Manga Reviews: Farewell Ginko and hello Sasha!

Black Jack vols. 11 & 12
Story & Art: Osamu Tezuka
Translations: Maya Rosewood & Kate Robinson
Publisher: Vertical

Who would have thought that after 12 volumes Tezuka still keeps the stories fresh? Who would have thought that after 12 volumes I am still enjoying the adventures of a superhero/surgeon? I never imagined that a doctor would be the best protagonist and eventually you would have healed any type of wound that there ever was. But I guess shows like House MD, ER, and Grey’s Anatomy have proven me wrong. Well, damn Black Jack was wayyyy ahead of its time if that’s the case. Since I can’t talk about every story I’ll just mention a couple from the two volumes. The first is a story about a man who wants to implant his dead girlfriend’s voice in his dog. Of course this doesn’t go over well at all, but it’s such an emotional story when the dog recognizes who he was at one time. There is a touching story that takes place in Black Jack’s past when he tries to help out an old school mate laugh again. Throw in some cameos by The Professional: Golgo 13 and a kid that strongly resembles Astro Boy and you got a recipe for awesome! Those are just some of the stories you’ll find in this great series. I guess my only gripe with the series as a whole is the dialogue. It's a bit clipped and relatively simple, which I’m sure is likely due to the complexities involved in the translation from the original Japanese text to the English language. By no means are words dumb down or stories cut shorter, it just feels that there is no time for character interactions at times and they get right to the point. Just when I think that Tezuka is out of stories for our great doctor, he sideswipes me with some new material. His storytelling techniques might seem unusual to some because the man did love to throw in jokes and visual gags at inappropriate times, but I think it’s just his way to remind us that these are still just stories and not to get too intertwined in the tale. A-

Mushishi vols. 8,9, & 10 Omnibus
Story & Art: Yuki Urushibara
Translation: William Flanagan
Publisher: Del Rey

Since volume one I have always loved the covers to this series. For some reason they have an aged look to them and the paper the art is printed on really makes those water colors stand out on the covers. In many ways the story of Ginko reminds me of Black Jack. I guess because each story is a stand-alone story where he goes around on his journey to find Mushi. I guess a little background is due here. The book chronicles the journey of Ginko, a shaggy looking, chain-smoking guy who aids people afflicted by mushi. Mushi are ancient creatures that can come into contact with humans, the relationship frequently turns parasitic, with the mushi feeding off their human hosts and producing painful, even life-threatening symptoms. Ginko is part herbalist and part exorcist, who helps the afflicted exorcise themselves of the mushi and at the same time teaching the humans to respect the power and beauty of these ancient creatures. The writing is excellent even though some of the translation seems a bit odd at times. The point of the stories is to show us how we as humans can be part of nature or how we can abuse it at any time. So many of the stories deal with moral issues that appear when humanity interacts with the Mushi and get greedy or when the Mushi just want to be left alone. You are left to wonder who is more important: Humanity or the Mushi?

Now let’s talk about Urushibara’s art and what else can I say about the art? Other than its rich and detailed and certainly has been polished to perfection over the years. By the end of the series you see how strong and comfortable Urushibara is with her artwork. Although the episodic nature of the series prevents extended supporting character development, the reader does get to know Ginko and a limited cast of repeating characters quite well. Mushishi is a wonderful collage of Japanese folklore and fantasy coming together in an elegant and hauntingly beautiful title. I love how it introduces so many fascinating elements of the Japanese culture and maintains those themes with the entire series. The fantastic notes by Del Rey in the afterword really help the reader get to know some of these cultural references, so I applaud Del Rey for taking the time to make something more enjoyable. I was just a little sadden by the final story, because it really doesn’t end and I guess the story of Ginko can never really end, so it’s not that big of a complaint. It’s a series that I enjoyed and I hate to see it go, but I guess it did go out on a high note. A Must Have for any manga fan and a brilliant introduction to the genre for newcomers, I highly recommend this series, you won’t be disappointed. A-

Oh My Goddess vols. 33 & 34
Story & Art: Kosuke Fujishima
Translation: Christopher Lewis
Lettering & Touch-up: Susie Lee & Betty Dong
Publisher: Dark Horse

It always feels so weird going back and reading new OMG adventures. Last month I reviewed volumes 13 and 14 and sometimes it feels like reading a different series with an almost different artist. Chichiro is back, but she’s not the only one that has a reunion with the gang! It seems that Skuld’s old boyfriend is back too only to tell her that his family is moving away. So Skuld and Sentaro have an adorable moment together about being kids and not growing up quite yet. The stories were fun to read, I literally couldn't put these books down and read them all in one sitting and re-read them again to just awe at the beautiful artwork. Every time I read these books they always seem to take me away to a more innocent time. The Love story of Keichi and Belldandy is still touching to this day. Even though the author is beyond 34 volumes; the characters really haven’t changed that much except in the style in which they are drawn. Believe it or not this is a series I don’t mind the characters not changing, I mean it’s part of their charm to be innocent, naïve, and naughty. The aspect I have always been interested in is the borrowing of Norse mythology in this series. But who am I kidding? That’s not why I read this series, I read for the fun it brings into my day of reading dark and depressing comics! My only gripe is that the books seem to read faster than they used to. Not only that, but the pages seem to have gotten thinner, ranging from 140 to 150 or so pages. Volume 34 in particular was smaller than any other volume, but it did have that breath of fresh air that the series needed after huge battles, so I won’t complain that much. B+

The Qwaser of Stigmata volume 1
Story: Hiroyuki Yoshino
Art: Kentsu Sato
Translation: Angela Liu
Adaptation: Paul Morrissey
Publisher: Tokyopop

I guess I will have to be the one that reviews a brand new series, because everyone around here wanted to review an already established series. But in this case I really am not complaining. Some of my favorite series have wrapped up or are on hiatus in Japan so I was looking forward to reading something new. Qwaser is said to have inspired the anime and I really thought I was out of the loop because I had never heard of the anime and I think it’s because it just finished in June of this year and it hasn’t been licensed for release in America. Hey, this is a good thing because I dove into this book not knowing what to expect. The story centers around Mafuyu Oribe and her cousin Tomo Yamanobe (her cousin that she has sworn to protect). They attend St. Mihailov Academy, where they get bullied by Miyuri and Hana. However, everything in their world turns upside down when they encounter a Russian boy named Sasha and nurse him back to health. Unfortunately for them he happens to be a Qwaser from the Adepts and now their school is a battleground between Sasha and the Adepts. Sasha happens to fight with a gigantic scythe and when his powers are weakened all he needs to do is breastfeed. I have to say this is one of the most interesting and beautifully drawn books I have read all year. They even manage to throw in a little science into the mix of sex and violence when each of the Qwaser wields one chemical element. I think the only turn off for me was the editing of the vulgarity. If the book already gets a mature rating, why not go all out? This series is definitely not for kids, hence the M rating and if you are easily offended by religious aspects, then it would be wise to stay away from the series. Going into it with an open mind and not knowing what to expect I was blown away and anxiously await the next volume. A-

Manga Reviews: Goodbyes and Farewells!

