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君に届け #1
by: 椎名 軽穂
Kimi ni Todoke #1
by: Shiina Kahoru
Hakusensha/Viz Media/shoujo - $8.99 - Rated 13+
You kids aren’t going to like this but I’m gonna have to tell you how to read your manga today. Why? Cause Kimi ni Todoke is here and it like few shoujo titles recently teaches readers that the foundation of every great manga is always and only…CHARACTERS! Screw narrative! Forget character design! If you cannot feel passionate about the leads in your favorite sequential stories then you aren’t getting it. (Please turn in your manga card and unbookmark this site, you are part of the problem.)
Kimi to Todoke from the very first chapter presents the least likely of leads and immediately presents a case where anyone who can properly read manga will immediately fall in love with her. Yes! In love with the character everyone in mangaland is afraid of. Why? Because she is pure malable youth desperate to grow, learn and be loved.
Taking the best from the world of shounen and placing it squarely in the drama and romance of shoujo, KnD doesn’t do anything fancy or rely on genre tropes. Nah, this is plain high school rom-com…maybe even sit-com built upon character tension. Those simple moments when we doubt ourselves–like as we anxiously ready ourselves before a date; wait nervously for a test to start; or when we are making new friends… This concepts are so universal, so easy to relate to that we could all at one point be Sawako. Yes even the egomaniacs, cause hey…Sawako can speak with spirits!!
From Me to You…It’s funny how the English title has crazy meaning. And if you ain’t reading this you sure as heck aren’t part of what manga is trying to tell you.
WINNER!!! My 2009 Manga of the Year!! 2009 Shoujo Manga of the Year!!! 2009 Best New Manga of the Year!!
No other title had me laugh so loud, cry so much and cheer for its lead more! (literally tearing up as a type this) I [HEART] SAWAKO and I need more Kimi ni Todoke!
Click on badge to listen download the review (16min .mp3).
Up Next… Name of the Flower, Red Snow, Read Me, the Box Man
Stolen Hearts, vol. 1
By Miku Sakamoto
Publisher: CMX
Price: $9.99
Rating: T for Teen/13+
Koguma is misunderstood — everyone at school is afraid of him because he’s big and looks intimidating. When petite Shinobu spills a drink on his bag one day, he tells her she’s ruined an expensive kimono and she must repay him for the damage. Frightened for her life, she does as he says and ends up at the kimono shop of Koguma’s entrepreneurial grandmother. Paid to dress in kimonos and hand out fliers each day to advertise the shop to younger customers, Shinobu gets to know Koguma better each day. Will Shinobu discover a side to Koguma that no one else knows?
Just like tiny Shinobu, Stolen Hearts has quite a bit of cute appeal. But, it’s also without romantic tension; it’s obvious the author originally meant this to be a one-shot as the first chapter gets our couple together quickly. The lack of conflict usually counts against a story, but I found myself too distracted by all the pretty kimonos to care. There was even a “how to” on wearing kimonos!
Of course, I enjoyed Shinobu’s endearing drive to show everyone the Koguma that she knows, even if it will eventually take away the running gag this comic is built on. Thankfully, there’s still the size difference between the 4′10″ Shinobu and 6′2″ Koguma for a few laughs. But, the real star of this story is Koguma’s dollar-driven granny — she had me hooked as soon as she smacked Koguma with her house slipper; she’s a tough cookie that even the local yakuza are afraid of! Her constant teasing of Koguma never grows tired, and it provides a nice balance to Shinobu’s growing adoration.
The artwork here really plays on the differences between Shinobu and Koguma. She’s a wide-eyed, small girl, while he’s the large, mysteriously handsome type. As mentioned earlier, their size difference is played up for laughs. Then there’s the ever-present kimonos — they’re cute, but I also found myself a little overwhelmed by all the patterns. Otherwise, the art is pleasant and there are plenty of colorful characters outside of Koguma’s grandmother. Lastly, even though I’m a little old for them, I really liked the “Coloring Pages for Young Maidens” at volume’s end.
All in all, Stolen Hearts is an innocent and entertaining little love story with plenty of effortless charm. There’s a chaste sweetness, and while it veers precariously close to becoming saccharine, it breaks in with a joke at bashful Koguma’s expense. If you’re looking for a few laughs and cute kimonos alongside some high school romance, you would be hard pressed to find a story as unique as Stolen Hearts.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
For more reviews by Lorena Nava Ruggero, visit her manga review blog, i ♥ manga.
