlVAyMPykVvyn``x1278438596``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0316097659``xDall-Young Lim``xSung-Woo Park ``x``x``xAction``xSupernatural``x``xChristine Dashiell``x``xYen Press``xOlder Teen``xC``x11.99``x150``x225``xblack god v9.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Pandora Hearts v2 ``xLizMcKinney``xIf you’re into shonen manga with alternate worlds, magical jargon, and off beat characters with manifold (often chaotic) personalities, Pandora Hearts should be your next read. Volume 2 continues with Oz Vessalius, a 15-year-old from a prestigious family (or “Dukedom,” as its called in the manga), and his travel companions’ quest to discover the truth behind a “sin” that threatens his very existence.

Previously, Oz learned he was dragged into the Abyss, an ominous world in a different dimension, for 10 years as punishment for existing. He encountered a “chain” (former humans transformed into monsters by the Abyss) named Alice, who persuaded him to enter an illegal contract that would bind their powers and allow them to leave the Abyss. However, Alice doesn’t disclose that each time Oz uses her powers, a clock-like tattoo on Oz’s chest rotates, counting down the time he has left to live. If he does not find a way to stop this clock - known as an Incuse - he and Alice will be sucked into the darkness of the Abyss, never able to return to Earth. In volume 2, Oz returns to the place he was before entering the Abyss, hoping to find answers. He travels with Alice, who is also searching for her lost memories, and Raven, a dark character sent by an organization investigating the existence of the Abyss, Pandora.

Whew, if that doesn’t blow your mind, try reading volume 2 before the first one. After learning more about the characters and their journey about halfway through the book, I had to restart from the beginning to understand what was going on. But aside from this set back, Pandora Hearts is full of psychedelic art, intimate dialogue, and plenty of fight scenes for the adventure-loving reader.

Even if you’re not so much interested in this Naruto/Bleach-type of manga, Pandora Hearts still entertains thanks to the intricate and developing friendship between Oz and Raven. As a protector with many secrets, Raven attempts to keep his distance from Oz to avoid hurting him. However, Oz’s honest and cheerful personality draws in the characters around him, and his struggle to hide his fear for the future made me feel instantly sympathetic and eager to read more.

Each character also seems to have an air of mystery that can never fully be trusted, which piqued my curiosity about the story as a whole. For example, the “Intention” of the Abyss (the God that governs all) appears in the shape of a stuffed rabbit toy, tempting Oz to kill Alice and save himself. We also see more of Xerxes Break, a member of Pandora whose appearance remains eternally young thanks to his legal contract with the Mad Hatter, a chain from the Abyss. While he warns Oz that Alice is an enemy, Oz cheekily replies that Break is hiding more than anyone else, and that “you shouldn’t trust people like that too easily.”

As confused as I was by most of Pandora Hearts v2, the art was stunning (think a more violent version of Vampire Knight) and the overarching question of who can be trusted and who will betray keeps the story fascinating. Although jargon-overkill definitely detracts from the story—Abyss, contractor, incuse, Four Great Dukedom, etc., etc.—and the constant Alice and Wonderland references are more cheesy than clever, Pandora Hearts v2 offers enough plot-twisting action and mystery to keep the pages turning.

Review copy of this title provided by Yen Press.

You can read more of Liz’s work at Japanization.
``xEkZlFFZlApoGrxWJhn``x1278337890``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0316076082``xJun Mochizuki``x``x``x``xFantasy``xSupernatural``x``xTomo Kimura``x``xYen Press``xOlder Teen``xB-``x10.99``x150``x225``xPandora Hearts v2.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Pandora Hearts v1``xMiriamGibson``xLeave it to a manga to make Alice and Wonderland more psychotic than it already is. Pandora Hearts opens on the fifteenth birthday of Oz Vessalius, heir of a wealthy and venerated Dukedom. His coming of age ceremony is interrupted when hooded figures toss him into another dimension known as The Abyss. He meets a huge black rabbit in a tailcoat hell-bent on destroying everything around it in order to escape. Oh yeah, this monster can also take the form of a young girl named Alice. It’s a rocky pairing and many mysteries arise out of the incident. Who wants Oz dead and why? Who is Alice really? What exactly is the Abyss? These questions serve as the major arc of the series.

Pandora Hearts essentially takes characters from Alice and Wonderland and inserts them into a Japanese interpretation of an historic gothic setting. Aside from The Abyss/rabbit hole parallel, the plot itself has nothing to do with Lewis Carroll’s classic. It is clear the bulk of the story will be about Oz growing up and choosing between his two love interests, the dark, maniacal Alice, and Sharon, a kind and proper young lady. To add a little spice there are secret organizations, doll toting magicians, and a mysterious manservant who Oz just can’t seem to place.

There isn’t really a ton of originality to the plot of Pandora Hearts. Young boy about to come of age is cast of out of his family, teams up with a demon, and is taken in by mysterious strangers for mysterious reasons. It’s creator of Jun Mochizuki’s pure artistic skill that makes Pandora Hearts worth the read. Though the designs of the main characters aren’t very original, the monsters, or Chains, that inhabit The Abyss are something to appreciate. Mochizuki draws them with gusto and flair and they are truly dark and grotesque. Alice in her Black Rabbit form looks like Harvey on steroids. The creativity put into the Chains of the Abyss leaves me whishing the designs of the humans were as dark and twisted as those of the monsters. I’ll pick up the second volume to see what kind of depraved creatures make their debut.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Yen Press.

You can read more of see more of Miriam's work at her site, Centaur A Day.
``xEkZlpuZlEpjTfByPLY``x1278047810``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0316076074``xJun Mochizuki``x``x``x``xFantasy``xSupernatural``x``xTomo Kimura``x``xYen Press``xOlder Teen``xC``x10.99``x150``x225``xpandora hearts v1.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Detroit Metal City v5``xCharlesWebb``xWould it be weird to describe it as Hannah Montana with dick jokes?

So I'm no longer a First Timer with Wakasugi's gonzo metal comedy but that doesn't diminish the thrill of reading the book anytime a copy shows up in the mail. Its carefully-refined crudity is kind of a virtue at this point with Soichi's misadventures in misunderstanding and misanthropy working perfectly alongside Wakasugi's ugly-detailed illustration.

It's weird approaching this book as a fan of metal (both foreign and domestic) - it bears almost no relation to metal as I know it. At the same time, I recognize the fans in the book and the excesses of the bands and nothing in the book feels fake. There's something slightly embarrassing about being an adult and being into metal, and whether Wakasugi realizes it or not, he touches on this with every shameful clash of Soichi's "straight" life and Krauser persona. There's something so precise about the whole story of DMC fans trying to guess what would propel them into superfandom (actually, they're looking for ways to goad Krauser into raping them). Then there's Soichi's trip home for his sister's wedding which devolves into a Krauser moment because the kid just can't keep it tied down (so to speak).

The book even has something to say about the uneasiness between metal fans and followers of other musical genres (in this case, rap, along with the traditional hate that Soichi's passion for pop gets). Again, whether intended or not, the writer touches on the incompatibility between metal and rap fandom - the dueling forms of posturing and posing demand a certain kinds lifestyles from their listeners. Now, it's maybe a simple story about a former hip hop star who's lost his rep after being embarrassed by Krauser, but the story succeeds in striking genuine notes.

I'm continuing to enjoy reading about the near-constant stream of abuse aimed at Soichi and that he in turn doles out as Krauser. It goes without saying that Detroit Metal City isn't for everyone given its intentional obnoxiousness - its loving irritation of the audience. It's a series that seeks to provoke - not thought but the gag reflex and hopefully laughs (it was successful with regard to the latter for me, thankfully).

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Viz Media.

If you liked this review, check out more of Charles' work at his blog, Monster In Your Veins. ``xEkZZlVykFFjbfLiWus``x1277872860``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421527464``xKiminori Wakasugi``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``x``xAnnus Itchii``xViz Media``xMature``xA``x12.99``x150``x225``xdetroit metal city v5.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: .hack//4koma``xZackDavisson``xYou know those little comedy strips that artists sometimes include in their comics? Those little four-panel gags that appear in-between chapters or as filler at the end of a book? .hack//4koma, is basically an entire volume filled with those little bits of filler.

4koma is Japanese short-hand for "four-panel comics," following a standard top-to-bottom structure that fits two comic strips on a page. These 4koma originally appeared as back-up material in .hack//G.U. The World magazine and have been collected together for this volume.

Because this is all gags and jokes here, there is no story or plot or anything like that other than a mixing of the characters of the first .hack Collection (Part 1: Infection, Part 2: Mutation, Part 3: Outbreak, Part 4: Quarantine)) and second (.hack//Roots, Hack//G.U. Trilogy) series of the .hack// video game series. Many of the comic strips focus on a rivalry between the characters of those games, like Kite and Haseo fighting over who is the hero of the series and Black Rose and Atoli just fighting in general. Aside from the 4koma, there are two longer series done in somewhat standard format. One, “Peaco's Story,” has Atoli signing on as a new character in order to win over Haseo, and the other, “Gaspard's Go Go the World,” is a series of strips featuring Gaspard's introduction to The World and his meeting with Silabus (.hack//Alcor). There are also some ".hack//G.U. Play Reports" in the back giving several characters opinions on the game.

.hack//4koma is only going to appeal to real hard-core .hack// fans. If you haven't read every series, played every game and memorized every character profile, much of the humor is just going to fall flat. Pretty much everything here is an inside joke of some sort and won't make much sense to the less than dedicated fan.

On top of that, humor is something particularly difficult to translate. Much of Japanese humor relies on play-on-words and puns that just aren't funny when put into English, or utilize some cultural clue or timing that doesn't work very well outside of that culture. Although translator Ryan Peterson does his best here, but to be perfectly honest there wasn't a lot in .hack//4koma that made me laugh.

Review copy provided by Tokyo Pop.

You can read more of Zack’s work at Japan Reviewed.
``xEkZZZVVVEpjspdHAEh``x1277755510``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427816077``xKoichi Sumimaru ``xVarious Artists ``x``x``xComedy``x``x``xRyan Peterson``xPeter Ahlstrom``xTOKYOPOP``xTeen``xD``x12.99``x150``x225``x4koma.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Ichiro! v2``xLizMcKinney``xFor a manga mainly targeted to the 18 to 30-year-old male audience, I found Ichiroh! v2 surprisingly charming and clever from the female perspective. Despite the all-too-uncomfortable shojou ai moments between scantily clad schoolgirls, the storyline progresses through a series of random subplots delivered in a four-panel strip comic format. I can say that without reading volume one, I was able to transition quickly enough into the story and learn the characters’ histories thanks to quirky dialog and expressions.

In volume two, Nanako, a stingy ronin (student who failed their college entrance exam) living with her video game-obsessed best friend, battles procrastination, money woes, and being stalked by fan girls in order to pass her entrance exam and officially become a college student. You know, the typical worries of an 18-year-old girl.

As a first time reader, I enjoyed the characters’ personalities and conversations more than the actual plot or artwork. Nanako’s best friend, Akane, continuously serves as the comic relief when situations become awkward or too serious:

Nanako: You seem to have a tendency to burn out if you don’t play video games, so I’ll give you a little break. Do your studying, okay?
Akane: Okay.
Akane: STUDY ALL NIGHT
Nanako: You were at it all night? Take a break, okay!?
Akane: PLAY VIDEO GAMES ALL NIGHT
Nanako: DO YOU HAVE TO DO THESE THINGS ALL NIGHT?

I can’t even begin to describe the demonic look on Akane’s face in those panels—I literally laughed out loud. Other minor characters like the nerdy Mai, Sensei Kaname (who has a knack for exploiting her students with questionable part time jobs), and crazy dorm mother Anko keep the plot engaging through their clashing personalities and “gift” for giving absurd advice to Nanako.

However, not all of the characters bring a charismatic or comedic aspect to the storyline—Shino’s overbearing crush on Nanako is more creepy than kawaii and the girls’ older college friend, Mayura, only shows up for (lack of better description) her proportions.

Nanako herself is a complex character, and by the end of this volume, I couldn’t decide if I liked or disliked her more. Her frugal way of taking a bento box only filled with rice for lunch and awkwardly working at a maid café to increase her earnings make her a hilarious heroine in some of the more memorable parts of Ichiroh! v2. However, Nanako’s calm demeanor is often overshadowed by the eccentric characters around her, which, in my opinion, makes her story less compelling and relatable.

In a nutshell, Ichiroh! v2 effectively uses the four-panel strip style to package a series of amusing stories about teens dealing with the seemingly impossible Japanese conventions for success. If the idea sounds interesting enough, you’ll love how different each character spins the plot and get a laugh or two by the end of this volume. I’m not dying to go back and read volume 1 or even volume 3, but I can’t say I wasn’t entertained, at least.

Review copy provided by Yen Press
``xEkZZulpuuFKEVahPdA``x1277480443``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0759530718``xMikage ``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``xElina Ishikawa-Curran``xHope Donovan``xYen Press``xTeen``xB-``x10.99``x150``x225``xichiroh v2.jpg``x``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdon: Interpretation ``xNibley``xWe have a friend who speaks German, and, because we're language geeks, we like to talk to him about language stuff. We actually don't know that much about German, and he doesn't know that much about Japanese, but there are still a bunch of things involved with knowing two languages that make for interesting conversation. One of the things our German-speaking friend always mentions is that he thinks that everyone should learn another language, because that's the only way for them to fully understand the concept that some things that are easily expressed in one language are nigh-impossible to express in another. Of course this is true for Japanese and English, too.

There are a few ways to deal with this problem, but it pretty much all boils down to “do the best you can.” One of the things we've done is to translate one adjective into two. For example, the word “akarui” means “bright,” but it can refer to a personality or a mood as well as the degree of light in an area. In English, when someone is described as being “bright,” it usually means they're smart, but in Japanese, it means they're cheerful. They have a sunny disposition. (Not a bad way to translate it, come to think of it...) So to cut down on confusion, if a character is described as “akarui,” we might describe them as “bright and cheerful.”

Another example is when we came across the term “uttoushii,” which is listed in our Japanese-English dictionary as “depressing.” But in the context, it seemed to also mean “annoying,” like the uttoushii character was depressing in an annoying way. Looking it up in a Japanese dictionary, we discovered it means both “depressing” and “annoying.” Since the two definitions were listed separately, most likely someone will use it to mean one or the other, but in this context both worked pretty well, and yet not so well when we only used one or the other. So we used both, and translated the word as “depressing and annoying.” (In retrospect, “annoyingly depressing” might also have worked.)

Now, this sort of ties into our next topic, which is that some words can't be translated exactly the same way every time. As we just mentioned, “uttoushii” can't always be translated as only “depressing” or only “annoying.” It's easy to get into the habit of translating a certain word to the same thing every time--not a problem for something like “ringo,” which will almost always mean “apple.”

But there are some words that require us to pay careful attention to the context to get as close to the right nuance as possible. One Japanese word that we tend to translate very differently depending on where it shows up is “kuyashii,” which is basically the adjective describing the feeling of wounded pride. Unfortunately, usually it shows up in the context of a character describing their own feelings, and you just don't get a lot of people screaming, “My pride is wounded!” in English.

Often, the word gets translated to “frustrated.” We've used it ourselves, in fact, because it does tend to work. On the other hand, it doesn't always work. “Mortified” usually gets the meaning across best (in our minds), but not many manga characters seem like the type to actually say it. We've also used, “I hate myself,” “I hate to admit it” (usually when “kuyashii” is followed by “kedo (but)”), and probably a whole slew of other things that we can't think of right now.

In the end, translating (especially translating manga, when you don't get to talk to the original author) is, and we hate to admit it (kuyashii kedo), a lot of guessing. The best we can do is make those guesses as educated as possible. We study the meanings of the Japanese words, we study the meanings of the English words we want (or think we want) to us, we look at a thesaurus, and most importantly, we pay careful attention to the context. You can learn a lot about the kind of emotion that goes into a word by looking at the facial expressions, actions, other lines, etc. that go with a line of dialogue. And then, after all is said and done, we hope we understood everything properly and conveyed it to the readers just as well.
``xEkZZFFukZFZCDPpNaX``x1277334273``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg REVIEW: Kobato v1``xMiriamGibson``xKobato, the story of a simple girl and her satanic, stuffed-dog companion, is the latest work by the powerhouse manga group, CLAMP. “There is a place I want to go”, Kobato states at the beginning of the volume. Her goal is to have her wish granted and travel this mysterious location. As the story progresses we find out this is a three-step process. 1) Through a series of ‘real world’ trials, earn a special bottle, 2) Fill that bottle with wounded hearts, 3) Go to “this place.” Kobato has no idea how to heal anyone’s heart in the first place and in a world populated by cynical, distrustful people, this goal becomes unimaginably daunting.

Kobato is your typical cute-but-naive-girl-with-a-big-heart, so of course the character I love the most is her stuffed-animal sidekick, Ioryogi. Ioryogi serves as Kobato’s guide and taskmaster, but instead of being a pleasant, helpful friend, Ioryogi is angry, gruff, and breathes fire. The contrast in personalities keeps the story interesting. Fighting with supernatural creatures, recklessly spewing flames, and looking out for Kobato’s general welfare (usually by shooting columns of fire at her), it is made clear that Ioryogi has a past he is keeping from his charge. I wish there was more about him in this volume, and hopefully CLAMP will pack the others chock-full of Ioryogi-san.

The story starts out a little slow, with 9 chapters devoted to Kobato exploring the world around her, ripe with mishaps, misunderstandings, and innate clumsiness. It is clear Kobato herself comes from somewhere else as all her knowledge of earth is gleaned off what she sees in magazines or on TV. There are a few laugh-out-loud moments in Kobato’s mad scramble to understand this world and its inhabitants. Apparently, she is so inexperienced at cooking hot-pot little faces-from-hell call out in anguish from the boiling mess. To help with the cultural humor, Yen Press provides some of the best translation notes I’ve seen in a while.

The last chapter in the volume is where the story really takes off. While most of volume 1 could be self-contained stories, the last few chapters start to establish a more intricate plot and characters. Kobato volunteers to help out a kindergarten that has fallen on hard times. Here, she meets her love interest, Kiyokazu Fujimoto, who is in no way swayed by her cheerful demeanor. Kobato resolves to do her best to win him over.

I am always excited when a new CLAMP series comes out. These ladies never fail when it comes to original storylines and unexpected plot twists. For Kobato, the drawing style is light and airy, a reflection of the title character’s personality, and fits the content to a T. Like its last two predecessors, xxxHolic and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, Kobato seems to take place in the CLAMP multi-verse. Characters from previous works such as Chobbits, xxxHolic and Angelic Layer also reside in this story, helping the naive Kobato along the path to attaining her ultimate goal.

This volume is obviously a story set-up for the next volume and with that in mind it is worth a read. The promise of more about Ioryogi is what really has me keen on this series and waiting with anticipation for the second volume.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Yen Press.

You can read more of see more of Miriam's work at her site.
``xEkZZkFEEukThenxvIF``x1277231142``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0316085366``xCLAMP``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``xWilliam Flanagan``x``xYen Press``xTeen``xB``x11.99``x150``x225``xKobato v1.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Laon v2``xCharlesWebb``xHow's this for high-concept: Laon is a 998-year-old fox god whose tails are taken away, leaving her banished to Earth in the form of an androgynous 9-year-old. While searching for her tails she crashes into the life of slacker tabloid journalist, Tae-Ha, who'd rather do anything else than be involved with a violent and sexually aggressive moppet. Together, they investigate gruesome supernatural mysteries tied to the disappearance of Laon's tails. By the end of this volume there was a supernatural rape, a pile of dead bodies, and one confused reporter just looking to get his life back.

From the above description the tone could have easily fallen into either pitch-black horror or broad farce - the writer, YoungBin Kim, has opted for the latter. Skewing towards older teens, the story - drawn by Hyun You - is often drenched in blood and black comedy with a little time out taken to reflect on just how bad things have gotten for poor Tae-Ha. The tragedy of his life (for him, at least) is that he wants to pursue "serious" journalism but his life has been hijacked by one of the trashy stories his paper regularly publishes.

This volume focuses on Tae-Ha's investigation of a cult-like group, the Secret Path to the Heavens, which intersects with the crimes of a serial rapist who in turn may have a connection to Tae-Ha's new houseguest. This last part was actually a little unclear to me - there's a standard "mysterious man" who makes his introduction to Laon early in the story but either I couldn't quite follow what his connection was to her or it wasn't really elaborated very well in the story. Either way, Tae-Ha and Laon are stuck in the thick of it and it gets nasty pretty quickly.

A review of Laon by necessity (I think) has to touch on the most pronounced element of the book, that being the sexuality and sexualizing of its title character. As written by YoungBin Kim, Laon looks at acts like a child. She's petulant, impetuous (to be honest, a little obnoxious) and clearly to be taken as someone who's mentally immature. The weird angle on the book is her sexual passive-aggressiveness towards Tae-Ha and the clearly mutual curiosity on the part of the male lead. Things are made more complex by the question of whether Laon is male or female (it positively has Tae-Ha flustered at one point).

Kim writes actually a fairly interesting idea about the nature of balance of why Laon's gender is so fluid throughout the story but it's hard to take those elements seriously or with any level of comfort given the age issue. It would be simply an eccentricity of the plot and nothing to go on about if a plot element of this volume involves a toddler being aged rapidly to a busty adult woman (with the mind of a child). This gives the book's sexual politics a decidedly uncomfortable dimension. What's Kim saying with these sexualized kids? Was it even on purpose and if not doesn't that make it even weirder?

The kind of book being written here and the kind of story being told aren't really sophisticated enough to answer those questions. Still, Laon tells an interesting story at a brisk enough pace that it almost overshadows the more poorly-developed sexual elements.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Yen Press. ``xEkZZEFVplldrSYQtQX``x1277135088``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0759530521``xYoungBin Kim``xHyun You``x``x``xHorror``xAction``x``xWoo-Sok Park``x``xYen Press``xOlder Teen``xB``x10.99``x150``x225``xlaon v2.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Sarasah v4 ``xCharlesWebb``xMissing a volume of Sarasah between reviews has hurt the experience for me a bit. In part because I lost a bit of the script from volume 2, so it took a bit of scrambling to recall the events and characters of that book. But in addition to that, with the introduction of so many new characters* I had a bit of trouble following the plot given the art style which was something of a novelty with the first issue and is now kind of a hindrance. The reliance on similar faces with starkly angular features and the real lack of differentiation between characters made it a little harder to track main character Ji-hae's adventures.

A brief plot reminder: the lead character, Ji-hae is a 21st century teenage girl thrust back into medieval Korea into one of her past lives, where she hopes to win the heart of her love. In this volume she finds out about a tragedy for which her past life was responsible and now she's scrambling to make good. Meanwhile, there's plotting going on involving the royal family and attempts from Chinese forces to kill the Queen - of course the nosy lead gets involved here as well.

Ji-hae's personality comes into shape a bit more and while the impulsiveness is still there, she gets a little sympathy when she finds out that she was guilty of another girl's death in a past life. Having her confront it after the reveal strengthens the character better than her involvement in the various intrigues and political machinations of the plot. She also gets involved in a little dirty comedy involving the equipment of her male alter ego which worked and also showed how well she rolls with the punches.

As with the 2nd volume I was charmed with this one, but the art - well, it kills it for me a bit. Given the visual similarities between the cast it's very difficult for me to follow the action. The androgyny and agelessness of the characters are maybe appropriate for the genre, but could benefit from some flourish to make them more distinct.

*Maybe these characters were all introduced in v3, I don't know.

A review copy of this book has been provided by Yen Press. ``xEkZVyylZZZDcnXgNTr``x1276786440``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0316077844``xRyu Ryang``x``x``x``xRomance``xFantasy``x``xAbigail Blackman``x``xYen Press``xTeen``xB``x10.99``x150``x225``xsarasah v4.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Deadman Wonderland v2 ``xZackDavisson``xJinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou apparently decided to follow-up on their excellent debut volume Deadman Wonderland Vol 1 with a balls-to-the-wall action fest that never lets the reader breathe for even a second until the final page is turned. And that is awesome.

In volume two Ganta wakes up in a hospital, enjoying the only rest he is going to get for the rest of the comic, under the tender care of Shiro who is busy eating all of Ganta’s snacks. The peace lasts only a few pages however, as Officer Makina initiates the robot Necro Macro to bring Ganta down. Makina has had experience with others wielding Ganta’s blood-power before, and wants to eliminate him before he learns to control it.

After the battle with Necro Macro, Ganta hears rumors of an Area G, supposedly where the Red Man himself is housed. Determined to take his revenge, Ganta enlists Shiro to lead him to Area G, where he finds himself in a topsy-turvy secret area of Deadman Wonderland. Ganta, it appears, is far from the only person able to wield the blood power. There are a gang of special fighters who can manipulate the power, called Deadmen, and they welcome Ganta into their group. Although the Deadmen live in relative luxury to the rest of the prison, they are all slightly insane and spend their days battling each other for the amusement of the crowds. Ganta is given the code-name “Woodpecker” and is sent into immediate battle against “Crow,” a more experienced fighter. The price for losing the fight is very high.

Deadman Wonderland is turning out to be a very cool manga, and one that I am looking forward to seeing how the series plays out. Having a writer/artist team work together the same as with American comics seems to be working out great, as author Jinsei Kataoka and artist Kazuma Kondou are allowed to play to their strengths.

Although I thought it sounded goofy at first, the Deadman’s powers of using their own blood as weapons turns out to be really interesting, especially when Ganta finds out he can drain himself dry if he isn’t careful. They act as reverse-vampires, attacking with their own blood rather than drawing it from others. The twist of the new Deadmen was a nice addition, and I look forward to learning more about these strange characters.

On top of that, Kondou’s art is some of the best I have seen, with great line work and a nice balance between cartoony/serious that can really through you for a loop. The final scene of the book, with Shiro unleashed, was so stunning I had to turn the page and then turn it back again just to check that I was really seeing what I was seeing

Review copy provided by Tokyo Pop.
``xEkZyyAuVpEmbmdwMdJ``x1276694501``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427817421``xJinsei Kataoka``xKazuma Kondou``x``x``xAction``x``x``xRay Yoshimoto``xBryce P. Coleman``xTOKYOPOP``xAll Ages``xA+``x10.99``x150``x225``xDeadman Wonderland 2 Cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Happy 21st A-kon! With Photos and Video! [Updated With More Video!]``xLizMcKinney``xIn this update to the original piece, Liz provides a second video looking at some other facets of A-Kon 21. You can find the original piece beneath the new video. - CW

Cosplay is a major force at any anime convention—whether you buy a Faye Valentine costume online or are talented enough to sew Ciel’s dress from Kuroshitsuji, only the people dressed in everyday clothes seem weird at conventions! I wasn’t even embarrassed to ride the DART to downtown Dallas for A-Kon in my getup because there were so many other cosplayers stuffed in the train with me. This year, however, I opted to make my own Bleach Soi Fon costume for less than $40.

I bought material at Wal-Mart and a pattern for a scrub and doctor’s jacket to make Soi Fon’s robe. Since I’m not handy with a needle and thread, I used sewing tape to hold the outfit together, a black marker to draw the markings on her robe, and wore my own black gaucho pants to mimic her ninja style. The most expensive item was the wig—$20 from a local costume shop. Overall, my costume wasn’t the most elaborate, but I was recognizable and it beat paying $80 on eBay.

I had the chance to talk to and take pictures with multiple cosplayers at A-Kon and was amazed to see how creative people get with their costumes. Who knows, maybe next year I’ll save up for a really cool costume, or beg my grandma to sew me a Cardcaptor Sakura battle outfit!

MangaLife.com - A-Kon 21 Part 2 from Liz Reed on Vimeo.



It’s funny to think that way back in 1990, A-Kon, now one of the largest anime conventions in the U.S., had only 380 people in attendance. Fast-forward 20 years and the con anticipates more than 15,000 cosplayers and anime junkies of all ages to flock to Dallas and partake in the three-day festivities that include merchandise booths, volumes upon volumes of manga, contests, workshops, and so much more.

As a local, I’ve gone to A-Kon every year since 2006, and I can’t begin to describe the crowd I saw on Sunday. It was the last day, and typically there’s not much to do but take advantage of the sales and the cheaper registration price, but that didn’t stop the hardcore cosplayers from strutting their outfits and dancing in the lobby. I saw a wide range of characters from Pokemon to Silent Hill and Vampire Night to Gundam Wing — and the level of detail in each costume was unparallel to years I’d been before.

A refreshing change to the usual A-Kon setup was the increased number of artist and handmade booths throughout the convention space. In past years these booths were usually limited to the downstairs area of the convention and the artists were literally begging passersby to flip through their comics or try on crocheted panda hats. But this year, booths dominated both the upstairs and downstairs areas and put the focus on up and coming artists and mangaka.


A-Kon 21 in Dallas - MangaLife.com from Liz Reed on Vimeo.



I had the opportunity to speak with a few artists and many said they were overwhelmed with how much they sell during the con. Even if they have little name recognition or a small online audience, A-Kon is filled with eager buyers looking for fresh stories and talent. Gina Biggs, author of Red String, a webcomic now in print, told me that A-Kon helped her increase her audience tremendously in prior years, and that she plans to return next year.

Some of the things I was less-than-thrilled about at this year’s A-Kon was the hefty registration price—I’m sure I’m not the only one. A Friday- or Saturday-only pass cost $40 and Sunday was $25. While the fee gets you into the contests, programming, the concert, and the masquerade ball, for those of us who are just interested in checking out the merchandise and taking pictures, the price was exorbitant. It seems to increase every year, but I hope they don’t get to the point of charging $50 a pop. Who knows, if you’re die-hard enough about showing off a costume you hand stitched for months, registration might be a small price to pay.

Whether you read manga in secret or jump at the chance to throw on your Bleach captain’s robe, A-Kon is a convention every fan should go to at least once. You’ll meet people who love the same things you do and aren’t afraid to embrace their inner nerd. I mean, my first thought when walking into the Sheraton Hotel was, “I’m home!”

Check out some of Liz's photos from the event in the gallery below:



You can find more of Liz's work at her site Japanization.``xEkZyppVupZkAGjUOdu``x1276579140``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xbleachcosplay.jpg Neko Ramen v1: Hey! Order Up! ``xZackDavisson``xNeko Ramen is one of the funniest manga I have ever read. This 4-panel strip comic has just the right combination of Japanese cuteness, surreal situational humor, site gags, and acerbic wit so that it is never too sweet, or too cynical, or too bizarre. I don’t remember the last time a manga had me laughing out loud!

First appearing in the monthly magazine Comic Blade Masumune in 2006, Neko Ramen features a classic straight man/funny man duo with Taisho (which means “boss” in Japanese, and is a traditional nickname for chefs), the owner of a ramen shop who also happens to be a cat, and Koichi Tanaka, his sole hapless customer who keeps returning and encouraging Taisho even though the ramen is terrible. Taisho is a typical ramen chef, quick to snap at customers and more interested in scheming to get customers in rather than improving his fare. Tanaka is a glutton for punishment with a good heart who can’t stand to see Taisho fail, so he keeps going back and encouraging the fuzzy little chef.

Most of the comics are done in 4-panel style, which is more like a newspaper strip than the usual manga. The jokes usually revolve around Taisho’s inability to perceive the difference between himself and other cats or even humans. Taisho is the only talking cat, with other cats being pretty much normal, although Taisho doesn’t notice this. He even keeps a few cats around the shop as “employees” and tries to pay his human employees in milk and cat treats. In one strip, Taisho uses an expensive can of cat food as a topping when a famous food critic comes to visit, and in another he tries to create a milk-and-tuna ramen noodle. Tanaka points out that these are bad ideas, but Taisho remains oblivious.

Of course, other people notice the unusualness of a cat making ramen, and people come to check it out. In one strip, Taisho is excited that a film crew is coming, and he thinks he will appear on a prestigious cooking show, but instead his clip appears on Those Amazing Animals. Other shops try to have animal mascots to catch on to the trend, and of course hijinks ensue.
Humor is the most difficult thing to translate, because it depends so much on cultural clues and linguistic turns of phrases, but translator Kristy Harmon has managed to smooth everything out and delivers a seamless reading experience. About the only gag that might go under the radar of average American readers is the appearance of Futa, a Red Panda from the Chiba Zoological Park who was a sensation in Japan in 2005 for his ability to stand on his hind legs like a human for about ten seconds. I was living in Japan during “Futa Frenzy,” so I got a real chuckle out of that scene.

Neko Ramen had four volumes published in Japan, with two specials for six books in total. I must confess I like the Japanese covers better, with their dynamic version of the Japanese flag. The comic spawned a short animated series and the awesome 2009 film Neko Ramen Taisho directed by Kawasaki Minoru (The Calamari Wrestler) featuring a combination of puppets, real cats and human actors to tell the story. Hopefully this English-language edition of Neko Ramen will be a big enough hit that the series and movie will make it to American shores as well.

Review copy provided by Tokyo Pop.
``xEkZyVkVklEQTnwPdnS``x1276525281``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427817790``xKenji Sonishi``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``xKristy Harmon``xEmily Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani``xTOKYOPOP``xTeen``xA+``x10.99``x150``x225``xNeko Ramen v1 Cover.jpg``x``x``x``x The Gantz Live Action Trailer is Here!``xCharlesWebb``xFound via Japanator. So far it looks interesting - having only experienced the anime I'm curious about what appear to be new elements (i.e. the commandos). As for the look of the thing, I'm cautiously optimistic although I haven't seen any action shots that exactly blow my socks off quite yet.

Still, we'll see what the Gantz film can do when it drops in 2011.

``xEkZykZVAkFnEFYrhon``x1276275923``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``xgantz_live action.jpg``x``x``x Sand Chronicles v7``xYsabet``xAs readers familiar with Sand Chronicles know, this series skips entire years of its characters' lives so freely that it's impossible to know how old they'll be when you open a new volume (or sometimes when you just turn the page partway through a volume!). It sounds like it should take more getting used to than it does; in practice, Ashihara is very good about giving time markers in the actual text as well as noting the characters' ages every time seasons or years suddenly disappear.

Ann is twenty years old at the beginning of volume 7. It's been three years since she last spoke to her first love, Daigo (and a year since she's seen Fuji, a friend who was briefly something more), but with a class reunion coming up in Shimane she can't keep herself from thinking about him. At first, she's unsure about attending--she's living with her father, stepmother, and baby stepsister while she finishes up junior college, and she doesn't want to stir up the past. It takes an unexpected encounter with Fuji to drive home that she's put her life on hold and still has things that need dealing with. As an old friend, Fuji advises her to go back and talk to Daigo, to sort things out in her heart and get some closure despite knowing that Daigo may be involved with someone else.

Both halves of this volume have some excellent material, although I don't want to say much about the second half. Fuji's appearance is brief, but it's more than a convenient plot contrivance to set up Ann's conversation with Daigo. Ashihara does a lovely job with Ann and Daigo seeing each other for the first time in so long. They've both grown up some, and they each hold an important place in the other's memory; I find the writing really captures that awkward poignancy that comes with seeing someone you once knew well and being all too aware of how time apart has changed you both.

I'm really looking forward to going back and reading Sand Chronicles from the beginning once the entire series is out in English. As it continues to unfold it's still very much about Ann and Daigo's relationship, but it's feeling less and less like the story of a romance; they may or may not wind up being a couple again, but this feels to me like a story about how some relationships stay with and influence you for your entire life, whether you define yourself against them or resist their power over you. Ann still has her connections with both Daigo and Fuji, despite how much time has passed. Similarly, she's still profoundly affected by her mother's suicide and the reasons behind it.

As for the aforementioned second half of the volume, it includes a scene we first saw all the way back in volume 1, which is interesting: that means the entire series isn't a flashback from that vantage point, and that we have no way of measuring how far into the characters' lives the story will go. Other than that, I'll say only that this volume ends in a way that makes me really wish volume 8 were coming out sooner.

Volume 7 of Sand Chronicles includes a one-page glossary of terms and cultural notes at the end of the book.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkZykyEEplUWbndKOX``x1276261108``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421528053``xHinako Ashihara``x``x``x``xRomance``x``x``xKinami Watabe``xJohn Werry``xViz Media``xOlder Teen``xA+``x9.99``x150``x225``xSand Chronicles 7 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdom: Translation Notes ``xNibley``xI think this week we're going to talk about translation notes. We like translation notes, for a few reasons. First, to be honest, writing a translation note is often easier than coming up with a localization.

For example, when we were translating volume eight of I Hate You More Than Anyone, there was a very bad pun. For various reasons, we decided it would be better to come up with a pun that made sense in English, without having to explain why the pun was a pun in Japanese. Of course, we had to be careful not to hurt the integrity of the story, so we had to come up with a pun that fit the situation. And that can be hard, especially since the pun was a description of something going on the story, and not just something that was thrown in there because someone was telling bad jokes. In that case, it would have been much easier for us as translators to just write up a note and be done with it.

(In the end, we came up with a pun we thought was appropriate and suitably bad, but you'll have to read the book to find out what it was!)

Another reason we like translation notes is that it's neat to learn about other cultures. Our example here is one that we're stealing without permission from a friend on Twitter. She was copy-editing a manga where two children were told to bow to each other after a friendly game at school. The adapter had changed the line so that the children were told to shake hands. Now it's possible that the adapter was trying to avoid taking up space, and went with a localization so as to avoid extra explanation. But in this case, the art work clearly had the children bowing to each other.

Once we decided to use this example for our column, we reread our friend's explanation of it and realized that it was an adaptation of one of our translations! Wow, it is a small world after all. But the reason I bring it up is that we checked our script and realized that translation notes can actually be dangerous! Whoa! (Sorry; I've gotten myself into a silly mood.) We had translated the dialogue as it was in the Japanese, leaving a note explaining that the bowing in this case is like American children shaking hands after a match (like in Little League). We also had an alternative translation possibility, where the children were told to thank each other for a good match, which I think is a good way of using the dialogue as a cultural note, to explain the action seen in the artwork.

Of course, we don't think this one mistake is necessarily a reflection of the re-writer's skill, and everybody makes mistakes, so we don't want to condemn the adaptation writer based on it. This is pure speculation, but we think that what happened was that the adapter chose the option that ended up with the least words. In that case, having the note there may have potentially put the idea into the adapter's head to use the shorter “shake hands,” thus causing the clash between dialogue and art. Even without the art, it would have been a little sad for the readers to miss out on that little bit of Japanese culture.

