Thanks to a gift from fellow reviewer Ed Sizemore, even though I didn’t like the first book of Chi’s Sweet Home, I read the second. And everything I disliked about the previous volume had been fixed!

Chi’s Sweet Home Book 2
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This book was the “cute cat doing cute things” comic I’d come to expect from hearing others praise it. All of the out-of-place depressing “I miss my mom” stuff was gone. The overdone lisp in the cat’s internal voice had been minimized. Almost all of the exaggerated near-slapstick of hiding the cat from the neighbors was eliminated. (The situation does come up in a chapter or two here, but it’s handled at a reasonable level.)

Enough of what this comic isn’t. What is it? It’s 18 comfortably colored chapters of adorable cat behavior. Chi begs for people food (two of my favorite stories here). Chi doesn’t like water but is attracted by tub toys (another high point). Chi begs for attention or naps with the child or bothers dad at work or fights going to the vet. These are all very standard pet situations, but they’re drawn well, and the lovely pastel colors make them especially pleasant to relax with. This captures the joy and amusing frustration of pet ownership for those who can’t or don’t have one. Readers who do will love it even more.

There’s another character introduced in this volume, a free-roaming adult black cat who invades Chi’s space and shows her another way to behave and to relate to humans. In contrast to Chi’s kittenish cuteness, it’s almost frightening, The Cat Who Walks by Himself, to evoke Kipling. I don’t particularly like this cat, but I don’t think I’m supposed to. I’m still curious as to how much more we see of him and why. One other cat makes a guest appearance in a bonus chapter. FukuFuku is the star of an earlier series by Konami Kanata, drawn in a more minimal style and having less of a personality (at least in this appearance). That history is explained in an additional text note, a helpful addition.

Overall, if you haven’t tried this series yet, I recommend passing on the first book and starting here. Just as many TV shows don’t hit their stride until several episodes in, this series doesn’t demonstrate its full appeal until after the situation has been established. You won’t miss anything skipping that uneven setup.

Similar Posts: Chi’s Sweet Home Book 1 § Coming Up: Manga Due June 2010 (or Later) § Are Comics Fans More Budget-Conscious in a Recession? § Chobits Book 3 § *Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka Book 4 — Recommended

by Ed Sizemore

This month, the Manga Moveable Feast is focusing on kids manga. As a play on words, the theme is to discuss Yotsuba & one other kids manga. Several distinguished bloggers have pointed out that Yotsuba is published in a men’s magazine in Japan. The second title I’ve chosen to discuss, Aria, suffers the same fate. However, both titles transcend their origins. The message they share is for everyone, regardless of age.

Simply put, the central message of both Yotsuba and Aria is to fully enjoy life and the world we live in. Both books point to the wonders and delights that the world around us has to offer. Furthermore, we don’t have to venture off to exotic locations to find these pleasures. They are already all around us, if we simply open our hearts and minds to them.

Yotsuba focuses on play, which is the spontaneous, creative, and youthful side of life. The title character, Yotsuba, is herself the very embodiment of these ideas. Even the planned events in her life, like visiting a dairy farm, quickly become chaotic. As readers, we revel in the adventures she has just being a wide-eyed, innocent girl filled with boundless curiosity and energy.

At the heart of Yotsuba is an emphasis on finding wonder in any and all things. Acorns, rain, cake, frogs, and shrine festivals are sources of endless delight and discovery. As cliched as it sounds, Yotsuba reminds us to stop and smell the roses and then get lost in their beauty and fragrance. There is no such thing as a mundane world — just people who have let a vital part of themselves atrophy. Yotsuba is a call to keep alive and active the child within us.

By contrast, Aria focuses on work, which is the structured, sedate, and mature side of life. Akari is wise beyond her years. As she strives to be a great undine, she never loses focus on how fleeting the time we have is, making each moment precious. She reminds us that our job need not be laborious. We can find pleasure in doing our work well and in being with our co-workers. We chose whether to curse our fate or count our blessings.

Aria is a more mature, reflective appreciation of life. We are called to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature and to appreciate things in their proper season: freshly roasted sweet potatoes in the chill autumn air, ice cream on a sweltering summer day, hot chocolate in front of a roaring fire on a winter’s eve. Time is not our enemy. Our movement through time brings experiences and wisdom. And these in turn allow us to appreciate each moment, past and present, more fully. Aria is a call to intentional living, to give meaning to the life we have.

I can’t think of a single person who can’t learn from these two manga. Both series serve as a reminder to older readers not to give in cynicism or the weariness of daily living. For young adults, they serve as a warning not to lose their sense of wonder. For kids, they teach lessons in how to live a deeply fulfilling life. I always say the secret to maturity is nurturing your inner child and finding healthy outlets for such youthful energies. Yotsuba and Aria are delight-filled series that remind us we already live in a magical world. The question is do we have eyes to see the marvels all around us? I pray that we do and will continue to until our last breath.

Similar Posts: *Yotsuba&! Book 8 — Recommended § What’s Up With Tokyopop? New Book Unavailable § Tokyopop in Trouble: More Cancellations, Including Aria § *Yotsuba&! Book 7 — Recommended § *Aria Book 5 — Recommended

Queenie Chan‘s atmospheric boarding school mystery The Dreaming has been reprinted in a single-volume bind-up of the three previous books. This re-release puts a new edition of the story on the shelves while the upcoming movie is being funded and entering production.

The Dreaming Collection
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Regardless of the motives, this single-volume edition is a superior way to read this suspense-filled tale. (And the original intent of the author; the publisher requested it be released in three separate books, which required some editing and rewriting.) When the series was coming out three-four years ago, I gave up before the end, since I thought the atmosphere, while elegantly portrayed and revealed, was taking precedence over finding out what was going on, which is what I really wanted. I’m glad I finally got a chance to find out what happened.

In The Dreaming, twin sisters move to a remote boarding school in the middle of the Australian bush. Their aunt is the headmistress, but after showing them around, she leaves. The girls are told they must pretend to only be sisters, not twins, the first indication everything is not what it seems. You’ve likely seen similar stories before, if you’ve ever read anything featuring a reputable-but-weird boarding school, but Chan does an excellent job creating the needed air of spookiness.

The teens don’t know if they can trust the authority figures, the sisters start growing apart, and there are mysterious voices and visions. Silly midnight seances and other games mean something more in a dark wilderness, while dreams seem prophetic or revelatory of historical mysteries and memories. The Gothic mood is the strength of the piece, backed up by the Australian setting. Chan’s familiar with the area, which allows her a comfort level with the art, while it seems unusual and remote to the American reader. The dreamscapes and historical costuming are particularly visually attractive and worth lingering over. By putting it all under one cover, there’s no delay in finding out what happens and who’s responsible, just a lengthy escape into a different world.

