Crimson Shell by Jun Mochizuki.  Crimson Shell is a single volume release that tries to cram about 5 volumes of plot into one.  Ambition in storytelling isn't a bad thing but in this fantasy story -- about a girl who has a special power planted in her body in the form of a "red rose seed" -- the reader is bombarded with plot-twist after plot-twist.  The heroine, Claudia, is betrayed by the dark swordsman who once rescued her from an isolated existence and had helped her to draw on her powers to fight those who have been contaminated by the deadly Black Rose.  Her only thought after the betrayal is to save him, a task made more complicated by the fact she constantly finds herself among people who are always revealed to have hidden motivations for getting close to her.

In a way, Crimson Shell draws on fairy tale-esque imagery (red roses, girl "woken" from a kind of slumber by a knight), while not actually trying to reproduce any particular fairy tale.   One thing that surprised me is that in spite of feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of the plot in this manga, I never wanted to stop reading the volume.  The art -- while still in what I think of as a Square-Enix "house style" -- integrates the imagery of roses to offer a distinctive twist on that style.  It is hard to see a beautiful rose and not be reminded of the thorns lurking there, which is exactly the kind of tone Mochizuki manages to maintain throughout the volume.

This is a flawed comic but it should be noted it is also Jun Mochizuki's very first collected work.  As such, it actually bodes well that the book is overwhelming rather than underwhelming, which means I am looking forward to checking out the upcoming December release of Pandora Hearts (also by Mochizuki) to see how she develops as a creator.

Review Copy provided by Yen Press.

Jormungand volume 1, by Keitario Takahashi.  In many ways, Jormungand -- an action tale detailing the dangerous missions of a group of arms dealers -- feels unfinished.  It has sketchy art, somewhat shallow characterization, and plots that lack a certain level of coherence.  The book hangs on the figure of Jonah, a young West Asian boy who has lost his parents to a war (I don't believe any particular war is identified as the culprit) and as a result has become a child soldier.  The book opens when he joins the gung-ho Koko's crew of mercenaries (i.e. "M.O.D." or Merchants of Death).  Jonah, therefore, becomes a peddler of the very thing he claims to hate the most -- guns.  In other words, from the start his characterization is rather cloudy, but then there's a lot that doesn't make much sense in this book.  Admittedly, there is a purposeful sense of perversity instilled in book -- after all, a boy who hates guns decides to sell them and a group that sells weapons claims to be working "to promote world peace."

Koko -- the leader who is a bit reminiscent of Revy from Black Lagoon -- is clearly the figure (or should I use the more offensive, but descriptive, phrase "hot chick"?) in this book who has a thing for both madness and violence (and, of course, seems the most hyped when those things are all tangled up together) but she lacks the charismatic pull Revy has.   And as a whole that is what the book suffers from the most -- more than just a sense of consistent characterization, these characters lack the hook that makes us care about what happens to them and why they got in the weapons business in the first place.  In a violent action story it helps immensely if we care about whether or not the characters are going to live to see tomorrow, particularly in order to interest us in the dangerous games they are playing in each chapter, but this first volume wasn't able to inspire either emotion in me.

Review Copy provided by Viz.

2 Comments

• At November 18, 2009, 4thletter! » Blog Archive » Jormungand 1: Peace Through Superior Firepower wrote:

  [...] reading it. The second was the fact that Kate Dacey (review on MangaCritic) and Danielle Leigh (review on CSBG) ...

• At November 19, 2009, Astro Boy and some giveaways « MangaBlog wrote:

  [...] Novel Reporter) Connie on vol. 3 of Arm of Kannon (Slightly Biased Manga) Danielle Leigh on Crimson Shell and ...

Moyasimon follows the hilarious trials and often disgusting adventures of agriculture college freshmen Tadayasu.  The story opens on his first day of school, where his special talent -- the ability to see bacteria and other micro-organisms -- is exposed to an eccentric bacterial researcher when he accidentally uncovers the "corpse" of a dead seal by following the trail of "germs" he sees.  In fact, the Professor had buried the seal in order to induce fermentation of around 70-80 seagulls stuffed inside the dead rotting seal which is a "traditional fermented food of the Canadian Inuit."  Obviously, we have a more-than-slightly demented professor who is clearly down with the wacky -- his first, but not last, truly disturbing act in this volume is to rip open one of the birds and drink out its "insides."  Tadayasu's talent makes him a human scientific instrument without parallel according to the Professor, and therefore, means the poor boy is of special interest to this whack-job.

Tadayasu's strange "talent" really is extraordinary -- he can distinguish between different germs by sight and he can actually prove his ability by plucking a germ out of the air and placing it on a petree dish so that others can confirm its identification under a microscope.  However, he seems to lack even the most basic characteristics necessary to advance in the sciences -- an inquiring disposition.  Seeing little germs -- who are often shown as cute little circles comprised of only simplistic expressions and antennae of some form -- is simply a part of his everyday life.  While this vision can be useful -- such as his ability to recognize E. coli, saving the entire class from a case of food poisoning -- it is the Prof. and his snarky assistant Hasesgawa who have the grand (one might even say overblown) vision to imagine the possibilities of bacteria research.  (Let's just say, "Life on Mars" takes on an entirely new meaning in this manga).

Tadayasu struggles somewhat with the fact he can see the disgusting aspects of life that others can't -- such as two sophomore slacker's mold-infested dorm room, where the germs become an overwhelming cloud that blots out Tadayasu's vision.  Or athlete's foot on an otherwise attractive woman.  Or one of a million other ways bacteria finds its way into our daily lives.  It isn't just enough that Tadayasu can see these bacteria -- the creator also makes this story a kind of version of scientific!Oishinbo.  Instead of demonstrating how fish or vegetables should be prepared for maximum taste-awesomenss, these characters like to demonstrate to Tadayasu all the disgustingly significant ways bacteria informs so much of our lives, usually for the better (although the knowledge often isn't conducive to enjoying those aspects of our lives.  As Tadayasu seems to say, is his life really better for knowing that alcohol is really just "yeast poop"?).

The manga is full of quirky characters but the real stars of the show are the germs.  They are delightfully personable and love to communicate their cheerful, almost innocent, intentions with Tadayasu (basically they want reproduce.  Sometimes in your stomach!).  This manga manages to make practical science and modern (and even traditional) uses of bacteria novel and interesting.  More often than not, we are being educated right alongside Tadayasu but we get the pleasure and fun of seeing others wade through (and even ingest) bacteria in all its glorious forms.

Review copy provided by Del Rey.

3 Comments

• At November 11, 2009, Joe wrote:

  My first contact with Moyasimon was the internet, but I found a copy at Hastings and it was equally entertaining. ...

• At November 11, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  *nods* It takes a lot longer to read this series than your average volume of manga, but it is definitely ...

• At November 11, 2009, Tezuka goes to the Smithsonian « MangaBlog wrote:

  [...] Shoujo Manga Page) Billy Aguiar on vol. 1 of Moyasimon (Prospero’s Manga) Danielle Leigh on vol. 1 of Moyasimon: ...

In volume 2, we get to see main character, Shouzo, finally figure out one of the simplest truths of all -- the only thing standing in the way of him having a fulfilling love life is himself.  Returning from the big city to his small hometown to manage his father's construction company, Shouzo is shocked when he realizes how his every move is fodder for town gossip (even whether or not he went into the dollar store when he was running errands is up for phone tag debate).  No wonder the poor guy is rather paranoid as he's fallen in love with a town's resident spaz, Nanami, who hasn't the good sense to figure out that he also wants to embark upon a romantic relationship with Shouzo.  He only knows that he's incredibly jealous when other people get close to Shouzo and that being close to him is the most important thing in his life.  That leaves it up to Shouzo to steer the relationship by taking his cues from the rather inarticulate Nanami, who in many ways may never become the kind of calm, reasoned adult who can sort through his own emotions without a little outside direction.

So much the better, because once Shouzo realizes that Nanami is in love with him, it is almost like a switch is flipped inside his heart.  He decides to go after the love he wants, no matter what the consequences.  Luckily, his resolve is needed because Nanami, while a very kind soul, hasn't got the first clue about how to deceive or protect his new and sudden relationship with his adored childhood friend.  Their attempts to move forward while maintaining secrecy becomes a comedy of errors, as their relationships only stays a secret for about three minutes thanks to Nanami's open and trusting nature.   The majority of this volume focuses upon the two of them coming to terms with their new status as lovers as well as the sudden exposure of their relationship to both their families and the town as a whole (which, thankfully, isn't as traumatic a revelation as Shouzo expected).

