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24 April 2017 Leave a Comment

My Week in Manga: April 17-April 23, 2017

My News and Reviews

Well, I didn’t manage to post my in-depth manga review for April last week after all. Today I’m starting in a new position at a different library, meaning that last week I spent most of my time tying up as many loose ends as possible at my previous job. This included writing a lot of documentation. And since I was doing so much writing for work, by the time I got home I didn’t want to do anything but read, so that’s what I did. (Which goes to explain why I ended up finishing Cixin Liu’s excellent novel The Three-Body Problem much sooner than I had originally anticipated.) But never fear, I’ll be posting my review of Nagabe’s The Girl from the Other Side later this week in addition to the monthly manga giveaway.

In other news, Seven Seas continued its string of licensing announcements, adding Orikō Yoshino and Z-ton’s light novel series Monster Girl Doctor, Kazuki Funatsu’s Yokai Girls manga, and Saki Hasemi and Kentaro Yabuki’s To Love Ru and To Love Ru Darkness manga to the slate. Recent announcements from Viz Media included Sankichi Hinodeya’s Splatoon manga, a Hello Kitty coloring book, picture books of Hayao Miyazaki’s Castle in the Sky and Princess Mononoke, as well as the My Little Pony: The Movie artbook. Kodansha Comics had a couple of announcements to make recently, too, such as the upcoming release of full-color hardcover edition of Gun Snark’s Attack on Titan: No Regrets (I’ve previously reviewed the series’ first English-language release) and a hardcover omnibus edition of Yukito Kishiro’s Battle Angel Alita. (The series was originally published in English by Viz Media but has been out-of-print for quite some time.)

I also came across a few other interesting things last week: Over at The OASG, Justin interviewed Mariko Hihara and Kotoyo Noguchi, two independent manga creators in Japan. Noguchi also had some questions to ask in return. Frederik L. Schodt (whose work I greatly enjoy) was recently profiled at Nippon.com. The article takes a look at his involvement as an ambassador for manga over the last four decades. Caitlin from I Have a Heroine Problem presented a panel called “Is This Feminist or Not? Ways of Talking about Women in Anime” at Sakura Con 2017 and has made her slides available. A very nicely designed site called Persona Problems offers criticism of Persona 5‘s English localization and delves into translation theory and practice that even people who don’t play the game may find interesting. Finally, the author and designer Iku Okada has started a series of autobiographical essays called Otaku Girl and Proud which explores Japanese gender inequality and identity and how popular culture can impact that experience.

Quick Takes

Dorohedoro, Volume 17Dorohedoro, Volumes 17-20 by Q Hayashida. Despite being one of my favorite ongoing series currently being released in English, I seem to somehow always forget how incredibly much I love Dorohedoro. I tend to forget how tremendously horrific the manga can be, too, mostly because it simultaneously manages to be surprisingly endearing. Hayashida’s story and artwork is frequently and stunningly brutal, gut-churning, and grotesque, but Dorohedoro also carries with it a great sense of humor. Granted, the comedy in Dorohedoro tends to be phenomenally dark. Lately, as Dorohedoro continues to steadily progress along what I believe will be it’s final major story arc, the series has become fairly intense and serious, but it remains exceptionally weird and has yet to completely lose its humor. The plot of Dorohedoro does meander a bit and because it’s been so long since I’ve read the previous volumes I’m sure that I’ve forgotten a few important details as the story takes multiple convoluted turns along the way. Ultimately, it doesn’t seem to really matter though since the world and characters of of Dorohedoro follow and operate under their own peculiar sort of logic; Dorohedoro doesn’t need to make a lot of sense in order to be bizarrely enjoyable.

FukuFuku: Kitten Tales, Volume 1FukuFuku: Kitten Tales, Volumes 1-2 by Kanata Konami. Before there was Chi’s Sweet Home there was FukuFuku Funyan, Konami’s cat manga which started in the late 1980s. The series featured an elderly woman and her cat FukuFuku. More recently, Konami created FukuFuku: Kitten Tales, a spinoff of FukuFuku’s first series which, as can be accurately assumed by the manga’s title, shares stories from the loveable feline’s youth. While Konami’s artwork in FukuFuku: Kitten Tales is black-and-white rather than being full-color and the manga is only two-volumes long rather than being twelve, the series is otherwise very similar in format to Chi’s Sweet Home. It’s actually been quite a while since I’ve read any of Chi’s Sweet Home, but FukuFuku: Kitten Tales feels like it might be a little more episodic as well. However, it is still an incredibly cute series. Each chapter is only six pages or so but manages to tell a complete story, accurately portraying the everyday life and antics of a kitten. FukuFuku: Kitten Tales isn’t especially compelling or creative as far as cat manga goes, but it is an adorable series which consistently made me smile and even chuckle from time to time.