Anyway. Whether or not that particular translation note was the cause of the problem, there are times when we don't like translation notes. Our more selfish reason for not liking them is that they can be a pain to write. It's like, “How many times do we have to explain that a futon in Japan is not the same as an American futon?” or, “Doesn't everybody know all about Doraemon by now?” But that's just laziness talking, because the fact is, we want more people to read manga. And if someone's reading manga and they haven't before, they don't necessarily know about Japanese futons or Doraemon.

That being the case, there's another reason we think translation notes need to be used more judiciously, and it has a little to do with our work ethic. See, lately, it seems like some fans wish we would leave more Japanese words in Japanese. I'll admit that felt the same way in our early translation days. I'm sure I've mentioned the “onsen” versus “hot spring” thing from way back when we translated Fruits Basket ...3? I think it was 3.

But now that we have more experience, it kind of feels wrong to leave something untranslated when there's a perfectly good English translation for it. It's like we're slacking off. Though I guess on the other hand, it would mean more work for us, since we'd have to write a note. But here's the thing: our job isn't teaching people Japanese. It's translating the Japanese into English so people don't have to learn Japanese. We do like leaving things like -san and even -niisan, but sometimes we feel like people want us to leave every key word in a series in Japanese. Then it would be like reading the Jabberwocky poem by Lewis Carroll - a whole bunch of words that presumably make sense to somebody. But who?

As translators, it's our job to make it easier for the readers, so they don't have to have the manga in one hand and a Japanese-English dictionary in another. If we leave too many terms in Japanese when most readers aren't familiar with them, that could take them out of the story. And if we take the readers out of the story for even a second, we've failed.

And that statement suddenly has us worried about the writing quality of our columns... Hm... Well, fortunately, we approach the column differently than we approach translating. Eheh.
``xEkZyEZFVZVqaXUByat``x1276173575``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg Not Simple ``xCharlesWebb``xI think melodrama as a form of storytelling gets a bad rap. The word itself evokes overwrought emotion, soap operatic turns, and typically bad writing for the sake of reaching the emotions. To a certain extent, that was the original goal of the Victorian melodramatic plays and some of the early films of the first half of this century. Author Nicholas Sparks traffics in this kind of storytelling in his novels and in film the inestimable Pedro Almodovar uses slathers it on, tweaks it, and reforms it into high art.



Natsume Ono's Not Simple arrives as a work in that tradition of melodramatic storytelling, complete with outsize tragedy, doomed romance, and lost chances. That Ono overdoes it (a bit), and that her characters' actions and motivations a times strain credulity... well, I hope she can be forgiven for trying but not quite succeeding in bringing us a meaty melodrama.

The story begins in flashback as a young man, Ian, is waiting to meet a woman whom he'd agreed to meet some years before. They'd spent a night as almost-lovers, but she was married and he didn't want to overstep, so they agreed to the reunion. But when he arrives he meets a girl claiming to be the woman's niece and through a series of circumstances a bit too tangled to explain here he gets stabbed by her father's guards.

For Ian, this is just the latest event in a life riddled with disappointment, betrayal, and abuse. Much of it has been spent attempting to track down his sister, Kylie, who left his life after the complicated nature of his parentage drove his family apart. His mother is an alcoholic who has no trouble prostituting Ian as a boy to get more money for alcohol. She hates Ian almost as much as she hates his father - a cold man who has no time for the boy now that he's remarried - although later we learn that maybe he wants to keep his distance because Ian reminds him of things he'd much rather forget.

The story spans maybe 15 years of Ian's life searching for Kylie, from Australia (his home), to England (where he was used rudely by his mother), to America where he ends up homeless but hopeful. Here's where we reach the major problem with the book: for all of the turns the plot takes we need a hero/heroine that we can follow, that we can empathize with. A good lead can sell even the most outrageous changes in fortune. Sadly, Ian is kind of a lump, wide-eyed and optimistic he adds little beyond the one not to the story. I suspect that Ono wants him to be a character who internalizes a lot of the tragedy in his life, but it's so internalized that it almost seems to have no effect on him.

The story's structure is effectively a series of flashbacks as other characters fill in the blanks in Ian's life. Perhaps that's why he's so unknowable, I'm not sure. The art style utilizes Ono's incredibly loose, exaggerated line work which gives most of the characters lanky bodies and out-sized heads and eyes. The effect is to give the cast a slightly mournful appearance while simultaneously making it difficult to communicate age beyond the 20's.

Still, for its faults Not Simple has its merits - there are wrenching moments and a darkness to it that is worth a stronger (read: more engaged) lead than Ian. As it stands the book is a minor but diverting return to the melodramatic tradition. ``xEkZVyyAEVyLLLgcRSC``x1276173180``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421532204``xNatsume Ono``x``x``x``xDrama``x``x``xJoe Yamazaki``xAnne Ishii``xViz Signature``xOlder Teen``xB-``x14.99``x150``x225``xnot simple.jpg``x``x``x``x Manga Publishers Start Their Own RIAA``xCharlesWebb``xFrom the press release:

A group of publishers has decided to strike back at the practice of scanlation, similar to the way in which the RIAA and MPAA have gone on the offensive against file sharing. Those groups have increasingly targeted torrent sites which has in recent months led to the arrest and imprisonment of the owners of The Pirate Bay (click on link at your own risk) and the reformatting of sites like Isohunt to being more of a search engine.

While these have been somewhat tangible gains for the media rights organizations let's hope that this new manga-focused coalition will be more strategic in its choice of targets.

Multi-national Manga Anti-Piracy Coalition Formed


June 7, 2010

Today a coalition of Japanese and U.S. publishers announced a coordinated effort to combat a rampant and growing problem of internet piracy plaguing the manga industry. “Scanlation,” as this form of piracy has come to be known, refers to the unauthorized digital scanning and translation of manga material that is subsequently posted to the internet without the consent of copyright holders or their licensees. According to the coalition, the problem has reached a point where “scanlation aggregator” sites now host thousands of pirated titles, earning ad revenue and/or membership dues at creators’ expense while simultaneously undermining foreign licensing opportunities and unlawfully cannibalizing legitimate sales. Worse still, this pirated material is already making its way to smartphones and other wireless devices, like the iPhone and iPad, through apps that exist solely to link to and republish the content of scanlation sites.

Participants in the coalition include the 36 members of Japan’s Digital Comic Association, Square Enix, VIZ Media, TOKYOPOP, Vertical, Inc., the Tuttle-Mori Agency and Yen Press. Working together, the membership of the coalition will actively seek legal remedies to this intellectual property theft against those sites that fail to voluntarily cease their illegal appropriation of this material.

“It is unfortunate that this action has become necessary,” said a spokesperson for the group. “However, to protect the intellectual property rights of our creators and the overall health of our industry, we are left with no other alternative but to take aggressive action. It is our sincere hope that offending sites will take it upon themselves to immediately cease their activities. Where this is not the case, however, we will seek injunctive relief and statutory damages. We will also report offending sites to federal authorities, including the anti-piracy units of the Justice Department, local law enforcement agencies and FBI.”

The coalition stated that it has currently identified thirty sites targeted for action.

Participant members of the Digital Comic Association include: Akane Shinsha, Akita Shoten, ASCII Media Works, East Press, Ichijinsha, Enterbrain, Okura Shuppan, Ohzora Shuppan, Gakken, Kadokawa Shoten, Gentosha Comics, Kodansha, Jitsugyo No Nihonsha, Shueisha, Junet, Shogakukan, Shogakukan Shueisha Production, Shodensha, Shonen Gahosha, Shinshokan, Shinchosa, Take Shobo, Tatsumi Shuppan, Tokuma Shoten, Nihon Bungeisha, Hakusensha, Fujimi Shobo, Fusosha, Futabasha, France Shoin, Bunkasha, Houbunsha, Magazine House, Media Factory, Leed sha, Libre Shuppan.``xEkZypkpFykutDOhPWD``x1276020362``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``xOne_Piece_Pirate_Flags.jpg``x``x``x Toriko v1 ``xZackDavisson``xWhat would happen if you crossed Junichiro Tanizaki’s The Gourmet Club with Ishiro Honda’s kaiju flick All Monsters Attack into a Shonen Jump comic? Well, you might not exactly get Toriko but you would get something pretty close.

In the future Gourmet Era, when the quest for exotic flavors is the primary drive of people everywhere, the rich and powerful will spare no expense to bring the rarest and most delectable treats to their plate. Of course, most of these exotic tastes come in the form of giant monsters such as the Baron Tiger (capture level 3) or the massive Swamp Snake (capture level 5) who have no intention of winding up on anyone’s plate.

Each monster-type is assigned a capture level, starting with capture level 1 which is defined as an animal so large it would require ten professional hunters armed with shotguns. When a five-star hotel sets their sites on a 300-year old Garara Gator (capture level 8) they can only rely on one man to bring it in, Gourmet Hunter Toriko! Accompanying Toriko is the meek Komatsu, a chef at a 5-star hotel who wants to study with Toriko and get to know ingredients in their natural form, instead of as pre-packaged ingredients delivered to his hotel. Together they go off in search of not only the Garara Gator, but also the mythical Rainbow Fruit, said to be the single most delicious desert on the planet.

Toriko combines two of Japan’s obsessions; gourmet dinning and monsters. This is the country after all, where simply being able to eat a whole lot can make you a nation-wide celebrity (I’m looking at you Gal Sone!) and a country that has spent sixty years being cinematically destroyed by a giant lizard of their own making. You have to admit that at least once in your life you wondered what Godzilla would taste like.

Toriko himself is a superhuman monster with an appetite that outstrips any of his prey. Of course, even though Toriko consumes more food and drink than a fully-booked restaurant, he is a massively muscled fighter. (Because whereas watching a fit, healthy person eat a shocking amount of food is good fun, watching a fat person eat all that food just makes you feel bad, right?). Toriko lives his life in search of the ingredients for his perfect meal. Although his fees are large for hunting down the dangerous delicacies demanded by the hotel, his true purpose is to sample every rare flavor on Earth until he decides his dinner. Komatsu suspects that Toriko might be something more than human when he unveils his true aspect when engaging in battle.

Like most series in Viz’s Shonen Jump line, Toriko is good fun, but not too deep. The art is dynamic and vibrant, and the monster battles are great. I love the scene when Toriko unveils mankind’s greatest weapons, a knife and fork, and shows that humans have always demonstrated their dominance over other animals by eating them.

My only real disappointment with Toriko is that there is far more monster fighting than cooking going on. I love cooking myself, but unfortunately author Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro doesn’t seem like he knows the ins and outs of the gourmet world as much as he knows how to draw cool four-armed apes who vomit on you as a way of attacking. (There is a scene that made me laugh where Toriko is polishing off a bottle of Maker’s Mark bourbon, which while being a fine mid-level bourbon is hardly something on the same level as all of Toriko’s other ingredients. In Japan, however, Maker’s Mark is considered a top brand.)

I would personally prefer a greater balance between the cooking and the monster-bashing, with Komatsu being able to show off his skills as a chef with the various ingredients, but that is probably just me. Toriko is definitely an action comic with a cooking theme rather than a cooking comic with a monster theme. Over all, the story is thin on plot and long on action. There are some hints in this first issue of more to come, such as the “Four Heavenly Kings” and a promise of an undersea adventure for Toriko and Komatsu. I had lot of fun with Toriko and I am looking forward to the next issue!


Review copy provided by Viz Media.

You can read more of Zack’s work at Japan Reviewed.
``xEkZyppFEyZEDfoerLM``x1276003167``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421535092``xMitsutoshi Shimabukuro``x``x``x``xAction``x``x``xChristine Dashiell``x``xViz Media``xTeen``xB+``x9.99``x150``x225``xToriko v1.jpg``x``x``x``x Maid Sama v5 ``xLizMcKinney``xTension, adventure, desire—it can’t get much better than this in the latest volume of Fujiwara Hiro’s Maid Sama! Unlike the typical school life/romance manga, the characters of Maid Sama! don’t fit the stereotypical roles of heroine, crush, best friend, villain, etc. Instead, each character’s emotions and imperfections are thrown out in the open as Misaki and her Maid Latte’s co-workers fight to save their shop from the Miyabigaoka High School student council president and vice president. When the Miyabigaoka boys announce their plans to buyout the shop and create their own coffee lounge, Misaki and fellow maid Subaru must disguise themselves to compete in a butler competition that will determine the new employees. Little do they know that Usui and Aoi-chan follow close behind to help the pair survive the dangerous obstacles. The middle of the volume drags on through this competition, which isn’t the most interesting storyline Maid Sama! has provided thus far, but the drama near the end will leave readers eager for more.

Misaki and Usui’s relationship becomes more flirtatious and provocative after volume 4’s beach getaway, and Misaki finds herself taking care of Usui after he breaks his arm saving her. Hilarious drama ensues as Misaki struggles to put her maid skills to use, and for the first time, we catch a glimpse of Usui’s mysterious lifestyle and past. While Misaki’s naïve dismissal of Usui’s feelings continues to frustrate us avid readers, Fujiwara doesn’t fail to please with tantalizing scenes of revelation and love.

Did I mention Misaki’s former childhood friend, Shintani, also shows up, ready to compete for her affection? The dense country boy speaks his mind (sometimes a little too bluntly) and provides comic relief during the latter part of the volume. Shintani is one of many characters at Seika High keeping the plot fresh and engaging. You’ll see more of the student council underlings, who work harder than ever to avoid the wrath of Misaki’s power-hungry and workaholic ways, and Sakura, Misaki’s adorable friend with a knack for finding trouble.

The art is very typical of a school life manga, but the frequent use of chibi form and the characters’ high-energy personalities keep the flow steady and entertaining. The only complaint I have is that the art is a little too soft to see in some panels, like they skipped the inking phase.

Overall, Maid Sama! delivers a balance of romance, comedy, and a unique plot that makes this manga one of a kind. Misaki is a strong heroine who can fend for herself (a refreshing change) and Usui’s peculiar habit of showing up right in the nick of time makes him a character we’re always craving more of. Not to mention his good looks. Relatable characters living in a relatable world makes Maid Sama! volume 5 a manga you won’t want to miss.

You can find more of Liz's work at her site Japanization.
``xEkZVZuVkAVfMIOlCzK``x1275831660``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427816891``xFujiwara Hiro``x``x``x``xComedy``xRomance``x``xSu Mon Han``x``xTokyoPop``xTeen``xB+``x10.99``x150``x225``xMaid Sama v5.jpg``x``x``x``x Oh, Neat - Download the First Episode of Kekkaishi For Free!``xCharlesWebb``xThis is cool: Viz is offering the first episode of Kekkaishi for free on XBLA, iTunes, PSN, and Amazon's VOD service. Free is good, so go check it out!

From the press release:

Special Promotion To Celebrate the Domestic Broadcast Launch of the Shonen Sunday Animated Series


VIZ Media invites fans to explore the demon-battling action adventure of popular Shonen Sunday KEKKAISHI anime series with a FREE Download-to-Own (DTO) episode starting today through VIZ Media partners iTunes, Xbox Live's Zune Marketplace, PlayStation®Network and Amazon Video on Demand. KEKKAISHI Episode 1 will be available for free download through June 17th to celebrate the recent domestic broadcast launch of KEKKAISHI on Adult Swim.

KEKKAISHI is based on the hit manga series by Yellow Tanabe (also published in North America by VIZ Media). A story of mystical forces powerful in the region known as Karasumori. For over 400 years, it has been the duty of a clan of “kekkaishi”—barrier masters—to guard this land and exterminate the supernatural creatures that are drawn to it night after night.

Yoshimori Sumimura is a junior high school student at Karasumori Academy, which is built upon the Karasumori grounds. By night, Yoshimori follows the tradition passed down through generations and fulfills his destiny as the twenty-second “kekkaishi” of the Sumimura clan. But by day, Yoshimori's got other demons to contend with, like an obsession with cake making and a seriously crotchety grandfather! Yoshimori's pretty neighbor, childhood friend and rival, Tokine Yukimura, is also a “kekkaishi,” but their families are caught up in a feud over who is the true practitioner of the art. Protecting ordinary people from the ever-present danger of the Karasumori grounds, Yoshimori will continue to grow stronger as he battles the forces of evil again tonight!``xEkZVyZpVllcBiZRDMQ``x1275670588``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``xkekkaishi.jpg``x``x``x Vampire Knight v9``xYsabet``xAfter the game-changing revelations about Yuki and her history in the last volume of Vampire Knight, events keep unfolding at an impressive clip in volume 9. Due to its existence as an attempt to have humans and vampires co-exist, Cross Academy is a natural focal point in the conflict between opposing vampire groups, and Yuki isn't given much of a chance to adjust to her new situation--and status. That said, she isn't given a chance to do a whole lot in this volume in general (although from the looks of things, she'll be more active in volume 10).

There's a lot of good stuff in this volume. We have Kaname telling Zero what he's been planning, and Zero and Ichiru's twin angst is kicked up several notches. Vampire politics are coming to a boil, which puts the oblivious Day Class students at risk, but the Night Class students step up to protect them, which I really enjoyed seeing. Despite the power purebloods have over other vampires, it's clear that most or all of the Night Class vampires are following Kaname because they choose to, not because he's forcing them to bend to his will.

Despite the fast pace of this volume, a lot of the things that happen are more interesting as build-up to whatever's coming next than as events in their own right. (There's one notable exception, but I'm not about to spoil it.) This is a volume full of impassioned declarations, people demonstrating their allegiances, and plots beginning to come to a head. I'm not attached to any of the supporting characters (and to be honest, I still have trouble telling most of the Night Class apart, other than Kaname--they're all drawn fairly differently, but I find their personalities tend to blur), but that doesn't keep me from appreciating how they're pulling together.

As for Yuki, I'm very curious about what will happen next for her. She still seems determined to make her own choices despite discovering the truth about her heritage, and despite the fact that she's still adjusting to it all. There's nothing wrong with what she does in this volume, but I'm looking forward to seeing her return to a more active role.

Volume 9 of Vampire Knight includes a two-page bonus comic and several pages of editor's notes on the characters' names and a bit of terminology.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkZVuuFlVuxKABdMSZ``x1275554040``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421531720``xMatsuri Hino``x``x``x``xDrama``x``x``xTomo Kimura``xTomo Kimura``xViz Media``xOlder Teen``xB+``x9.99``x150``x225``xVampire Knight 9.jpg``x``x``x``x San Francisco Residents: See Kurosawa on the Big Screen!``xCharlesWebb``xViz Cinema is running their "Untold Legends" film series throughout the summer and as part of it they'll be screening a few films by master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.

Check out the lineup below. Go to the Viz Cinema site for ticket prices and details.

Drunken Angel, June 4th – 6th
(1948, 98min, 35mm, English Subtitles)
In this powerful early noir film from the great Akira Kurosawa, Toshiro Mifune bursts onto the screen as a volatile, tubercular criminal who strikes up an unlikely relationship with a jaded physician.

High and Low, June 7th – 8th and also June 10th
(1963, 143min, 35mm, English Subtitles)
Toshiro Mifune is unforgettable in his role as Kingo Gondo, a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a cold-blooded kidnapper in Akira Kurosawa’s impactful film that is a compelling race-against-time thriller and a penetrating portrait of contemporary Japanese post-war society.

The Bad Sleep Well, June 8th – 10th
(1960, 151min, 35mm, English Subtitles)
Continuing his legendary collaboration with actor Toshiro Mifune, Kurosawa combines elements of Hamlet and American film noir to chilling effect as a young executive hunts down his father’s killer.

Stray Dog, June 6th – 7th and also June 9th
(1949, 122min, 35mm, English Subtitles)
When a pickpocket steals a rookie detective’s gun on a hot and crowded bus, the cop goes undercover in a desperate attempt to right the wrong. Kurosawa’s thrilling noir film probes the squalid world of postwar Japan and the nature of the criminal mind. ``xEkZVuuuVuEvPViZXeP``x1275444541``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``xBad Sleep Well poster.jpg``x``x``x Black Bird v3 & 4``xPennyKenny``xThat Kanoko Sakurakoji. She's such a tease. She brings Misao and Kyo this close to consummating their relationship, then pulls back and adds another complication to slow their progress.

Fortunately, Black Bird isn't just about "will they or won't they?" If it were, it wouldn't be nearly as interesting. Instead, the story is a sexy, sensual, violent metaphor for growing up.

Now that Misao has accepted that she loves the demon Kyo and that he loves her, she must deal with what it means to love a tengu - and how their being together is going to change her relationships with her human family and friends.

In volume three, she learns there are perks to accepting Kyo's protection. She's no longer haunted by the minor spirits who've bothered her throughout her life. There's a beautiful scene where Misao's able to go out shopping with her school friends and just have a good time that perfectly illustrates what an isolated life she's led. At the same time, Sakurakoji also uses it to emphasize that, by becoming involved with Kyo and his tengu clan she's trading isolation of one kind for isolation of another. Also, no one in the clan is exactly sure what will happen to Misao after she gives up the human world.

This theme is picked up again in volume four, as Misao encounters another young woman who can see spirits and who's also involved with a demon, a kitsune who just happens to be a rival-friend of Kyo's. Finding someone who truly gets what she's going through is a real blessing for her, but it's also a curse, as certain elements of the couple's relationship seem to foreshadow doom for Misao and Kyo.

Violence remains an important part of this series. It's becoming more overt and more personal. While most of the violence is directed at Kyo, as his enemies use Misao to get to him, he's also extremely willing to go to any lengths to protect his love. This ruthlessness always comes as something of a shock. It's such a contrast to his usual melancholy or goofy, sex-obsessed adolescent manner.

Sakurakoji knows her audience, knows teen girls' love for pretty people falling in deathless, fated love. She's tapping into the same vein as Stephanie Meyer's Twilight, though she has more of a sense of humor about it than Meyer. You can't convince me the following conversation between Misao and Kyo isn't meant as a slight tweak at readers:

Misao: The Tengu and the other demons are much prettier than humans.
Kyo: Of course. We have to be more beautiful than humans or you would never choose a demon. In order to get you to look at me…in order to get you to love me…I was born in this form.

Really. If demon and vampire romantic leads weren't all portrayed as pretty boys, would paranormal romances be as popular as they are?

Each volume also includes a bonus short story. While cute, they don't add much to the main storyline, though fans of Kyo's pretty boy clan members will enjoy the focus on those characters.

The art is lovely. Much of its focus is on the characters' large eyes and pensive expressions, but it never feels as if Sakurakoji is repeating herself. She changes the shape and size of the panels to enhance the mood and give each page a fresh look. The action is well-paced and easy to follow. The two page spread in volume three showing the tengu clan arriving to rescue Misao is beautiful, the demons dark shadows highlighted with white standing in bold relief against a grey patterned sky.

Black Bird is the kind of series fans of Twilight and Yuu Watase's Ceres: Celestial Legend can easily enjoy.

Copies were provided by the publisher for for this review.
``xEkZVuuFuuuMACcZyjl``x1275443444``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421527669``xKanoko Sakurakoji``x``x``x``xRomance``xFantasy``x``xJN Productions``x``xViz Media``xTeen``xA``x9.99``x150``x225``xBlack Bird v3.jpg``x``x``x``x First Timer's Edition: Black Jack v11``xCharlesWebb``xHere's perhaps the greatest compliment I can give this volume of Black Jack: it made me want to rush out to get the earlier volumes in the series. The collected adventures of Tezuka's brilliant, scarred surgeon makes for almost urgent reading and I must confess a bit of disappointment when I finished reading it.

This isn't my first exposure to Tezuka - I've had the pleasure of reading his delirious, mad, and over-the-top MW, as well as having the chance to approach his work at an angle via Urasaw's Pluto. Black Jack is closer in spirit to the former, of course, born out of the writer's dual desires to comment on life in postwar Japan while writing pulpy, visceral yarns.

In that he succeeds with Black Jack (and I would love to talk about MW in a future installment), bringing to life a character versatile enough to weather a murder mystery, a treacly morality tale about friendship, and bizarre love stories. The good doctor himself never falls into the trap of becoming a cipher in the 14 stories contained here. If his motives and ethics seem a bit unclear to this reader, it's intentionally so on the part of the writer, who chose to develop the lead as a kind of man of mystery, willing to be either a saint or monster in the pursuit of his own moral code. The character fits with a collection of stories that range from the lurid to the sentimental, from the angry to the contemplative.

In a way, the work reminds me a great deal of another beloved figure in fiction: Will Eisner's The Spirit. Like Eisner's domino-masked hero, Black Jack as a character works so well as a vehicle for the varied types of stories Tezuka was telling because there weren't an overabundance of hard and fast details about the character. Also, like Eisner, Tezuka expresses a flair for both playfulness and inventiveness in his panels, willing to insert a visual joke here and there without fear of compromising his story.

As a first timer it was easy enough to get into the book based on my familiarity with Tezuka's work and I like to think the Eisner similarities helped as well. In a helpful afterword about the volume, the publishers note that this isn't a chronological anthology but instead an optimal one, reproducing the artist's work in a manner that works best. The stories that do deal with Black Jack's past tend to provide sufficient detail to get the plot moving without becoming bogged down with information dumps.

It helps that publisher Vertical has been kind enough to create such a lovingly crafted package for this volume, slightly beyond the normal size of your typical manga volume with a slightly harder cardstock cover. The care with which the reproduction has been produced seems fitting for what feels like an important archival work. You want this book sitting on your shelf, displayed proudly. If I have one complaint it's that the MSRP is a bit steep (albeit reflective of the high production values) but that $16.95 price point will hurt.

Still, you get what you pay for in this case: a quality collection of excellent stories by one of the industry's masters.

A preview copy of this title was provided by the publisher. ``xEkZVuEpAlyTkhryDna``x1275410986``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1934287784``xOsamu Tezuka``x``x``x``xHorror``xDrama``x``x``x``xVertical, Inc.``xMature``xA+``x16.95``x150``x225``xBlack Jack v1.jpg``x``x``x``x And the winner of 20th Century Boys: Chapter 1 is...``xCharlesWebb``x... Nathaniel Hulu!

Thanks to all of the new fans of the MangaLife Facebook page. If you haven't already become a fan, be sure to so you can get the latest in news, reviews, and yes, free stuff from MangaLife! ``xEkZVFElEZkwtHGykdo``x1275318172``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x20th Century boys dvd.jpg``x``x``x Moon Boy v7``xJasonDyer``xThe first problem I have with Moon Boy is that there isn’t much in the way of information regarding the previous issues. All we get as the reader is this on the back cover: “When Hee-Ju’s hostage negotiations for Ya-Ho with Ha-Eun, Yumei and Mi-Woo go south, the tragic result of his failed attempts leads to heartbreak for Myung-Ee and company. And to make matters worse, those on Earth aren’t the only ones on the move. The leader of the Moon Foxes is about to make a trip to the Blu Planet and mete out heavenly punishment to those who get in his way… that is, if he can stay awake long enough!”

The book begins when Myung-Ee finds herself between Yu-Da and Sa-Eun as they face off in a battle that’s been long in the coming but just as long in the dreading. The two have been together under the pretence of being each other’s best friend for so long and though the reason was ‘business’, it’s clear that they’ve still become attached to one another. It’s all the more painful now that they’ve come clean about their opposing teams and they’re hurt by the each others’ betrayal and are guilt-ridden by their own.

For some manga that might be all you need as set up - but not for this kind of story, with this many characters. The lack of the briefest explanations of characters is a huge flaw before you even get into the meat of the book. I had to go online and read up on the characters just to get an understanding of the book, might I say the cast in Moon Boy is around 20 so it’s no small feat keeping track of them.

On the plus side the art is very nice; during the first part of the volume the fight scenes are beautifully drawn. Even with the bad intro the drama between characters seems very real at times. Nothing in the Issue is as powerful as when Myung-Ee confronts Yu-Da with her feelings only to realize his immense loneliness. It supplies us with a short scene of Yu-Da on his own, which affects you on an emotional level. Unfortunately the pacing between groups of charters scenes, cutting back and forth throughout the book is very poor. The book can sometimes come to a screeching halt relatively quickly.

As a whole Moon Boy is a deeply flawed book with lovely art but poor story telling. The release schedule isn’t helping the book either. Going over six months between volumes is a lot to ask from a customer base.

A review copy of this title provided by Yen Press.
``xEkZuZVuVpFcUtFlvss``x1275053940``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x031607778X``xLee Young Yuu``x``x``x``xFantasy``xRomance``x``xHye Young Im``xArthur Dela Cruz``xYen Press``xTeen``xD``x10.99``x150``x225``xmoonboyv7.jpg``x``x``x``x One More Day to Win a Free 20th Century Boys DVD``xCharlesWebb``x[Update: Just one more day left before we give this fine film away. Remember, the drawing ends tomorrow at noon!]

Want to win a free copy of 20th Century Boys Chapter 1: Beginning of the End? Want to keep up with the latest updates on MangaLife?

Then head over to our Facebook Page and hit the "Like" button before next Friday, May 28th at noon EST. We'll be randomly drawing from the list of new fans of the page for the winner.

Free DVD is available to readers in the U.S. and Canada.

DVD provided courtesy of Viz Pictures. ``xEkZuAyyuuVBGmSeohV``x1274966445``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x20th Century boys dvd.jpg``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdom: Silly Things ``xNibley``xWe've been feeling rather silly lately, so this time we're going to talk about something a little silly, that really doesn't have much bearing on anything: spelling conventions. Not to say that proper spelling isn't important, of course, but this is more to talk about things like the spelling of “sempai.”

As you can guess from that last sentence, we prefer to spell sempai with an M. Others prefer to spell it “senpai,” with an N. Our opinion is that neither is any more or less correct than the other, but I know there have been debates about the subject. Some say it should be an N because the character ん makes an N sound. Some say that when ん comes before B, M, or P, it changes to make an M sound. And the former group retaliates by saying it doesn't change at all; it only sounds like it changes next to those particular consonants.

The two of us have worked on at least two titles where the official name spellings seem so arbitrary compared to how the names are spelled in Japanese characters and how they're pronounced that it really doesn't matter how you want to spell sempai, but out of habit, we like the M. That was the spelling we encountered most when we were learning Japanese, so it's what we're used to, and now we think the word looks prettier with an M instead of an N. Of course, letter aesthetics are purely a matter of opinion, but when we're adapting our own translations, we usually choose spellings based on what we think is prettiest.

On the other hand, we don't always get a say in how to spell things. Some companies say we can spell things however we want as long as we stay consistent within the series, but some companies maintain consistency by having set guidelines. The other day it was pointed out to us that we were spelling sempai wrong (or wrong according to that company's set guidelines). They're in charge, so we don't mind going along with it (too much), but we did make one last comment on Twitter before preparing to change our spelling habits (for that company; for other companies, we'll continue spelling it the way we like better). That's when someone pointed out that different people have different preferences for hyphenating things like Onee-chan.

And that gives me another pointless thing to ramble about! Yay! How to deal with long vowels in Japanese aside (I'm using double E's because I'm too lazy to type up macrons), the hyphen problem is another matter of opinion. As far as we know, there's no set rule for whether or not there should be a hyphen. (I imagine some people believe that terms such as Onee-chan should be translated anyway, and therefore not exist in translate text.)

Our personal preference is to add a hyphen if the term is there by itself. -chan and -san usually take hyphens after names, so we tend to use a hyphen out of habit. But if the word is attached to a name, like Chizuru-oneechan, we like to take the hyphen out, because too many hyphens just looks cluttered.

And that concludes this installment of ramblings. Hopefully there's not some rule that proves us completely wrong that, as translators, we should have learned long ago.
``xEkZuAkVZpAVZsAnCDX``x1274925709``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg Haru Hana: The Complete Collection``xZackDavisson``xI sometimes wonder what percentage of shojo manga would have their plots entirely destroyed if the two main characters simply told each other how they felt in the first couple of pages. 99%? More?

Haru Hana (which would translate as Spring Flower in English, but is left in Japanese) definitely would. The story is about as typical shojo as you can get, with the "this girl likes this boy, but doesn't want to admit it so pretends to hate him" coupled with "sensitive guy with a dark past who can see through her brusque exterior" and that ever-necessary plot device of "cute girl who openly likes sensitive guy creating a rival for the main character."

The gimmick (as all proper shojo must have a gimmick) is that a girl named Hana (Flower) breaks out into hives whenever she is touched by an attractive guy. Her body is instantly covered with itchy red spots, which can only be cured by drinking green tea. Hana's family life is somewhat mysterious, with her parents and grandparents being in Britain, and Hana and her sister staying in Japan. Hana's sister incurs some debt at a local shop, and basically sells Haru as an indentured servant to pay off the debt. The shop in question appears to be a massage parlor, where the handsome Haru (Spring) uses both his empathy as well as his skills in massage to heal customers souls along with their bodies. The shop is owned by Shinnosuke, a flamboyant gay man, who bakes delicious cakes and tea, and sets the mood with aromatherapy for the clients.

Hana is a skilled violinist, and soon her music is added to the shop's services, the shop being renamed Haru Hana in honor of the two main attractions. Together, Haru, Hana and Shinnosuke bring elegant relaxation to their weary customers. Of course, there are complications such as Haru being unable to touch Hana due to her hives outbreak, and the beautiful ballerina Nakajima who is in love with Haru, and Haru's great secret past that possibly involves watching his father murder his mother. Oh, and Haru is secretly fabulously wealthy of course.

The story plays out exactly as you would imagine. From the instant the characters are introduced you know what the final pages will be. You also know that in the meantime all doors will be opened at exactly the wrong moment, leading to misunderstandings about who-likes-who. And that these misunderstandings could easily be cleared up if the characters would just communicate with each other but instead carry out for a hundred pages of pretending they don't care until the final admission on the last pages, when all becomes clear and true love conquers. There is no mystery whatsoever how this story is going to end.

The thing is, I don't mind the typical shojo plot, as long as it is handled well. Manga like Happy Cafe do the same plotline but do it well enough that I get totally hooked. When you are dealing with variations on a theme, it is the style that matters more than the substance. And I liked "Haru Hana's" style.

The main character, Hana, is a non-typical shojo heroine in that she is a spunky and funny-looking girl with a touch of boyishness. Inside the comic the men compare Hana with the ballerina Nakajima, saying that Nakajima is the perfect shojo heroine while Hana is better suited to a gag comedy manga. Artist Yuana Kazumi seems to have fun with the character, sometimes drawing her as a bit trollish looking and sometimes making her absolutely beautiful. I appreciated this variation as it made her a more realistic character. Not everyone is beautiful all the time.

The boys in the comic are much less fully realized, being somewhat projected stereotypes of "perfect" bishonen men. Haru, he of the magic fingers and sensitive nature, rejects the beautiful and willing ballerina Nakajima in favor of the unpleasant little girl who breaks out in red spots at his touch. Not very realistic, but that's why we create fantasy romances in the first place, right?

There were times when Haru Hana got to be a bit too much for me, with all of these sensitive, flouncy artist types bursting at the seems with flowers and smiles and tears. A few scenes were too forced, and just made me think "Come on! There is no way it would go down like that!" but eventually I got over it and got back into the groove.

This Complete Collection has all three volumes of Haru Hana, which is an affordable way to pick up the series. I found it was interesting that the tone seemed to change between volumes, with the first being more comedic, the second more romantic, and the third more dramatic.

Review copy provided by TokyoPop.

You can read more of Zack’s work at Japan Reviewed.
``xEkZullpFAurufYkQgv``x1274880394``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427812071``xYuana Kazumi``x``x``x``xRomance``x``x``xRyan Peterson``xKara Stambach``xTOKYOPOP``xTeen``xB``x16.99``x150``x225``xHaru Hana cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Flower In A Storm v1``xPennyKenny``xRiko just wants to be an ordinary girl, but it doesn't seem to be in the cards for her. Not only is she super-strong and athletic, but Rin, the richest, most powerful 17-year-old in Japan, has just decided she'd make the perfect wife. Now, when she's not being chased by her persistent suitor, assassins and Rin's rivals are out to get her. How's a girl supposed to be ordinary in the middle of a storm like that?

Flower in a Storm, vol. 1 is a fun, breezy, action-packed story with heart. Amidst all the hi-jinks, creator Shigeyoshi Takagi poses the question teens deal with all the time: which do you choose - being true to yourself or fitting in with the crowd?

Despite Riko's abilities and odd situation, she's a heroine readers can relate to. She's insecure and trying to fit in. Trying too hard at times. She's so focused on holding herself in check, she doesn't notice that people seem to like her just the way she is. Lines like "His kiss swept through me like a storm…leaving a mark that would never fade" would normally come across as very melodramatic, but here they're a natural expression of Riko's confused feelings.

Rin is a wonderful hero. Though impulsive and headstrong, he has a mature understanding of Riko. He accepts her and her insecurities and tries his best to get her to accept them too. He can go from manic to sweet in a moment and there's a surprising depth to him.

The story moves at a breakneck pace, with no dull spots. The comedy, action, and quieter character moments are well-balanced. Takagi seems to enjoy writing the misadventures of this couple and it comes through to the reader.

The art isn't overly pretty. It's attractive, but slightly angular. It reminds me a bit of Clamp's Tokyo Babylon crossed with Ai Yazawa's Paradise Kiss. The characters look oddly pop-eyed at times, but thankfully that only occurs once in a while. Riko wears a school uniform most of the time, but Takagi lets loose on Rin and his various rivals' outfits, putting them in suits and beautifully patterned shirts. One of the villains even gets a nifty looking tat.

The action scenes are easy to follow. Takagi puts in just enough detail that readers get the gist of what's happening, without trying to put too much into the panel. Her finer lines have a strength to them. The three panels showing Riko doing a backward flip and landing in front of a startled rival of Rin's is graceful and powerful at the same time.

Also included in the volume are two short stories. One has Rin worrying about gaining weight. The three-pager reinforces the whole "Riko is fine the way she is" idea. The other story revolves around kissing and having trouble breathing. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense and its tone doesn't fit the rest of the book.

If you're looking for a manga that offers more than just "high school romance," give Flower In A Storm a try.

A review copy of this title was provided by the publisher, Viz Media.
``xEkZuZVVpAEPooTohnk``x1274846460``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421532417``xShigeyoshi Takagi``x``x``x``xRomance``xAdventure``x``x``x``xViz Media``xOlder Teen``xA-``x9.99``x150``x225``xFlower in a storm_cvr.jpg``x``x``x``x First Timere's Edition: Cat Paradise v4``xCharlesWebb``xThere's something off-putting about Yuji Iwahara's talking cats-meet-humans manga, Cat Paradise, but it's nothing concrete. The art is clear and serviceable (if a little bust with cross-hatching and heavy inking for my tastes), and none of the characters are particularly annoying, with a story that's easy enough to follow.

