1 March 2013 2 Comments

Bookshelf Overload: February 2013

I did a little better in February keeping my purchases in check than I did in January, but not by much. Hopefully I will continue to improve my self-control when it comes to buying manga. Once again, I’m blaming Right Stuf and Akadot for having some great sales, but really it’s my own fault. Eros Comix also had nice sale for Valentine’s Day, so I picked up a few hentai titles from its Mangerotica line. As for out-of-print goodies, I enjoyed Saki Hiwatari’s Please Save My Earth so much that I made a point to track down a copy of the anime adaptation as well as a complete set of Tower of the Future, the only other Hiwatari manga that has been released in English. I was excited when my copy of Sweet Blue Flowers shipped and arrived early (technically, its official release is next week). The anime is base on a manga series by Takako Shimura (the creator of Wandering Son), so I’m really looking forward to watching it. Unfortunately, my DVD player recently stopped working. I could watch it on my laptop, but this is a series that I think many of the other people in my household would enjoy watching with me.

Manga!
20th Century Boys, Volumes 17-19 by Naoki Urasawa
Attack on Titan, Volume 3 by Hajime Isayama
Awkward Silence, Volume 3 by Hinako Takanaga
Bad Teacher’s Equation, Volumes 2-5 by Kazuma Kodaka
Beast & Feast by Norikazu Akira
Black Jack, Volume 16 by Osamu Tezuka
Blue Exorcist, Volumes 2-8 by Kazue Kato
Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love, Volume 3 by Yaya Sakuragi
Border, Volumes 1-3 by Kazuma Kodaka
Countdown: Sex Bombs by Hiroyuki Utatane
Eyeshield 21, Volumes 15-17 written by Riichiro Inagaki, illustrated by Yusuke Murata
Flowers of Evil, Volume 4 by Shuzo Oshima
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 1 by Tsutomu Nihei
Limit, Volume 3 by Keiko Suenobu
Otomen, Volumes 12-14 by Aya Kanno
Pink Sniper by Kengo Yonekura
Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei, Volumes 9-10 by Koji Kumeta
A Strange Kind of Woman, Volume 1 by Inu
Tekkon Kinkreet: Black & White by Taiyo Matsumoto
Tower of the Future, Volumes 1-11 by Saki Hiwatari

Comics!
The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks
Artifice written by Alex Woolfson, illustrated by Winona Nelson
Heavy Liquid by Paul Pope

Novels!
Tales of Moonlight and Rain by Akinari Ueda

Anime!
New Fist of the North Star directed by Takashi Watanabe
Please Save My Earth directed by Kazuo Yamazaki
Tiger & Bunny, Volume 1 directed by Keiichi Sato
Sweet Blue Flowers directed by Ken’ichi Kasai

Filed Under: Bookshelf Overload
27 February 2013 24 Comments

Manga Giveaway: Ayako Giveaway

The end of February draws near as does Experiments in Manga’s monthly manga giveaway! In celebration of Vertical’s paperback release of Osamu Tezuka’s Ayako (which just came out a couple of weeks ago) I’m giving away a new copy of the original hardcover edition which will now be going out of print. As always, the giveaway is open worldwide!

Even though only a small fraction of Osamu Tezuka’s total output is available in English, the “god of manga” is still very well represented. Vertical is one of Tezuka’s major publishers in English, but his works have also been released by Viz Media, Digital Manga, and Dark Horse. Later this year, PictureBox will also be joining the list of Tezuka’s English-language publishers. The range of Tezuka’s works available in English is also impressive: manga intended for children, manga for more mature audiences, science fiction, fantasy, horror, medical dramas, historical fiction…the list could go on for a while. Tezuka’s Adolf was my introduction to manga and so that series is very important to me, but at the moment Dororo is my personal favorite from the master.

So, you may be wondering, how can you win a new copy of Ayako?

1) In the comments below, tell me about your favorite Tezuka manga. (Never read any Tezuka? You can simply mention that.)
2) If you’re on Twitter, you can earn a bonus entry by tweeting about the contest. Make sure to include a link to this post and @PhoenixTerran (that’s me).

It’s as easy as that! Each person can earn up to two entries for this giveaway. As usual, you have one week to get your entries in. If you have trouble leaving comments, or if you would prefer, entries can be submitted to me via e-mail at phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com. I will then post the comment in your name. The winner will be randomly selected and announced on March 6, 2013. Good luck to you all!

VERY IMPORTANT: Include some way that I can contact you. This can be an e-mail address, link to your website, Twitter username, or whatever. If I can’t figure out how to get a hold of you and you win, I’ll just draw another name.

Contest winner announced—Manga Giveaway: Ayako Giveaway Winner

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25 February 2013 Leave a Comment

My Week in Manga: February 18-February 24, 2013

My News and Reviews

Last week was the Naoki Urasawa Manga Moveable Feast. Organization Anti-Social Geniuses did a great job hosting. For my contribution to the Feast, I reviewed the first of Urasawa’s works to be released in English: Pineapple Army. The volume collects ten stories from the eight-volume series Pineapple Army written by Kazuya Kudo and illustrated by Urasawa that focuses on the exceptionally capable Jed Goshi, a Japanese-American Vietnam war veteran. As promised, I also posted a review of Persona: A Biography of Yukio Mishima by Naoki Inose and Hiroaki Sato. It is easily the most comprehensive single-volume work on Mishima currently available in English. It’s a huge volume, but well worth the effort it takes to read it if, like me, you have an established interest in Mishima.