Magia the Ninth, Volume 2Magia the Ninth, Volume 2 by Ichiya Sazanami. I enjoyed the first volume of Magia the Ninth immensely. I’m not really sure I could call it a good manga per se, and I don’t think I would necessarily recommend it broadly, but personally I got a huge kick out of it. That being said, I can’t say that I’m surprised that the series only lasted two volumes. (I don’t know for certain, but I get the feeling that Magia the Ninth was cancelled.) What did surprise me was how well Sazanami was able to pull everything together to conclude the manga in a coherent (and almost satisfying) fashion when obviously it was intended to be a series on a much grander scale. To be honest, Magia the Ninth probably would have done much better for itself if the manga had had that level of focus from the very beginning. Magia the Ninth is a strange and somewhat goofy little series about demons, magic, and music. While the series wasn’t always the most comprehensible, it’s stylishly drawn, has tremendous energy, and even manages to effectively incorporate legitimate music history into the story. Magia the Ninth may not have lived up to its potential, but I had fun with it.

The Prince in His Dark Days, Volume 2The Prince in His Dark Days, Volumes 2-3 by Hico Yamanaka. More and more of The Prince in His Dark Days seems to revolve around Itaru, but at this point I would still consider Atsuko, who is serving as Itaru’s double, to be the real lead of the manga. Unfortunately, Atsuko is casually threatened with sexual violence on a regular basis in the series which frankly makes me uncomfortable. In general, the power dynamics in The Prince in His Dark Days tend to be fairly disconcerting. It doesn’t really help when other characters’ try to play it off as a joke, either. If anything, it only seems to emphasize the fact that so many of them are unrepentant jerks. I know that I’m supposed to empathize with some of their personal struggles, but I find it difficult to spare a lot of sympathy for entitled assholes. However, the themes that Yamanaka explores in The Prince in His Dark Days are of tremendous interest to me, most notably those of gender expression and sexual identity. I also appreciate the manga’s melancholy mood and the slow blossoming of love in unexpected places. There’s only one volume left in The Prince in His Dark Days and despite some of my reservations about the series I am curious to see how it ends.

The Three-Body ProblemThe Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu. If my memory serves me right, The Three-Body Problem is actually the first contemporary Chinese novel that I’ve read. It initially came to my attention when it became the first work in translation to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel. Interestingly, when The Three-Body Problem was translated into English by Ken Liu, the order of the chapters was restored to what the author originally intended and a few additional changes were made in consideration of some of the real-world scientific advances that had developed since the novel was first published in China. As a novel that leans heavily on hard science, I found The Three-Body Problem to be fascinating. (At one point in my life, I actually considered going into theoretical physics.) But what makes The Three-Body Problem so compelling are the social aspects of the narrative. In particular, China’s Cultural Revolution and the characters’ responses to it play a critical role in the story’s development. The Three-Body Problem is the first book in a trilogy, Remembrance of Earth’s Past, and so while largely being a satisfying novel on its own, it’s obviously only the beginning of a larger work. I definitely plan on reading the rest.

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9 September 2013 7 Comments

My Week in Manga: September 2-September 8, 2013

My News and Reviews

Last week I announced the Blood Lad Giveaway Winner. The post also includes a list of manga licensed in English that feature vampires, too, if you’re looking for something to sink your teeth into. I posted two reviews last week in addition to the giveaway announcement. The honor of the first in-depth manga review for September goes to Shigeru Mizuki’s Kitaro. The manga collects stories from the first three volumes of Mizuki’s yokai classic GeGeGe no Kitaro. I absolutely loved it. I also reviewed Manga: Introduction, Challenges, and Best Practices, edited by Manga Bookshelf’s own Melinda Beasi and presented by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. It’s a great resource and recommended for anyone wanting to learn a bit more about manga. The book’s general release is in December, but it is possible to purchase an early copy directly from CBLDF.