On the other hand, the pacing can be very uneven, and I thought the conclusion was a bit muddled. It perhaps attempts too much, trying to weave together Aborigine folklore (with which liberties have been taken, apparently), mysticism, madness stemming from unspoken family secrets, and the implied debate over how far someone should go to save their life. The aunt never reappears, which seems a strange omission, and some of the characters are simple plot devices. Some also talk in exposition a bit too much. I still think the first section, the original book one, is the strongest, but then, it’s easier to set up a unusual, moody situation than to resolve it successfully. The book is described as “Drama/Horror”, but Mystery/Fantasy seems more accurate.

New in this volume are eight color pages, containing five figure illustrations; a new short story showing what happened to the school building; and an interview with Queenie Chan about her background and influences. Also, the size of the book is slightly larger than the usual manga digest. The size increase makes the text very easy to read, as the lettering has gotten bigger, and the faces are more prominent. The notes from the original first volume, about Chan’s inspirations and the country of Australia, are included, but not the paper dolls she created. Short bonus strips from the second and third volumes are also reprinted, although strangely, they start with “part two”.

Some quibbles: I miss the original cover of the first volume, with its spooky shadow against a brightly lit window that should be reassuring but somehow is creepier. Instead, we get a more generic piece with various head shots and an inappropriately bright dress. Speaking of covers, there’s a noticeable TM trademark designation on the cover. (I wonder if DC Comics has any interest in that?) Plus, it would have been nice, given the 600-page length, if this book had been in hardcover, the way the Dramacon Collection was. Although sturdy, I feared for the integrity of the binding while I was reading the middle section.

Queenie Chan has also illustrated graphic novels by Dean Koontz and helped found Bento Comics, where more of her short works can be found. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

Similar Posts: Tokyopop’s Dreaming to Become Movie § The Dreaming Book 1 § Dreaming Prose Contest Winners Announced § Tokyopop Dreaming Writing Competition § In Odd We Trust

Review by Ed Sizemore

Akito Takagi is 14 years old and dreams of being a manga writer. However, he’s not a good artist, so he needs one as a partner. Moritaka Mashiro is Akito’s classmate and a gifted artist. He wanted to be a manga artist until he saw his uncle work himself to death in that job. After much arm twisting, Akito convinces Moritaka to join him. Together, they seek to become successful manga creators (called mangaka).

Bakuman Book 1
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Bakuman is a fortuitous release for Viz. In June of this year, Viz and 35 other publishers formed a coalition to combat the problem of scanlations. Just this week, manga author Yana Toboso (Black Butler) spoke out against illegal downloads of manga and anime. Part of the debate surrounding scanlations is a discussion of the hardships that mangaka face. It has become painfully evident that there is a part of manga fandom that doesn’t know how the Japanese publishing system works or what it’s really like to be a mangaka. Now Viz has a series that claims to tell the truth about how manga is created and the life mangaka live.

The first page of the book quotes Obata, “There’s no fantasy in this series, so I feel a bit nervous about it.” Let’s be honest, that’s not entirely true. Few, if any, mangaka begin by being given a rent-free studio, all the needed supplies and equipment, and a comprehensive library of manga and reference material. Akito and Moritaka are starting out well ahead of the average mangaka. This plot device gets us past having to watch our fledgling mangaka slowly amassing supplies and begging their parents for pens, screentones, paper, ink, etc. But let’s not fool ourselves into thinking we’re getting an honest, no-holds-barred look at being a mangaka.

That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of realism in the series. At the beginning, Moritaka informs Akito that only one in a hundred thousand will ever be a ‘successful’ manga creator. By successful, Moritako means a mangaka who is free of financial worry. Most artists and writers are living paycheck to paycheck, like the rest of the world, and that’s only if they have a series currently being published. While they are pitching a series, they don’t get paid. Even if a mangaka has a successful manga series that gets adopted into a successful anime, he won’t make enough money to last a lifetime.

At this point, Ohba and Obata make reference to their successful manga series Death Note. Ohba quotes himself as saying the money from Death Note will only last him five years. That’s a sobering fact when you consider that Death Note was a successful manga that was adapted into a successful anime, had three live-action films made, has a series of light novels, had three video games, plus Viz is getting ready to release a new deluxe edition of the manga. And let’s not forget all the merchandise sales. Even a global bestseller like Death Note is no guarantee of financial security.

Ohba and Obtata also give real lessons in the craft of creating a manga. Since Moitako learned a lot watching his uncle work, he serves as Akito’s mentor. Through Moitako’s tutorage we learn: the difference between using a G-Pen nib and a Kabura nib, what a storyboard is, what the role of an editor is, that not all editors are good, etc. We discover there are various visual reference books available to artists for creating backgrounds such as office interiors, street scenes, and forests. Creating professional quality manga is a complex and demanding enterprise. To be successful means putting in more than just 40 hours a week.

Bakuman is being published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and it feels like Ohba and Obata are trying to fit a slice-of-life series into the Shonen Jump formula. Our protagonists are young men with great potential who seek to conquer the world of manga. Before them are many obstacles they will have to overcome. Each challenge will force them to improve their skills and achieve a new level of mastery. Is this beginning to sound familiar? The plotline could be used to describe Dragonball, Bleach, or Naruto. The problem is the authors are trying to create an exciting tale about the tedium of being a mangaka. Unfortunately, this takes away from the sense of realism they wanted to create. It makes the events of the series feel overhyped, like an infomercial that is trying too hard to sell you another ‘life-changing’ kitchen toy.

There is also the little matter of Akito’s four-page discussion about two of his female classmates. Akito is voicing the traditional understanding of women and their social roles in Japanese society. Basically, he thinks that women should seek to be wives and mothers. He uses this lens to analyze the motivations of his classmates. Needless to say, this won’t sit well with female American readers.

However, I have a hard time taking Akito seriously. First, he is only 14. I understand the authors writing the manga are adult men, but they are putting these words in the mouth of a very young man who has never been in a serious relationship himself. Second, this is very early in the series. There is no indication that Akito’s opinion is set in stone and will be the way that the manga itself will portray its female characters. I’m holding off any final opinion for a couple more volumes to give Ohba and Obata time to do more character development.

Obata’s art is gorgeous as always. I’ve yet to read any manga Obata has drawn that isn’t visually exceptional. The lines are crisp and sharp. The panels and pages flow well and are easy to read. There are lots of gorgeous details. I continue to encourage any artist to study his pages to learn how to do comics right. My only complaint is the character designs are very similar to those used in Death Note, so my first thought when I saw Akito was, “Hey, it’s Light with glasses.” But that’s a miniscule complaint at best.

When I heard the creators of Death Note had a new manga out, I was very excited. Unfortunately, the false sense of dramatic tension really soured Bakuman for me. I was hoping for something a bit more realistic. For people not as worried about realism, this is a good introduction to Japanese publishing and what it takes to get published. Honestly, I have no impedance to pick up the second volume, so I let this series pass by.

Similar Posts: Kodocha: Sana’s Stage Book 4 § Coming Up: Manga Due July 2010 (or Later) § PWCW Bestsellers for February § Viz Announces First Blu-ray: Death Note Collection § The Importance of Reference

Review by Ed Sizemore

In May, the Manga Moveable Feast focused on Mushishi. Del Rey has chosen to release the last three volumes of the series as a single omnibus. This review will serve as a coda for both the series and the MMF discussion.