I’ve made a few updates to the Resources page. The Manga Critic has now been absorbed by Manga Bookshelf and so no longer has its own entry. I did come across a newish blog that looks to be quite interesting, What Is Manga?, which is described as “a regular interrogation of what Japanese “comics” are and are not.” A couple of publisher websites have also disappeared: Bandai Entertainment and Icarus Comics. However, I did add Drawn and Quarterly (which was missing for some reason) and the newly established Chromatic Press to the list.

Elsewhere online, Gen Manga has launched a Kickstarter project for the print run of Sorako, one of the magazine’s stronger stories. A fascinating conversation between Igarashi Daisuke (Children of the Sea, etc.) and Taiyo Matsumoto (Tekkon Kinkreet, etc.) made its way onto Tumblr. The newest installment of Jason Thompson’s House of 1000 Manga focuses on Kingyo Used Books which unfortunately (but probably not surprisingly) has been canceled in English. I was also  sad to learn about the passing of Donald Richie, an influential writer and lover of Japan.

Quick Takes

Cyborg 009, Volume 7 by Shotaro Ishinomori. There is something about Cyborg 009 that makes me really happy to read it. Volume seven concludes part five of the series, which features the showdown between the zero-zero cyborg prototypes and the Myutos cyborgs. Initially I wasn’t overly impressed by the Myutos cyborgs. Their designs are inspired by Greek mythology, which seemed to be a rather strange and not entirely convincing combination. However, I quickly got over it and just enjoyed the story and its nearly non-stop action. The fights don’t just boil down to who happens to have the better or stronger superpower. Cleverness, teamwork, and character are just as important.

Eyeshield 21, Volumes 8-10 written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by Yusuke Murata. Eyeshield 21 is definitely not the most realistic sports manga. Although there are a few serious-minded themes, Inagaki and Murata revel in the more absurd and humorous elements of the series. I think that’s really what makes the series work for me. That and Murata’s dynamic and engaging artwork. These three volumes wrap up the America story arc with the Deimon Devil Bats facing off against the NASA Aliens. Eventually the team ends up in the United States for a few days of utterly ridiculous summer training. Yes, Eyeshield 21 is over-the-top and hardly believable, but it is highly entertaining.

Rabbit Man, Tiger Man Volume 1 by Akira Honma. After rescuing the life of Nonami, a yakuza boss, timid Uzuki suddenly discovers that he’s caught the attention of a very dangerous man. Admittedly, the basic premise of the manga isn’t particularly original; I’ve read plenty of other boys’ love stories with a similar setup. Even so, Rabbit Man, Tiger Man has a nice mix of humor and drama and I’m quite fond of the characters. I particularly liked Nonami. He’s a tough guy, but he also has a very sweet nature. His underling Taka is pretty great, too. I actually quite enjoyed this first installment of Rabbit Man, Tiger Man. I’ll most likely be picking up the next volume at some point.

VS Aliens by Yu Suzuki. In addition to being one of Gen Manga’s debut stories, VS Aliens was also the first story in the magazine to be collected in its entirety in a single volume. Unlike a few of the other Gen Manga collections, there is no additional material included in VS Aliens that didn’t originally appear during its initial serialization. One day, Kitaro is approached by Segawa, one of his classmates, who seems to be convinced that another girl in their class, Sakuma, is an alien. Not wanting to hurt either of the girls’ feelings, Kitaro tries his best to figure out what’s going on. But that may turn out to be a little more difficult than he realizes. VS Aliens is a rather silly manga but an enjoyable piece of fluff and an amusing, quick read.

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22 February 2013 Leave a Comment

Persona: A Biography of Yukio Mishima

Author: Naoki Inose and Hiroaki Sato
Translator: Hiroaki Sato
Publisher: Stone Bridge Press
ISBN: 9781611720082
Released: December 2012

My introduction to Japanese literature was through Yukio Mishima’s tetralogy The Sea of Fertility. Ever since, I have been fascinated by his life and works. It has been nearly forty years since a major biography on Mishima has been released in English. I was very excited when I learned that Stone Bridge Press would be releasing Persona: A Biography of Yukio Mishima by Naoki Inose and Hiroaki Sato at the end of 2012. The English-language edition is actually an updated and expanded version of Inose’s 1995 Japanese Mishima biography Persona: Mishima Yukio den. Sato was primarily responsible for the adaptation, expansion, and translation of the English-language edition of Persona. It is a mighty tome. With over 850 pages, Persona promised to be the most comprehensive and complete biography of Mishima available in English.

