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31 March 2014 2 Comments

My Week in Manga: March 24-March 30, 2014

My News and Reviews

Posts last week at Experiments in Manga included a new manga giveaway as well as two new in-depth manga reviews! There’s still time to enter the giveaway, too. Head over to the Battle Angel Alita Giveaway to enter for a chance to win the first omnibus in Yukito Kishiro’s manga series Battle Angel Alita: Last Order. As for the reviews: I took a look at the most recent Moyoco Anno manga to be released in English, Insufficient Direction. It’s an autobiographical manga about her married life with Hideaki Anno and is quite funny. I adore Anno’s work, so was happy to learn a little more about her. I also wrapped up my Manga March Madness project. I was rather pleased that I managed to pull it off. Every weekend in March I reviewed a volume of Takehiko Inoue’s basketball manga Real. Since there were five weekends in March and I started with the first volume in the series, my last review for the project was for Real, Volume 5. I hope I was able to at least begin to express why Real is such a fantastic manga in my reviews, because it really is a phenomenal series.

Speaking of Takehiko Inoue, David Brothers, writing for Comics Alliance back in 2010, had a great article that was recently brought to my attention again—From Samurai to Shooting Hoops: Takehiko Inoue, Art Chameleon. As for other things found online: Nahoko Uehashi (the author of Moribito) won the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Author Award, which is a pretty big deal. As usual, Organization Anti-Social Geniuses had some great manga content last week. I particularly enjoyed What Manga Publishers Can Actually License in The US and Advice on Manga Editing, From Manga Editors. Tokyopop’s Stu Levy participated in a recent “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit. The daughter of Osamu Tezuka opened a drawer of her father’s desk that had been locked since 1985 and found some pretty cool stuff. And finally, I was pointed towards a brief biography of Takashi Nagasaki, who works closely with Naoki Urasawa.

Quick Takes

Berserk, Volume 37Berserk, Volume 37 by Kentaro Miura. I love the early story arcs of Berserk and continue to enjoy the series, so I’m always excited when another volume of the manga is finally released. After reading the thirty-seventh volume, I’m particularly anxious to get my hands on the next installment, whenever that may be. The battle between Guts and the rest of the crew against the sea god and its minions reaches its climax in this volume. They are aided by the merrow, Berserk‘s mermaids. Even though Miura’s version of mermaids is fairly traditional, though perhaps slightly more fish-like, I did like them. The thirty-seventh volume also contains a long flashback to Guts’ past as a young mercenary, which I particularly enjoyed reading. It’s set during a time when magic and the supernatural were more hidden and uncommon in the world, though hints of it could still be seen. The end of the volume also turns towards the current activities of Griffith’s army, which recently hasn’t had much prominence in the manga. After so much action and fighting, which I do enjoy, I’m very glad to see more story and plot development.

Black Sun, Volume 2Black Sun, Volume 2 by Uki Ogasawara. It’s been quite a while since I read the first volume of Ogasawara’s boys’ love manga Black Sun. I had a few issues with the story itself, mostly that the lead characters’ relationship moved a little too quickly from lust to possible love, but overall I thought the manga had good potential. I particularly liked the setting of Black Sun, a medieval fantasy inspired in part by the Crusades. Ogasawara’s artwork was also excellent, with particular attention given to the beautiful details of clothing and weaponry as well as attractive, muscular men. When I read the first volume of Black Sun I didn’t actually realize that it was a first volume. I appreciated it’s somewhat ambiguous ending, but was ultimately glad to discover that there was more to the series. The ending of the second and final volume is much less ambiguous, and much happier than I expected that it would be. Black Sun is part of Digital Manga’s 801 Media imprint, so unsurprisingly there is a fair amount of sex to go along with the plot. And Black Sun actually does have a plot. The relationship between Jamal and Leonard plays out against a backdrop of war and political intrigue.

From the New World, Volume 2From the New World, Volumes 2-3 written by Yusuke Kishi and illustrated by Toru Oikawa. I was very torn over the first volume of the From the New World manga. I absolutely loved its dark tone, but found the blatant, pandering fanservice to be a bit off-putting and out-of-place. Thankfully, the fanservice in the second volume is greatly toned down. The outfits worn by the young women are still fairly ridiculous and revealing, though, especially when compared to the male characters who tend to be covered from head to toe in oversized clothing. The lesbian sex returns in the third volume, but it makes much more sense within the context of the series than it did in the first volume. Part of this is because the worldbuilding has progressed significantly. From the New World suffers a little from large info dumps, but at least all of the information is new to the characters, too, so it’s not as egregious a problem as it could be. I’m still loving the actual story of From the New World. The series atmosphere is creepy and ominous, contrasting magnificently with what is supposed to be a perfect and pristine society. What humanity is willing to give up and the terrible steps that have been taken to maintain that system are now being revealed.