Well, let’s get the big question out of the way first. No, the series doesn’t actually have an ending. However, the final story does a beautiful job of encapsulating the deepest themes of Mushishi and proving a satisfying goodbye to Ginko and the mushi. I prefer it this way. I like the idea that Ginko is still out there wandering the hills, and there is always a chance we may get to hear more of his stories.

Mushishi Books 8/9/10
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One of joys of this series has been watching Yuki Urushibara develop and mature as an artist and storyteller. She will be the first to tell you that the first three volumes were unpolished. In this final volume, you see an artist who has grown comfortable in her style and worked at perfecting it. You also see a storyteller that has gained the confidence to write stories that are personal, poetic, and deeply explore the relationship of man and nature.

I’ll just discuss the final story of the series, since it’s now my favorite Mushishi story. A new master of the mountain is about to be born. This time, a human girl, Kaya, has been chosen. It’s the first time in ages that a human has been chosen, and there are complications from this choice.

Masters must give themselves over to the mountain. Their responsibility is to maintain the balance of the life flow on the mountain. It takes all the focus of their heart, mind, body, and soul to watch over the health of the mountain and all living things on it. They can’t afford to be hampered by familial bonds.

Kaya’s family doesn’t understand about the life flow and masters of mountains. They only know that a sister and daughter has disappeared, and they long for her to return. Kaya’s older brother, Yoshiro, especially spends what free time he has looking for her. When the family is reunited, that’s when the problems begin.

Kaya is torn between two worlds: her responsibility as master of the mountain and her desire to be with her family again. She can’t live in both worlds. Ginko tries to find a solution that will satisfy all involved. You will have to read the story to find out what happens.

This story poignantly highlights how as humans we are both a part of nature and yet transcend it at the same time. We can’t live like animals. For example, our bodies need clothing and shelter to protect us from the elements. But more importantly, we are creators. We build, we invent. We are also social beings. Only a rare few can live without any other human contact. Humans are not fit to be masters of mountains. The demand is too high; it means giving up your humanity.

Ginko knows this and struggles with the implications. He desires humans to be more in harmony with the life flow. Yet, as someone deeply connected to this flow, he knows that humans can’t completely give themselves over to it. We see it as too arbitrary. We have our own visions of justice and compassion. Like any good storyteller, Urushibara brings up all these questions, yet has the wisdom not to suggest that she can answer them. She intends for the audience to be aware of the conflict and to ponder what they can do in their own lives to find balance.

Flipping through the book makes me appreciate Urushibara’s artwork. She has always taken a more subdued approach to visual storytelling. It works perfectly with her storytelling style. The art is able to convey the emotions and philosophical nature of the stories.

Mushishi has been a wonderful series. I’ve throughly enjoyed each volume. I’m sad to see it go, but I’m glad that it ended on a high note. Mushishi will always be on my recommended reading list. I’m very eager for someone to license her new series, Suiiki. I want to continue reading works by this wonderful writer. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

Similar Posts: Manga Moveable Feast: Mushishi — About the Book § Mushishi MMF: Today’s Updates (May 2) § Of Mushi and Cthulhu § *Mushishi Book 4 — Recommended § Announcing the April MMF: Mushishi

Because of the need to wrap up the series quickly in this second and final volume of the series, the flow here is choppy, but there’s still plenty of entertainment in its escapist, action-movie take on romance.

Flower in a Storm Book 2
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In the first chapter, we meet Ran’s arranged fiancee Rinko, who was picked by his parents because it’s so important to the family business that he have the right wife. My first thought was, why can’t anyone have distinguishable names? I was already getting confused between Ran and Riko, and now Riko’s rival’s name differs from hers by only one letter.

Rinko is sexier, more outgoing (and open with her emotions and wants), and higher class (although she sure doesn’t act like it). She has it all and wants Ran for his money, since she’s also highly materialistic — at one point, they get rid of her by throwing her Birkin bag out a window so she’ll chase it. The clash is quite amusing, continuing in that exaggerated fashion. For example, when Riko takes Ran off privately to escape Rinko’s clutches, Rinko comes through the door with a chainsaw. The excess is funny, but trying to combine it with the message that RIko prefers a gift worth nothing if it has Ran’s love behind it — that’s a tough balance and not ultimately successful.

Riko’s acting like a split personality, wanting Ran, then pushing him away because she’s unsure of her own feelings. (I was reminded, at times, of the dippy heroine of Cactus’s Secret.) That kind of uncertainty can be realistic, if shown over time, but the way she swings back and forth in this chapter, so obviously that other characters comment on it, just seems rushed. Still, there are pieces of adrenaline-fueled fun, once the bombs start exploding and Rinko steals a motorcycle.

Then comes a Christmas story. Ran’s throwing a business party at his snowy country house in Northern Europe, and Riko comes along to decorate the tree. After various emotion-packed moments, there’s an important revelation — only to be followed by amnesia, so it’s like pushing the erase button. That allows the author to give the readers the moment they want without affecting the flow of the story. I suspect at this point, the end of the series wasn’t known, since given how few chapters remain, it would have made sense not to hit reset and more realistically grow their relationship.

In both this chapter and the next, Riko’s class differences and feelings of not fitting in (since she’s not “elite”) are played up, whether at the holiday or on a cruise ship where Ran’s old friend and rival Chiaki shows up to try once again to steal Riko away. In the first book, he was chasing her. Now it’s slightly reversed, with her figuring out she wants him even in the face of his business and family responsibilities that aim to keep them apart.

Strangely, she begins to she what she offers him (he’s obviously a good catch; she, less so), although we’ve moved from the appeal of her special abilities (superstrength, exaggerated athleticism) to her virtue being her everyday normalness. Which contradicts the first book, which emphasizes how she’s not normal even though she wants to be, but oh, well, gotta get the romance going quick as we move towards the end.

The exaggerated bits, as when Ran jumps a jetski onto a luxury liner, are still enjoyable, and that’s what we get in the last two chapters. Ran gets kidnapped by various assassins, and after his father refuses to rescue him, Riko leads the charge. This gets back to the action movie feel of the first, with lots of shootouts and dramatic proclamations about who’s going to kill whom. I didn’t exactly get the ending, because I think it had some cultural implications I didn’t understand. It was certainly unexpected, if a bit unexplained. Wrapping up this book, there’s also a bonus story, Takagi’s debut manga, “Warm to the Touch”, about a boy who can’t stand to be touched except by his biology teacher.

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The kids are growing up fast as they continue preparing for the international tournament introduced in the previous volume.

Hikaru no Go Book 20
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As a faithful follower of the series, I loved seeing what happened next, but there’s not much I can say about this book to convince someone to read it. If you’ve already tried the series, you’ll likely be wanting more. If you haven’t yet, there are better places to start, since this volume is the latter part of a long process of growing up for Hikaru. He’s exploring his talent and learning more about his skill.

