My Week in Manga: August 1-August 7, 2011

My News and Reviews

The first week of the month is always a slow one here at Experiments in Manga. I announced the Ghost Talker’s Giveaway Winner, which also includes a few recommendations for absurd manga. Interestingly enough, most of them have something to do with food in one way or another. I also posted July’s Bookshelf Overload. Since I purchase most of my new manga from Borders, which is now undergoing liquidation, I expect that the lists for future months will be somewhat shorter for the most part. Otherwise, I don’t have much to report this week.

Quick Takes

2001 Nights, Volumes 1-3 by Yukinobu Hoshino. 2001 Nights is probably the best science fiction manga that I’ve read. I absolutely loved it. Granted, I’m already a fan of Golden Age science fiction—the likes of Asimov, Clarke, and such—and 2001 Nights is definitely an homage to that tradition. The manga is a collection of nineteen interconnected stories, many of which can stand alone. But read together, they form a magnificently layered narrative. The first volume takes place in the near future, at a time that humanity is just starting to explore deep space, and each volume takes them further and further. It really is a pity that this series is out of print. If you enjoy science fiction, I highly recommend 2001 Nights.

East Coast Rising, Volume 1 by Becky Cloonan. East Coast Rising is one of the unfortunate victims of Tokyopop’s fiascos dealing with their original English-language properties. Only the first volume of the series was ever published, but not because it’s a bad comic. In fact, it was nominated for both an Eisner Award and an International Manga Award in 2007. There’s not much character or plot development in this first volume except for what can be gleaned from how individuals interact with one another. However, there is plenty of action and humor. I think East Coast Rising is fantastic, the art is great, and I am deeply saddened that we’ll probably never get to see the rest of the series.

The Embalmer, Volumes 3-4 by Mitsukazu Mihara. I have come to really like this series; each volume seems to get better and better. Tokyopop only published the first four volumes of The Embalmer, but from what I can tell it’s up to at least six volumes in Japan. However, the series is fairly episodic, so it makes it hurt a little less that it’s not available in its entirety in English. Although, I would really like to know how things turn out between Shinjyurou and Azuki. I particularly enjoyed the third volume since it delves into Shinjyurou’s backstory. I really like Shinjyurou and there is a lot more to him than first appears. In some ways, The Embalmer reminds me of the film Departures, and that is not at all a bad thing.

Gravitation Collection, Volumes 1-4 (equivalent to Volumes 1-8) by Maki Murakami. This is a reread for me—I realized that I never actually finished reading Gravitation and I wanted a quick refresher before I read the last collected volume. This is a series that could easily give a reader whiplash. Most of the time Gravitation is over-the-top insanity and craziness, thanks mostly to one of its leads—Shuichi, a budding rock star. But from time to time it will suddenly turn overly melodramatic and serious. Usually, when the plot has something to do with the other lead—the romance novelist Eiri Yuki with whom Shuichi has fallen in love. Admittedly it’s not the greatest series out there, but for the most part I do find it entertaining.

Samurai Champloo, Episodes 1-15 directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. Samurai Champloo is one of my favorite anime series. In fact, I think it’s the first series I ever purchased volume by volume. Samurai and hip hop make an excellent combination. Despite Samurai Champloo‘s obvious anachronisms, for a very long time this series formed the basis of my knowledge of Edo period Japan (don’t worry, I didn’t stop there). Samurai Champloo has style and a great sense of humor. I adore the characters of Jin, Mugen, and Fuu and enjoy getting to know them as they get to know each other. The trio’s constant bickering can’t hide the fact that they’ve become very important to one another.