Swan, Volume 13Swan, Volumes 13-15 by Kyoko Ariyoshi. In Japan, Swan lasted for twenty-one volumes, only fifteen of which were released in English. It’s too bad that CMX folded before the series could be completely released. Swan is fantastic, and I’m very glad for the fifteen volumes that were translated. These last three volumes of the English edition follow Masumi as she travels to New York with Leonhardt to continue her study of ballet following the aftermath of the Tokyo World Ballet Competition. It’s the beginning of an important new story arc. Masumi has grown tremendously as a ballerina as well as a person, but her time in the United States presents new challenges. Her foundation is in classical ballet but now she is faced with modern ballet which is completely outside of her experience. She has trouble understanding modern ballet and so struggles greatly with its performance. Also introduced in these volumes are new characters and even a potential new love interest, which offers another set of problems for Masumi to deal with. Swan is a beautiful and surprisingly intense series; I was very impressed by it.

Arakawa2Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge, Season 2 directed by Akiyuki Shinbo. I enjoyed the first season of Arakawa Under the Bridge a great deal. I very much enjoyed the second season, too, but for some reason wasn’t quite as taken with it. I’m not really sure why that is though since not much really changed between the two. Arakawa Under the Bridge is still funny and absurd. I still like the humor and the characters. While the first season focused on Rec as he gets to know everyone living along the banks of the Arakawa River, everyone’s personalities and quirks have been well established by the start of the second. Maybe it’s that sense of newness and discovery that the second series lacks. But then again maybe not: the second season introduces new cast members as well as a storyline that provides an ongoing framework for some of the gags. (Ultimately it doesn’t really end up going anywhere, though.) One of the things that particularly amused me about the second season of Arakawa Under the Bridge is that Rec has more or less become a shoujo heroine, complete with flowers and sparkles. Nods to Riyoko Ikeda’s series are right at home alongside references to Fist of the North Star and other “manly” anime.

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10 December 2012 Leave a Comment

My Week in Manga: December 3-December 9, 2012

My News and Reviews

Last week was another three post week here at Experiments in Manga! (In addition to the usual My Week in Manga, that is.) First up was the announcement of the Music Manga Giveaway Winner. The post also includes a list of manga that has been licensed in English that incorporate music. The other two posts were reviews. The honor of the first in-depth manga review of December goes to Dororo, Volume 2 by Osamu Tezuka. Dororo remains one of my favorite Tezuka manga. The second review posted was for Keigo Higashino’s mystery novel Salvation of a Saint. The novel is a part of his Detective Galileo series. Only one other novel in the series, The Devotion of Suspect X, is currently available in English, but there are plans to release A Midsummer’s Equation, as well. I’m a fan of Higashino’s work (so far, Naoko is my personal favorite); I’m looking forward to reading more.

It’s been a while since I’ve pointed out interesting things that I’ve found online, but I’m hoping to get back into the habit. Last week there were two things that particularly caught my attention. First of all, there’s another My Week in Manga in town! Melinda Beasi kicked off a new video feature at Manga Bookshelf—My Week in Manga, Episode 1. Over at Yuri no Boke, Katherine Hanson is reviewing Paros no Ken (Sword of Paros)—a three volume manga series which I’m fairly certain takes place in the Guin Saga universe. It will probably never, ever be licensed in English, but the reviews really make me want to read it. Also, Linda of Animemiz’s Scribblings has posted the call for contributions for December’s Manga Moveable Feast! This month’s Feast will feature Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata’s wonderful series Hikaru no Go as well as other game-oriented manga. The Feast will take place between December 26 and December 31.

Quick Takes

Here Is Greenwood, Volumes 3-5 by Yukie Nasu. Although I loved the first two volumes of Here Is Greenwood, I wasn’t quite as taken with these three volumes. I like the series best when it is being utterly absurd, and there wasn’t quite as much of that going on here. I still enjoyed these volumes, though; the series manages to make me laugh on a fairly regular basis. The various story arcs are fairly episodic and there doesn’t seem to be an over-arching plot to be concerned about, although the continued development of the characters’ personalities is important. All of the scenarios usually found in a series centering around a school are present here—ghost stories, school festivals, summer vacations, and so on.