The cover shows Kiyoharu from the Kansai Go Assocation, a competing organization to the group that Hikaru is part of. He’s a stunning young player, one who makes daring, unexpected moves that explore the boundaries of the game instead of just working towards winning. (Although Kiyoharu does that too.) Based on the story placement, his actions are intended to be put in context against several games between younger players and their teachers.

The students are promising, and they may even have more raw talent than the older players, but the teachers’ skills win the day. The more important lesson to take is how they handle winning. One uses the event as another learning experience, showing the loser how and why he could have improved; the other rubs it in, revealing his own insecurities and fear of the coming competition.

A lot of characters float in and out of this book, as we visit Hikaru’s graduation and his former fellow students, plus there’s all the various young people struggling to be part of the team representing their country. Artist Takeshi Obata does an excellent job making them distinctive characters, each lovely to look at in their own way.

Similar Posts: *Hikaru no Go Book 19 — Recommended § *Hikaru no Go Book 16 — Recommended § *Hikaru no Go Books 13-15 — Recommended § *Hikaru no Go — Recommended Series § Hikaru no Go Book 17

Review by Ed Sizemore

Milton is an African-American kid living in one of the worst neighborhoods of Chicago. He likes to skip school to hang out at Enyo’s Comics. Milton loves the anime show Peepo Choo and practically lives in his handmade Peepo Choo costume. He fantasizes that Japan is an otaku paradise, and he dreams of living there one day.

Takeshi Morimoto was obsessed with black gangster films. A run-in with the yakuza caused him to finally unleash the violent side of his personality. Now as a member of the yakuza himself, he gets to live out all his darkest perversions on those that run afoul of his bosses.

Peepo Choo Book 1
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Peepo Choo is a dark satirical look at the fantasies people create about other countries based on the movies or shows exported from those countries filtered through their own psychological needs. Smith also touches on the duel lives that some people live. And just in case that wasn’t enough, he even has time for commentary on how mainstream American culture perceives the superhero comic and otaku subcultures.

Peepo Choo is a deeply flawed book. The most significant problem is that Smith’s writing has all the subtlety of a brick to the face. One might argue that in an era of South Park and Family Guy, satire can no longer afford to be subtle to be effective. Modern audiences can’t take a hint, so for Smith to get his message across, he’s got to be blunt and brutal. Perhaps that’s true. But when you use a chainsaw, you lose the fine details of an scalpel. True satire strikes with surgical precision; it cuts deep, and it leaves a scar that changes the person afflicted.

There are also some believability problems with the plot. My first reaction when Milton won a trip to Japan was, “His mother would never allow that.” She’s upset that he skips school. I can’t see her letting him miss two weeks of school to go to Japan. Second, who lets their son go off to a foreign country with two adult males they don’t know? I can’t see that happening in this day and age. Third, given the money problems Milton’s family has, I can’t see them shelling out for a passport. If anything, they’d rather have the cash equivalent of the plane fare to help pay the bills.

Then there is the gratuitous violence (and sex). Again, one could argue that the only way for Smith to convince the reader how depraved some of these people are is to simply show it. However, it’s always more effective to leave the gory details to the reader’s mind. They will fill in the blanks with what’s most repulsive to them, creating a greater emotional response and interaction. When an artist has to prove how twisted his characters are, it comes across as a lack of confidence on the artist’s part. If you’re telling a convincing story, then you can cut away at the crucial moment and your audience won’t mind. In fact, they’ll even thank you.

Peepo Choo demonstrates Smith’s potential as both satirist and a writer. You see it in the care with which he has crafted his characters, setting up three mirrored pairs. First, there is Milton. He creates a fantasy Japan that is the opposite of the world he lives in. In his Japan, all the people are otaku. Everyone is happy and gets along well with each other. A place where a silly dance can settle disputes and make everything all right. It’s a dream world he’s created as a coping mechanism for the realities he faces. Who can’t sympathize with Milton?

Milton’s counterpart in Japan is Takeshi. He has created a fantasy America where black gangs rule the inner city and live by their own violent morality. It’s a world where being the toughest and the most brutal is all that counts. Like Milton, Takeshi created this dark dream world as a coping mechanism. It’s allowed him to not only survive as a part of the yazuka, but to actually become successful. He is feared and rich. Unlike Milton, Takeshi is getting to make his fantasies real. However, his success may make him the most delusional character.

The second pair is the comic store owner Gil and the yazuka member Aniki. To the casual observer, both seem like typical businessmen. Gil runs a successful comic store. Aniki has just become a business partner to a large corporation. However, a close scrutiny of either, and the facade quickly fades. Gil is an assassin who takes pleasure in making his victim’s death as brutal as possible. Aniki is an old-fashioned yazuka member. He prefers to be discreet, but he can be vicious if need be. These two people are perhaps the only ones with no delusions as to who they are and what they do.

Finally, there is the comic store employee Jody and the Japanese model Reiko. Both are nasty, petty people who harbor nothing but disdain for those around them. Jody is all bravado and no substance. Reiko is beginning to show signs of psychotic behavior. We don’t get to spend much time with them in this volume. It will be, uh, interesting to see what Smith does with these two characters.

Smith is a gifted draftsman. He has an eye for character design and clothing. His art is best when he is doing straightforward visual narration. In this book, there is a lot of exaggeration. Actually, there is too much of it. It quickly loses its effectiveness; after the second chapter, you stop even noticing it. The same goes for the violence and nudity. After a certain point, it becomes old hat, and you wish the space was used more for storytelling and less for shock.

Thankfully, all the advance notices for Peepo Choo prepared me for the sex and gore. I wasn’t offended by the book; instead, I was disappointed. I was told there was more to the book than shock value; I can only agree slightly. The messages are just too blunt to deliver more than a momentary slap in the face. Smith has some good characters and ideas. I would like for him to concentrate on just one idea and work through it throughly and with proper nuance. If he would do this, he would craft substantive works that would have a lasting impact.

Similar Posts: Pop Japan Travel § An Explanation for Otaku? § Ed’s Friday at Otakon 2010 § Anime & Manga Conference Panelists § Valentine’s Day: Comic Geek Dating

I had been a little disappointed with Book 6, so I had completely forgotten that it ended with the start of a story about a showdown between two rock bands. One, House Dust, is a “visual kei” group (kind of like glam rock), with a made-up lead who happens to look just like Asuka, our otomen hero. The other, Freak Bones, is a rockabilly group led by a guy in an outrageous pompadour (although the name and the lyrics given sound nothing like rockabilly to me).

Otomen Book 7
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This volume continues that tale, but I was much more interested this time. (Perhaps because I’d recently read Nana, and it vaguely reminded me of that rock ‘n’ roll soap opera?) The story doesn’t really make a lot of sense, with unsuspected relatives and revelations and (of course) gender twists and makeovers, but it allows Asuka to give a heartfelt speech about being accepted for who he is, and there are cool costumes, looks, and panels, plenty for the reader to enjoy visually. I also liked the bit about the right song sticking in someone’s mind for years and having a profound effect on their life. Plus, how they train Asuka to give the right responses as a rock star to any given situation was a funny take on how predictable the music machine (industry) is.