Still, for this first-timer there's not a lot of fun to be had in this volume where it seems like a lot of stuff is happening but none of it is particularly interesting - and that's a problem with a book that has transforming talking cats.

I'll try to give you the story as best I remember it: some evil, giant talking animals are attacking from the sky while down below some teens and their talking cats fight back using magic. Some of the kids freak, some nut up, and some flash back on youthful crises and shenanigans ensue. To be honest, it's all kind of a competently-drawn but blase blur.

It's weird, because the language and level of violence in the book (some guys get straight-up aced) is targeted towards older teens but the plot feels geared towards way younger readers. It's maybe a little too slight for me, a little too busy but not particularly fun - maybe the target audience could get something out of it, unfortunately.``xEkZuVVVVpFTcCoOAdx``x1274713320``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0316077364``xYuji Iwahara``x``x``x``xAction``xFantasy``x``xAmy Forsyth``x``xYen Press``xOlder Teen``xB-``x10.99``x150``x225``xcat paradise v4.jpg``x``x``x``x Want to Win a Free DVD Copy of 20th Century Boys: Chapter 1? ``xCharlesWebb``xWant to win a free copy of 20th Century Boys Chapter 1: Beginning of the End? Want to keep up with the latest updates on MangaLife?

Then head over to our Facebook Page and hit the "Like" button before next Friday, May 28th at noon EST. We'll be randomly drawing from the list of new fans of the page for the winner.

Free DVD is available to readers in the U.S. and Canada.

DVD provided courtesy of Viz Pictures. ``xEkZuuyyVukFWMBAIqQ``x1274466542``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x20th Century boys dvd.jpg``x``x``x Get Your Live Action Gantz Videos Here!``xCharlesWebb``xFirst reported by Al Young over at Twitch.

The two-part live action adaptation of Hiroya Oku's hyperviolent/hypersexual sci-fi manga Gantz and we now have a little video to whet your appetites before the films' 2011 release. The film stars manga-to-anime regular Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note, L: Change the World, Nana) and Kazunari Ninomiya.

For those of you not familiar with Gantz tells the story of two teens who die after being hit by a train and are entered into a mysterious "game" which tasks them with killing aliens alongside a handful of other reluctant players.







``xEkZuuVVyyysSqIpvfH``x1274455666``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``xgantz_live action.jpg``x``x``x Bokurano: Ours v1``xCharlesWebb``xDuring the course of writing this review, I've raised the rating from a "B," to a "B+," to finally an "A." This evolving viewpoint reflects a reexamination of a book that seems to yield more, and feels incredibly thoughtful the more I consider it.

Bokurano: Ours occupies a similar space as Evangelion and Hiroya Oku's Gantz. It's in part about games and about using the young to kill - in this case a class full of middle school students who agree to pilot a mech in what they think is a game. Of course, they soon find themselves battling strange looking, insect-like robots in the streets and come face to face with the cost of violence.

This gorgeously-produced first volume of Mitho's series provides a rush of information in the beginning - and the cast of 15 kids with varying personalities is a lot to keep track of (handily there's a guide at the front of the book with sketches and profiles of the cast). Nonetheless, there are broad strokes of something terribly sad and interesting at the core of the book. While the first chapter serves as an introduction to the cast and the premise, the remaining chapters appear to set up the structure of the book, focusing on one of the kids through present day action and flashback as they're tasked with leading the control of the mech, then moving onto the next.

About Kitoh's mecha: they're complicated, unwieldy-looking things that are totally foreign. While the mech piloted by our heroes is at least identifiable as something close to what we'd see in nature (perhaps a large beetle) the mechas used by the still-unseen enemy. Thematically, this feels appropriate - the kids are typically repulsed by the strange looking enemies and thus don't see them as something alive. And this is important: Mitoh appears to want us to focus on the kids' relationships with mortality - not just in terms of death and killing but the idea of aging and growing up.

This volume looks at carefree soccer star Takashi and the slightly off-kilter Masaru who might have a touch of madness to him. The manner in which these two boys pilot the mech is reflective of their personalities - and the consequences of their actions says a lot about how they want to live their lives. Mitoh isn't judgment-free when it comes to looking at these kids. There's an equal and opposite reaction to their actions and a moral cost - something you don't always see in big action stories.

Mitoh's art style is in the vein of Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira), specifically in terms of the character designs. The author/artist is able to get a lot of mileage out of the expressive, open faces of his cast, conveying a range of emotion that really drives the narrative. He uses a lot of negative space as well to isolate characters and action, which is appreciated given how thoughtful the author appears to be about both.

A preview copy of this book was provided by the publisher, VIZ. ``xEkZuuVEFpkzwvoGXpH``x1274451302``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421533618``xMohiro Kitoh``x``x``x``xAction``xSci-Fi``x``xCamellia Nieh``x``xViz Signature``xOlder Teen``xA``x12.99``x150``x225``xbokurano ours v1.jpg``x``x``x``x Mikansei No. 1 v2``xZackDavisson``xIt is only with the release of volume 2 that I realized I got the title of this series wrong. I thought it was called Mikanse, and that the No. 1 was the volume number. Now I am proven wrong as I hold a copy of the second volume of Mikansei No. 1.

The second volume also happens to be the last of this short but enjoyable little series. All of the loose ends are wrapped up, and the story concludes in a dramatic but not unexpected fashion.

Neo and Saya have been given the challenge of filling up the park during a free concert, or they’’ be forced to disband forever. Their band, Clap = *, has been rehearsing steadily in preparation, but if they don’t pull it off then their dream is over. The music company president Ebisu isn’t supporting them at all, and may even be going out of his way to trash the gig. The free concert is not the only thing standing in Neo and Saya’s way. The secret behind the pop star Nanato is uncovered, and his connection to Neo adds some complications. Meanwhile Neo has been told that she has once chance and one chance only to return to her own time period, and she must chose between taking the leap into the time tunnel or being stranded in the twentieth century forever.

Mikansei No. 1 isn’t a groundbreaking or deep series, but just a short bit of fast-paced and amusing diversion. There are a lot of ideas and concepts that are just flashed quickly, like Neo’s future society, the sudden appearance of her mother who seems to know more about the situation than she lets on, and Neo’s modifying the past by becoming a pop star. None of these are given much exploration, and it makes me wonder if series author Majiko! had to cut the series short, or if he just intended them to be background decoration and nothing more.

Neo herself is a great character, a spunky kind of lovable loser who has far more confidence than talent. Her relationship with Saya develops upon a somewhat predictable storyline, but even then the romance angle takes a back-seat to the hijinks. A new character, Tsubame, adds even more hijinks to the mix. Ebisu’s younger brother, both are outrageously gay with Tsubame changing into women’s clothing every chance he gets, and wearing a two-piece bikini to the swimming pool so he can add some feminine charm.

I like Majiko!’s art quite a bit, and a lot of positive energy is put into every scene. The character designs are great, from the cute Neo to the bishonen-type Saya to the utterly bizarre ever-changing afro-headed Ebisu. With the appearance of Tsubame, all of Majiko!’s costume skills get to shine, and new outfits are constantly being displayed.

All in all, if you are in the mood for some mindless pop music-themed fun, Mikansei No.1 might hit the right notes for you. At only two volumes, it isn’t too much of an investment in time or money, and is definitely worth both.

Review copy provided by TokyoPop.

You can read more of Zack’s work at Japan Reviewed.
``xEkZukuEZlAhmSWTxvN``x1274241789``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427816034``xMajiko!``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``xRoy Yoshimoto``xHope Donovan ``xTOKYOPOP``xTeen``xB``x10.99``x150``x225``xMikansei Vol 2.jpg``x``x``x``x Beast Master v2``xYsabet``xWhen I reviewed the first volume of Beast Master, I described it as "the very definition of short and sweet". Little did I know how right I was! Rather than running for the full two volumes I expected, the actual series runs for one volume and 78 pages, although this second volume includes a bonus chapter which takes place after the conclusion of the main storyline (as well as a bonus story which has nothing whatsoever to do with Beast Master). It's a remarkable amount of bonus material for such a short series.

Having noted that, let's talk about the actual story. The conclusion to Beast Master is pretty much exactly as adorable and over the top as its beginning, as Yuiko learns secrets about Leo's past and his family, which include an explanation of why Leo grew up in the wild way he did. I really like Yuiko, with her intensity and her desire to do what's best for Leo. Motomi does a nice job of balancing the conflicting dynamics in Yuiko and Leo's relationship, namely the way it leans towards romance while maintaining the series' initial premise of Leo responding to Yuiko like a tamed beast who answers to only one master. The fact that their relationship stays charming rather than becoming uncomfortable is genuinely impressive.

With only 77 pages of main story to discuss, I can't really say much more without giving the story's climax away, which I'd prefer not to do. Will you like it? If you enjoyed the first volume, I pretty much guarantee you'll enjoy the end of the story. For myself, I appreciate the fact that Beast Master is such a short and tidy series (although it could stand to take up more of this volume); as I said in my first review, I don't think the premise could hold up for very long, but this length is just about right.

Usually I'm not really fond of the bonus stories tucked away at the end of manga volumes, especially if they take me by surprise--if I'm reading a book, it's presumably because I want to read that story. However, I have to say that the bonus story we're given ("Cactus Summer Surprise") is pretty cute and well-suited to its length.

Volume 2 of Beast Master also includes a bonus chapter and an unrelated bonus story, "Cactus Summer Surprise".

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkZukuEFkkdeSjgbwb``x1274241322``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421532026``xKyousuke Motomi``x``x``x``xRomance``xComedy``x``xJN Productions``xLance Caselman``xViz``xOlder Teen``xB-``x9.99``x150``x225``xBeast Master 2 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x DC's CMX Imprint is Closing ``xCharlesWebb``xVia Newsarama, we've learned that DC's manga imprint is shutting down as of July 1st, 2010.

Below you can find the press release from DC:

Full Statement:

"Over the course of the last six years, CMX has brought a diverse list of titles to America and we value the books and creators that we helped introduce to a new audience. Given the challenges that manga is facing in the American marketplace, we have decided that CMX will cease publishing new titles as of July 1, 2010.

The shuttering of the CMX line does not affect the best-selling series Megatokyo which will continue publication, now as a DC Comics title with story and art by Megatokyo's award-winning creator Fred Gallagher.

We’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the efforts and dedication of the CMX staff and to thank our fans who have supported CMX.

--Co-Publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio``xEkZukplluENFgjfXyg``x1274208841``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``xcmx_logo.gif``x``x``x Maid Sama v4``xZackDavisson``xIn any manga with this many girls gathered together, they will eventually hit the beach, and that is just what happens in this latest volume of Maid Sama (Japanese title Kaicho wa Maid-sama! or Student Council President is a Maid! ). In your typical comic that would quickly lead to lots of close-ups of the girls in their swimwear and most likely someone walking in on someone changing, leading to endless hijinks and misunderstandings. However, as I have learned, Maid Sama is not your typical comic.

The story opens with a bizarre little encounter with new character Soutarou Kanou, a woman-hater with amazing powers of hypnotism. Although Usui is immune to his influence (of course) Misaki finds that she quickly falls under his spell, and so Soutarou plants a command in her that, if she sleeps at all during the next 24 hours, she will awaken hating Usui. What follows is a contest between the three to keep Misaki awake. This story is followed by a short story on the various clubs wanting to recruit in-coming middle-schoolers, but everyone wants Usui to join their club first.

The real action begins when all the girls of Café Maid Latte head to the beach resort of Satsuki's younger sister Nagisa, who are both the aunts of the cross-dressing Aoi. Of course, Usui is along for the ride as well. However, his anticipation of seeing Misaki in a bikini are crushed when she happily steps out in her one-piece school bathing suit, swim cap included. Nagisa is worried about the slow business at her resort, so the girls do what they do best and chip in as "Bikini Maids" wearing their maid aprons and bonnets over bikinis in order to drum up business. Finally, Aoi is forbidden from cross-dressing by his aunts, who want to make him manlier, and the only road open to him to wearing the frilly dresses he so adores is to win the beach volleyball tournament. Misaki agrees to be his partner, but is surprised when Usui puts together a team to oppose them. Why does Usui want Misaki to lose?

The final story in volume four is a "non continuity" tale where Misaki and Usui perform the Japanese fairly tale Momotaro the Peach Boy. I enjoyed this, as it finally gave the Idiot Trio a chance to pop up, and was a nice twist on a familiar legend, without taking away from the ongoing story line.

This volume is decorated with a "letters column" of sorts with Misaki and Usui answering reader questions scattered between the pages. They finish up with about five pages of one-line questions and reader requests. Very funny.

I really love the humor in Maid Sama, which plays against conventions for your typical shojo book and delivers lots of laughs. Volume four does have more romance in it than previous volumes, and Usui is slowly showing his nicer side to Misaki. In previous volumes, I could understand why Misaki was turning down the "perfect guy," but here it becomes less clear and you can tell Misaki is questioning her rejection as well. There is an "almost" scene between Misaki and Usui that was nice, and of course they were interrupted at just the right moment.

Series author Hiro Fujiwara's art continues to be excellent, and I think she manages to move between styles very well. The overly-cute maids contrasts with Misaki's tomboy looks and attitudes, and Usui continues to be a nice play on the stereotypical bishonen.

Review copy provided by Tokyo Pop.

You can read more of Zack’s work at Japan Reviewed.
``xEkZFVpkEpkwPiEwVuA``x1273847702``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427814066``xHiro Fujiwara``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``xSu Mon Han``xKaren S. Ahlstrom``xTOKYOPOP``xTeen``xB+``x10.99``x150``x225``xMaid Sama Volume Four.jpg``x``x``x``x Saturn Apartments v1 ``xZackDavisson``xI don’t know about you, but I am scared of heights. Few things freak me out more than seeing those window washers hanging off the edges of skyscrapers with nothing under their feet besides empty air, and nothing holding them up but a slim cable. Imagine, even more so, what window washers will be like when mankind makes its eventual move to outer space.

That is the basic premise of Saturn Apartments, (a literal translation of the Japanese title Dosei Mansion) which sees a future where the entire planet Earth has been set aside as a nature reserve, and the human population has been moved to an artificial enclosed ring system in geosynchronous orbit. The ring itself is split into three levels, the upper level where the wealthy make their homes, the lower level where the poor are, and the middle level which seems to be set aside for public services like schools and hospitals.

The story follows Mitsu, who has just graduated school and is set to replace his father as a window washer for the ring system. This means he gears up in a spacesuit and rappels across the ring-structure until he gets to his client’s window, where he washes it. It is a dangerous job, due to the threat of meteorites and running out of air, or even having your lifeline cut as happened to Mitsu’s father. Of course, because the window-washing service is expensive, it is almost entirely the upper level that can afford the luxury, while the lower levels survive in only artificial light and no view of the outside world.

Saturn Apartments is essentially a “job manga” in the same way as the science fiction series Aria, in this case with the story revolving around Mitsu and his various clients and his struggles to fit into the world of his father. There are a few reoccurring characters, like Jin who had been Mitsu’s father’s partner and is now showing Mitsu the ropes, and Sachi, a girl who lives in a cleaning machine that perpetually crawls the surface of the ring - she is set up as a possible love interest for Mitsu. But mostly the stories revolve around the quirks of Mitsu’s clients, and the various reasons why they shelled out the massive amount of cash required to get their window’s cleaned.

The art is, of course, simply beautiful. Iwaoka Hisae is more than just a manga artist but has also achieved recognition as a fine artist, participating in Murakami Takashi’s Tokyo Girls Bravo exhibition. Her artwork walks the balance between ultra-detailed and simple, with people’s faces being little more than round shapes with mouths, eyes and noses dotted in, but then ring-system itself is fully realized and completely believable. Iwaoka definitely subscribes to the “dirty future” style of science fiction, where all that machinery and tubes and gears that keeps everyone alive in a hostile environment needs to be maintained by somebody still willing to pull on a worksuit and gets their hands dirty for a low wage.

One odd thing about Iwaoka’s art is that it is difficult to tell anyone’s age. Her main character Mitsu looks like he just got out of Elementary school and is about nine or ten years old, but then in another seen he is sitting at a bar with Sachi (who looks the same age as Mitsu) getting drunk. Maybe this is the way the world works in the future, but it can be a bit disconcerting not being able to reconcile the character’s apparent ages with their behaviours.

But that is the most minor of minor complaints, and all in all Saturn Apartments is a satisfying comic. It will be interesting to see if the next volumes are all “Customer of the Week” or if Mitsu, Jin and Sachi’s characters and story arcs will be further developed. Either way, I will be on board to see what happens.

Review copy provided by Viz Media.

You can read more of Zack’s work at Japan Reviewed.
``xEkZFVFVAEyIPwfxxqx``x1273813200``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421533642``xHisae Iwaoka``x``x``x``xSci-Fi``xDrama``x``xMatt Thorn``xMatt Thorn``xViz Media``xTeen``xA``x12.99``x150``x225``xsaturn apartments v1.jpg``x``x``x``x First Timer's Edition: Croquis Pop v6``xCharlesWebb``xThis is the first time this column has jumped in at the last volume of a series, given that Croquis Pop ceased publication with volume 6 back in October. There's a touching little piece from the creators of the book acknowledging the premature end, with writer Kwang-Hyun Seo apologizing for the book's failure to light up the sales charts.

Which is a shame, because Croquis Pop is/was an odd little title that I would have liked to follow.

How's this for a premise: a collection of mythological/historical figures including a teenage Arthur Pendragon, "Babe" (Ruth, presumably), and series protagonist Da-Il compete in Snow White's tournament with Excalibur as the prize. At least, that's the story in this volume. Apparently, the series starts with Da-Il taking a job as the assistant to a manhwa artist and discovering his own ability to travel to a place called the "Death Zone." There, he's able to "turn the stories of the dead into artwork.* The balance of this volume concerns the remaining challengers in the tournament fighting Snow White's giant servant Bandal for not only Excalibur, but her hand in marriage.

As a first timer, it's really very dense, and as is par for the course there's no series recap at the opening. So it's kind of sink or swim with this volume as various pieces presumably for storylines that were to be teased out longer come together for an abrupt conclusion that joins the "real world" with that of the tournament. Not being invested in the previous volumes, I was still affected a little by the sweetly optimistic ending with the artist/writer character's promising to soldier on in spite of adversity.

Again, jumping in with this volume is a sink or swim prospect for new readers, but the writing sorts out many of the characters and lays down the stakes thanks to the handy stadium announcer at the tournament. There's not a lot of nuance to the character work - it's plucky heroes with their can-do spirit vs. dastardly villains who'll pull any underhanded trick to win. While you could swing a stick and find a few dozen other setups with the same blueprint,Croquis Pop sells it with an infectious dose of enthusiasm.

Or maybe that's just me feeling sympathetic for a fun little book canceled before its time. I don't know. But the purpose of First Timer's Edition is to get at the bottom the kind of reactions these books provoke when jumping in mid-stream. And I felt like I'd read something that deserved notice because it was trying so hard (and succeeding on its own terms).

So, farewell, Croquis Pop. While I hardly knew ye, I hope to get to know you a bit better in the future through back volumes.

*Thanks, Amazon. ``xEkZFVpykppwJlRGbvl``x1273813200``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0759529639``xKwang-Hyun Seo``xJin-Ho Ko``x``x``xAction``xFantasy``x``xJiEun Park``xArthur Dela Cruz``xYen Press``xAll Ages``xB+``x10.99``x150``x225``xcroquis pop v6.jpg``x``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdom: Relating``xNibley``xA few weeks ago, the MangaLife crew was asked what anime/manga characters they relate to the most. We didn't answer the question, because whenever the word “most” comes into play, we want to consider each and every one of our options to make sure that whomever we choose really is the character we most relate to, and we were too distracted with other things to sit down and think about it. When we finally did, the answer was obvious, because we've actually known for a very long time. We most relate to Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin from Ouran High School Host Club.



Obviously, part of the reason we can relate to the Hitachiin Brothers is that we're twins, but of all the twins we've seen in anime and manga, they're the twins that most closely match us. We don't mess with people as much as they do, but we do have the same immaturities, like when we have a friend, we wonder why they would want to spend any time with anyone who's not us. Or at least we were that way in elementary school and middle school. I hope we've gotten over it by now... We like to be a thought of as a set, but we also want people to remember that we're individuals.

There are even little details that are very much like us, like when Hikaru plays on his GBA or DS and Kaoru just sits and watches - that makes more sense when you know that Athena (the one who plays the video games) is older and corresponds to Hikaru, while I'm younger and correspond to Kaoru. And there are other things about their individual personalities that match our individual personalities, but I can't think of them right now because it's been a while since we've watched or read any Host Club.

But anyway…

The reason I bring this all up, aside from the fact that it's just fun, is that I was hoping I could link it to manga translation somehow. A comment was made from one person, when asked which character they most relate to, that they never relate to characters, and that made us stop and think.

We've mentioned before that it's important to know the characters well enough to properly reflect character voice. But does that require relating to the characters? When I ask questions like this, I like to make sure I know exactly what I'm talking about, so even though we're both pretty sure we know what “relate” means in this context, we looked it up at Dictionary.com.* The definition that matches this context is this one: “to establish a social or sympathetic relationship with a person or thing.”

According to that definition... I'm still not sure. For example, Miharu in Nabari no Ou is a character that has decided to be indifferent as a defense mechanism. That's something that neither of us would choose to do--when we like stuff we like it, and it would be boring to be indifferent to everything. There would be no excitement in the world. So you could say that we just can't relate to Miharu. But on the other hand, we can see why Miharu has made that decision, and if it works for him, we're not going to stop him. (We're not going to stop him even if it doesn't work for him, because he's not our character and it's really up to writer Yuhki Kamatani.) In that sense, maybe we do relate to him a little? Because (we think) we understand his thought process?

Whether that counts as relating or not, we do have to make sure that the translation of his lines fits his personality, so we need to know what that personality is, whether we share aspects of it or not. So I guess what it comes down to is this: it's not important to understand WHY a character thinks the way he or she does. The important thing is to understand that the character DOES think that way.**

In conclusion, I guess we couldn't link the character relation thing to manga translation after all. Please pardon our using this space to think out loud.

*We only recently heard that English professors are telling students that Dictionary.com is a no-no; if someone could very kindly tell us why, we would appreciate it, but in the meantime, it serves our purposes for this column.

**Incidentally, this is a big help in getting along with people in the real world, too.
``xEkZFyFAklFyWAokXqA``x1273639283``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg Nana v20``xYsabet``xAll of a sudden, with no fanfare, the English release of NANA has very nearly caught up to the Japanese. Volume 21 is due out from VIZ this summer, and after that... well, it's currently on hiatus in Japan, so when anyone will see more is a bit up in the air right now.

The opening flashforward in volume 20 gives us another clue about the events that have yet to unfold between the series' "present" and those glimpses into the future. Although several years still separate the two time periods, events are rushing faster and faster towards explaining that future. This volume spends a lot of time on Hachi and Trapnest, although Nobu and Yasu's relationships with Asami and Miu still have time to develop a bit further. (And for those keeping score, this volume's opening narration seems to belong to Hachi rather than Nana.)

In the wake of the scandal Shin brought down on Blast, Trapnest has a fire of its own to deal with before news of it leaks out--Ren's drug use is getting further out of control, and his solution is to tell Takumi that he plans to quit the band rather than dragging them down with him. Both Takumi and Reira take steps to keep that from being necessary, but Ren still has to decide whether to reach out to Nana and tell her what's going on, even though they haven't spoken to each other in a month. As for Nana herself, she's largely absent for this volume, and yet her moments with Hachi are as poignant and endearing as ever as the two of them make plans to meet up for Nana's birthday.

One thing that continually surprises me as NANA continues is how often I enjoy Hachi and Takumi's scenes together. For a couple whose relationship began for a multitude of questionable (or just plain bad) reasons, and which still has substantial problems, they seem to be striking a real balance with each other. Most of that's due to Hachi's optimism and the strength that's been increasingly visible in her as the series progresses, but Takumi seems to be genuinely trying as well; I still don't like him, but it adds yet another note of bittersweetness to the future we see ahead of them.

Notably, Ai Yazawa chose not to include the series' usual selection of bonus material in volume 20 of NANA.

Review copies provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkZFVpElFpXgpJwsfO``x1273638240``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421530759``xAi Yazawa``x``x``x``xRomance``x``x``xTomo Kimura``xAllison Wolfe``xViz``xMature``xA+``x9.99``x150``x225``xNANA 20 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Rosario Vampire Season 2 v1``xCharlesWebb``xHarem-style stories are of diminishing interest for me. Somewhere between the regressive images of women, and the focus on hapless, at times incompetent lead characters these types of books and anime lose me. The opening of the second season of Rosario Vampire should likewise be off-putting, but it's such an effective action story that I'm willing to forgive the maddening levels of fan-service.*

Actually, I really like the premise: somewhere in Japan is a school for monsters that teaches them how to assimilate into the human world while training them to use their abilities. Due to a mix-up, regular human student Tsukune Aono gets transferred at this so-called Yokai academy where he attracts the attention of several of female vampires, succubi, witches, fairies, and other creatures from beyond (that happen to look like nubile teens). Aono balances his time trying to keep his humanity a secret from the other students while fending off the affections of the female cast.

As is the tradition for this kind of story, Aono is a milquetoast - this first volume doesn't demonstrate any compelling reason for the female population to go crazy over him.** Likewise, every female in the cast is pretty one-note, save the lead contender for Aono's affections, the vampire Moka Akashiya. She's actually two-note, I suppose, given that her powers and personalities are split between a cartoonish ditz obsessed with Aono's blood and a haughty noble with unbelievable powers who doesn't have time for the book's lead.

I'm not really sold on the relationship - or really any relationship with the book. At the same time, I had fun with the book because of its unpretentiousness and some genuinely effective humor sold well by Ikeda's clean, expressive line work. There's nothing here to revolutionize the genre, and for what it is there's nothing particularly cringe-worthy. As for the action, the scripts put the characters in enough outlandish situations (including a hunt for a carnivorous fruit and a match-up with a group of hardened killers) that the book never lapses into boredom.

So, take that for what it is - the first chapter of Rosario Vampire Season II is sure a harem manga - but not an especially off-putting one.

*I can appreciate fan-service in something like Tenjo Tenge which is unabashed in its T&A elements precisely because it's such a strong action narrative. Likewise, Tenchi Muyo! works because Tenchi is the most interesting, balanced character in the story and you can understand why the female cast is so in love with him.

**I know that this is done in part to create audience identification for the everyman - but what does it say about what the writer thinks about the everyman if he's utterly useless in the story and is constantly upstaged by the rest of the cast.

A copy of this title was provided by Viz Media. ``xEkZklEVklEsQPgMEzS``x1273245060``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421531364``xAkihisa Ikeda``x``x``x``xAction``xRomance``x``xKaori Inoue``xGerard Jones``xViz Media``xOlder Teen``xB+``x9.99``x150``x225``xrosario vampire II v1.jpg``x``x``x``x Crimson-Shell``xJasonDyer``xCrimson-Shell is the first graphic novel from creator Jun Mochizuki. Our main character is Claudia the Rose Witch who is the main weapon of the Red Rose - an organization aimed at capturing the deadly Black Roses. The Black Roses are the result of a mad scientist's deranged experiments. Unfortunately for the Red Rose organization they have a traitor in their ranks or perhaps even traitors. The amount of double, triple, and even quadruple crosses within this book makes your head spin. This creates an interesting atmosphere of “Who can you trust in the organization”? throughout the book.

I’m not sure if I’m fully onboard with the powers these “Rose People” possess. When Claudia is injured or in trouble, thorned rose vines shoot out of her body and proceed to suck the life out of whoever’s near. It’s sort of an interesting power but doesn’t really strike fear into my heart. Black Roses also have the power to infect and control people with their venom and that power was used well in this issue as a plot point. The mind control infection is arguably the most important power in the book. It creates the central conflict between Claudia and her love Zeno, who is her savior in a sense, but has now turned on her.

The art is pretty good; the shots of the corpses with their life force sucked out are very cool. However, some of the weaker aspects of the art show up in big moments. At times it’s hard to connect with the emotion of our main characters, most noticeably in the final battle. The writing is solid; it makes you care enough about Claudia to want her to succeed. Unfortunately the origins of the different Roses aren’t explained very well, which I found to be a major letdown. While Claudia is fleshed out enough for you to care, her sidekicks are not. This is an issue because I think they were meant to mean more to the overall plot. It’s very unclear if Claudia’s sidekicks have any kind of special abilities, only one of her friends has defined powers while the others go unexplained.

Crimson-Shell is an above average manga that has potential to be a very interesting series. However with the shortcomings in the writing, Crimson-Shell doesn’t reach that “great” level of manga. For those looking to pick up something new I would recommend it, but perhaps you might want to pick up a used copy and save a little bit of money.

Review copy of this title provided by Yen Press.

Check out more of Jason's work at his site, Jason Dyer Studios.
``xEkZklEFAyAmjOxLObu``x1273245060``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0759531153``xJun Mochizuki``x``x``x``xAction``xFantasy``xRomance``xTomo Kimura``x``xYen Press``xOlder Teen``xB-``x10.99``x150``x225``xCrimsonShell.jpg``x``x``x``x Wild Ones v9``xYsabet``xVolume 9 of Wild Ones is the second-last volume of the series, which means Fujiwara spends a lot of it beginning to wrap up the threads of her story. Things pick up right where volume 8 left off, with Rakuto trying to work through the emotional fallout of unexpectedly seeing his father for the first time since childhood. Between that and his awareness that he isn't the only one who has feelings for Sachie, there's a lot of motivation for him to come to terms with his situation and how it affects his current and future relationship with her.

There's good development for all of the main characters in this volume, although Sachie is frustratingly naïve about Rakuto and Azuma's feelings for her, even when confronted with pretty clear evidence. (While Rakuto and Azuma are trying to work things out between them they give their schoolmates plenty to gossip about, but Sachie's reaction has the unfortunate side effect of contributing to how oblivious she seems about their feelings for her.) I wasn't expecting the development at the very end of this volume at all, so I'll be interested to see how that plays out in the final book.

Sachie's grandfather's yakuza gang is conspicuously absent for most of volume 9, which makes me a little sad--I usually enjoy the comic relief they provide, and their endearing devotion to Sachie--but I presume Fujiwara wanted to keep the focus on her main characters. (As an entirely random note, while talking about her intentions: I sincerely doubt she intended the front cover art to be as creepy as I found it, but wow. It's very pretty, but I can't be the only one who finds Rakuto's expression a little scary there.)

As a general rule I find authors' notes amusing but not terribly memorable, but I was really interested in Fujiwara's comments in the sidebars about how she read the English version and understood it well enough to notice that Sachie addresses Rakuto by his given name from the start, and to wonder how the English staff would handle the part where the way she addresses him in Japanese (not by his given name) becomes a plot point. I always appreciate creators' thoughts on their work being translated into other languages.

Volume 9 of Wild Ones includes one page of translation notes.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkZklEEVuEpOhzpuiO``x1273067700``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421532395``xKiyo Fujiwara``x``x``x``xRomance``xDrama``x``xMai Ihara``xMai Ihara``xViz Media``xTeen``xB-``x9.99``x150``x225``xWild Ones 9 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Red Hot Chili Samurai v1 ``xZackDavisson``xWith that hot cover and awesome title, the anticipation was high for Red Hot Chili Samurai . (Japanese title Kokaku Torimonocho or Kokaku’s Samurai Detective Story) I am a fan of food that tips the top of the Scofield scale myself, but unfortunately this comic has more of the piquancy of a pimento than a raging Scotch Bonnet.

In the author’s note in the back, Yoshiisugu Katagiri admits that Red Hot Chili Samurai started off as a gimmick and little else. He was contacted by a new magazine called Beans Ace about doing a series, and quickly came up with a period samurai piece similar to the long-running and popular Mito Komen television series. If you aren’t familiar with that show, it follows a basic pattern of retired Vice-shogun Tokugawa Mitsukuni and his two samurai companions roaming Japan in disguise looking for injustice. They usually get into fights with some local ruffian, which finishes with Mitsukuni revealing the seal of the Shogun that identifies them as official protectors of justice.

Yoshitsugu used that basic story-pattern for his series, and in order to give his character a unique identifiable characteristic had him eat hot chili peppers. The only reason for this is that Yoshitsugu noticed a preponderance of sweets-eating heroes, like L from L, Change the World , and figured a spicy-food eating hero might be a change of pace.

It is obvious from the start that there was no real story-plan for Red Hot Chili Samurai other than the opening gimmick. The episodes were released as a couple of one-shot stories for the magazine, with the chance of a continuing feature being based on popularity. The stories follow the same basic patter of Mito Komen, with Kokaku Sento and his companions Inaba Ento, Mimasaka Ran and Shou infiltrating some den of vice then start slashing away from the inside. When the battle is over, Kokaku slides his kimono off his shoulder to reveal his crane-mark tattoo revealing that he is the heir of Hanshu and thus a hero. Rinse and repeat.

The biggest problem with Red Hot Chili Samurai is the lack of any cohesiveness in the story. Yoshiitsuga is clearly just making it up as he goes along, without any clear objective or story for his characters. He pulls influences from wherever he can, as is clear in the Samurai Champloo -like pairing of a rough wild fighter (Kokaku) with a bespeckled and studious warrior (Ento) and a spunky and cute girl (Ran). Later, two other cast members are added in the form of Shikki, an aristocratic and uptight military man who is the opposite of Kokaku, and Tsumugi, a child inventor who adds further randomness to the series by creating Polaroid cameras and radio-controlled cars in Edo period Japan.

The artwork is nice, although nothing to rival that brilliant cover. I did find the storytelling too choppy, and the book jumps from panel to panel without much transition or focus on story continuity. All of the faces are all harsh angles and spiky hair, although Yoshiitsugu does have a way with patterns, especially on the kimonos.

This first issue is not a total lost and there is some potential here. When Kokaku goes undercover as a prostitute it is pretty funny, although there is no explanation why he chose that particular route of infiltration other than it makes for good comedy. Towards the end of the book, a storyline seems to be coming together, and it might just be that the author has hit his stride with the characters and that volume two will be an improvement.

Review copy provided by Tokyo Pop.


You can read more of Zack’s work at Japan Reviewed.``xEkZklEEFuARgoHvAVy``x1273067700``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427817200``xYoshitsugu Katagiri``x``x``x``xAction``x``x``x``x``xTokyoPop``xOlder Teen``xC``x10.99``x150``x225``xRed Hot Chili Samurai Vol 1 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x First Timer (DVD) Edition: Naruto Shippuden v8 ``xCharlesWebb``xI've been pretty resistant to Naruto, the number #1 biggest gorilla on the manga and anime sales charts. There was just something so off-putting about it, such a large generational gap between myself and the target audience. The aesthetics of the series have always felt precision-aimed at boys, aged 11-16, who are really into ornate and occasionally impractical character design and prolonged, visually convulsive fights. It was a surprise then how accessible I found my introduction to the series via this DVD.

I was kind of thrown into the deep end at first because this volume starts at episode 31, rounding out the most recent arc. I was actually kind of squirming a little as this huge, almost unwieldy cast of characters stood around rooting for Gaara, apparently an important figure in the mythology of the series who was at death's door. There's a lot of hand-wringing, crying, and finally decisiveness as a little old lady called Granny Chiyo makes the proverbial "ultimate sacrifice" to bring the kid back and bring the arc to a bittersweet conclusion.

There's a lot of that throughout the series, of course. It's shonen manga, so of course you have to get used to the rhythm of madcap adventure, can-do spirit, and super-seriousness. Maybe by backing into it with the last element I was able to get into the groove a bit better than I would otherwise. By dealing with the mature, genuinely emotive elements of sacrifice and loss instead of trying to convince me what crazy fun the story was going to be, I was able to slip into the adventures of the title character.

Let's be clear: I still have very little idea what's going on. There's a LOT of in-fighting, politics, resurrections, and revelations that I'm sure will be gospel to regular readers. As a first-time viewer I just knew that the clean, smooth animation sold this fairly talkative volume and made me really interested in the developments with these characters.

That's maybe the most important thing I took away from Naruto Shippuden: it's a work with characters instead of a work just filled with backstory (an impression I always had when I tried to sit through the many iterations of Dragonball). I get that Naruto, the girl he kinda sort of likes, the ninja village chief, and some of the other assorted characters were more than just continuity points.

So, yeah, I'd like to see more of this, now.

The DVD includes 4 episodes at about 25 minutes each. It contains English and Japanese language tracks with English subtitles.

You can also watch it on its Hulu page.

Review copy of this title provided by Viz Media ``xEkZkypEyyudfOhduqF``x1272601664``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``xB0036BDPQ6``xMasashi Kishimoto``xTV TOKYOSTUDIO PIERROT``x``x``xAction``xAdventure``x``x``x``xViz Media``xOlder Teen``xB+``x24.98``x150``x225``xnaruto shippuden dvd v8.jpg``x``x``x``x Naruto v47``xJasonDyer``xWe start off where volume 46 ended with Naruto and his frog allies continuing a fight for their lives against Pain. Naruto Volume 47 is one of those comics where by the end of the book you think to yourself “This is why I love comics”. This issue is action packed from beginning to end with major reveals for our main man Naruto. It also asks: How can you tell justice from vengeance? Can you forgive someone who has wronged you deeply, someone you hate?

This volume does a good job of making you feel joy in one moment and wanting to cry in another. This is best illustrated by two scenes, one being when Hinata comes to the rescue of Naruto. She comes to defend him knowing that it will probably lead to her death, and Naruto even points this out. Hinata tells him it doesn’t matter, that he has changed her life for the better and that she loves him. Right after this enormous revelation Hinata is beaten down by Pain in just a matter of seconds.

The second powerful moment comes when Naruto is in his own head. His seal is breaking and he is about to finally release the Nine Tails Fox on the world. He is stopped by the Forth Hokage, who tells Naruto that he is his father and restores the seal. The emotion expressed in the art is just done masterfully in these scenes. You feel the joy of Naruto finding out who his father is but on the other hand we realize this is the only time he will ever get to speak to him. Masashi Kishimoto’s art is great. He blends emotion and action very well.

Naruto is a comic property that gets better with time, which can’t be said for many other titles. I do wonder where it all ends. Will he become Hokage one day? I think a good ending would be him dying in a great final battle to save not just the village but the world. If his death would bring all of the shinobi nations together, it would be a fitting end to his character. But I digress, if you’re a Naruto fan this is a must have. And if you’re not reading Naruto shame on you, this issue gives wonderful payoffs for long term fans.