Limit, Volumes 1-2 by Keiko Suenobu. For some reason I wasn’t initially going to pick up Limit (it might’ve been the schoolgirl angle), but I’m really glad that I did—the series is right up my alley. A terrible bus accident claims the lives of nearly an entire class of high school students on their way to a secluded campground. Five of the surviving girls team together while waiting to be rescued. Well, “team together” might be stretching it. The girls carry a lot of hostility and can barely get along. They’ll not only have to survive the situation in which they find themselves but survive each other as well. The power and relationship dynamics in Limit are intense and exceptionally well done. Limit can be brutally realistic at times. I’ll definitely be following the rest of the series.

Sensitive Pornograph by Ashika Sakura. Sensitive Pornograph is a collection of six short, unrelated boys’ love manga. The title story and “Trophies Belong In the Bedroom” (which were probably my favorite two), were later made into an OVA. “Please, Kiss Me” is one of Sakura’s older works. The artwork isn’t as accomplished as it is in the other stories, but it’s light fun. “Non-Adult Situations” seemed like something I’d read before. “Indirect Youth” is unfortunately rape-y, but still manages to have its cute moments. “Come Home” has a nice family-oriented twist to it. Published under Digital Manga’s 801 imprint there’s plenty of explicit, uncensored sex in Sensitive Pornograph, but there’s a bit of plot, too.

Thermae Romae, Omnibus 1 (equivalent to volumes 1-2) by Mari Yamazaki. Yen Press’ deluxe hardcover release of Thermae Romae is fantastic and the content more than lives up to its presentation. Yamazaki’s personal notes included after each chapter are also a delightful addition. Thermae Romae manages to be both extremely entertaining as well as somewhat educational. Lucius is a Roman bath engineer from the Hadrian era who has a tendency to slip, fall, and almost drown in the baths on a regular basis. This somehow causes him to time-travel to various baths and hot springs in modern Japan. Lucius transforms the bizarre experiences he has in Japan into architectural and bathing innovations upon his eventual return to ancient Rome.

Berserk: The Golden Age, Arc I: The Egg of the King directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka. Kentaro Miura’s Berserk is one of my favorite manga series, particularly the “Golden Age” arc. I was very excited about the new series of anime films. The first film is a decent adaptation. It moves very, very quickly, taking the story up through the assassination of Count Julius. Unfortunately, the pace does mean that the characters have lost some of their depth. However, most of the important plot points make it into the film. I wasn’t overly fond of the sequences that relied heavily upon 3D CG animation, although occasionally it is used to great effect. The fight choreography in particular is exciting and very nicely done.

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15 October 2012 Leave a Comment

My Week in Manga: October 8-October 14, 2012

My News and Reviews

Two in-depth reviews for you all this past week, one for manga and one not. First up was my review of Yukio Mishima’s breakthrough, semi-autobiographical novel Confessions of a Mask. More than six decades after it was first published, it’s still a potent work. In some ways, it reminded me a bit of Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human. The second review was for Hiroaki Samura’s Blade of the Immortal, Volume 14: Last Blood, which is part of my Blade of the Immortal review project. Last Blood marks the end of one major story arc and the beginning of another. I’m still loving the series.

I’ve previously mentioned the Manga Out Loud podcast several times here at Experiments in Manga. The latest episode, which features a fantastic conversation about Osamu Tezuka’s Barbara with some big names in manga scholarship, will also be Manga Out Loud’s final episode. It’s my favorite manga podcast, so it saddens me greatly that the program is ending. Manga Out Loud was a fabulous show and the archives are well worth listening to even if there won’t be any new episodes added.

Both the New York Comic Con and Yaoi-Con took place over the weekend. Being stuck in the Midwest, I wasn’t able to attend either convention, but I was very excited about some of the manga license announcements to come out of the events. At NYCC, Kodansha Comics announced it will begin releasing Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga in October 2013. I’ve wanted Vinland Saga to be licensed for years, so I’m thrilled that it will finally be making its way into print in English. JManga has licensed Aoi Hana by Takako Shimura, the creator of Wandering Son. I’m glad to see a digital release of Aoi Hana, but also a little sad since it means it’ll probably be less likely to be picked up for a print license now. Vertical also had some great licenses to announce at NYCC: Osamu Tezuka’s Twin Knight (the sequel to Princess Knight) and Kyoko Okazaki’s Helter Skelter.