Next comes a ghost story. Asuka and his kendo group go to a training camp that turns out to be haunted by a disappointed girlfriend. Asuka’s way of thinking like a girl helps him relate, even though she first targets him as the kind of reserved manly man she blames for her love troubles. (When did “liking girly hobbies, like cooking and sewing” become “a girl in a man’s body” for Asuka? We are not merely the sum of our interests.) This is the only story with anything for Ryo, Asuka’s quasi-girlfriend, to do, and I miss seeing more of her.

The best part of this book for me is the chapter that focuses on Asuka’s friend Juta, the secret shojo manga artist. He’s always my favorite when he gets the spotlight. I’m a sucker for these kinds of “manga artist makes manga about making manga” stories, surprisingly, and this one, where Juta is concerned that his work prevents him from having a dating relationship, was unexpected.

He turns for advice to his favorite classic manga, and the story turns into one about a lost first love, combined with cross-dressing humor as Juta (who works under a female pen name, since of course men can’t create manga that speaks so deeply to girls) is pressured to appear at an autograph session.

The story is trying to combine a few too many elements, but I admire the ambition, and the bits about making manga. Not only is Juta’s art a danger to his relationships, love can put work at risk, too, due to the distraction. The author’s notes obliquely allude to something similar, with a mention of her own love story “which only occurs once every two years”. The notes in this book are a hoot. Instead of the usual “I like this band/fashion/food” or apologies for not doing better work, Aya Kanno talks about having fun drawing the horror chapter, and a certain playfulness with her story and characters comes through.

The final chapter also features Juta, as a stand-in perhaps for the reader, pushing Asuka to move things along with Ryo, since they mostly act like good friends. Juta needs them to do more so he knows how to write his manga, you see, but it also possibly reflects the desire of the reader to see the two actually date. Asuka’s awfully shy and uncertain about these things — the perfect fantasy boy for the female reader, manly on the outside but with sensitive feelings. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

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I’ve waited a month to read this latest installment, because I knew it would be the last for a while. Volume 21 catches us up to the Japanese releases, and due to creator Yazawa’s illness and recovery time, the series is currently on hold. (In the meantime, there’s always rereading the series from the beginning or enjoying her previous manga Paradise Kiss.)

This isn’t a bad place to stop for a bit, actually. Events reach a distinctive turning point, and while it’s frustrating not seeing the characters get a final happy ending, they (and we) will need to time to recover and set their lives in new directions.

Nana Book 21
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Tomorrow is Nana’s 21st birthday, and she’s hoping her best friend Hachi and her boyfriend Ren will both come see her after the difficult, often separated year they’ve had. But early on, the fourth page of the book gives notice that things don’t always work out for the best. It also captures the melancholy note of the series, as captions present Nana’s thoughts:

Even if Hachi doesn’t come see me…
Even if Ren and I break up…
…I’ll be all right.
I’ve got my voice.

However, readers suspect that that’s merely bravado. Nana and Ren are meant to be together, although it’s unlikely Ren will make it, since while fleeing the paparazzi chasing him, his car slid off the road in the snow and wrecked.

Another journalist, while giving up on a story on Nana, tells his editor another key lesson of the series: “If you give something important up to gain something else … you won’t necessarily get what you want. Happiness is about how you feel. It’s not about your circumstances.” These rock kids are chasing fame and family and love in an attempt to be happy, when the potential is inside them all along regardless of what they do or find. The appeal of this series is watching the cast be exquisitely miserable. At least we have this distinctively drawn art to enjoy while waiting for them to find out whether the bargains they make with life work out.

Meanwhile, Takumi and Hachi are playing at being parents and adults. I found it surprising here that Hachi is the wise one, correctly telling the all-knowing band mastermind Takumi what he should have done. It’s a nice reminder that he does have someone there for him when he’s given an incredibly hard piece of bad news to deliver.

If we do not see more of these characters again for a long while, this is a pretty good place to pause. While waiting, readers may want to try Solanin for its treatment of a similar storyline.

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When Suppli Book 1 came out three years ago, I tried it. And even though I am always looking for josei manga (aimed at women, not girls) and although Suppli was well-recommended, it didn’t click for me at the time. I think I was too afraid of the protagonist’s fear, the idea of being alone with nothing but an unrewarding job, to want to read about it for entertainment.

Suppli Books 4 & 5
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Now that Tokyopop has returned to the series with an omnibus edition, containing books 4 and 5 of the series, I’m very glad I gave it another try. It’s been two years since Book 3, but don’t worry — if my experience as a relatively new reader is anything to go buy, you’ll have no trouble starting or restarting with this book, thanks to introductory pages that explain the characters and situations.

It’s a familiar premise, anyway: Fujii is trying to balance her work and personal lives, as she interacts with her friends and boyfriend Ogiwara in the workplace (as so many modern adults do). Lately, she’s concerned that she hasn’t seen him very often. She wants him around to share daily details of her life with. Are they both just busy, or is something more going on?

At the same time, a friend and freelance co-worker is being let go, a situation I had a lot of sympathy for, since I’ve seen it so often lately. The two talk at the bathroom mirror in an early scene that made me a fan of the series. It acknowledges how age affects how others perceive you, how it becomes a detriment to getting jobs at the same time you’re coming into yourself as a person. I was instantly engrossed in the lives of these working women, who seemed so much like someone I knew or could be.

The art often shows women while still — thinking, listening, watching. Their actions are small, fitting within the everyday, such as taking notes or touching up their makeup. They show the normal, adding to the story’s verisimilitude. I shuddered to see Fujii in a situation where she was saying the wrong things because her fears and insecurities overwhelmed her. She couldn’t stop herself, even knowing the results may not be what she hoped.

Sometimes, the panels are framed from unusual angles, titled to the side, or overlapping. Each captures a different mood, feeling off-kilter or overwhelmed by events. I think that’s why I struggled with Book 1 earlier; I didn’t know the right visual language to keep up with the story. Here, I’m more comfortable with it. Even if I don’t know exactly what I’m supposed to be seeing, I get the emotion. It’s moody, running a rainbow gamut of feeling.

Although fundamentally a romance, this book also shows how many expectations there are on working women. Love isn’t all, and it isn’t the answer. There are other responsibilities and other people involved in one’s life, and following your feelings isn’t always simple. Fujii keeps finding herself thrown in with Ogiwara’s ex-girlfriend, because that’s how life happens. The ex isn’t a pleasant person, but she does have a point when she says that there are more things a working woman has to consider in a partner than just who makes her feel good.

At one point, Fujii goes through all the events recognizable to anyone who’s had a bad parting: feeling regretful that she didn’t get to say everything she wanted, buying things to make herself feel better and to find something she can control, taking out her pain on the wrong person, getting drunk and out of control, throwing herself into work. Then she’s assigned a new employee to train at work. The girl has her own assumptions, and seeing a new young woman reminds Fujii of who she was and who she thought she’d be, neither of which has much relation to who she is now.

