Manga Views

InuYasha was the first comic that I actively collected, the manga that introduced me to the Wednesday comic-buying ritual and the very notion of self-identifying as a fan. Though I followed it religiously for years, trading in my older editions for new ones, watching the anime, and speculating about the finale, my interest in the series gradually waned as I was exposed to new artists and new genres. Still,InuYasha held a special place in my heart; reading it was one of my seminal experiences as a comic fan, making me reluctant to re-visitInuYasha for fear of sullying those precious first-manga memories. VIZ’s recent decision to re-issue InuYasha in an omnibus edition, however, inspired me to pick it up again. I made a shocking discovery in the process of re-reading the first chapters: InuYasha is good. Really good, in fact, and deserving of more respect than it gets from many critics.

What makes InuYasha work? I can think of five reasons:

1. The story arcs are long enough to be complex and engaging, but not so long as to test the patience.

There’s a Zen quality to Rumiko Takahashi’s storytelling that might not be obvious at first glance; after all, she loves a pratfall or a sword fight as much as the next shonen manga-ka. Don’t let that surface activity fool you, however: Takahashi has a terrific sense of balance, staging a romantic interlude between a demon-of-the-week episode and a longer storyline involving Naraku’s minions, thus preventing the series from devolving into a punishing string of battle arcs. The other great advantage of this approach is that Takashi carves out more space for her characters to interact as people, not just combatants; as a result, InuYasha is one of the few shonen manga in which the characters’ relationships evolve over time.

2. Takahashi knows how to stage a fight scene that’s dramatic, tense, and mercifully short.

‘Nuff said.

3. InuYasha‘s villains are powerful and strange, not strawmen.

Though we know our heroes will prevail — it’s shonen, for Pete’s sake — Takahashi throws creative obstacles in their way that makes their eventual triumph more satisfying. Consider Naraku. In many respects, he’s a standard-issue bad guy: he’s omnipotent, charismatic, and manipulative, capable of finding the darkness and vulnerability in the purest soul. (He also has fabulous hair, another reliable indication of his villainy.) Yet the way in which Naraku wields power is genuinely unsettling, as he fashions warriors from pieces of himself, then reabsorbs them into his body when they outlive their usefulness. Naraku’s manifestations are peculiar, too. Some are female, some are children, some have monstrous bodies, and some have the power to create their own demonic offspring, but few look like the sort of golem I’d create if I wanted to wreak havoc. And therein lies Naraku’s true power: his opponents never know what form he’ll take next, or whether he’s already among them. More »

Before I get rolling with this review, let me make one statement about Drought – it is one of the most unique books that I have ever read.  It is intense, it is bleak, and there were a couple of times that I wanted to set it aside and just catch my breath.  It is one of the most depressing books I have ever read, and I kept asking myself one question – why, why, WHY?  What is the purpose for all of this suffering and sacrifice?  This is a book about a love so twisted that it defies comprehension.  It is also the story of unbelievable selfishness, the inability to accept when a relationship is over, and when it comes down to it, it is the chronicle of a clash of wills that has two people refusing to back down and admit defeat. After 200 years, you would think that at least one of them would grow up.

Part of the suspense of Drought are the slow, sometimes agonizingly slow, plot revelations.  At the start of the book, I was totally in the dark about everything.  Why were these people collecting water from flowers and plants with spoons and cups? Why did they have a quota to meet?  Why was Ruby’s mother, Sula, constantly beaten, with a length of chain, when enough water to fill the quota wasn’t collected?  What the heck is all of this about?

Ruby’s mother is the leader of a group of Congregants, and they are waiting for Ruby’s father to return and liberate them.  In the meantime, they are captives of Darwin West and his Overseers.  Ruby’s life is a living hell for a couple of reasons.  First, her mother and Darwin West are locked in an epic battle of wills that seems to have no end.  Next, her blood has the ability to heal wounds and extend life, an ability she shares with her father.  Only a select few know of Ruby’s secret, and they will do anything to keep her secret and control her blood.  The Congregants live meager, miserable lives, and they are the playthings of Darwin.  He is cruel and harsh, and he doesn’t hesitate to punish any transgression.

Sula isn’t much better.  Her undying adoration for Ruby’s father has led her to pain and suffering.  After spurning Darwin for Otto, she must flee her comfortable life in town.  She has convinced a group of followers to escape with her, but they end up setting up camp on Darwin’s land.  A hastily conceived lie then seals their unpleasant fate, and binds them together for 200 years of drudgery.  Ruby grows up knowing nothing else.  The woods, the gathering of water, long days filled with suffering, and never having enough to eat.  All the while, the Congregants wait and pray for Otto to return to bring them deliverance. More »

New investigator, Etou Kai and Kurabayashi Haru, along with the unique bosses and colleagues are involved in the seizure of drug addicts, and smuggling. Their investigators, for crimes including drug arrests and raids, with nearly equal rights with the police. In addition to the police investigation and not decoys, and the full use of undercover investigators, hunt down criminals while sometimes exposed to a hazard.