オトメン #1
by: 菅野文
OtoMen #1
by: Kanno Aya
Hakusensha/Viz Media/shoujo - $8.99 - Rated 13+
So I am a little late to the game. Yeah, I have been aware of Otomen for a while now. I have actually been reading this series for months now. Furthermore, I actually recorded part of this review back in August. But as you all know by now life sometimes gets in the way.
Life always seems to interfere with the life of the lead in Otomen. Poor dude just happens to like knitting and shoujo manga, but when his mom finds out he is shamed into becoming a manly man. I believe this is the Jason Thompson biography, as our man-made man is something of a bishie with budding shoujo tendencies. In a few years he might be a full-blown Hana to Yume otome or who knows he might be drawing his own yaoi to sell at Comiket. Jason is kinda the same way.
Then said dude finds his perfect match…A gal so macha she feels she has to protect her manfriend! Love hurts…the pride sometimes in manga. But really, that’s why we read it.
OtoMen is a crack up from start to finish. While on the surface it doesn’t appear to be doing anything completely original, there is something sinister lurking underneath the surface that almost pushes this title from shoujo to shounen for me. Furthermore, the charm factor for this title is through the roof. Every personality seems to be tempered purposely. No one overwhelms the dialogue or tone. There is almost a balance to the relationship that allows for readers to not only support and feel for the cast, but also laugh with the cast.
Most importantly, Otomen is refreshing as it is clearly a title that understands readers needs but does not fall for gimmicks. The cast is hot, but these teens not completely shallow or jerks. We have well-timed comedy, a budding friendship, and dashes of action to replace over-dramatic romance…Basically, it’s a well-crafted rom-com for the shoujo-liking dude. Not sure why that would appeal to a traditional shoujo fan, but maybe the change of pace was appreciated.
There’s a little more in the podcast but I wanted to point out that Otomen is not only one of the best shoujo titles of 2009, one of my favorites from last year as well!
Click on badge to listen download the review (16min .mp3).
Up Next… Kimi ni Todoke, Name of the Flower, Red Snow, Read Me, the Box Man
Moyasimon 1: Tales of Agriculture
by Ishikawa Masayuki
Ages 16+
I actually found a bunch of great manga this year, but once again — Del Rey has delivered my favorite. What I look for in great manga is characterization, originality and that extra something the mangaka shares with us… I like to call it heart and soul.
THIS HAS IT.
Masayuki sets the scene within the first couple of pages of what we can expect in this book. Two quirky but extremely likable country bumpkins studying agriculture in college. The original premise is that Tadayasu can see germs and such with the naked eye. Not like a microscope, but more like Pokemon except for the fact he can’t enslave them and use them to fight each other… um… anyway, we’re getting off track because the feel of the book is more slice of life rather than action, dramedy or documentary types.
We follow the weird adventures Tadayasu and Kei (his buddy) get into from the very beginning as they attend the freshman entrance ceremony. Kei is a bizarre character in that the mangaka draws “him” like a good looking guy… but slightly reminiscent of a female with short hair. It actually annoyed me at first but now I kind of find it interesting. Kei’s personality is unassuming and laid-back so it fits but it also kind of has a funny mysteriously ambiguous feel to it. It cracks me up in a weird way that the mangaka is doing this.
— Once again, the book is not about that but it has a lot of weird details in it that really captures your attention. —
Eventually, we meet other central (and weird) characters like the professor and his assistant who have been waiting for his arrival for years. The professor is a family friend who knows of his ability but it is yet to be seen whether he takes advantage of Tadayasu or not. You won’t be surprised that the Profesor is a germ loving maniac who is often the catalyst for the weird situations the charactersget into.
Sprinkled throughout the book is various facts about the different germ and microbes. Sometimes it’s fun, sometimes it’s gross, sometimes it’s educational — but it absolutely does not overshadow the weirdo characters and the crazy adventures they get into at the University.
Last Word:
I’m in love with this book, as it has everything I want; characterization, originality, quality art — there is even a possible love interest introduced later in the book for Tadayasu named Hazuki!
Please do yourself a favor and check this book out.
Book was supplied by Del Rey Publishing.
Ooku, vol. 2
By Fumi Yoshinaga
Publisher: Viz
Price: $12.99
Rating: M for Mature/18+
In an alternate history of feudal-era Japan, a mysterious epidemic has hit the country’s male population. Known as the redface pox, it has killed 80 percent of the boys and men in the country, leaving the women in charge of everything from farming to the shogunate. When the newest shogun comes to power, she delves into Japan’s history and investigates the origins of the mysterious disease that has caused the country to close its borders to others in fear of attack.