Review copy of this title provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkZkFZAllkPnoidGsO``x1272592140``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421533057``xMasashi Kishimoto``x``x``x``xAction``xAdventure``x``xMari Morimoto``x``xViz Media``xTeen``xA+``x9.99``x150``x225``xnarutov47.jpg``x``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdom: Bread, Milk, and Eggs ``xNibley``xIn our last column, we talked about how translation is a combination of art and science, so this time, I think I'd like to talk about the science aspect a little bit more. If we had to say which science (based on a mere few minutes thought just now), we would say that translation is like chemistry. Both involve moving something from one side of a formula to another, and making sure everything fits in just the right place, creating something new but equivalent to what the end product originally came from. Okay, so I guess technically in translation you don't always make the end product exactly equivalent, but hopefully you get the idea.

In that sense, you could also say that translation is like math. In fact, where we went to college, you didn't have to take any math classes if you took enough language classes.

Anyway, the point I'm leading up to is that one of the occupational hazards of translating manga is that sometimes we miss the humor of a situation (in the manga), because we're too busy trying to make sure all the math is right. In other words, we lose the full effect of the dialogue, because we're not simply reading it. (I'm not complaining, just making an observation that I think is kind of interesting.)

This phenomenon is most common in comedy situations. If a scene is very dramatic, there's usually not a whole lot of dialogue, and it's usually fairly simple to translate--the vocabulary used tends to be stuff we've translated many times before, so we don't have to spend a lot of time looking things up. Although it can be extremely frustrating when we're in the middle of a really dramatic scene and a character uses a word that has us stumped. It interrupts the whole flow of the scene, like getting a phone call at the climax of a movie you're watching.

But I was talking about comedy. In comedy, there tends to be more talking, so the formulas that need to be worked out are a lot more complex. Drama is like 2x = 37, while comedy is like 3x^2 + 4xy + 7y^2 = 45x + 93y + C (where C is whatever adjustments need to be made because Japanese puns don't usually work in English). Or something.

The example that inspired this column is found in Gakuen Alice. In fact, Gakuen Alice itself is a perfect example of having to miss the humor of a scene because the complex math is frying our brains. But there's one more specific example, and it's not out Stateside yet, so hopefully we won't get in trouble for giving a little preview. The scenario involves Narumi-sensei explaining certain terrors to the children of Mikan's class.

He lists several frightening things, and it's not an ordinary list like “bread, milk, and eggs.” It's not even as simple as, “I went to the store and bought bread, milk, and eggs.” It's like, “I went to the store on the corner where I bought a newspaper last week, and bought some bread that had been baked by that baker who gave me the evil eye a few days ago, 2% milk from the dairy that was in the news this morning for its extra special treatment of cows, and fresh eggs right off that farm with all the free-range chickens.” Only of course the terrors were much more hilarious (and frightening) than that.

Reading that example we made up, it's possible that even just reading it would be hard enough on the brain to take away from some of the immediate humorous effect. (Although it may be difficult to tell, since that sentence isn't necessarily funny, unless you're amused by long sentences. I will admit, sometimes I find sentences to be funny purely because of their wordiness.) Those are a lot of descriptors to work the brain around. And if it's hard to read, it's hard to translate. So sometimes, while we're translating something that long, it takes a little while for it to register, “Oh hey, that's funny!” And somehow, I find that to be pretty funny.
``xEkZEAAFpyVQXMXkwMK``x1272511465``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg Interview: Dr. June Madeley Talks To Manga Fans About Manga Fandom``xCharlesWebb``xDr. June Madeley of the University of New Brunswick, St. John is really interested in manga readers. A teacher for the Information and Communication Studies program as part of the Social Sciences Department she’s the author of forthcoming publications such as “Transnational Transformations: A Gender Analysis of Japanese Manga Featuring Unexpected Bodily Transformations,” for The Journal of Popular Culture and “Girly Girls and Pretty Boys: Gender and Audience Reception of English-translated Manga.”

She’s been kind enough to talk to MangaLife about some of her research.

What does your research entail?

My recent research has involved interviewing manga readers who read translated manga (in English). Much of my focus is on gender (representations and as a characteristic that might affect reading practices and preferences), but I'm noting that age is also significant. I haven't delved as deeply as I'd like into the data, but what I think is key is when people start reading.

How did you find participants for your study?

I found the participants through libraries, book stores and their web sites and through snowball sampling - participants put me on to other potential participants. My 30 interviewees ranged in age from 14 to 28. The average length of time they'd been reading manga was 6.5 years, but some had been reading for as little as 1 year and some for as much as 14.

Could you give me a sort of rough "picture" of the average manga fan? (Male/female, age, what genre(s) are they currently into, how did they get into reading)

Based on my research, I'd say mostly female 75:25 and mostly mid-to-late teens. Though the ones that are into fandom, want to read reviews and find out more about Japan etc are a little older. These are rough impressions. The most popular genre is action (Bleach, Naruto, Full Metal Alchemist). Though older female readers are all for the shojo and romance manga whatever the original target age. Older female readers (18 and up, especially the 30 plus readers) are very into the yaoi (boys' love) titles.

What’s determining what the readers get into?

A lot depends on what is available and where once someone finds out about manga. It also matters how they got introduced to it. I found that most of the younger folks [interviewed] discovered it as a result of anime broadcast on TV. So they are huge fans of Naruto, Bleach, InuYasha. Older fans in their early and mid 20s got introduced a longer time ago when manga wasn't taking up huge sections of libraries and mainstream bookstores. They had to be introduced to it through fandom and through mentorship by other fans. I think that is really a key difference. The younger readers that I've met are not usually plugged into any fandom, they just watch with friends or talk about the books they are reading with them. They do go to online scanlation sites like Onemanga.com and sometimes happen upon much less mainstream stuff than get's broadcast as anime on network TV, but it is all a lot more random for them. They tend to glom on to the most mainstream, action-oriented manga that is similar to what is on broadcast TV. For new readers [the amount of content] can be so overwhelming now.

Any hint as to what causes younger readers to focus on scanlations instead of official releases? Is it the hope to be ahead of the curve in terms of what's available, disappointment with translations, or just a lack of funds?

The vast majority of my research participants read scanlations online. It didn't matter the age. They do it to be current with the Japanese release so that they aren't missing out on the story. But, they also buy the books when they come out in North America (except the ones who are poor university students who will buy again when they have money). Only a very few preferred scanlations (2 out of 30) for their more authentic translations. The teenagers that I spoke to didn't have any money issues [because] their folks bought their books for them. They looked up scanlations to be on top of the story, and while on those sites learned of some other manga that had become popular - as far as I can tell Black Butler was a sort of viral phenomenon in this way and then exploded with interest.

The folks at Viz Media admitted to me that they follow what is popular on the scanlation sites as part of their strategies to decide what to translate and publish. I'm also told that the new title by Rumiko Takahashi is coming out in North America almost simultaneously with the Japanese publishing schedule. Another new strategy.

There were some other trends you observed, right?

A fairly large proportion of the participants in my research had cosplayed or really wanted to do that. The younger ones had it easier because their mom's were sewing and paying for their costumes. Interestingly, most of the females dressed up as males. It may be more of a practical issue that we see fewer older readers engaging in cosplay - it's expensive, they may have difficulty transporting a costume on Greyhound or other cheap transport etc.

Another trend that I noticed is that those 20somethings have fallen out of fandom. Mostly, this is related to having very little money to spend (compared to when they were in high school and active in a fan club) and also to entering a new life stage (parenting, full time job, more education because they couldn’t find a job etc).

I think that one reason why younger fans are jumping on to the most obvious thing is because the copyright holders are making it so easy. Since they aren't likely to be connected to an existing fan community (SF, comics or something like that) they are an easy target for the type of ready-made fandom that comes now with the likes of Twilight. I'm not sure that there is much lateral movement from there to broader fan community (other vampire fiction etc). In fact there's a fairly obvious tension between the Twilighters and other gothic/vampire/urban fantasy fans who see the mythology of vampires in Twilight as some sort of travesty. I seem to recall that Anne Rice got the same treatment for awhile way back when :-) I haven't looked closely, but I suspect one would find a kind of cycle here with the vampire fiction fans.

And you mentioned that the copyright holders are making it easy to move back and forth between manga and anime for Western audiences?

Everyone that I spoke to was both a reader of manga and a fan of anime. I think that is partly about just having access to more stuff. A huge proportion [of the participants] discovered manga because of exposure to anime. Anime is also way more accessible because some of the action is easier to "read" when they put it in motion for you. Currently, though the manga sales have outstripped the anime sales in the US translated market as far as I know. Most of them are catching anime on Youtube or on the sites that stream some maximum number of minutes per day for free.

To what extent does a fascination with Japanese culture continue to influence whether someone is into manga/anime? Is that still a driver of the fandom? I know when I was in middle/high school that was what drew my friends and I to those titles.

I don't think that is a driver of the fandom anymore, but it is still highly associated. I spoke to a lot of people who were trying to learn Japanese and really wanted to visit Japan at some point. Most people get into it through a friend or because they saw some anime on TV and then they went online to find out what the heck it was all about. So, the internet is actually a huge factor. The Google search terms and the search results are probably highly significant, I think.

Earlier, you mentioned 20somethings falling out of fandom. Why? And where do they end up channeling their interests?

The ones I talked to had mostly fallen out of it due to less time and no money. As teens they had more expendable cash. Not being able to participate seems to contribute to falling out of it, also they move away to go to post-secondary educational institutions or for jobs. I think it is a life stage matter. Though, I think that those that fall out come back, or want to, when their lives stabilize.

How did you get into studying this group? What’s the appeal for you?

I was teaching a gender course and covered a reading by Trina Robbins about women in comics. Since I'd been a comics fan in the past I was interested and followed up on some of the examples for the class. A friend told me that if I wanted to see some wacky gender portrayals in graphic art, I should look at manga and anime. Since it comes out of a culture supposedly rigid in its gender norms in regular life, I was intrigued by the apparent contradiction.

Are you into manga and anime yourself?

I don't find anime very compelling, but I do enjoy reading manga. My preference is for the boys love and romance titles. I eat up a lot of the shojo stuff even though I'm not a reader of any other type of romance fiction. I enjoy animation, but haven't gotten into anime. The genres that I like are very dialog heavy and less filled with action and I think that is more enjoyable at my own pace as a reader. I do enjoy long form anime such as the recent Paprika. I think I fear getting into some title and being obsessed with seeing hundreds of episodes :-)

Our thanks to June for graciously taking the time to answer a few questions. You can continue to follow her work over on her page.``xEkZkpkAVAZDnQheOVq``x1272029597``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xJune Madeley Profile.jpg Black Butler v1 ``xZackDavisson``xBlack Butler seems like a manga that is designed more to provide ideas for cosplay outfits than to be a comic in its own right. The entire setup comes from a wordplay pun that only makes sense in Japanese, juxtaposing the term "Aku made Shiitsuji Desu" ("I am a Butler through and through") with "Akuma de Shiitsuji Desu" (I am a Butler from the Devil"). There is almost no story here, but every page is packed to the gills with Little Lord Fauntleroy outfits (complete with eye patch!) and frilly Gothic Lolita dresses.

The story (such as it is) starts with Earl Ciel Phantomhive, a twelve-year old boy who also happens to be the head of a giant corporation that produces candy and toys. Not that the Earl has much to do with his company, as he spends his days lazing around his manor house and making unreasonable demands on his staff. The Earl is served by three members, Finnian the Gardner, Mey-Rin the Maid and Baldroy the Chef, who are all hopeless incompetents with no redeeming qualities other than to accidentally destroy everything they touch. Fortunately for the Earl, he is also served by Sebastian, a butler of inhuman skills and perfection personified in every possible way. No matter what muddle-headed hijinks Finnian, Mey-Rin and Badlroy cook up, Sebastian is always there to set things right and save the day with elegance and style.

Most of the book follows this standard plot. An important guest comes to visit, but Baldroy burns the food, Mey-Rin breaks the China and Finnian wipes out the garden. Sebastian steps in at the last minute to cook up a meal, set out the decorations, etc. The Earl's betrothed Ms. Elizabeth stops by, decorating the entire house with frilly lace and pretty bonnets. Sabastian is there to teach the Earl the Venetian Waltz at the last minute, so he can charm his future wife.

About half-way through, the tone abruptly from light-heated whimsy to a darker tone as the young Earl is kidnapped by the Italian mafia who want to use his toy and candy company as a front to push drugs into England. While the Earl is beaten and threatened, Sebastian works his way through the Italians, coming to the rescue of his master and revealing his demonic nature in the process, and why Earl Phantomhive has such a hold on him.

The second half of Black Butler definitely caught my interest more than the frivolous first half, and whether or not I continue with the series depends a lot on what style author Yana Toboso chooses. The art is good enough, although I am not personally such a fan of the lace and frills of the Gothic Lolita style which dominates the character designs. There might be more to the story and an explanation why Earl Phantomhive doesn't just fire the incompetent trio of Finnian, Mey-Rin and Baldroy. There is some potential here, so it is just a case of waiting and seeing.

Review copy provided by Yen Press.
``xEkZElkEullZzeGubFC``x1271821488``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0316080845``xYana Toboso ``x``x``x``xAdventure``x``x``xTomo Kimura``xTomo Kimura``xYen Press``xOlder Teen``xC``x10.99``x150``x225``xBlack Butler v1.jpg``x``x``x``x Skip Beat v20``xYsabet``xVolume 20 of Skip Beat! is remarkably tidy: it covers precisely one storyline, from start to (apparent) finish, with only a nod here and there to the series' ongoing subplots. Early in the volume, Kyoko discovers that Lory's granddaughter, Maria, is not only resistant to celebrating Christmas (and other Western holidays), but refuses to celebrate her own birthday, which falls on December 24--and is also the anniversary of her mother's death. True to form, Kyoko responds by persuading Maria to help her throw a party that "coincidentally" falls on that very day, in order to thank everyone they've met who's helped them throughout the year.

This volume really is all about Kyoko and Maria, with other characters coming and going as they either get invited to the party or wind up involved with it in some way. Kyoko's arch-nemesis, Sho, is nowhere to be seen, but I barely noticed his absence in the whirlwind of activity as Kyoko and Maria throw themselves into preparations, and I'm perfectly okay with that. Sho and his scumbag behavior may have been the things that spurred Kyoko into transforming her life, and some of his appearances have been interesting enough, but they're not what I look forward to with this series, personally.

Despite its unusually standalone nature, this is a very typical volume of Skip Beat!. Kyoko's energy keeps things moving along at high speed as she goes all out to make sure Maria has a happy day, while Lory provides extra comic relief (with no sign that the events that unfold have anything to do with his grand machinations). There's also a truly classic Moko moment, which I wouldn't dream of spoiling for anyone. As usual, it's fun seeing the products of Kyoko's imagination and enthusiasm when they run wild, and the party she and Maria come up with is one that everyone in attendance will undoubtedly remember for a long time.

There isn't a whole lot of forward momentum this time out, as you might guess from my summary, but like most volumes of the series, this is a quick, rollicking read.

Vol. 20 of Skip Beat! includes a page of cultural and translation notes.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkZElkEFppsHNzaWzn``x1271821300``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421530724``xYoshiki Nakamura``x``x``x``xDrama``x``x``xTomo Kimura``xTomo Kimura``xViz Media``xTeen``xB``x9.99``x150``x225``xSkip Beat v20.jpg``x``x``x``x First Timer Edition: Detroit Metal City v4``xCharlesWebb``xAs gross, loud, and obnoxious as this book can be for a first timer, it's actually been one of the easiest to get into starting with the current volume. In fact, because of its loudness and obnoxiousness I find myself wanting to return to the book for future volumes. By isolating most of the current storyline to the current volume (following DMC at a battle of the bands) and including a couple of shorts it didn't push me away too much as a reader.

For those not in the know, Detroit Metal City is the story of mild-mannered Soichi, a sensitive guy with a bowl cut who just wants to get famous singing pop tunes while trying to get close to the girl of his dreams, Aikawa. But through a series of circumstance not detailed here he instead has to lead a double life as both sweet, kind of dorky Soichi and as the facepaint-wearing frontman for DMC, Krauser Something Something German. As a premise, it's pretty simple - our hero has to balance his life with the responsibility to his hardcore metal fans as the devil worshipping hero of DMC.

It's like being a superhero with a six-string.

More than anything else the book is a (satirical) look at Japanese metal fandom that apparently still has a vocal component into stage personas and costumes. It's all pageantry and performance to keep hold of a rabid fanbase with music fine-tuned to freak audiences the hell out.

And understandably, it can be kind of hit or miss with some readers. A good chunk of the jokes are at the expense of the dimwitted fans (who unwittingly make the prophecies of rival band Helvete come true) and at the expense of DMC itself who kind of take the band gig as a day job with Soichi being the odd man out who wants nothing to do with the band.

The level of mean-spiritedness on display works in spite of itself thanks to writer Kiminori Wakasugi's commitment to keep it all light. Because it's all so broad, big, crazy, mean, and mad it doesn't feel like the author is taking the piss out of the reader - he's genuinely having fun messing with these characters and invites readers to do the same.

It's an acquired taste sort of thing, though. I'd recommend this to anyone who's got a thing for mistaken identity humor, extreme violence humor, and most importantly, metal humor. ``xEkZEyAFpVFDumYgBDR``x1271693053``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421527456``xKiminori Wakasugi``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``x``xAnnus Itchii``xViz Signature``xMature``xA-``x12.99``x150``x225``xdetroit metal city v4.jpg``x``x``x``x Soul Eater v2 ``xZackDavisson``xSoul Eater is a comic with such a bizarre premise that I am still surprised it is as entertaining as it is. A bunch of young kids are training at the Death Weapon Meister Academy (which is located in Nevada, USA for some reason), in pairs of "meister" and "demon weapon." The "demon weapon" kid transforms into a weapon that is wielded by the "meister," who hopes to collect the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch in order to transform their "demon weapons" into powerful weapons known as "Death Scythes" capable of being wielded by the Grim Reaper himself.

The series began when creator Atsushi Okubo drew the one-shot story Soul Eater for Monthly Shônen Gangan in 2003, which was popular enough to be followed up by two more short-stories in the same universe, Black Star and Death the Kid. Response was good enough that Okubo was asked to create an ongoing series in 2004. The three short stories and the first chapter in the ongoing series were collected in Soul Eater Vol. 1.

Because volume 2 is really where the ongoing series begins, there is a lot more story here and less character introduction. We are thrown into the action with the first few pages as Maka and her demon weapon Soul Eater and Black Star and his demon weapon Tsubaki are sent to collect the soul of Franken Stein, a mad scientist obsessed with operations. Franken Stein's soul is so powerful that everyone considers this a suicide mission, but the four kids are determined to pull it off.

Later, Black Soul and Soul Eater are convinced they would become more powerful if they teamed up instead of working with the girls Maka and Tsubaki, so they challenge Death the Kid and his twin Thompson girls to a duel. Finally, a new and dangerous threat arises with the appearance of the witch Medusa and her son the meister Crona and his demon weapon Ragnarok. Crona is a rouge meister, collecting the souls of non-evil humans to feed his demon weapon, and must be brought down.

Things move along at a quick pace in Soul Eater which works well because it keeps you from realizing how silly the whole thing is. The whole "kids transforming into weapons" - thing is pretty weird, and you can't help but think that they get the raw end of the meister/demon weapon deal. But Okabo manages to infuse some login into this, talking about the resonance between a meister and his/her weapon, especially in the story with Black Star and Soul Eater attempting to form a team.

The art and character designs in Soul Eater are very much in the Square Enix style, with Cloud Strike hair-dos popping up. Some of the characters, like Soul Eater himself, are hip-hop style while his meister Maka is a pure Japanese school girl complete with plaid mini-skirt and pigtails. This isn't a fan-service heavy series, but it doesn't shy away from it either with some of the girls, particularly Tsubaki and one of the Thompson twins, being quite top-heavy.

Soul Eater is still ongoing in Japan, and is currently up to volume sixteen. Even though the series is downright bizarre to the core, I have the feeling that Okubo will keep it exciting enough that I will enjoy the ride.

Review copy provided by Yen Press.
``xEkZEkVuAVyYCycwJAN``x1271254956``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0759530483``xAtsushi Ohkubo``x``x``x``xAction``x``x``xAmy Forsyth``x``xYen Press``xOlder Teen``xB``x10.99``x150``x225``xSoul Eater 2 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x What I'm Reading: April 2010``xYsabet``xWhat I'm Reading - April 2010

I've got a lot of review copies to talk about, so rather than eking them out I think it's time for another round of short--but more timely--reviews of some of VIZ Media's newer offerings. Today I'm taking a look at vol. 9 of Honey and Clover (Chica Umino), vol. 9 ofWe Were There (Yuki Obata), vol. 7 of Mixed Vegetables (Ayumi Komura), vol. 15 of S.A. (Maki Minami), vol. 4 of Black Bird (Kanoko Sakurakoji), vol. 11 [the series finale!] of The Gentlemen's Alliance † (Arina Tanemura), vol. 17 of Kaze Hikaru (Taeko Watanabe), and vol. 2 of Natsume's Book of Friends (Yuki Midorikawa).

All reviews are based on copies provided by the publisher.


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Honey and Clover vol. 9 (Chica Umino)

Translated and adapted by Akemi Wegmuller

This is the second-last volume of Honey and Clover, and a surprising amount of it is spent on the revelation of Morita's history and his reason for devoting most of his energy and talent to making heaps of money as fast as humanly possible. Umino gives readers a look into his childhood, revealing the gap between the remarkable genius Morita shares with his father and the more mundane practicality that defines his brother, Kaoru. These two brothers, who are about as different from each other as you can imagine, have spent years focused on a very un-Morita-like goal: revenge.

While Morita's goal is coming into sight at last, the other characters have their own issues to deal with. On the brink of graduation, Hagu-chan is fully planning to return to her rural home rather than--as she sees it--allow Professor Hanamoto to sacrifice his own future in the name of developing her own. All of the characters are keenly aware of the fact that their time as students together is about to end, but in this volume it's unquestionably Morita and Hagu-chan who are facing the biggest changes, especially when the immediate decisions about her future are suddenly taken out of Hagu-chan's hands.

Honey and Clover doesn't pull any punches as it draws to a close. There are some elements in this volume which may come across as a bit melodramatic or over the top, but they're grounded in genuine emotions and reactions from the characters involved. Umino is starting to wrap up a fantastic series here, and I'm going to miss it after the last volume comes and goes.


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We Were There vol. 9 (Yuki Obata)

Translated by Tetsuichiro Miyaki and adapted by Nancy Thistlethwaite

I try not to have many expectations of most series I read, and that's how I've been approaching We Were There--but the key word there is "try". I've been really enjoying it since the first volume, but I'm realizing now that part of me did expect it to stick to the usual pattern of high school romance manga, by which I mean I figured it'd stay with Nanami and Yano during their high school lives and end with their graduation. (Unlike, say, Sand Chronicles, which always hinted at just how much time it might cover.)

Given that, volume 9's sudden leap forward in time caught me off guard. It places us five years in the future, with Nanami on the verge of finishing school and trying to find her place in the adult world...and Yano nowhere in sight. Takeuchi's still in the picture, though, and still carrying a torch for Nanami, who's clinging to her memory of and love for Yano, who she hasn't seen since he moved away during high school.

On the surface, most of this volume is devoted to Nanami and Takeuchi's relationship, which has been in a holding pattern since Yano's disappearance. But the real question here isn't about their respective feelings for each other--it's about what happened to Yano. After five years of searching for answers, Nanami's starting to be ready to move on, but she also seems to be on the verge of discovering the truth. There are several clues in this volume, but they're tantalizingly vague. I'm very curious about the next volume.

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Mixed Vegetables vol. 7 (Ayumi Komura)

Translated by JN Productions and adapted by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic

I liked volume7 of Mixed Vegetables (the penultimate volume of the series) noticeably more than volume 6. Hanayu and Hayato simultaneously have the opportunity to immerse themselves more fully in their respective interests due to Hanayu's family's annual trip (along with her father's assistant, Maezawa, and his family) to France, where her father rejuvenates himself as a pastry chef. Hanayu herself wants to stay behind and learn more of Hayato's father's sushi chef techniques, and-- Well, perhaps I don't need to spell it out for you.

I found the appeal of this volume lies in the completely unabashed appreciation the characters have for the foods they love, whether it's fine pastries in an endless stream of French cafés or a newly-concocted supper made from a sushi shop's leftovers. That delight is present throughout the series, but it takes center stage here in a way I don't recall from earlier volumes. Mixed Vegetables's plot is serviceable, but its most shining moments lie in the food writing.

On the production side of things, I couldn't help noticing a few odd inconsistencies in the script--I could've passed over the use of both "shari" and "sushi rice" in the script (with a translation note for "shari" at the back), but seeing both "ketchup" and "catsup" appear within 50 pages of each other jarred me a little.


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S.A. vol. 15 (Maki Minami)

Translated by JN Productions and adapted by Amanda Hubbard

The fifteenth volume of S.A. pays remarkably little attention to its leads. Hikari and Kei get a chapter to themselves in the middle of the book, but otherwise Hikari plays a supporting role in this volume's first story, which centers around Finn (the foreign prince who's secretly a girl), and Kei is practically a non-entity. But that's okay by me, since I find Hikari and Kei more appealing in smallish doses.

The first of the two longer stories in here is about Finn taking the SA group to her country for a visit over Golden Week, and it addresses both her feeling for Ryu and the not-insignificant problems posed by her lifelong disguise as a boy. There are the obvious things, like being unable to act on her feelings for Ryu, but she has parental issues to deal with on top of that. In the second long story, Megumi (who usually communicates only through writing) runs into problems with her own mother and love life when she has to find someone willing to pretend to be her boyfriend.

Of the stories contained in this volume, I thought Finn's was the strongest. I enjoy the dynamic between her and Ryu, and she has some very entertaining scenes with Hikari (who I tend to like better when she's not with Kei). This series is never going to blow me away, but its fans will find a lot to like in here.

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Black Bird vol. 4 (Kanoko Sakurakoji)

Translated by JN Productions (no adaptation credit given)

Black Bird is one of that subset of shoujo titles that just plain feels skeevy to me, which makes it difficult for me to get past the initial reaction of "oh, it's a domineering guy being manipulative and forceful and a girl somehow falling for him anyway". The dynamic certainly occurs in other types of story as well, but as a category, shoujo seems to have a particular weakness for it.

With that out of the way, I think I liked volume 4 better than the earlier volumes I've read. Now that Misao and Kyo's love seems to be firmly established, things are more about working out the large challenges their human/demon relationship faces--just in time for their love to cause real problems for one of Kyo's closest friends. That aspect of the story plays out quite well, shining the harsh light of reality on the kinds of choices both Kyo and Misao will have to make in order to be together. It's harder for Misao, since she's the one deciding to distance herself from the life a human girl grows up expecting, but I do find it interesting that she's really trying to adjust to Kyo's world rather than trying to both be part of it and soften it for human comfort and sensibilities.


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The Gentlemen's Alliance † vol. 11 (Arina Tanemura)

Translated and adapted by Tetsuichiro Miyaki

The Gentlemen's Alliance † concludes on a high note for particular fans of the main characters (Haine and the twins, Takanari and Shizumasa), but fans of the supporting cast may be a bit disappointed by how little many of them are given to do--although from what I know of them (I've missed enough of the series to not know everyone's history), they play out their roles with style.

Haine is irrepressible to the end, doing her best to make things come out for everyone despite the obstacles posed by the twins' family situation. I don't want to go into detail, especially since this is the series finale, so I'll just say that I was pretty pleased by the ending. Tanemura's author's notes discuss her original vision for how things should wrap up, which isn't exactly how the story played out; her original idea strikes me as potentially more interesting, but hey, it's the author's call.

There are also some bonus stories tucked into this volume, including one short, entirely unrelated piece, and Tanemura also includes her original character design sketches and notes from before she began writing the series.

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Kaze Hikaru vol. 17 (Taeko Watanabe)

Translated and adapted by Mai Ihara

One of the many, many neat things about Kaze Hikaru is how many places the characters go. In volume 17 Sei, Okita, and the rest of the first troop head off to Osaka with Kondo in order to investigate the disturbing behavior of the Shinsengumi troop captain there, Tani Sanjuro. Okita tries to curb Sei's curiosity and enthusiasm by making her swear to stick close to him, but Sei is incapable of keeping quiet when she sees for herself what's happening in Osaka.

This series is always a great read, and this newest volume is no exception. There's a ton of detail and action packed in here, between Sei's reaction to Okita's potential engagement, the trip to Osaka, unexpected sexual liaisons, espionage...it's all good. Of all the series I've had the chance to read as a reviewer that I probably wouldn't have checked out otherwise, Kaze Hikaru is almost definitely my favorite.

I also particularly like the cover this time around. Watanabe's art is always engaging and full of character, but volume 17's cover art really catches my eye. Maybe it's just my fondness for the characters coloring my perspective?


**********

Natsume's Book of Friends vol. 2 (Yuki Midorikawa)

Translated and adapted by Lillian Olsen

When I read the first volume of Natsume's Book of Friends, I wasn't nearly as impressed by it as I'd hoped to be, given all the hype. I'm happy to say that I liked volume 2 quite a bit better, although I'm having trouble pinning down why that is. It may be as simple as having had a better idea what to expect this time, since this volume, like the first, is made up of entirely standalone chapters (due largely, I think, to how Natsume is serialized in Japan).

Takashi is starting to feel a bit more comfortable in his new home and school, which leads into the first story of the volume, where he (reluctantly) joins some classmates on a visit to a local haunted school. Going into the school as a test of courage is a bit of a local tradition, but this time it's different: the abandoned building is scheduled for demolition, and the spirit that inhabits it is less than pleased about losing his home.

Most of Takashi's interactions in volume 2 are still with yokai, but he seems to be feeling more at ease with other humans; in turn, more of the people he meets seem to identify what it is about him that's so unusual. There's less discussion of his grandmother this time around, though, other than each chapter's quick recap of the premise and the local yokai's ongoing habit of mistaking Takashi for her. I'm still hoping that later volumes will delve more into her history, rather than leaving her as a mysterious figure who we mainly know was lonely and isolated because of her power and chose to use that power to bind yokai.
``xEkZEkVuVpuVCNpoqIs``x1271254504``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xGentlemens Alliance 11 cover.jpg Maoh: Juvenile Remix v1 ``xCharlesWebb``x[Note: this title will be available on May 11]

Megumi Osuga's Maoh comes across as a mixture of Death Note and Tekkonkinkreet - a strange synthesis that nonetheless produces an interesting work about how one young person can confront the powerful forces shaping the world around them.

The book is actually based on an original story by writer Kotaro Isaka and is roughly about a mysterious vigilante group called "Grasshopper" led by the charismatic Inukai. The vigilantes against encroaching businesses changing the shape of the city brings to mind Tekkonkinkreet. More pointedly, the story is about 10th grader Ando who's conflicted by his desire to stand up to the bullies, criminals, and jerks of the world, but fears that one youth can't make a difference. Coupled with Ando's discovery of his unique gift of ventriloquism you can see elements of Death Note's theme of the newly-empowered youth attempting to figure out how to change society.

Ando is both drawn to and repelled by Inukai, who is able to hold an audience in the palm of his hand through dramatic acts. He's seemingly able to turn enemies to his cause or destroy them without lifting a finger. But Ando (and we the readers) know something isn't quite right with the young leader. Inukai's main cause is the halting of the continued corporatization of their seaside home of Nekota, and the book (first serialized in 2007) really taps into some of the anger at big business and the feeling that maybe our actions aren't all that important in the face of much more powerful interests.

Here, the book actually sets up some neat parallels between Inukai's confronting local business leaders against Ando's ambivalence towards helping out a bullied classmate named Kaname. Fearful where Inukai is resolute, Ando has trouble shaking the hard-learned belief that the nail that sticks out gets hammered. At the same time, Ando sees that Inukai - for all of his success - might have darker ends in mind.

Even if he doesn't, there's something fascistic in the way Inukai has gathered a slowly-growing army of uniformed young men, swayed by his personality and unwilling to question his actions. Implicit here is that Inukai is creating his own sort of conformity - just the thing Ando from which Ando is trying to break free.

If you get the impression the book is rich with ideas, yes it is. But it never reaches the point of becoming either academic or stuffy. There's certainly an interesting mystery at the core of the story - what is the Grasshopper group up to, exactly? At the same time, it tackles the issue of being young and attempting to figure out what to do with the power in one's life.

I look forward to the next volume in the hopes that the flow of ideas continue.

A preview copy of this title has been provided by Viz. ``xEkZplFFlplePcNIOCh``x1270833808``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421534282``xMegumi Osuga ``xKotaro Isaka ``x``x``xThriller``x``x``xStephen Paul``x``xViz``xOlder Teen``xA-``x9.99``x150``x225``xmaoh v1.jpg``x``x``x``x Alice in the Country of Hearts v2``xZackDavisson``xThe story continues in Alice in the Country of Hearts, Soumei Hoshino’s manga adaptation of Qunirose’s otome “dating sim” game inspired by Lewis Carroll’s original Alice in Wonderland. Seeing just how many times removed this manga is from the source material should set the proper expectations. Alice in the Country of Hearts (Hato no kuni no Alisu) makes no attempt to be faithful to Carroll’s vision. Aside from a few of the character prototypes and some names, there is little here that is the “classic” version of the story.

Volume 2 starts with a tea party (what else?) given by Blood Dupre (the Mad Hatter) and attended by Elliot March (the March Hare), Boris (The Cheshire Cat) and the Gatekeepers (Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum). Although initially resistant to the dangerous mafia leader, Alice finds herself warming up to Blood Dupre. Aside from his declaration in volume 1, Dupre is also drawn as irresistibly towards Alice as all of the inhabitants of Wonderland.

When Peter White (The White Rabbit) finds out about the tea party, sparks fly and he is quick to call out Elliot March into a duel. The casual violence of Wonderland continues to stun Alice, who is less-than-impressed at the number of men willing to kill or die for her affections. Every man in Wonderland is compelled to want Alice, but they know no method of winning her other than Wonderland style of killing the competition.

Aside from random violence, volume 2 reveals some of the secrets of the Country of Hearts, and what is the fundamental difference between Alice and the Wonderland inhabitants. Some of the details of “those with duties” and the faceless ones are also revealed, and what exactly Julian is repairing in his clock tower. Alice in the Country of Hearts has always been darker-edged, but the tone of volume 2 becomes even darker.

I can’t say Alice in the Country of Hearts is an amazing comic, but I am enjoying the series. There is a nice contrast between the sweetness of Alice in her frilly maid outfit and the handsome, blood-covered Ace who places no inherent value on being alive. Most “harem”-style series have the clear winner from the first issue, but I honestly couldn’t say what guy, if any, this Alice will wind up with. As the saying goes, they are “all mad here.” Each member of Wonderland holds some dark secret, which gives them depth beyond their character design.

Not that Alice in the Country of Hearts is all bleakness and blood. There is a really funny joke set up here in volume 2, where Elliot March insists he is not a rabbit like Peter White, because he only eats carrot-based foods and not raw carrots like a rabbit. This bit makes for some welcome comic relief and is genuinely funny.

There seem to be some improvements made in the translation for volume 2, but it still has its clunky areas. Some of the language, like when Eliot March suddenly refers to Alice as a “little slut” seemed out of tone with the rest of the series. I haven’t read the original Japanese, so I don’t know what word was used and maybe its intention was to be jarring. Somehow the “flow” of the language is missing, that sort of intangible element that comes from having writing abilities rather than just translation abilities.

Review copy provided by Tokyo Pop
``xEkZplFElkpHIsxLVeP``x1270831820``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427817707``xQuinRose``x``x``x``xFantasy``xRomance``x``xBeni Axia Conrad``xMagda Erik-Soussi ``xTOKYOPOP``xOlder Teen``xB``x10.99``x150``x225``xAlice in the Country of Hearts cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdom: Artistic Science ``xNibley``xSo. It's time to write another column. Actually, I think it was time to write a column, like, a week ago... I'm really not sure what our column schedule is anymore. See, we've been trying to hide from it. It's not that we're burned out or anything. Just... um... Well, the best way to describe it is something like this: Right, need to think of things to write columns about. Hmm... This shouldn't be too hard; just think of translating manga. ... ... ... I wanna go to Disneyland.

I think we're just shell-shocked or something. I'm sure at least some of you noticed that we've been insecure lately (see last... week's? column). I'm pretty sure we just need to get over it. We've been reading more reviews than normal, and sometimes the reviewers don't like the translation choices we made, and since we're human, it's a little hard not to take it personally. But I'm resolving right now to get over it! And in the meantime, we'll discuss the fact that translation is an art.

Actually, translation is kind of a scientific art, or an artistic science. It's like science, in that there are right ways and wrong ways to do it. For example, if we were to translate “arigatou gozaimashita” as “I hate you!,” that would obviously be a very wrong way to do it. If we translated it as, “What beautiful toenails you have,” it would also be very wrong. Of course, these examples are really extreme, and there are other ways to translate something incorrectly without making things up completely. I'll even use an example of a mistake we made.

One time, we came across the word “iyagaru,” which means “to display dislike, disgust, hatred, unwillingness, etc.” If you look it up in a dictionary, you'll get definitions to that effect. However, it can also be a combination of “iru (to be)” and “yagaru,” which is a verb modifier that indicates hatred or contempt, or disdain for another's actions. It would be translated to something like, “There's the scum!” We went with the former, which was a mistake, as we should have known from the context. When it was pointed out that the translation was wrong, we thought about it, realized our mistake, and kicked ourselves.

Moving on, translation is like an art in that there's more than one right way to do it. We could translate “arigatou gozaimashita” to, “Thank you,” “Thank you very much,” “Thank you kindly,” or even, “I really appreciate it,” and still be right. (Though the “I really appreciate it” would depend on the context a little more.) “Thanks” is an interesting option, because, while it's technically right as far as meaning, it's wrong as far as nuance, because “thanks” is much more casual than the formal “arigatou gozaimashita.” Unless, of course, there are some regions of English-speaking countries in which “thanks” is somehow more formal. That would then make it an interesting dialect choice.

