Linear inequalities and masturbation are things that should be learned before the end of junior high!
While I can’t say that I have a love-hate relationship with shonen manga, I do tend to be a bit critical of it at times. In some instances (Fullmetal Alchemist, One Piece, and Cat Paradise come to mind) the genre can be breath-taking, hilarious, awesome, and heart-rending. I think this has a lot more to do with developing a great set of characters, and essentially allowing them to interact in natural ways. It doesn’t matter if the characters are shamans, alchemists, pirates, demon-fighters, or bakers – if the author can give me awesome characters, I’ll generally love the book. The plot has to go somewhere, but good characters are what make the best manga. The same is true for the opposite side of the coin. Books that have poorly developed characters get left at the bookstore, even if the setting and art are awesome. This seems to be the trend for some of the latest shonen offerings from a variety of publishers. Case in point? Nabari no Ou. By Yuhki Kamatani Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Action Price: $10.99 Nabari no Ou introduces us to Miharu, a young boy who has been born with the power…
Traveling in-between the world of the living and the twilight world of the dead, Akamushi, the shaman known as the Red Spider Exorcist, wields the powers of a giant spider to combat the demons of the netherworld. In a serendipitous moment, a young girl meets Akamushi, and falls in love with him at first sight. However, it turns out her grandfather and mother are haunted by a “Waraigao” – a demon that attacks living human bodies from the inside, eroding and eventually deteriorating them! Written by Hideyuki Kikuchi; illustrated by Shin Yong-Gwan Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing Age Rating: 16+ Genre: Horror Price: $9.95 Volume 2 of Taimashin picked up right where volume 1 left off with Megumi at the hot springs. Her story is finished and a second story starts up involving a young girl whose family seems to be cursed. This volume gives some more insight into the nature of Akamushi, and that he might not be completely the hero he appeared to be in the first volume. Megumi’s story is completed as the truth about her is revealed as is the reason why she is being chased by the demons. There is a climatic battle between Akumushi and…
Publisher’s info: All penniless college student Taiga Mutou wants is a cool job and a cute older woman as a girlfriend. So when he spies a Help Wanted sign outside an office and a hot girl inside, he applies for the job, no questions asked. After a few bumps at the beginning, things start going Taiga’s way, prompting him to steel his courage and ask out Yuiko, that hot girl he spied through the window, on a date. And when she later asks him if it’s okay that she’s a fujoshi (a very, shall we say, distinct kind of comics/animation geek), he tells her it’s fine out of sheer excitement. But poor Taiga has no idea how much trouble he’s just gotten himself into! By Rize Shinba Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Romance Price: $11.99 Last week, I reviewed Peepo Choo, by Felipe Smith, a manga that viciously, but hilariously rips into otaku culture (among other). It seems that getting geeks to laugh at themselves in manga is on the upswing, because this week’s book, My Girlfriend’s a Geek Vol. 1, pokes fun at fujoshi, or the girl fan of boys love (bl) anime and manga. However,…
Winner of 2010 Eisner for Best U.S. Edition of International Matierial-Asia! Nearly 850 pages of pure comics genius. And it feels like it ends just a bit abruptly. By Yoshihiro Tatsumi Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly Genre: Autobiography/Memoir Rating: Older Teen Price: $29.95 But that’s a minor point against it. A Drifting Life is epic. It’s sort of a mashup of several things, even though it’s an autobiography mainly about the comics career of Yoshihiro Tatsumi. He also draws highly from his family life, even far into his adulthood. What’s interesting about the work is that pieces of history and other short elements are woven into the narrative in a way that makes this more than just an autobiography — it’s sort of a window into the era and culture of Japan. But, most importantly, it’s about comics. Tatsumi grew up interested in comics, so the main focus through the work is on his career as a manga creator and how that meshed with his personal and school lives. But it starts at the end of World War II, just as the Japanese emperor announced the surrender of the country. The earliest reference to comics in the work is Tatsumi asking…
