By Aya Kanno. Released in Japan by Hakusensha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Bessatsu Hana to Yume ("Betsuhana"). Released in North America by Viz.

Another volume of Otomen, where Aya Kanno... writes about whatever the hell she wants, really, and if it happens to advance the main plot or develop the characters, so much the better. This means, as with many previous volumes, that the quality is highly variable; however, the good bits are really good.

Sadly, the first chapter in the book is not one of the good bits. I sometimes wonder if the theme that Viz notes on the back cover - 'having girly hobbies doesn't make you less manly!' - is actually meant to be the theme of this manga, or if Kanno is just gleefully subverting it for her own amusement. This chapter in particular is a good example, as showing how, in a world where men are manly and women are girly that it's OK to like cutesy stuff - is less appropriate when every other guy in the world is the same way! Seriously, we've met Asuka, and we now have the gardening otomen, the makeup artist otomen, and with this chapter, the singing otomen. Disbelief is starting to get tired of hanging around up there.

Luckily, this is the low ebb, and the other three stories are more interesting. My favorite was the second, involving the kendo club going off to train at a camp rumored to be haunted by a vengeful female ghost. Asuka, naturally, is terrified of ghosts. Juta, sensing a manga cliche he can abuse, suggests Ryo come along to serve as manager. What I liked best about this is that it finally admitted that no, it wasn't a case of Ryo 'forgetting' that Asuka had confessed to her, or the series itself retconning it. She just hasn't responded with an answer. Asuka's talk with the ghost about how difficult this is is very touching, and it's made even better by his return and seeing Ryo curled up asleep with her exorcist vacuum. Some people just feel more comfortable with deeds rather than words.

Speaking of Juta, he gets a focus chapter in here, noting his playboy sensibilities and how he seems to avoid commitment. He's blaming the manga career, but his sisters all seem to know that's not it. What I found most interesting here is that Juta, crippled with writer's block due to thinking about his old love, is able to use that and turn it into a story about 'Asuka's' best friend from Love Chick (aka genderflipped Juta) and her own old love. I wonder if that will slowly lead to him being able to get his manga away from just writing about Asuka's love life and create his own situations. Unlikely (that's where the humor of his character comes from), but it's a good thought.

And finally, we come back to the fact that Ryo is unable to tell Asuka that she loves him back. This is very distressing for him, as he actually asks her point blank as they're on a date and she evades the question. She notes she wanted to come on her amusement park date with the rest of the gang. Naturally, Asuka is getting those 'just a friend' vibes from this (and to be honest, it does read like that, as Ryo is THE hardest character to read in this series). Things then go pear-shaped when Juta, who seems to be able to think only in shoujo manga cliches, starts a rumor that Asuka is transferring schools. Hijinx naturally ensue, but Juta gets what he thinks he wanted when Ryo admits that she's glad the rumor isn't true. She still looks depresed, though, and in the end we find out why.

Well, we almost find out why. Damn cliffhangers, Kanno. You barely include Ryo for all of Volume 6, and when you finally do you tug at our heartstrings. You'd better not write her out (hey, it is a worry here - I'm sure if she made the manga all male it would be just as popular). Definitely looking forward to Volume 8.

I got off to a slow start to the 48 Hour Read-a-Thon, but I usually do.  I was exhausted last night when I finally got home from work and a visit with the ponies.  My allergies are acting up, and I have also had a sinus headache since yesterday.  I am powering my way through it, though – it will eventually go away.  I hope!

Anyway, here is my progress so far:

Finished reading:

The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz

Kekkaishi Vol 22 by Yellow Tanabe (Such an awesome series!)

Skip*Beat! Vol 21 by Nakamura Yoshiki

Some of the books I hope to get through this weekend include:

Sarasah Vol 4 by Ryu Ryang

Stepping on Roses Vol 2 by Rinko Ueda

Rasetsu Vol 5 by Chika Shiomi

Alice the 101st Vol 1 by Chigusa Kawai

Seiho Boys High School Vol 1 by Kaneyoshi Izumi

The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes by Kelly Easton

It’s not too late for you to jump in on the fun.  Just visit Unputdownables for all of the lowdown on the read-a-thon!

Now, I have a few errands to run, including grabbing lunch with Dean, and then it’s back to the books!

What have you read so far this weekend?

All of the following Shojo Beat books were provided by Viz. All came out in June or July at a cover price of $9.99 US.

Mixed Vegetables Book 8
Mixed Vegetables Book 8
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by Ayumi Komura

The cooking romance manga concludes in this volume. What the young couple at its center has in common are their mismatched goals: Hanayu’s family runs a pastry shop, but she wants to be a sushi chef, while Hayato dreams of making desserts although his family business is sushi.

Hanayu is now working at Hayato’s family restaurant, following her dream, but Hayato is giving up his in order to stay with her and satisfy his promises to his family, including a dead grandfather. It’s more poignant because Hanayu’s dad wants to open a pastry shop in France and have Hayato work for him, so he has a chance at his dream if he’s willing to make the choice. It’s very highly dramatic, but it’s most involving to those who already know the cast, since there are a lot of additional characters and no one’s introduced here. (Nor would I expect them to be, given how late it is in the series.)

The art is standard, lots of closeups of simple flat faces. And I admit, I kept getting confused by the similar names. (The author’s notes explain which foods the characters are named after.) This series never clicked for me because I wanted more emphasis on the food, less on the interchangeable shojo love drama. And it does become a bit wearying, having them repeat the problem they’re facing every chapter.

There’s also something weird about how negatively Hanayu is shown. She’s upfront about being selfish and wanting to follow her dream and wanting her love Hayato to be with her. But others keep calling her a child for knowing what she wants and working to get it, and she plays into it, calling herself a “terrible person”. I know love can be defined as the other person’s desires being more important than your own, but I don’t think it’s fair to blame a teen girl for not being that unselfish at this age.

Hanayu does work to make happen what she thinks is the best solution, and I guess that redeems her. Plus, there’s the traditional approach of portraying the woman’s role in romance to suffer and sacrifice, which I’m concerned about (although I don’t want to jump to conclusions, not having read the rest of this series). I didn’t find the ending very satisfying, since I perceived a lack of resolution, but long-time MV readers might feel differently.

Rasetsu Book 5
Rasetsu Book 5
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by Chika Shiomi

I wish the trend these days wasn’t so strongly in favor of keeping Japanese titles. I have a hard time remembering them, and I almost passed this by, because I didn’t realize it was a new chapter of the mystical office romance manga I’d previously enjoyed.

Rasetsu has a year to find true love, or she’ll be possessed by a demon. While she worries about her romantic future, she and her attractive male co-workers find and exorcise ghosts.

There’s lots for girls to like about this series. For one thing, Rasetsu has to eat a lot of sweets to keep up her energy and her power. Because she’s got that reason, no one gives her crap about eating too much. Plus, she doesn’t gain weight. That’s a fantasy, all right!

More importantly, there are several handsome possibilities for the needed love. They’re drawn with feeling and a bit more detail than some manga. Some pursue her, others she dreams about — it’s a bonanza! The workplace setting allows for comedy to break up the drama, resulting in nice pacing and entertaining encounters. Helping the spirits also provides lessons about love and memory and what’s important in life.

I would really like to see an hour-long TV show based on this. The co-worker interaction would be lovely to see on-screen, while the different cases could provide episode plots. It’s got an excellent mix of drama, comedy, and romance that makes it a pleasure to read. The symbolic treatment of the idea of that “I have to have a boyfriend by the time I’m age X” is a clever way to visualize the way girls feel like they need a guy for adult life to be able to begin.