Speaking of dialect choices, I think this is one of the most controversial things about translating manga. Everyone seems to have a different opinion on the best way to deal with dialects. Some people prefer to just ignore them, and translate them the same way you'd translate everything else. Some people think that if the character was given a dialect, it means the manga artist was trying to give them some kind of personality trait, or something to make them stand out from the rest of the characters. Some people say, “Well, if you must deal with it, then fine, but at least spare us the standard American Southern accent!” Some people probably don't care as long as it's legible.

We actually have a column somewhere in the archives about dialects and how we prefer to deal with them, but I can give a brief summary here. We like to keep them, because giving it to them in the first place was the original author's way of adding another level of depth to the character, and taking it away would flatten the character a bit (or completely, depending on what other depth that character may have). We do tend to go with the standard, uncreative Southern accent (see our other column to find out why!), but we also like to choose accents on a character-by-character basis. We'll be the first to admit that our dialect writing probably needs work, but we're working on it! But whatever dialect we choose, we stand behind our reasoning.

But anyway, we hope this gave a little bit of insight into how translating is more than just changing a Japanese word into an English one. We have to make decisions based on what we feel sounds most natural and what we feel best suits each character. Whether or not those choices were the right ones is going to be different for each fan, but I seem to remember reading somewhere something about how art isn't art unless it creates debate. So maybe we should take the negative reviews as a compliment!
``xEkZpyuAlVEGzrPeinV``x1270649851``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg Yotsuba& v7``xbarblien``xA bright, sweet five year old girl goes to a farm and has a terrific time. It doesn’t sound like much of a manga, huh? You’d be wrong if you thought that. This manga is about the small but real joys of childhood. As such, this book is magical.

The characters, especially Yotsuba herself, are loveable without ever being overly cutesy or sickly sweet (a definite no-no in all-ages titles). There’s also an underlying realism to the series that proves that one can create a series where humans act like real humans without having them act like jerks or psychos or neurotics (yes, I’m talking to you, depressing slice-of-life comics and grim and gritty superhero comics). Yotsuba is about all that is good and fun and enchanting about everyday life. It’ll make you feel better just by reading it. It’s a real tonic for the blues.

Yotsuba is smart and full of real sentiment, as opposed to simply being sentimental. It takes a lot of heart, as well as a lot of brains, in order to write such a series. Think about all-ages American cartoons, for instance. In recent years, American animation has become increasingly filled with a snark factor that makes one wonder if they’re really meant for kids at all…or just the bored parents that have to take their kids to a “family” film. Yotsuba, much like the film Ponyo, is a work for children that is blessedly free of the kind of self-consciousness that comes from having to take adult considerations into a work of art for a younger audiences. Oh, adults will enjoy Yotsuba as much as kids will, perhaps even more, as Yotsuba is a gentle book (nothing explodes, for instance), but isn’t it nice to have something out there that doesn’t have kids that seem straight out of sitcoms (sarcastic little wits that have no respect for their parents and act like junior league Dorothy Parkers) for a change?``xEkZpyuAZEAugOlzYnh``x1270649719``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0316073253``xKiyohiko Azuma``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``xAmy Forsyth``x``xYen Press``xAll Ages``xA``x10.99``x150``x225``xyotsuba v7.jpg``x``x``x``x We Were There v8``xYsabet``xWe Were There often makes me desperately wish that there were a ready way to say "not much happens in this volume" without sounding negative. Volume 8 is one in which very little happens, so the first half can easily be summarized with "Yano has to decide between moving to Tokyo with his mother or staying behind to be with Nanami, who's determined to let him make his own choice". It's not a lot, but Obata has repeatedly demonstrated that this series doesn't need a lot of plot twists to carry it along; the characters' emotions are more than up to the task.

There's something amazing about seeing Yano struggle to decide between his mother's and Nanami's conflicting needs--not to mention his own desire to be a good son and yet be with the girl he loves. Coming from a boy who initially came across (perhaps understandably) as selfish and insensitive, his indecisiveness and his wish to do the right thing are powerful. For her part, Nanami is still trying to deal with the way Yano's behavior hurt her in the last volume, and she has to fight her tendency to withdraw from him when she's hurt. Her conflict is quieter than Yano's, being mostly internal; she wants him to make his decision without her influence, but needs him to know that she still wants to be with him. She deals with it by throwing herself into studying so she can apply to a university in Tokyo that she has little chance of being accepted to, although she makes it very clear to Yano that she's chosen that school for her own sake, not his.

I don't want to give away Yano's choice here, particularly given the startling way the volume ends, but I very much enjoyed the way he and Nanami interact at this point. They both seem to be trying to be more open and generous with each other, despite each having their own reasons for finding that difficult. Nanami in particular seems to do quite a lot of growing up this time around, as she tries to truly consider Yano's needs and prioritize their relationship while making contingency plans for her own life that don't revolve around him. This is another solid installment in an excellent series.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkZpyuAFlEetTSKOIl``x1270649381``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421520257``xYuki Obata``x``x``x``xRomance``xDrama``x``xTetsuichiro Miyaki``xNancy Thistlethwaite``xViz``xOlder Teen``xA``x9.99``x150``x225``xWe Were There 8 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x REVIEW: Pandora Hearts v2 ``xLizMcKinney``xIf you’re into shonen manga featuring alternate worlds, magical jargon, and offbeat characters with manifold (often chaotic) personalities, Pandora Hearts should be your next read. Volume 2 continues with Oz Vessalius, a 15-year-old from a prestigious family (or “Dukedom,” as it’s called in the manga), and his travel companions’ quest to discover the truth behind a “sin” that threatens his very existence.

Previously, Oz learned he was dragged into the Abyss, an ominous world in a different dimension, for 10 years as punishment for “existing.” He encountered a chain (former humans transformed into monsters by the Abyss) named Alice, who persuaded him to enter an illegal contract that would bind their powers and allow them to leave the Abyss. However, Alice doesn’t disclose that each time Oz uses her powers, a clock-like tattoo on Oz’s chest rotates, counting down the time he has left to live. If he does not find a way to stop this clock (also known as an Incuse), he and Alice will be sucked into the darkness of the Abyss, never able to return to Earth. In volume 2, Oz returns to the place he was before entering the Abyss, hoping to find answers. He travels with Alice, who is also searching for her lost memories, and Raven, a dark character sent by an organization investigating the existence of the Abyss, Pandora.

Whew, if that doesn’t blow your mind, try reading volume 2 before the first one. After learning more about the characters and their journey about halfway through the book, I had to restart from the beginning to understand what was going on. But aside from this setback, Pandora Hearts is full of psychedelic art, intimate dialogue, and plenty of fight scenes for the adventure-loving reader.

Even if you’re not so much interested in this Naruto/Bleach-type of manga, Pandora Hearts still entertains thanks to the intricate and developing friendship between Oz and Raven. As a protector with many secrets, Raven attempts to keep his distance from Oz to avoid hurting him. However, Oz’s honest and cheerful personality draws in the characters around him, and his struggle to hide his fear for the future made me feel instantly sympathetic and eager to read more.

Each character also seems to have an air of mystery that can never fully be trusted, which piqued my curiosity about the story as a whole. For example, the “Intention” of the Abyss (the God that governs all) appears in the shape of a stuffed rabbit toy, tempting Oz to kill Alice and save himself. We also see more of Xerxes Break, a member of Pandora whose appearance remains eternally young thanks to his legal contract with the Mad Hatter, a chain from the Abyss. While he warns Oz that Alice is an enemy, Oz cheekily replies that Break is hiding more than anyone else, and that “you shouldn’t trust people like that too easily.”

As confused as I was by most of Pandora Hearts v2, the art was stunning (think a more violent version of Vampire Knight) and the overarching question of who can be trusted and who will betray keeps the story fascinating. Although jargon-overkill definitely detracts from the story—Abyss, contractor, incuse, Four Great Dukedom, etc., etc.—and the constant Alice and Wonderland references are more cheesy than clever, Pandora Hearts v2 offers enough plot-twisting action and mystery to keep the pages turning.

Review copy of this title provided by Yen Press.

You can read more of Liz’s work at Japanization
``xEkZlkVEEVFcQzINyPO``x1270475153``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0316076082``xJun Mochizuki``x``x``x``xFantasy``xSupernatural``x``xTomo Kimura``x``xYen Press``xOlder Teen``xB-``x10.99``x150``x225``xPandora Hearts v2.jpg``x``x``x``x Real v7``xbarblien``xMy husband is a big fan of Takehiko Inoue’s samurai epic, Vagabond. I found the work to be a bit too decompressed for my taste, although I thought the art was some of the best I’d ever seen, whether in comics or manga. I was happy, therefore, to have gotten into Inoue’s sports manga, Real, about wheelchair basketball. It gave my husband and me something (extra) in common to geek over. Real is different from other sports manga, as it usually focuses on character development. In Real, winning isn’t always what matters. For some of these characters, just being able to find enough self-esteem to wheel their chair to the basketball court and to play is triumph enough.

In volume seven, we finally get to the sports in the sports manga. Kiyoharu Togawa, one of our lead characters, has gotten really good at wheelchair basketball. His almost single-minded determination has brought his good-but-not-great team a certain reputation as bad-asses on the court. He’s gotten so proficient that a “better” team, The Dreams, want to recruit him. The dilemma: Does he stay with a team that rises or falls on his abilities, or does he go onto greater fame with a team that may really challenge his abilities? It’s not a black or white situation, as his team, The Tigers, is a real repository of a lot of our hero’s self worth. To leave the team would be like leaving a part of himself behind.

In volume seven, a lot of time is spent on an important game, pretty typical of a standard sports manga. Now, it’s a hell of a game, exciting and surprising at every turn. It’s incredibly well-drawn, with speed lines that have a reason for being. However, I was a little let down that there weren't just a few more scenes off the basketball court. I’m sort of into this book for the character development. I mean, I get it, it’s about sports. However, it’s about sports and self-worth, even more so than in a standard sports manga. The two themes are so intertwined that slighting the character development, even inadvertently, matters even more than who wins or loses.

However, I know that this may be a minority opinion, as most people who read sports manga want sports. In fact, I think that a lot of sports manga types might have felt that that Real might have been a little slow to get to the sports. So, if that’s you, the sports has finally happened… and will probably take more and more front and center stage in future volumes.

All in all, I still liked the volume, so I’ll give it a B Plus.``xEkZpppylZyeZGDvUVf``x1270006876``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x``xTakehiko Inoue``x``x``x``xSports``xDrama``x``xJohn Werry``x``xViz``xOlder Teen``xB+``x12.99``x150``x225``xreal v7 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Arata: The Legend v1 ``xYsabet``xYuu Watase's name isn't one I ever expected to see on a shonen volume, but there's a first time for everything: her Arata: The Legend appears under VIZ's Shonen Sunday imprint. Watase's work isn't generally on my "must read immediately!" radar, but I found the first volume of Arata fun and charming. (I'm also quite fond of Fushigi Yûgi: Genbu Kaiden, so either her style is growing on me or her newer work is just more to my taste. My suspicion is that it's the latter.)

Arata is the story of two boys, both named Arata, who hail from very different worlds. Arata Hinohara lives in modern Japan, where his unusual athletic skills draw the kind of attention he'd very much like to avoid. Another Arata lives in a world where the power of the gods is very real, and he's in the unfortunate position of having to disguise himself as a girl in order to take on the responsibilities that should fall to a daughter of his family--a daughter his family doesn't have. And that's just the beginning of his problems, which get far worse when he's the only witness to a horrible crime.

Either boy could be the subject of an interesting story, but their lives are further complicated when they somehow switch places and land in each other's worlds, with the people around them unable to tell them apart. (They're drawn very distinctively from each other, so I'm unsure whether they're actually meant to look identical underneath the different hairstyles and clothing and are simply drawn with different hair colors for readers' convenience, or if there's some sort of magic in play that makes people mistake them for each other. It puts me in mind of the way the girls in Sailor Moon are never recognized.)

Each of the Aratas has plenty to deal with as they suddenly face life in the other's world, but the first volume skews heavily towards Hinohara's experience after he lands in the other Arata's world; that said, there's enough set-up of his situation in the "real" world that I'm guessing there'll be more equal treatment as the story unfolds. This is a straightforward story so far, but it's very enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to reading more of it.

An interview with Watase-sensei about the series is currently available on VIZ's Shonen Sunday website.

Volume 1 of Arata: The Legend includes bonus comics by Watase-sensei's assistants.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkZpppyupEFzYrOiLJ``x1270006401``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x 1421534207``xYuu Watase``x``x``x``xFantasy``xAdventure``x``xJN Productions``xLance Caselman``xViz``xAll Ages``xB+``x9.99``x150``x225``xArata 1 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Haruka v7 ``xYsabet``xSeven volumes in, I still find Haruka - Beyond the Stream of Time a generally confusing read. If you're familiar with my earlier reviews, you may recall that I've frequently chalked that up to never having read volume 1. But at this point, I've read six consecutive volumes, and am reaching the conclusion that either the first volume was action-packed and full of tight exposition and subsequent volumes would all make sense if only I could lay hands on the book, or that the series is just plain meandering and unfocused.

The bulk of volume 7 is devoted to Shimon, the Guardian whose blond hair and blue eyes have led to people distrusting him because they mistake him for a demon. Now he's met a young demon, Sefuru, who makes the same mistake and then, seeing Shimon consorting with another Guardian, concludes that Shimon is a traitor who deserves to be manipulated and killed. There's also a subplot involving Eisen, the young priest/Guardian who may be having stronger feelings for Akane, the Priestess of the Dragon God, than he ought to.

It sounds interesting enough, and it even has a clear connection to the series' ostensible plot, but it doesn't really connect much to most of the material I've already read. Haruka's huge cast of characters all have their own motivations and histories, but they very rarely seem to tie back in to the nominal main story. The characters are all off living their own lives, and every once in a while there's a nod to them sharing a connection and common goals. Akane, despite being the heroine, rarely ever does anything, although when she does have the opportunity to do something I usually enjoy it.

I want to like Haruka, because every volume has a few moments scattered through it that ring true to me--in volume 7, they mostly had to do with Eisen, not Shimon--but in practice I find it frustrating to dig through the heap of subplots and try to keep the characters straight when I'm not given enough time or focus on any of them to really care about who they are and what's happening to them.

Volume 7 of Haruka - Beyond the Stream of Time includes a "Special Episode" and several pages of bonus material.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkyAFylVkFZhuKoJXP``x1269454923``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421527987``xTohko Mizuno``x``x``x``xRomance``xFantasy``x``xStanley Floyd``x``xViz``xOlder Teen``xC-``x9.99``x150``x225``xHaruka 7 cover SMALL.jpg``x``x``x``x One Fine Day``xZackDavisson``xJust how much cuteness can you realistically handle? That is the question you have to ask yourself before cracking the pages of One Fine Day the latest manhwa (Korean comic) collection from Yen Press.

Because cuteness is what you are going to get here. And not a little bit. One Fine Day is a total cuteness immersion. There is not a page, not a line, not a word appears in this comic that is not designed to elevate the cuteness. I wouldn't be surprised at all to find out that you could lick the pages and have them dissolve in your mouth like sugar. You might think I am exaggerating. I am not.

Check out this premise: a novice magician (so we are told...he never seems to do any magic) shares his home with three animals - a mouse, a cat and a dog. The three animals can talk, and have two different forms; their normal cute animal form and a human form where they look like little kids dressed in those floppy animal pajamas popular in Asia. (The cat and the dog change outfits from time to time, always retaining their cute little ears when in human form). This friendly foursome gets together for all sorts of hijinks and adventures, for example baking cookies and doing the laundry.

One Fine Day was originally serialized in Yen Press' Yen Plus magazine, and is almost more like a series of newspaper comic strips than a typical comic book. Each adventure last 8-10 pages or so, and consists of action-packed scenes such as baking cookies together and having the mouse run across the dough to make footprints. The other two animals get jealous, so the magician has them all run across the dough, then bakes special cookies for each animal with their own footprint in it! Another adventure has them hosting a tea party for some fairies, and dressing up the mouse in a cute frilly girly dress instead of the usual pajamas.

Because One Fine Day is a manhwa it reads left-to-right in the English style rather than the reversed right-to-left typical of Japanese manga. The book is slightly oversized, being a bit larger than a Japanese manga but not as large as an American comic. The artwork balances between being overtly stylistic (such as the magician's cute fuzzy hair, which is basically a collection of marker scratching) and the traditional "manga style" of big eyes and small mouths. The artist uses a very loose line, focusing on the characters rather than complicated backgrounds.

I found I could only take One Fine Day is short doses. When I tried reading it straight through the cuteness was just too much for me to take, and I got overloaded. However, because it is a series of unconnected mini-adventures, there is no problem reading a few stories here and there.

One Fine Day is listed as "All Ages," and that is absolutely true. This would be a great comic for a young child who has some decent reading skills. Especially if that child likes cute things such as a mouse, cat and dog all dressed up in cute clothes having adventures.

Review copy provided by Yen Press.
``xEkyAFylFkuIxAhPvkT``x1269454724``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x0759530564``xSirial``x``x``x``xComedy``x``x``xJuYoun Lee``xJuYoun Lee``xYen Press``xAll Ages``xB``x10.99``x150``x225``xone fine day.jpg``x``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdom: Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!``xNibley``xI have a little confession to make. Since we were called out on using the word “awesome” too many times a few months ago, I've just been a little insecure about it. Not that I think “awesome” is in any way an inferior word -- just that I realize that sometimes we (by which I mean the general “we,” and not just “me and Athena,” though of course we're included) can't always tell if we're any good or bad at anything. Writing, for example. We might write a column and think, “Wow, that was the awesomest columns we ever wrote!” But just because we (and this time, I do mean just me and Athena) might like something doesn't mean it's any good.

Naturally, the opposite is true as well -- we might write a column and think, “Man, this is terrible, but we've got deadlines coming up and there's no time to write another one!” and have people think it's their favorite column. We got a lot of positive feedback on our sound effects column waaaay back when, and we were surprised because we didn't think it was anything special. (We were also very grateful, of course.) I think this is just an example of how whether or not we like something is not necessarily a reflection of its quality, which is why, if the two of us were ever to write reviews, we've been thinking we'd need to give it two grades: 1) how well-done we think it is, and 2) how much we liked or disliked it regardless of 1.

As far as actual quality is concerned, things get tricky when it comes to translation. The only people who can really tell how good or bad your work is are other translators in the same language set, and even then it gets to be really subjective when you're translating something like manga. (It also requires the translator to read both the Japanese and English versions of the manga they didn't translate, and most of us don't have time for both because we're busy translating.)

But anyway, I was talking about the word “awesome.” I will admit that, much like Rhino the Hamster, we have a tendency to overuse the word. I don't think our overuse of the word is any reflection of our translation skill, though, especially because we don't use it much when we're actually translating. I hesitate to defend my own word choices, because it feels like I'm making excuses for myself, but I'm going to do it anyway. I have gained new courage, because Wil Wheaton, who has over a million followers on Twitter, used the word twice in one tweet, and he too used it without a trace of irony. (I was going to comment here about how popularity doesn't necessarily mean anything about whether or not you're using a language properly, but it's also true that language evolves for a reason, and that reason is probably popularity.)

And the thing is, irony is why we like the word awesome. Or rather, its lack of irony. Back when we were getting started in this whole “communication” business where we were actually “talking” to people, they would tell us about good stuff that happened to them. We'd usually respond with a very chill, “That's cool.” But then we started to get more excited about things (or our friends would), and we'd want to sound more enthusiastic. So we'd say, “Awesome!”

“Cool” just wasn't enough anymore. This might come from times when our dad would say, “Cool!” to us and we couldn't tell if he really meant it, or if he was forcing himself to be excited on our behalf. (We love our dad, but he's not always the best at sharing interests.) Or if he maybe meant it ironically to himself, while trying to convince us that he was sincere. At any rate, “awesome” sounds more natural (at least to us) and thus eliminates a lot of that doubt.

The irony also comes in when we try to think of alternatives, like, “That's great!” Since we did a lot of our conversing through instant messaging (now you know part of why I had scare quotes around “talking” in the previous paragraph), it was really hard to tell if that “That's great!” sounded sincere or sarcastic. “Awesome” tends to be a lot more obvious when it's used sarcastically. We also used “Excellent!” a lot (which has the added bonus of sounding like an evil mastermind), but “awesome” seems to have more lasting power. Maybe it's because more people use it?

But much as we like the word “awesome,” we did notice that it started to be far overused. So we started trying to replace it in our vocabulary with “fantastic.” And “fantastic” is a fantastic word. (Ha ha ha...) Yet there's still something about the word “awesome” that just won't let go. We can't stop using it! It's like an addiction! Only this time it's an addiction to something good, because really, what's wrong with expressing a positive opinion? Positivity and negativity are so easy to spread around. Let's try to stay positive! And so, be awesome to each other. And party on, dudes. (Wait, I think we got that quote wrong. Oh well.)
``xEkyAFyZyZFIYlRiJRj``x1269454073``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg Hokuto No Ken (Fist of the North Star) Finally Coming Back to R1 DVD``xCharlesWebb``xA recent newsletter from retailer Right Stuf has revealed that the long-in-limbo Hokuto No Ken TV series DVD rights have finally landed with Eastern Star (aka Diskotek Media). The company will be distributing the first batch of 36 episodes on DVD on June 29th.

Oh, and you can handily preorder the set here.*

Based on the bloody early 80's manga by Buronson, the animated series ran between 1984 and 1987 for a total of 152 episodes. The animated series was released on DVD by Manga Entertainment at the beginning of the decade before the rights reverted back to original studio Toei.

Diskotek rereleased the 1986 film to DVD last year and have a fairly interesting catalog of Japanese and Chinese exploitation titles on display. If my recollection of my viewings of some of their releases are accurate I have their Uzumaki sitting on my shelf) they produce serviceable releases of hard-to-find material that are fairly light on special features.

While it's great to finally have the series seeing a potential complete release here in the U.S. the AV nerd in me wished there was the promise of a restoration and Blu Ray release on the horizon. The current assets for the show being streamed via Hulu are a mess of inconsistent coloring and with lots of visual "noise."

I've reached out to Diskotek via a contact link on their site to find out more about their plans for this release. Until I hear from them I'll keep digging around and let you know if I find out anything more.

*Strangely, no sign of the release on Amazon. ``xEkyAppllZkbPUYxeHb``x1269008872``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``xfist of the north star collection cover.jpg``x``x``x Manga (and Anime) Firsts``xCharlesWebb``xHello out there MangaLife readers. Recently, the writing crew was asked a couple of flashback questions: first, what was their first exposure to anime or manga and second, which character did they relate to the most.

Thanks to our fine writers for coming up with insightful answers and we hope you’ll enjoy them as well.

Park (and Barb)

Barb's list:
Guu from Hare and Guu. "It's all okay, as long as Guu is having fun."
Akito from Fruits Basket. Also Kyo from Fruits Basket.
Lady Tsunade and Gaara from Naruto.
Excel from Excel Saga.
Park's list:

The dog from Fruits Basket, Shigure.
Vash the Stampede from Trigun
Master Keaton from… Master Keaton
Hare from Hare and Guu.
Kakashi from Naruto.
Sgt. Sosuke Sagara from Full Metal Panic.

Now for the second question. I was going to say that Barb and I were mostly pulled in by Rumiko Takahashi's Lum (Urusei Yatsura, that is) (and Lupin III in The Castle of Cagliostro, of course), but that was for both of us... for just me, there was Gatchaman (Battle of the Planets) and Star Blazers (I tried going back-- it's terrible! Except the theme song of course), Robotech, and Speed Racer.

Zack

It would be difficult to pinpoint my first flirtation with Japanese animation. My first memory of things Japanese would have to be the massive plastic toy I had called Great Mazinger which stood about two and a half feet tall. That doesn't seem like so much now but when I got the toy, sometime in the mid 70s, I was only about five years old so Great Mazinger looked really huge. He had arms that could be fired from his wrists and the red part of his head was a detachable
space ship.

It wasn't until a bit later, 1980, that I actually saw my first animated film, Galaxy Express 999 which was playing as a double feature with Robin William's live-action Popeye flick. I was completely hooked by Galaxy Express 999 and somehow that got me watching the syndicated run of Star Blazers early weekday mornings. I remember how my mother was astounded that, even though I previously had to get dragged out of bed to go to school, I was now waking up an hour early just so I could catch the latest episode of that voyage to Iscandar. Even though they were heavily edited, those cartoons were like nothing I had ever seen before, with real lives, real deaths and real love. Comparitively American cartoons were boring and lifeless. (I also watched Battle of the Planets, but that one was a little bit too edited and while I loved the series the result was a little bit too neutered to have the same impact as Star Blazers.)

When we finally got cable TV, I suddenly had access to Showtime and their showing of the dubbed versions of the various Shogun Warriors anime. Finally the Giant Mazinger of my younger years was moving across the screen in living color, and I found out what that little spaceship in his head was for. I even saw my first Miyazaki film back then, when Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was released as Warriors of the Wind on HBO and a strange Greek Myth – influenced film called Winds of Change which I now know was Hoshi no rufeusu doing an American/Japanese collaboration. Those shows and re-runs of Star Blazers kept me happy until 1985, when Robotech appeared on my TV, and I fell in love all over again.

Strangely enough, I had no idea that all of these series were Japanese until Robotech. It was the hair that made me connect all of those series together, that spiky black hairstyle that marked the main hero of most early Japanese animation. I used to call it "hero hair," and I think I even tried to imitate it once with my mother's hairspray but to little effect. Even though I loved all of these shows, I didn't really think about the country of origin until Robotech, and only then because I was old enough to wonder about these sorts of things. Once I realized that Japan was the country producing all of those wonderful things that I loved so much I started to specifically seek out "things Japanese." I guess I have never stopped since!

Ysabet
Like a lot of people around my age, I saw bits and pieces of several anime as a kid, and didn't really distinguish them from the domestic cartoons. I know I saw at least a few random episodes of Astro Boy and Robotech, for example, but they didn't make much of an impression.

For all intents and purposes, my first anime was Sailor Moon, and it was kind of accidental. When the first 65 dubbed episodes were airing in North America and making a huge splash in Canada, my best friend got into it. I don't even remember if I tried watching it or if he just told me about it, but at first I couldn't even get past the names. I mean, come on--"Sailor Moon"? "Tuxedo Mask"? "Sailor Scouts"? (To tell you the truth, I still snicker when I hear "Sailor Scouts".)

So I teased him about it a little, and that's as far as it went for quite a while. Then summer came, and a show I was watching went into reruns, and... Sailor Moon was on in the same timeslot. I glanced at it. I took a few longer looks. (Rinse, wash, repeat.) And one day, I found myself setting the VCR to tape an episode I wouldn't be home for. Next thing you know, I'd seen all of the then-dubbed episodes, been introduced to the local anime club (and someone who hooked me up with creaky VHS fansubs, which promptly turned me into a sub snob), and started pouring my money into any Sailor Moon swag I could find. I met a lot of like-minded people online, some of whom are still good friends all these years later, and from there I branched out into the wide world of anime at large.

I don't have a tidy answer about my "first manga". Was it the Ranma ½ volumes I skimmed but didn't click with in high school? Was it the Sailor Moon manga, which I read briefly when it started coming out (it was too localized for my taste)? Was it one of the several different things I tried reading but didn't love as much as I loved their anime counterparts? (Now that I'm primarily a manga fan, I still miss hearing the characters and seeing them in motion, but I often don't like anime adaptations these days.) Was it Fruits Basket, which I fell for after being a fan of the anime, and which was unquestionably the turning point where I realized just how badly anime often truncated or watered down the original stories (or invented terrible endings)? Take your pick.

The Nibleys

Our first time with anime was technically when we were four years old, watching Mysterious Cities of Gold on Nick Jr. (Did they have Nick Jr. when we were four?* Maybe it was still just late morning Nickelodeon.) It was our favorite show ever, and then our babysitter came over and had to watch her soap operas during our favorite show! And we've been morally opposed to soap operas ever since.

But our first time we knew it was anime was when Sailor Moon was on Fox. It might not have been Fox everywhere; this was before it was on Cartoon Network, so it was syndicated, and in our area it was on Fox. The first thing we saw of it was the commercials for the dolls, and we were like, "What? That's stupid!" I think our claims just came from the fact that smart people (especially punk teenage smart people) like to make sure everyone knows that they know when something was stupid, because our reasons were like, "Sailor Mars should be a guy, because the symbol for that planet is the same as for man!" I think there was something wrong with Sailor Mercury being blue, too, but I don't
remember what it is. Maybe that the planet it so close to the sun it can't be associated with water because it would be too hot.

And despite our being soooooo smart, one of our favorite things to do (which we still enjoy now!) was go to the toy store and look at all the Disney dolls that were on sale. One day, we were doing just that,
and right next to the Disney dolls were the Sailor Moon dolls, and we were like, "Wow, those dolls are kinda dumb. But ooooh, pretty colors..."

Soon after that, there was a premiere on a Saturday morning. We were getting up early for cartoons anyway, and so we figured we might as well check out what this crazy thing was about. The episode they showed was actually the first episode of Sailor Moon R, so we were pretty confused. Later, our friends told us it was playing on weekday morning before school, and that one episode (plus the pretty colors) had us just interested enough to tape it (it was on right about when we had to leave), and it became our favorite show.

The moral of the story is don't be a punk smart-aleck, or you could miss out on something awesome.

Our first manga was also Sailor Moon, and it was in Japanese. We would hold the book in one hand and a dictionary in the other, and it was really exciting when we could actually understand a whole sentence. Especially when that sentence was more than "Moon Prism Power! Make Up!!" (I think that's two sentences, but they're in English, so they still don't count.)

*[Editor’s Note] Nope.
``xEkylAVAyZEhyqrHOcu``x1269003600``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xstar blazers cover.jpg B.O.D.Y. v8``xYsabet``xB.O.D.Y. continues to be a bit of a roller coaster for me. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked volumes 6 and 7, although I was cautious, since I was already familiar with the series' habit of fluctuating between fun and frustrating. Unfortunately, volume 8 is back in frustrating territory for me, since it's all about misunderstandings--some engineered and some not.

This time out, both of our leads find themselves in questionable situations: a boy Ryoko meets on the bus tells her he's interested in her, and this leads to more than one conversation and him giving her tickets to a concert he's playing in. As for Ryunosuke, his one-time lover who's turned up as a teacher at their school is aggressively pursuing him even though he's repeatedly told her he's not interested. Of course, this leads to both Ryoko and Ryunosuke winding up in what look like very compromising situations, and there are plenty of people willing to gleefully tell each of them what the other seems to be up to.

I would like this series so much more if the story weren't so consistently built on misunderstandings and/or lies, especially since later volumes involve fewer outrageous plot devices than earlier ones did. Ryunosuke is fairly upfront throughout this volume, and Ryoko doesn't tell any outright lies--wait, she does. That loses volume 8 a point. (Let me be clear for those paying attention to letter grades that a) I personally don't use letter grades when I'm not reviewing for MangaLife, and b) this series in particular loses marks whenever someone lies. So factor that in when you're considering the grade I assign it.)

At this point I actually like the main characters just fine except for those concerns, but it's a big "except". I'm not fond of stories that depend on a revolving cast of alternate prospective love interests, but I could cope with that. Could they just consistently trust and be honest with each other? Is that really so much to ask?

Volume 8 of B.O.D.Y. includes a page of editor's notes and several bonus pages from the creator.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkylAVZlkEiOjgHIjK``x1269003600``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421527901``xAo Mimori``x``x``x``xRomance``x``x``xJoe Yamazaki``x``xViz``xOlder Teen``xC-``x9.99``x150``x225``xBODY 8 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit v4``xCharlesWebb``xThe premise of Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit is one of those high concepts that’s either made or broken by the world crafted by its writer. In this case, the bright idea is that – confronted with the ills of society – the Japanese government has created the National Welfare Act where every day a random person between the ages of 18 and 24 will be randomly, humanely killed. The goal of the NWA (no relation) is to make the general populace consider and appreciate their lives while it also has the effect of making the Ikigami recipients – the targets - reassess their lives and relationships in the time they have left. So how does the world of Ikigami stack up to its premise? It’s something of a split decision.

The series is episodic, with each volume taking place over the course of two Ikigami recipients’ final days, with sequences interspersed throughout filling in the story of officials from the NWA. The characters in this fictional Japan almost seem completely divorced from the work of the NWA until someone near them receives their Ikigami. When that happens, the affected characters put themselves in situations where they attempt to overcome some life issue. The two stories on display here have fairly high-stakes scenarios for the Ikigami recipients.

In the first (and slightly less successful) “The Last Lesson” a disgraced teacher with the utmost faith in the young attempts to use his last 24 hours to take revenge on a system that he believes is failing children. The characters are drawn so broadly in this story, however, that it’s hard to make an emotional connection with the initially sympathetic educator.

In the second, “A Place of Peace” a mother doesn’t trust her lazy, car tuner husband to take care of their asthmatic daughter, and spends her remaining time trying to find a way to keep the little girl safe. This story feels a lot more intimate and human, making it the better of the two. Here, the realization of the concept is better executed with clear stakes and genuine emotion beyond the primary action.

Similar concepts of state-sanctioned murder for the greater good have been explored in Koshun Takami’s Battle Royale, Stephen King’s (as Richard Bachman) The Running Man, and in a microcosm, Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery. Each story uses death by the state as a means of remedying a communal/social ill – youth delinquency, rampant poverty, or simply to make the crops grow. Here in Ikigami the rationale is a bit more esoteric: society is fed up with laziness and creates a program to combat it. Something about those broad strokes rings false, as though it hasn’t been fleshed out more thoroughly. For that alone the book would have received low marks.

However, it’s the human component of the stories that allows it to rise above a shaky concept and a world that seems somewhat divorced from the premise. Consider this one worth picking up – with caveat.

Review copy provided by Viz.

If you liked this review, be sure to check out more of the author’s work at Comics Bulletin``xEkylAVZVlyMZRInntG``x1269003600``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421526816``xMotoro Mase``x``x``x``xThriller``x``x``xJohn Werry``xKristina Blachere``xViz Media``xMature``xB+``x12.99``x150``x225``xIkigami v4.jpg``x``x``x``x Alice in the Country Hearts v1 Review ``xZackDavisson``xAlice Liddell (the fictional one) is a more popular character in Japan than in the United States. Sure, everyone knows Alice in Wonderland in both countries but somehow the frilly dress and blonde hair seems to appeal to the Japanese sensibilities a bit more. Japan has produced many of their own adaptations of the famous character, including a 1983-84 anime TV series and numerous manga interpretations like Alice 19th, Key Princess Story: Eternal Alice Rondo and the adult-orientated Miyuki-Chan in Wonderland.

This adaptation, Alice in the Country of Hearts (a direct translation of the Japanese title Hato no kuni no Alisu) began life as an otome "dating sim" game which is a gender-reversal of the popular harem-manga featuring one female protagonist with a host of male suitors. As you can guess, Alice is the girl-in-question here and all of the characters of Wonderland have been transformed into beautiful men to fawn over her.

The story begins in the typical way, with Alice Liddell meeting a white rabbit on the banks of a river. There the similarities end, however, as the white rabbit transforms into the man Peter White, who throws Alice over his shoulder and jumps down the rabbit hole, then forces a magic potion into her mouth in the form of a stolen kiss. Peter lets Alice know that the game has thus begun, a game with certain rules that she must follow if she ever wants to get home again. She takes the empty vial that contained the potion, and is told that it will slowly fill up again as she meets people in Wonderland, and when the bottle has been refilled she can go home. From there, her adventures truly begin.

Wonderland, in this case, is split into three kingdoms all of which are at war with each other. Blood Dupre (the Mad Hatter) is a dashing leader of the Mafia who controls one third of Wonderland. Vivaldi, The Queen of Hearts, controls another third, and the final third is an amusement park ruled by a man named Mary Gowland. In the middle of the three territories is a neutral zone in the form of a watchtower guarded by the clockmaker Julius Monrey, and another random player enters Alice's dreams at night and calls himself Nightmare. Each of the familiar Wonderland characters fall into one of these camps, such as Boris (The Cheshire Cat), Elliot March (the March Hare) and the Gatekeepers for the Hatter (Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum). Most of these characters have been recast as handsome young men who vie for Alice's affection.

In true Wonderland fashion, many elements of the story do not make much sense, although I suspect that future volumes will make them clear. The characters seem to be excessively violent, and do not feel that life has much value. All the characters are split into either "those with duties" who have names and faces, and the remainder of the cast who lack those attributes and fade into clocks after they have been killed. There are definitely darker elements here at play which are only hinted at.

One of the elements I really liked about "Alice in the Country of Hearts" was the suggestion that Alice is creating the fantasy world from her subconscious, and that the rules set are her own. She is forced to confront the idea that secretly she WANTS to wear frilly, girly clothes and to be admired by a horde of beautiful men, even if that goes against her conscious thoughts. Not too much is revealed in this first volume, but enough of the idea is presented to bring interest to the characters.

Hoshino Soumei has done a good job adapting QuinRose's original dating sim story, and the art looks lovely as well. I am usually not too much of a fan of the "bishonen" beautiful boy character, but Hoshino has given all of her guys an element of danger. They fall in love with Alice because they are compelled to do so by the rules of the game, but some resent the attraction they feel to her.

There have been some complaints about the translation for Alice in the Country of Hearts, and they are valid. Peter White was given an odd rhyming scheme for some of this dialog that doesn't exist in the original, perhaps to give the character a more "Wonderland feel." Tweedle Dee and Teedle Dum refer to Alice as "lady" in an attempt to get across the general feel of the Japanese word "onee san" but it comes across as awkward. Probably the biggest problem is the character Mary Gowland, who in Japanese has a name that is a pun for Merry-go-Round. I would have made the pun more obvious, calling him "Mary Goround" or something like that, but "Gowland" just doesn't cut it.

All in all Alice in the Country of Hearts was not amazing, but an enjoyable interpretation fo Alice and the Wonderland world, and I am looking forward to volume two.

Review copy provided by Tokyo Pop.
``xEkyllkAFZlLfNyhwaH``x1268829378``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427817693``xQuinRose``xSoumei Hoshino ``x``x``xFantasy``x``x``xBeni Axia Conrad ``xLianne Sentar ``xTOKYOPOP``xOlder Teen``xB``x10.99``x150``x225``xAlice Country Hearts.jpg``x``x``x``x St. Dragon Girl v6``xYsabet``xVolume 6 of St. Dragon Girl delivers exactly what readers have come to expect from this series: several (in this case, five) short but sweet stories where the not-quite-a-couple Momoka and Ryuga combine their martial arts prowess and mystical powers to banish demons and other supernatural critters. Or so goes the theory--in practice, this volume begins with Momoka lending her body to the wandering ghost of a dead schoolmate who only wants to finally confess her love to the boy she loves before moving on.