Gunsmith Cats Burst vol. 5
Story & Art: Kenichi Sonoda
Translation & Lettering: Studio Cutie
Publisher: Dark Horse

It seems that two of my favorite series have come to an end this week; Samurai Deeper Kyo and Gunsmith Cats. I promised myself I wouldn’t break down and cry, but then I decided to start taking shots of whiskey to properly say goodbye to Gunsmith Cats and it was Niagra Falls. Okay….I lied I did not cry, but I did drink that bourbon! I mean it’s not like this is the first time that the series has ended. So what happened in this volume? Pretty much everyone who has ever graced the pages of Gunsmith Cats in some way or another makes an appearance in the grand finale. The main plot is about a drug that can make anyone susceptible to persuasion. Bean Bandit shows up, because he still owes Rally and she aims to collect, but by the end he is only taking work out of the state. Roy is now working for the Rosemont Police Department. Misty has left the gun shop to return to Goldie, but not before she can plant a wet one on Rally. It seems that Becky has moved on to insider trading Goldie shows up in a great cameo of lesbian sex. There is a nice throwback (well, at least for Ken) to the first volume with Minnie May giving him a sexual service. By the end of the book her and Ken are shown with a baby boy after May left the gun shop. Rally is still and probably will always be a bounty hunter. This time the ending really did feel like an ending to the series. Sonoda’s designs remain sharp edged and detailed. However it’s great to see a combination of detailed machinery and cute anime faces. Throw in some guns and some fantastic action sequences and Dark Horse have themselves a winner. I would definitely recommend going back and reading the Omnibus collections, because they are amazing and affordable. A-

The Last Airbender
Story: Dave Roman & Alison Wilgus
Art: Joon Choi
Publisher: Del Rey

This particular manga has me a little confused, because it based on the screenplay for M. Night Shyamalan’s Last Airbender, which is really based on the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. At first glance judging by the goofiness of the book it seems it’s based on the animated series and not the live action movie. Thank goodness for that, because if you have seen the movie, you know that Shyamalan really destroyed a fun series without the help of Mr. Glass…but we aren’t here to talk about movies. However, after reading the book and seeing how fast it read and how little character development there was, it seems it is based on the movie. Katara and Sokka of the water tribe release a boy named Aang who is frozen in an ice sphere. This boy seems to be the Avatar, a master of all four elements who has been missing for 100 years. Now it is up to them to help Aang fulfill his destiny as the Last Airbender to restore balance to the four kingdoms. The book is an easy fast read that seems to have kids as its primary targeted audience. I’m okay with this…some of my favorite manga and comics are target towards kids. I think the problem with the book is that we just jump in the middle of a story and the readers are left to fill in the gap of what happened before. Characters show up for no reason and leave just as fast as they arrived. The narration is really poorly written and really bland and there aren’t that many transitions from panel to panel. I’m not sure if this was initially meant to be a longer book and was cut down for some reason…but something feels like it’s missing from the story. Choi’s art gets the job done, his facial expressions are nice, but his handling of martial arts and action sequences are very sloppy at times. I think if you’ve seen the movie or better yet, have watched the animated series you can skip this book. D

Red Hot Chili Samurai vol.2
Story & Art: Yoshitsugu Katagiri
Translation: Ryan Peterson
Adaptation: Bryce P.Coleman
Publisher: Tokyopop

Something needed to take place of Samurai Deeper Kyo. Some book needed to fill that hole that was in my heart because I was used to reading samurai adventures every month. I remember looking at the cover of volume one and thinking of Samurai Champloo. However, Samurai Champloo or Kyo this is not. The story centers on Sento Kokaku (who loves to eat peppers) and his three friends Ento, Ran, and the silent Shou. Kokaku and his friends work for his father and they pretty much just go around helping people like hookers and gamblers get out of trouble. There is a great fight between Kokaku and Ento that gets really vicious. Katagari really impressed me with the artwork in that particular fight and it seemed to have improved over the first volume. I think that the cast is what really keeps me interested in the book. Kokaku is kind of bland and childish and doesn’t really shine or stand out. The book is very vague about a couple of things: It never really explains what a Hanshu is, but that is his profession. He has a tattoo of a Black Crane to prove that he is the son of a Hanshu. I’m still unclear if eating the peppers really gives him an edge when fighting. Much like the first volume, this one had little character development; rather it had more fights and more cheesy confrontations. To be fair, it was a fun read. Maybe I was just missing my Samurai kick, but there is really nothing that stands out about the book. It has some nice artwork, but it can get confusing during fighting sequences. I’m really hoping future volumes have more character development and the story goes somewhere. C+

Samurai Deeper Kyo vols. 37/38
Story & Art: Akimine Kamijyo
Translation: Stephen Paul
Lettering: Michael/Carpelis Design
Publisher: Del Rey

The journey finally comes to an end with volumes 37 and 38. I remember years ago going to my local comic shop and picking up the first volume of SDK. I was hooked from the beginning. There are very few series that I pick up as they come out and this book was no exception. The story takes place in the Edo era of Japan. The story mainly focuses on Mibu Kyoshiro, a wandering medicine peddler whom tires easily, whines every now and then, is very clumsy, and, of course, is quite peaceful despite it all. That is, until you make him mad, much like the Hulk you wouldn't like him when he's mad. His eyes turn blood red, and the innocent Kyoshiro transforms into the murdering Demon Eyes Kyo. Who is the "legendary killer of a thousand men"? No longer is he reluctant to participate in any acts of violence; on the contrary, Kyo, the dark spirit residing within Kyoshiro, actually enjoys slaying. Along his journey he gathers a group of warriors: Benitora, Shiina Yuya, Sanada, Sakuya, Sasuke, and even the Four Emperors. After a long journey they finally reach the top of crimson tower to do battle with Fubuki and Hishigi. We learn how Kyo and Kyoshiro first crossed paths through a series of flashbacks. Kyo and Yuya finally get together, but come on who was reading this book not expecting that to happen? This is the fight we have all been waiting to see since the very beginning Kyo versus Kyoshiro and to call it amazing would be an understatement. Seeing the last splash page was like saying goodbye to some good friends and it was actually emotional. These volumes tied up the series very nice and no loose ends are left when you finish the book. The art for this series is gorgeous. The characters are well drawn and expressive and the backgrounds are elaborate. The fight scenes are well done and well paced, allowing the reader to easily follow the battle without words. I think this 38 volume masterpiece has left me breathless and begging for more so many times that I would put it in my top 10 manga series of all time. Although some parts in the middle were drawn out too long, overall it is a great solid story worth reading. It would be a damn shame if you like reading manga or comics to miss out on this series. A+

Manga Reviews: From Video Game Characters to Suicidal Teachers

.hack //link vol. 1
Story: Cyberconnect2
Art: Megane Kikuya
Translation: Ryan Peterson
Adaptation: Peter Ahlstrom
Publisher: Tokyopop

I really wish that Sony would give the God of War Collection or Team Ico Collection to the .hack series. I will be the first to admit that I am only vaguely familiar with the .hack// universe. I have only seen the anime and have wanted to play the games for years. It’s just one of those things I have to get around to doing sometime. This particular title is based on the PSP game of the same name. This particular time the story is written by the same studio that makes the video games. That being said, I’m not entirely sure if they even wrote the script or any dialogue or if it was all just lifted from the game itself. The main character Tokio is to play the latest release of the best selling online game, The World. However, he misses his chance to register for a code online and realizes that all registrations are closed. Not a problem though, because along comes a mysterious hot chick named Saika Amagi that gives him a black labeled copy. This ends up transporting him to the World and he ends up meeting his hero, Kite. But, when Kite is fighting Fluegel and is taken out of commission, it’s up to Tokio to become the hero. I didn’t think I would have enjoyed a manga based on a game, mainly because I had such a bad experience with other .hack manga titles. This one however, I really enjoyed. It’s kind of like a fanboy’s Alice in Wonderland story oh and did I mention that the artwork is great? The character designs are right out of the videogame and the action sequences are nicely laid out. I’m really intrigued to see what happens to Tokio and Kite’s friends. But hey, if you are a fan of the manga or videogame, you already know you are buying this book! B

Happy Café vols. 2 & 3
Story & Art: Kou Matsuzuki
Translation: Alethea & Athena Nibley
Adaptation: Lianne Sentar & Rebecca Scoble
Publisher: Tokyopop

This week has not been good for this reviewer. I told Omar I needed something to cheer me, I didn’t want to review anything with monsters or swords slashing, just something fun and something to cheer me up. So when I got assigned copies of Café Bonheur, I immediately rolled my eyes and told him I wanted to read something good, not girly. Yes, I’m one of those manga readers unlike Omar and Melanie that sticks to shonen or dark stuff. This was not something I had in mind. So anyway, the story of Happy Café is about Uru, a 16 year old girl who lives by herself because she refuses to accept her mother’s new husband, who happens to be fairly young. Jus t like anyone living by themselves, she has to make ends meet and has to get a job. So eventually she finds a job at Happy Café (I really don’t know how she got this job considering how clumsy she is). So, just what I was afraid of; there were two pretty boys working there. However, what took me by surprise is how different they were: Ichiro falls asleep when hungry and can only be awaken by food and Shindo is kind of a jerk and keeps to himself. By the end of the second volume however, these three become great friends. Things get a little complicated when the trio pays a visit to Uru’s dad’s house and their lack of emotion makes him worry for his little girl. Who really steals the show was Uru’s cousin Kenshi, who happens to look identical to her and has a crazy crush on her too. The story is really quirky, good-feel, and it did the trick of cheering me up. Sure it seems like every other girl wants boy manga out there, but those are not my cup of tea and I highly enjoyed this one. I liked the books so much I went back and bought volume one to add to my collection. I was pleasantly surprised with the story and has me curious who Uru is going to pick to be her man. A

Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture vol. 2
Story & Art: Masayuki Ishikawa
Translation: Stephen Paul
Lettering: North Market Street Graphics
Publisher: Del Rey

I still not sure what they are trying to do with the covers, but I really like the flag designs. Sure, it might throw some people off what the book is really about, specially with a title like Moyasimon, but I’m here to tell you that you will be missing out on a great story if you skip this book. The focus of the story is Tadayasau, who is attending a university for the first time, an agricultural university to be precise. There is a reason he is going to this school; because he has a unique, yet bizarre gift. He can see germs with his naked eye. So what you are looking at on that cover are those germs…yep that’s what they look like. It’s all paid off in the past with his friends and colleagues, but how will his talents help him when the University Spring Festival gets here? He wants to get the grand prize, but his talents can only take him so far and he’s never had this much competition. I think the charm of the first book has died down a little bit. None of the characters have developed since the first volume and their only purpose in the book is for gags. The main intriguing parts of this manga are the information presented by Masayaki Ishikawa when the narrative stops frequently to explain the science of, say, how sake is made, or yogurt. The scientific notes on the side explaining what each germ or bacteria is and I find notes like that help carry the story for someone who knows little about agriculture or was not a member of the FFA. Don’t get me wrong although I didn’t find it as charming as the first volume, I still enjoyed the hell out of the story and the gimmick still works. Never thought I would be enjoying a book about bacteria so much. Are you complaining that you are burned out on superheroes, zombies, mutants, or girly books….well look no further, it doesn’t get more unique then this. B-

Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei: The Power of Negative Thinking vol.6 & 7
Story & Art: Koji Kumeta
Translation: David Uru
Letterer: Foltz Design
Publisher: Del Rey

Man, I loves me that title; it’s so long and every time I talk about it to my friends I always say the complete title. Sure it’s a mouthful, but this title has been so fun to read. Seriously, that cover does not do the story justice, because it just looks like always dressed in different kinds of kimonos. The plot is very simple; Nozumo Itoshiki is a school teacher who happens to be so depressed he sees the only way out of this hell hole is suicide. We are first introduced to him when he unsuccessfully tries to hang himself from a tree. He however, is not the only one with mental problems. All his students seem to have issues from an over-optimist to a stalker and emo characters too. By volume 6 I am really missing Nozumo’s suicidal tendencies and for now he just hates the world, but doesn’t want to exit it just yet. The best part is where he goes off on modern inventions like TV remotes and cell phones. There is so much satire humor in this book it really reminds me of a British sitcom. If I were to compare it to another manga, I guess that would be Negima or Great Teacher Onizuka; sure there are plenty of ladies to make it a harem manga, but it would be like Negima or Ai Yori Aoshi on crack! The art style is probably my favorite part of this book. It is very unique and a very flat-looking two-dimensional style--all good things, mind you--that's always visually pleasing. The main characters themselves seem to follow this design, save for the occasional always-hilarious almond-eyed background character. The looks on their faces are always priceless. The rest of the art ranges from very simple to detailed and ornate, especially with some of the backgrounds and settings. Sure the premise of the book has changed a little bit, but it still works for me and I recommend it to anyone wanting to read something out of the ordinary, and loves reading about negative characters! A-

Manga Reviews: From Superheroes to Cats!

Chi’s Sweet Home Vol. 1
Story & Art: Kanata Konami
Publisher: Vertical

Chi’s Sweet Home is definitely for cat lovers, so I read this book in one setting. Not that this is a feat of astounding reading skills: there aren’t that many words and they aren’t difficult. But the statement is a compliment to how entertaining the reading proved to be. I really appreciate that it’s in color. I also enjoyed the translations of Chi’s meows. My favorite part of all was probably the way Kanata drew Chi’s eyes and mouth. The book also proved to be heart rending because the little kitten lost his mommy and tries to return to her love and comfort. That pulls on my mommy heart strings right there, especially when his little face has tears on it! He eventually sees his owners as his parents and nothing exciting happens, but it’s so CUTE! A

Ratman Vol. 1
Story & Art: Sekihiko Inui
Translation: Adrienne Beck
Adaptation: Bryce P. Coleman
Publisher: Tokyopop

As many of you know: I love comic books. Hell, that’s probably an understatement, but you get the idea. Comics and superheroes have been a part of my life for over 25 years. Reading stories like this makes me glad I still have faith in comics and stories about superheroes. Sure, there was a point in my life when I gave up on American comics and just read manga or independent titles, but I came to the realization that comics will always be a part of my life. So yes, this wonderful amalgam really made me enjoy the hell out of Ratman. Set in a world where superheroes are born everyday Shuto Katsuragi is a 15 year old superhero fanboy! However, he is too short to be even considered to be a corporate hero. Even his younger sisters make fun of him when he tries to imitate his favorite hero: Shinning Man. When one of his classmates, Mizushima gets kidnapped (don’t worry its only pretend) Shuto is able to transform into the super-powered Ratman. Now, Ratman is tall and muscular so the evil organization known as Jackal think that Shuto is the perfect candidate for Ratman’s alter ego. Shuto gets conned into working for Jackal and by the end has every superhero after him. So many things were right with this book. First of all I thought Ratman was going to actually be a superhero; it really took me by surprise that he became an anti-hero. It’s everything you want from a comic: Action, adventure, satire comedy that pays tributes to American and Japanese heroes, and crisp-clean beautiful artwork. I think the only thing I saw that I didn’t enjoy is Ratman’s costume….he really didn’t look like a rat. A

Songs to Make you Smile
Story & Art: Natsuki Takaya
Translation: Alethea & Athena Nibley
Adaptation: Paul Morrissey
Publisher: Tokyopop

After Fruits Basket it really does feel like Tokyopop is trying to recapture that magic or at least the popularity by releasing everything Takaya has done. This isn’t a bad thing by any means; otherwise I would never have read Tsubasa (not the CLAMP story). Songs to Make you Smile is a collection of four original stories and an extra Tsubasa: Those With Wings bonus story. The first story shares the name with the book and it’s about Anzu and Takahashi, two high school kids that are completely emo, but for some reason Takahashi’s songs have the ability to touch Anzu’s heart. So there is a little romantic drama between the two characters. “Ding Dong” focuses on a girl named Chisato, who lost her dad in an accident. For some reason she thinks that her father has always hated her, but through a series of flashbacks and Christmas presents she gets something else. “Voice of mine” is probably my favorite story and a simple one at that where Inagaki and Futaba who happen to be violinist fall for each other. In “Double Flower” we meet Suguru who is in love with Makoto, the girl who sells his handmade quilts, curtains and stuffed animals. However, she likes her men a little more manly. The funniest story was the bonus story for Tsubasa, where the characters put on their version of Cinderella, of course with a thuggish prince and a tall dwarf! I definitely would have renamed the book to Stories that make you smile, because some of these really did. You can tell these stories predate Fruits Baskets, because of the old looking art style, but even then Takaya knew how to play at our heart strings. B+

Twin Spica vol.2
Story & Art: Kou Yaginuma
Translation: Maya Rosewood
Publisher: Vertical

I couldn’t wait to read this book. I even put aside all my weekly comics that we are reviewing on the podcast next week to sit down and read this book in one sitting. On my review of volume one I compared this book to stories like Gunbuster, Voices of a Distant Star, and Crest of the Stars. Volume 2 however, started to remind me more of a little bit of Ai Yori Aoshi, Friends, and Maison Ikkoku. Don’t ask me why, but when you throw a mix of male and female characters living in the same place I think of stories like that. Asumi has been accepted to the Tokyo National Space School and is reunited with her friends she met at trials. Now comes the hard part of training to be an astronaut, luckily for Asumi all her jogging she did as a youngster has paid off and help built up her stamina. However, that stamina isn’t going to help her much because she’s been told that no matter how hard she tries she can never be an astronaut, because her father is the reason the Lion crashed! Most of the volume read like a high school drama and it seemed different than the first volume. However the short stories at the end really made up for that lack of sci-fi from the first book. They give us a look at how the Lion crashing affected everyone else. Yaginuma even threw a nod at Night on Galactic Railroad’s protagonist in his short stories. While the art remains simplistic it is still a style that would make Studio Ghibli proud, this story still managed to impress me and moved me emotionally. I hope volume 3 gives us more space stuff, but either way I think I’m hooked for life. A-

Manga Reviews: Kickin' it Old School! with a side of ninja.

