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30 December 2011 Leave a Comment

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 1

Creator: Naoko Takeuchi
U.S. publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9781935429746
Released: September 2011
Original release: 2003
Awards: Kodansha Manga Award

In 1997, Naoko Takeuchi’s manga series Sailor Moon was one of the very first titles published by Tokyopop. It, along with the anime series, became somewhat of a phenomenon in the United States. But, Tokyopop’s license ended and Sailor Moon has been out of print for years despite its popularity. Then, in 2011, Kodansha brought the manga back in a completely new edition under the title Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. Kodansha’s version is based on the 2003 revision of the original series, which was first published in Japan between 1991 and 1997. I’ll admit, I mostly missed out on Sailor Moon the first time around except for a single day that I was sick in bed and there happened to be a marathon of the Sailor Moon anime on television. I don’t really remember much of it though, and the whole incident may very well have been a fever dream, but I’m pretty sure it actually happened. Still, I was very glad that Sailor Moon was selected for the December 2011 Manga Moveable Feast so that I could be properly introduced to the series.

Usagi Tsukino is an average fourteen-year-old middle school student at Minato Ward Juban Public. She enjoys eating, sleeping, and having fun. Her grades could stand to be better, but she would rather visit the local game center than study. On her way to school one morning, late and in a rush as usual, Usagi comes across a strange cat. After helping it—she was the one who stepped on the poor thing after all—the cat begins appearing wherever she goes. That night the cat, Luna, reveals its ability to talk and declares Usagi to be a guardian, destined to find her allies, defeat her enemies, and protect the princess and the legendary silver crystal. Usagi’s not really sure what Luna is talking about or even that she wants anything to do with it. But given the ability to transform into Sailor Moon and the powers needed to save her friends from harm, Usagi suddenly discovers she’s not just a normal teenager after all.

For a cat that appears to know just about everything about what is going on, at the same time Luna doesn’t seem actually to know anything. Although I’m sure that Takeuchi has some basic idea of where she is taking the story, in this first volume of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon I really feel like she’s making up most of it as she goes. Things just kind of happen and the readers and characters are simply there for the ride. The guardians themselves seem oddly accepting of everything that is occurring around them and of the revelations of their true natures—they just seem to go along with it. I actually found the resulting narrative chaos to be rather delightful at first, but I do hope that the story finds a bit more direction and focus in subsequent volumes.

Probably the thing I like best about Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon so far is the cast. While the villains come across as a bit one note, Luna and the guardians and Tuxedo Mask are all very likable. I particularly appreciate the range of their personalities. I was actually a little surprised by how much I ended up liking Usagi. She’s a bit of an airhead and an admitted crybaby, characteristics that tend to annoy me. But those aren’t her only defining qualities. When her friends are in trouble she will do anything she can to help them and will give it her best. Usagi’s an unlikely leader, but her confidence is growing and the others trust her. I think that Takeuchi’s artwork has held up pretty well over time. Granted, I do read a lot of older manga, so maybe it just doesn’t bother my stylistically. However, the more action oriented sequences and fights can be difficult to follow. I wasn’t astounded by the first volume of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, but I did enjoy its charming silliness enough to want to read more.

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16 December 2011 Leave a Comment

Ninja Attack!: True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws

Author: Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt
Illustrator: Yutaka Kondo
Publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9784770031198
Released: November 2010

Ninja Attack!: True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws is the second Attack! book by wife and husband team Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt, although this time they are working with a different illustrator, Yutaka Kondo. I read and thoroughly enjoyed the first Attack! guide, Yokai Attack!, finding it to be both entertaining and informative. In fact, I liked Yokai Attack! so well that I was immediately interested in Ninja Attack!, first published by Kodansha International in 2010. While Yokai Attack! looked at traditional Japanese creatures from folklore and urban legend, Ninja Attack! primarily focuses on real-life figures from Japanese history. As is explained in the books foreword, “Actual, historical ninja are fascinating enough subjects without needing to muddy the waters with fantasy.” Yoda and Alt go on to prove that to be true.