We Were There Book 11
We Were There Book 11
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by Yuki Obata

Yano is neglecting school to take care of his mother, who has cancer. He’s unsure how to relate to classmate Akiko, a girl who’s helping him out, when his girlfriend has been left back home.

This is a very different shojo from many others in the line. Its art is more delicate, in keeping with the deep, potent feelings it portrays. (That also extends to the lettering, in a nice touch.) The author is more interested in how people feel about and react to events than the incidents themselves. For instance, in an early scene with two dogs, Akiko worries that she’s accidentally flashed him, and he agonizes over being celibate due to his circumstances. In a pleasant change from other manga, we don’t actually see the body part under discussion, because that’s not the point.

Every emotion on display here — and there are plenty — is thoroughly wallowed in and explored. The characters debate what it means to be in a relationship or argue over who’s going to control a child’s life. The adults are even more dramatic and self-indulgent than the teens. As I’ve said before, this series doesn’t work for me because it’s so overwrought, but I know others enjoy it for just that reason.

I do appreciate that the author isn’t afraid to portray death and its results as a major, life-changing moment for those left behind. The second half of this book jumps ahead several years after a departure, showing us selected characters moving on but shaped forever by the losses they’ve lived through. It’s a summer read for the unhappy teen, looking for meaning to come to them and enjoying the bittersweet pain of losing those you love.

Similar Posts: Viz Debut Chibis: Heaven’s Will, Mixed Vegetables, Sugar Princess § Shojo Beat in September: Rasetsu 2, Love*Com 14, Sand Chronicles 6, High School Debut 11 § Vampire Manga: Vampire Knight, Bloody Kiss § Crimson Hero Book 1 § Walkin’ Butterfly Book 2

With just a fraction of the summer left to enjoy, Viz Media reminds us of what we could be reading over the next month or so! Of special interest to us here at Manga Bookshelf is the debut of Bakuman, the latest from one of our favorite artists, Takeshi Obata, and his Death Note collaborator, Tsugumi Ohba.

Here’s a recent press release with all the summer news from Viz!

San Francisco, CA, July 29, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has provided details regarding the launch of brand new manga series set for release this summer. The series will tantalize the most discriminating manga tastes and features romantic dramas, fantasy driven action, the trials of aspiring manga creators, and a tasty slice of life story set in a romantic bistro in Rome.

BAKUMAN。· Rated ‘T’ for Teens ·
MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available August 3rd
By the creative team that brought you DEATH NOTE! Average student Moritaka Mashiro enjoys drawing for fun. When his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what exactly does it take to make it in the manga-publishing world?

GENTE · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens ·
MSRP: $12.99 US / $16.99 CAN · Available August 17th
Buona sera! Welcome to Casetta dell’Orso, a quaint little restaurant in the heart of Rome. The food’s delicious, but the handsome staff of bespectacled gentlemen is the real draw. Follow these dashing men home and witness their romances, heartaches, hopes and dreams in this delightfully whimsical continuation of Natsume Ono’s beloved Ristorante Paradiso.

HYDE & CLOSER · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens ·
MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available Now
Shunpei Closer is your average… well, slightly below average kid in junior high who finds himself in the middle of a great battle of dark sorcery. With cursed dolls coming after him one after another, Shunpei’s life is in constant danger! If that weren’t enough, Hyde, the teddy bear given to him by his grandfather, suddenly comes alive to rescue him. Hyde was a gift from Shunpei’s grandfather, Alsyd Closer, who was the King of Sorcerers. After a mysterious attack, Shunpei also learns that he is the target of sorcerers all over the world. With Hyde as his main protector and teacher, Shunpei must learn how to gain confidence in himself and use the magic that he has inherited to battle the dark forces that now threaten him.

DENGEKI DAISY · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens ·
MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available Now
After orphan Teru Kurebayashi loses her beloved older brother, she finds solace in the text messages she exchanges with DAISY, an enigmatic figure who can only be reached through the cell phone her brother left behind. Meanwhile, mysterious Tasuku Kurosaki always seems to be around whenever Teru needs help. Could DAISY be a lot closer than Teru thinks?

SEIHO BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL! · Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens ·
MSRP: $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN · Available August 3rd
Remote, lonely and surrounded by the ocean… This isn’t Alcatraz we’re talking about–it’s Seiho Boys’ High School, where the student body is rife with sexually frustrated hunks! How can these young men get girlfriends when they’re stuck in the middle of nowhere? These are the stories of the students of Seiho High and the trouble they get into as they awkwardly pursue all girls who cross their paths.

Look for reviews of some of these titles coming up soon at Manga Bookshelf!

By Karuho Shiina. Released in Japan by Shueisha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Bessatsu Margaret ("Betsuma"). Released in North America by Viz.

I must admit, I'm starting to wonder if perhaps this series is a bit TOO shiny. After reading every volume, I feel as if I've just had a thorough scrub with soap and water. Everything around me is brighter and cleaner, in a Ivory Soap sort of way. Even the villains in this manga tend towards the misunderstood cutie type. There *is* conflict, but it's the sort that involves simply being unable to speak your true feelings. I'm getting to the point where I really wish that perhaps a beloved sister would die, or perhaps someone could fall down a well.

Of course that's rather petty of me, as this series is so sweet I can't wish badness on anybody. And to be fair, we do get some real-world nastiness, as Yano breaks up with her college age boyfriend... who then belts her across the chops. (It's meant to look like a slap, of course, but she has a bandage over her cheek the next day, and it's still visible a couple days later when they're over at Ryu's place. He really socked her.) I liked this scene if only as it added a bit of depth to Yano, who's generally the smartest and most mature of the group. It shows that it can be hard to follow your own advice, and reminds us that even though she's the mature older one in terms of plot beats, she's still a high school girl capable of making horrible decisions about men.

But enough of that, back to the heartwarming and adorable. Even the angsty moments are filled with this, as we see when Kurumi finally confesses her crush on Kazehaya. She knows how this is going to go, as do we. And Kazehaya, being the perfect guy, even lets her down in the perfect way, immediately noting he likes someone else, and then when she asks if her confession made him happy, notes that it did and thanks her. I think this is the turning point for our view of Kurumi, and though she doesn't appear for the rest of the volume (which is more concerned with Chizuru and Ryu), I hope she shows up again, if only to see if she's abandoned her fake 'cute' persona.

Then there's chapter 18, which is just one giant 'd'awwww!' from start to finish. Sawako's parents' reaction to Yoshida and Yano, the pictures where Sawako isn't a 'ghost photo', Pin's ludicrous paranoia, and of course Kazehaya's panicked embarrassment. Moments like these are important in the series, as not only do they make it funnier and more heartwarming,. but they also humanize Kazehaya a little bit, which is necessary for someone like him, who tends to fall into 'far too perfect' if the author is not very careful. Sawako has this issue too, but her painful earnestness at absolutely everything takes the curse off her.

(She's like a Yotsuba for teen shoujo. "Look, my friends are coming over! Look, photos! Look, adorable flashbacks!" Like Yotsuba, though for different reasons, every experience Sawako has is the most wonderful thing ever.)

