Project X Challengers: Seven Eleven Writer: Tadashi ikuta Artist: Naomi Kimura Publisher: DMP Age Rating: All Ages Genre: Business Price: $12.95 Rating: In a time when giant department stores and supermarkets dominated the Japanese retail industry, two businessmen, Toshifumi Suzuki and Hideo Shimizu, discovered a new type of small retail store flourishing in America – the Seven Eleven. Called a “convenience store,” it was a concept new to the Japanese. Intrigued by this new idea and convinced that it would succeed in Japan as well, the two men put together a project team of fifteen members, all virtual novices to the retail trade, to bring this venture to their land. Staking his entire livelihood, young store owner Kenji Yamamoto volunteered to convert his family-owned liquor store into the first Seven Eleven in Japan. The hardship of negotiations, the oil shock, the struggle to cope with inadequate space were all met with resolve and innovation, culminating in what is now call the retail revolution! Project X Challengers: Seven Eleven is not your typical manga. There are no powered up heroes, or pretty boys, or magical girls. Instead, it’s about real people facing real life challenges. While the average teen might find…
As a reviewer, I get a lot of titles that are either in the middle of the series, or sometimes I get just the last volume. This came up over on twitter, and the with a comment that a series couldn’t be judged by reading some random volumes. This got me thinking. It’s an issue that reviewers would frequently have to deal with. You can choose not to read any titles that you don’t start from the beginning, or take on all comers. I’m one that chose to take on all comers. I’d rather be able to get a taste of a title, than never know at all what it’s like.
It was back in 2004 I think, when I first saw the solicitations from a new manga company in Previews. Seven Seas had 3-4 full size pages advertising it’s titles. I remember thinking how cool it was that an American company was making a go at creating original titles. At the time, only Tokyopop had any OEL. From those original titles, there weren’t a lot that caught my attention. Just one did actually. Captain Nemo. I had been a big fan of Captain Harlock in the eighties. I loved his cape, the high collar, and the way his hair fell over one side of his face. The cover of Captain Nemo mimiced this, so of course I had to get it. When the first volume finally came out in 2005, I of course ordered it, and have to say I actually enjoyed it. It very much captured the feel of Harlock’s brooding, and the lone captain trying to save the world that doesn’t realize it’s in danger. I couldn’t wait for the next volume. Unfortunately, I had to do just that. Seven Seas expanded, got into licensing manga and this meant the writer of Capntain Nemo, Jason DeAngelis, who is…