I could have read story after story about Shouzo and Nanami's developing relationship but fortunately the book offers not only a satisfying resolution to their growing affection as well as hope for their chances of survival as a couple in the boondocks.  In addition, this volumes offers a lovely side story, in which a new character is introduced that allows the reader to see these why these two characters are so beloved by their small town.

As a whole, Brilliant Blue is a warm, funny portrait of two very different individuals who somehow fit together just perfectly.  I ended up rooting for this couple against all the odds they encountered -- even if some of those odds were self-imposed obstacles that they had created.

Review copy provided by DMP.

1 Comments

• At November 9, 2009, Quick Monday roundup « MangaBlog wrote:

  [...] Henderson on vol. 1 of 07-Ghost (Manga Xanadu) Danielle Leigh on vol. 2 of Brilliant Blue (Comics Should Be ...

A number of Japanese manga, such as Fushigi Yugi and Saiunkoku Monogatari, have previously made use of Chinese cultural history and legends.  Hero Tales does so as well, but puts an intelligent shonen spin on its story.  Unlike Fushigi Yugi, which uses a framing device of a modern girl falling into the past by accident, Hero Tales focuses upon the fulfillment of a legend in which seven heroes -- who represent the seven stars of the Big Dipper -- have the power to throw the Empire into complete chaos or to save it.

On first glance, the title's main character -- Taitou -- appears to be your average shonen hero who wants to become strong, but on closer inspection he is much more interesting than that.  He seems unconcerned about the fact he has yet to complete his coming-of-age-ceremony, which is an event where a young man completes a fight with an older, skilled warrior.  Taitou hasn't completed the ceremony because he is bad at fighting, but because he yet to come across a fighter skilled enough to make him accept defeat.   This twisted logic just makes me like him more, I think.  When a disciplined martial arts master comes to town -- called for the express purpose of defeating Taitou -- a series of complicated events are set in motion.  Taitou's status as one of the heroes of legend is revealed but he isn't just any hero.  He is one of the two heroes who are destined to fight each other and draw the world into a state of destruction.

After Taitou accepts his defeat like a "man," an ancient sword is bestowed upon him that can only be drawn by a true hero.  Which means Taitou can't use it just yet...however, his untapped and alarmingly out-of-control powers are awakened when a warrior-for-hire steals his sacred sword and threatens his sister's life.  With power rushing unchecked through his body, Taitou practically destroys himself with the force of his anger and his lack of control.  With the sword is successfully stolen, and Taitou's identity as a "hero" of legend revealed, the manga heads quickly into the shonen quest narrative path.  Taitou, the skilled warrior who defeated him, and Taitou's sister, Laila, set out to retrieve the sword and track down the other "heroes" of legend.

Unlike a lot of shonen titles, however, once the main story is set in motion, there's no sense of stagnation or of drawing out an epic quest for the sake of a quest.  Instead, progress happens immediately, as the group comes across another "hero" (each of the seven heroes are marked by a special tattoo on their bodies) and more of the legend starts to unfold before the group's very eyes.  Taitou is a likable shonen lead who is rather emphatic about his designs on power -- not only as fighter but as a countryman.  He likes to begin sentences with the phrase, "When I become Emperor...."  While others like to laugh at his audacity, it is clear there are some very dangerous people who take him seriously as a rival, and one rather scary badass who actually sees Taitou as his fated rival.

Hero Tales is a rather excellent configuration of shonen tropes -- it tends to take the best of them and excises many of the excesses (such as fights that last forever, the emo-ness of the hero).  The art, of course, is quite excellent and while Arakawa offers many familiar character types (the main antagonist reminds me very strongly of Bradley from FMA), she excels in both her character work and in her fully realized representation of a powerful and potentially corrupt Empire.

Review copy provided by Yen Press.

4 Comments

• At November 5, 2009, Nitz the Bloody wrote:

  Sounds interesting. I've enjoyed FMA quite a bit, so I'll try this in the hopes that it will have all ...

• At November 5, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  Definitely less wrist-splitting despair! This isn't a big investment because right now there are only 4 volumes and I ...

• At November 6, 2009, Reading Over Shoulders | Extremely Graphic wrote:

  [...] Danielle Leigh’s Reading Diary at Comics Should Be Good contains Hero Tales volume 1. [...]

• At November 7, 2009, Saturday sampler « MangaBlog wrote:

  [...] Kyoshi (Animanga Nation) Lissa Pattillo on Exotic and Delicious Fate (Kuriousity) Danielle Leigh on vol. 1 of Hero Tales ...

Although the title and even the cover image imply a preoccupation with both traditional forms of gender dominance and their inverse, in reality I found this comic to be much less trashy than its cover implies.  The protagonist is Yuiko, a fairly average high school girl whose primary outstanding characteristic is that she is an "overzealous animal-lover" (i.e. she loves them practically to death).  When a dangerous looking boy named Leo, who behaves like a wild animal, transfers into the school, Yuiko is the perfect person to "tame" him.  The school goes into rumor overdrive when it becomes apparent that Leo goes nutso when he sees blood and will lash out like a cornered dog that hasn't been entirely domesticated.  As a result, the entire student body is terrified of him and suspects him of terrible crimes, but Yuiko decides not to take his rather angry vibe and image at face value and investigate further.

Although this sounds like a Tarzan / Jane parallel, I was quite pleased to note how much strength and fortitude Yuiko demonstrates.  She strikes up an unlikely friendship with Leo, and is actually first interested in him because he demonstrates an affinity with animals of all kinds (which makes her incredibly jealous since that is a quality she has always wanted).  It doesn't take her very long to notice that at certain times his eyes are quite kind while at other times, they seem sunken and wild reflecting the danger he poses to those who incite the wrath of the beast within.  Becoming an expert at managing his many moods, Yuiko begins the process of rehabilitating the animal into a human.  While Yuiko starts out thinking of Leo as an animal, it doesn't take her long to think of him as a person and a rather good one at that.  At different moments in the first volume Yuiko saves him and he in return saves her.  As a result, the wild "beast" learns how to value Yuiko as a friend and not just the "trainer" who can calm him down when he goes off the rails.

In general, this is an entertaining series that nicely balances between sweetness and just the right amount of tartness in its depiction of Leo and Yuiko's growing bond.  On first glance, Leo seems  a rather pitiable figure (he also has a fairly unfortunate past that explains his behavior) but becomes ever more human under the firm direction of Yuiko.  As a whole, one of the strongest points in favor of picking this book up is seeing a strong male hero matched up with a strong female lead.  Leo may be crazy strong, but Yuiko can keep up with him and even stand with him as an equal.

Review Copy provided by Viz.

3 Comments

• At November 3, 2009, The Ugly American wrote:

  Chevy Chase did it better on the Halloween episode of Community last week.

• At November 3, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  I assume Chevy Chase was Tarzan for Halloween? (It took me a second to figure out what that comment ...

• At November 16, 2009, Michelle Smith wrote:

  No, he was actually The Beast Master from the '80s film. :)

The set up to Boys Love is pretty much cookie cutter yaoi -- difficult, young and promiscuous male model with a troubled past makes trouble for older straight professional who gets sucked into his orbit.  Luckily the execution of this story avoids a lot of the problems that usually plagues these stories.  The story starts out with the chilly model Noeru being interviewed by straight-arrow magazine editor, Mamiya.  During their first meeting, poor, innocent Mamiya makes the mistake of commenting favorably upon a piece of Noeru's art-work, unintentionally causing difficult memories from Noeru's childhood, which had originally inspired the work, to surface.  Noeru is furious at Mamiya for blindly walking onto a very specific emotional landmine and decides to use his power of celebrity to punish the writer for having the misfortune to have accidentally seen into his heart.  Noeru who has shut his feelings away, while freely opening his body up to countless numbers of men, ends up fixated on Mamiya in his attempts to piss off, make trouble or just plain threaten the poor guy.