One of Fujii’s skills at work is how willing she is to apologize for herself and her team. This is considered a virtue in Japan, but it’s also similar to how women are usually tasked with being the emotional ones, taking care of the “soft stuff” and keeping different personalities working together. One new friend won me over by telling her, “You don’t have to apologize to me.” It’s reminiscent of the classic Love Story line, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” I don’t take it that far, but someone who values your opinion without making you apologize for it is a gift.

As the only currently active josei series in the U.S., I’ve joined the chorus telling you to give this a try, not just to send a message about what kinds of books we want to see, but because it’s an enjoyable, touching read. There’s no word yet on when Book 6 might appear, but I’ll be there when it does. I’m eagerly awaiting the next collection, due in February. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

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If you were going to pick a magical stuffed animal to protect and train you, wouldn’t you want a chainsaw-wielding, cigar-smoking, fedora-wearing teddy bear?

Hyde & Closer Book 1
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Closer is a wimp. He knows it, and the whole school knows it. The only person with faith in him was his beloved grandfather, a globe-trotting archaeologist. Only Grandpa went missing years ago, and Closer didn’t learn until just now that he was the King of Sorcerers. That only matters because magicians from all over the world are now hunting Closer, mostly with enchanted toys. If these enemies can eat the heart of the direct descendent of the Sorcerer King, they can gain his immense power. (Eww.)

Thankfully, Grandpa left Hyde, an enchanted bear totem, to protect Closer. Along the way, Hyde will teach Closer how to stand up for himself, become a man, and justify his place as heir to a King. Hyde’s a stand-in for the grandfather’s love and life lessons. He’ll believe in Closer, which will help him grow up, as the bear emphasizes that manliness is based in courage, confidence, and conviction.

The combination Hyde embodies, deadly cuteness, fuels most of the battles in this book. The chapters follow formula: some killer toy is sent to get Closer, and Hyde protects him while encouraging Closer’s courage and self-awareness. When Hyde first awakens, it’s to fight a stuffed monkey throwing knives. The pair’s next challenge is a demonic jack-in-the-box.

I found these fights artistically confusing, but that’s typical of shonen manga for me. I don’t read enough battle comics to be familiar with the visual language and conventions. Instead, I figure not knowing what’s going on is a similar feeling as Closer has during these attacks.

I also wonder what kind of substitution is going on to make this series suitable for the American audience. It’s rated for Older Teen, likely due to violence, but perhaps also due to Hyde’s smoking and drinking. An early panel is prominently labeled “Chocolate Cigars”, and Hyde’s drink on the rocks is said to be honey, not bourbon, but I wonder how much of that is authentic to the original. Then there’s the “Texas Chainsaw”, the magical weapon Hyde pulls out of his back, and the way it slices through the enemy toys.

There’s something inspired about having a kid learn what it means to be a man from a teddy bear — I imagine this plays into lots of boys’ concerns as they struggle with growing up. It’s a shame that the younger audience that would most enjoy or appreciate this are ruled out by the rating. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

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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.

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Review by Ed Sizemore

***This review contains spoilers***

Yukari Hayasaka was a typical high school student until she was scouted by the student group “Paradise Kiss” to be their model for the Yazawa School for the Arts (Yaza Arts) senior fashion show. Meeting these four friends has Yukari questioning everything about her life. The series follows these five people through their final year of high school.

Paradise Kiss Book 1
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At its heart, Paradise Kiss is a coming-of-age story for Yukari. The catalyst for her metamorphosis is the community formed by four Yaza Arts students. It’s the first time she sees people who are creating their own future. Yukari has always just followed the path outlined for her by her mother. The members of Paradise Kiss support and accept each other unconditionally. Their passion makes Yukari reexamine her own life.

Paradise Kiss is a meticulously crafted series. Unfortunately, it’s rare in manga to have a series where the author has mapped out the entire story from beginning to end. It’s not only the plot; the relationships are well-thought-out, too. It’s a great pleasure to see the events and relationships unfold and evolve naturally. It makes for a satisfying read with a real sense of finality.

The series has the feeling of a fairy tale. Not the light, frothy ones that get told today, but the original ones that blended a sense of reality and fantasy to create compelling, yet reassuring, stories. Realism is seen in the way George’s and Yuraki’s relationship progresses and ends. It’s further seen in the fact that Paradise Kiss doesn’t become an overnight fashion hit. The lack of a Hollywood perfect ending is part of what makes this a satisfying read.

The fantasy element is seen in the safety net that Yazawa gives her characters. Each one is attractive, talented, and from well-off families. You never worry about their futures. It’s easy to see that the members of Paradise Kiss will each succeed in the fashion industry in some way. They may not all be top name designers, but their talents will ensure they will always have a job. Yukari falls into being a fashion model and instantly finds success. Even if any of the people should fail, their families have enough money to ensure they will be taken care of for the rest of their lives.

Yazawa’s art is nothing short of amazing. She knows how to draw beautiful people and dazzling clothes. The characters all have an incredible sense of fashion. Yazawa is also able to portray a wide range of styles, and she fills this manga with incredible eye candy. Beyond just being a outstanding draftswoman, Yazawa is also an excellent visual storyteller. She has nice clean page layouts that are as well-designed as the character’s clothes.

Paradise Kiss is an engaging and satisfying series. Yazawa has crafted a manga that is subtle and mature in both storytelling and visuals. These characters come across more as college seniors instead of high school seniors. It’s a shame that the series is currently out of print. It’s a very accessible series for people unfamiliar with manga in general and more specifically the women’s manga genre. Paradise Kiss would be enjoyed by anyone who loves well-created stories.

This review was posted as part of the Paradise Kiss Manga Moveable Feast. Johanna previously reviewed the series as well. Ai Yazawa’s current series, if you’d like to read more of her work, is Nana.

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After surviving the admission tryout challenges shown in Book 1, Asumi is off to Tokyo Space School as this volume begins.

Twin Spica Book 2
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I like the quiet, deliberate pacing with which this story is told. It gives events a certain gravity that emphasizes the emotions. Asumi is receiving a chance at her greatest wish, but that comes with sacrifices, such as leaving her home. Mostly, that means her dad, who can’t travel with her to the entrance ceremony, but she also says goodbye to Mr. Lion, her guide/imaginary friend/educational ghost? Although she’s physically small, she’s quickly growing up, even though her size causes trouble for her — equipment is standardized, and anyone outside the norm doesn’t fit, literally.

The pacing also allows for text that explains the science fiction concepts, the ways Asumi’s world differs from ours, without disrupting the story. Just as physical settings are shown through establishing shots, so are the contextual settings, providing needed background and emotional pauses.

Like Asumi, I also went away to school at the age of 15. The small moments, after her father’s farewell, where she acknowledges her homesickness but won’t give in to it, were quite reminiscent and powerful. In her case, she’s got two other girls to keep her company, and much of this book transitions into a school shojo, following Asumi through classes and workouts and making friends. The goodness of her heart and the purity of her dreams makes her a charming young lady to follow on adventure.