Battle Angel Alita: Last Order Volume 13
Story & Art: Yukito Kishiro
English Adaptation: Fred Burke
Publisher: Viz Media

Alita is one of those books that will take me back to the days of Captain Video; a locally owned video rental store. They had arcades there and it was the only place near my hometown that actually got anime on a regular basis. One of the first video tapes I rented with my own money was ADV’s Battle Angel Alita. It was also one of the first anime I saw with English subtitles. But hell, this is a manga review not a walk down memory lane. I have to say that is one of the most interesting covers Kishiro has used in his entire run of Last Order. Never thought I was going to see a death metal band on the cover of an Alita book, but at this point I’m not entirely surprised. This volume mainly focuses on the Z.O.T. Tournament and a small love story between Olympe, an android and Ygrec, a beast man. Of course this love is short lived when Rakkan cuts Ygrec in half. These are some amazing fights between the Karatekes and the Seeded Venus team and the art just keeps getting better and better with so much more new details, but I’m not even sure why this book is still called Battle Angel Alita anymore. She appears in a couple of panels just sitting there eating and watching the fight. This is a book that was one of the greatest sci-fi stories ever drawn and now it seems like Kishiro is running dry with ideas. I’m not sure if I’m the only that notices the story/nothing but action/story pattern that has been going on for a long time now. I’m sorry but I can only take so much royal rumbles before I start asking where the hell is story going and what happened to the wonderful character development I originally fell in love with?!!! I really hope this series wraps up soon or Kishiro takes a break and breathes a new life into the series, because it really needs it. C

Inuyasha vols. 46 & 47
Story & Art: Rumiko Takahashi
Translation: Mari Morimoto
English Adaptation: Gerard Jones
Publisher: Viz Media

I still remember how big of a deal it was when Inuyasha #1 came out in America, not the graphic novel size, but the actual comic. It was a big event for manga in America because it was released right before it was released in Japan. Of course they eventually caught up and the series has been long over in the land of the rising sun and we wait its ending here in America. This series always gives me some mix emotions. I always end up crying or laughing when something huge happens in the stories. I guess that’s a good sign of some fine story-telling. The story starts off with Inuyasha reliving the day that Kikiyo, his one-time love betrayed him. This is just in time for the final confrontation between Kikiyo and Naraku. When I say final, I mean final, because Kikiyo dies after a tragic battle that will forever change Inuyasha and Kagome. Meanwhile, Sesshomaru seeks out his mother and travel to the underworld to save Rin. It’s amazing that after 47 volumes Takahashi can still keep up such great pace in storytelling and still pull at my heart strings. I don’t think I have ever read anything bad by Takahashi and she puts so much love and passion into each character. Sure I’m crying my eyes out when Kikiyo died, but that is some tremendous and moving stories to make you do that. I’m trying to get Omar and the rest of the guys to read this book and find out why I love it so much. A

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Raising Project vols. 1 & 2
Story & Art: Osamu Takahashi
Creator: Gainax * Khara
Translation: Michael Gombos
English Adaptation: Carl Gustov Horn
Publisher: Dark Horse

I’ll never forget the days of getting together with my friends and buying the Evangelion videos as they came out. We would sit in awe when we saw EVA 01 go in berserk mode and eat the angel or when the human arm regrew out of the EVA 01. It was these shocking moments I don’t think I will relive again. I think this series is prove that I’m sure never going to relive those shocking moments. So this is yet another stand alone manga based on the video game by the same name, which was based on the TV series. It’s not to be confused with Angelic Days or the Evangelion manga. The characters have been casted in an alternate reality (you know like the one you saw at the end of episode 26) as your typical high school students in a dramatic/romantic comedy. Shinji is now a junior high school student who seems happy and is even a bit of a pervert. He lives with his mom and dad who both work for Artificial Evolution Lab and his best friend since childhood is Asuka. Everything changes when Rei moves in with his family. It seems that everyone has taken an interest in this new love triangle from students like Toji to their homeroom teacher Misato and even the school nurse Ritsuko. Eventually SEELE makes an appearance and enrolls Kaworu in Shinji’s class. There are even some nods thrown in there for the fans of the anime. The only thing I’m a little confused with is why some of the translation is left in the original Japanese words. The main one being Baka, which everyone translates to stupid, but for some reason the book keeps that word in there untouched. I really enjoy the artwork and it’s really difficult to tell the difference between Takahashi’s artwork and character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto’s art. Sure it’s a goofy little story, but I’ll take my Evangelion anyway I can get it and people who never watched the series can really enjoy this book too. B

Ninja Girls vols. 3
Art & Story: Hosana Tanaka
Translation: Andria Cheng
Lettering: North Market Street Graphics
Publisher: Del Rey

Two words, yes just two words why any red blooded American male, hell any male should pick up this book: Ninja Girls. Come on!!! Need I say more for you to rush to your comic retailer and demand your Ninja Girls action? Well, for the sake of the site and legitimacy of the reviews…I guess I can say a little more. The last time I reviewed the book, I went on and on about how much I love Love the covers of this series. Man, they are some gorgeous girls on those covers and I love the poses Tanaka has chosen for them. Anyway enough about the covers; let’s get to the actual meat of this ninja and girl sandwich. The story focuses during the Sengoku era in feudal Japan. Raizo, the village outcast, learns that he is heir to the lost Katana Clan and its force of attractive ninja girls. Soon he has hot/half naked ninja chicks calling him master and hanging on his every word though Raizo is much too shy to take advantage of this. Now Raizo and his three beautiful companions are caught in a contest to see who gets to rule the Yagyu family by marrying the princess. Of course things aren’t that easy when the Princess is infected by Seigan’s sorcery. This volume was the usual action comedy I’ve come to expect. The sexy girls will do anything to please their geeky little master, but it still works and it makes me laugh at points. Although there are tons of ninja girls and love interests, this book is definitely written for guys with plenty of fan service. Tanaka seems to use some unique angles for some panels that can throw the story off sometimes, but his gorgeous girls and great fighting sequences layouts really make you forget about the bad part of his art. Not much of a complaint; Come on half naked chicks with guns and swords! B+

Manga Reviews: Back with more Bleach than before!