Traveling back eight decades to the epidemic’s start, this volume starts with the death of the last male shogun. At a loss as to how to handle it, the top female advisor charges the shogun’s illegitimate child, a daughter named Chie, with producing a male heir. The young woman, now dubbed Lord Iemitsu, is also forced to dress as a teenage boy, developing some cruel tendencies in response.
Meanwhile, Arikoto, the abbot of Keiko-in, a Buddhist monastery in Kyoto, visits Edo to meet the shogun. While there, he catches the eye of Lord Iemitsu and is forced into joining the ooku, or inner chambers. What follows is filled with confusion, despair and frustration. Will Arikoto be able to leave his life of compassion behind to serve a selfish and troubled master?
While this started as an AU history lesson, it slowly developed into a twisted love story. Yoshinaga’s set-up of the redface pox receives more political detail and shows its role in starting the female line of shoguns. There’s also another wide cast of characters explored in this volume, with Kasuga, the female advisor to the late Lord Iemitsu and his daughter, as the most prominent role player. But, if there was a theme for this volume, it’s compassion — from the new Lord Iemitsu’s lack of it to Arikoto’s neverending capacity to extend it, Yoshinaga shows the importance of it in times of tragedy.
For artwork, Yoshinaga’s gift for creating beautiful men is once again exercised. Arikoto, even with a shaved head, is delicately beautiful with a strong jawline; all the other concubines are unattractive by nearly all standards of male attractiveness. But, Yoshinaga’s true gift is in subtle emotion and expression; each face is drawn with determination and emotional intent. There exist subtleties from one panel to the next, creating a minimalist aesthetic, but what is on the page is particularly meaningful. Namely, the historical detail across the volume, from clothing patterns to architecture, creates a vivid representation of the time.
While the first volume of Ooku took some time to get going, I found this less burdensome that its predecessor. The dialogue is smoother and less painstakingly narrative, and there is a great deal of “showing” as opposed to “telling.” Of course, all of this is complimented by the (well-deserved) Viz Signature treatment. With a strong sense of characterization, historical accuracy, drama and elegant simplicity, Ooku hits all the right marks. Highly recommended
For more reviews by Lorena Nava Ruggero, visit her manga review blog, i ♥ manga.
BLOOD+ 2
by: 桂明日香
Blood+ 2
by: Production IG with art by Katsura Asuka
Kadokawa Shoten/Dark Horse/shounen-mediamix - $10.99 - Rated 16+
I remember watching Blood years ago. Heck I remember playing the “game” on the PS2 even before watching the movie or reading the novel. The property was associated with Production IG so I had to give it a chance. The first property was not polished but it held its own. The designs for Blood were striking. I wouldn’t have picked up the PS2 game if not to take advantage of the fluid 2D art in all those cut scenes. Furthermore, Blood was a rare title outside of say Jinroh or PatLabor that took time to incorporate military politics into an anime. And while I cannot say that any of the many media arms of the original Blood really drove me to purchase more I thought I was mildly entertained at the time.
Now Blood+ should be the original and a little more. That plus should mean something outside of “IG is going to squeeze you for more money.” Sadly while I have not seen the animation, for the manga that bonus is nothing but awkward relationships, a pile for a plot and some horrible art. And while I was looking forward to seeing how the property would tie in the numerous geo-political issues of southeast Asia, instead I was given heavy unwanted doses of drugged up monsters, and confused and abused shoujo playing dress up in foreign seifuku… Sigh. Seifuku? Is that all they can drum up about Vietnam?!?
I almost feel bad for Saya, as she should not have to experience such horrors…brought on by this comic. I know I wanted to slay something after reading this. Blood+ misses to hit almost every button and yet somehow Kadokawa milked a handful of versions (including one with a BL twist).
Major minus for this title.
Click on badge to listen download the review (16min .mp3).
Up Next… Otomen, Kimi ni Todoke, Name of the Flower, Red Snow, Red Me
Sumomomo, Momomo #2
by: Ohtsuka Shinobu
SquareEnix/Yen Press/Seinen - $10.99 - Rated 16+
Being a teenager is always complicated. Being a teen in a manga makes survival even more difficult. With all the teenaged ninja and demon slayers running around hacking and slashing things left and right. Then you have yanki and sukeban beating everyone else up for lunch money, and for kicks. And that’s not even taking crazed parents that want to marry you off to maintain the family name or insane teachers with personal grudges they’ve been nurturing for a generation or two.
Yup being a teen is tough. So drawing a manga about a teen who doesn’t want to be involved in any of that must be just as hard. If Sumomomo, Momomo is any indicator, it must be darn right impossible, cause this is one fugly looking manga. But let’s not judge this series by its covers…wait by its art (cause those covers are pretty darn cute). Judge this series by its heart. A burning heart easily capable of powering at least three of our suns. One that can not only features yanki and ninja in fishnet stockings but also reminds us that true moe is about the fire the keeps you coming back to protect what you care about.