Lastly, we have the Chizuru's crush plot, which will extend into the next volume. Here we get some much needed depth for Ryu, who has tended to be the sensible one but not much else. He's comfortable with his unspoken love for Chizuru, and here we see why it's unspoken, and how difficult it is for him to try to protect her without her knowing it and without his own feelings becoming clear. It's an incredibly difficult task as Chizuru is not the brightest bulb in the lamp, and her combination of straightforward and unthinking leads the reader on a heady course for disaster... which will presumably have to wait for Volume 6, as we end this one with a cliffhanger.

I did greatly enjoy this volume, and I wonder if I'm just being picky when I note that it's too sweet and wonderful for its own good. Hey, sometimes you want a good meal, and sometimes you want cake. And this cake is really well made, one of the best cakes currently coming out in the North American manga community. Go get yourselves some sugar, folks.

 

Title: White Cat

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

ISBN: 978-1416963967

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they’re all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn’t got the magic touch, so he’s an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He’s noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love — or death — and your dreams might be more real than your memories

Review:

I decided to give White Cat a try because I enjoyed Holly Black’s Spiderwick Chronicles and The Good Neighbors graphic novels.  I started reading a sample on my Kindle app, and well before I reached the end, I was hooked.  I promptly downloaded the entire book and followed along as Cassel frantically attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding him and his family.  After a rude awakening on the roof of his school, dressed in just his boxers, he begins to wonder why he has started sleepwalking, and what his family of curse workers is hiding from him.

I loved the concept of the curse workers.  Though I don’t understand a lot of it, as the author is a little stingy with details, I enjoyed what I did glean from Cassel’s sparse narrative.  Cassel comes from a family of curse workers, and he is the only one without a gift.  His mom is a con artist and she’s in jail, while his brothers work for a gangster.  Cassel is trying to keep his nose clean by going to a boarding school, but the skeletons in his closet soon catch up with him.  Kicked out of school, he is forced to move in with his grandfather while he tries to find a way to get back into school and away from his family.

The curse workers are a scary lot.  They each have a special ability, and non-workers aren’t thrilled to mingle with them.  Everyone wears gloves and tries to keep skin to skin contact at a minimum, to avoid being worked.  While I love the thought of being able to alter people’s memories, or make them fall in love against their will, or even to kill them, what I really like is that there is a price to be paid when working someone.  There’s a blowback, an often painful and unpleasant side effect for using their gifts.  This is why I love Fullmetal Alchemist; using your special powers shouldn’t be free, and it should come with consequences.  It should exact a toll, and make you think twice before you take the easy way out.  Superman is boring because there isn’t much that can defeat him.  If you had to sacrifice a piece of your soul or suffer physical pain to use your spells, that would kind of even things out for the rest of us.  There’s no such thing as a free lunch, unless you’re an investment banker.

Cassel charmed me from the first page.  He’s a smart, fast-talking young man who is far too clever for his own good.  He thinks that he’s playing by the rules, now that he’s staying at school and away from his family.  Little does he know that everyone is playing him!  The plot is compelling and complex, and little nuggets of information about Cassel and his shadowed past are played out slowly, one tidbit at a time.  The pacing is tight and suspenseful, and the ending left me gasping for more.

For a book I wasn’t sure about, I thought that White Cat was a tense, engrossing read.  I can hardly wait for the sequel, Red Glove.  I want to know more about Cassel, and the intriguing world he lives in.

Grade: B+

Review copy purchased from Amazon

To read more reviews about White Cat visit Blog with Bite, where it was the July YA review title.  Several other bloggers dropped in to leave their thoughts about the book.  Click here to read them!

By Izumi Tsubaki. Released in Japan as "Oyayubi kara Romance" by Hakusensha, serialized in the magazine Hana to Yume. Released in North America by Viz.

And so my favorite lost cause comes to an end, wrapping up all of its remaining dangling plot points that its editor will let wrap up. I had to laugh at Tsubaki's sidebar, where she notes she wanted to end the manga with Chiaki's bitchy twin sister again, as that's how it started, and her editor said "Don't do that, no one remembers her anymore." It's funny because it's true.

So what do we get wrapped up here? Why, Chiaki and Yosuke's feelings for each other! Which we actually wrapped up in Volume 8, so naturally we have both of them doubting themselves here. To the author's credit, however, I did like the way she handled this. They met through massage, due to Yosuke's stiff back. Now that he's resolved his past demons and confessed to Chiaki, he's relaxed. A fact that, when realized, sends both of them into panic. Chiaki as she fears now that he doesn't need massage Yosuke will abandon her, and Yosuke worrying that he now has no appeal to Chiaki and her massage-obsessed self.

So Chiaki suddenly becomes obsessed with getting sexy. This is the second funniest part of the manga, as she goes around asking for advice on how to be a hot sexy thing. Considering that she's an adorable puppy of a high school girl, most people correctly point out it would be hard to carry off, and also note that Yosuke would just be irritated with her for trying to put on a fake sexy persona anyway. My favorite part is when she turns to "Sexy Queen Natsue" for advice, who notes that she doesn't try to be sexy. When Chiaki then turns to Harumi and asks what he finds sexy, and he wriggles and blushes, Natsue quickly notes how sexy she finds his embarrassment.

In the end, of course, the couple realize that it's not just about massage for them, but their love of each other, and they reconcile. This leads to the final epilogue chapter, where the third-years (Natsue, Harumi and Ayame) graduate, and we get a big party to wrap it up. It's very odd seeing a series end with the graduation of beta characters but not the leads, but this is the danger of making your lead couple first-years. (I had forgotten to note the funniest part of this volume, by the way, which was Yuna's attempts to bake a cake. As a best-friend character she's been really generic through the series, but her baking attempts are so bad they put even C-Ko to shame. This, combined with Yosuke's managing to get a great cake out of her by bullying her through it, drill-sergeant style, were hysterical).

And then there's Natsue and Harumi, my favorites. As is usual by now, they don't get big moments, but little fun scenes. In addition to the aforementioned sexy definition scene, we see Natsue getting extensions (so her hair now looks as it did in the flashback) in order to attempt to look younger; Ayame deviously tricking Harumi into giving Natsue his second button on his coat (I love Ayame more and more with each book), and finally Natsue and Chiaki talking about the future, and future worries. This ends with Natsue turning and giving Chiaki (and more importantly the reader) a big smile. The buildup to this wasn't perfect, but that's irrelevant, as it's meant to be pure service as a reward to the reader for 9 volumes of Natsue's deadpan face. It's fantastic. (And we get Harumi's smile at the end as well, in a mirror to the end of their flashback from earlier volumes).

There's lots of add-ons in this volumes, showing once again how messy and disjointed it actually is. A list of what the editor rejected in terms of plotlines, pages talking about what happens in the future to many of the minor characters, and a bunch of 4-komas to wrap things up. Really, the final volume of The Magic Touch is almost a microcosm of the series. It has a lot of massage, some cute but ultimately sexless romance, a lot of plot points that seem to go somewhere and never do, and a cast where you have to keep reminding yourself who is who. Despite this, I still am recommending it, as just because a series isn't great doesn't mean it does not have redeeming qualities. For one, it's nice seeing the development of a series (and its editorial fiats) so blatantly on the page. And for another Natsue is totally awesome. Even the author agrees - she names Natsue as her final character here.

We'll miss you, Magic Touch. But look forward to Oresama Teacher in 2011.

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted at Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s a way to share your wishlist with the rest of the blogsphere. The books can be old, new or forthcoming, but my lists will be limited to already released titles. If you would like to join in and post your wishlist,  click here for more information.