In most yaoi, Noeru would usually use his power of celebrity to blackmail Mamiya into sex and god knows what else, but here, Mamiya refuses to fall into these kinds of traps.  Instead, he asserts his own humanity as well as Noeru's by refusing to fall into the empty role of sexual conquest Noeru attempts to box him into.  In the end, Mamiya forces Noeru to get to know him and likewise, does his absolute best to get to know Noeru.  One of my favorite scenes in the book is the stubborn Mamiya forcing Noeru to teach him how to swim.  The most interesting part of this title is that the focus is not on the two developing a sexual relationship but instead how they come to develop a strong emotional bond in spite of their very different temperaments.

Noeru is a selfish prick for the most part, but Mamiya is one of those unbelievable "good guys" in manga who can somehow redeem anyone.  As the two grow closer, Kaim once again dives into the cliche bucket by having Noeru's classmate and childhood friend become possessive and dangerously protective of his bond with Noeru.  This classmate's intervention changes the two lovers' fates but not their strong bond, which does not end in spite of a sharp and unfortunate turn of the plot.

The art is attractive and clean, if a bit generic, particularly in the character work.  Mamiya and Noeru are both attractive types, although Mamiya looks too dewy and soft to be a fully-fledged adult (which is perhaps an intentional choice), while Noeru's sharp, cool look nicely reflects his character as a boy who seems to have grown up entirely too fast.

In the end, what I enjoyed most about this work was the focus upon the growing emotional bond between the main characters, and I ended up forgiving the over-use of yaoi tropes in order to position the characters so they can meet each other and develop a very strong bond that seemed to go beyond traditional notions of "romantic love."

Review copy provided by DMP.

4 Comments

• At November 1, 2009, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:

  On a funny note, when reading the "shipping next week" list on Diamond's web-site one day, I mistook Boys Love ...

• At November 1, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  *laughs* Oh dear. That would be one comic fan with very diverse tastes!

• At November 2, 2009, The Tyrant finds a home « MangaBlog wrote:

  [...] of Aria (Comics Worth Reading) Clive Owen on vol. 28 of Bleach (Animanga Nation) Danielle Leigh on Boys Love ...

• At November 2, 2009, Manga reviews: Fake | upxy wrote:

  [...] Danielle Leigh’s Reading Diary — Boys Love (goodcomics.comicbookresources.com) [...]

Jack Frost, vol 2, by JinHo Ko.  As per the first volume, the creepy, evocative art trumps the convoluted story.  There often seem to be two different narratives competing for dominance in this title.  The first is the most interesting -- we learn that Noh-A Joo, seemingly just a regular high school student, was purposefully killed and brought to the world of the un-dead because she has a special power as the "Mirror Image" to bring people back to life.   The second story, which I originally described in my review of volume 1 as "Undead!Battle Royale," where everyone wants to fight Jack Frost and claim the title of the most powerful fighter in Amityville, continues although it isn't clear yet to what end.

This two stories only appear to be connected right now because Jack and Noh-A are connected (he's the one who seems to have brought her forcibly into Amityville, i.e. he killed her), but Ko needs to figure out what story he's telling exactly, and try to develop the plot more coherently.  There's still a lot of potential here but too many obscure references to the history of this strange world end up detracting from the otherwise spectacularly creepy revelations concerning both Jack Frost and Noh-A's respective histories.

The most compelling aspect of this volume is watching Noh-A come face to face with some pretty ugly aspects of her existence.  It is possible that her special status as the "Mirror Image" not only caused her own death but might have also caused innocents around her to die simply because they were in proximity to her while she was still alive.  Haunted by a former friend who lost their life, Noh-A, starts to look less and less like your average high school girl and more and more like a disturbance that could set this particular underworld ablaze.

Rosario + Vampire, vol 10, by Akihisa Ikeda.  This is my first experience with the harem comedy but I found it to be mainly inoffensive and rather playful.  In spite of the silly and frequent excuses for one girl in particular to get naked and paw the "hero."  The shonen protagonist, Tsukune, attends Monster High as the lone human in a sea of well-disguised witches, vampires and other supernatural types.  While Tsukune is a rather average guy -- i.e. why are all these hot girls all over him? -- one supposes as an average human might be "exotic" to those on the other side.  In particular, I did like his relationship with the obvious queen of the harem, the vampire Moka, who has two personalities -- the shy, sweet girl whose powers are kept in check with a "rosario" and then the freed vampire whose affections run much less freely for her personal human blood bank, Tsukune.

Volume 10 is comprised of a few unrelated stories, my favorite being when all of Tsukune's new "monster" friends follow him home on vacation giving his mother the shock of her life.  Not because they're not human, but because she can't imagine her rather ordinary boy has inspired such devotion from one girl, much less a whole harem of them.  The supernatural factor is mainly used to spice up the shonen harem genre and as a whole the title is a nice diversion that gives fanservice a relatively good name.  (One again, I'm not sure why one girl in particular can't keep her shirt on but that seems to be her strange personality "quirk").

Volume 10 is the end of the first "season" of the manga, but basically that just means that the title moved manga magazines between volume 10 and 11.  Otherwise, there is nothing that particularly marks this as an "ending" and one assumes that the Monster High student body will be back in all their glory when season two (aka volume 11) returns next spring.

Zombie-Loan, volume 7, by Peach-Pit.  As per my experience with other Peach-Pit manga, I find the art far easier to follow than the writing.  The primary concept driving Zombie-Loan is fairly interesting -- people can voluntarily become created-zombies after they die by agreeing to hunt the other kind of Zombie (i.e. mindless, likes to munch on human flesh, etc).  These people are literally taking out a "loan" in order to remain on Earth in their original body.  The heroine of this story, Michiru, gets caught up in this arrangement because she can actually read people's "lifeline" by seeing a ring around their neck, that gradually grows darker until it becomes black (black = death).  Since she can see the undead up and walking around amongst the otherwise breathing student body she ends up as the side-kick of two attractive "Z-loan" zombies, who have both loaned out their bodies in order to remain alive.

By volume 7, things have gotten extraordinarily complicated -- this volume finds two groups of zombie-loaners trapped in a school environment which has become a kind of "closed space" in which they are cut off from reality and will probably starve / go mad / go zombie on each other (the threat of cannibalism can jump start any manga!).  In this environment one of the handsome Z-loaners starts to revert to his baser zombie instincts -- i.e. he tries to eat the heroine -- and in order to save him, Michiru uses her power to dive into his memories.  In doing so she learns exactly how and why he came to loan his body out.  However, Michiru finds that she isn't just in his memories...her power also means that she is actually intervening his past and any action she takes could forever alter his past, present and future.  I admit this isn't a new storytelling tactic but it is a compelling aspect to an otherwise overly-populated narrative which contains multiplicity of supernatural elements and mythologies (this story has zombies, shinigamis and god knows what else), not to mention a boatload of side characters, who are all featured for a short time in this volume.

Review copies provided by the publisher.

4 Comments

• At October 29, 2009, Joe wrote:

  One of the first anime I saw was Tenchi Muyo, so harem stories have a special place in my heart. ...

• At October 30, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  I've never read / watched Tenchi -- eventually I'm sure I should just to see one of the earlier versions ...

• At October 30, 2009, Halloween Eve blogging « MangaBlog wrote:

  [...] Danielle Leigh discusses three Halloween-friendly manga at Comics Should Be Good. Kate Dacey checks out three more spooky titles ...

• At November 1, 2009, DenzelWS wrote:

  Hey , HAPPY HALOWEEN!

These stories feature entirely too young drunks, orphaned teenagers, purposeless young adults, lonely sell outs, and those who even lack the wherewithal to sell out.  No one seems understands what it means to be happy or even how to wish for happiness.  Life, as we all know it, can kind of suck.  But Asano, in showing us the various whys and wherefores of that universal truth, also points out the small ways in which getting through the day -- no matter how horrible a day it was, no matter if it was only horrible because it was like every other day which is what makes it so horrible -- is its own kind of reward.   The only way to get one's head straight is finally being able to see this tiny victory of getting through the day as such.  Because the next day might not suck so much.  That might be a small consolation, but watching these characters overcome themselves in order to locate some aspect of their lives they can hold onto as good or even healthy gave most stories some much needed softening.  However, not every character gets that particular moment of consolation, but as a whole characters in these stories do find relief in the form of small moments of possibility we might simply recognize as "hope."