Like Yokai Attack!, Ninja Attack! is organized thematically as opposed to chronologically which might be expected with a book dealing with history. Ninja Attack! features thirty-one important or notable historical figures divided into six groups: “Ninja’s Ninja,” those who served as role models, epitomizing what it means to be a ninja; “Ninja Gone Bad,” which is just what it sounds like; “Ninja Magic,” those that seem supernatural in their abilities; “Ninja Rivals,” samurai and lawmen who interacted with ninja; “Ninja Masters,” those who made good use of and employed ninja; and “Ninja Destroyer,” which is pretty much just Oda Nobunaga. Additional information and fun facts are given throughout the book in the form of sidebars, sections called “The Illustrated Ninja,” in which the authors talk about ninja and ninjutsu more generally, and a brief history of Japan. A glossary, bibliography, and index are also provided, as well as a foreword and an “About This Book” section.

Although there is some variation, most entries in Ninja Attack! consist of five major parts: a full-page, color illustration; a quick fact sheet about the person; a section called “The Man” (or “The Woman” where appropriate), which is a brief biography or introduction of sorts; a section called “The Moment of Glory” which describes an exploit for which the person is known; and a section called “The End” which explains how things ultimately turn out. Some entries have additional sections and in a few cases may be missing some of the ones just listed. One of my few complaints about Yokai Attack! was that the color pages were dropped partway through the book. So, I was very happy to see that this was not the case with Ninja Attack!, which continues to alternate between color and black and white pages from beginning to end.

As much as I loved Yokai Attack!, I think I enjoyed Ninja Attack! even more. The very informal, conversational tone that Yoda and Alt adopt make the book extremely approachable. Even readers who don’t consider themselves history buffs should find Ninja Attack! interesting and probably won’t be scared off. Readers who already know some Japanese history will most likely recognize a number of the people mentioned, but there were plenty who at least I was previously unfamiliar with. A few important fictional ninja are also included in the book, but for the most part Ninja Attack! focuses on historical figures who are known or are believed to have existed, exploring the truth behind the myths and legends that surround ninja even today. Ninja Attack! isn’t the definitive source for its subject area, but it makes a fantastic introduction. Ninja Attack! is lighthearted, thoroughly engaging, and very informative. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the book.

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23 November 2011 1 Comment

Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan

Author: Eiji Yoshikawa
Translator: William Scott Wilson
U.S. publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9784770026095
Released: October 2000
Original release: 1941

Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan is the second work by Eiji Yoshikawa that I have read. Taiko is probably Yoshikawa’s best known work in English following Musashi, another of his epics, which I have also read. Yoshikawa was a prolific author in Japan, particularly respected as a historical novelist, but only four of his works are currently available in English, the other two being his telling of The Tale of Heike and his memoir Fragments of a Past. Taiko was first released in Japan in 1941. The English translation by William Scott Wilson was initially published in 1992 by Kodansha International and then again in 2000. Like Musashi, the English edition of Taiko has been abridged from the original. I’m not entirely sure how long Taiko was to begin with, but the shortened version of the novel is nothing to ridicule with well over nine hundred pages of dense text.

Taiko begins in the year 1536. At the time Hiyoshi, later known as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was only a troublesome young boy the age of six. The novel follows him and the tumultuous state of Japanese society as he becomes one of Oda Nobunaga’s most trusted retainers. Nobunaga is extraordinarily ambitious and ruthless in his methods striving to unite Japan under his own banner. It’s a dream that can’t be realized without the aid and efforts of Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who would go on to found the Tokugawa Shogunate. The prospect of unifying Japan is not an easy one. After the collapse of the Ashikaga Shogunate, the country was thrown into a state of chaos with many clans fighting each other in order to claim the power to rule.