How can  you not be intrigued by a book titled Solace & Grief??  I know I can’t!

From Amazon:

Solace Morgan was born a vampire. Raised in foster care, she has always tried to keep her abilities secret, until an eerie encounter with a faceless man prompts her to run away. Finding others with similar gifts, Solace soon becomes caught up in a strange, more vibrant world than she ever knew existed. But when the mysterious Professor Lukin takes an interest in her friends, she is forced to start asking questions of her own. What happened to her parents? Who is Sharpsoft? And since when has there been a medieval dungeon under Hyde Park?

Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl has an awesome cover, and an awesome title.  It’s not an ebook, unfortunately, but I would like to get my hands on it anyway.

From Amazon:

Princess Una of Parumvir has come of age and will soon be married. She dreams of a handsome and charming prince, but when the first suitor arrives, she finds him stodgy and boring. Prince Aethelbald from the mysterious land of Farthestshore has traveled far to prove his love–and also to bring hushed warnings of danger. A dragon is rumored to be approaching Parumvir.

Una, smitten instead with a more dashing prince, refuses Aethelbald’s offer–and ignores his warnings. Soon the Dragon King himself is in Parumvir, and Una, in giving her heart away unwisely, finds herself in grave danger. Only those courageous enough to risk everything have a hope of fighting off this advancing evil.

I’ve had plenty of fashion disasters, but I don’t think any of them left a significant impression on my life.  The Fashion Disaster That Changed My Life by Lauren Myracle has a great title and looks like a fun read.

From Amazon:

Out of all the people in the world, why do I have to be the freak who went to school on the very first day of the year with a pair of PANTIES stuck by static cling to the leg of my pants?!!!- Seventh grade was supposed to be Alli’s breakout year-only her big debut ends up being a big disaster. Then queen bee Rachel Delaney takes Alli under her wing, and Alli finds herself in the inner circle of seventh-grade cool. But the inner circle is nothing like Alli expected, and there-s ugliness lurking behind the prettiest faces. Can Alli figure out where she fits in, or will she get caught up in the glamour of running with the in crowd?

What’s on your wishlist?

Review by: Faith McAdams

Publisher: VIZ Media
Author: Kiiro Yumi
Original Story: Hiro Arikawa
Genre: Graphic Novel (Shojo Beat Manga)
MSRP: $9.99 US
Rating: T+ (Older Teen)
Release Date: Now Available

Welcome to the future where you do not want to mess with these librarians.

Having witnessing the banning of books like “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” it felt as if the Media Betterment Committee had jumped out of the pages of Hiro Arikawa’s “Toshokan Senso” (Library Wars) and into real life so the series of light novels came at the right time. So imagine my delight to find that VIZ Media has brought us Volume 1 of Library Wars: Love & War.

If you’re not familiar with the books or the story, that’s Ok because mangaka Kiiro Yumi does a great job of introducing readers to the story that tips its hat to author Ray Bradbury. You see, in this future, the federal government has established the Media Betterment Committee (or MBC) to rid society of books deemed unsuitable for the public. They enforce the law by dropping in on bookstores in search of flagged books and authors and takes them away. Thankfully, an armed group protected by the Library Freedom Act has formed the Library Defense Force who can legally challenge the MBC.

The story focuses on one particular Library Defense Force cadet named Iku Kasahara who, when she was in High school, witnessed the Nazi-like forces of the MBC storm into a bookstore and snatch a fairy tale book she had been waiting months to read. From seemingly out of nowhere a young man not only keeps her from falling after being shoved but stands up against the MBC as a Sergeant for the Library Defense Force’s Kanto branch. It is that moment that not only made Iku want to join the Library Defense Force but to also find the mystery man who she saw has her “hero” and “prince.”

Life as a cadet is difficult but the tomboy in her drives Iku towards her goal to become a field agent and one day meet the hero who inspired her so one day she could be fighting against censorship alongside her mystery prince. Oh, but aside from the grueling training there’s Instructor Atsushi Dojo who she thinks is only picking on her and making her life as a trainee very miserable. Sure, he’s handsome but Iku finds the Sergeant-turned-instructor to be something of a short man with an even shorter fuse. During combat training, she is quick to get him angry and pays for it with a painful armlock.

Sergeant Dojo and fellow instructor Komaki see a lot of promise in the girl but she has a long way to go as we could see from one chapter where Iku gets to experience field work in a public library. Spotting a suspicious man head to the men’s room with a book, Iku follows and confronts the suspect only to leave her guard down and get Instructor Dojo hurt. When Dojo slaps her across the face, Iku spends the next days trying not to let the incident get to her but when she runs into Instructor Dojo in the lobby Iku lets her guard down and asks him why he gave her all the credit for catching the suspect in the men’s room. It is there that she finds some comfort in his friendly pat on the head.

History does tend to repeat itself and it does so again when Iku goes on a training assignment with Major Ryusuke Genda when Iku spots a few vans belonging to the MBC. What she encounters is a similar scene that mirrors her own past as Iku goes up against MBC officers searching for questionable books. Watching her take a stand makes the chapter a memorable one.

As her training is quickly coming to an end, we meet a young go-getter named Hikaru Tezuka who seems to despise from the very beginning and snubs our girl every chance he gets. Iku doesn’t warm up to him either, which is refreshingly understandable and she makes no real effort to befriend him like in other shoujo manga where the nice female lead tries to win over the class jerk. Both Iku and Tezuka do get a position in the Defense Force and Iku finds the actual job even more difficult than training.

It is in the library that Iku comes to see a different side of Sergeant Dojo who is a lot more accommodating and – even though he does get frustrated with her – helps her understand the clerical duties that even field officers must tend to when not confronting the MBC.

The series has plenty of lighthearted moments and some funny ones as well as Iku tries to keep up with the training and her job. It’s good to see a strong female lead make it in the predominantly male career track and even more so when she knows she’s not perfect but will do the job the best way she can until she does it right. As far as the romance side is concerned, it’s too early to tell how the Iku-Dojo relationship will go and, even though there are plenty of hints of Dojo liking his tall female subordinate, his frustration in her makes for some intriguing interactions between the two.

What is even more interesting, though, is the clashes between the MBC and the Library Defense Force that will most likely play a much bigger role in future volumes. It’s just too bad we don’t learn more about the MBC and the secondary characters – aside from Tezuka – aren’t given time in the spotlight to flesh them out a bit more.

Volume 1 of Library Wars: Love & War is an intriguing story that is actually even just as entertaining as the light novels and that’s a very good thing indeed. While it’s far from the perfect shoujo manga, there is a lot that shoujo fans will like and by the end of this volume you might even find yourself wanting to stick around for the next few volumes of this series. This one is well worth the read for sure.

MANGA REVIEW BREAKDOWN

STORY: A-
Having witnessed a Sergeant of the Library Defense Force stand up against the militant forces of the Media Betterment Committee, a young tomboy named Iku joins the fight to protect books from censorship in hopes of meeting her “hero” who inspired her. What Iku finds out that it isn’t easy being a female agent candidate and even more so with a handsome superior officer that’s always butting heads with her.

ART: B
While it doesn’t standout as anything truly amazing or original, Kiiro Yumi’s art is far from bad despite the characters don’t really stand out as well as they should. Still, there are some decent backgrounds and the action flows well enough.

OVERALL: A-
Shoujo fans will certainly get a kick out of this lighthearted and even entertaining series that doesn’t break any new ground but will keep you happily following the story down to the last page. Volume 1 of Library Wars has the right touch of comedic moments, intriguing futuristic setting and a promising tale worth more than just a peek.