Bleach vol. 31
Story & Art: Tite Kubo
Translation: Joe Yamazaki
Adaptation: Lance Caselman
Publisher: Viz

At this point in the series I really don’t think I’m ever going to find out why Tite Kubo called this book Bleach. Sure it could be Ichigo’s ultimate weapon, but I think he just like the word Bleach, which happens with lots of Japanese authors and performers. Does it matter? Hell no! Because I immediately knew this was going to be another kick-ass story when I saw Ulquiorra walk down those steps towards Ichigo. Ichigo cuts lose when he learns that his friend Rukia was killed by the Novena Espada, but we all know better. Just like most battles with powerful characters, it just doesn’t last long enough and Ichigo ends up falling at the hands of the fourth ranked Espada. But, the focus of the volume is the fight between Ishida and Renji against Szayelaporro. Not to worry about Ichigo though; he is eventually healed by Orihime only to start a second round against Grimmjow Jaegerjaques! It seems like the last few volumes of Bleach have been our main heroes fighting mid level characters and just preparing for the big fight against Aizen and his thugs. There just doesn’t seem to be an end to this Hueco Mundo arc and in a way it could really go on forever. Some may see this book as nothing more than 200 pages of sword fighting action, but who reads a shonen series for the character interaction and poetic writing? You get what you paid for and that is one kick-ass battle after another with some surprises and memorable moments along the way. The art remains the same steady beat that it began with. Kubo gives it his all to blow us away with some great action sequences. Sure it’s one huge fight but I always find myself eagerly awaiting the next installment. B+

Fairy Tail vols.10 & 11
Story & Art: Hiro Mashima
Translations: William Flanagan
Lettering: North Market Street Graphics
Publisher: Del Rey

Looking at these covers makes me think how much I loved Rave Master and how much I wish some publisher would pick up the rest of the stories that Tokyopop didn’t finish. But, that’s a tale for another day. I mentioned before how much the stories are mirroring the early stories of One Piece with how linear and silly the storylines are getting. Yes, it still feels like Harry Potter meets the Straw Hats, but how can that be a bad thing? Finally, these volumes focus more on character interaction, than the huge fight scenes that have been occurring lately. We get to learn more about Erza’s past while she is being held captive in the Tower of Heaven by a childhood friend by the name of Jellal. We finally see her cut loose against Ikagura (which also happens to be one of my favorite shooters) as she battles for Sho’s life. The art style seems to be back in the game with volume 11 and even though at times the angles and the way the characters are drawn make the fighting really hard to follow; it’s still some great panel to panel sequential art. I think what I have always enjoyed about the book is that sometimes the dullness and weakness of the story can be kept hidden by the over the top action sequences. The series is definitely filled with comic relief, mostly of the belly-laugh variety, lots of strange antics, and fun dialogue. It’s still a good read right up there with Rave Master. B
Naruto vol. 48
Story & Art: Masashi Kishimoto
Translation: Mari Morimoto
Lettering: Inori Fukuda Trant
Publisher: Viz

There was a time when I would make fun of Omar for reading Naruto. I always thought it was targeted at 15 year old girls or the people that read and watch Twilight. The more I got into manga the more I kept hearing about Naruto Shippuden and I wanted to just skip ahead and get to those stories. Of course the greater power at Aboutheroes wouldn’t let me and I don’t regret reading 47 volumes to get here one bit. After defeating all the Pains, Naruto now knows the location of the true Pain. But there is more to this new nemesis than meets the eye as we find out why Pain decided to destroy the Hidden Leaf. Unfortunately the set up for this fight was hyped up too much as some parts of the battle feel rushed just to get some fights out of the way. Sure so much has changed since the series first started it doesn’t seem like Naruto is the prankster he used to be nor is he trying to achieve some impossible dream like when he was a kid. I really did wish I was growing up reading this book. I envy the kids that started reading this in middle school so they could grow with the characters. While I did enjoy the original run, it wasn’t until the Shippuden chapters that I really dug the characters (with the exception of the Kakashi story). If you are a fan, you know you have bought this. The only thing I hate doing now is waiting until the book is published. A
Oh My Goddess! vols. 13 & 14
Story & Art: Kosuke Fujishima
Translation & Adaptation: Dana Lewis & Toren Smith
Publisher: Dark Horse

In case you’ve never heard about Oh My Goddess on our podcast or on our past reviews here is a real real quick recap: Keiichi Morisato accidently dials a goddess hotline and ends up with three goddesses. These three Goddesses are Belldandy, who Keiichi is madly in love with, her older sister Urd, and her younger sister Skuld. These two volumes have so much story pact in them that it makes the newer volumes just look so dull. I’m not saying the future volumes are bad, but this is the Oh My Goddess that I miss. We are introduced to Chichiro who was the founder of the NIT Motorcycle Club before it went to Tamiya and Otaki. And what’s an introduction of a new character without a proper race? Skuld gets her own angel, there's a completely smitten broom that wishes it was human and has feelings for Urd, and Sayoko becomes an All-Powerful queen. This is the storyline where she becomes one of my favorite characters. After asking the stars to help her defeat Belldandy in the next Nekomi Tech Campus Queen contest, Mara hears her pleas and offers to help. The story was both charming and funny, which at this point is what you would expect from the series. The art is, as always, the gorgeous mix of cartoon-like style and realism that Fujishima becomes increasingly adept at. It seems that in these volumes Fujishima is finally comfortable with his characters and it is just plain gorgeous. Do yourself a favor and buy these books! A+

Tsubasa vol. 26
Story & Art: CLAMP
Translation: William Flanagan
Lettering: Dana Hayward
Publisher: Del Rey

Two more volumes! Just two more volumes and that’s the end of the manga that I thought could go on forever and to be honest I wish it could. I’m a huge CLAMP fan and they could keep traveling through different CLAMP universes for the rest of the series for all I care. I want more Magic Knight Rayearth! More X 1999! More Chobits! More Clover and Wish! So many possibilities and yet all good things must come to an end. If you’ve never heard of Tsubasa and just wanted to know what was going on or what this series is about here is a quick catch-up: Sakura is the princess of Clow and Syaoran is a young archaeologist passionate about the past and about Sakura. Before she can tell him that she too loves him, she is drawn into ancient ruins, where her memories, in the form of feathers, are scattered across multiple worlds. Syaoran goes with the dying Sakura to Yuko, the time-space witch and made ever famous from XXXholic, who grants him, along with Kurogane and Fai D. Flowright, the ability to travel across worlds to seek out the feathers. This is the type of action I was craving for in the last two volumes. Syaoran successfully manages to travel space and time via a wish moments before Sakura dies. Of course nothing is ever that easy for our trio of heroes because Fei-Wang won’t let his plans fall so easily. We finally learn the connection between Kimihiro Watanuki and Syaoran. In a twisted turn of events we learn that Watanuki is another part of Syaoran, he was created to fill the gap left by Syaoran after he decided to turn back time and erase himself from his own world to save Sakura. I didn’t see the whole Watanuki/Syaoran connection; I figured they would look alike. That is really my only complaint about this volume. We have the team back together and even a special appearance by Yuko what else could you possibly want?A

Manga Reviews: Back from the Break!

Black Jack vol. 10
Story & Art: Osamu Tezuka
Publisher: Vertical

It’s funny how books and movies make me wish I had followed a different path in my life or change what I do for a living. When watching The Wire I really wished I had become a Detective, watching Rescue Me makes me wish I was a firefighter, Enjoying those 007 novels…….well, you get my drift. Yes, reading Black Jack makes me wish I had chosen a different profession. Not to be a dreamy doctor like the guys in Grey’s Anatomy or ER, but to be a dark, tormented and mysterious doctor that only takes the toughest jobs. I can’t ever seem to put this book down when I open its pages. Sure I pretend that I only want to read a few chapters, but damn if I don’t finish the book after one sitting and pass it down to the rest of the review crew. It’s really hard to describe how powerful each of these 14 stand alone stories is without going into a deep inside look of each chapter. To me the best stories in this particular volume revolve around the relationship between Black Jack and his father. When his father hires him to perform reconstructive facial surgery on his current wife and asks him to make her the world’s greatest beauty; Black Jack makes her look like his mother as a chance to avenge his mother’s betrayal at the hands of his father. That is some deep psychological stuff for its time. Of course that isn’t the last time we see his father, unfortunately the next time we see his father, he is on his deathbed and Black Jack has to deal with the rest of his new family. The touching story of why Black Jack can’t rebuild his home because he is waiting on the “boss” to return and finish the job; really touched at my heart strings. Those are just some of the stories you’ll find in this great series. Just when I think that Tezuka is out of stories for our great doctor, he sideswipes me with some new material. A

Fairy Tail vol.10
Story & Art: Hiro Mashima
Translations: William Flanagan
Lettering: North Market Street Graphics
Publisher: Del Rey