Over on the other coast at Yaoi-Con, Viz Media’s boys’ love imprint Sublime had a slew of new licenses to announce, including a license rescue. I’m particularly excited to see more manga by Yaya Sakuragi and a series by Kano Miyamoto scheduled for 2013. And the license rescue? I had most of my bets on Youka Nitta’s Embracing Love and was delighted to be proven correct. Plans are to release the series in two-volume omnibuses beginning April 2013. I already own the five volumes of Embracing Love that were originally released in English by Central Park Media, but I’ll happily be double-dipping for this series.

Quick Takes

5 Centimeters Per Second written by Makoto Shinkai and illustrated by Yukiko Seike. I tend to avoid most anime-to-manga adaptations since they often leave something to be desired. But after watching 5 Centimeters Per Second film, which I loved, I wanted to spend more time with the story. I’m glad I gave the manga a try because it’s a beautiful work. Seike’s art is lovely and conveys the characters’ feelings well. This is particularly important since pages and pages may pass without any dialogue at all. 5 Centimeters Per Second is a quiet and melancholy work—love and loneliness are closely tied together. The manga is a marvelous adaptation as well as being a wonderful work in its own right.

Berserk, Volume 36 by Kentaro Miura. Berserk is one of my favorite series and so I’m always excited when a new volume is released. I do prefer the earlier story arcs over the more recent ones, but I still love the series. Guts and his companions continue to be pursued by demonic powers. The pirate captain Bonebeard, who is no longer human, won’t let them be and he’s got plenty of monsters in tow. Monsters and demons aren’t the only things that Guts is battling against. His berserker armor, even when it can be held in check, takes a tremendous toll on him. The artwork in Berserk is great and Miura has a talent for creating creepy monster designs. The fights, which are rather chaotic, are engaging even if they can be a little difficult to follow at times.

Cardcaptor Sakura, Omnibus 4 by CLAMP. I’ve been looking forward to the release of the final omnibus of Cardcaptor Sakura a great deal. Despite the adorably sweet characters, there’s actually a significant amount of tragedy, sadness, and sacrifice in the series. But, much like Sakura’s mantra “I’m sure everything will be all right,” I ultimately find the series to be comforting. In the end, even though there is plenty that has been lost, love and friendship do win out. It’s not entirely unexpected since it’s been one of the manga’s strongest themes from the very beginning, but it does make me happy. I like the emphasis that is placed on the concept of love and how it isn’t limited to a single interpretation of what love is.

Girl Friends, Omnibus 1 by Milk Morinaga. Mari is a shy bookworm who is befriended by the more outgoing Akko. Suddenly, Mari has not one but an entire group of girl friends to hang out with. Slowly, Mari comes to realize that Akko means much more to her than just a friend, or even a best friend. So far, Girl Friends is a very realistic portrayal of young love. Mari trying to come to terms with her developing feelings for Akko is particularly well done. I honestly care about all of the characters in Girl Friends, not just Mari and Akko, but their friends (and boyfriends), too. I do worry about them; I want everything to work out well for all of them and I want them all to find happiness. I’m really looking forward to finishing the series.

Gin Tama, Collections 3-4 (Episodes 27-49) directed by Shinji Takamatsu. I still get a huge kick out of Gin Tama. It’s definitely not a series for everyone; some of the comedy can be pretty stupid at times. The episodes can be a little hit-or-miss for me, but even the episodes that are only okay manage to make me laugh. And the episodes that actually click with me I find to be absolutely hilarious. Take the final episode in the first season—the game of strip mahjong was so epic, I was almost in tears. There’s a ton of Japanese history and pop culture references and parodies in Gin Tama. The more of these you can catch, the funnier the show is. I do pretty well, but I know that there’s plenty I’m missing out on.

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31 October 2011 Leave a Comment

My Week in Manga: October 24-October 30, 2011

My News and Reviews

Today is the last day of the Horror Manga Moveable Feast and it’s been a great one! My quick takes from last week featured vampire themed manga while this week I’m featuring a variety of other horror influenced manga (plus Sugar Sugar Rune which isn’t horror, but reminds me of Hallowe’en). Last week I also posted a review of Otsuichi and Kendi Oiwa’s Goth manga adaptation. And after some encouragement from the Feast’s host Lori Henderson, I made a last minute contribution—Random Musings: Nightmare Inspector. (Which is one of the reasons this week’s new and reviews section is rather brief.)