Other entities our heroes meet this time out aren't quite so benign, however, with their voracious appetites for different humans' life forces or that very special soul. Dreams and memories are both fair game to satisfy those particular hungers, and unfortunately some victims--like Momoka's own father--aren't inclined to accept help in dealing with the problem.

I enjoy St. Dragon Girl more and more all the time. This volume covers a pretty wide spectrum of stories, and while Momoka and Ryuga are still going through the "will they or won't they?" routine, they seem to be inching closer to giving in and being a couple. Ryuga's usual attitude about it tends to frustrate me, since he's more likely to be smug about Momoka's feelings for him than upfront about his own, but when he really gets protective of her it's adorable.

I do feel a bit odd that my interest in their (sloooowly) budding romance coming to fruition has less to do with wanting them to be a couple than with wanting them to stop their push-pull relationship, since I'm not invested in the romance. But I really like Momoka, and Ryuga's growing on me, so this isn't a significant complaint.

All that said, my favorite story in this volume is the last one, in which Ron-Ron (Momoka's stuffed panda, currently hosting the spirit of the Panda King) discovers the true meaning of the Obon holiday. It's ridiculously cute.

Volume 6 includes a bonus section where Natsumi Matsumoto writes about a trip to Chinatown with her assistants, a fan art page, and a page of cultural/translation notes.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkyllklyykjbazkErv``x1268828662``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x142152015X``xNatsumi Matsumoto``x``x``x``xRomance``xComedy``x``xAndria Cheng``xHeidi Vivolo``xViz Media``xAll Ages``xB``x9.99``x150``x225``xSt. Dragon Girl 6 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Kimi No Todoke v3``xYsabet``xKimi ni Todoke is such a treat to read! It's such a simple story, never relying on dramatic plot twists, and its faith in the ability of the characters to carry readers along is entirely well-founded. Watching Sawako discover the simplest pleasures of friendship, such as meeting up for ramen and then (!) visiting someone else's home, is absolutely lovely. Among other things, this modest adventure of Sawako's involves her friends convincing her to call Kazehaya so he can come join them, and gives her the opportunity to learn more about him.

As volume 3 continues, Sawako finds herself expected to play soccer for the school Sports Festival, and doesn't want to let her classmates down...but she has no skill at the game. No matter--determination overcomes a multitude of such weaknesses, and she has determination in spades. She also finds herself making friends with Kurumi, an adorable girl in another class who went to junior high with Kazehaya, and while Sawako's guileless approach to people keeps her from questioning Kurumi's interest in her, Yoshida and Yano aren't so sure about her newfound friendship.

There's no doubt that Sawako's as-yet-platonic relationship with Kazehaya is charming, but her friendship with Yano and Yoshida remains one of the highlights in this volume, which is a nice feature. Romance is hardly a one-step cure-all for someone who's been lonely and aching to be understood for her entire life, and the fact that Kimi ni Todoke not only acknowledges but understands that is one of the things I like best about it. As Sawako comes out of her shell, all of the people around her are desperately important, despite her particular feelings for Kazehaya, which so far are mostly confusing her.

Her mother and father are also a nice touch--they appear only briefly, but are quite convincing as the parents of a lonely and misunderstood girl, who've known all along how sweet she is but are both taken aback and thrilled when she begins to make friends.

Volume 3 of Kimi ni Todoke includes one page of cultural notes.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkyluEyEAAiAbaPHJi``x1268416199``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x142152757X``xKaruho Shiina``x``x``x``xRomance``xComedy``x``xKoichiro Kensho Nishimura``xDawn T. Laabs``xViz Media``xTeen``xA-``x9.99``x150``x225``xKimi ni Todoke 3 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Black Bird v2``xPennyKenny``xMisao is the bride of demon prophecy. Her blood grants incredible powers and if a demon eats her flesh, he'll become immortal. Ten years ago, Kyo was Misao's neighbor and friend. Now he's the head of the Tengu demon clan and ready to claim her as his bride. But does he love her? Or is he just after her blood?

A lot happens in this second volume of Black Bird: Misao meets Kyo's vassals - four of whom happen to be real hotties; is introduced to Kyo's older brother Sojo; learns why she has so few memories of her childhood; and is nearly raped. The main focus here, however, on Misao's confusion over Kyo's intentions.

Misao's insecurities, while understandable, can get tiresome; but her angsting is generally interrupted by some new plot revelation. Kyo, though he often comes across as a jerk, is given some nice scenes that show he's more than a dominating male. These are generally flashbacks to his childhood that also serve the purpose of explaining some of the pair's back history. The introduction of his brother Sojo adds a different dynamic to Kyo and Misao's relationship. Unfortunately, the brothers' connection, though intense, is dealt with fairly quickly. I hope author Kanoko Sakurakoji will revisit and explore it in greater depth at a later date. Likewise, the six vassals are given some lines suggestive of an interesting backstory, but then they quickly become part of the background. I wouldn't be adverse to more of their stories being told in the future.

Sex and violence are closely intertwined in this story. The threat of rape is a constant in Misao's life. Her power, after all, is tied to the drinking of her blood and eating of her flesh. That Sakurakoji chooses to base most of the humor of the volume on Misao acting out violently against Kyo, the one guy who seems to really care for her, is an interesting storytelling choice. Just when it looks like the pair will go all the way, Misao will pull back and hit Kyo with a well-placed kick, punch, or slap. It's handled in a light way, but it's still slightly disturbing.

Black Bird is a very sensuous story and that's reflected in its art. Sakurakoji delineates her characters and settings with a fine line. There are very few sharp angles; only smooth, flowing, curving lines. She also favors close-ups; forever zooming in on Misao's tear-stained face. While this is an effective technique for getting the emotion and drama of the moment across to the reader, it can be problematic. With all the intense focus on small details, it's sometimes hard to follow the overall action due to the chopped-up images. Though the characters are nicely differentiated, due to the placement of the word balloons it can be difficult to determine who's speaking. I had to read a couple of scenes twice to understand what was going on.

Overall, however, if you enjoy angsty teen-age romance leavened with physical humor and hints of the supernatural, you'll enjoy Black Bird.

A copy of this book was supplied by the publisher.
``xEkyluEVAuEqPRFzzmd``x1268415941``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x``xKanoko Sakurakoji``x``x``x``xRomance``xSupernatural``x``xJN Productions``x``xViz Media``xOlder Teen``xB+``x9.99``x150``x225``xblack bird v2.jpg``x``x``x``x The Dance in the Vampire Bund Brouhaha ``xCharlesWebb``xRecently, there's been a bit of gnashing of teeth and rending of garments about the U.S. streaming and forthcoming hard copy release of anime Dance in the Vampire Bund. Specifically, U.S. distributor Funimation announced prior to streaming the first episodes that the series would be edited for content due to "controversial elements which, when taken out of context, could be objectionable to some audiences."

Not to beat around the bush but these "controversial elements" were the ample nudity of the show's lead Mina - a vampire who happens to look like a child. Having not seen any version of the series yet (edited or otherwise) I can't weigh in on the prurient nature of the content and I don't feel qualified at this point to dip my toes in the water of what kind of weird need this content is apparently filling (and how misguided getting up in arms about its editing can be*).

But it seems the complaints have to a certain extent yielded results with recent blog post on the Funimation site assuring fans that the distributors are considering an uncut release when the series makes its bow on DVD.

What will be interesting is how sales channels will handle the release (i.e. will big box retailers like Best Buy shy away from it) and how long before there's a slow news day and it reaches the attention of outlets like Fox News? In a post-Chris Handley conviction environment this has the potential to be a battle for the distributor.

It's an interesting spot Funimation finds itself in - one we'll be watching attentively as it develops. ``xEkylFkVElkuIMEcmqi``x1268325182``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``xdanceinthevampirebund-cover.jpg``x``x``x Cactus's Secret v.1``xPennyKenny``xA copy of this volume was provided by the publisher for review.

Miku has dyed her hair, changed her make-up, and basically done everything she can to capture the attention of Kyohei, the boy she's been crushing on since middle school. Unfortunately, he's clueless about her feelings. What's a girl to do?

Miku is one of those heroines who hits first and thinks later. Her encounters with Kyohei generally involve violence of some sort, as her frustration with his inability to comprehend her - admittedly incoherent - declarations of affection leads her to react physically. Her emotions are all over the place. She jumps to conclusions; her feelings are easily hurt; and she can be as clueless as Kyohei on occasion. She's so caught up in her own feelings and imaginings that she misses what's going on around her. In other words, she's a typical teen-ager and creator Nana Haruta does an excellent job of depicting her as such.

As Cactus's Secret is Miku's story, the reader only sees Kyohei through her eyes. Despite his apparent cluelessness, he seems to have a pretty good sense of self. It will be interesting to see how his character develops as he spends more time with Miku.

There's not a very large cast at this point, so Miku pretty much carries the story. For the most part, she's up to the task. Her constant see-sawing between wanting to be with Kyohei and wanting to move on keep the story moving forward.

Haruta doesn't break any new ground in the shojo manga field with Cactus's Secret, but she does make some interesting story choices. For instance, after introducing a character who could easily have become Miku's rival for Kyohei's affections, Haruta quickly dispenses with her after using her to give a bit of insight into the boy's personality. This quick release of dramatic tension is fairly common with this volume. What external conflicts there are, are taken care of quickly, leading to the suspicion that Haruta wasn't quite sure where she wanted to take the story at first. The volume ends with the introduction of a new character, which should shake things up a bit.

The art is attractive; the pages, reader-friendly. The story flows smoothly from right to left. What happens next in each scene is obvious. Readers don't have to struggle to piece together where they should be looking. Haruta uses lots of large panel close-ups that focus on the characters' faces and especially their eyes. There are also plenty of sparkle, star, heart and flowery effects to indicate character mood. I especially enjoy the checkerboard with strawberries in the one panel. The switch to deformed or comic style is used sparingly, which makes it more dramatic when it does happen.

Cactus's Secret, Vol. 1 is a fairly typical shojo comedy-romance, but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. Miku is a character tweens and young teens can relate to and the ending will have them looking forward to the next volume.
``xEkylEZkpFZABUonDKH``x1268233200``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421531895``xNana Haruta``x``x``x``xRomance``xComedy``x``xSu Mon Han``xSu Mon Han``xViz``xTeen``xB+``x9.99``x150``x225``xcactus secret_1.jpg``x``x``x``x First Timer's Edition: Fullmetal Alchemist v22``xCharlesWebb``xSo I've finally had a chance to read a volume of the big-dog of the mangaverse that doesn't involve ninjas and ubiquitous spirals. To be honest, jumping into the reviews so late in the game feels kind of like it has the potential to be like swinging a stick at a hornets' nest. By this point there have been 30 million copies of the book sold in Japan alone and I imagine there's a metric buttload of the faithful here in the States.

Full Disclosure: I'm familiar with FMA via the dubbed version of the animated series from 2005. I get that there are fundamental differences between the animated series and the manga, particularly given that the show kind of, you know, had an ending while Arakawa is still working her way towards the finish line with the book. Still, that first exposure to FMA kind of made an impact I have to admit it prejudiced me in some ways towards the manga.

Now as far as a first-time read this was actually pretty easy coming in 21 volumes late. Big ups to publisher for including a recap at the start of the book helpfully accompanied by portraits of all the characters involved. This little touch makes sliding into the actual reading a lot easier. The book starts smack in the middle of res as it were as some kind of "Day of Reckoning" bears down on the whole cast with the humonculi lining up all of their grand plans.

It was easy enough to pick up with some of the characters I knew from the anime and subsequent film. In fact, it was a little surprising how easily the voices of the characters carries across the two versions of the story.The book maintains that balance between danger, pathos, and humor that kept me hooked on the derivative work - something that's a little lost in the new Brotherhood adaptation currently airing on Adult Swim.*

It's cool to see that Hohenheim, the father of series stars Ed and Al Elric, is a player in the events at this point in the story. One of the few weaknesses of the animated series for me was the brief involvement of the character who was directly and indirectly responsible of so many of the events in the story. In fact, (and this doesn't speak to the merits of the actual story) there's something warm and fuzzy about seeing so many of the characters I was familiar with still kicking around given the melancholy resolution of the original anime. It's like Arakawa has given the characters a second life for this reader.

So, is it any good? Well, yes it is - but maybe not as a first-timer's read. The book's chock-a-block with tons of ongoing plot threads that will dizzy most new readers - even with the recap. Still, it's worth picking up if you're longtime reader and it's a cool piece of curiosity for those who've watched the show.

*Yeah, I know: I need to get around to reviewing the first batch of episodes from FMA: Brotherhood.

Review copy provided by Viz Signature. ``xEkylEZykZptIIuHuau``x1268233200``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421534134``xHiromu Arakawa``x``x``x``xAction``x``x``xAkira Watanabe``xJake Forbes``xViz Media``xAll Ages``xA``x9.99``x150``x225``xFullmetal Alchemist v22.jpg``x``x``x``x Hanako and the Terror of Allegory v1``xZackDavisson``xAfter seeing the preview in Deadman Wonderland Volume 1, I was really looking forward to Hanako and the Terror of Allegory. After all, the series was being done by Esuno Sakae, the creator of Future Diary, which is a series I absolutely love, and the topic was Japanese folklore, which I love so much that I got a Master’s Degree in it. But unfortunately the first volume in this series just didn’t deliver.

The story opens with Hiranuma Kanae, a young girl who is being hunted by “The Man under the Bed with an Axe.” She knows that the story is nothing more than an urban legend, but her belief in it is so strong that it has manifested in reality. Through a rumor in an internet chat room, Kanae locates Aso Daisuke, the Allegory Detective. Daisuke specializes in cases like Kanae’s in ridding the world of what he calls “Allegories,” stories that have taken on a life of their own due to intense belief. Daisuke destroys the allegories by creating a situation where the believer is forced to confront the allegory, acknowledging that the allegory is nothing by a creation of the believer’s subconscious, and that active disbelieve dispels the threat.

Kanae soon joins the staff, and Daisuke, Kanae and his assistant Hanako head off to tackle more allegory cases. There are three stories in this volume, all based on Japanese urban legends. The first one is “The Man under the Bed with an Axe,” followed by the ubiquitous “Slit-Mouthed Woman” (“kuchisake onna”) and finally the “Human-faced Fish” known as “jinmengyo” in Japanese which is a popular legend that pops up in the news from time to time.

All of that seems pretty cool, which is why I was looking forward to the comic so much, but there is just too much here that doesn’t work.

To start off, Hanako and the Terror of Allegory is saddled with a really sub-par translation. I don’t know if the translator, Yamashiita Satsuki, is a native speaker of English or not but the translation is really stilted and lacks fluency. The whole comic reads like the words were looked up individually then assembled with proper English grammar but without any emotion or sense of storytelling in English.

Next, the series doesn’t quite commit one way or the other to being a supernatural comic or a high-tech comic. The “Hanako” in the title Hanako and the Terror of Allegories is an Allegory herself, specifically “Hanako-san in the Toilet,” which is an urban myth similar to “Bloody Mary” ie if you repeat the spirit’s name a proscribed number of times in the bathroom alone, the spirit will appear. However, aside from the backstory, this Hanako is a computer genius who spends her time making a “de-visualize program” for the allegories that strip them of their allegorical nature and allow the believers to see them for what they truly are.

At first I thought the series was going to be something like Fables, with the fairy-tale creatures being real, but instead the “de-visualize program” reveals that the allegories have no independent existence, and are nothing more than psychological projections of the believers. This forces the series to collapse under its own internal logic, because if Hanako is herself an allegory, wouldn’t the “de-visualize program” destroy her as well? And as all of the rest of the allegories have some specific target, some human being with enough belief to cause them to manifest, who is manifesting Hanako?

And while I was familiar with all of these legends, they are very Japan-specific, and the text offers little explanation for new readers. While everyone might recognize or understand “The Man under the Bed” and there have been a few movies released for ”The Slit-Mouthed Woman”, I highly doubt many Western readers would be familiar with “Hanako from the Toilet” or “The Human-faced Fish.” There is a single page at the end of the book giving a short explanation of some of the myths, but it really isn’t enough. A good translator will make endnotes to deal with some of the cultural ambiguities, but that doesn’t happen here.

Maybe all of this will be fixed in future volumes, and I have learned not to give up on a series after the first volume. There are some nice Lovecraftian notes, especially with the “Human-faced fish” episode, and I always appreciate that. A new translator would definitely be the first order of business. However, as it stands there isn’t so much to recommend for Hanako and the Terror of Allegory.


Review copy provided by Tokyo Pop.
``xEkylEZFEpFtVqszIfK``x1268233200``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427816085``xSakae Esuno``x``x``x``xHorror``x``x``xSatsuki Yamashita``x``xTOKYOPOP``xOlder Teen``xC``x10.99``x150``x225``xHanako Terror Allegory v1.jpg``x``x``x``x Wanna Become Tokypop Intern?``xCharlesWebb``xTokyopop is offering an interesting opportunity for candidates interested in a career in the manga industry. From their press release:

Complete and promote a real-world, digital production project as part of the TOKYOPOP Tour, a 3-month national tour for the world's most innovative entertainment company!

From May 28 through September 6, 2010, TOKYOPOP will tour America, going to anime and manga conventions, bookstores, libraries, parking lots--anywhere our passion leads us!--to promote TOKYOPOP, our stories, and our characters.

But this isn't any old tour. This is a multimedia experience...which is where you come in!

We're looking for a few good manga and anime fans to join us on the road and create a viral grassroots experience the likes of which has never been seen before.

You can find details about their program here. So, anyone in the MangaLife community going to apply? ``xEkyZZuFpuZyyCMAHXf``x1267743047``xnews``x``x``x44991115327104``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``xlogo.gif``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdom: Shinso``xNibley``xRecently, a fan asked us if we were planning on keeping the term “shinso” in future Negima! translations. We didn't know what the term was referring to (apparently it was used once in past English-language versions of Negima!, but obviously we didn't remember it), and looking it up in a dictionary, it could be so many things that we assumed that we probably wouldn't keep it. Upon further discussion, we learned that this particular use of “shinso” refers to the specific category of vampires Evangeline belongs to. (For the non-Negima! readers in the audience, Evangeline is a vampire character, but you probably figured that out.)

I think we've gone into this before, but our general policy on Japanese terms is that it's our job to translate them, and if that's possible, we will. The policy is a little more complex than that, and of course we didn't used to have such a policy. Back when we were starting out, it felt wrong to use anything but “onsen,” but now we're like, “Why not call a hot spring a hot spring?”

To be honest, part of the development of this policy is related to translation notes. We think translation notes are wonderful things that are very helpful in getting ideas across when they just don't fit in the dialogue. But on the other hand, it takes a little more work to write a translation note, and if we can fit something into the dialogue, why not do it? Especially with something like “onsen.” The translation note would be something like this: “Onsen is Japanese for hot spring.” That's it. We'd read that note and think, “Okay, why not call it a hot spring?”

“Shinso,” on the other hand, is a little more complex. We were still pretty determined to translate it for a few reasons. 1) We're stubborn and egotistical. 2) Evangeline is not originally from Japan, so why would she belong to a Japanese category of vampires?

There's a third reason that has only recently come into our translation style and that's the idea of not wanting to slow the readers down with too many foreign words. So we developed a new style of giving an English equivalent but still having a translation note to better explain what we meant. Unfortunately, I can't think of any example of when we did this, but we think it started when we were working on Nabari no Ou. Ninjas use a lot of techniques with Japanese names, and our personal preference is that it sounds cooler to know what they're saying. For example, hagakure might sound cool, but leaf veil sounds pretty darn cool, too, and has the added bonus of me (and in this case “me” means “readers who speak English”) knowing what it means.

Anyway, back to this “shinso” business. We finally decided that hey, maybe we should figure out exactly what category of vampire this is. So off we went to Wikipedia! Here's a really neat trick that I may or may not have mentioned before: If there's something in a manga that's like a scientific term, or a literary term, or a specialized term of some sort that seems like there would already be an English term for it, we go to Wikipedia and look up the Japanese article. Then we click on the link to the English article on the left, and bam! instant English translation. (This is important because there can be so many different ways to translate a single word that we need to make sure we're consistent with whatever lingo the term falls under.)

I'm sure there are a bunch of you out there who already know, but for those of you who, like us, were unaware, you know how most vampires are made into vampires by other vampires? “Shinso” literally means “true ancestor” or “true founder,” which would make a “shinso” the first vampire of a... um... “coven”? Do vampires have covens? Or do they have orders? Anyway, they're the first one of the “family tree” of vampires, after becoming a vampire through magic or some other not-by-another-vampire means.

We couldn't find an English Wikipedia article on this, so we're not sure there really is an English term for it. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, though, unless in Western vampire lore all vampires come from one king of all vampires or something. So if anyone out there happens to know an English term for this, we're very curious to hear it now! Please let us know!

As for whether or not we'll keep it... that's still up in the air, but we're leaning towards no (see reason #1). But we have a reason! We decided to look up the Japanese Wikipedia article on Evangeline, and that referred us to a line in volume six of Negima! that equates “shinso vampire” with “High Daylight Walker,” so it would seem that Ken Akamatsu has provided an English equivalent for us already. Personally, we think High Daylight Walker sounds a lot cooler than “shinso” anyway. And who are we to argue with the author?
``xEkyZykVpyFHwKAEyWH``x1267625063``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg Skull Man: The Complete Collection (DVD)``xZackDavisson``xSkull Man is a series with an interesting legacy. Created in 1970 by legendary Ishinomori Shotaro, Skull Man was Japan’s first anti-hero, a dark crusader who didn’t mind if a few innocents got killed during his quest for vengeance. The first one-shot story appeared in Shonen Magazine, and was an instant hit. Ishinomori was asked to re-develop the character in a lighter and less gruesome style for a kid’s television program, and the masked hero Kamen Rider was born. More than thirty years later Kamen Rider is still on the air, while the character that inspired him had faded to obscurity.

In the late 90s, a dying Ishinomori contacted manga artist Shinamoto Kazuhiko with his last wish: Ishinomori wanted Shinamoto to finish the story of Skull Man started so many years ago. Ishinomori faxed Shinamoto his plot and story notes, then Shinamoto took it from there. Skull Manwas revived in 1998 to great success. In 2007, Studio Bones (Rahxephon, Wolf’s Rain) updated and adapted Skull Man for a thirteen-episode Fuji TV series, which has finally been released in the US.

The setting for Skull Man is a divided Japan, split into North and South sections which are guarded by an armed border. On the Northern side, there are urban legends of a mysterious skull-faced killer stalking the streets. On the Southern side, newbie reporter Mikogami Hayato thinks that this “Skull Man” might just be the big break he needs to catapult him to fame, and convinces his editor to send him over to the North to find the truth behind the rumors. Hayato was raised in an orphanage in the Northern Otomo city and has contacts on the Northern side in the form of Kuroshiro Gozo, a powerful businessman.

At the border, Hayato meets Mamiya Kiriko, a young girl who dreams of becoming a Pulitzer-winning photojournalist. The two strike up an uneasy partnership, and go on a hunt for leads to the Skull Man. Their path quickly leads them to the White Bell Society, a new and powerful religious sect in Otomo city, and onto the trail of Kagura Tatsuo, a man killed ten years ago in an arson case but who Hayato tags as the leading suspect for the identity of the Skull Man. As the investigation progresses, it seems that everyone, from the innocent Kiriko to Hayato’s powerful ally Gozo, is hiding some secret connecting them to the White Bell Society and the mysterious and dangerous Skull Man.

With the Skull Man anime, Studio Bones decided to keep mainly the heart of Ishinomori’s original characters and to re-imagine almost everything else. The series has a 1930s Noir-ish detective feel, juxtaposed with Lon Chaney’s The Phantom of the Opera and Wagner’s Tannhauser opera. Ishinomori’s typical futuristic bucket-headed hero has been redesigned as a gothic menace with a close-fitting skull mask and a long black coat wielding a German Luger P08 pistol and a shotgun. By contrast however, Hayato and Kiriko are almost typical old-school anime characters thrust into a darker world than they were prepared for. Instead of the urban legend he was hunting for, Hayato finds himself surrounded with dog-headed monsters and beautiful movie actresses transforming into flying monsters.

The mixture of an updated and modern anime retaining some of the style and flair of its original creator reminded me quite a bit of the Osamu Tezuka adaptation Metropolis. Some of the character designs (especially Hayato and Kiriko’s hairdos) and plot twists might seem dated and in fact they are, but this was a deliberate choice that I think works well. It keeps that “nostalgic but modern” effect that I think is a strength of Skull Man.

The animation is beautiful, with some flawless CGI enhanced scenes. The series ends on a somewhat ambiguous note, either as a set up for a sequel or just as an artistic choice by the director. Either way, the series stands completely on its own. It must also be noted that Skull Man has one of the best covers I have ever seen on an anime DVD.

This set has the entire thirteen-episode series on two DVDs, with six episodes on the first disk and seven on the second disk. There is no dubbed soundtrack, being available only in Japanese with optional English subtitles, and that is just fine with me. The only real extras are some previews for other Section 23 releases. What I feel is really missing from the release is the live-action “The Skull Man Episode Zero” that was released as a prequel to this series, but these live-action anime adaptations almost never make it to the US, which is a shame. They would make excellent bonus features.


Review copy provided by Section 23.
``xEkyZykuyFuXEncYbTg``x1267624634``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x``xShotaro IshinomorI``x``x``x``xThriller``xSupernatural``x``x``x``xADV Manga``xOlder Teen``xA``x39.98``x150``x225``xSkull Man Collection.jpg``x``x``x``x Kaze Hikaru v16 ``xYsabet``xAs the sixteenth volume of Kaze Hikaru opens, a mere week has passed since Sanosuke Harada, one of the Shinsengumi's captains, met a girl named Omasa--whom he now wishes to marry. There's just one small problem: Omasa is the daughter of a merchant, and as the book briefly breaks the fourth wall to note, marriages between samurai and members of different castes were forbidden during this period. Sei isn't the only one of Harada's comrades who's distressed by the thought that the fledgling romance might not end happily in marriage, but she refuses to resign herself to such an depressing outcome.

Romance is on other minds as well, notably Saito's; despite his best efforts, his thoughts keep coming back to Dr. Matsumoto's recent pronouncement that Sei's girlish traits can be chalked up to a disease called "feminititis", and Saito can't help imagining "him" as a girl. Matsumoto himself returns with another important role in this volume, giving Sei a chance to think of her father in a new light.

This is yet another excellent addition to the series, with several subplots and a lot of development for a few of the characters. I absolutely love Matsumoto's "diagnosis" of Sei, which is a stroke of genius, and how the men around her react to it. There were a couple of moments in here where Sei struck me (not for the first time) as a bit more idealistic than seems entirely plausible, given how much she's seen and been through, but she's such a great character that I don't mind. She's easy to relate to, but there's something extraordinary about her: like many shoujo heroines, she's optimistic and easily moved, but she's unquestionably got a steel core.

Through Sei's eyes, we get to see how her higher-ups handle delicate matters, and are given a window into her past; unlike her, readers also get more insight into Soji's feelings for her as a new subplot for him opens up towards the end. I'm impressed by how many storylines Watanabe can address in just one volume (I haven't even mentioned them all!) without making any of them feel rushed or perfunctory.

Recommended, as usual, and I'm already looking forward to the next volume.

Volume 16 of Kaze Hikaru includes a three-page glossary of historical terms.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkyZykFAVAzuzaaqZE``x1267623959``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421528010``xTaeko Watanabe``x``x``x``xAction``xRomance``x``xMai Ihara``xMai Ihara``xViz Media``xOlder Teen``xA-``x9.99``x150``x225``xKaze Hikaru 16 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Portrait of M & N v1 ``xZackDavisson``xBoy meets Girl. Boy gets Girl. Boy loses Girl. Boy gets Girl again. You really can’t get a more classic storyline, and putting interesting twists on that ages-old scenario has provided fodder for writers for untold generations. Any book with a “romance” tag on the spine is most likely going to spin you some variation on the theme.

In Portrait of M & N, Tachibana Higuchi (creator of Gakuen Alice) has apparently decided to create the most messed-up characters he can, and run them through that traditional storyline.

The story begins with “M,” the high school girl named Mitsuru who is beautiful and polite and shy and is everything a manga heroine should be. The problem is, Mitsuru hides a terrible secret. The slightest hint of violent action towards her has her down on her hands and knees, begging to be beaten and abused and to be used in any way that would please her attacker. Mitsuru is, as the initial “M” would suggest, an extreme masochist whose harsh upbringing by her firm-handed mother has lead her to associate pain with love, and abuse with pleasure.

Now, the normal companion to an “M” would be an “S,”, but here Higuchi gives us an “N” instead. Natsuhiko is an isolated and shy boy at Mitsuru’s school, who hides behind giant coke-bottle glasses and distances himself from everyone. One day the girls at the school discover that behind those thick glasses Natsuhiko has the looks of a pop star, and is probably the best looking guy at school. The problem is, Natsuhiko completely agrees with them. So much as glancing at his own reflection in a mirror or reflective surface has him fawning all over his own perfection, unable to tear himself away from the perfect beauty that is his own face. Yes, Natsuhiko’s “N” stands for Narcissist.

And that’s the story. Both Mitsuru and Natsuhiko are horrified by their own deviancies, and transferred to this new school in order to escape their pasts and reputations. They attempt to hide their true natures, and their mutual fear starts to bring them together. But they are both able to control their urges only so far before Mitsuru is crawling on the floor begging someone to step on her head and Natsuhiko is entranced in the mirror swearing eternal love to his own beauty.

The first of a six-volume series, this first volume of Portrait of M & N spends most of the time unveiling Mitsuru’s and Natsuhiko’s secrets, including the pasts that made them who they are. Mitsuru is the first to be attracted to Natsuhiko, but his own narcissism leaves him unable to see her beauty as equal to his own, and so he is interested in little more than mutual support and protection. A rival appears ( of course) in the form of Hijiri, and upper classman who decides to claim Mitsuru as his own, but for different reasons than you might think.

The back-up story to Portrait of M & N is called “A Girl in a Birdcage” and is also the story of dysfunctional lovers, in this case a young woman who finds her self being trapped and controlled by her boyfriend, and eventually learns to love submitting to his will.

To be honest, Portrait of M & N was a little too bizarre for my tastes. In the author’s notes Higuchi writes that the series was born out of the desire to see a really beautiful woman beaten so hard that her face begins to bleed. Seeing the female lead in both Portrait of M & N and “A Girl in a Birdcage,” (which was written as a “romantic Valentine’s Day story,”) it is clear that Higuchi has some different ideas of love than I do.

It is this same bizarreness that keeps you reading Portrait of M & N and I have to say that I enjoyed this first volume because of it. I really can’t imagine how Higuchi is going to stretch the story out for the remaining volumes. At the end of Volume one, the story seems pretty much complete, but there is more to come. And more weirdness at that.

Portrait of M & N originally ran in that famous shojo comic Hana to Yume from 2000-2002, and actually pre-dates the more famous “Gakuen Alice.” In fact, if you are a fan of Gakuen Alice, Portrait of M & N is actually set in the same world, and one of the characters, Yoichi Hijiri, started off in this series.

Review copy provided by Tokyo Pop.

You can read more of Zack’s work at Japan Reviewed.
``xEkyyAlVyuuZwpBAPBt``x1266985644``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427817243``xTachibana Higuchi``x``x``x``xRomance``x``x``xSatsuki Yamashita``xJamie Rich``xTOKYOPOP``xTeen``xB``x10.99``x150``x225``xPortrait of M and N.jpg``x``x``x``x Natsume's Book of Friends v1 ``xYsabet``xNatsume's Book of Friends is just the first of several new titles VIZ has coming out this year that I've been anticipating entirely due to word of mouth. Despite the buzz, I knew very little about it other than the most basic elements of the premise when I sat down to read the first volume.

Here's what we've got: Takashi Natsume is a high school student whose ability to see spirits and demons sets him apart from the people around him. He inherited the Sight from his deceased grandmother, Reiko Natsume, and when he moves to the small town where she once lived he discovers two things: the local spirits all knew her (and mistake him for her), and he's inherited a book she used to inscribe their names and bind them. Unsurprisingly, his new supernatural neighbors aren't too pleased about being controlled--although their feelings about Reiko herself seem to vary--and they all want Takashi to set them free.

I can't say I really bonded with this first volume, but I get the feeling the series might grow on me more--which may depend heavily on how Takashi develops as the story continues. Right now he's something of a blank slate: he exists, he has an odd power that no one understands or believes in, and he apparently has no particular interest in the powerful book he inherited from his grandmother. The only real relationship he's formed so far is with a spirit he accidentally liberates, and it's a bit of a mixed bag--"Nyanko-sensei", who wants to possess the Book of Friends, usually takes the shape of a ceramic lucky cat, and fills multiple roles as Takashi's advisor, protector, and sometime antagonist.

Takashi's grandmother appears only in Nyanko-sensei and other spirits' reminiscences, and I already find her significantly more interesting than Takashi himself. From the way the story is unfolding so far, detailing Takashi's encounters with various spirits and what they have to say about her, I'd be surprised if we aren't given a lot more information about her and why she chose to bind the various spirits the way she did. Right now, that's what I'm most looking forward to seeing in later volumes.

Turning from the writing to the art for a moment, I should note that Midorikawa's style doesn't reach out and grab me. The characters are expressive and the yokai designs are often very interesting, but the overall effect is very wispy and seems vague to me. That and the often-minimal background detail may be intended to contribute to the story's otherworldliness, but to me the result is a sense of detachment, which probably isn't what Midorikawa is going for.

All in all, I think there's a lot of potential here, and if it's realized I can certainly see why the series is so popular. I hope to appreciate it more with subsequent volumes.

Volume 1 of Natsume's Book of Friends includes the creator's thoughts on each chapter and one page of translation/cultural notes.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkyyAlulZpuftvGnSp``x1266984870``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421532433``xYuki Midorikawa ``x``x``x``xDrama``xSupernatural``x``xLillian Olsen``xLillian Olsen``xViz``xTeen``xB``x9.99``x150``x225``xNatsumes Book of Friends 1 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x MangaLife Spotlight: Vagabond v25-30``xParkCooper``xWell, my appreciation for Takehiko Inoue’s manga Vagabond continues to grow. I really feel that those who like Inoue’s comedic thug-fest Slam Dunk or his realistic wheelchair basketball manga Real but who are resisting Vagabond (perhaps because they feel they already know the story of Miyamoto Musashi? If you don’t, gentle reader, allow me to quote Viz’s website when I say that he was “the legendary sword-saint, Miyamoto Musashi--perhaps the most renowned samurai of all time. “) are really missing out on something they’d regret missing out on if only they knew what they were missing. So here I am, back to try to tell everyone. I know of no better way to do this than to give my reactions volume by volume.

Warning: contains a few spoilers.

Volume 25: Musashi shows up a year later for a duel he’d agreed to. Both men are strong—but Musashi in particular is far stronger than he was. After the duel, the rest of the opponent’s school decide to ambush Musashi. Will Musashi show up for a battle against literally dozens of other warriors?

Favorite moment: My favorite moments are often going to be the very spiritual ones... near the end of this volume, the monk whose paths sometimes crosses with Musashi’s comments that Musashi has become kind. “That means you’re stronger. The strong are always kind.”

And just like that, there it is: Inoue’s hint to you of what this story is really about—it’s important that Musashi become stronger because he’s going to write The Book of Five Rings, which will try to show the world a way, _through strength_, PAST all of the boastful posturing that the supposedly-strong do in order to hide their insecurities. A new way that will try to teach mankind something about strength being a path to wisdom.

Volume 26: So does Musashi show up to fight 70-or-so warriors? Sure, why not?

Favorite moment: The warriors presume they can beat Musashi. As the fight wears on, it starts becoming more and more clear that trying to do so is a stupid idea. This fact occurs to Musashi, but suddenly he starts asking himself what he’s doing here. “This is just like how I live my life...” he thinks—a series of pointless battles, one after another, that produces nothing but corpses. In his mind, the spirits of the two old men he’s met chuckle at him and his slow, difficult struggles toward enlightenment...

Volume 27: The fight ends.

Favorite moment: Chapter 236, “Battle Threshold.” Musashi, with a little help from the spirits of the two old masters, suddenly understands confidence, what it truly is, where it comes from, and how to use it, as his eyes see two men for every one facing him on the battlefield—the physical man, in each case—and the cowardly fear that stands beside each one, as well. He is not like them. On the other hand, while he’s lost in this vision of what it really means to be confident and certain of one’s power, some of them make the mistake of attacking him while his mind is elsewhere—a mistake, because it just means that his merciless body and instincts are minding the killin’ store.

Volume 28: Not only has Musashi finished the fight only to be pretty injured, the authorities come for him to arrest him... what, you think you can kill 70 guys in an unofficial fight and no one’ll notice?

Favorite moment: Otsu, our little female love interest, thinks in flashbacks about the young man Musashi used to be, and how she came to love him.

Volume 29: Well, okay, technically they aren’t arresting him for murder so much as placing him under arrest for his own good. I mean, think about it—you take out 70 guys, that means you’re the baddest dude in the land (maybe ever). But that means if someone else takes out Musashi while he’s still injured, well, maybe they think that means they’re badass, since they would have just taken out the baddest dude in the land (if not ever).

Favorite moment: The ghost of one of the leaders of the 70 appears unto Otsu, to explain to her that the spiral path of death that Musashi is on will never end. Yahoo, some straight-up supernatural stuff!

Volume 30: A lot of people, some dead and some alive, feel that Musashi has surely fought enough for his entire lifetime. But he feels like the enlightenment that can be found through pursuing the path of matching strength against strength is sooooo close. If he could just find onnnnnne more guy who would test him to the utmost limits, and beyond... he suspects that he really might grasp this thing firmly enough to understand it. And some people agree with him on that...

Favorite moment: I’d have to say it’s when a wise man is explaining his take on all this strength and wisdom stuff to Musashi, and it’s over his head, just like Kojirō, the deaf-mute swordsman whose path is destined to cross with that of Musashi’s again some day, can barely grasp (even when they write it down for him) what’s in store for him in his future. When the wise man tries to distill a little of what he’s learned over the years, Musashi hears something he does understand (I’m paraphrasing, but only to let you comprehend this passage which I’m taking out of context):

Man: “The soul has many forking paths of choices. But I’ve learned... it’s best to just choose the one that’s in the center.”
Musashi: “That, I understand...”