I can’t help but think of One Piece when looking at Mashima’s covers. Yes, I know they were studio mates and share a very similar style, but for some reason the covers in Fairy Tail remind me more of One Piece than Rave Master. However, after reading 10 volumes, I’m starting to think that it’s not just the covers that remind me of OP, but the story is starting to mirror it more and more. Sure it’s like Harry Potter meets the Straw Hats, but it’s not really a bad thing at all. Finally, this volume focuses more on character interaction, than the huge fight scenes that have been occurring lately. We get to learn more about Erza’s past while she is being held captive in the Tower of Heaven by a childhood “acquaintance”. I can’t wait to see her cut loose and tear the bad guys up. While the art work is great, I have to say that the fight scenes are getting dull and repetitive. At times the angles and the way the characters are drawn make the fighting really hard to follow. I think what I have always enjoyed about the book is that sometimes the dullness and weakness of the story can be kept hidden by the over the top action sequences. The series is definitely filled with comic relief, mostly of the belly-laugh variety, lots of strange antics, and fun dialogue. Add in lots of mass mayhem when the wizards start brawling and it still a good read. B

Karakuri Odette vols. 2 & 3
Story & Art: Julietta Suzuki
Translation: Aimi Tokutake
Adaptation: Peter Ahlstrom
Publisher: Tokypop

Yes, there are a number of things I’m a sucker for in life: Giant robots, two chicks and one cup, X-men, and for some reason robot girls trying to become human. Sure we have seen this kind of story since the days of Pinocchio, but it’s always a nice twist when the thing trying to become human is a cute girl any guy would fall for. So this story is focusing on Odette, who is a beautiful, naïve, and endearing android that was built by Professor Yoshizawa. After going to school, she keeps asking for change after change, depending on the situation. It would have been really easy for Suzuki to turn Odette into an annoying Bimbo (yes, they do exist), but for some reason she comes across as a naïve, gentle, and caring android that you end up cheering for in by the second volume. Seriously the story just kept getting better and better, by the time you reach volume three, you will be craving so much more. By far I think the best part of both of these novels is when one of her fellow classmates falls for Odette, but since our little android she doesn’t understand his emotions and it seems like she just ignores him. I guess I have fallen for this android, I mean she even changed a murderous android’s ways when he was set out to murder Yoshizawa. It seems that beneath that cheesy top layer, this is really a deep and cute story about an android in search for a soul. Sure it could all go back to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, but this is more a comical approach. The art in this book is your typical shojo art. Although Suzuki does struggle with giving each character a different unique look. At times it is hard to follow who is who in the story, but it is refreshing to see that you won’t find any kind of fan service in this robot chick story. A -

Negima vol. 25

Story & Art: Ken Akamatsu
Translation: Alethea Nibley
Adaptation: Athena Nibley
Publisher: Del Rey

I’m sure just like everyone who has ever read this book, when I first read the series it was like a mixture of Harry Potter and Love Hina. I didn’t think it would be anything special, but after the first five volumes I was hooked. Loved this series after that and it’s so interesting to see how long of a way it’s come since those days. Negi and some of his students have been trapped in the magical world for a few volumes now. It still feels like most of them are still separated and I don’t even know if Negi releasing his dark arts is going to help the girls any. It was nice to see a little bit of the girls who are still on Earth though; it was a nice break from the Negi training with his father. Now that Fate Averruncus has arrived, he is setting his evil plans into motion! However, he promises Negi, if he doesn’t interfere he and his girls can go back home unharmed. So of course Negi's team and Fate's team finally test their mettle against one another. You would think that even though Fate's team has powerful weapons and great magic on their side, they would take down Negi’s girls in no time. However, Negi's team has experienced so much that they manage to put up a fight against them. Ken Akamatsu’ art just keeps getting better and better with each volume. He cleverly combines cuteness, comedy, realism, sexiness, and has a great layout to create a very unique style. You know, I never thought I’d say this, but I actually miss the over abundance of fan service we would get with each volume, but it’s just a reminder of how serious the book has gotten. The back of the book has one of the most extensive extras sections that most of us will have ever seen. Everything from translation notes to explanations of particular spells used in the story are here for the reader to look over. There is also a large section of reader fan art and even some preliminary design work by the artist himself. What can I say if you aren’t reading this series now; you are missing out on some great storytelling! A

Manga Reviews: More Flowers, Tsubasa, Animals, and Witches!

Animal Academy vol. 4

Story & Art: Moyamu Fujino
Translation: Katherine Schilling
Lettering: Star Print Brokers
Publisher: Tokyopop

One of the most difficult things I find reviewing manga is picking up the recent volume of a series, read it, and review it. I know that Omar, Melanie, and Tommy disagree with me, but I just can’t do it. This is why I don’t read American comics, way too much history if I pick up issue 100 of a title. I just have a hard time getting into the book and enjoying it. So when Tokyopop sent us volume four of Animal Academy, I ran to my local bookstore and damn, if they didn’t carry volumes one through three. So I dove right into this volume and tried to decipher what the series was about. Lucky for me the book was easy to follow and it took no time for me to be hooked. So it seems that Neko (Ironic that it’s the Japanese word for cat) is only allowed to attend Morimori school if she didn’t reveal that she is only human. This is a school only for magical animals only pretending to be human. Now that Yuichi is gone, because he was pretending to be only human, Neko takes it upon herself to tell her friends that she is just human and leaves. But, Kotaro is not going to let her go that easy when he comes after her in the human world. I’m not sure what it was about this book that kept me reading and reading. I found the art to be completely adorable and the story although simple, it wasn’t bland at all. The story unfolds at a leisurely pace, with lots of adorable moments of child-like humor It is one of those books that brings out the inner child in me and I definitely recommend it for kids. A

Haru Hana: The Complete Collection

Story & Art: Yuana Kazumi
Translation: Ryan Peterson
Adaptation: Kara Stambach
Lettering: Star Print Brokers
Publisher: Tokyopop

Between grading finals and reading essays I hardly had time to read any manga this past week. However on Sunday, Omar suggested I read Haru Hana since he looked at the art style and knew it was up my alley. I hate the fact that he knows me so well, okay I lied, I love the fact that my husband knows me so well. Yes, the main reason I read this book was based on the cover alone. It reminded me of the work by Moyoco Anno, Miki Aihara, and Ai Yazawa. But also the name of the book, come on it’s got flower on the title how could I pass up since I loved Flowers and Bees and Boys over Flowers so much? To my recollection I don’t remember this series being previously released in America, so I’m not sure if I’m crazy or if Tokyopop decided to just release the two or three volumes in one bang. Hana Yamada is the main character in the series, who has a unique problem when she comes in contact with boys; the poor girl breaks out in hives. This is all controlled as long as she has her green tea at her side. However the situation becomes drastic when her sister forces her to work for two cute guys at a massage parlor The place is ran by Shinnosuke and Haru . According to Shinnosuke, everyone touched by Haru ends up in a good mood. This doesn’t affect our heroine, of course, who comes across all itchy whenever Haru comes into contact with her. He of course gets a kick out of making Hana break out in hives. The two guys in the book, were your average bishoujo perfect models, who at times came across unrealistic. But the main attraction was Hana, her goofy yet determined ways to get out of situations had me cracking up and feeling sorry for her. The story changes from a goofy romantic tale to a more dramatic love story, but then again isn’t that the way a true love story really is? I enjoyed the story and I really felt bad for Hana, but she had me cheering on for her too. I definitely recommend the book for fans of shojo manga or anyone that enjoys a good love story. A-

Tsubasa vols. 23 & 24
Story & Art: CLAMP
Translation: William Flanagan
Lettering: Dana Hayward
Publisher: Del Rey