Perhaps I feel overly connected to Asano and his work considering he was born the same year I was and has similar preoccupations with the figure of the twenty-something slacker.  My life isn't half as bad as these folks, nor am I confused and directionless, but there is no doubt that these characters often express the kind of bewildered dissatisfaction with life we all share to some degree at some point.  In many ways, this feeling is part of what makes us all human, whether we struggle with it on a daily basis or only once in a season.  While yes, this means the subject of these stories may seem like kind of a "downer," I found I identified very strongly with the emotional-connective thread running through of these narratives and similarly found solace in the possibility for redemption the title (i.e. maybe it can be a "wonderful world" even if only for a brief moment) gives to the work and the individual stories' conclusions as a whole.  In spite of life often being a chore, or worse a burden, as long as one is alive there is hope that something "good is bound to happen."

What makes these short stories quite excellent is how well-constructed they are.  Asano gives us exactly the right amount of information -- through dialogue, internal monologue, and setting -- the reader will need to gain almost immediate footing within each individual story.   Yes, the topic of the stories may feel kind of "indie" -- the majority are about 20-something slackers whose lives are all kinds of messed up -- but Asano's handling of the material is accessible.  This is incredibly important, particularly in short stories, because it is too easy to fall out of pace with the flow of the narrative, considering the limitations of the form.  I almost never experienced that kind of disconnection while reading these volumes -- I found myself right there with the random convenience store worker who accidentally stalks his former girlfriend, or the former punk who traded his mohawk for the salaryman's uniform.  And while to some degree these figures are "types," allowing for easy reader recognition, they are also distinct characters who often find themselves pulled in unexpected (yet never completely random) directions.

Asano's art style also helps make these stories compulsively readable.  He balances extreme close-ups and fragmented glimpses of characters' expressions with full body views, often situated within detailed cityscapes, which consistently frame characters in real world settings.  As a whole, his art style is a nice twist on seinen style, as he incorporates a strong element of realism -- particularly in detail in city spaces, clothing, generally the "things" that place the characters so concretely in recognizably real spaces -- in order to ground the stories when they verve suddenly toward either the fantastic or the poetic.

Review copies provided by Viz.

3 Comments

• At October 26, 2009, Joe wrote:

  I've been super excited for this manga since I had heard about it, and will be receiving it in the ...

• At October 27, 2009, Food and monsters « MangaBlog wrote:

  [...] (Soliloquy in Blue) Kris on Utahime – The Songstress (Manic About Manga) Danielle Leigh on vols. 1 and 2 ...

• At October 27, 2009, Journalista – the news weblog of The Comics Journal » Blog Archive » Oct. 27, 2009: Raw materials wrote:

  [...] [Review] What a Wonderful World Vol. 1-2 Link: Danielle Leigh [...]

Alex's sister has disappeared and she is forced to enroll in the "Nightschool," i.e. a training ground for those with supernatural powers, in order to gain access and opportunity she needs to investigate what happened to Sarah.  This is a very strong volume, particularly in Chmakova's portrait of the school as a fully-developed society entirely onto itself.  From the first moment she's detected on the grounds, Alex makes quite an impression upon both faculty and students.  Not necessarily a "good" impression, although she certainly is good at making waves.  There is a great sequence where Alex knocks the socks off a cranky professor with her surprisingly skilled use of her astral projection.  Equally important is her impressive ability at alienating the stuck-up student body through the power of snark.   (Her response to crossing paths with the "queen bee" of the school is hilariously mouthy and on point).  The further she wades into these waters, though, the more dangerous her mission becomes since she has become a person of interest to some very angry hungers (who she had a terrible run-in with in volume 1) who have connections inside the school.

The darker elements of the first volume have receded slightly to the background, along with the hunter storyline.  My one critique of this volume is that there a few too many characters to keep track of, particularly in the number of hunter characters.  I found my attention wandering when the focus is upon their various conflicts with other figures from this night-world that don't appear to directly involve Alex.  In general, their (small) part of this volume simply lacks the sheer entertainment factor of her story.   This problem will probably be solved when Alex comes face to face with the hunters once again, and come to terms with the possibly irreparable damage she caused three of their members back in the first volume.

In spite of my issues with the hunter aspect of the narrative, as a whole this is a particularly enjoyable take on the instruction for supernaturally-inclined teenagers.  One reason the book works so well is that Chmakova never seems to forget that her main characters are in fact teenagers and, therefore, act as such.  Witty dialogue, interesting characterization, and the creator's distinct take on shojo style all make this work an excellent example of how Japanese manga has inspired North-American comic book creators to develop compelling entertainment for teenage readers.

Review copy provided by Yen Press.

2 Comments

• At October 23, 2009, Takahashi interviewed, Dragon Ball books pulled « MangaBlog wrote:

  [...] Bleach (Slightly Biased Manga) Erica Friedman on vol. 4 of Hayate x Blade (Okazu) Danielle Leigh on vol. 2 ...

• At November 2, 2009, Michelle Smith wrote:

  Great review! I agree about the hunter characters being both too plentiful and not as interesting as Alex. I ...

With this volume, creator Hino re-works the manga's original recipe by finally having Yuki's lost memories forcibly revealed to her through Kaname's intervention.  Her back-story is shocking enough in and of itself but now that the cat is out the bag, her major relationships in the manga -- specifically with Zero and Kaname -- are shaken to their core.  Now that she knows the truth about herself, how will she feel about the relationships she's formed and the person she has become in the past 10 years?  In many ways, the sweet, considerate Yuki is gone, replaced by a stranger who has much more insight into the nature of vampires, but this insight is only gained through a great sacrifice.

Significantly, with Yuki regaining her memories under the direction of Kaname, Hino also threads two unwieldy plots together -- Yuki's past and the current vampire society politics surrounding the resurrection of Rido, Kaname's uncle.  Just as Yuki isn't exactly who she thought she was, we learn that neither is the handsome, chilly prince of the vampire world exactly who we thought he was either.  Although a bit confusing, bringing these two plots together is an important move, as it brings the various machinations of outsiders (i.e. outside the character trinity of Zero-Yuki-Kaname) to bear upon the emotional center of the book.

Now it is Zero who stands on the outside, which only increases his isolation and rather pitiful attempt to inhabit the role of the tragic hero.  He's ready and willing to sacrifice everything -- his heart, his life, his truth -- to keep Yuki as the person he's always known but if he does so he may only appease himself.  Yuki may not need Zero's brand of heroics anymore, which may be his greatest tragedy.

As always, the manga's core relationships and its gothic, atmospheric art style make Vampire Knight a compelling read.  Now in its eighth volume, the story has started to clearly distinguish itself from the pack of supernatural stories with attractive, but morally dubious heroes.   Even if you've think you've seen it all, there are enough twists and turns in this title to make it a worthwhile addition to anyone's shojo library.

Review copy provided by Viz Media.

2 Comments

• At October 21, 2009, New shoujo mag in the works « MangaBlog wrote:

  [...] Village) Danica Davidson on vols. 1-3 of Peach Fuzz (Graphic Novel Reporter) Danielle Leigh on vol. 8 of Vampire ...

• At November 2, 2009, Michelle Smith wrote:

  I've finally read this volume myself and have come to read your review! I think perhaps I didn't think ...

In the third volume, Darren, his mentor Mr. Crepsley and his friend Evra depart from the circus -- which is we learn Crepsley thinks of as just a convenient cover for their identities as vampires, while Darren has come to  think of it as "home" -- for a kind of "holiday."  Darren and Evra get a chance to goof off and enjoy activities that "normal" boys get to do, such as playing video games, watching tv, exploring the busy city, even developing a crush on a girl.  The primary difference between them and other people, as Evra points out, is that other people also have to go to a job or school....or in other words, those people have purpose.

With too much time on their hands Darren and Evra start to become suspicious about Crepsley's strange behavior, as their strange guardian goes out every night with a haunted look in his eye and returns at dawn, never giving any indication what he's been doing or why he's chosen this particular city for their vacation.  When Darren learns about a bunch of bodies -- drained of blood -- have been left for dead in the city he immediately suspects his mentor.

I'm a sucker for conflicted mentor-mentee relationships and this volume of Cirque du Freak tests the already stretched-thin bonds of trust between Darren and Crepsley.  Once Darren consciously breaks those bonds he is immediately regretful and he devises dangerous tests of trust and courage that he must pass in order to repair what has been broken.  This volume allows Darren (& the reader) to learn more about who his mentor really is, and, therefore, more about what it means to be a "vampire" in this particular version of the mythology.