The plot twist this volume involves her family ties and someone who holds a grudge. Two bonus stories flash back to Asumi’s childhood, shedding more light on her drive and desires, as well as Mr. Lion and what he gave her. And she’s even more adorable as a second grader, all round head and tiny limbs and smile or tears. The second, “Our Stars, Leaf Stars”, shows two little girls trying to be friends in the face of the life-changing rocket ship accident and tells us more about how hard the years since have been for her father.

On one level, this is a rather straightforward student-growing-up story with a light science fiction overlay, but the emotional component is more subtle and realistic than what that description suggests.

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I’ve come to think of Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei as something like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, especially when I read a whole volume or watch a week’s worth at once: I may not get all the references to other bits of pop culture (especially now that SZS has cut back on the translation notes), and some of the jokes may not hit my particular funny bone, but taken as a whole, it’s enjoyable satire in continuing format, and I’m awfully glad they keep getting out there and swinging at the targets of modern life. They’re both better if you pace yourself in enjoying them, too.

Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei Book 7
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Out of the varied subjects in this volume, this list are those that particularly worked for me. I understood the problems and could relate them to happenings in my own life, making these chapters even funnier to me:

• Techno-stress, being inconvenienced by a machine that doens’t work the way you expect, or changing your behavior because of it, like trying to find better cell phone reception by moving around, or having to borrow a computer to make an online appointment to get your computer fixed
• Having the wrong priorities, especially when that gets in the way of getting work done when you’ve got too much to do, even when you’re the manga artist of this actual story (in some amusing self-referentiality)
• The danger of inheritance, taking houses or positions just because your parents had them
• The humanities athletic festival, with demented competitions such as the email chain message relay, which leads into classifying everything into one of three categories: scientific, artsy, or athletic
• The way entertainment wanders away from its original form, in a short little Halloween story

The art in the opening chapter, featuring kimono’ed characters at a nighttime festival involving floating lanterns, is particularly striking in the highly graphic, flat black-and-white, high-contrast approach Koji Kumeta uses. Between the patterned robes and the strange icons (representing the “unconnected dead”, those who missed out on their desires) lying in the grass in the dark, it was very atmospheric. In his typical contrary nature, Sensei manages to release the icons’ spirits not by giving them what they wanted but by convincing them they were better off not wanting what they desired at all. It’s very Buddhist, showing what might result from being free of attachment.

I’m also finding that I need my magnifying glass to pick up all the detail in certain panels, especially the ones with lists of examples and cute little labeled drawings. I recommend good lighting to read this series. That way, you’ll also be able to better appreciate the subtly colored covers. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

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156 pages, available online at emanga.com

Rebecca appears at Angus’s detective agency with amnesia. It’s raining, she’s missing a shoe, she doesn’t know who she is, but she has a card with his name and address on it in her pocket. He drops her off at a homeless shelter but can’t leave her there when he sees how much she needs help. I don’t know how many people remember the 1991 movie Dead Again, where the same roles were played by Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh, but it’s always been a favorite of mine. I think that similarity of premise was one reason I found this romance (originally published in 1998) so easy to get into.

I noticed, when comparing this Harlequin adaptation to some of the Digital Manga yaoi on my online review copy list, that I found it easier to read on my laptop screen. The serif font used in the word balloons doesn’t always fit the shapes, but it is bold and larger in size, which makes it easy to read without squinting. The fewer panels and simpler images also helped; after all, with a romance, the reader already knows some of what’s going to happen, so they need more guidance than exact pictures. Mostly, it’s faces. The heroine is beautiful and needs to be taken care of; the hero is dark, moody, and manly with a sensitive side — he’s a single father — and a tragic past.

Angus wants to help Rebecca recover her memory and find out who was chasing her, although he knows that when he does, he risks losing her. Thus, the conflict that keeps them from falling in love immediately. It might have been nice if he took her to a hospital at some point, though.

It’s a quick read, breezy and predictable, but it satisfies the formula nicely in getting to its happy ending, with a bit of mystery to liven up the love story.

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As I read further in this classic manga series, I’m struck by how rapidly everything moves. In contrast to some more current shojo, where it takes 13 or 17 volumes to simply get a couple together and have them complete high school, events in this double-sized volume happen very quickly.

Itazura Na Kiss Book 2
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In the first book, we were introduced to dumb but well-meaning Kotoko and her crush, super-smart Naoki. The two wound up living in the same house since their fathers are best friends. As this book opens, we’re reminded of the situation and its complications as Naoki’s mother helps Kotoko plan for Valentine’s Day. Coincidentally, it’s also the day before Naoki’s entrance exam for a prestigious college.

I did enjoy seeing how Mom is so vehemently pro-Kotoko, to the point of almost pimping her son out. She’s found the girl she likes and wants as a daughter-in-law, and she’s determined to get them together, regardless of what either thinks their choice is. It’s refreshing to see a parent in manga who’s not an obstacle. It also gives some idea of where Naoki gets his determination and ego from.

Unfortunately, we still don’t have much more sense of why Naoki is so cold and remote. Mom ponders early on that he’s so talented that he doesn’t have to want anything, because everything comes easy to him. Kotoko is one thing that shakes him out of his complacency. Strangely, she sees what Kotoko does for Naoki, and how she benefits from his presence, but she doesn’t seem to consider important his desire to be with someone close to his intellectual equal. For all that he’s considered a prince because of his brains, there are some anti-smart messages going on here, including valuing Kotoko without encouraging her to improve herself.

I don’t know if frustration is sufficient basis for a relationship, but it helps explain why he keeps putting up with her: she provides something different to his life. It’s the classic “opposites attract”, although the attraction here isn’t yet fully developed. When the young couple does have a romantic or hopeful moment, it’s usually because Naoki is being contrary and wants to annoy either her or someone else.

But getting back to the first chapter, Kotoko demonstrates her good-heartedness by attempting a good deed for “little brother” Yuuki that backfires. Her continued determination then changes Naoki’s life through needing his help at just the wrong moment. The book quickly moves through graduation, starting college, and the introduction of gorgeous, brilliant rival Yuko, a girl much more like Naoki who has her heart set for him. Various additional complications arise, including the question of moving out of the shared house and a rival for Kotoko’s attentions as well, an apprentice chef who works at her father’s restaurant.

Although so much happens, it’s a very brisk, easy read. The art is always clear, with plenty of emotion, expression, and comedy. The second half of the book is tennis-centric, as Kotoko follows Naoki (who’s also athletically talented) into the sports club, not realizing how hard she was going to have to work. There’s a few matches and a training camp, all of which provide opportunities for the two to be thrown together. The tennis, along with some of the fashions, points to the original 80s period of creation, but it’s not particularly dated unless you’re looking for those hints. I found the classic soap opera involving, entertaining, and good value. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

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I suspect my expectations for Chi’s Sweet Home may have been too high. I’d heard such good things about the “cute cat comic” that I think I wanted it to be more than it is.