I can’t believe it’s almost over. The manga that I thought could go on forever and to be honest I wish it could. What can I say? I’m a huge CLAMP fan and they could keep traveling through different CLAMP universes for the rest of the series for all I care. But, all good things and all that. In case you didn’t know what was going on or what this series is about here is a quick catch-up: Sakura is the princess of Clow and Syaoran is a young archaeologist passionate about the past and about Sakura. Before she can tell him that she too loves him, she is drawn into ancient ruins, where her memories, in the form of feathers, are scattered across multiple worlds. Syaoran goes with the dying Sakura to Yuko, the time-space witch and made ever famous from XXXholic, who grants him, along with Kurogane and Fai D. Flowright, the ability to travel across worlds to seek out the feathers. It’s been one hell of a ride with so many cameos by other CLAMP characters and so many worlds, but now all of it is coming to an end. With the wrap up in the last few volumes that ended the Syaoran clone saga (not as long or as dreadful as the spider-clone saga). While the trio of friends get ready to face Fei Wang Reed for the life of Sakura, the action stops to give us another background story. This time it’s all about Syaoran and how her first came to Clow country and met Sakura for the first time. Unfortunately I really didn’t learn anything new that I didn’t already know. Yes, I know that the love between Syaoran and Sakura is pure and innocent, but did we really need a whole volume to remind us? The flashback sequences were really nice to see in this volume, but I’m ready for some action in the next volume. By no means, it’s not a volume that can be skipped, but maybe I wanted something a little more. B-

XXXholic vol.15

Story & Art: CLAMP
Translation: William Flanagan
Lettering: North Market Street Graphics
Publisher: Del Rey

All I know is that William Flanagan must be having a blast translating both Tsubasa and XXXholic, or he’s got one giant headache doing both jobs. It seems like this volume of XXXholic crosses over with Tsubasa, but it might be during the Syaoran clone saga or it could just be a glimpse of things to come…..let’s hope not. It seems that the spotlight is back on Watanuki as he takes a young woman under his wing and teaches her to cook. He also keeps having dreams of Yuko disappearing. He grows more and more concern when Yuko is missing for weeks from the shop and there are no signs of Mokona or Maru. It seems that he was having more than dreams when he keeps running into people that Yuko has helped in the past have no idea who Yuko is. It’s as if she never existed. It is a very disturbing and depressing volume. I know this isn’t the final volume of the series, but it’s got t be close. Specially with that last chapter between Watanuki and Yuko; he really wants her to exist and is willing to make it his fondest wish. No, matter what hell she put him through, his life is better because of her. That was some powerful moving dialogue at the end of this book. I’m really excited about the next volume, because I want a happy ending for Yuko, Domeki, and Watanuki. A

Manga Reviews: Something new and something old!

My Darling! Miss Bancho vol.1
Story & Art: Mayu Fujikawa
Translation: Alethea Nibley
Adaptation: Athena Nibley
Publisher: CMX

Could have been that I just finished reading Boys Over Flowers and it could be that the other guys turned away because of this cover, but I ended up reading this “girly” manga this month. Not, because I’m a girl mind you, but because I really needed to fill that space for Kare Kano and Boys over Flowers. Souka and her mom (who has just gotten a divorce) want to start over in a new town. This was Souka’s chance to create a new persona and impress her new peers. However, as things turned out for her; she gets enrolled in an all-male tech school. After a misunderstanding she accidentally knocks out the class’s reigning “bancho” (gang leader) and is forced to take his place. Of course a weak girl can’t be reigning bancho of the whole school so she gets challenged through out the book. It’s a good thing that not everyone is against her. Cause Team 4 has her back! Especially Yuuji Katou, who also seems to be the love interest in this manga. Even though Souka is a sweet and mildly oblivious heroine that we've seen over and over again in Shoujo stories, I still could relate to her. I mean the poor girl has to deal with nothing with boys all day long. I feel the same way when doing the podcast . The art is standard shoujo style: cute heads distinguished by hair shape and color(going by the covers here), with huge eyes, and really skinny bodies. The art gets the job done though and it’s entertaining to read all the misunderstandings with all the goofy faces on everybody. I laughed and I cheered Souka on, so Ms. Fujikawa did her job of keeping me entertained. I really look forward to the next volume. A-

Red Hot Chili Samurai vol.1
Story & Art: Yoshitsugu Katagiri
Translation: Ryan Peterson
Adaptation: Bryce P.Coleman
Publisher: Tokyopop

I was really looking forward to reading this book when I first heard about it. I just wrapped up Samurai Deeper Kyo and I hadn’t read a good samurai story in a long time. It seems like everyone else here got dibs on the samurai manga that have come out in the last year. Needless to say, I went into this with some pretty high expectations. Just to tell you right off the bat: this book has nothing to do with the Red Hot Chili Peppers or despite of what that cover might lure you into thinking, it was nothing like Samurai Champloo. The story centers around Sento Kokaku (who loves to eat peppers) and his three friends Ento, Ran, and the silent Shou. Kokaku and his friends work for his father and they pretty much just go around helping people like hookers and gamblers out of trouble. By far my favorite chapter was the introduction of Shikki, Kokaku’s rival and the background story how Kokkaku decided to be a samurai and protect people and how he got addicted to eating peppers. The book is very vague about a couple of things: It never really explains what a Hanshu is, but that is his profession. He has a tattoo of a Black Crane to prove that he is the son of a Hanshu. It also never states if the peppers are like spinach for Popeye. To be fair, it was a fun read. Maybe I was just missing my Samurai kick, but there is really nothing that stands out about the book. It has some nice artwork, but it can get confusing during fighting sequences. I’m really hoping the second volume has more character development and the stories pick up. C+

Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei: The Power of Negative Thinking vol.4 & 5
Story & Art: Koji Kumeta
Translation: David Uru
Letterer: Foltz Design
Publisher: Del Rey

This series turned out to be a huge sleeper hit for me. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I . I think the only things that came to mind were: Man, that is one long title and that cover really does nothing for me. The plot is very simple; Nozumo Itoshiki is a school teacher who happens to be so depressed he sees the only way out of this hell hole is suicide. As a matter of fact that’s how we are first introduced to him when he unsuccessfully tries to hang himself from a tree. One of his students saves his life and that is the premise of the book, well part of the premise, each of his students in his class seems to save his life. They each seem to have problems too; anywhere from an over-optimist to a stalker. Even though he tears them down and belittles them, they still follow him in his pessimistic way of life. You may think that with a title focusing on negative thinking the characters would be bland, boring, and over the top pessimistic, but somehow through his dry humor Kumeta makes Nozuma a very likeable person and you warm up to his ways. What’s an anime or manga series without the mandatory hot spring chapter? Of course nothing is normal, even a visit to a hot spring with these crazy characters. The art style while simple has lots of contrasts of black and white and it really sets the tone of the book. There is so much satire humor in this book it really reminds me of a British sitcom. If I were to compare it to another manga, I guess that would be Negima….sure there are plenty of ladies to make it a harem manga, but it would be like Negima on crack! The formula still works for me and I recommend it to anyone wanting to read something out of the ordinary, cause ordinary is not this series! A-

Tenjho Tenge vols.1 - 5
Story & Art: Oh! great
Translation: Sheldon Drzka
Letterer: Tom B. Long
Publisher: CMX

So, while I’m a huge fan of Airgear, believe it or not I never got around to seeing the Tenjho Tengen anime or read the manga. I wanted to go back and look at one of the most controversial manga translations ever. Well, it was a huge deal a few years ago and I always wondered what the big deal was. But first let’s talk about the book. Nagi Souichiro and Bob Makihara are two teenage brawlers aiming to take over Todo Gakuen High, which happens to be a school revolving around martial arts. At least that's their plan until they run into the beautiful but deadly Natsume sisters, heads of the shorthanded Juken Club (the heroes). When Nagi and Bob aren't getting schooled by Maya, the older sister, Nagi is chased by Aya, the love-struck younger sister (Nagi's the first guy to see her naked). To make matters worse, the oppressive Executive Committee (the villains) seek to further punish Nagi and Bob. But when one member goes too far, Nagi and Bob join the Juken Club for a crash course in real fighting. That’s pretty much what happens in the first five volumes. Just lots of fighting, well in volume five we learn how badass Aya can be with that mystical sword.

So to be honest I downloaded the original manga and compared and contrast the two versions. Keep in mind it seems to me that volume one was the one that was affected the most. Most of the editing was done to remove nudity and tone down sex scenes, but the dialogue was also edited to remove sexual references. This becomes a problem in the first volume when there's a scene which plays out like a rape scene, and yet the character, which may or may not, have been raped laughs off the entire situation. I found this very difficult to follow, as it seemed a bit too much. I’m not sure if the translation is to blame or the editing. Even if she wasn't raped, it leaves you feeling pretty uncomfortable.