Whatever Musashi ever does or says, darned if he isn’t direct about his deeds and statements.


I look forward to reading beyond Vagabond, volume 30... a quick check of Amazon shows me that volume 31 very recently came out...

Viz is also putting Vagabond out a second time in their VizBig collected omnibus editions. In my experience, those are often a good value for one’s money...``xEkyyAlukkyZAwLiWdu``x1266984226``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xvagabond v25.jpg Words of Truth and Wisdom: Fixins ``xNibley``xRecently we've been reading some translated manga, and it's gotten us thinking about the English adaptation process, as in, “How is it done, exactly?” We do some of our own adaptation work, but what had us wondering was the fact that the translation and adaptation on these particular titles were done by different people, which would make the process different than how we adapt scripts.

But when we started thinking about it, we also happened to be working on one of the titles that we adapt. Some titles involve more script-fixing than others. This is most likely because when we're going through it for the first time, we don't want to get stuck trying to figure out how to make it sound right when we still have a ton of story to get through, especially because a little more context can do a world of good. Anyway, this title just happened to be one of them, so as we went through fixing it up, we took note of a bunch of the things we fixed, so that we could list them here and explain what kind of thought processes go into the changes we make.

Let's see... (I'm looking at our list and skipping the ones I don't really want to talk about after all.) First, we have a “de gozaru.” Interesting. In our first script, we left it in Japanese. It's a very old fashioned, very humble way of saying “da,” which has been described in some of our text books as “the copula.” Basically it means “is.” But there's only one reason for that character to be making a point of sticking the archaic “de gozaru” at the end of her sentence, and that's that she is a ninja. So while “de gozaru” literally means “[it] is,” in this context, it actually means, “I'm a ninja.”

Now we're faced with a decision: do we leave the “de gozaru” there for the hardcore fans who already know it means “I'm a ninja,” adding a note for the newer fans who haven't learned that yet, or do we translate it to something in English so as not to slow down the newer readers? We tend to side with the newer readers, because we like to share what we like with everybody, and we don't want to scare them off with the prospect of having to learn another language. So then we have to decide what to change the “de gozaru” to. We can't just have it be “I'm a ninja,” after all.

The question we ask ourselves now is this: Why do ninjas say “de gozaru”? Well, I could be wrong, but I think that actually samurai are more well-known for “de gozaru” (or maybe Kenshin has thrown me off). But anyway, ninja are from Japan's history, and, at least according to some ninja manga, aren't considered to exist in modern day. We already know from various anime and our Classical Japanese class that “de gozaru” is old-fashioned, so let's find something old-fashioned in English! In the end, we went with “verily,” because it also fits with the “it is” translation.

That took more discussion than I thought, but I still have some room for more, so let's go on to the next one. There's one part where a character practices some martial arts move that ends up being way more powerful than everyone expected and nearly killing the series' hero. The offender says something to the effect of, “I guess I overdid it a little.” Another character says “Sukoshi dokoro ja nakatta wa yo, zettai!” We originally had a more literal translation of, “That was definitely not 'a little'!”

But as we read through the script a second time, our original translation sounded strange. Like it didn't seem like anyone would talk like that. Of course, it's possible that someone would, but it sounded off anyway. It's not uncommon, when in translation mode, to think something sounds perfectly alright at the time, and then read it again, when you're back in full English mode, and think it sounds weird. (Or maybe it's just common with us.)

What we tend to do in these situations is to replay the dialogue in our heads (and sometimes out loud, too), and go with whatever comes out naturally. It's probably important to point out that we already know the gist of what the character is going to say, so we only go with the line that comes out naturally and conveys what was said in Japanese. In this case, the line got changed to, “That was way beyond 'a little'!”

In that same vein, there was another line that sounded a little strange because of the “reluctantly” that was in there, but when we tried it out loud, it sounded fine, so we left it after all.

We had a pretty long list of changes, but a lot of them were made for similar reasons, so I don't know how many we'll end up going into, but there are some other things we'd like to discuss, so we'll see. In the meantime, I will leave you with one last type of change: typos. It's fascinating what kind of typos can end up in a script. This particular one had a “nysekf” that desperately needed to be changed to “myself.” It's funny when you type faster than you can think.
``xEkyyFlEEEycaZuSzJI``x1266386400``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg Magic Touch v5 & v6``xYsabet``xJust so we're clear, here's where I'm coming from with The Magic Touch: back when I reviewed volume 1, I noted that it seemed like it would be a pleasant enough series if it was short, and could also work as a longer series if Tsubaki introduced some interesting dramatic material. Volume 2 gave me a fairly similar impression. And I haven't actually read volumes 3 or 4, so I'm operating at a noticeable disadvantage with this review of volumes 5 and 6.

With all that said, I have to conclude that The Magic Touch isn't meeting either of my initial criteria for holding my interest. At six volumes and counting, the initial premise is getting some padding, and I'm afraid it's just not working for me. Volume 5 has Chiaki, Yosuke, and Takeshi visiting the Ohnuki Massage School, run by Takeshi's mentor (and here my failure to be engaged by the storyline can partly be chalked up to not having read the set-up for this in volume 4). As well as learning some useful techniques, the three of them find themselves dealing with a slacker student who's an expert in his field, and Takeshi suffers the brunt of another masseur's jealousy over his position as Ohnuki's apprentice. It's all very hectic and a bit dizzying, and Chiaki learns a Very Important Lesson about massage.

I enjoyed volume 6 more than volume 5, since its focus returns to Chiaki and Yosuke's relationship for a while, and that gives them an opportunity to talk about how they feel about each other--although that conversation and its results have some implications that could be interesting in later volumes. This volume goes on to spend most of its time with other characters, but it's less whirlwind than volume 5, which is a relief. I admit that I have some trouble telling Tsubaki's characters apart, which made some parts initially confusing, but for the most part I got over that.

My favorite thing about these two volumes is the complete absence of Chiaki's evil twin sister, Sayaka. I think it's clear that this series isn't clicking for me, but from my perspective Sayaka was by far the weakest part of the first two volumes, so I'm glad to see the story carrying on without her for a while.

Review copies provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkyyFlFEZuWUzbtPBK``x1266383174``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421521660``xIzumi Tsubaki``x``x``x``xRomance``xDrama``x``xNori Minami``xLorelei Laird``xADV Manga``xAll Ages``xC-``x9.99``x150``x225``xMagic Touch 5 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x MangaLife Spotlight: MW``xParkCooper``xMW

Osamu Tezuka

Vertical


Wow.


MW is a graphic novel manga created by the master himself, Osamu Tezuka. I just finished reading its 582 pages in one sitting.

Golly.

This is a story about evil.

But this is not a supernatural story.

I’ll try to write this for you with as few spoilers as possible as best as I can... but as always, if I’m going to make you curious about it, I’ll have to tell you SOMETHING.



MW is an unbelievably deadly nerve gas. It was developed by Nation X (psst—that’s America. Shhh, don’t tell anyone) and stored on one or two Nation X bases on Japanese soil (well, except that the bases are technically Nation X soil, legally. You know how it is). For Tezuka, MW is just the next step for Nation X/America's policies of using chemical weapons in Vietnam.

One day, a bunch of hoodlum punks came to the wrong tiny Japanese island. But while they happened to be there, that was the day that an accidental leak of the MW killed every single man, woman, and child (and some of the plant life!) on the island.

EXCEPT FOR TWO PEOPLE.

One of them was fine, because he wasn’t exposed to the gas.

The other one seemed fine, but apparently he breathed just a tiny little bit of leftover gas, and had no immediate health effects.

But it did get into his brain...



Flash forward 15 years. The older hoodlum has become a priest. The younger one works in a bank.

But he is secretly the most evil being alive.

While I was reading this, I stopped and inserted four bookmarks, and I am only going to tell you more in the context of those four pages.


1. Pages 229-230. Our anti-protagonist is talking to some terrorists... well, back in the day (1977), we called them revolutionaries, more like. Today, they’d be homegrown terrorists. Our anti-protagonist scorns their lack of creativity in the field of evil. “You don’t know how to do anything but bomb random buildings, do you? You should watch some crime movies and learn how to pull off a kidnapping!”

The very next panel is a huge one that is this big office building with the letters (well, kanji) of the company erected on top. I knew what crime movie Tezuka was talking about, because I’d been feeling the vibe of it for some time already—Akira Kurosawa’s THE BAD SLEEP WELL. If you want to understand how evil politico-industrial graft is, please go and watch the masterpiece of revenge that is The Bad Sleep Well. That’s an old saying at my house. I am NOT kidding. It really, really is. Sometimes I turn to Barbara and ask “You know what I hate? Politico-industrial graft.” I am absolutely serious, and it couldn’t have happened without Kurosawa’s masterfully noirish The Bad Sleep Well. So that’s one thing that Tezuka is drawing upon. Also, maybe slightly more relevant to kidnapping, Kurosawa’s High and Low.



2. Page 306. “Didn’t Jack Finney write a novel like that?” This appears to be a reference to The Body Snatchers. I wouldn’t mention this, but just please understand that Tezuka was also trying to give readers that Body Snatchers-level creepiness, but not through science fiction, rather through the lengths that governments will go to in order to cover up their misdeeds.

3. Page 432: “Father, gay love is accepted outside of Japan. In the U.S., some states openly condone it.” Let me make this very clear. There is a LOT of gay sex in this graphic novel. A LOT a lot. There is quite a bit of sex in this novel in general. And some of that sex is very disturbing (almost all of it involves the most evil being in existence, after all). And sometimes, not that I’m saying anything more than what I’m saying, sometimes, the gayness and the sex and the disturbing all intersect.

But Tezuka is simply showing you the story of the most evil being in the world; he’s NOT trying to say that homosexuality is bad in and of itself. This is made clear in chapter twenty, “Inversion,” where the priest is nearly blackmailed after being tricked into a room where there’s some gay hanky-panky going on, and he's caught in a compromising photo. A female magazine editor buys the photo and negatives, but then refuses to run them. After saying the line quoted above (and a little bit more), she goes home to her female lover.

Ohhhh, so that’s why a woman with a hard-edged journalism reputation had compassion in this instance.

These lines really stuck with me, because it was one of a couple of speeches where a character says that homosexuality “is really accepted everywhere in the modern world except Japan, Japan is the last country to be old-fashioned about it...” And I was like yeeeeeah. JAPAN is the last country in the modern world to be like that about teh gayness. Sure. In 1977. Uh huh. Sigh. Which states, in 1977, was Tezuka thinking of, I wonder...?

My wife Barbara: “But the Duchy of Grand Fenwick was way ahead of them.”


Me: “I was thinking it must have been Winnemac.”

4. Page 464. A certain someone needs to hide the fact that he’s strangled his wife - for a while, anyway - so he cuts off her fingers and sticks her head in the building’s furnace, completely burning it. And we see the head-in-furnace panel, there it is, with the rest of the naked body just sticking out of the furnace, head inserted. (I'm not even gonna go into detail about what he did with the body after that... nor what he did with the fingers.) Just a little note I made to myself, basically saying, “Just a reminder, folks — MW is hardcore.”

Barb: "He didn't even have the decency to cut the head off first?"

Me: "No, he wanted it still attached for something he was doing later."

Barb: "He IS a monster! Please, always cut the head off!"

So that’s it. To review: Osamu Tezuka’s MW is a single stand-alone graphic novel manga from Vertical that offers a lot of pages for 19.95. It is ONLY for persons 16 and over, and says so on the back. It is printed left-to-right for some reason, so if you fear reading right-to-left for some reason, have no fear here.

Except that you should be afraid, or rather disturbed. VERY DISTURBED. By today’s standards, this is rather disturbing. By the standards of 1976-1978, however, when it was first published, it’s OH MY GOD ARE YOU INSANE YOU’RE THE GUY WHO DID ASTROBOY WHAT IS THIS DARK, HELLISH STUFF YOU ARE DOING HERE.

If that’s your cup of tea, please enjoy.

Barb: “So was it GOOD?”

Me: “It was... disturbing. Intense. Powerful. But also... somewhat over-the-top. So it’s hard to say clearly...”

Barb: “So it was certainly a page-turner, that kept you riveted.”

Me: “Yeah.”

Barb: “Okay go say that in your article.”

Me: “Okay.” ``xEkyyFlklplnwQfKTym``x1266382808``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xmw_cover.gif The Best of Valentine's Day Edition``xCharlesWebb``xWith Valentine’s Day hitting on Sunday, we at Manga Life thought we’d throw out some of our recommendations for manga and anime titles to share with your significant other, or to just enjoy on your own.

First up, Park weighs in:

The first thing I can think of is the love story in the anime Cowboy Bebop. However, that might not be the most sweetly romantic choice for Valentine's Day, so let's not go there. The next one that comes to mind is Ah My Goddess, aka Oh My Goddess*... But the romance there never really resolves. So, instead, maybe Maison Ikkoku by Rumiko Takahashi? That's a long romance that resolves at the end, unlike a whole, whole lot of what Rumiko had worked on.



I can think of three manga from Tokyopop, and I know someone who worked on each of them. The romance angle in Forget About Love should be obvious, and Barbara adapted that. It's still one of my favorites, for its humor. I hope it starts back up someday... Next is Fruits Basket, naturally, which our colleagues the Nibleys (columnists here at MangaLife) translated in its entirety. It's hard to overlook the romance in that title. Finally, Barbara is the current adapter on V.B.Rose, and I must inform you that the romantic angle is not being neglected. I won't say anything about volumes 8 and 9, which yes, I have read, but I'm nonetheless not going to say anything... people who have read volume 7 know that the romance part is kicking into overdrive.

BTW, Barbara says that she liked Kare Kano aka His and Hers Circumstances up until right before the "Steel Snow" play.

*[Editor’s note: some of the best romances never resolve, so that’s cool.]

Next up, the Nibley’s throw in their entries for some of their preferred titles for Valentine’s Day:

I didn't think we were in the "bitter about Valentine's Day" camp, so I guess it's just a sign of how twisted we are that the first thing we thought of was the “Cotton Drifting” arc of Higurashi (aka When They Cry). It really is a very sweet love story... until things go horribly, horribly wrong.

But actually, we really do like sweet romances, so we have to recommend another series by the author of VB Rose: I Hate You More Than Anyone. The title may be deceptive, but just think of how many epic love stories start with the protagonists hating each other. Besides, most of the hate isn't between the two main love interests. And it's very rich with great characters.



Also, since we're such big Banri Hidaka fans, we'll throw in a recommendation for Tears of a Lamb, another great story by her. It doesn't really focus on the romance as much, though, so you might want to wait until after Valentine's Day for that one. Or you could just read it reallyreallyfast before V-Day.

Ysabet gives us a couple of her own picks:

Most of the romance-oriented things I like are really bittersweet/angsty/etc., like Fruits Basket (my favorite thing ever, and has some very sweet romantic aspects, but I wouldn't personally call it romantic overall), Sand Chronicles and We Were There.

I’d suggest Mars, but it's been a long time since I've read it.



If you're okay checking out things we work on, Shinobi Life (which I adapt and absolutely love) might be my favorite romance series. Great characters with believable chemistry, and a lot of focus on the relationship without excluding other factors.

Our newest contributor Zack shares a personal memory about one of his favorite titles:

Love, sweet love. I am going to be a total softy here and admit that love has absolutely everything to do with my initial attraction to Japanese animation and manga. Specifically, the love between a young boy and a very attractive robot.

In the year 1980, for reasons beyond my possible comprehension, the Robin Williams live-action adaptation of Popeye was released as a double-feature with the Roger Corman adaptation of Matsumoto Leiji’s Galaxy Express. A young and impressionable lad of eight, I was taken to the films by my mother, who was unaware that she was about to create a life-long obsession. Popeye was all well and good, but what I really made an impression was the love story of “Joey” (as Tetsuro’s name was changed to) and the android Maetel.

It wasn’t an obvious love story, and really the implications of it are all sorts of wrong; Joey is just a little kid and Maetel is an android made from the dead body of Joey’s mother; but the realness of the love story captivated me. Cartoons did not have romance. Superman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the Super Friends were all sexless, emotionless do-gooders whose emotions were flatter than cardboard. Maetel, on the other hand, got naked and took showers, cried and showed emotion, and even kissed the young Joey goodbye. I never realized the two-dimensional world of cartoons could have such depth.



I was hooked. And twenty years later I think I am still a little bit in love with Maetel.

Finally, Penny tells us about a series that still gets her choked up to this day:




I admit it. Rumiko Takahashi's Maison Ikkoku always brings on the warm fuzzies when I read it and the final volume never fails to bring on a bout of happy sniffles. It's romance done right. Set in a rundown Tokyo boarding house, the cast features a variety of zany characters caught in comedic situations. The focus of the story, however, is on the developing relationship between down-on-his-luck student Godai and his fiery-tempered, widowed landlady Kyoko. Unlike many romances the characters in Maison Ikkoku aren't just "place-holders" - bland ciphers that allow the reader to imagine themselves as the hero or heroine. No, Godai and Kyoko are real people. They get tired and angry, say the wrong thing, and have trouble paying the bills, but they also laugh, work, and fall in love. We want the indecisive Godai to get over his insecurities and for Kyoko to learn it's possible to find love and happiness more than once in a lifetime because if these two can overcome all the crazy real and imagined obstacles to their relationship, then there's hope that we can have our happily-ever-after too.

Whether you’re flying solo or have some romantic shenanigans planned for Sunday, have a happy Valentine’s Day from the MangaLife crew!
``xEkyyppkEulXeyUZFim``x1266002148``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``x Honey and Clover v8``xYsabet``xThe newest volume of Honey and Clover does something a bit unusual for the series: except for a few pages here and there, it focuses entirely on one subplot, namely the love quadrangle that's gradually evolved out of Yamada's unrequited love for Mayama. While Mayama's relationship with Rika slowly intensifies, the possibility of a romance between Nomiya and Yamada is growing as well--much as Yamada doesn't want to admit it.

From the beginning, I've felt that this tangle of relationships is extremely believable, and part of that is that the story makes no bones about how messy and complicated it is, or that there's no right answer. All of the characters involved do things that only hurt themselves and others, and yet for the most part they all have good intentions. Mayama truly sees Yamada as a friend and doesn't want to hurt her, but he has trouble relinquishing his place in her life and admitting that he can't have it both ways. Yamada wants him to be happy and wants to get over him, but she can't let go off her first love no matter how much it hurts--and indeed, she goes out of her way to be a witness to Mayama's feelings for Rika, wanting that exposure to both numb and sustain her own feelings. Rika, for all that she's still consumed by her grief over her dead husband, can't entirely let go of the world or completely drive Mayama out of her life. And Nomiya, the detached, worldly guy who wants Yamada entirely on his own terms, makes a valiant effort at keeping her at arms' length while not letting her slip out of reach; he's a conscious manipulator, and very frank with his colleagues about what he's doing.

This situation has been developing for quite a while, and volume 8 brings things to a head in a few ways. Yamada's work at Harada Design gives her more insight into Mayama and Rika's relationship just as they come to a turning point, as Mayama discovers that Rika needs to travel overseas in order to complete a major project--the last one that she and Harada began together before his death. Similarly, work takes Nomiya away for six months, a development that gives both him and Yamada some perspective on their interest in each other.

Honey and Clover's gift for portraying intensely clear, believable emotions in all of its characters is on full display here. Yamada and Nomiya in particular are both keenly aware of what they're feeling and doing, even when those emotions and actions are destructive or unflattering, and that trait makes Umino's writing resonate for readers who've experienced anything similar themselves. There's still an element of humor on display, though, particularly when Nomiya's co-worker, Miwako, takes Yamada under her wing while he's gone.

The series is close enough to the end now that I'm feeling preemptively sorry to see it go. Umino packs a remarkable amount of story into such a character-driven, slice-of-life series; it's a little startling to look back and realize how much has happened in only eight volumes. Two to go!

Volume 8 of Honey and Clover includes a short behind-the-scenes comic from the creator and one page of cultural notes.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.
``xEkyVlpZupAiYoJCUfk``x1265807409``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421523809``xChica Umino``x``x``x``xDrama``x``x``xAkemi Wegmüller``xAkemi Wegmüller``xViz Media``xOlder Teen``xA+``x9.99``x150``x225``xHoney and Clover 8 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Reader Mail: Dear John ``xadmin``xReader Mail: Yotsuba&!

Recently, the site received some mail from one of our readers, John Callahan about Barb’s recent review of Yotsuba&! v1. The letter brought up some interesting issues about “manga as a genre and an American comics fan being introduced to Eastern-produced comics.

Hi there! I assume I'm writing to Barb Lien-Cooper, since this is the address that popped up when I clicked on your name.

I read your review of Yotsuba&! v1 and just wanted to whole-heartedly agree with you on several points. I'm a 57 year-old guy. I returned to comics about 4 years ago after a long hiatus. I still enjoy some of the superhero comics, but feel there is a crisis of overly serious darkness in comics these days. Thank goodness for cute & funny Power Girl so every super doesn't have to be a big downer! I am happy we can occasionally get a break with original stories from, say, the Luna Brothers or Terry Moore. I have now been reading manga also for about 2 years.

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of manga understands that it is most assuredly NOT a genre. There is so much diversity, originality and refreshingly weird Japanese and Eastern cultural influence that I believe there is something for everyone. Anyone, that is, who is willing to drop their preconceived notions of manga-as-genre and actually read it.

Although I have read many types of manga to date, I find the emotional series to be among my favorites, be they high school romance (Love*Com) or more adult perspective (Nana).

I love Yotsuba&! too and just don't understand how anyone could not. The art, particularly the backgrounds and exteriors, is beautifully rendered and the characters, from Yotsuba herself, her single dad, Jumbo, to the adorable neighbor girls are just lovely and funny and human. I find myself smiling through each volume.

Thank you for championing Manga against stereotyping. If the superhero fanboys cannot get over their prejudices and fear of girl cooties, it is truly their loss.

Sincerely,
John Callahan

And here’s Barb’s response:

Dear John:

Wow.

Thank you.

I was a big comics fan as a child. I practically learned how to read off of back issues of Denny O’Neil’s Batman. When I returned to comics culture as an adult in the mid-1990s, one of the reasons I did so wasn’t just because of the wide variety of great comics or the fact that comics had grown up. I also did so because of the culture itself. Back then, almost every fan-guy was a lot like you---articulate, reasonable, knowledgeable, and loyal to the sub-culture, but not unthinkingly so. I didn’t mind being a minority in comics back then, as none of the fans cared that I was female as long as I loved comics and knew what I was talking about. In spite of all evidence to the contrary, I still believe that the silent majority of male comics fans are a lot more like you than the stereotype of the rude, crude, angry web-troll that wallows in his immaturity and loutishness.

Sadly, the vocal minority of irate fanboys, the stereotype that makes all fan culture look bad, is now how those outside of comics culture tend to see all of us, as well as how too many inside our culture now self-identify.

In the 1990s, I loved comics and comics fans. I loved one comics fan so much I fell in love and married him. I still have nothing but respect for the silent majority of male comics fans who are what I call “lawful good”, people who would never misuse the internet as a way to insult, bully, or menace those who don’t agree with them. The majority of fans do not expect fan culture to walk in lock step with each other, do not see every negative review of a comic or a movie as a personal attack that could and should be addressed with insults and angry threats, and do not embrace comics as a way to justify arrested development.

Sadly, many “good” comics fans have left comics because many of them feel, frankly, that the wide variety of well-written comics so available in the 1980s and 1990s are things of the past. I often hear of characters, beloved for ages, which now act out of character, of complaints of characters seeming to be nothing but a corporation’s intellectual property, there only to bring in short-term profits through whatever means necessary, even if a character’s integrity, the long-term viability of a franchise, and/or customer satisfaction is sacrificed in the process.

Sadly, independent comics, being squeezed by their more powerful competition and the rules of said competition, find increasing risk in supporting various excellent comics that don’t fit in with what the hardcore fanboy supports. Again, I hear complaints from people about too many superhero events, about comics based on video game and movie franchises, and about derivative works that seem only destined to try and tempt Hollywood or to appease Diamond, and of products that have suffered as a result. But most recently, I've heard from fans who say they can no longer show loyalty, let alone unquestioning loyalty, to companies that destroy beloved characters, who are only interested in using fans as a taste-tester/demographic to tempt Hollywood to option a fleshed-out proposal as a “media property”.

To be fair, I liked the grim and gritty comics of the 1980s and 1990s. However, I loved them because they were an alternative to business-as-usual comics. I also liked the funny comics (Justice League of America, Ambush Bug) because they were an alternative to normal comics, just as the indie comics were. But when the characters of the Dibneys, as well as Blue Beetle, were thrown into the grim-and-gritty way of doing things and then slaughtered for the sake of squeezing out sales with their respective deaths, I decided that I had to change the way I thought about comics-- not permanently, but for the foreseeable future. Sue Dibney was the 12th woman in the DCU alone that had been raped, killed, tortured, or otherwise sexually assaulted in a comic since I started reading them again as an adult. I identify with plenty of females in manga, even the shonen manga, even the mature title manga, such as Monster, and few female characters I’ve cared about there have been subjected to such a fate.

I read manga because I believe there is room in the sequential storytelling world for variety, male and female characters I can believe in, character interaction that matters, optimism, faith, hope, humor, compassion, a fascinating mixture of darkness and light, and backstory---as well as kick-butt action. I used to be able to find those things in comics (classic Spider-Man, Claremont’s X-Men). I'm not looking for those things in comics any more. If I'd continued to find them with the ease I used to have, I probably wouldn’t have been so tempted by manga in the first place.

As to Yotsuba….yes, it’s for kids, but it’s so genuine. I don’t expect the world to publish only comics that are “safe” for kids, but, darn it, don’t we readers deserve top of the line all-ages comics, too? Pixar delivers quality all-ages fare all the time. Japan does, as well, with neat little works like Yotsuba&! and Cowa! (very readable).

I read manga because comics, not to mention some within comics culture, have sometimes demonstrated the worst, basest aspects of human nature. I still want comics to thrive, but until the products re-evolve (I think the unpleasant vocal minority are pretty much unreachable) into what they can be at their best, I’m going to continue to be over here on the side of things for awhile.

Thanks so much for writing.

Take care. Comics needs readers like you!

---Barb


``xEkyVlpZEVVQtSqGFns``x1265807155``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xYotsuba 6.jpg First Timer's Edition: Urasawa X Tezuka: Pluto v7 ``xCharlesWebb``xFirst Timer’s Edition: Welcome to a new feature in Manga Life reviews: The First Timer’s Edition where an inexperienced reader – say, yours truly – jumps feet first into an ongoing story and tells you how well it stacks up. This feature is inspired by/ripped off from the inestimable Nina Stone’s The Virgin Read over on The Factual Opinion. When you’re done here I’d advise you to check their crew out over there.

So without further ado, let’s jump into the first book: Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka v7.

Pluto’s been one of those series that the blogosphere’s been making a lot of noise about over the last few months. Readers and reviewers who don’t normally go in for manga have been hyping it like it’s the new hotness. This homage/remix has had a lot of kind words tossed its way: mature, action-packed, brilliant… they even say it’s good-looking. The back cover of this volume even has a quote from nerd memoir novelist Junot Diaz who won the Pulitzer for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao a couple of years back.

The inside jacket description describes some super badass robot – the titular Pluto – that’s been wiping out the world’s strongest robots. He’s made his way through 6 of the 7 most powerful, and he’s got his sights set on the last one, a pacifist, solar-powered robot named Epsilon. This is one of those stories where past is prologue and makes all kinds of unfortunate ripples in the present. You don’t kill a bunch of people without consequence and you don’t try to reshape the world without the world reacting.

Outside of a slightly dense flashback (I think) at the beginning of the volume it’s pretty easy to follow. It helps that this is one of the rare titles I’ve had a chance to read that includes a summary at the beginning of the earlier volumes. Usually when I read these things mid-story I feel sort of lost, like I’m just supposed to figure it out. I get that the reader’s expected to start from the first volume, but even 24 tells the viewer what Jack Bauer’s been up to for the last few hours.

The book has a ton of emotional relationships that re pretty easy to figure out thanks to writer/artist Urasawa’s clear and straightforward storytelling. The bad guys are bad (except for when they’re misunderstood) and the good guys are good. This being my first encounter with the characters, I ended up liking Epsilon, the lead when he could have easily become one of those problematic heroic characters whose dogma is so at odds with the demands of the story that you lose sympathy for them (i.e. superheroes in modern comics who refuse to kill in order to save a life).

It’s also a really well-illustrated book. I would have loved for the whole thing to be in color like the first couple of pages with their almost pastel-washed finish. Urasawa’s characters are great actors. Check out the sequence where straight-up traumatized orphan Wassily draws something that’s freaking him out. The little boy’s eyes practically devour his face. Likewise, when action scenes occur they not only feel natural to the story but they look energetic and kinetic. Actually, thumbing through the book again I noticed there were fewer action scenes than I remembered – that’s a real sign that they made an impact.

So is it worth all the hype? Yeah, I think so. I wanted to go out and buy the first volume after I wrapped up the 7th. Would I recommend diving in with this volume? No, do yourself a favor and begin at the beginning. I’m betting all these emotional relationship that seem to be paying off here get a lot of development in the previous 6 volumes.

Review copy provided by Viz Signature.

If you liked this review, be sure to check out more of the author’s work at Monster In Your Veins
``xEkyVlpyZVANdovNfnL``x1265806759``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421532670``xNaoki Urasawa``xTakashi Nagasaki``x``x``xSci-Fi``x``x``xJared Cook and Frederik L. Schodt``x``xViz Signature``xTeen``xA``x12.99``x150``x225``xpluto v7.jpg``x``x``x``x Comments Are (Sorta) Live! ``xCharlesWebb``xHello everyone,

Charles Webb, the incoming EIC here at MangaLife.com. We're testing out a new comments system on our Review pages. Right now they're not available in our features and articles, but in the meantime won't you give them a try? Let your reviewer know what you thought of their work! ``xEkyVkpAZpAImnhDAzU``x1265209709``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdom: Return of the Prose Discussion ``xNibley``x

Some of you may remember that in our last column, I ended up rambling about prose in something that may or may not have been coherent. Some of you may also remember that I mentioned the Kurodahan Press Translation Prize. This week, we have a special treat in the form of added commentary from Kurodahan Press's own Mr. Edward Lipsett. As there was no comment button (EDITOR'S NOTE: Coming soon! Honest!), he e-mailed us and gave us permission to post what he said, and so I will present it to you all now!

“One crucial difference is that when you're translating manga, there is a lot
of visual information to draw on. In many cases words are unnecessary.
The words you use, then, are often designed to amplify or clarify what is
already obvious in the picture.

Needless to say, translating something that consists ONLY of words requires
a different set of skills. Word choice, sentence structure, the placement of
a comma, can all affect the interpretation, and therefore the picture that
is drawn in the reader's mind.

In a manga, your interpretation is probably pretty close to what the artist
had in mind, because of that shared imagery. In a bit of prose, it may be
wildly different... And some of the translators in this contest had wildly
different interpretations. Most of the entries are now online for you to
read, if you like:
http://www.kurodahan.com/mt/e/khpprize/2009prize.zip.”

Before you click on the link, I should point out that it's a .zip file and you'll be asked to download it (as many of you may have already realized by the “.zip” in the link), but it's definitely a fascinating excercise to compare all the different translations. I'll admit we haven't looked at them yet. Our excuse is busyness, a new Kingdom Hearts game, and the fact that that short story was so hard to translate we're not feeling up to looking at it again yet. Our translation is in there, too, but even if we did know which number it was, we wouldn't tell. We're feeling comfortable in anonymity right now. But discerning readers might be able to guess from our writing style.

Mr. Lipsett makes an excellent point with his comments, too. We'll use the short story from this contest as an example. A good deal of it takes place at Melk Abbey in Austria, so for help to understand the subject matter, we looked up the abbey and found its official website. There were a ton of pictures, and a ton of pictures on various other sites as well, and they were a big help in figuring out what the author was trying to say when describing the colors, the goldwork, the architecture, etc. The story also discusses a fresco in the abbey, but we couldn't find a picture of that anywhere (we do have a sneaking suspicion that it may not actually exist and was made up for the story), so we were forced to use our imaginations. And, as Mr. Lipsett points out, the way people imagine things can vary wildly.

It reminds me of the Harry Potter movies. We know some people who think, “Everything is just the way I imagined it!” while our personal opinion is that they got it mostly right, we guess. We were very disappointed in Fawkes, who should have been much, much prettier. But in manga, you already have that picture, so when a series gets animated, everything looks pretty much the same way it did in the manga, or else the fans would refuse to watch it.

Of course, when translating something, the most important imagination to follow would be that of the original author. Translators who are able to discuss the text with the author will probably have more faithful translations. As freelance manga translators, we haven't gotten anywhere near the point where we're able to do that, but in the meantime, we will be very grateful for the visuals provided.

Our thanks again to Mr. Edward Lipsett for his comments.
``xEkyVkpAuVuvsHvPTfR``x1265209454``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg What Park's Looking At: Early February 2010 ``xParkCooper``xWhistle! v24

Viz

This was the last volume of Whistle! Awww! Well, it was a fun ride. We learn, American-Graffiti-style, what became of the Whistle! gang... most of them go on to become pro soccer players. But what of our hero?! He learns that aiming to be a pro sports player means the risk of pro-level sports injuries! What will be his ultimate fate?!? Oh, and everyone’s forgotten all about the fact that this volume is the one that determines the ultimate fate of Blondie—uh, hello, remember that in volume 23, we started playing this game against Dear Old Gang because Blondie bet his dad that if he lost, he’d have to become a businessman instead of a soccer player? The author seems to kind of forget about this bet, but we find out later what Blondie’s eventual fate is, so you can figure out for yourself if he won his bet with his dad or not. Indeed, feel free to go and find out in volume 24, the final volume of Whistle!


One Piece v25-28

Viz

Well, I’ve gotten more One Piece. Good heavens.

I say "Good Heavens" because One Piece is that sort of thing. It’s over the top. Way over the top. What Eyeshield 21 is for (American style) football, One Piece is for pirate yarns. But I ALSO say "Good Heavens" because we are now entering the storyline known as "SKYPIEA," which is the name of the land in which the storyline takes place. Skypiea is up in the clouds… somehow, the clouds are sort of solid on this one super-super-super-super-thunderhead, with water-feeling clouds that you can sail on, and landish-clouds you can walk on. The weird environment makes plants grow super-well, too.

Anyway, the point is, it’s sort of… a wacky land inspired by heaven. Since, as we all know, Christianity is, for Japan, the weirdest, wackiest, most bizarre and exotic mythology EVAR. So the people have little wings on their backs (they can’t fly though), and there’s a god, called the Kami, who has a lot of power… but the OLD Kami was the nice old godlike-power being, and the NEW one, who interestingly enough resembles the Buddha, is a lot more ruthless and hardcore and scary-to-live-under-the-regime-of. And it’s more than one person who sees that the arrival of Monkey D. Luffy and pals could be the perfect time for a regime change.

Still, it’s wacky. Very wacky. The cover of volume twenty-five has, along with Red Shanks, Monkey D. Luffy, and Buggy the Clown, an incredibly cute goat.
Barb: “Is he the latest member of the crew? He ate the devil’s fruit and got…”



Me, delighted: “He ate the Goat-Goat fruit!”



Barb: “Yes and now he has Goat-Goat Fruit eat-anything powers.”



It’s not true, but it probably would be if the author had thought of it and if there wasn’t already a reindeer-guy on board. That’s just the rules that the world of One Piece follows.



Volume 25: Favorite moment: Local pirates mess with a new friend of Luffy’s, and Luffy comes to get back the stuff they stole. They start out scoffing and bragging about how Luffy’ll never show his face again around them… and then they find out how much the price on Luffy’s head is and they get increasingly scared. And then Luffy shows up and shows them just how unimpressive they are compared to the crap he’s pulled his butt out of for the last 24 volumes.



Barb’s favorite moment: Zolo, the swordsman, is asked why he didn’t go with Luffy. The reply (from memory, not word for word): “Those guys weren’t worth it. It’s heartbreaking when all you’re left with after a fight is pity.”



Favorite non-story moment: Actually not a part of the story, but from the author’s Question and Answer corner:



Question: Hey, Creator! If these guys are traveling all around and meeting all kinds of people from all kinds of lands… how come everyone speaks the same language?



Creator: …Because manga is about man's dreams.



THIS FLOORED US. Suddenly we have a brand new respect for the insane craziness of the creator of One Piece.





Volume 26: Favorite moment: Luffy finds out there’s a place in Skypiea where no one’s allowed to go. His crew nearly cries, because it means that they’ll have to end up going there.



Luffy: “But if it’s the home of a god, he’ll forgive us, right? Gods are forgiving, right?”



Local: “I’m sorry, but the kami would certainly destroy you.”



Luffy: “Oh. Okay, well, it doesn’t matter.”



Thoughts of the crew: “That’s because he’s going to go there no matter what anyway!!!”



Volume 27: Favorite moment (highly paraphrased):



Nico: “Luffy, you can’t light a fire — we’re trying to lay low, remember?”



Luffy: “That’s ridiculous.”



Usopp: “Oh, come on, Luffy, she’s a city girl. She doesn’t know how it is.”



Nico: “How what is?”



Luffy and Usopp: “WHEN YOU’RE CAMPING, YOU GOTTA HAVE A CAMPFIRE! EVEN IF IT MEANS YOU’RE ABOUT TO DIE, THAT’S JUST THE WAY IT IS!!!”



Barb’s midly-bemused moment:



Zolo: “Hey, Luffy! …How’s this for a bonfire?”



Nami: “NOT YOU GUYS TOO?!?!?”



(Barb likes Zolo.)



Volume 28: Favorite non-story moment: during another Question and Answer corner, the creator clarifies that the storyline is not just about MAN’s dreams, as he’d said on an earlier occasion, but that the term as he used it is specifically about a woman’s dreams as well. However, it’s not that he is using “man’s” as a general term—he specifically means that it’s about the MANLY dreams of a man OR a woman! A “passionate love for adventure” and much more! I quote: “Even the most feminine woman has manly sides to her. In the past, such a woman has been called a ‘true woman.’”