Elsewhere online, Vertical’s licensing and reader survey is now open and will close on September 25. It’s a great way to let Vertical know what you’re reading. If you want you can even suggest manga you’d like to see Vertical publish in English. Related to Vertical manga, Matt Cycyk at Matt Talks About Manga has a nice post about Knights of Sidonia and why fans of Attack on Titan might want to check the series out—Attack on Sidonia: Selling Knights of Sidonia to Attack on Titan Fans. And speaking of manga, I was amused to come across the article Attack on Titan’s author causes a stir with his less-than-stellar sketches at RocketNews24. (Amused since I’m used to hearing complaints about the artwork in Attack on Titan and didn’t realize it was something so shocking.)

Quick Takes

Battle Angel Alita: Last Order, Omnibus 1Battle Angel Alita: Last Order, Omnibus 1-2 (equivalent to Volumes 1-6) by Yukito Kishiro. Although I have been aware of Battle Angel Alita for quite some time I haven’t read any of the manga until now. Last Order is the original series’ immediate successor, serving as a sort of alternate ending. It’s still ongoing in Japan. The manga is a little difficult to jump into without already having some familiarity with the franchise; I frequently found myself confused why certain characters were important to the story and what their motivations were. But by the time I reached the second omnibus I had started to settle into the series and even began to enjoy myself. I like Last Order best when Kishiro isn’t trying to be too serious with the story and focuses more on the action—cyborg battles, ancient Martian martial arts, space karate, and so on. Alita is an appealing lead, but at the moment I think I like the more erratic and unruly supporting character Sechs even better.

Chi's Sweet Home, Volume 10Chi’s Sweet Home, Volume 10 by Konami Kanata. I can always count on Chi’s Sweet Home to bring a smile to my face. Kanata’s color work is lovely and Chi is adorable. I grew up around a lot of cats and continue to be surrounded by them, so I can particularly appreciate Chi’s antics. And with the tenth volume of Chi’s Sweet Home, there are even more kittens romping around—Cocchi and Chi have befriended a pair of sibling kittens. Kanata captures the attitudes and behavior of cats perfectly. Chi has finally come to the realization that she’s a not a human, but she still has a far way to go before mastering all the skills expected of a feline. In many ways Chi’s Sweet Home is very episodic, but there’s also the underlying story of Chi being separated from her original family. By the end of the tenth volume it looks as though she may be getting closer to finding her mother. (She’s easily distracted, though.) Generally the series is funny and sweet, but there’s a bit of sadness and drama, too.

Diary of SangchulDiary of Sangchul by Hajin Yoo. Two side stories from Yoo’s Totally Captivated boys’ love manhwa were released in English. One of those is Diary of Sangchul, which is a prequel to the main series. It’s not absolutely necessary to have read Totally Captivated in order to enjoy Diary of Sangchul, but the manhwa will probably appeal most to those who have. The majority of the volume is devoted Sangchul’s story through which is shown Mookyul’s rise to power and how he earns the respect of the men who work under him. Dairy of Sangchul also reveals more about Mookyul’s relationship with the Chairman (who looks a lot younger here than he does in the original series.) Diary of Sangchul dovetails quite nicely with Totally Captivated. There is also a short manhwa about Mookyul and the Chairman’s first meeting included in the volume. In the epilogue Yoo goes on to outline the rest of their story. I’m not sure if she ever drew it, but I’m okay if she didn’t—it’s extraordinarily melodramatic.

Helter Skelter: Fashion UnfriendlyHelter Skelter: Fashion Unfriendly by Kyoko Okazaki. I’m always happy to see more josei released in English, but I was especially excited for Okazaki’s debut. Okazaki is a particularly influential josei artist. (The marvelous Moyoco Anno even once worked as her assistant.) The award-winning Helter Skelter is a harsh and brutal tale about the darker side of the entertainment industry. Thanks to drastic and repeated plastic surgery, Liliko is enjoying the height of her career as a celebrity but the operations can only take her so far. As her body begins to deteriorate her life begins to spin out of control. Her obsessions and society’s unrealistic expectations drive her to extremes; in the end she isn’t the only one ruined. Helter Skelther is an startling work. Even though the characters are often unlikeable, the manga is extremely engaging; it’s hard to look away from their unraveling. Helter Skelter works simply as fiction, but it can also be read as a deeper criticism of celebrity culture.