Cirque du Freak avoids cliched representations of vampires and things that go bump in the night in favor of interesting characterization that drives the plot.  I always sense that these characters are people, even if they aren't necessarily "human" anymore.

Review copy provided by Yen Press.

2 Comments

• At October 15, 2009, Me wrote:

  Just pointing out that Cirque Du Freak is actually a series of books. I guess it was also adapted ...

• At October 16, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  yup I know, I'm just pointing out the synergy of the manga and film being released right now in the ...

In the Soul Eater universe, a pair of individuals work together to reap souls.  One individual is the "weapon meister," while the other is a "living scythe" that is wielded by the weapon meister.  The first three chapters of the book are prologues, each introducing a different master and scythe pair who are still in training (we later find out they all attend the "Death Weapon Meister Academy").  The pair introduced in the first chapter appear to be the title's main protagonists.   Maka (Meister) and Soul Eater (Scythe) are on the verge of turning Soul into a powerful death scythe by completing his mission of "eating" 99 human souls and the soul of 1 witch.

The second and third prologue each introduce a pair of reapers who appear to function primarily as comic relief.  The other two weapon meisters in these prologues are both boys -- the first a would be assassin who doesn't understand the concept of "stealth" (he sees himself as a "Star" and desires to be in the spotlight), and the second an OCD-son of Death...known as Death the Kid.  The very idea of an OCD-soul reaper is hilarious and Death the Kid was probably my favorite character in the manga.

In each chapter, the pair of soul reapers work together to vanquish a renegade soul, leading to expansive and humorous battle scenes.  However, returning to the first prologue, and Maka and Soul's mission to reap the soul of a witch, sends the manga to fanservice-overdrive with the perv-meter turned up to 11.  The witch is first introduced in the bath, with only a barest film of bubbles covering up...nothing.  The bubbles really cover up nothing. Unfortunately, the excessive nudity and emphasis on the witch's ridiculous figure took me right out of the story and this kind of distraction was not contained to that one character or chapter.  Each chapter has a similar moment when I find myself annoyed and offended by the sheer inappropriateness of the level of nudity and sexualization of a female characters.  (For example, Death the kid has a pair of very, urm, bouncy twins as his scythe and his OCD manifests when he freaks out because their breasts are different sizes).

This is a shame because the book is quite stylish and fun otherwise -- except for these absurdly-voluptuous figures, Ohkubo draws in an angular, flat style, reminiscent of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride, which is paired quite well with references to Anglo-American spooks and horror legends (such as Jack the Ripper and Frankenstein).  Importantly, the end of the volume also kicks off an on-going plot development as the first official chapter finds Maka, Soul and another reaper pair, on a mission to reap the soul of their former teacher who has been turned into a zombie.  The question of who turned him into a zombie becomes an interesting cliffhanger that certainly made me want to keep reading.

My frustration with the fanservice is that it keeps a work that would otherwise be appropriate for younger teens out of their hands.  I also think the predominant art style -- pattern oriented, with very little depth -- clashes terribly with the fanservice presentation, which is very fleshy and round (which makes sense since the emphasis is literally flesh).  I admit, I'm not ready to give up on Soul Eater just yet, but hold hope that the humor, plot and general stylishness of the entire project can make up for the overdone t&a that otherwise can overwhelm the fun for me.

Review Copy provided by Yen Press.

11 Comments

• At October 13, 2009, Joe wrote:

  How are the backgrounds handled in this? One of my pet peeves in comics is a fantasy comic with very ...

• At October 13, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  Yup, the backgrounds are mainly "atmospheric." This is a very different kind of comic than FMA or BPRD -- ...

• At October 13, 2009, Fanboy wrote:

  It does get better, I assure you. The prologues and first few chapters are pretty fanservice-heavy, but once they get ...

• At October 13, 2009, Joe wrote:

  Hmmm. While I can appreciate the appeal of "atmospheric" I much prefer my comics to feel more grounded.

  The cover caught ...

• At October 14, 2009, Okman wrote:

  I don't think Soul Eater is as clever as Fanboy thinks it is. It's definitely step-up from most shounen manga, ...

• At October 14, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  Thanks, guys! I appreciate the input...I'll be sure to check out volume 2 when it is released early next ...

• At October 14, 2009, Tully wrote:

  Soul Eater gets better later, even toning down the fan service... But then it gets worse, IMO. It's a monthly ...

• At October 14, 2009, Michelle Smith wrote:

  I feel like such a manga failure, but... what on earth is BPRD?

  Black Panda's Racy Diary?

  Bishounen Prettyboy Receives Declarations?

  Or, my ...

• At October 14, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  heh. Don't worry -- It isn't manga. It is a spin-off of the Hellboy comic -- BPRD stands ...

• At October 14, 2009, Michelle Smith wrote:

  Ohhhhhh. Well, Hellboy, at least, I have heard of. :)

• At October 15, 2009, Joe wrote:

  I suppose I should have given another manga example but BPRD was one of the first that popped in my ...

I should note one of the things I enjoy most about RIN-NE is the two main characters' rather practical take on their "supernatural" abilities.  As a child, Sakura Mamiya was spirited away by a "bad" shinigami and upon her safe return to the human world she discovers she has gained the ability to see ghosts.  This doesn't seem to cause her much emotional stress, as she grows to become a rather easy-going teenager who tends to avoid the ghosts who like to strike up conversations with her.  Nor is she ostracized by her classmates for occasionally seeming to have a conversation with the air.

Her life changes when shes sees Rinne Rokudo -- a perpetually absent classmate -- in his role as a shinigami, as he's sending spirits off into the next world...and when regular humans shouldn't be able to see him at all.  Rinne is a rather serious and strange shinigami -- upon their first meeting he demands (well.  Extorts might be a better way to put it) a fairly cheap fee from Sakura, in order to follow through putting a difficult spirit's soul to rest.  Amusingly, he keeps trying to extract insanely paltry amounts for doing his job incrementally, which Sakura exasperatedly pays.

Since Sakura's a human she's not supposed to be involved in these kinds of supernatural activities but Rinne's attempts to hypnotize her into forgetting her trip back to the "wheel of reincarnation" -- which she first saw as a child -- fail.  His shock at this discovery -- and the realization one of his classmates has his number -- is rather muted as are almost all of his emotional responses.  There's a flatness to his affect that is probably influenced by the fact he really doesn't seem to belong entirely to the human world or the shinigami world.  He's only "sort of" a shinigami and throughout volume 1, Sakura learns more and more about his difficult personal circumstances and the reasons behind his odd behaviors (including blackmailing his classmates for small amounts of food and money in his shinigami guise so they won't be "cursed"....by him).

One of the things I particularly like about this series is that it is very character focused so far -- there isn't a sense that there is just a "spirit of the week" that they have to help out every chapter.  Instead, Sakura is slowly learning more and more about Rinne's world and, of course, getting drawn into his life and work.  Once again I return to the characters' absurd levels of practicality -- they accept their circumstances in life a little too easily, which considering Rinne's rather paltry existence in the human world seems rather sad.  I'm looking forward to seeing how these two continue to influence and change each other through their association...which perhaps one day will develop into a real friendship.

Review copy provided by Viz Media.

4 Comments

• At October 12, 2009, Dean wrote:

  Nor is she ostracized by her classmates for occasionally seeming to have a conversation with the air.

  In this age of ...

• At October 12, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  *snicker* Good point. Takahashi's settings always seem very technology-deficient though....

• At October 14, 2009, Hassler, Taniguchi, Miyazaki « MangaBlog wrote:

  [...] Oh My Brother (About.com) Kinukitty on Prince Charming (The Hooded Utilitarian) Danielle Leigh on vol. 1 of Rin-ne (Comics ...

• At October 15, 2009, Danielle Leigh’s Reading Diary — Cirque du Freak vol 3 | Comics Should Be Good! @ Comic Book Resources wrote:

  [...] to cover manga with "supernatural" themes as we start the countdown to Halloween (see reviews of RIN-NE and Soul ...