Also! October’s manga giveaway for Moyoco Anno’s Sugar Sugar Rune, Volume 1 is up and going. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, so there’s still time to enter for a chance to win the first volume of a great fantasy series—Manga Giveaway: Happy Hallowe’en! (Sugar Sugar Rune Giveaway)

Quick Takes

Berserk, Volume 35 by Kentaro Miura. Guts and his companions are still on the high seas when the wind of change passes over the world. He is also still recovering from his last battle, but his skills are needed when the ship must face a hoard of demons from the sea. Occasionally Miura’s monster designs can feel somewhat repetitive, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less frightening. The art in Berserk is detailed and the battles are chaotic. Guts’ ordeal continues as he fights to protect those he’s come to consider friends. But the very power that he must use might also be the power that destroys them all. Berserk remains one of my favorite manga series; now begins the long wait for the next volume. 

Dragon Head, Volumes 1-10 by Mochizuki Minetaro. I enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction and Dragon Head is one of the best examples of the genre that I’ve come across in manga. The series explores the fear and the darkness, both literal and figurative, that cataclysmic events bring about. Dragon Head is fiction, and so some of the human responses to the tragedy feels overly dramatized, but the story is still very engrossing. I did find the inclusion of the scar heads somewhat odd, but they do provide another interesting perspective on fear. One of the most terrifying things in the world is the unknown, and the characters are never able to determine for certain what has happened. Minetaro’s art works fantastically well for the series, particularly the ravaged landscapes and scenes of destruction.

Grand Guignol Orchestra, Volume 1 by Kaori Yuki. I have a feeling that Grand Guignol Orchestra is a series that I like in theory but am unsatisfied with in reality. I mean, an orchestra that fights zombies with music (among other things)? How great is that? Pretty great in my opinion, but after reading the first volume I haven’t been convinced that Yuki will be able to pull it off. Even the characters haven’t settled in yet. The first volume seems unfocused and rushed at the same time, as if Yuki was trying to shove in too many manic ideas all at once. Still, the ability to take out a zombie with a tuning fork is pretty awesome. And even though it seems to have nothing to do with the actual story, I really like Gwin’s pet hedgehog.

King of Thorn, Volume 1 by Yuji Iwahara. The extremely deadly Medusa virus is running rampant across the world. In an effort to find a cure, a group of people chosen by lottery are put into stasis. But some awake to a world drastically different from the one they left. The facility they are in is in an extreme state of decay and carnivorous dinosaur-like creatures are roaming the grounds. The virus is no longer their immediate concern as they must struggle to simply survive. One of the things I like best about King of Thorn is that the ensemble cast is so diverse in both character design and personality. It is obvious from the way they interact with each other that Iwahara has put some thought into exactly who these people are. I’ll definitely be picking up the rest of the series.

Sugar Sugar Rune, Volumes 1-8 by Moyoco Anno. For a series that was created with elementary school students in mind, Sugar Sugar Rune is incredibly engaging for adult readers as well. It starts out innocently enough, two young witches have come to the human world to compete to become the next queen of the magical world, but the story quickly becomes deeper and more complex. The characters and setting are wonderfully well-rounded. Anno’s art is great even if some of the pages become a bit overwhelming. Marvelous attention is given to details such as clothing. Sometimes plot developments come out of nowhere, but they generally work in the long run. I really loved this series and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Black Jack, Episodes 18-28 and Black Jack Special: The 4 Miracles of Life directed by Makoto Tezuka. I wouldn’t necessarily classify Black Jack anime as horror, although the potential is certainly there. I, for one, wouldn’t want to have to face the various diseases and conditions that afflict Black Jack’s patients. I find Black Jack to be a fantastic character and prefer the episodes where he plays a greater role in the story. He can be an absolute ass, but underneath he’s really very compassionate. Also, he’s a baddass. The Black Jack anime ran for sixty-one episodes but only the first twenty-nine episodes and the special are available through Crunchyroll. Fortunately, Black Jack is primarily episodic, so at least we’re not left with unresolved plot arcs. Plus, there’s always the original manga!