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10 September 2012 Leave a Comment

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

My News and Reviews

Last week the Read or Dream Giveaway Winner was announced. The post also includes some stories of surprising manga that were shared as part of the contest. As it was the beginning of the month, the Bookshelf Overload for August was also posted last week. And just to make things a little more interesting, I reviewed Shige Nakamura’s boxing manga Wolf. Although I’m interested in martial arts, I’ve never been particularly interested in boxing. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed Wolf. I also updated the Resources page last week. It’s been a while since I’ve added anything, but I recently came across a couple of interesting blogs: Brain Vs. Book (book and manga reviews and such from Japanese translator Jocelyne Allen) and Lesley’s Musings…on Manga. I’ve also updated the Manga Moveable Feast Archives page so that it now includes more of the upcoming Feasts that have been scheduled.

Onto good stuff I’ve found online! Vertical has posted a licensing survey polling readers for licensing suggestions for the summer of 2013. The poll will be available until September 26, so do check it out. Blog of the North Star and The Land of Obscusion tackled the English edition of Fist of the Blue Sky, a prequel to Fist of the North Star. I actually haven’t read Fist of the Blue sky yet, but their conversation makes me want to read it sooner rather than later. Okazu is starting a new series of posts taking a look at the history and study of yuri, beginning with Prologomena to the Study of Yuri, Part 1. Finally, Ken Liu, contributor to the Haikasoru speculative fiction collection The Future is Japanese (which I previously reviewed), has posted his story notes for “Mono no aware,” one of my favorite stories in the anthology.

Quick Takes

Chi’s Sweet Home, Volumes 8-9 by Konami Kanata. Chi’s Sweet Home is a series that always manages to make me smile. As someone who owns (or perhaps is owned by) a couple of cats, I frequently find myself chuckling out loud while reading the manga. Sometimes, that sort of levity is just what I need and Chi’s Sweet Home consistently provides it. These couple of volumes see Chi’s relationship with Cocchi, a stray kitten, grow. He and Chi explore the outside world together and they get into all sorts of trouble. It’s adorable how he’s just as out of place among people as Chi is among the outdoor cats. They make a very entertaining pair. If you like cats, Chi’s Sweet Home is a very cute series.

Right Here, Right Now, Volume 2 by Souya Himawari. Although Right Here, Right Now isn’t an outstanding series, I’ve become rather fond of it. Takakage can be endearingly affectionate (and horny) but he also has quite a temper. He does seem to shift between these two aspects of his personality a bit too easily, though; the series changes quickly from being amusingly silly to rather serious depending on his mood. Some of the time traveling tropes in Right Here, Right Now seem forced and irrelevant to the story as a whole, but overall it’s a solid little two volume series. Largely taking place during the Warring States period of Japan, I like how Himawari has incorporated the political turmoil and intrigue of the era into the plot.

Strain, Volumes 1-5 written by Buronson and illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami. I absolutely loved Sho Fumimura and Ikegami’s manga series Sanctuary, so when I learned that they had worked on another series together I knew I had to read it. Although not nearly as good as Sanctuary (which came first), I still found Strain to be a very engaging series. The trust and connections between characters are constantly shifting. Loyalty—to family, to comrades, to country—is a huge theme in the series. Some elements, such as Angel’s sexual proclivities, seem to only be introduced for their shock value and are forgotten by the end of the series. And, as always, Ikegami’s often photo-realistic artwork is marvelous to behold.

X, Omnibus 2-3 (equivalent to Volumes 4-9) by CLAMP. X is so deliciously epic. Yes, it’s over-the-top, confusing, and the dialogue is ridiculous, but nonetheless I’m enjoying X immensely. The fight scenes are visually interesting even if it is difficult to follow the action. The plot developments don’t always make a lot of sense, but the pace is quick and the story is enthralling if you don’t mind the chaos. At times deadly serious and melodramatic, the manga is occasionally broken up by moments of humor, usually when Sorata is around. The omnibus editions include color artwork that was previously unreleased in North America, which is a very nice touch. I have no idea if or when the next omnibus volume will be published, but I’ll definitely be picking it up if it ever is.

Kamui Gaiden directed by Yoichi Sai. I was sadly disappointed with Kamui Gaiden. Based on Sanpei Shirato’s manga that was released in English as The Legend of Kamui, the original is so much better than the adaptation. I still like the overall story, but Kamui Gaiden is almost tedious to watch and some of the jumps in the narrative are hard to follow if you haven’t read the manga. Many of the special effects are distracting and lacking in quality, making the ninja’s movements seem awkward rather than natural. Some of the fight choreography still manages to be entertaining, though. And I did like Kenichi Matsuyama as Kamui. He plays vaguely melancholic characters well and I did enjoy watching him. Plus, fundoshi!