Now let's get this out of the way.  Ninja Girls is ridiculous.  And more fun than it should be.  The so-called "ninja girls" are wearing insanely anachronistic outfits even though the manga takes place during Japan's Warring States period and the protagonist is a boy with a horn on his head.  In spite of this, there is a steady thread of rather dumb, but almost sweetly goofy, humor running throughout the entire volume.

The basic plot is a young teenager with a horn on his head has been an outcast his entire life.  Alone and trying to make ends meet by doing services here and there for local townspeople, he only has his mother's funeral statue to keep him company.  But luckily she manages to communicate with him by falling off the mantle at curiously odd times....and often boinking him on the head whenever he's about to do something stupid (I honestly think this was both the funniest and strangest part of the book).

One day, horn-boy's loneliness comes to end when he discovers a voluptuous  girl drowning in the river.  Being the stand-up gentlemen that he is, he rescues her (which involves too many modern attempts at reviving her -- seriously, why would he know CPR for god's sake?).  This is all very cliche as clothes are removed, of course, and she wakes up thinking she's been violated (ur, not so hilarious), but the story moves past that pretty quickly.  Eventually they discover that she's actually been looking for him.  His horn is proof that he's the heir to some important household in Japan and there are some nasty ninjas who want to eliminate him.

So horn-boy needs protection and now he's got it in a surprisingly demure and innocent female ninja whose random power is great strength when the one she loves is looking at her (she turns to stone basically).  Now, that the basic story is set up the rest of the volume involves the collection of two other ninja "girls" (*cough* there's a reason I'm putting "girls" in quotation marks, but the fun is learning why) in his "harem."  Essentially they are there to protect him and help him take his rightful inheritance.  I'm pretty sure he's there to make sure they don't bitch slap each other into oblivion.

Each girl has a distinct personality and interacts with our young master quite differently.  If the first ninja girl is a stereotype of the willing young maiden, the second is pure Tsundere (& she's got an eye patch, which natch, makes her cool).  The third is a manipulative schemer, but the surprising part of this book is that the characterization is consistent and not willfully shallow.  The fanservice ends up being mainly backdrop and in spite of the fact the girls look like they've been put on earth to be leered at, nobody in the manga pays much mind to it.  Even the "horny" boy (god, what an awful pun) develops a crush on stone-girl, it isn't just because he's horny but because he does care for her.  Each individual chapter plays a bit with cliche situations we've probably seen in every shonen harem manga (example: horn-boy gets sick, has to be nursed to health...but then they go so crazy nursing him, he gets sicker), but I think the point is that the creator is having fun with tropes of the genre, not merely mindlessly reproducing them.

Review Copy provided by Del Rey.

7 Comments

• At October 10, 2009, Michelle Smith wrote:

  Huh. I'd been pretty sure I'd dislike Ninja Girls, too, but it doesn't sound bad. Certainly better than Samurai Harem ...

• At October 10, 2009, Okman wrote:

  Wow, they actually make a manga called Samurai Harem???

• At October 10, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  Yes, its even shrink-wrapped which indicates an even higher level of fanservice.

• At October 10, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  Michelle -- no one was more shocked than I. That's for sure!

• At October 10, 2009, Joe wrote:

  I find it suprising that the girls in this thread are more optimistic towards this series than me. Heaven knows ...

• At October 11, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  I don't know, Joe. I guess I was expecting pure stupidity and when I didn't get it I was ...

• At October 14, 2009, Hassler, Taniguchi, Miyazaki « MangaBlog wrote:

  [...] Random Shoujo Manga Page) David Welsh on Mail (Precocious Curmudgeon) Danielle Leigh on vol. 1 of Ninja Girls (Comics ...

Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me to You, by Karuhi Shiina, volume 2.  Former social-pariah Sawako takes two steps back and one step forward in her quest to cement deep and enduring friendships with her peers.  This time the story takes a long, hard look at how teenagers can form healthy female friendships, making this volume a charming palette cleanser in the world of shojo manga.  Sure, I'm a fan of romance, but Kimi Ni Todoke seems to know that you first have to like yourself before you can maintain relationships of any kinds.  Poor Sawako has a long way to go, but she is starting to take important steps, one of which is actually expressing oneself.  Out loud.  To others.  Such a simple thing and so difficult for this sweet introvert.

Sawako's two potential friends, Yano and Yoshida, become the stars of volume 2 (they can be seen kissing her adorably on the cheek on the cover of volume 2 above).  Although they have been given ample reasons to distrust Sawako again, they display the patience of a saint as they wait to hear directly from her how she really feels about them.  In the high school world -- where backstabbing and vicious rumor-mongering seem to be the order of the day (at least in most shojo manga) -- it is a relief to see common sense and kindness win out in the end.

I think Sawako is about to develop a fully developed *community* of friends (the back cover hints that certain side characters are going to get more face time in the near future), and I look forward to seeing her juggle relationships with both girls and guys.  Somehow I suspect this is going to get hilariously awkward in the near future (not that fighting snarky chicks in the girls' bathroom isn't already awkward, but this may only be a taste of what's to come!).  Once again, it is absolutely refreshing to see a shojo manga tackle friendship and, therefore, what it ultimately means to a human being in a world of other humans.

Black Bird, by Kanoko Sakurakoji, volume 2.  Many manga reviewers did not care for the first volume of this series, but I found it to be the perfect guilty pleasure.   Significantly, two things happen in this volume to lessen a good deal of my "guilt": 1) the romantic "hero" Kyo is redeemed to a large degree, 2) the heroine Misao acknowledges her feelings for Kyo, which frees me from having to endure 9+ volumes of her fleeing from her "destined lover" who, of course, must know her own heart and desires better than she possibly ever could.

The first herculean task is accomplished by introducing a baddie who is very similar to Kyo, in looks and character, but revels in depravity and outright abuse of Misao.  This is a manipulative trick, of course, but it works because it allows both the reader and Misao to see Kyo from a very different perspective.  It is revealed he only becomes head of his clan in order to be in a position to love and protect Misao.  In other words, he's motivated by love even if he expressed that love in some fairly disturbing and perv-tastic ways.

The second accomplishment is more significant to me because I don't really care whether or not Kyo is "redeemed" as a "good boyfriend," so much as I don't want to see Misao dither around and pretend she hasn't really fallen in love with a jerk (*cough* the way another shojo protagonist does in another infamous guilty pleasure manga also published by Viz).  To put it another way, Misao embraces and trusts her own feelings which is a surprising and welcome turn.

Black Bird is very much a supernatural romance, emphasis on romance.  Short hand explanation: Misao's blood is catnip to demons.  Hence the emphasis on her bleeding in a sexualized manner on every. single. cover.  (I could certainly do without these covers, as they over-emphasize Misao's powerlessness.  On other hand...there is some truth in advertising).  Unlike my experience of other texts in this genre, the supernatural elements are not intended to distract us from the fact that these characters seem to have no other interest in life than romance.  Instead, the supernatural elements are actually are incorporated into the very fabric of the romantic relationship.  This suits my taste quite well since I'm more in favor the "romance" side of the equation than the "supernatural" side.

Review copies provided by Viz.

4 Comments

• At October 7, 2009, Journalista – the news weblog of The Comics Journal » Blog Archive » Oct. 7, 2009: Full disclosure wrote:

  [...] [Review] Various titles Link: Danielle Leigh [...]

• At October 7, 2009, Beatrice wrote:

  Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate your opinions/insight. By "anothier infamously guilty pleasure manga also published by Viz", are ...

• At October 7, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  Heh. Actually, it was Hot Gimmick. That girl was born waffler! (But maybe it isn't quite as ...

• At November 16, 2009, ajay wrote:

  i love the book Backstage Prince i felt as though i could relate alot to Akari and Ryusei the book ...

Just to recap the general plot of Narbari no Ou, I shamefully quote from my review of volume 1:

Nabari No Ou (or "King of the Hidden World") is not about a shonen hero who wants to get stronger and protect people and yadda, yadda, orange-jumpsuit, yadda, sealed nine-tailed fox, yadda, yadda and so forth, but a modern day young man who has unfortunately inherited a great power known as "Shinra Banshou," which allows someone with the requisite skills to control "all things in creation."  Middle schooler Miharu Rokujou is an unlikely candidate for ninja-hood as well as any form of traditional heroics.  He's a major smart ass, is incredibly lackadaisical about life in general, and has no interest in anything in particular.  Yet he's thrust into dangerous situations because sealed within him is the great potential for power -- which can be used for good or for ill -- and there are lot of pretty bad folks who have decided to take it.  Using whatever means necessary, of course.