Chi’s Sweet Home Book 1
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This small volume, comfortable to hold, is surprisingly in full color, not the usual manga black-and-white. The book contains 20 eight-page chapters, each featuring a small incident. The kitten Chi has wandered away from her mother and siblings, only to be adopted by a family (dad, mom, young boy) who aren’t allowed to have pets in their apartment.

I found a couple of things unpleasant about the tales. The first is the cat’s name. It seems “Chi” means “pee”, as she’s named during a toilet-training incident with the family’s toddler. Also, if you’re not into cute, you will absolutely hate the way Chi’s internal monologue is written to sound like a baby with a lisp: “That was scarewy”, referring to the park as “the gwassy pwace”, “I think I’ll shtay here for a wittle while more”, etc. Often, these thoughts are unnecessary — it’s obvious through the cartooning when she’s lost, scared, and so on, so the text becomes repetitive. As do some of the situations.

The cat’s thoughts are often anthropomorphized, which led me to wonder why the mother cat just left without this kitten. If the baby is capable of logic and reaction, why isn’t the parent? More significantly, it’s hard to fully get into “aw, cute” mode about the cat’s behavior when her actions are frequently interrupted by her thinking how much she misses mom. That’s a downer. It also makes it difficult to consider the pet and the parents all part of one family, since there’s something so important to Chi that they’re unaware of. It works against the main flow of the book, that we’re watching how they all get to know and decide to keep each other.

The incidents themselves are familiar: cats hate baths, cats have claws, pets hate the vet, kittens are easily distracted by food or toys. The most creative moment in the book was the way Chi’s desire to sit in the windowsill, which risks exposing her presence to the neighbors, was camouflaged … only that reminded me of a movie. Perhaps this is all more amusing if you actually have a cat, so you get that glint of recognition: “oh, this is just like when Snoogie-Woogums scratched my armoire that time.” I do like some animal manga, but this one may have worked better for me if the cat wasn’t quite so cartoony. I expected something fresher and less familiar than I got. This feels like the Japanese Garfield.

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Review by Ed Sizemore

When Aang found out he was the Avatar, he couldn’t handle the responsibility and ran away. While on the run, he got caught in a terrible sea storm and to save his life, his Avatar power put him in a state of suspended animation. That was a century ago.

Now Aang has awaken to find that the Fire Nation has killed all his fellow airbenders and is on the brink of world domination. Assisted by Katara and Sokka of the Water Nation, Aang must complete his Avatar training if he hopes to defeat the Fire Nation and restore balance to the world.

The Last Airbender
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Avatar: The Last Airbender is a Nickelodeon cartoon that first aired in 2005. Even though the series finale aired in 2008, Nickelodeon continues to air repeats of the show today. This summer, the live-action film The Last Airbender was released. Three recent Del Rey manga have been released as tie-ins. The Last Airbender OEL is based primarily on the movie. The Last Airbender Prequel is an original story set in the same world as the live-action film. Avatar: The Last Airbender is a comic that takes stills from the TV show and adds word balloons to retell the TV episode in book format. This sometimes called a cine-manga or ani-manga.

The Last Airbender

story by Dave Roman & Alison Wilgus; art by Joon Choi; $8.99 US

The Last Airbender comic shares the same flaw as the movie; the story is mostly plot with little room for character-building. We aren’t given any time to know and connect with the characters before they’re rushing off at lightning speed to save the world. This makes it hard to sympathize with their pain and grief at various points in the book.

The comic is slightly faster-paced than the movie. At times, there are odd transitions from panel to panel on the same page. The dialogue will abruptly change subject at places. It feels like a panel or two is missing. It makes me think there was a page limit set to the book and some sloppy edits were made to make the story fit the predetermined page count.

Having seen the film, I can say the comic is a fairly faithful adaptation, although I think the writers were working from an early version of the script and not the final draft. There are a couple of elements in the comic that aren’t in the movie. These pieces are extraneous to the story and should have been cut from the comic, too. One example is Katara losing her necklace only to have Aang return it later. Another is the introduction of the Kyoshi Warriors, who appear for four pages and are gone.

Choi is using a shojo art style in The Last Airbender. The artwork is solid. Choi is best with facial expressions with one exception; her exaggerated faces are awkward-looking and distracting. They are meant to be funny but never are. Choi is a competent shonen/action artist, but I’d really like to see her do a romance series, since that seems more natural for her style.

The Last Airbender Prequel: Zuko’s Story
Zuko’s Story
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story by Dave Roman & Alison Wilgus; art by Nin Matsumoto; $10.99 US

Zuko’s Story is a slightly better reading experience. It’s not as plot-driven as The Last Airbender, but nonetheless, it fails at its primary task, making Zuko a sympathetic villian. The biggest problem is that Zuko’s obsession to gain favor in his father’s eyes isn’t believable. Zuko’s father, the lord of the Fire Nation, is a grade-A jerk. It’s obvious that he doesn’t have much affection for Zuko, or that he ever will. In fact, Zuko knows of his father’s disdain for him. So Zuko’s desperation for his approval doesn’t make sense. Zuko’s psychology needs to be fleshed out more.

Compounding the problem is that Zuko treats everyone around him poorly. He treats his uncle Iroh, whom he literally owes his life to, as a lackey. He repays his uncle’s kindness with insults. The ship’s company are essentially non-beings for Zuko. He treats them like part of the ship’s machinery. Everyone is just an obstacle or a bother to him. I don’t see how the crew or his uncle stay by his side.

Matsumoto’s art style is more Western-looking. There is no use of screen tones here. The pure black and white is dramatic-looking and adds emotional impact to the story. Matsumoto is very good and shows potential to be a great visual storyteller. I’ll be on the lookout for more work by this artist.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Volume 1

created by Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Komietzko; $7.99 US

Avatar cine-manga
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The Avatar cine-manga was the most enjoyable book of the three. It brought to mind all the strengths and weakness of the animated series. The great appeal of the Avatar series was the character and world-building. The cartoon was slow-paced and let the viewer spend a lot of time getting to know the central cast and to bond deeply with them.

That said, the show at times forgot that there’s supposed to be a grand narrative going on in the background and that Aang had limited time to master his Avatar powers. The show got so caught up in the character and world-building that it tended to forgot about plot. Every once in a while, I would find myself wondering if Aang was ever going to study any other form of element bending, let alone master all of them.

To get a sense of the pacing difference between the live-action movie and the TV show, it takes the Avatar cine-manga 86 pages to tell the same narrative that the The Last Airbender comic covers in ten pages. Personally, I prefer a story that errs on the side of character development over plot.

There isn’t much to say about art in the Avatar cine-manga. The show is well-animated. The book’s uncredited art editor does a good job of making a book from a TV show.

I would recommend that people simply stick with the source material and watch the original TV show. There you can see the creators, DiMartino and Konietzko, directly shape the story and characters. Second best is the cine-manga. The charm of the cartoon was the wonderful cast of characters. By focusing on plot, the other versions of Avatar take the heart out of the series. So don’t waste your time on a lifeless copy when the real thing is so readily available to enjoy.

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