Review copy provided by VIZ Media

Reviewer: Shannon Fay

Manga-ka: Minoru Murao
Publisher: Digital Manga
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: July 2008

Synopsis: “It is an age of paranoia, superstition and religious fanaticism and the kingdom of Excludo is being engulfed in flames. The people are under the thrall of witch hysteria and burnings and executions have become a common sight. But the witch trials and inquisitions are a fraud and countless innocent women, falsely accused as witches, are being burned at the stake. Just when all hope seems lost, along comes the Black Knight-Mist, and his sidekick Euphemia, a “true witch” to avenge the innocent and force their own brand of justice on the wicked!”

Knights is a throw-back to the sword and sorcery anime of the nineties such as Slayers or Record of Lodoss War. It wasn’t until I read this manga that I realized how much I missed the genre’s appearance in anime and manga. Knights has a little bit of everything: sword fights, interesting characters, and a unique magic system. Even if you’re not a fan of medieval fantasy though, it’s still worth giving volume one a try.

One thing I love about this manga is that it starts off running. Katrina is a teenage girl who’s being burned at the stake after being accused of witchcraft. Just as she’s about to get roasted, the legendary ‘black knight’ and his witch partner come to her rescue. Once they get away, they are shocked to learn that Katrina is actually a highborn lady. But that’s nothing compared to the secret that Mist, the black knight, hides under his mask.

I didn’t see the reveal about Mist’s identity coming, and even though I hate to spoil it it’s impossible to talk about the manga without giving it away. It turns out that Mist is black, hence the name ‘black knight’ despite his outfit being mostly blue. I can think of a handful of manga that have black minor characters. I can think of even less that have black major characters. But a manga with a black person as the actual lead? And a medieval fantasy at that? I never saw it coming. It’s a great twist and helps differentiate the series from other action shonen manga.

The world of Knights is set in pseudo dark ages Europe. While the cities and countries may be different from our world, the attitudes of the populace is very much in line with what would have been common during medieval times. People’s reactions to Mist’s skin colour vary, but for the most part they treat him with contempt or fear, thinking that his dark skin is a sign that he’s in league with the devil. Naturally, this gives Mist a bit of a complex. Mist is shocked when, even after seeing his face, Katriana treats him exactly the same way she did before. It’s a nice moment that builds up both characters.

Also in Mist’s corner is Euphemia, an actual witch. Euphemia wears one of the skimpiest outfits I’ve ever seen in an anime or manga, and I’ve watched Witchblade. But amazingly the skimpy outfit actually fits with her character in that she doesn’t really care what normal humans think of her. The outfit also works since every single character comments on it the first time they see it. Sometimes this also helps out during a fight, since the bad guys are momentarily stunned by how little clothing she’s wearing. If her clothing seems lacking to a modern reader, just imagine what someone with a dark ages’ mindset would think.

The basic plot is that Mist and Euphemia are going around rescuing woman who have been falsely accused of witchcraft. At first it seems like the manga is going to be episodic, but the volume gradually reveals an overarching plot. Mist is actually part of a secret order that is trying to bring down the corrupt church. Aside from fighting clergymen and their fighters, Mist and others have to fight ‘saints,’ humans who have been given special powers by the church. We only get to see a couple of saints in this volume: one a giant ogre of a priest and the other a young female knight with prehensile hair. A lot of these plot elements are only fully explained later in the volume, so hopefully future books will expand on Mist’s mission.

The fights scenes are dynamic and well-paced, especially when the manga cuts back and forth between scenes. There’s a nice clarity to the art, both in character design and layout. The art style in general is pretty cute, which can be a little weird when the book goes to some dark places. There’s nothing extremely graphic here but the manga is about witch hunts and the hunters use many of the same techniques that their real-world counterparts used. While not a lot is shown a lot is implied.

Knights volume one is a very fun read. The characters may be pretty typical – plucky hero boy, pure-hearted girl, scantily clad magic user – but at the same times they have chemistry and still manage to be interesting. This first volume ends with Katrina setting out to find Mist, her travelling companions’ former enemy and a saint who may still be one yet. Just in that plot thread alone there’s so much room for drama and conflict. Add in all the other hints and plot threads dangling at the end of this volume, and you have me eagerly awaiting the chance to read volume two.

Review written July 29, 2010 by Shannon Fay
Digital copy provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

By Rikdo Koshi. Released in Japan by Shonen Gahosha, serialization ongoing in the magazine Young King OURS. Released in North America by Viz.

This is the final volume of what I like to call Part 3 of the Excel Saga manga, and ends with a major sea change for the entire series. It begins right where we left off, though, with Hyatt 'captured' by Kabapu's people and posing as Watanabe's wife, and Excel and Hyatt having been arrested by the JSDF as terrorists.

I've got to say I love Excel and Elgala's double act. It works better than Excel and Hyatt, as Hyatt's occasional tendency to get snarky to Excel in previous volumes seemed rather out of character for her. Elgala has no such issues, and the best part is that she and Excel can trade off boke and tsukkomi several times over a single conversation. Witness first Excel and then Elgala discussing how they ended up going to an all-female prison island on a rickety boat. By the way, Excel is COMPLETELY AWESOME right after this, where the warden threatens her with rape and she just goes berserk, screaming "Does no really mean no? YES!" and noting she's saving her virginity for Lord Il Palazzo.

Meanwhile, Hyatt and Watanabe's love-love marriage is still going on, but it can't possibly last. Just as he's about to finally go all the way with her (and she actually seems very willing in doing this), Il Palazzo (who had been absent for all of Volume 14) shows up and holds out his hand. And BOOM, Hyatt's back to normal, working for ACROSS, and defending her Lord against the evil Watanabe who might try to harm him. This leads to two wonderful things: Il Palazzo and Hyatt's stroll through Fukuoka at night, which is just a masterpiece of funny; and Watanabe's complete nervous breakdown, which in this volume just seems to manifest itself in his playing H-games, but will get far, far worse.

Hyatt reminds Il Palazzo that he does have two other followers, something that he seems to have completely forgotten. Much is made of Il Palazzo's on-again, off-again memory, and this volume seems to show it at its worst. Having been reminded, though, he quickly goes to rescue Excel and Elgala, who have found themselves at the mercy of an insane missionary priest, who as Carl Horn notes in the liner notes looks an awful lot like the insane priest from Berserk when he's trying to kill both of them. Fear not, though, Il Palazzo is here to teleport them to safety!... OK, so he only teleports Elgala, leaving Excel behind. And seems to have forgotten she exists again. Such is life, however.

Excel, as we know, is not without her mad skillz, and quickly sets out to defeat the priest and run through the jungle to return to her beloved ACROSS. Meanwhile, Kabapu is starting to run into issues. It seems that a new electronics store has popped up, offering insanely high quality advanced gizmos at obscenely low prices. Called ILL, too. Gosh, who could be behind it? To make matters worse, Ropponmatsu I has been stolen by Il Palazzo. It's heavily hinted that it's Miwa who let this happen, so that she can advance her own hidden agenda. To make matters even WORSE, a lot of Kabapu's political cronies are suddenly being arrested, and his stocks are starting to fall.