Whether its a pink-haired girl with a dragon punch or the class nerd with his fiery ambitions to be a trial lawyer, there is something within Sumomomo, something so honest and simple, that despite its flaws I could not help but recommend this highly. So yeah, Ohtsuka’s quirky action-based rom-com is bound to offend and might seem a bit cliche at times, but those very flaws that I want to point out and share with you all. Manga should be entertaining. They should be comical. And Sumomomo, Momomo does that with so little effort it is almost perfect in its ugliness.
One of my top ten titles of the year!
Click on badge to listen download the review (16min .mp3).
Up Next… Blood+, Vagabond BIG, OtoMen, Red Snow
Reviewed by Jack
Akira #1
Author: Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira
List Price: $24.99
Mature
Now that us humans are smashing particles together via the Hadron Collider thing of a ma jigga in Europe, the potential for a black hole is imminent. I kid of course, but it did remind me of how Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira totally and completely pulled me into it’s storyline in a matter of seconds!
That’s not an easy feat as I’m like a raccoon, frequently distracted by shiny things like My Heavenly Hockey Club and Princess Resurrection chainsaw guts flying through my imagination. Somehow, I did pull it together for a few days and focused on getting through Akira (not that I had any choice in the matter).
First and foremost — I’m thankful this Thanksgiving (sorry for posting this late) for Kodansha having a licensing agreement with DelRey and Random House to distribute their title. The reason? Simple, they respect the medium and they treat works of art like they should be treated. The book’s quality is off the charts and you can tell the second you have it in your hand. It’s a typical graphic-novel type softcover, which I think is the right approach as hard-cover stuff just never comes across as the right spirit IMO (whatever that means…sorry). The price is better and you get the option of treating it more disposable-y as I often do with manga. Looks great, color pages to start, paper feels nice, good binding and the graphic design is interpreted well to boot.
The story and art is what makes this a masterpiece though. I’ve never read this series before (I know right, I’m a total manga hack) and it hits on all cylinders right from the start. Volume 1 starts off with a Japanese motorcycle gang in a post-nuclear world in which technology has advanced but not much of the social injustices. Violence, poverty, class and terrorism is still pronounced and the citizens still try to survive despite of it.
Within the gang, Kaneda and Tetsuo are the big players and the mangaka pits these two against each in a race within the first chapter. Their friendship is tinged with competitiveness, angst and a edge that is a theme we see that rings out throughout the book. I love manga where the authors take the time and make the effort to build a foundation of characters that are deep and complex.
We follow these two and the gang as their lives are turned upside down as they encounter an escaped Esper on one of their motorcycling jaunts. For right now, an Esper as I understand them are test subjects/powered beings that resulted from the nuclear war in some way. Regardless of what the hell they are, they are ridiculously creepy looking. Their appearance instantly adds a sense of mystery and foreshadowing to the storyline. That combined with the hints to what the heck is an “Akira” at all - make me very impatient for the next volume.
The only negative comment I’ll make is that they should not have flipped the book. I’ve been waffling a bit to the argument that this piece should be interpreted a bit to appeal to a mass audience… but I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a good chance to introduce to mass audience the notion of non-flipping! This is a tiny nit-pick actually, I didn’t even notice that it was flipped until I was finished with the book (but I do read flipped manga and American style books interchangeably these days).
LAST WORD
Don’t be an idiot like me and wait until you’re practically thirty and go buy this book right now — Perfect timing for that last minute stocking stuffer.
Book was supplied by Kodansha Publishing.
Lizard Prince, vol. 1
By Asuka Izumi
Publisher: CMX
Price: $9.99
Rating: E for Everyone/all ages
Now that she’s of marrying age, Princess Canary’s father is interested in her getting engaged. So, the king of Lunaria proposes a meeting with Prince Heath, from the neighboring kingdom of Gazania. Only problem is, Heath’s known far and wide as a dolt and womanizer! But, Canary doesn’t mind — it’ll give her a chance to give him a piece of her mind. When Heath catches wind of the plan, he uses magic to switch places with his talking pet lizard.
When the lizard in prince’s clothing meets Canary, Heath hopes she’ll refuse the marriage and his bachelorhood can continue on as planned. Unfortunately for Heath, Canary falls in love with the lizard, revealing him to be Heath’s long-lost older brother Sienna! While they initially think Sienna is free of his lizard curse, it’s not so and he continues to transform into his reptilian form. Will Canary and Sienna ever marry, or are the two young lovers doomed?