The most difficult thing about reading Taiko is the sheer number of characters involved in the story. Someone might be thoroughly introduced only to die or otherwise meet fate a few pages later. An added challenge to this is that many of the characters undergo multiple name changes as the novel progresses. Taiko is divided into ten books. At the beginning of each of these sections, a brief list of prominent people and places is given. This is very useful, but a more comprehensive and complete register would have been even more helpful. Some familiarity with feudal era Japan would be extremely valuable for or perhaps even expected of someone undertaking to read Taiko. It’s not always clear why certain people or references that are made are important without a basic understanding of the the historical context of the story. The constantly shifting politics and alliances can likewise be difficult to follow.

Taiko is described as an epic for good reason. It is a long and complicated novel, capturing the end of the Warring States period and the following attempt at the political unification of Japan. Many of the characters pull off some very impressive diplomatic and military maneuvers. The near constant state of war allows Yoshikawa to write brilliant battle sequences and when there isn’t fighting there is plenty of political intrigue to keep everyone occupied. Taiko provides an immersive, and at times even inspiring, experience of sixteenth century Japan. However, the novel’s length, even abridged, is certainly felt. There really isn’t much character development, although people might exhibit sudden changes in behavior, and even the narrative arc comes across as somewhat flat. Perhaps Yoshikawa was too constrained by the historical realities of the period. But there’s some great stuff in here, too, and I’m glad I took the time to read Taiko.

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12 October 2011 Leave a Comment

Love Hina, Omnibus 1

Creator: Ken Akamatsu
U.S. Publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9781935429470
Released: October 2011
Original release: 1999

A few years ago I read about half of Ken Akamatsu’s manga series Love Hina, but for some reason never finished it. At the time, Tokyopop had published the fourteen volumes between 2002 and 2003; Love Hina was a very successful series for the company. Love Hina was also successful in its native Japan. Serialized between 1998 and 2001, Love Hina went on to inspire anime, light novel, and even video game adaptations. In 2001, Love Hina also won the Kodansha Manga Award for the shōnen category. Love Hina was selected for the September 2011 Manga Moveable Feast, although for various reasons we held it in October, to coincide with Kodansha Comics new English release of the series. Kodansha was even kind enough to send out review copies of the new omnibus edition, collecting the first three volumes of the series, to some of the participants. I figured it was a good opportunity to give the series another try.

Keitaro Urashima is a second year rōnin. He has applied to the prestigious Tokyo University twice and failed entry both times. It’s really not that surprising though if you take a look at his atrocious test scores. Regardless, he is determined to make it in because of a promise he made to a childhood friend (a girl) who he hasn’t seen or heard from in fifteen years. Unfortunately, Keitaro’s parents are fed up with the situation and have kicked him out of the house. And so he hopes his grandmother will let him stay at her inn. What he doesn’t know is that Hinata Inn has been turned into an all-female dormitory. Finding his grandmother away and himself suddenly the manager of the property, Keitaro has a lot more to worry about than just his entrance exams. The poor guy has very little experience with women, and the residents of Hinata Inn are not going to make it easy on him.

Much of the humor in Love Hina involves Keitaro unintentionally stumbling upon the girls in various stages of dress or undress and subsequently being declared a pervert and getting pummeled by them for it. I’ll admit that I find this rather amusing, but it does get somewhat repetitive, something that even the characters notice. The resulting fanservice caused by these incidents tend to be fairly mild, more imagined than shown, although there are still plenty of panty shots and the like to be found. I’m actually not all that bothered by the fanservice in Love Hina because it serves a legitimate purpose to the story—there are narrative reasons for it to be there. But much like the repeated gags to which it is so closely tied, the fanservice, too, becomes fairly monotonous over time.