Once the Japanese withdrew from the syndicate in China, began working in Japan again. While to investigate, eventually “switch” the word emerge. It was 16 years ago, had disappeared along with the name of a drug investigation of any article …

I have to feel bad for Maki here at the start of this volume. Much as we’d all like our relationships to be honest and above board, when his new “girlfriend” Erika discovers a picture on his cell phone of his old girlfriend, he just can’t bring himself to say “That’s actually a picture of my old dead first love who I’ve been unable to get over and who shares the same name and personality as you, but it’s a TOTAL coincidence that I’m trying to date you now.” I probably would feel awkward too.

And so the quasi-relationship between the two of them vacillates back and forth here. They’re clearly a great couple, and there’s a wonderful moment when she’s teaching him how to surf when they both briefly drop all the baggage they have and are adorable and sweet… but it’s balanced by Maki’s utter inability to open himself up, which is not something that can just be dropped. The end of the chapter here does feature Maki and Erika kissing fiercely, and would seem to indicate resolution of some sort… but for some reason it just feels temporary, and indeed when we next see Erika the text labels her as temporary girlfriend again. This is going to take time.

Chapter 2 deals with Arata, a minor character who seems to br the dark, strong, lone-wolf type… but is really just bad at expressing himself. This has led to his girlfriend breaking up with him, as she simply never got any sense he had any feelings for her at all. Sadly, she is trying to get over him by dating a known two-timing jerk. Maki and company to the rescue! Since their school is nowhere near anything, of course, they fix this by arranging a ‘mixer’ with the school of Arata’s girlfriend, and manipulate things so that he finally is able to admit… reluctantly and quietly… that his ex-girlfriend is super cute. Interestingly, the ending remains ambiguous here as well, and we’re not sure if the two get back together.

The last two chapters take us back to Miyaji and her crush on Rui. She’s starting to get a bit obsessed, apparently having gotten over Rui’s stunning rudeness to her a volume or so back… but Rui still isn’t taking the hint, and she lacks confidence in herself, thinking that hot guys like Rui are ‘A’ guys that a ‘C’ girl like her could never hope to catch. She ends up turning to Hanai for advice (nice timing given he’s on the cover), but ironically all she learns to be good at is wearing a mask to hide her real self, something that all the boys who star in this manga are masters of. Rui is, of course, not fooled.

So Miyaji seemingly gives up, and tries Hanai’s approach with other guys, but kinds keeping up the act exhausting. And then… oh dear. I had thought that the faux incest plot would be one and done in Volume 1, but no, Mana’s back, and she’s still desperately in love with her brother. She ends up coming to Seiho with Miyaji, and Rui naturally tries to fend her off by saying Miyaji is his girlfriend. (This makes approximately the 40,000th fake girlfriend/boyfriend in these 4 volumes alone.) As things heat up, and Mana comes on stronger, we remember that, just like Maki, Rui has a past he’s trying to overcome. Unlike Maki, his past is throwing herself at him. He’s mature enough to know it’s bad for both of them, though, and stands firm. Mana may be back, though…

And so at the end Miyaji, now that she knows Rui’s past, suggests they try dating for real. Does he accept? Who knows? This volume of Seiho was excellent, but felt incredibly uncertain. Every relationship we see seems to be on rocky footing (even Nogami is hinted to be having another fight with his nurse girlfriend), and half of them are created by false pretenses. Of course, we see this sort of thing in shoujo manga all the time, but it’s rare to see it with every character, and it almost seems like the main plot of the series. Love is awkward, requires a lot of work, and a lot of the most passionate love ends up being bad for you. Still, we’re halfway through the series, and I suspect at least one of the couples we see here will actually get a happy ending. Probably.

http://suitablefortreatment.blogspot.com/2011/02/seiho-boys-high-school-volume-4.html

Sawako Kuronuma had a personality, cheerful personality, too impressed personality. She liked that useful to people. Therefore, the officer was doing all the time. Her nickname is “Sadako”. Trigger is mistaken for the name calling when the elementary school. “Sawako” instead of “Sadako” was called. “Sadako” is a bad image. Because that’s the same name as the hero of a horror movie. There also, she had feared from around her. She had a poor image, but she was a smart person. So was the central figure in the studies. Through exchanges with Shota and freinds, She is quick to notice that I love to Shota…
Shota Kazehaya had a personality, friendly personality, gentle nature. He showed me the road from Sawako at the day of admission. He was in love with Sawako since then looked at the smile of Sawako.
They do not know each other’s feelings. And they grow and communicate….

Hina Ayase is idol voice actor.  She was promoted to the heroine of “Vamp”. It was her favorite manga. Hero is played by Yuki Hasumi. He called the genius voice actor.
Heroine is asked to speak erotic voice. But Hina Ayase was difficult. It is from no experience and she could not vocalize to think of Hina Ayase. Hina Ayase wanted to re-recording. But she did not request.

At that time, Yuki Hasumi has helped Hina Ayase, he request a re-recording. In return, Hina Ayase has been requested from Yuki Hasumi that while acting is to touch the body. Hina Ayase had fainted by comfortably. And she was delighted that she made a good performance by the action of Yuki Hasumi.
Hina Ayase decide that to improve the act. And now to receive special instruction from Yuki Hasumi.