Meanwhile, excellent news on the ACROSS front. Excel has managed to extricate herself from the jungle, and is now ensconced in a high-rise as ILL's president. Hyatt and Elgala, her underlings, are also living high on the hog, and everything's coming up roses. We see how well things are going in a giant party thrown for ILL by city leaders, praising the company for its stimulus of economic growth. Kabapu is there as well, and has a complete and utter freakout when he sees Il Palazzo and confronts him about the missing Ropponmatsu. And finally, to round out the volume, Umi is running through the rain to get back to her beloved professor, and comes across a rather familiar-looking bedraggled body lying in the gutter.

Yes, that's right. It'd be a spoiler if it was a surprise, but it's not much of one. The real Excel is that body, and Il Palazzo has given Ropponmatsu an upgrade to create RopponExcel. Rikdo did try to fake out the reader for a chapter or so, showing RopponExcel yelling at Elgala and demanding to be called President, but there was never really any question - this Excel was simply far too cool and efficient to be our heroine.

So what now? Will we have Excel doing battle against her robot double? Will Hyatt and Elgala realize that their Senior is a fake? Will Watanabe get over the loss of Hyatt and find himself a nice sweet girl? And what of Kabapu, who by the end of this volume was starting to actually look his age, with his hands starting to tremble as he gestured? Find out in Volume 16, start of the 'Teriha' arc!

Head over to Project Rooftop to look at a great revamp of Amethyst Princess of Gemworld as an all-ages title!

This review was written for the Manga Moveable Feast  and thus is a bit different than the usual reviews I post on this blog in that major spoilers will be discussed. (There is also a spoiler for NANA.) I’ll probably rewrite this at a later date to be less spoiler-y, but if you have not read Paradise Kiss yet and want to remain spoiler-free, you’ll probably want to skip this version. Also, there will be some discussion of rape.

TITLE: Paradise Kiss
AUTHOR/MANGAKA: Ai Yazawa
PUBLISHER: Tokyopop
RATING: Older Teen (16+)
CATEGORY: Shoujo/Josei
NUMBER OF VOLUMES: 5
SCORE: 9 (Great)
RECOMMENDED FOR FANS OF: Ai Yazawa (mangaka of NANA, Kagen no Tsuki, Gokinjo Monogatari), Paradise Kiss anime, NANA anime, Gokinjo Monogatari anime, romance, drama, comedy

I actually was introduced to Paradise Kiss first through the anime. I had always been a little intrigued by the manga whenever I saw it at the bookstore, but the cover art (the first editions — I like the second edition covers) always kind of turned me off. However, immediately after I finished Netflixing the anime, I was putting in an order at Right Stuf for the manga I had previously ignored.

Turns out you really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

Eighteen-year-old high school senior Yukari Hayasaka is bored with her life. All she ever does is study in order to please her education-obsessed mother, who expects her to get into a good college. Yukari, however, isn’t even sure she wants to go to college, having no real personal dreams or goals besides those foisted on her by her parents.

Her life becomes infinitely more interesting when she is scouted by a group of students from the Yazawa School for the Arts to be their model in an upcoming fashion show during their school’s cultural festival. The group, calling themselves by the name of Paradise Kiss, consists of an eclectic group of characters: Miwako, a cute pink-haired girl who looks far younger than her actual age, Arashi, Miwako’s rocker boyfriend who possesses a bit of a jealous streak, Isabella, the elegant transvestite who acts as the “mother” of the group, and George, the openly bisexual leader and head designer of Paradise Kiss. Though intially overwhelmed by the strangeness of the group and thinking they’re a bunch of slackers, Yukari soon finds herself won over by their obvious passion for what they do and intrigued by their handsome and charismatic leader.

What I love about this series is how real and messy it is. Yazawa is not afraid to give her characters real flaws and let them make mistakes, especially when it comes to the relationship between Yukari and George. Right from the start, despite their obvious attraction to each other, it’s clear that they are fundamentally incompatible with each other. George prefers confident, independent women who know their own mind and often treats Yukari coldly when he thinks she’s being weak and silly, while Yukari struggles to even decide what it is she wants after spending her entire life being bound by rules and her mother’s high expectations.

As you might expect from a typical shoujo story, Yukari decides to change herself to better fit George’s ideal, except by doing so, she’s actually allowing George to control her life. Even though she may insist that the decisions she makes are her own, she really bases the majority of her decisions on what she thinks George would want her to do — in effect, becoming the opposite of the kind of lover George wants. There’s a definite irony in that. While Yukari thinks she’s becoming a strong and independent woman, worthy of George’s love, she’s actually just going through a classic case of teenage rebellion, influenced by a manipulative boyfriend.

Not that Yukari doesn’t mature during her experiences, because she does. She finally discovers something she is passionate about — modeling –and through the mistakes she makes, she learns some important lessons about life and especially love — namely that no matter how much two people may care for each other, that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily “right” for each other. By the end of the story, she does become a true independent woman, one who makes the best decisions for herself, not for George, and manages to find somebody who she can actually depend on.

George himself is one of the most interesting male leads I’ve come across in manga, far different from the stereotypical romantic interest. Prince Charming, he isn’t. Several characters describe him as “warped”, and that’s a fairly apt description. He plays the role of a self-centered, extravagant, somewhat eccentric genius, taking pleasure in disregarding rules and convention and driving everyone — especially Yukari and Arashi — insane with his sudden whims and desires. Though it’s never explicitly confirmed, it’s strongly implied that in addition to his relationship with Yukari, he’s also sleeping with Seiji, a male hair and make-up artist who sometimes teaches at Yazawa Arts, and he’s far from a loving, caring boyfriend. Yukari herself even wonders at times if George even knows the meaning of the word “love”.

Amazingly, however, George does come off as sympathetic character once we learn more of his background and realise the reason why he treats Yukari the way he does. As the illegitimate child of a rich business man, he doesn’t want Yukari to become like his mother, a former model who gave up her career to give birth to George. His mother is completely dependent on George’s father for her livelihood and never lets a chance pass by to complain about how George and her lover ruined her life, although she’s never done anything to try to change things. By sometimes being cruel to Yukari, he believes he’s actually, in a way, being kind to her, encouraging her to take responsibility for her own actions and stand on her own two feet instead of relying solely on him. That’s all well and good, of course, but what he doesn’t understand is that sometimes it is okay to lean on those you love, and that he’s not completely blameless for Yukari’s actions, no matter how much he may deny he isn’t.

There’s also a second romantic plot in the series revolving around a love triangle between Miwako, Arashi, and their childhood friend Hiroyuki, who coincidentally is a classmate of Yukari’s and is the object of Yukari’s crush at the beginning of the story. Paradise Kiss is technically a sequel to an earlier, currently unlicensed Yazawa work called Gokinjo Monogatari (Neighborhood Story), though no prior knowledge is needed to enjoy PK, since it takes place about twenty years later. Miwako is the little sister of Mikako, the heroine of Gokinjo Monogatari, and Arashi and Hiroyuki are the sons of some of the other GM characters. The three of them grew up together in the same apartment building, but had a falling out when both the boys fell in love with Miwako, leading Arashi to order Miwako to cut off all contact with Hiroyuki. Thanks to Yukari’s well-intentioned meddling, however, Miwako and Hiroyuki end up meeting again, causing problems in Miwako’s relationship with Arashi as he begins to fear losing her to Hiroyuki, who he considers a much better guy than he is. 