While I don’t actively dislike Love Hina, I’m not finding myself particularly engaged by it, either. I’m not really sure why, because there are parts I really like. I appreciate the fact that all the young women living at Hinata Inn have distinct personalities that are, for the most part, independent from Keitaro. It is fairly clear from their interactions with one another that the household has an established rapport and that Keitaro has simply been added to the mix. Unfortunately, once the characters have been fully introduced, there isn’t much further development in these early volumes. At this point, I also feel that the narrative flow is somewhat disjointed. Love Hina isn’t exactly an episodic series, but some of the transitions between chapters, or lack thereof, can be jarring. Still, there are some genuinely funny moments in Love Hina amongst the silliness and I’m glad that I gave the series another look.

Thank you to Kodansha for providing a copy of Love Hina, Omnibus 1 for review.

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30 September 2011 2 Comments

Mardock Scramble, Volume 1

Creator: Yoshitoki Oima
Original story: Tow Ubukata
U.S. publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9781935429531
Released: August 2011
Original release: 2010

When I learned that Kodansha Comics was publishing the English edition of Yoshitoki Oima’s manga adaptation of Tow Ubukata’s award-winning Mardock Scramble, I was very interested. I read the original work earlier this year when it was published by Haikasoru. There were some things I loved about it and some things I most definitely didn’t. But what occurred to me at the time I read it was that the story would make a fantastic basis for a visual adaptation, which is why I am happy to get the chance to read Oima’s manga and see what could be done with it. The first volume of Oima’s Mardock Scramble was originally published in 2010, seven years after the publication of Ubukata’s series. The English edition of the manga was released by Kodansha in 2011. Oima’s Mardock Scramble is currently at five volumes and is still ongoing. I’m interested to see how the nearly seven hundred pages of source material is incorporated into the series.

Rune Balot thought she wanted to die. But when Shell Septinos inexplicably takes her in off the streets, and just as inexplicably kills her, she discovers that might not be quite the case. Rescued by Dr. Easter and Oeufcoque, private investigators who are trying to pin a series of murders of young women to Shell, Balot finds her body and life restored using an illicit technology known as Mardock Scramble 09. Her life is still far from perfect, and Shell still wants her dead, but suddenly she is more powerful than she has ever been before. At least physically. Balot’s natural talent, skill, and ability to adapt to the new technology and the new body that she has been given is nothing short of impressive.

For the most part I liked Oima’s character designs although those for Shell and Dr. Easter were frustratingly similar. However, Oima did capture Easter’s eccentricity quite well with his gestures and facial expressions. This made me happy because Dr. Easter is a personal favorite of mine from the novel. The city landscapes are marvelously detailed and can actually be a bit overwhelming at times. This does seem appropriate though since Balot also finds her environment to be overwhelming as she is getting used to her new powers. However some of the other panels are completely lacking any sort of background at all. It works well in some cases and makes the reader focus on the characters since there is nothing else, but the difference is jarring and breaks up the cohesiveness of the artwork as a whole. One thing that I did particularly like seeing was Oima’s visual representation of Balot’s powers and how she learns to use and focus them. I thought the portrayal of her ability to sense and connect with the object around her was handled very well.

As an adaptation, I think that Oima’s Mardock Scramble is off to a good start. For some reason, I found the naming conventions (everything is an egg reference) to be much more distracting in the manga than it was in the novels. It’s something that couldn’t really be changed though without running the risk of angering established fans of Mardock Scramble, so new readers simply have to put up with it. Since I have read the novels and therefore have a pretty good background in what’s going on in Mardock Scramble, it’s a little difficult for me to give my impressions of the manga alone. However, I do think the manga has good potential as its own series. At this point, there are certainly more questions than answers—it is only the first volume after all—but Oima does a decent job introducing the most important story elements even if it feels like a lot of the details are glossed over. If someone hasn’t read the original Mardock Scramble this might not be as noticeable, although some information seems to come out of nowhere and nothing’s thoroughly explained. Still, I’m interested in seeing how Oima will continue to handle things and plan on reading more of the Mardock Scramble manga.

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