A collection of short stories in the gekiga tradition, people who are familiar with Yoshihiro Tatsumi may be as surprised as I was by the strangely positive stories in this volume. All are set in remote mountain villages untouched by modern conveniences, and focus on events in the lives of the mountain residents. Many also feature touches of folk tales and fantasy creatures to woven into the narrative. By Susumu Katumata Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly Age Rating: Not Rated; Older Teen Genre: Drama Price: $24.95 The stories vary widely, from coming-of-age stories (Mulberry, about a squabbling young boy and girl who suddenly mature when the girl, who lives in a brothel, gets her first period) to love stories (in Funeral for Wild Geese, a man caught in a blizzard gives up his old life to marry a lonely local woman) to eerie supernatural comeuppance stories (in Kokeshi, the mentally unbalanced master of the village goes around ravaging women until he is avenged by the kappa who were born of the miscarriages of his illegitimate children). Even the darkest subject matter is somehow lightened by the mountain setting and the attitudes of the characters, who seem intent on making the best…
I guess this shows my age, but I’m one of those kids that was part of the original Power Rangers generation. When I was little, I would wake up early to watch Power Rangers, chomping at a bowl of Cheerios and waiting to see what kind of cool, gigantic monster the Power Rangers would have to fight. I’m sure that this formative education is why I enjoy the mediocre Rosario + Vampire; I can’t get enough of the baddies Tsukune and his harem fight every week. By Mohiro Kitoh Publisher: Viz Media Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Drama/Mecha Price: $12.95 The giant robots genre is a staple in both Japanese and American pop culture. Voltron, the Autobots, and Power Rangers litter the kid’s television landscape. Most of these shows, with a few notable exceptions, are sugar sweet, sappy tales that don’t really challenge the viewer in an emotional fashion – and why should they? These shows are media intended to be consumed by kids around the age of 5. Some writers have challenged the status quo of the genre, but none have done it quite as effectively as Mohiro Kito, a writer with a knack for subverting seemingly incorruptible subject…
Publisher’s Info: They say you cannot choose where and when are born; we are gifted into the worlds are parents are living at the time. Whether a blessing or a curse, as individuals we must make the most of our environments to advance as best possible given the circumstances present. For the cast of Peepo Choo, their places of birth, whether they be the suburbs of Tokyo or the South Side of Chicago, appear to be a curse they cannot escape…until they realize the world is a much smaller place than they thought. On the surface Milton appears to be your average a high school student living in the thugged out streets of Chicago’s South Side. As is the case with many teens looks can be deceiving. When he’s not at school or riding the metro, he is at the local comic shop cosplaying as his favorite Japanese animation character Peepo Choo! A hardcore fan, Milton knows every line from the Peepo Choo animation by heart. He can happily replicate the Peepo Dance with ease, and genuinely believes the world depicted in this cartoon is “the real” Japan. By Felipe Smith Publisher: Vertical, Inc. Age Rating: 16+ Genre: Parody Price:…
Crown Prince Shin and Crown Princess Chae-Kyung are the picture of happiness as they celebrate their first wedding anniversary in a lavish, high-profile public display…but all is not well behind those loving gazes and wide smiles. With the tension between her and Shin growing, Chae-Kyung can’t help but look for a way out of her situation. But when the Queen, who is with child, decides to have Chae-Kyung be her proxy, the pressure is on for Chae-Kyung to keep herself and her marriage together. Will she look to Yul for guidance, even if his advice could spell disaster for the royal family that Chae-Kyung is growing to love? By So Hee Park Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Teen Genre: Drama/Romance Price: $10.99 Things aren’t getting any easier for Chae-Kyung in this volume of Goong. News that the Queen Mother is pregnant causes complications for everyone in the palace. For Chae-Kyung, it draws her further into the affairs of the palace, when all she wants is out. For Shin, it causes him to become serious about being the Crown Prince, and that means divorce may no longer be an option for him and Chae-Kyung. The possibility of a new heir in…
With the Imperial Army in hot pursuit, Housei leads Taitou and the others on a little detour to the home of his master. But the “mean old devil woman” he had described turns out to be nothing of the sort. Master Kouei is a veritable font of wisdom; in addition to knowing a more covert route into the capital, she is well versed in the legends of the Hokushin-Tenkun. There is much she can teach Taitou as he struggles to control the overwhelming power of his star, but will she have enough time to impart her wisdom before tragedy strikes? By Hiromu Arakawa Publisher: Yen Press Age Rating: Older Teen Genre: Historical Fantasy Price: $10.99 Taitou and co. continue their journey to the Capitol, though the stories are less serial than the first volume and focuses more on their purpose; getting the Kenkaranbu back. Taitou gets some real training on how to control his star’s power, and more is revealed about Taitou’s and Ryuukou’s past, where they seem to have a surprising connection. Needing to find a less direct route to the capitol, Housei leads everyone to his Master, Kouei Kuju. Known as the “Font of Knowledge,” she spends her…