I wasn’t as fond of their story as I was Yukari and George’s. Fact is, Hiroyuki is a far better guy than Arashi, who we later learn raped Miwako the first time they had sex. It’s played off as something Arashi didn’t mean to do, and he’s sincerely regretful for what he did, but instead of Miwako breaking things off with him as you would hope a rape victim to do in that situation, she decides to accept that violent part of him because she loves him so much. Now, Arashi isn’t some kind of monster. Other than the rape and his (mostly understandable, if unreasonable) jealousy toward Hiroyuki, he’s a decent enough guy — Arashi is probably the sanest and most normal member of Paradise Kiss, despite his punk rocker looks — and seems to treat Miwako well. I’m not saying it was necessarily wrong for Miwako to forgive him for what happened. People sometimes deserve second chances, and as far as the reader is aware, Arashi never does anything like that again. In fact, at the end of the story, they’re happily married with a daughter. I just would have liked to see Arashi in therapy to deal with his issues. Violent tendencies aren’t something that a lover should have to “accept”, and Arashi could have easily become abusive toward Miwako. No, having a talk with Hiroyuki (who actually plans to study psychology in college) about what happened is not the same thing as dealing with his issues of insecurity, although it is a start. Even if Hiroyuki had just suggested Arashi get some (professional) help, I would have been happy. It’s just too easy of a solution compared to complexity of Yukari and George’s problems and how things are resolved, so I was a bit disappointed with that.

(If there’s one major criticism I have with Ai Yazawa — besides the fact that her characters are way. too. freaking. thin. — it’s how she portrays date-rape. Generally, I like Arashi, and I love Takumi from NANA, but I do not like the fact that they both raped their love interests and didn’t really suffer any major consequences for their actions — i.e. their girlfriends stay with them and forgive them right away. (And, at least in Arashi and Miwako’s case, they’re seen as a “good” couple who get a happy ending. I won’t get into Takumi and Hachi’s relationship, since this isn’t a NANA review.) There’s messed up (George)…and then there’s really messed up. Still, it’s saying something for Yazawa’s talent that she can write these two characters doing such a horrible thing, and yet I still like them.)

Enough with all this talk of romance, drama, and sex, though. Let’s talk about the clothes. Oh, the clothes!

Yazawa actually studied to become a fashion designer before she started her career as a mangaka, and it shows. She probably had a lot of fun drawing this series due to all the fabulous and over-the-top outfits the characters wear. Each character has a distinct style that suits their personalities. Miwako, who looks (and sometimes acts) like a little girl, favors cutesy, frilly outfits, often made by her sister’s fashion company, Happy Berry. Arashi, the punk rocker, has tons of piercings and dresses in rock star style. Isabella, despite being physically a man, pulls off wild eye make-up and beautiful, elegant dresses that often appear to be Victorian-inspired with aplomb. As for George, his apparel is as flamboyant as he is. Only he could pull off wearing a feather boa and sunglasses and have the effect come off as sexy instead of silly.

It’s Yukari who gets the best wardrobe, though, as George allows her to wear her choice of his designs. Though the clothes he designs are far from conventional and not something you would see many people wearing on the streets, there’s no denying he has a great talent, and Yukari is the perfect model to wear them, as if they were made just for her. I also really liked the symbolism behind the clothes. To George, every design he makes holds an important memory to him, so for him to allow Yukari to wear them shows just how much he really loved her, despite the way he treated her at times. The scene near the end, where Yukari realizes that he’s left all his designs to her even though they’ve broken up, makes me cry every time. It’s his way of saying “I love you,” and so uniquely George.

There’s a lot more I could say about Paradise Kiss. In fact, I could probably write a two thousand word essay on George’s character alone — I didn’t even discuss how appealingly human he becomes in the last few chapters as he struggles between pursuing his dreams as a fashion designer or taking the safer route of becoming a hair and make-up artist so he can support his mother — but I think this is already long enough. In conclusion, Paradise Kiss is an amazing series, and I would highly recommend reading it.

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Ai Yazawa, Josei, Manga Moveable Feast, Paradise Kiss, Review, Shoujo, Tokyopop

One of the problems with the the great manga boom in the past is that I think some good titles got lost in the deluge of new series. Gatcha Gacha is one of those series that I think deserves a second glance. This series was published by Tokyopop, and it probably wasn’t helped by the [...]

Jason Thompson treats us to another visit to the dusty attic of manga with a look at Ceres: Celestial Legend at ANN.

Sean Gaffney takes the first look at next week’s new manga.

The Comic-Con reports keep flowing in: Start off with Matt Thorn’s account of escorting Moto Hagio at SDCC, because it is interesting and truly touching. Daniella Orihuela-Gruber files her account of day 2, and Mike has a slideshow at Anime Diet.

The latest course of the Manga Moveable Feast is set with contributions from David Welsh, Kristin, and the Reverse Thieves.

David Welsh posts his weekly license request at The Manga Curmudgeon: He’d like to see Gokinjo Monogatari (The Neighborhood Story), please.

Matt Blind posts the latest set of manga rankings drawn from online sales at Rocket Bomber.

Lots of people like to harp on bad translations, but it’s harder to know when it’s done well; translators Alethea and Athena Nibley find some nice things to say about a couple of translations in their latest column at Manga Life.

News from Japan: ANN has word of a ToLoveRu spinoff manga series and four more new series, each one devoted to a member of the pop idol group AKB48.

Reviews: Connie takes a short look at a number of works by est em at Slightly Biased Manga. Tangognat reads a handful of Harlequin Romance manga from Digital’s eManga site.

Sesho on vol. 4 of Blame! (Sesho’s Anime and Manga Reviews)
Julie Opipari on vol. 6 of B.O.D.Y. (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 1 of Dengeki Daisy (ANN)
Connie on Dining Bar Akira (Slightly Biased Manga)
Tangognat on A Drunken Dream and Other Stories (Tangognat)
Sesho on vol. 1 of I’ll Give It My All… Tomorrow (Sesho’s Anime and Manga Reviews)
Julie Opipari on vol. 3 of Jack Frost (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Chris Zimmerman on vols. 38-40 of One Piece (cbs4.com)
Connie on vol. 4 of Pig Bride (Slightly Biased Manga)
Connie on vol. 1 of Portrait of M&N (Slightly Biased Manga)
Sesho on vols. 5 and 6 of The Prince of Tennis (Sesho’s Anime and Manga Reviews)
Zack Davisson on vol. 2 of Red Hot Chili Samurai (Japan Reviewed)
Tangognat on vol. 4 of Shinobi Life (Tangognat)
Connie on vol. 3 of Sugarholic (Slightly Biased Manga)
Lori Henderson on vol. 2 of Tamaishin: The Red Spider Exorcist (Comics Village)
Erica Friedman on vol. 3 of Yuri Hime Selection (Okazu)

Don’t forget: this month’s Manga Movable Feast is underway, with Michelle Smith of Soliloquy in Blue as hostess. The subject of the July MMF is Ai Yazawa’s out-of-print classic Paradise Kiss. If you haven’t been keeping abreast of the conversation ...

My first stop on Friday morning at San Diego Comic-Con was an invitation-only affair where the VIZ Media crew promised to announce some new titles for 2011. And sure enough, they did -- when I entered the room I was greeted by a bunch of giant Mameshiba plushes!  Mameshiba is the latest addition to the VIZ Kids imprint of kid-friendly comics. The first Mameshiba books are due to debut in Spring 2011.