I couldn’t help but enjoy this cute manga, particularly since Canary was able to look past Sienna’s physical form in loving him. In manga and other romances, it’s so often “love at first sight,” where interest in physical form supposedly leaves to lasting attraction (or obsession). Thankfully, this trope is shed early on and Canary quickly falls in love with Sienna’s personality instead.
While it would be easy to have this manga end “happily ever after,” it was tempered by the ongoing conflict with Heath’s continuing transformations, making for some (mostly) harmless relationship friction. It’s an innocent love story with very likeable characters — Canary is great as a tomboy princess, and Sienna is charming in his own way. It was nice to see him appreciate Canary’s physicality, too. It shows a real depth to their attraction and a balance to their relationship.
The art here is pretty standard shojo fare with a rather primitive lizard — on the back cover, I initially thought he was a unicorn horn or something until I looked closer. (The Princess Unicorn doll from The Office comes to mind.) While the artwork is nice enough, I did notice a huge printer error in one panel where Canary’s forehead and eyes stuck out horribly, like some kind of graphic elephantitis.
The one artistic quibble I do have is the stylistic choice to have Prince Sienna’s clothes reappear every time he transformed from a lizard. It made me wonder where his clothes went when he transformed into a naked lizard. (Did they disappear into thin air? Held in some fourth dimension holding pattern?) While I understand Asuka Izumi wanted to make this an all-ages book, it seemed “off” to me. Then again, “suspension of disbelief” is the name of the game when you’re reading a tale featuring a prince who turns into a lizard merely by thinking about it!
All in all, I really enjoyed Lizard Prince — it’s a delightful romantic fantasy for all ages, with real heart. It’s rather entertaining to see Canary and Sienna together, especially since they belie their traditional gender roles and create a balanced partnership that goes beyond mere crushing. If you’re looking for a little innocent romance, look no further than Lizard Prince!
Review copy provided by the publisher. For more reviews by Lorena Nava Ruggero, visit her manga review blog, i ♥ manga.
Deka Kyoshi, vol. 1
By Tamio Baba
Publisher: CMX
Price: $9.99
Rating: Teen Plus/16+
After an elementary school teacher supposedly commits suicide, detective Toyama goes undercover to investigate. One of his students, a young boy named Makoto Miyahara, sees emotional manifestations that appear as monsters, later dubbed “synthes.” Once Makoto learns Toyama’s secret, the detective enlists the young boy as an assistant of sorts. While it seems that someone is behind all the synthes, Toyama and Makoto help the other students through their various emotional problems from shoplifting to bullying.
It’s hard to ignore this story’s parallels with the Arnold Schwarzenegger comedy Kindergarten Cop. But, outside of the funnier moments and the undercover cop plot, that’s where the similarities end. While this could be a straight-up procedural dramedy of sorts, a big dose of fantasy and mystery is injected via Makoto’s strange gift. While I thought it was an overactive imagination, it seems that there’s something else at work here and Makoto’s “sight” becomes the common thread tying all of these characters together. I’m still trying to figure out what Makoto really sees — is it emotions, or something manipulated by another? — but it’s an interesting plot device that will prove handy in future volumes, I’m sure.
Toyama is an interesting character on his own — he initially seems excited about teaching, but he’s really inept around children, who show their vulnerability in each chapter. He also breaks his cover quickly, and to a child, no less! Lastly, there’s a dichotomy to his character, and not in the “teacher on the outside, cop on the inside” way, either. He’s aggressive, funny, scared and weak in some regards, too. I found his balance of character traits both intriguing and refreshing. In most shonen series, the protagonist is a nearly unbeatable character with quirky weaknesses that usually work in his favor. Here, Toyama seems very human while helping the children learn tough moral lessons while he conducts his undercover investigation.
The artwork here really plays up to Toyama’s physique, from physical comedy to his height compared to the children. He bumps his head often against the door frame, eliciting laughter each time. He’s attractive enough, as are the unique children. But, it’s not all funny moments or cute characters — there’s also Makoto’s grotesque and unnerving synthes. From a sewn face on the back of someone’s head to tentacled and oozing monsters, it’s quite the juxtaposition.
Despite my initial wariness of Deka Kyoshi, I found myself interested in finding out what happened. While the moral lessons seem a bit like the after school special variety, they work in their own way. For those looking for an against-the-grain shonen story, you could do much worse than Deka Kyoshi.
Review copy provided by the publisher. For more reviews by Lorena Nava Ruggero, visit her manga review blog, i ♥ manga.
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