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19 December 2011 Leave a Comment

My Week in Manga: December 12-December 18, 2011

My News and Reviews

Not much news from me here this week. I posted Library Love, Part 8 in which I provide some quick takes of manga that I’ve been reading and borrowing from the library. I also posted my review of Ninja Attack!: True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws. It’s another really fantastic book from the authors of Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide. Definitely recommended.

And because I like lists, I thought I’d share a few that I’ve come across recently. Graphic Novel Reporter has posted their Holiday 2011 Gift Guide. Unfortunately, not a lot of manga on that one. However, No Flying No Tights revealed their Must Have Manga for Teens not too long ago. It’s a very nice list. You should check it out. And finally, Deb Aoki of About.com: Manga has posted the Top 25 Most Anticipated Manga of 2012. There’s some really great stuff coming out next year that I’m very excited about.

Oh! December’s Manga Moveable Feast, featuring Naoko Takeuchi’s Sailor Moon, is next week! Sean Gaffney over at A Case Suitable for Treatment will be hosting.

Quick Takes

Chi’s Sweet Home, Volume 7 by Konami Kanata. I really do love Chi’s Sweet Home. Sometimes you just need to read something cute and fluffy and Chi more than fits the bill. Kanata’s color illustrations are simply lovely to behold, too. The seventh volume of the series finds Chi mostly settled into her new home, although she still gets lost wandering around on adventures if she’s not paying attention. She’s determined to befriend Cocchi, regardless of what the other kitten wants. Kanata perfectly captures the lovingly antagonistic relationship that I’ve seen with my own cats. The seventh volume also features an adorable goldfish, which I’ll admit made me very happy.

Drifters, Volume 1 by Kohta Hirano. If there’s one thing that Hirano does well, it’s create highly entertaining manga. Granted, Drifters doesn’t have a lot of substance and there are a lot of things that don’t make sense yet, but I still had a tremendous amount of fun reading it. Hirano’s artwork is bold and bombastic, perfectly fitting his nearly insane characters and the over-the-top and constant action. However, some of the fight sequences can be a little difficult to follow. Drifters will probably work best for readers who are already familiar with the historical figures presented in the story (as well as some of their personal quirks) since not much background information is given. Their character designs are pretty great regardless, though.

From Eroica with Love, Volumes 1-4 by Yasuko Aoike. The first volume of From Eroica with Love is rough, with a quickly (and fortunately) abandoned plot dealing with a group of psychic teenagers. Get past that and the series turns into something really special. Earl Dorian Red Gloria is not only fabulously flamboyant, he is also the internationally infamous art thief Eroica. Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach is the ever rigid and reserved NATO officer who somehow always happens to be the one having to deal with Eroica. They are great on their own, but the series best when Klaus and Eroica are sharing the stage together. The constant harassing (on Klaus’ part) and flirting (on Eroica’s) are endlessly entertaining.

Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Apocalypse Saga directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara. The third and final of the Revolutionary Girl Utena boxsets from Nozomi, The Apocalypse Saga consists of episodes twenty-five through thirty-nine of the anime series, the movie The Adolescence of Utena, and a disc full of extras. The series is surreal and difficult for me to adequately describe, but it is incredibly engaging and compelling. It really is a tremendous series. Frequently it makes my heart ache as I get caught up in the story. As for the movie, it is a very odd interpretation of an already strange tale which probably won’t make much sense at all unless you’ve seen the series. And even then, it’ll probably still make you wonder.

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15 August 2011 2 Comments

My Week in Manga: August 8-August 14, 2011

My News and Reviews

Last week I posted two reviews, neither one of which were for manga. I reviewed Book Girl and the Famished Spirit, the second volume in Mizuki Nomura’s Book Girl light novel series. I didn’t enjoy it quite as well as the first volume, but I still love the series’ premise of a literature eating yōkai. I also reviewed Christopher Ross’ memoir/travelogue/biography thingy (it’s a little difficult to classify) Mishima’s Sword: Travels in Search of a Samurai Legend. It’s an interesting read and I’d recommended it to anyone interested in Yukio Mishima or in Japanese swords and swordsmanship.