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Calling

Author/Artist: Mio Otsuki

Publisher: BLU

Rating: M – for ages 18 and up

Genre: Yaoi, Comedy, Drama, Romance

Grade: B+

Kazuaki Hinamura leads a rather boring life. He works in the General Affairs division of his company, he lives alone, has no love life, and no ambition. Every day is lived in a rut. That is until his life is turned around by his encounter with Kira Aratani. One day while Kazuaki was headed home he decided to cut through the park. He accidentally came across a couple getting it on in the bushes. In an attempt to try to make a hasty retreat he accidentally trips on a can and spills his groceries all over the ground. While gathering up his scattered goods a rough looking young man with a beauty on his arm emerges from the foliage. Truly embarrassed Kazuaki apologizes and heads for the hills fearing for his life.
Thinking that he made it out safely Kazuaki tries to go on with life but he has no idea what’s in store for him. Waiting for him at the train station is the man from the park. It turns out that Kira is a porn star and they had just wrapped up filming when he ran into Kazuaki and it seems that Kira has fallen in love with Kazuaki. Kazuaki tries to ditch Kira but all Kira wants to do is hang out as friends with the hope that more will develop later on. Kazuaki has no idea what to do but he eventually agrees to it. Will Kazuaki fall for Kira like Kira wants?

I really didn’t know much about this story and I don’t know much about the artist but because I read a lot of yaoi I decided to order it. I am so glad that I did. I immediately fell in love with it after the first chapter. The story spans the entire book but it is written well enough that it leaves you feeling satisfied. One thing I appreciated about this title is that both characters are adults and behave as such. Another thing that’s great about this manga is that it even though its yaoi it doesn’t seem to follow the usual stereotypical plot devices. Kira waits patiently for Kazuaki to come around and doesn’t force anything on him (with the exception of his declaration of love - which is the typical love at first sight scenario, and a very passionate kiss). There is one female character that has a recurring role. Natsumi is a porn actress who often works with Kira and happened to witness the very first encounter between these two (she was the beauty on Kira’s arm.) Often in yaoi when women are portrayed they are generally used as set dressing or play the villainous roles. In the case of Natsumi she’s the opposite. She supports the relationship from the moment that Kira steps on Kazuaki’s tofu (hence Kazuaki gaining the moniker "Mr. Tofu, just read it, it makes more sense in the book.) The characters are charming and immediately latch onto your heart. I loved this manga!

The art is simply adorable. Because this is a comedy Otsuki-sensei utilizes chibis regularly and they are so cute, but I’ve always been a sucker for cute chibis. Something that I’ve noticed in yaoi is the artists will draw the seme with smaller, narrower eyes while the ukes are drawn with big, bright shojo heroine type eyes. In the case of the leads in Calling there are no distinctions between the seme’s eyes and uke’s. It’s a really fresh change and I liked it. Also you are able to distinguish between all of the characters. They are unique in their looks so there is never any confusion. I have been so impressed by this single volume that I hope we’ll get a chance to see more from Miu Otsuki-sensei.

Now I know it seems strange that I’m giving a title that I loved so much a B+. Honestly I normally would have given this an A but my issues stem with production quality of this title. I have a love/hate relationship with Blu. For the price one pays for one of their titles (the cover price is $14.99) you would expect a higher quality product than what you actually get. Yes, they include a full color cover page but the quality of paper that the rest of the manga is printed on leaves much to be desired as well as ink on your fingertips. Also there could be some improvements on the placement of text inside the bubbles. Finally the way that the sound effects are dealt with could be done better. Instead of translating the sound effects they generally leave them alone and not translate them or completely remove traces of the Japanese and replace it with the translation. I really wish they would make up their mind, translate them or not but don’t do it half way.

Even though I have issues with the actual physical product I love the story contained within. For someone looking for a fun, sweet yaoi featuring something other than schoolboys Calling is definitely for you.

***Review Copy purchased through Amazon.com***

 

Title: B.O.D.Y. Vol 6

Author: Ao Mimori

Publisher: Viz

ISBN: 9781421523613

 

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

I knew that Kousuke was trouble right from the very start. Now he’s vowed revenge on me and broken my friend’s heart. Why can’t she give up on him? He’s played her for a fool! Why can’t more hosts be like you?  Why’s he such a tool? Be mine!

I am so glad that the “Kousuke is a big jerk” story arc wraps up in this volume.  It’s not that I wasn’t enjoying it, it’s just that it was getting old and starting to play on too many clichés.  I found myself getting more and more irritated with Asuka, both for not believing Ryoko and for allowing herself to be played so easily by Kousuke.  Asuka’s dismissal of both Ryoko’s advice and her friendship just didn’t ring true for me, and it made me question why I ever liked Asuka to begin with.  If they were BFF, I hope it would take more than a hot guy spewing cheesy lines to destroy their friendship.  It was especially irritating because Kousuke’s real target was Ryunosuke, who couldn’t have cared a fig about his rival.  If this episode taught me anything, it’s that Ryoko can really be a big sap,too! 

The rest of the volume was more enjoyable, as Ryunosuke’s dad makes a surprise appearance.  Followed quickly by an unannounced visit from his mom.  To say that his parents are unusual is a vast understatement, and Ryoko is quickly sucked into a very awkward situation.  Ryunosuke’s parents get along like oil and water, and they can’t even put aside their differences for the duration of their visit.  With an ice princess mom and a vagabond dad, it’s easy to see why Ryunosuke has developed an aloof personality.  His parental units are more than a handful, and they must have just sucked the life out of him when he was younger.  No wonder he’s so self reliant; if he had to depend on them for anything, especially a little cooperation, he would be doomed to disappointment.

Though light on substance, I am enjoying this storyline much better than the last.  There are some nice comedic touches, and the tone is breezier and more fun.  Now I’m curious to see how much trouble his feuding, meddling parents will make for Ryunosuke and Ryoko.  If they ever thought that they were going to get some snuggle time together, I fear that they are going to be sadly mistaken.  While not ground breaking, the entertainment value is now on an upward tick.

Grade: B

Review copy provided by publisher

In observance of this week’s Paradise Kiss Manga Moveable Feast, I thought I’d extract a bit about the title’s prequel, Gokinjo Monogatari, from this more general request for… well, for more Ai Yazawa manga.

“Next is Gokinjo Monogatari, also originally serialized by Shueisha in Ribon. Aside from being a Yazawa creation, Gokinjo Monogatari (or Neighborhood Story) has the added allure of being a prequel to Paradise Kiss. (Okay, maybe “prequel” is the wrong word. That’s reserved for stories set earlier in continuity than the one that spawned them, right? Then again, since it would be published in English after Paradise Kiss, it would technically count as a prequel, right? Sorry. Moving on.) Mikako, the story’s protagonist, is the older sister of Miwako, one of the designers from Paradise Kiss. It follows the lives, loves and ambitions of students at Yazawa Arts, and nobody portrays young artists quite as well as Yazawa. It spanned seven volumes, so it wouldn’t lend itself to easy doubling, but seven is a lucky number. Delcourt has also published Neighborhood Story as Gokinjo: une vie de quartier.

“And since I’m on the subject of Yazawa, I’ll restate something I’m sure I’ve mentioned before. I would really love it if someone published a handsome omnibus of Paradise Kiss. At five volumes, it would be a bit chunky, but the story and style almost beg for high-end packaging, and it would be a great way to introduce the series to readers who may have missed it the first time around. If Tokyopop isn’t up for it, they could always partner with Dark Horse, which seems to be quite interested in repackaging super-stylish manga (mostly by CLAMP) in aesthetically worthy vessels.”