Volume 2 shows that Miharu certainly has the makings of a hero within him.  Or at least a deeply hidden desire to be heroic that ultimately may be his undoing.  After a terrible attack -- assault, really -- perpetrated upon him and his fellow comrades by a ninja from another clan, Miharu comes face to face with the undeniable fact that his existence causes others pain.  As long as he exists, there is a power -- sealed within him, still untapped -- in the world that simply should not be.  At the end of volume 1, Miharu's little band of brothers comes up against Yoite, a rather terrifying young man who can cause others pain as easily as he can snap his fingers.  And, of course, he's after the hidden power within Miharu.

Yoite's path of destruction is both somehow casual and devastating as he forces Miharu to experience his true powerlessness as a ninja.  Miharu almost loses an eye and can only sit and watch while Yoite practically crushes the skull of his teacher / protector, (another great character in this manga I really love).  In the aftermath of this terrible experience -- the group is just barely saved by the head of another ninja clan -- Miharu continues to dissociate from his own life in order to not feel pain, but also to not cause others pain.  His decision to withdrawal from his close circle of companions in this volume is  less about emotional cowardice and perhaps more about sheer survival.  In short, Miharu's dilemma breaks my heart and makes this title a surprisingly compelling psychological drama.

Kamatani's characters are well-developed as people but most significantly they are interesting individuals.  They have well-developed psychologies that you can see constantly working beneath the surface and influencing their behavior and attitudes.  The art remains a real treat, with starkly beautiful contrasts between black and white spaces on the page.  Once again, the art and dark psychological underpinnings of the narrative gives the title a noir-ish feel, supported by the moral ambiguity the characters face in their decision to protect something which perhaps should not be protected at all.

Review copy provided by Yen Press.

9 Comments

• At October 1, 2009, Melinda Beasi wrote:

  Hurrah! Something I have already reviewed and can read immediately! :D

  Miharu continues to dissociate from his own life in ...

• At October 1, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  Did I miss this?! Or have you not posted your review yet?

  (Also, thanks for the kind words!)

• At October 1, 2009, Melinda Beasi wrote:

  Oh, I posted it yesterday!

• At October 1, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  hmm...this week has been crazy but I can't believe I missed that!

• At October 1, 2009, Melinda Beasi wrote:

  It was late at night--I think it kind of flew under the radar. I really missed the chance to make ...

• At October 1, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  not at all! Of course the grass is greener and whatnot, but I really enjoyed your review (particularly how ...

• At October 1, 2009, Okman wrote:

  I like Nabari no Ou, but it's a bit of a slow burn for me. You're pretty spot on when ...

• At October 1, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  Okman -- I'm curious about the anime because I've heard people describe it as "boring" so I wonder about that....

• At October 2, 2009, Reading Over Shoulders | Extremely Graphic wrote:

  [...] If you like ninjas then maybe you should check out Nabari No Ou – here’s the Comic Book Resources ...

20th Century Boys is about one's man struggle against a seemingly worldwide conspiracy to bring about the end of the world on December 31st, 1999.  Kenji Endo's life is pretty much an exercise in unfulfilled expectations -- fast approaching 40 he's never managed to reach any of his potential.  However, he may just be a born leader, a skill that comes in handy when he starts to uncover evidence of a mysterious plot to bring about terrifying incidents of death and devastation leading up to an apocalyptic finish at the dawn of the millennium.

Why is Kenji the hero of this tale?  Because all the death and destruction happening in the last years of this fictional version of the 1990's was originally conceived as a childish fantasy he called "The Book of Prophecy."  Yes, Kenji imagined a great evil that would in turn inspire great courage, with he and his circle of childhood friends stepping up as the world's saviors.  Now that the events he once dreamed up are actually happening, his attempts at adult heroism become a much more complicated endeavor than he could have ever imagined.  To be something akin to a "hero" in a modern world is a difficult path, particularly when people rely on you.  Particularly when you are all they have, as is the case with Kenji's niece Kanna, who knows no other parent than him.

In volumes 4 and 5 Urasawa upends the path of his narrative in surprising, even shocking, ways.  Volume 4 shifts away from Kenji to focus on his childhood friend Otcho, now a kind of Japanese exile living in Bangkok.  Otcho is almost like an escapee from the Black Lagoon universe who has somehow slipped into the world of 20th Century Boys.  An outcast from his former life as Japanese salaryman, Otcho has lost everything he once made the mistake of not treasuring enough, but still finds the will to keep living and helping others in the crime and drug-infested cess-pit that is Urasawa's Bangkok.  Like all good heroes, Otcho returns to the fold to help Kenji but his back story and current life are a rich addition to the manga's cast of characters.  Otcho and Kenji are nothing alike except for the deep reserves of heroism they somehow shared as children and both draw upon as adults.  Doing nothing is not an option for these two and they inspire the somewhat less competent around them to join the effort to stop evil.

Volume 5 returns to the focus to Japan and charts the rapid-fire events that lead up to what is supposed to be the climactic moment of December 31st, 1999 but instead ends up being one of the biggest mysteries of the story.  Urasawa very deftly defies convention by not showing the reader what happens. Instead the second half the volume reveals the aftermath of the confrontation between Kenji's rag-tag group of resisters and the big evil afoot, but not the "why."  It's a gutsy move that works and if I'm being exceptionally vague about what happens that is because I refuse to spoil the excitement and surprise of this volume.

These volumes are full of surprises but these twists and turns always seemed earned and that is a testament to Urasawa's skill as a story teller and an artist.  His art style is always transparent and hooks us through a strong sense of flow and organization of panels, even when the development of the plot itself is shrouded in mystery.  Together these elements of story and art are perfectly paired, giving the reader an anchor when the entire world -- his world -- has been turned upside down.

Review copies provided by Viz Media.

9 Comments

• At September 29, 2009, Okman wrote:

  I love how Naoki Urasawa tells his story. I think he really does some amazingly creative stuff and isn't afraid ...

• At September 29, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  All-Star Superman has got nothing on this.

  heh. Them's fighting words on this blog, but yes, I know what you ...

• At September 29, 2009, Joe wrote:

  I loooove 20th Century Boys. I ended up giving it a chance after getting the first volume of Pluto, and ...

• At September 30, 2009, Yen mystery solve, NYAF wrapups, new things to read « MangaBlog wrote:

  [...] Leigh on vols. 4 and 5 of 20th Century Boys (Comics Should Be Good) Connie on vol. 2 of ...

• At September 30, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  Joe -- the monthly schedule is very, very addictive. I'm collecting volumes of Monster and just waiting for the ...

• At September 30, 2009, Sara K. wrote:

  I've only seen the movies, but I agree that it's a great story. I do have quibbles about the ...

• At September 30, 2009, James Moar wrote:

  I've read the first four volumes and seen the first movie. The film's quite good, but it's pretty compressed, and ...

• At September 30, 2009, Anonymous wrote:

  James -- it seems there a lot of anime / manga references that I'm probably not getting but I do ...

• At September 30, 2009, danielle leigh wrote:

  whoops! And that "anon" comment above is from me!

The joy of Detroit Metal City is seeing all decency and common sense thrown out the window without so much as a "how do you do."  Our "hero" of this tale -- Soichi Negishi -- thinks he wants to make beautiful love songs, but something in this otherwise gentle young man actually likes to sing about raping your mother.  In volume 2, Negishi finds himself inspiring his followers through his absurdly crass performance stunts, almost in spite of himself.  Does Negishi have a split personality?  Are there really two personalities inside of him vying for control?  Or can he just not admit to himself that he really loves running around as Krauser II, scaring the shit out of people and basically making everyone his bitch?

His performance stunts and the audience's slobbering reactions to them really make the book.  They also give Negishi an almost superhuman aura to his death metal persona, as opposed to his weak, mamma's boy identity he reverts to when he is without his make-up and Krauser II costume.   Seriously, it is almost like we've got a Clark Kent / Superman thing going on here, especially considering Krauser's superhuman strength which often accompanies his costumed persona.  After all, what kind of "human" can claim to have "raped" Tokyo Tower or torn his tongue by scream-singing the word "rape" 11 times in 1 second?  Only a devil whose powers come from singing about raping your mother, of course!  (None of this yellow sun bullshit for Krauser.)