So please, support Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, because he is maturing as a creator. He’s really showing signs of developing as a creator and as a storyteller—the Skypiea storyline seems to be him attempting to not only bring a new importance to the overall plot, but in the background, you can also see him maneuvering Red Shanks and other supporting characters in such a way that you can tell that things are really going to come to a head when Dear Old Gang comes back from Skypiea. It might not be the worst time to pay attention to One Piece again if, like Barbara, you threw up your hands and gave up back when we got the man-reindeer. You’ll find that One-Piece is surprisingly easy to return to.



Spiral: The Bonds of Reasoning v9

Yen Press

Still no “what’s happened before now” section. Not inside, not on the back cover. I have no idea what is going on... but don’t really care anymore. Basically, there are some people who are deadly dangerous with a gun/weapons, and there are other people who seek to thwart those people who are much the same way. Dangerous prodigies of action? Killers who’ll stop at almost nothing? Daring split-second-decision-type genius strategists? Sounds cool! Well, no. The action never gets here, and when it does, it doesn’t last but an instant, and everyone’s so good, they get away with just being a bit wounded instead of killed. And seriously, if you flipped through this volume, you’d think it was just a regular high-school dramedy where the school play was based on a Hong Kong action movie and someone must have just accidentally gotten a cut on their arm or something. Talk, talk, talk. All this talk about battle reflexes and guns amounts to a lot of talk. Which can be cool—but there’s no tension, either—even less now than in the previous volume. Too bad.



The Prince of Tennis v35

Viz

This commentary contains important spoilers about this volume, because OMG I had to tell someone, like when you see a guy pick a fight with a couple of cops. You aren’t sure if you feel like it’s more like stupidity or incredible guts, but you can’t keep it to yourself.

The over-the-top samurai adventures of the Prince of Tennis, whom I also sometimes call The Boy Who Cannot Lose, continue. At the start of this volume, Ryoma, The Boy Who Cannot Lose, is actually up against someone so good, they’re winning some matches. But in tennis, you have to win by two, and so they’re stalemated... the stadium lights fall onto the court (why?) and yet the game still doesn’t stop, they just wait until the lights are cleared away with a truck (wouldn’t it harm the court surface?). Finally, both players just collapse. Both of them get up—but while Ryoma can still play, the other guy... is standing there unconscious with his eyes open. OMG he’s such a badass he gets up to play even though he’s not conscious. Of course, this is a bit underwhelming considering the young kid got up and was able to keep playing. Ryoma shaves his opponent’s head while he’s unconscious... I guess it was a part of a bet they had beforehand. Cocky little brat, isn’t he?

But I don’t even feel bad about that spoiler because the real meat of the volume comes at the end, where we return even more to our tennis-players-are-samurai allegory. There’s a Selfless State (which is pretty much zen satori) that players can enter. The captain of the team has used it to attain physical mastery... but a new player announces that there are THREE doors attainable through the Selfless State, and he demonstrates the second one, which is more tactical—the ability to predict how the game will end, with total accuracy. He also announces that the third door is way beyond the other two—“the locked door” –and that its reward is not mere mastery or brilliance, but “Perfection.” Clearly, this will be the goal of Ryoma, The Boy Who Cannot Lose.

Azumanga Daioh Omnibus

Yen Press

Summary: this is the story of some high-school girls. One of them is a girl who looks cool and aloof but actually loves all things cute, like kitties for example. One of them is a total space-case. One is a child prodigy who’s just 11. The rest are also quite lovable, even (sort of) including their total slacker-gal teacher. We follow them through three school years, to graduation. Now that you’ve had the summary: It’s excellent. A+. Buy it. It’s about 675 pages for only 25 bucks. Do the math: if an average manga volume is 10 bucks for 200 pages, YOU ARE COMING OUT AHEAD. It’s solid gold. Get it. I read half of it to Barbara, who had already experienced it before. It was just that great to revisit these old friends. Do it. Believe it. Experience it. The anime is great too... except the anime drags in the middle just a little. Oh, you’ll need to watch every disk of the anime, but the first two and last two are the ones you’ll revisit over and over. I have the first two checked out from the library, downstairs right now. But this omnibus does not drag in the middle. It is just made of win. Again, that grade was: A+.
``xEkyVkpllyZvPNmzOeK``x1265208867``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xonepiece25.jpg Deadman Wonderland ``xZackDavisson``xTokyoPop obviously has some confidence in the new series Deadman Wonderland. They put out a nineteen-page preview in several titles released around the end of 2009, including the final volume of the popular Chibi Vampire v14, and have built some hype around the release.

Personally, I was hooked by that little teaser, and have been eagerly awaiting the first volume in what promised to be one of the best new series of the year. After having finally received and devoured my copy, I am happy to report that Deadman Wonderland lives up to its hype.

The story begins with the sort of post-apocalyptic set-up that you really have to suspend your disbelief to get into, (anyone who has watched Escape from New York should have no problem with this) but once you shut down the logical part of your brain and go with the flow of the series you will buy it completely. Set ten years in the future, following a giant earthquake that submerged seventy percent of Tokyo, what remains of the ravaged capital city has been turned into a giant theme park/prison with the justification of rebuilding the local economy.

Housed in this “Deadman Wonderland” are criminals ranging from petty thieves to hardened death row inmates. They compete in various contests for the prize of Cast Points (CPs) which function as money inside the prison and allow the inmates to buy special food and favors. Selling tickets to these bloody contests in how Deadman Wonderland generates its economy-reviving income.

We are introduced to this prison funhouse through the eyes of Igarashi Ganta, a middle-school boy who was the sole survivor of a massacre that slew twenty-one of his classmates including his best friends. Ganta was framed for the murder and placed in Deadman Wonderland as a death-row inmate, but only he knows the true perpetrator: a huge man-like monster draped in red who Ganta calls The Red Man. Instead of killing him, The Red Man implanted something in Ganta’s chest and left him to be tried and convicted for the murders.

Inside Deadman Wonderland, Ganta finds himself swept up in the internal politics of the prison. As a famous mass murderer and death-row inmate, Ganta draws attention and threats to himself with every move, especially from a thug named Kozuji who is quick to show Ganta his place in the pecking order. Coming to his occasional rescue is a mysterious albino girl named Shiro (meaning white in Japanese), who seems to appear and disappear from the prison at will, and holds some secret connection with Ganta’s past.

At first Ganta tries to keep a low profile and just stay out of everyone’s way, but some of the harsher rules of Deadman Wonderland are slowly revealed. Each prisoner is given a daily dose of poison, which can only be cured by an antidote sold in the form of “candy” that inmates can buy for one thousand CP. This means that if Ganta wants to survive, he must join the games and risk his life battling his fellow prisoners for a chance to earn the CP that keep them alive. As an innocent middle-school boy, however, Ganta is hardly in the same league as the desperate and hardened criminals he is surrounded by.

Of course, within Deadman Wonderland there are plots-within-plots, and circles-within-circles. Ganta re-encounters the giant Red Man within the prison walls, and discovers that the implant he received gives Ganta some powerful abilities. It soon becomes clear that the Red Man is known to the officials at Deadman Wonderland, who refer to him simply as The Original Sin, and that the manipulations that brought Ganta to the prison may lie very deep.

Deadman Wonderland is different from most manga in that it is created like an American-style comic book, with the writer and artist splitting the duties. This seems to work in the books favor, as both are allowed to really concentrate on their specialties, and the finished product is fabulous. Their previous collaboration, Eureka Seven, was released in the US by Bandai and proved to be a popular adaptation of the anime series. I believe Deadman Wonderland is their first original work to get a US release.

Kondou’s art is really outstanding, with some shades of Range Murata (Last Exile) in the character design, and even a bit of Otomo Katsuhiro () in his depiction of a post-apocalyptic Tokyo. The art style creates a nice counter between the light and somewhat cartoony Shiro and the heavy and realistic depiction of The Red Man.

Deadman Wonderland definitely earns its 16 + rating with liberal dropping of f-bombs and some harsh violence in the treatment of the Deadland Wonderland prisoners. There is no nudity or sex to speak of, which would be out of place in the story presented.

was originally released in 2007 in Shonen Ace magazine. In Japan, there are seven volumes currently released and the series is still ongoing. This first US-release by TokyoPop is given the royal treatment, going so far as to preserve the color pages in the beginning that are usually rendered in black-and-white for most English-language manga.

Review copy provided by Tokyo Pop. ``xEkyVkpyZlVnhyejvPI``x1265206785``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1427817413``xJinsei Kataoka``xKazuma Kondou``x``x``xAction``x``x``xRay Yoshimoto``xBryce P. Coleman``xTOKYOPOP``xOlder Teen``xA+``x10.99``x150``x225``xDeadman Wonderland v1.jpg``x``x``x``x What Park's Looking At: Mid-January 2010``xParkCooper``xBlack Jack v8

Vertical

More tales of the world’s greatest outlaw (as in unlicensed) doctor. Old school tales as timely as America’s health-care turmoil.

“The Tattooed Man”: An old-school Yakuza boss needs surgery, but he’s comforted by the fact that if the achieves nothing else in life, the tattoo that covers his body can be preserved for posterity. Black Jack is called in... but he’s not supposed to mar the tattoo! Well, some years later, the man dies. But it’s Old Home Week when, years later, the man’s son sends for Black Jack—Mom has now passed away as well, and it’s time to examine the tattoo Mom wouldn’t allow anyone to examine before now. Once the tattoo is examined, can Black Jack give a convincing reason why the son shouldn’t kill him?

“A Visit From A Killer”: A one-eyed assassin comes to visit Black Jack — he plans to shoot a visiting despot soon, but Black Jack has been hired to be on hand for just such an emergency. The killer is worried that Black Jack’s reputation for saving anyone short of the actually dead will counter his shot — what will happen when each man feels he must do his duty?

And that’s only two of the stories I liked best in this latest issue of Black Jack. Come and drown your sorrows regarding the fact that the recent Astroboy movie didn’t do well with the critics with one of the world’s freakier-lookin’ doctors, courtesy of Tezuka.

Very! Very! Sweet! v4

Yen Press





On one hand, this manhwa is not for me. Because the back cover copy is written as if you know what happened in the previous three volumes and what the setup is, I can understand it, but I still can’t make heads or tails of the contents inside. There are some teens/young people, and they’re looking to form relationships, but things are still very up in the air about the success of such desired relationships. But... there are scenes that are intriguing, I must admit, like a nice one where the guy is like “why’d you go get super-tan?” and she explains she hoped it would impress the guy she likes, and her honesty is so straightforward, he can’t criticize her any more. And then she’s like “if so-and-so said she liked muscle men, would you dash off to the gym?” and the answer is that he would. And they just sort of sit there, a little sad—trapped by the rules of unrequited teen love. But what I really like most is that this conversation is boy-girl, not between guys or between girls like you’d see in America more often. I dunno. There are some Japanese kids and Korean kids and one exchange student who talks in broken Korean because it’s the best she can do and I can’t tell or keep straight who’s interested in whom... but... if I had come in from volume 1, I might be interested, because SOMEONE is doing more than just phoning it in, here. And there’s no adapter, so I wonder if it isn’t the honest-to-goodness creator...

Detroit Metal City v2

Viz Signature





I hate to tell you this: It’s no secret that this is a horrible book. It’s trying very, very hard to be horrible, after all. As a book about death metal of the hardest type, it’s got tons of references to rape, hell, pigs, the combination thereof, and much, much worse in the songs of its titular band. But... and I’m as shocked as you must be to hear this—this one is better than the first one. It’s an improvement. Horrible though it still is.

If you’ve just gotten here, DMC is about a guy who lets out his dark side by becoming the leader of a death metal band. He’s quite a wimp in life, but in his very-made-up persona, he’s hardcore. Well, he’s really not at all, but he FAKES hardcore better than the best in his field. However, the horrible, horrible words and concepts that infuse this shocktabulous fakery turned me off last time.

Well, you’ll be happy to know that, as a civilized member of the human race, they’re still turning me off this time. But that doesn’t mean I don’t actually LOOK at what I’m sent to review. And I have to tell you, this time, there’s more characterization, and some concepts that actually have... well, SOMETHING to them.


For example, there’s a hardcore band of all-females who are bashing DMC. Our protagonist is sent to go disrupt their performance... without his makeup, because that would show WHO was causing (well, attempting) the sabotage. While trying to get up on stage, his shirt is torn open, his chest gets all scratched up, and he’s got a cold, so he keeps sort of sneering because his nose is running—and since he was already scrawny in build, the lead singer girl of the rival band just can’t help but see his presence (her imagination helps her out a lot) as a visit from beyond the grave from her hero, Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols.

Here’s another one—a huge fan of DMC writes that he is sick and needs an operation. So our protagonist decides to go and visit him in his sick bed as his lord-of-the-underworld persona, Krauser. So he’s got to encourage this guy to be brave, and go and get his operation... but that’s a NICE thing to do, and Krauser is ridiculously EVIL. So the protagonist guy is wracking his brains trying to do this nice thing and still stay in character as an infernal avatar of diabolism.

Last one: DMC has this little man that they abuse on stage, because, well, the little man gets off on that sort of thing. But our protagonist finds out that the little man has a co-worker he’s got a crush on. So we let the little guy write a song, and sing it for her on stage... and it kinda has a Neil Diamond feel, because that’s the guy’s main musical influence personally... yeah, the attempted craziness just ensues from there.

I can’t recommend this nasty, nasty book to anyone. Please, world, don’t think that I think you should even touch this manga. I hereby officially WARN you that it is a Concerned Mothers of America/CBLDF lawsuit waiting to happen. But if DMC ALREADY sounds like your cup of tea, I can inform you that DMC v2 not only has what you sick, sick people want, it now tries to combine it with things like character and plot as well.


Barb: “What’s so bad about this book, anyway, really?”



Me: “That does it.” >I go to my office, retrieve book, bring to Barb, open book to a given page< “Here, hold this.”



Barb: >reads< “Okay, I hate this.”



Me: “Indeed.”



Barb: “Sure enough, I’m offended.”



Me: “I’m sayin’.”



Barb: “Me, who read the Dark Horse one about the dominatrix who saw ghosts. Me, who read Battle Royale.”



Me: “Uh huh.”



Barb: “And of course you know what really bothered me?”



Me: “Besides the obvious? The art?”



Barb: >Does brief double-take< “Hm? Oh, no. It was... well, I guess the art was... well, I’m not really gonna worry about the art. It really pales in comparison with the main thing.”



Me: “Uh-huh.”



Barb: “That’s right: the adaptation.”



Me: “Beg pardon?”



Barb: “The adaptation! It’s just so clunky! Not smooth! Not... not FUNNY!”



Me: “...”



Barb: “Oh, the _words_ and _what_ they were saying didn’t really offend me. It was the delivery of the lines themselves. That could have been made really funny. But the way it’s done on the page...”



Me: “Uh...huh. Well, I guess with great comedy potential, also inevitably comes great comedic flop potential.”



Barb: “That’s for darn sure.”



Me: “I love how it’s the CRAFT level that’s offended you.”



Barb: “Of course, what else?”



One Thousand and One Nights v8 (see image)

Yen Press

I’d seen this book around for a while, but everyone in it is so pretty, I presumed it was yaoi. Volume 8 suggests that I may have presumed that hastily. Not only am I not seeing boys kissing boys in this volume, but there’s some non-clothedness here, and it seems decidedly female. Basically, this is a story with Middle-Easternish overtones, with crusaders (the Crusades kind, as in Jerusalem), a sultan, Muslim lands, dancing girls, romance, old grudges, you get the idea. It might be interesting to you, especially to those of a history-minded bent, but it’s just not for me.


Kanji in MangaLand v1
JPT Productions





For 24 bucks, this book, printed and apparently created in Spain, but published by Japan Publications Trading Co., Ltd., but distributed here by Kodansha, starts teaching one to read and write kanji. I think its teaching approach is pretty effective, and Barb agrees. They try to associate a given kanji with a little picture that evokes the strokes needed to write it whenever they give you a new one... It looks hard to me, but it also looks like, if anything might work to help teach one kanji, this might. I found it in the library at one of the branch campuses where I teach... I suppose what its existence and presence says about American culture these days is pretty obvious...


And now, a bonus: What Barb Looked At:



Sarasah v1

Yen Press





Barb says: "Wow, this is a rarity: usually, comedic shoujo manga is not particularly romantic nor particularly amusing. But in the case of Sarasah, however, everything works just about the way it's supposed to. The plot, really quickly: girl likes boy, boy very much dislikes girl for no clear reason, complications ensue, she ends up in a coma, and finds out that the problem with this relationship-she-wishes-she-had is due to past-life-issue stuff, so she must go back to the past and fix her karma, or else she'll never get the guy she wants. Neat, huh? The pacing is good, the plot is light and familiar and yet sometimes unpredictable, the situations are genuinely twisty (in a good way), and the quips will genuinely make you smile. The art is beautiful but not the not-uncommon overwhelming level of "OMG my pupils are dialating" Korean-beautiful; you want her to be able to solve her little mystery... you can't quite see what she sees in her love-interest boy, but that's high school for ya... and the fact that it goes to slightly-supernatural past-life areas is just something one didn't quite see comin'. I can see shoujo fans and manhwa-heads liking this. Since I'm not the biggest fan of shoujo in the world, I personally am not the ideal target audience, so I don't know if I'd read this whole series, but that's just me, I think, because I happen to like my supernatural with, well, more stringy-haired ghost-ladies in it. However, even a shoujo-hater might tell you that this one is worthwhile."``xEkyuypFElVbdPPKTse``x1264603185``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``x1001nights_8.gif Otomen v4``xYsabet``xEach time I read a volume of Otomen I'm surprised again by how endearing it is, but its over-the-top streak feels rather a lot stronger in volume 4 than it did in vol. 2, the last installment I reviewed. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I read vol. 4 without having read vol. 3, but then was able to find a copy of vol. 3 and get properly caught up. Still, having read them out of order probably has at least a minor effect on my impression.)

The series is still very focused on Asuka and his ongoing efforts at hiding his too-feminine interests from most of the world, but while his relationship with Ryo is still a constant factor, this is the second volume in a row where one of the main storylines has had to do with Asuka meeting/discovering another otomen (first Hajime, the make-up artist, and now a boy with a passion for flowers), and it's also the second in a row which focuses quite a bit on some sort of competition between them, this time in the form of two beach bars' growing war for customers.

I don't find those aspects as interesting as I do Asuka's developing romance with Ryo and their friendship with Juta, so it's no surprise that my favorite story in volume 4 has to do with Ryo's birthday, Asuka's plan to bake her a cake, and Ryo's father's unexpected interest in learning just the tiniest bit more about feminine things in order to try to make his daughter happier. It's not a deep storyline, but it's incredibly sweet. (Ryo's father takes his hardcore masculine-things-only! stance a bit far, but it's less cringe-inducing than Asuka's mother's need to keep Asuka from growing up into a transvestite like his father.)

This is the kind of series that gives shoujo its fluffy, sugary reputation, but it's a good representation of that subset of the genre. For the most part I had fun with this volume although, like some other reviewers, I think I'd find Otomen more enjoyable still if it took the gender issues it raises a bit more seriously, or at least made those aspects a bit less ridiculous.

I didn't think to check the credits on volume 3, but as of that volume or volume 4 the translator/adapter are different than in volume 2; that said, I didn't notice a significant difference in the scripts.

Volume 4 of Otomen includes a one-page glossary of Japanese terms.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.``xEkyuypEuZlIUZzDZZw``x1264601478``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421525372``xAya Kanno``x``x``x``xRomance``xComedy``x``xJN Productions``xJN Productions``xADV Manga``xAll Ages``xB-``x9.99``x150``x225``xOtomen v4.jpg``x``x``x``x Biomega v1``xCharlesWebb``xFrom the publisher’s description: “The N5S virus has swept across the Earth, turning most of the population into zombie-like Drones. Zoichi Kanoe, an agent of TOA Heavy Industry, is humanity’s last hop, and he’s not even human!”

One would think a book with a gun-toting, talking bear would make more of an impression. Unfortunately, Tsutomu Nihei’s (Blame!) most recent work sort of blows over the reader like a gentle wind to be forgotten almost immediately.

This action-packed, sci-fi horror vehicle follows its lead, Kanoe, an artificial man with the requisite frustrated AI companion and badass bike as he attempts to find a genetic key that will inoculate humanity against a virus that has converted swaths of the population into zombies. As opposed to creating a new approach to the zombie-pocalypse genre, the writer-artist has instead piled conceits on top of one another – from space-borne spores, to soulless corporations, to body horror, to weapon porn (seriously some of the guns are ridiculous).

The plot trots out megalithic corporations with shady agendas with the strange, added twist of a moral imperative to their actions – the corporation is acting to create a new beginning, motivated not so much by greed as I suppose an odd sort of idealism about restoring the world. The lead character, Kanoe, makes less of an impression – this volume doesn’t give the reader any real indication of his motives beyond duty to his company and a vague sense of not wanting the whole world to be immolated in a nuclear holocaust.





The art in the book has a rushed quality to it as well with the line work possessing a sketchy, back-of-a-notebook style to it. Some of the character designs seem raw and underdone and the rhythm of some of the action is hard to follow with gaps in transitions and slightly weak storytelling throughout. Where the work is redeemed is in the frenetic nature of some of the action scenes, particularly those involving artificial person on artificial person violence. Likewise, some of the drone designs are visually striking in that sort of overdeveloped, Resident Evil boss sort of way. Plus, you know, there’s a gun-toting, talking Russian bear.

Perhaps getting the first volume out setting up the action-heavy world-building will allow Nihei to focus on the character-building in the next installment.

Note: this title will be available on February 2, 2010.

Review copy provided by Viz. ``xEkyuyppAAyYSpesmIo``x1264600996``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421531844``xTsutomu Nihei``x``x``x``xSci-Fi``xHorror``x``xJohn Werry``x``xViz Media``xMature``xC+``x12.99``x150``x225``xbiomega v1.jpg``x``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdom: Prose Weakness``xNibley``x
As I sit here, planning to write yet another column about our translation weaknesses, I wonder if I do that a little too frequently. But on the other hand, this week is turning out to be crazy busy and I can't think of anything else. So.

I mentioned before that we were removed from a light novel translation project because our prose translation was not up to snuff. Well, we wanted to find out exactly how bad it was so we decided to participate in the Kurodahan Press Translation Prize contest. We weren't expecting to win and we didn't, but it was a good way to gauge our prose translation skills and it was also a really neat experience.

The judging for the contest was divided into three categories: translation accuracy, representation of the original (capturing the author's style), and English flow. Each participant could get up to 10 points for each category (30 max) from each of the five judges (for a total of 150 maximum points). We don't know the breakdown of our scores, but we placed sixth with a total of 108 points, and because we have math geek tendencies, we calculated that to be 72%. That gave us a C, maybe a C-, depending on the curve. Then again, depending on the curve, maybe we got a B!

Anyway, it's obvious we need to work on prose translation to get that score up. I'm afraid that admitting this might cause people to wonder about our work as translators in general, but I'm hoping that they'll read our manga translations and see the quality for themselves, whether it's good or bad. There's a distinct difference between writing and translating dialogue (which is really just about all manga is), and writing and translating prose. While one phrasing might work really well for a descriptive passage, it might not work so well for a line spoken by a high school student. Just like different writers can be better at one than the other, translators can be, too.

I just deleted a couple of paragraphs where we were musing on the differences between prose and dialogue, and we realized they're not really all that different--at least not technically. In either one, you want to use the right words to get your message across, you want the words to sound nice, and it's good to have clever metaphors, etc. Although not all of us are quick enough to come up with clever metaphors off the tops of our heads in everyday conversation. So I guess the difference is between narrator voice and character voice?

I was going to steal a line from a story our cousin wrote to illustrate my point, but then I decided that stealing is wrong even if he would probably forgive us, and he didn't answer his cell phone so I couldn't ask for permission. So instead, I'll use a short phrase we came across one day, which I still don't have permission for, but is publicly available if you know where to look, and would be difficult to spot even so. The phrase is this: “thought it to be pretty.” Reading it as a line of prose, describing a character's reaction to something, it works really well. But if that character were to say that reaction out loud, in exactly that same way (e.g. “I thought it to be pretty.”), it would probably sound a little off.

Of course, it all depends on the character, and there could be a bunch of exceptions. Ayame Sohma, for example, might talk that way, or a very proper noblewoman or someone. But Kyo would never say it that way. He would just say, “I thought it was pretty.” This all goes back to what we're always saying about character voice.

Going back to our thoughts on prose, I suppose the difference could be in descriptive power. An aspiring writer friend of ours recently blogged about how her weakness in writing is that she loves descriptions too much, and come to think of it, I remember always hating having to write them. Anyway, she talked about how most modern readers aren't going to want to read five different descriptions of the same place, and if you think about it, people don't tend to spend a lot of time describing things in dialogue. Usually they just say what's going on once, and maybe how they feel about it, too.

And now that we spent a whole column wondering (and not necessarily very coherently) why we're not good at writing/translating prose, I want to vouch for our dialogue translations! We think they're very good! But since people aren't always the most accurate judges of themselves, we'll just turn this into a shameless plug and say, “Go check out some Ace Attorney manga!”
``xEkyFAVuEpkxLrvvBcy``x1263954102``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg All My Darling Daughters ``xPennyKenny``xAll My Darling Daughters will be released January 19, 2010.

Relationships can be a minefield. There are issues of control, power, and what each person really wants out of the relationship. Fumi Yoshinaga explores this rich and explosive territory in the five inter-connected stories of All My Darling Daughters.

The focus here is on emotion, not plot. There are no villains, grand quests, or great romances. The characters are going on inner journeys, trying to understand themselves and the people they're intimately connected with. They're also trying to make their conflicting thoughts and desires understood by others.

These are stories of mothers and daughters, men and women. In one story a woman tries to come to terms with her mother marrying a man younger than her own thirty-some years. In another, a young woman looks into contracting an arranged marriage, and in a third, a teacher indulges in some highly improper behavior with a confused and troubled student.

Yoshinaga keeps a distance between the readers and the characters. The reader isn't privy to a character's thoughts. She has to go by what's said and how the characters behave; only there's often a disconnect between what the characters are saying and how they're acting. This dissonance accomplishes two things. It makes the characters more human, more believable; and it increases reader involvement in the story by making her look beyond the surface to see what's really going on.

All My Darling Daughters isn't entirely without humor. There are light moments. For the most part though, a melancholy, bittersweet air hangs over the book. There are no problems that are truly resolved. The characters might understand themselves or one another a bit better, but that doesn't mean everything is sunshine and roses after. In many ways this volume reminds me of Keiko Nishi's Promise, a two-story collection Viz released in the early 90s. Both authors seem to believe some sort of understanding can be achieved, but that it won't necessarily lead to the typical idea of happiness.

Yoshinaga's art is extremely attractive. There's very little background detail. The focus is on the characters' faces and body language. Only rarely does Yoshinaga slip into a modified, deformed version of the characters to show extreme emotion.

All My Darling Daughters is a little gem of a book. It's definitely not for the fan of the typical shojo series found on the local Barnes and Noble's shelves. However, readers who have moved beyond Nana or who enjoy Jodi Picoult's novels might want to give this a try. ``xEkyFAVFpVVgIQkRdAC``x1263953055``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421532409``xFumi Yoshinaga``x``x``x``xDrama``x``x``xJohn Werry``xJohn Werry``xViz Media``xTeen``xA``x12.99``x150``x225``xAll My Darling Daughters.jpg``x``x``x``x Monkey High! v8``xYsabet``xMonkey High! has been one of those wonderful series that completely took me by surprise with how endearing it is. I have to admit that most of the supporting cast made very little impression on me, but Haruna and Macharu made me smile right to the end of the series, which concludes with this volume. This is one of those great instances of the leads really balancing each other out, and of a relationship being allowed to really develop.

As the series wraps up, the end of high school is on the horizon and, as is usually true for both fictional and real-life high school couples, Macharu and Haruna need to figure out where they and their relationship are headed. Being committed to each other and taking one big step in their relationship early in the volume is all well and good, but they're from very different social worlds, and Haruna's father has plans for her that don't involve marrying a shopkeeper's son.

One of the things I like best about Monkey High! is that, while the characters have their share of misunderstandings (which rarely feel contrived), they actually talk out what's going on. In this case, once Macharu realizes that Haruna's father is making a determined effort at deciding her future, his typically impulsive response is to simply take her home with him. His family immediately takes her in, and the move gives both of them a chance to seriously think about where they're going. The way Akira writes the two of them is really quite lovely--at this point, they're both very sure that they want to be (and stay) together, so it's a pleasure to watch them figure out how they're each going to go about making sure that happens.

There aren't a lot of surprises in this volume, but there are a lot of nice moments, and the story wraps up well--something that's usually a concern for me. (I tend to breathe a sigh of relief when I close the final volume of a series that has a decent ending, honestly, having been burned by unexpectedly dull or unpleasant endings too many times.)

Volume 8 of Monkey High! includes the creator's comments on the series' end and a page of cultural/translation notes.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media.``xEkyFAVkFkAjIaNxoOr``x1263952329``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421526697``xShouko Akira``x``x``x``xRomance``x``x``xMai Ihara``xMai Ihara``xViz``xOlder Teen``xB+``x9.99``x150``x225``xMonkey High 8 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Love*Com v16``xYsabet``xThe Love*Com finale sneaked up on me--somehow I'd been unaware that volume 16 was the last (vol. 17, due in March, is made up of side stories) until it arrived. Other than the fact that the main characters' high school graduation almost always means that a manga has reached its end, this volume is nearly indistinguishable from almost any other installment in the series--which is good news if you're looking for exactly what Love*Com usually delivers, but maybe a bit less good if you're hoping for it to go out with a bigger bang.

With graduation just over the horizon, Risa and Ôtani are busy working on the graduation committee. The committee's responsibilities include choosing a skit for their class to perform, and much to Ôtani's chagrin, it's decided that he'll be playing the lead in a version of "Issunbôshi", the tale of a tiny boy who travels in a soup bowl. To add insult to injury, he's also the victim of some small but unpleasant pranks that he thinks might be Risa's doing. It's not a great way to end their last year of high school, but the show has to go on!

I have to admit that I'm disappointed (although unsurprised) that the pattern of Risa and Ôtani misunderstanding and distrusting each other continues right to the end of the series, although it's more toned down (and briefer) than it has been at other times. But this volume also shows them banding together to help out one of the supporting cast, and it does at least give some closure to a couple of characters other than the leads, which is nice. The skit they put on is pretty funny, too, as is the way Ôtani and Risa's classmates can't resist poking fun at them for old times' sake, so the volume ends on a higher note than it began on.

This isn't an amazing conclusion to the series, but it's generally the same level of comedy that readers have come to expect from Love*Com, and given my general wariness when any manga series draws to a close, I'm satisfied with that.

Volume 16 of Love*Com includes the bonus story "The Place Where We Belong", about actor/singer Teppei Koike, who played Ôtani in the Love*Com movie.




Review copy provided by VIZ Media.``xEkyFFuVlFEsdUerIVZ``x1263345831``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421523833``xAya Nakahara``x``x``x``xRomance``x``x``xJN Productions``xShaenon K. Garrity``xViz``xTeen``xB-``x9.99``x150``x225``xLove Com 16 cover.jpg``x``x``x``x Monster DVD Box Set 1``xCharlesWebb``xIn 1986, in West Berlin, brilliant neurosurgeon Dr. Kenzo Tenma makes the fateful decision to save the life of a young boy named Johan. Nine years later, Dr. Tenma learns that his former patient is tied to a series of serial killings. Now, on the run for murder, the doctor must not only clear his own name, but must also stop the charismatic young monster's series of murders.

Having watched the first volume of this series I wonder if its creator, Urasawa (of 20th Century Boys fame) has read MW by Tezuka. Thematically, both works are similar: a man loved and respected by the community learns that a decision from his past has created a killer. In both cases the protagonists drop out of their lives to find charismatic, mad dog killers and learn subsequently about the darkness within themselves.

In the case of MW - named for a deadly nerve agent that drove its antagonist to homicidal insanity – Tezuka went for a mad, pulp thriller propelled by sex and murder against the backdrop of American interventionism and government irresponsibility in the 70’s. With Monster, Urasawa shoots for something more understated, set against the fall of the Berlin Wall and the generally low-key adventures of its hero who wanders from location to location attempting to learn more about the mysterious Johan.

The recently release box set contains the first 15 episodes of the 74 episode series, following the good doctor from his rise to prominence to his professional downfall. It’s a bit drier than the back-of-box copy would suggest, but not boring. The first episodes in this package deal with institutional politics at Dr. Tenma’s hospital and the hand wringing that goes into his decision to save a child’s life instead of that of the local mayor.
Given the pacing of these early episodes, the viewer mostly hears about Johan as opposed to seeing him. It does make him seem like something of a vague threat to Dr. Tenma. As a result, the stakes feel less concrete and Tenma’s journey feels slightly under-motivated. Dr. Tenma feels guilty about potentially unleashing a murderer upon the world and he fears that Johan’s actions are his fault – but Johan’s actions in the present are less clear than the ones he committed in the past, again, making the character feel more like a ghost than a presence in the actual story.

Still, Dr. Tenma is an interesting character – his struggle is with his commitment to the preservation of human life while knowing that when he finally meets Johan he might have to kill the young man. It’s a fascinating conflict that I’m interested in seeing play out over the next volumes.

On the technical side, Madhouse Studios visualizes the manga with results that are simple and basic, but effective. The character design in some ways feel like a throwback to 80s-style animation (appropriate to the story, itself created in the late 80s and early 90s). Suffice it to say that the studio provides solid visuals for the work.

A note – the volume receives a slightly lower grade than I would like given the way that it’s presented here: besides the rather Spartan presentations of the special features (lots and lots of text) the collection of episodes actually ends mid-storyline. Not at a cliffhanger, mind – it literally ends in the middle of a story and it’s confusing that the follow-up episode wasn’t included in this volume. It’s an unfortunate omission that otherwise mars a very good set.



Review copy provided by VIZ Pictures.




If you liked this review, be sure to check out more of the author’s work at Monster In Your Veins




``xEkyFFuuAVkbhMvXNhs``x1263344952``xreviews``x``x``x33481114656321``x1421529619``xNaoki Urasawa``xMasayuki Kojima``xMadhouse``x``xThriller``xDrama``xCrime``x``x``xViz Media``xMature``xB+``x59.98``x150``x225``xMonsterSlipcase_Boxset1.jpg``x``x``x``x Words of Truth and Wisdom: Not Cavemen``xNibley``xIt may or may not be obvious from the way we write this column, but we tend to be a bit obsessive sometimes. So I've still been thinking about this article: http://www.tcj.com/?p=1884

More specifically, I've been thinking about the part where it says that fans want translators to write worse. In fact, we have seen this to be the case. Although I'm not sure how common that opinion is, we have heard (or read, actually, since it was online) a fan say that she likes to see bad grammar in subtitles, because that's how she knows it's closer to the original Japanese.

I feel like we've probably addressed this subject before, but I want to address it again. I want the fans to know that just because Japanese grammar is radically different from English, that doesn't mean that Japanese people speak in incorrect grammar. And if the grammar isn't bad to a Japanese reader, then an English-speaking reader won't have the same experience as the Japanese reader if the translation's grammar is bad. Of course, with the cultural references and stuff, the native English speaker probably won't have the same experience anyway, but there's no reason we should make it worse by having all the characters using poor or stiff English.

I think of cavemen. Except for the Geico commercials and the very short-lived sitcom, cavemen are generally made to speak with bad grammar. (Brief tangent: The Geico commercials and the sitcom would have been way funnier (in our opinions) if the cavemen had actually lived in caves. They could be well-furnished caves with art on the walls, electricity, a grand piano, etc., but they still should have been caves. Otherwise, what makes the cavemen “cavemen”?) And unless I'm understanding things incorrectly, the reason we make cavemen speak in bad grammar is to demonstrate that they are of lesser intelligence. So when someone translates manga, and lets the translation sound weird because it's “true to the Japanese,” then the people who grew up associating constant bad grammar with cavemen and people of lower intelligence are going to think that everyone in Japan is of lower intelligence, and so is anyone who reads anything from Japan. And that is incredibly wrong (not to mention racist).

We happen to have a sister and brother-in-law who generally reject manga, and, while they haven't told us why, based on their attitude they seem to be of the opinion that all manga is “stupid.” It's quite likely that they sampled some manga (I seem to remember our sister saying something about being an extra for some movie that was being filmed at Comic Con, and picking up some manga to read there...) and thought the script was very poorly written. Also from their attitudes, it seems like they don't realize that when that happens, it's usually the fault of the translation. I've tried to illustrate this a few times with our literal translation posts, but here it is again: the quality of writing in a translation can be completely independent from the quality of the writing in the original language.

To be fair, there are manga characters who do use bad grammar, just as there are native English speakers who use bad grammar. Heck, even we use bad grammar on purpose sometimes (I think we mentioned that in another column). But, like with native English speakers who use bad grammar, they don't do it all the time. So in order for it to stand out when they do, they need to be using decent grammar the rest of the time.

Anyway, the point is, as translators, we want fans to realize that it's appropriate for a translation to sound good; now the industry just needs to make sure that translations actually do.




``xEkyklEFukpVWcFyiVw``x1262813420``xfeatures``x``x``x45611116047418``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x``x150``x225``x``x``x``x``xtwins.jpg Yotsuba&! v7``xjoykim``xTo say I am fond of Yotsuba&! is a bit of an understatement. When a new volume of Yotsuba&! reaches my hands, I tend to drop everything else I am reading and immediately dive into Yotsuba's latest adventures. By this point in the series, I no longer have much doubt that any new installments will be good reads. The real question is whether they can possibly live up to my overwhelming expectations of excellence.

Fortunately, the seventh volume of Yotsuba&! proves to be a very satisfying read, even for someone with expectations as high as mine. While none of the individual chapters are true standouts along the lines of, say, the parody of The Professional in volume 2, they are still extremely funny. The volume is nicely bookended by a family trip to a ranch, but it's still very episodic fare. Familiarity with the previous volumes will make some of the jokes more enjoyable, but a new reader would have no problem starting the series here.

Because Yotsuba&! is rated for all ages, people often automatically assume that it's intended for kids. I do see kids at my library checking out the books, but I think the series is most appreciated by teens and adults--anyone who has just a little distance and perspective on being Yotsuba's age. I was reminded of this while reading volume 7 because, compared to some of the earlier volumes, we see less of the Ayase girls and more of Koiwai's friends; consequently, some of the jokes seem particularly aimed at older readers.

One feature of Yotsuba&! that doesn't always get discussed in reviews is the art. Reviewers always mention th