The Fumi Yoshinaga Manga Moveable Feast starts today! This month the Feast will be co-hosted by Kristin Bomba of Comic Attack and Linda Yau of Animemiz’s Scribblings. Yoshinaga is one of the darlings of the manga blogging community so there should be plenty of great submissions. As for me, I’ll be reviewing the third volume of Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, which may possibly be my favorite Yoshinaga series. At least at the moment. If I had at all been paying attention, I would have also read a bunch of Yoshinaga manga for this post’s quick takes section. Anyway, that was my original intention. The Feast somehow snuck up on me this time around. My bad. So, I’ll all make sure to do it for next week’s quick takes instead.

Also of note: Experiments in Manga’s one-year anniversary is coming up in a few days!

Quick Takes

Adamo Anthology, Volume 1: Strange Love by Various. 2010 saw the publication of several independent original-English boys’ love collections, Adamo Anthology among them. The first volume collects four stories and four pin-up illustrations with the theme of “strange love.” Each story has some sort of supernatural element or other oddity to the featured couple’s relationship—psychics and psychopaths, a kidnapped rookie cop, haunted guitars, a musician who’s shut himself away from the world. Each artist has a distinctive style and its nice to see the variety in the stories and illustrations. The pinups are fun, too. I haven’t heard anything about a second Adamo Anthology yet, but if there ever is one I’ll be picking it up.

Chi’s Sweet Home, Volume 4-6 by Konami Kanata. I’ll admit it, I love Chi’s Sweet Home. Admittedly, I like cats and people who like cats are probably the people who will find this series most appealing. Kanata seems to have anthropomorphized Chi a bit more in these volumes than in the previous ones, but she is still primarily very cat like. I was already familiar with some of these chapters since they were the basis of some of the Chi’s Sweet Home: Chi’s New Address anime episodes, but they were still delightfully charming. I am impressed that Kanata has been able to come up with so many adventures for Chi without becoming too repetitive. Although, if you’ve read any of Chi’s Sweet Home, you pretty much know what to expect by now.

Chobits, Omnibus 1-2 (equivalent to Volumes 1-8) by CLAMP. Chobits was my introduction to CLAMP and I’m quite fond of the series. Granted, I’m a sucker for android stories. To be honest, there’s a fair amount of pandering in Chobits, particularly early on in the series. The fanservice does show up throughout the series, though. To some extent, the fanservice actually serves to further the story as the characters struggle to understand concepts of love, desire, loneliness, and what it means to be human. I like Hideki, the protagonist of the series. As just about every character mentions (much to his dismay), he’s a good guy. Chobits has nice art, an engaging story, and likeable characters.

Color of Rage written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Seisaku Kano. Something just doesn’t sit right with me about Color of Rage. It’s as though a blaxploitation film has been crossed with a manga about feudal Japan. It’s not necessarily a bad combination, but Color of Rage just doesn’t quite pull it off. The characters frequently liken slavery in the United States to Japan’s caste system, but the comparison is oversimplified and therefore unconvincing. King, one of the escaped slaves, doesn’t really convince me, either. His motivations and actions seem inconsistent even though he is intended to be the more honorable of the two. Kano’s gekiga-style illustrations work well for the story, although the action sequences can be somewhat difficult to follow.

Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Black Rose Saga directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara. The second of Nozomi’s Revolutionary Girl Utena box sets, The Black Rose Saga collects episodes thirteen through twenty-four of the series. This is my first time watching Revolutionary Girl Utena and I’m still loving it. Sure, the reuse of animation sequences is noticeable and the duels in The Black Rose Saga are somewhat repetitive because of it. Also, The Black Rose Saga introduces new characters and plot complications rather suddenly. But the psychological elements in the series are tremendous and frequently heartbreaking. The Ohtori Academy is one awfully strange place to go to school.

Samurai Champloo, Episodes 16-26 directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. I love this series so much. There’s not much filler in Samurai Champloo and every episode contains some plot or character developments. A few of the episodes are more silly than anything else, but even the silly episodes aren’t wasted. Although humor can be found in each installment, Samurai Champloo handles serious moments and plot arcs well, too. Sometimes the contrast between the serious and the silly can be a little odd, but it works for me. Occasionally the animation in Samurai Champloo can be a little shaky, but for the most part the quality is consistently high and visually appealing. I think Samurai Champloo is a great series. It’s got a great soundtrack, too.

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