If Krauser II is the "superhero" of this book, he seems to be fighting hypocrisy and injustice (I'm not even kidding about this), and even manages to save lives, pop zits, and punish douche-baggery wherever he finds it.  His weapons are his "flaming cock" (really his wig on fire), his shockingly firm phlegm (gross, yet quite hilarious), and his disembodied head.   Oh Krauser.  What will you think of next?

For those of us who enjoy our humor gross, crass, vulgar, offensive, completely non-PC, or, you know, good, I can't recommend Detroit Metal City highly enough.  Join the hordes who worship at the feet of our death metal super-villain Krauser II and GO TO DMC!

Review copy provided by Viz Media.

4 Comments

• At September 22, 2009, dreamweaver wrote:

  i love DMC. :)

  note: if i remember correctly, he said "rape" 11 times in just 1 second! only Krauser could ...

• At September 22, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  Yes, you are correct! Will go fix that right now!

• At September 22, 2009, Okman wrote:

  DMC is one of the funniest things I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Good stuff all around.

• At September 22, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  Okman -- and I completely forget to mention how AMAZING the Viz adaption is. Seriously, just completely brilliant, it ...

I always think of Kiyohiko Azuma's Yotsuba&! as a comic where "nothing happens" (kind of like a kid's version of Seinfeld, or in manga genre terms "slice of life"), but volume 6 reminds us that a child's world can be very large and sometimes a little scary.  In this volume Yotsuba learns about the joy of recycling, becomes an advocate for the deliciousness of milk, and most importantly is initiated into a significant childhood rite of passage when her dad buys her a bike.

As per usual, Yotsuba is always adorable and gets the best lines of the book but I think it is her eyes that are the real story.  They go saucer-like when she makes a strange discovery (KIDS WORK TOO?).  They sparkle like diamonds when they see an eclair for the first time (That looks yummy!).  Her pupils turn into cat's slits when defensive (I won't eat Daddy's treat!).  Or they grow transparent with tears when she discovers the bittersweet nature of parent's love -- Yotsuba wasn't supposed to bike without her daddy to deliver milk to the neighbor at her school?

I laughed a lot through this entire volume but for the first time this was laughter of recognition -- suddenly I remembered what it was like to test the boundaries of my childhood world and experience parental displeasure at my solitary "adventure" out there in grown up land.  Yes, Yotsuba is still having adventures but somehow those adventures now seem almost to be leaving a mark of experience on our young protagonist.  Or at least gaining the very little wisdom all five year old children should have.

Hats off to Yen Press for not only picking up the title, but also for releasing the first five volumes with a new translation (which is lucky move for us since a number of the later volumes have gone out of print under ADV, I believe).  The scripts flows beautifully, and cultural notes are integrated into the page instead of compiled as endnotes at the back of the book (a smart choice that allows for a smooth reading experience).  As always, Yotsuba is rendered for maximum adorability with her triumphant, cheerful, attentive expressions, but Azuma also gives us tired, confused, anxious, determined, and brave Yotsuba as well.  There a million Yotsubas and the joy of the book is watching her cycle through all those emotions in a single chapter and still come out the other side ready to do it all over again the next day.

Review copy provided by Yen Press.

11 Comments

• At September 21, 2009, MarkAndrew wrote:

  YOTSUBA!

  I didn't know the last part. Are the new translations better?

• At September 21, 2009, Joe wrote:

  I've said before here that I'm more into action/adventure types of comics and manga, but after not seeing a single ...

• At September 21, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  Mark -- I *think* so. Yen Press is pretty serious about cultural accuracy and readability. (but everyone ...

• At September 21, 2009, Joe wrote:

  Yeah, I figured if The Internet was that consistent in its praise then it would at least be worth checking ...

• At September 21, 2009, James Moar wrote:

  From a few side-by-side pages I've seen posted up, the Yen Press translations look just a bit more literal. But ...

• At September 22, 2009, Journalista – the news weblog of The Comics Journal » Blog Archive » Sept. 22, 2009: An even worse case wrote:

  [...] [Review] Yotsuba&! Vol. 6 Link: Danielle Leigh [...]

• At September 22, 2009, Dan Felty wrote:

  I started reading Yotsuba&! because of this column. I'm pleased as punch that the new volumes are getting released!

• At September 22, 2009, Danielle Leigh wrote:

  Yea! more converts make me so happy! :-)

• At September 23, 2009, Q:? wrote:

  Best comic ever made.

• At September 24, 2009, Sydney wrote:

  This is absolutely my favorite manga. I'm soooo thrilled that another company picked up the license. I mean, seriously, what ...

• At September 30, 2009, Chargone wrote:

  Yen's translation's more literal, so combined with their notes, some of the cultural jokes come through better

  on the other hand, ...

I'm going to quote liberally from my review of volume 1, both to remind myself what originally defined Gestalt's epic quest but also because volumes 2 and 3 don't do a particularly good job of reminding the reader why these folks got started on their journey in the first place:

Gestalt's plot is set into motion when a priest, Father Olivier, abandons his holy order to search out the mysterious island "G."  The island G is actually the refuge of a former god who waged war against the ultimate God, Salsaroa, the one who ruled over the other original seven gods.  "G" (or "Gestalt") lost his war against Salsaroa, but like Father Olivier, we are left to wonder why he rebelled and if rebellion against the ultimate God makes him "evil."  Likewise, if "G" (the island, named after the fallen god) is such an evil place why is Father Olivier -- a good, compassionate man -- seeking such a place out?  Of course, all good pilgrims must be tested and since this is a fighting comic, emissaries are deployed to stop Olivier to slow him down by any means necessary (but not stop him since then there would be no comic).

On his dangerous quest Father Olivier picks up an important and truly flamboyant companion -- Ouri is first introduced as a mute and powerless slave, but in short order it is revealed she is much more than she appears to be.  After Father Olivier uses his limited powers to free Ouri and her voice, she openly flaunts her voluptuous body and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of power.  It is hinted that Ouri has significant connections to the original 8 gods -- perhaps even being one herself? -- and the mystery of why she deigns to accompany and protect the rather innocent and comparatively weak Father Olivier deepens.

Volume 2 strays from these original concerns by introducing an almost inexhaustible supply of random obstacles that the main travelers -- Father Olivier, his "discipline" Ouri, an elf originally sent to stop them but then turned to their side, and finally, a "holy warrior," who is quite useful for when the group somehow gets sucked into fighting tournaments (just in case you forgot this was an RPG-ish comic and whatnot).  The problem is that volume 2 lacks narrative coherence, which volume 3 rectifies to a great degree.

Once the story returns to Father Olivier and Ouri's plot (and their character development), it becomes much easier to follow the story because there is an emotional core to the title once again.  Father Olivier is one interesting fellow as he has another personality -- Ouri calls him "Black Olivier" -- who appears to grow stronger the further Olivier travels away from his order and Father Messiah, who took Oliver in as a child and was responsible for keeping Olivier's dark half in check.  When "Black Olivier" is unleashed he threatens to shake Ouri's faith in her "master," not because she loses faith in Olivier himself but because she has lost conviction in herself.

Kouga, like Fujiyama, can't help but have a bit of fun with the RPG concept, but because she is also trying to play it "straight," so to speak, her playfulness is contained in short interludes called "Gestalt Theater."  In these chapters, Kouga takes a break from the primary quest of the book, but unfortunately, while amusing, these episodes also undercut any momentum that plot might be gaining in the main story.  In spite of my difficulty following the plot in volume 2, Kouga's delicately detailed, almost wispy art is surprisingly powerful in volume 3, as Ouri's pain and Olivier's sacrifice are rendered to great effect.  I'll return to Gestalt for Ouri and Olivier's probable reconciliation in volume 4 and in the hopes that their story will give much needed purpose to the title's central quest.

Review copies provided by Viz.

2 Comments

• At September 17, 2009, Jason gives away his manga, JuYoun explains Yotsuba&! changes « MangaBlog wrote:

  [...] 6) Melinda Beasi on vol. 2 of Detroit Metal City (There it is, Plain as Daylight) Danielle Leigh on ...

• At November 10, 2009, Michelle Smith wrote:

  Good review, especially regarding Ouri's crisis of faith in herself, not in Olivier. That central pairing is definitely the most ...