It’s really nice to see old Oh! Great artwork and compare it to his run on Airgear. Even back then he was a talented artist, and most of it is spent on sex and violence, which initially sells this series quite well. Aya and Maya Natsume are found in various staged of undress for a variety of reasons throughout this volume. I’m not one to complain though…those are some hot chicks this guy can draw. The story is really bland and nothing other than the art really makes it stand out. To be perfectly honest the volumes were really boring until we got to volume five when things started picking back up. Despite of what some people say, this is not porn…well I guess it could be if you don't have the internet! I still had fun reading the series and will continue to follow it. C+

Twin Spica vol.1
Story & Art: Kou Yaginuma
Publisher: Vertical

Before reading this review, you must keep in mind that this review is based on an Advance Reading Copy, so the final product could vary a little bit. When I saw this in the mail, I was disappointed that it wasn’t Blackjack volume 10, but damn if I didn’t take this inside and finished it in one sitting. My wife was playing Final Fantasy XIII, my daughter was sleeping, and I was curious to see what was so good that replaced Blackjack 10 for me. The story revolves around Asumi Kamogawa, who dreams of going to the stars. She shares her ambitions with her imaginary (or could be a ghost of a dead astronaut) friend Lion. He looks pretty much like a guy that wears a lion (much like Kon from Bleach) mascot head over his own. She’s been taking test to get into an Astronaut Academy against her father’s wishes, but eventually with a little financial help from her father she gets accepted. Of course she is just one of the many children chosen to enter this program. So what’s her first task; her first mission? To stack a huge line of domino pieces together within 7 days with her roommates. The first test is passed with flying colors and damn it, I want to know what happens next. We also get two side stories at the end of the book (they look like they were made before the main story) about Lion and Asumi’s past. Particularly the most talked about part was the day that her mother died in the Lion crash incident. This was a really cute story that touched my heart. I found myself teary eyed at times and I wanted more by the end of the first volume. The scene where her mother realizes it’s Asumi as she is going across to the other side…breathtaking. Or when her father find’s an old card Asumi made that is a free pass on her rocket, that scene made go in my daughter’s room and hold her tight. An easy to follow tale that reminded me of stories like Gunbuster, Voices of a Distant Star, and Crest of the Stars a bit; mixed with art that would make Studio Ghibli proud, this story moved and impressed me. I look forward to more volumes from this series with anticipation. A+

Manga Reviews: Long Lost Manga and New Stuff Too!

Emma vols. 7 & 8
Story & Art: Kaoru Mori
Translation: Sheldon Drzka
Lettering: Janice Chiang
Publisher: CMX

It’s only fair that I review the maid manga this week. It’s also a pleasure to be reviewing Emma! Talk about one of the most underrated books I have read in a long time. Well, underestimated by me that is. I don’t know what put me off the book. I think it was a mixture of the covers and the idea of a maid in Victorian England. I mean I’m a 32 year old man, what could I possibly want with this book? Well, damn I love being wrong. I reviewed the first two books, to be honest to make fun of the series, but I ended up falling in love with the characters and the artwork. So it’s my pleasure to see this series wrapping up. Volume seven starts with Emma, who is still kidnapped and sent off to America, but William tracks her down. He goes and finds her and to be honest, this volume seemed like a very rushed ending. However, volume eight more than made up for the lackluster ending of volume seven. This particular volume focuses on the supporting cast of the series. The first two chapters are a flashback to Kelly and Doug Stowner as young newlyweds. The following chapters are focused on William’s ex fiancée Eleanor Campbell. The final chapter is about Tasha, another maid and Emma’s roommate, returning home to see what her brothers and sisters are up to. I feel in love with this series, the artwork, the characters, and the setting. Do yourself a favor and check out why this series is beloved by everyone who opens the first volume. A

b>Kikaider 02 vols. 5 & 6

Story: Shotaro Ishinomori
Art: Meimu
Translation: Jonathan Tarbox
Publisher: CMX

I love going back and reviewing old school manga. Well manga, which some people may have missed that is. Yeah, sure it’s fun to review recent volumes of Naruto or Tsubasa, but other series really need the spotlight. Kikaider 02 is a Japanese superhero/android character who has appeared in manga, toy lines, and anime. The story is fantastic, but the original anime and manga paid tribute to Astro Boy in stylized animation and this turned most people off. Thankfully, this new manga strays as far from the original style as it can while still maintaining the same themes and general look and feel. The story focuses on Mitsuko Komyoji, the daughter of Dr. Komyoji, the scientist who created Jiro (Kikaider). Then one day her father, who she thought dead, sends her to meet her "sister" along with her protector, Kikaider. Events quickly escalate as the mysterious new sister is attacked by robots in Dr. Komyoji's old lab. As the series grows to a close the action and energy reaches top notch. This however, is the strength and weakness of the book. Meimu’s artwork is great, but not outstanding and often confusing and cluttered. The battle between Jiro and Saburo, which was definitely the highlight of these last volumes, had many panels that were so busy it was difficult to figure out who was doing what. His style is definitely kinetic, but sometimes he likes to overdo it, creating panels that distract more than entertain. The series' theme can be summed up as androids being more compassionate than humans. It was based originally on Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and the theme is very apparent through the manga. So fans of Astroboy, Guyver, and 8th Man check this out! B-

Mugen Spiral: The Complete Series
Story & Art: Mizuho Kusanagi
Translation: Nan Rymer
Adaptation: Christine Shchilling
Publisher: Tokyopop

A few years ago I heard about this series and intended to check it out. Eventually I forgot that it even existed, but thanks to Tokyopop I get another chance to enjoy the series. The story focuses on Yayoi, who is a descendent from a long line of mystics. She has a power within her that attracts demons. They want it so that they can be stronger. One of the demons that she has cursed is Ura, the demon Prince in line for the throne. In order to acquire her power he literally has to eat her, and she has turned him into a cat with the power of spiritual beads to prevent him consuming her. Other demons are coming after her and she has to occasionally release Ura in order to protect her. The problem is that the worst demon in the demon realm (next to Ura of course) has come to claim her power. Ouga, who happens to be Ura’s brother, also wants to rule over Yayoi by any means. Ura is a tough guy with a soft heart, and he makes a really cute cat! Yayoi is an interesting heroine, but her uneven portrayal was vexing. Yes, it does sound quite a bit like Inu Yasha, but don’t let that push you away. Actually it reminded me more of Ushio and Tora for some reason. The big flaw with the book is that it’s dark and cluttered. Even though the pages and characters have nice layouts and there is a lot of variety to the shapes and sizes of the panels. The action flowed smoothly from page to page, but the toning used on the pages really distracts from the great character art. It is still a fun short series worth the read. The only thing is I wish it could have been a little longer. B-

One Piece vols. 36 & 37
Story & Art: Eiichiro Oda
Translation: Taylor Eagle
Adaptation: Jake Forbes
Publisher: Viz

If you’ve heard our podcast, you know how excited I was when Viz announced that they were giving One Piece the Naruto treatment by catching us up with the Japanese release. I went ahead and read all the way to volume 37 just to get me ready for the next volumes that are set to release soon. To be perfectly honest, there wasn’t a time that I didn’t put the book down. I read 13 volumes in a span of two days and never once thought about putting the book down. Except for the last four volumes, for some reason the introduction of way too many characters and the complicated murder/blueprint plot just threw the book into a braking point. I really like the new characters introduced though like Franky and Hattori (yeah the pigeon that does all the talking for Rob). With the introduction of Mr. Tom, things started to finally make sense and the action picks right up. I just found it odd that One Piece actually took a breather and was actually a little boring (blasphemous)! Could be that I just read too much One Piece way too fast too. The characters designs and artwork have always seemed timeless because of their presentation. Don’t get me wrong, the stories are still fun and you know this is just the part where the straw hats gang get their asses handed to them just to come back and kick the crap out of the bad guys in the next volume. To find so much fun comedy in a story filled with great adventure and moving stories is a rarity in today’s stories. B