Yukio Mishima, the pen name of Kimitake Hiraoka was born on January 14, 1925 to Azusa and Shizue Hiraoka. His upbringing was a bit peculiar—his controlling grandmother snatching him away from his parents. As a child he often struggled with health issues, but exhibited an intellectual precociousness and a talent for writing at a young age. Mishima would eventually become one of the preeminent and most visible authors of his day. He was also an extremely prolific writer, responsible for creating thirty-four novels, more than one hundred seventy short stories, close to seventy plays, six hundred sixty poems, and numerous essays, articles, and other works. Many of Mishima’s writings have been translated, but only a fraction of his total output is available in English. He was also involved in the film industry, served as a subject and model for photographers, and was active in martial arts and bodybuilding. Later in life, becoming more politically active, he was a vocal supporter of the Tennō system in Japan. Mishima ended it all in a shocking act of ritual suicide on November 25, 1970.

Persona really is the most comprehensive single-volume work on Mishima currently available in English. However, in part due to its length, it is difficult to recommend the biography as a introductory resource. Before attempting to read Persona, it is useful to have a least some basic understanding of Mishima and Japanese history in general. Persona isn’t strictly just a biography of Mishima—it places him within a greater context of economic, bureaucratic, political, literary, and cultural Japanese history. While Mishima always remains an important touchstone, frequently Persona uses him a launching point to address other aspects of Japanese history as a whole. Occasionally the authors seem to wander off on tangents that aren’t directly related, but Mishima and his enormous personality are always there in the background even when they’re not at the forefront of the work.

Although Persona generally follows a chronological progression, beginning with Mishima’s family history and background and ending with his suicide and its aftermath, the biography is organized more by subject and theme. The authors do not limit themselves to adhering to a rigid timeline, which allows them to bring together related material more efficiently. In addition to the main text, Persona also includes notes, an extensive bibliography, and a thorough index. Though its length may be daunting and it’s not always a particularly easy read, Persona really is an incredibly complete Mishima biography. Addressing both Mishima’s public and private personas, it delves into areas of his personal life (including his sexuality) which I haven’t seen as thoroughly explored in English before. While not a biography for the casual reader, reading Persona is well worth the effort for someone with an established interest in Mishima and Japanese history.

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20 February 2013 3 Comments

Pineapple Army

Author: Kazuya Kudo
Illustrator: Naoki Urasawa
U.S. publisher: Viz Media
ISBN: 9780929279398
Released: December 1990
Original run: 1986-1988

I was very excited when Naoki Urasawa was selected as the subject of February 2013’s Manga Moveable Feast. One of the major reasons that I developed an obsession with manga is thanks to Urasawa and his series Pluto, a reimagining of one of Osamu Tezuka’s most popular Astro Boy stories. After reading Pluto, I immediately started to look for more of his work, which led to my discovery of Pineapple Army—his first work to be published in English. Viz Media released ten issues of Pineapple Army between 1988 and 1989 before publishing a collected volume in 1990. Pineapple Army, written by Kazuya Kudo and illustrated by Urasawa, is an eight volume series in Japan, originally serialized between 1986 and 1988. The English-language edition of Pineapple Army selects ten stories from throughout the series’ original run.

Jed Goshi is a formidable man. He’s an ex-marine, an ex-mercenary, a Vietnam war hero, an explosives expert, an exceptionally capable strategist, and an incredibly skilled combatant. Goshi now lives in New York City where he is a part of the Civilian Defense Forces, instructing amateurs in military tactics and teaching people how to fight for themselves. Often the cases he takes on are those that have little chance of success: four orphaned girls threatened by organized crime, a cowardly father and son being targeted by an assassin, a young woman in Latin America trying to rescue her kidnapped father, and so on. Even when Goshi is on vacation or out on a date he can’t seem to avoid being drawn into some sort of conflict. Events don’t always play out well but one thing is certain: Goshi is very good at what he does.

Pineapple Army is one of Urasawa’s earliest professional works. While the influence of other artists like Katsuhiro Otomo is fairly obvious, especially in the character designs, the beginnings of Urasawa’s own personal style can also be seen. Urasawa’s semi-realistic illustrations work well for Pineapple Army. Although there is plenty of action, the manga is very character driven. The realism of Urasawa’s artwork helps to keep even the more outrageous elements of the story grounded and the characters, particularly Goshi, believable (at least for the most part). He excels in creating memorable and expressive faces. Urasawa’s action sequences are great, too, everything from hand-to-hand combat to flying bullets and exploding grenades. The scenes are dynamic—at times even cinematic—clear, and easy to follow.

For the most part, the ten stories collected in Pineapple Army stand fairly well on their own. Still, it can be ocassionally awkward as the overarching plot of the series is obscured and some of the side characters are taken out of context. However, it’s Goshi who is the most important to Pineapple Army. Each story reveals a little more of his past and who he is as a person. I want to know more, though. Goshi is an appealing character. He has principles and a strong sense of justice. While he is capable and willing to resort to violence, he’s not a warmonger. It is very clear that he cares about people. But even so, Goshi has not been able to return to a normal civilian life. The same goes for most of the other war veterans that Goshi encounters in Pineapple Army, often as antagonists. I originally picked up Pineapple Army because of Urasawa’s involvement, but I’ve come to appreciate it for Kudo’s writing as well. Sadly, I doubt that any more of the series will ever be released in English, but I’m glad to have at least this one volume.

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