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7 March 2011 4 Comments

My Week in Manga: February 28-March 6, 2011

My News and Reviews

The Manga Moveable Feast for March is coming up in a couple of weeks (March 20-26), which I believe will be hosted by Linda at Animemiz’s Scribblings. The feast will be focusing on Aria by Kozue Amano. I’ve been meaning to read the series for a while now, so this will be a perfect excuse to finally get around to it.

Arguably the biggest happening in the world of manga last week was the news that Tokyopop will be laying off more of its staff. Brigid Alverson at Robot 6 wrote a passionate response (Tokyopop lays off senior editors) that got quite a few people talking. Daniella Orihuela-Gruber, a freelance editor at Tokyopop, offers a personal response to the news at All About Manga—Life of a (Rookie) Editor: Love and Job Security.

A couple of weeks ago, Jason Thompson (Manga: The Complete Guide) wrote a post for io9 that I almost missed about the insane political satire and mahjong manga The Legend of Koizumi—The Legend of Koizumi: Japanese Politics, Mahjon Action and Space Nazis. It’s not currently available (legally) in English, but I hope that one day it will be. I tried to put a bug in Vertical‘s ear last time they were looking for license requests, but I’m not sure it was noticed.

Last week I announced the Have Some Hetalia Winner and posted the Bookshelf Overload for February. Also, a few more resources have been added to the Resources page: Animanga Nation, Anime, Manga and Manhwa Reviews, Animemiz’s Scribblings, and A Life in Panels (which I thought was already listed, but I guess not). And apparently green was the featured color for this week’s manga quick takes.

Quick Takes

Legal Drug, Volumes 1-3 by CLAMP. Currently, Legal Drug is on hiatus; there hasn’t been a new volume released since 2003. The first two volumes are somewhat episodic, although hinting at an overarching plot, while the third volume is primarily devoted to a single story. Things can be a bit confusing at times, and occasionally the plot is a little hard to follow, but I do like the overall story so far. Even more, I like the characters. Though, having only three volumes makes it difficult to really get to know them. But they certainly all have their own distinct personalities, and it’s a lot of fun to watch them interact. I found the artwork to be quite nice as well.

MPD-Psycho, Volumes 7-9 written by Eiji Otsuka and illustrated by Shou Tajima. I’m still not quite sure I understand everything that’s going on in MPD-Psycho, but I’m still completely fascinated by it. The artwork, too, while vaguely disconcerting is enthralling; it helps emphasize the creepy qualities of the story. I would really like to know what’s going on, so I hope that Dark Horse publishes another volume soon. The series is up to fifteen volumes in Japan, but the the last volume in English was released almost two years ago. Towards the end of last year I heard that Dark Horse planned to resume publishing, but I haven’t seen anything since then.

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Volumes 1-3 by Yuki Midorikawa. It’s been a while since I read the first volume of Natsume’s Book of Friends; I had forgotten how much I enjoy the series. It was first recommended to me because I liked Yuki Urushibara’s series Mushishi. Both series are primarily episodic, although Natsume’s Book of Friends has more recurring characters. They also both have a sort of nostalgic, melancholy feel to them. Natsume’s Book of Friends tends to have a bit more humor than Mushishi and is more approachable and straightforward for younger readers. But that doesn’t mean older readers won’t enjoy it, too. I know that I certainly do.

Saturn Apartments, Volume 2 by Hisae Iwaoka. Mitsu continues learning more about himself and his father in this second volume of Saturn Apartments. I’m enjoying watching as he allows himself to grow closer to the people he works with. I’m not entirely sure why, but I absolutely adored the entire conversation revealing Tamachi’s obsession with eggs. It’s amusing to watch everyone hang out and rib on each other. I’m glad the Mitsu is beginning to feel like part of the group, but I do still worry about him. There’s still a fair amount of mystery surrounding his father’s accident; I’m particularly interested in learning more about this aspect of the story.

Berserk directed by Naohito Takahashi. I am more or less obsessed with Kentaro Miura’s manga series Berserk, so it was only a matter of time before I picked up the anime as well. The storyline has been streamlined and focused but there were definitely parts that I missed. Some of the emotional impact is reduced, but there were still moments that gave me chills. Susumu Hirasawa’s soundtrack is great. Overall, it’s a fantastic adaptation; the most important aspects and themes of the story remain intact although the supernatural elements are downplayed (at least until the end). The anime does end rather abruptly; it probably could have used one or two more episodes to tie everything together better.

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