Usamaru Furuya Manga Moveable Feast: Roundup One

© Usamaru Furuya

It’s the first roundup for the Usamaru Furuya Manga Moveable Feast!

On Sunday I posted an introduction to the Feast, which includes a brief biography of Usamaru Furuya and an overview of what to expect at Experiments in Manga this week. Yesterday was My Week in Manga, a regular feature here at Experiments in Manga. I took the opportunity to present quick takes of most of Furuya’s manga available in English as well as some the films in which he has been involved.

Justin of Organization Anti-Social Geniuses wins the prize for being the first and only person other than myself to contribute to the Feast, so far. (At least, that I know of.) Thanks, Justin! Justin reviews No Longer Human, Volume 2, noting that Yozo is a difficult character to really like, but that Furuya’s work is still compelling:

There’s no doubt however that panel after panel [Furuya] continues to make the characters stand out in a way where you will feel a powerful emotion, whether it is dislike or sympathy, and that of course makes the work a solid read every time, along with following Yozo’s story.

The Feast may be off to a slow start, but it is still early in the week. I have high hopes that things will pick up as the Feast progresses. If you know of any Feast content that I have missed, please let me know! I’d like to keep the archive as up to date as possible.

My Week in Manga: January 16-January 22, 2012

My News and Reviews

This is it folks! Experiments in Manga is hosting the Manga Moveable Feast for the first time ever! This month’s Feast will focus on Usamaru Furuya and his work. I’ve been participating in the Feast since December 2010, but as I just mentioned, this is my first time hosting. I’m anxious and stressed and hope it turns out well. But, I’m also really excited about it all. I encourage everyone to take time to contribute to the Feast, or at least wander around and read some of the submissions and maybe leave a comment or two. Keep an eye on Experiments in Manga and I’ll try to direct you to Feast content that you might have missed. To start you out, I posted the introduction to the Usamaru Furuya Manga Moveable Feast just yesterday. I will also be updating the archive page throughout the Feast.

Somewhat related to the Feast, last week I posted a review of Japan Edge: The Insider’s Guide to Japanese Pop Subculture. I say somewhat related because the book includes excerpts from Furuya’s debut manga Palepoli, but that wasn’t the focus of my review. It is why I tracked down the book, though. Japan Edge is a bit dated and is out of print, but still has value. And completely unrelated to the Feast, I also posted a review of Natsume Sōseki’s coming-of-age novel, Sanshirō. I didn’t like it as well as his masterpiece Kokoro, but I still enjoyed it and found it to be entertaining.

Quick Takes

Genkaku Picasso, Volumes 1-3 by Usamaru Furuya. Genkaku Picasso was originally intended to be a two volume series. It turned into three volumes, each progressively longer than the one before. I’m glad that Furuya had the opportunity to expand on his original idea, because the first volume, while it has its charm, is somewhat weak. The final two volumes are much better and Genkaku Picasso turns out to be a great little series. The manga starts out very episodic, but eventually the overarching plot becomes more important. The longer stories work better; they feel less rushed and Furuya has more time to explore. There’s also a nod to Lychee Light Club in the third volume, which I got a huge kick out of.

Lychee Light Club by Usamaru Furuya. Lychee Light Club was my introduction to Furuya’s work. It is also arguably the most graphic and extreme manga of his currently available in English. After all, it is based off of a Tokyo Grand Guignol theater performance. The manga also takes inspiration from the work Suehiro Maruo. Be prepared for blood and guts and beautifully crafted, but very disturbing imagery. And a dark and disturbing story, too, for that matter. Lychee Light Club is definitely not a manga for everyone, but for its intended audience it is fantastic. I’m really hoping that Vertical will license the prequel, too. (My previously written in-depth review of Lychee Light Club can be found here.)

No Longer Human, Volumes 1-2 by Usamaru Furuya. Osamu Dazai’s novel No Longer Human has three manga adaptations of which I am aware. Furuya’s adaptation is the one I was most interested in, so I was thrilled when Vertical licensed the series. I don’t find Yozo, the protagonist, to be as sympathetic as he was in original novel, but Furuya’s interpretation still works marvelously well. The manga is dark and oppressive, but so was the original. The third and final volume is currently scheduled to be released in February; I’m really looking forward to the conclusion. (If you’re wondering about the changes that Furuya made from Dazai’s original novel, Genji Press has an excellent post—Dehumanizer Dept.)

Short Cuts, Volumes 1-2 by Usamaru Furuya. I quite enjoyed Short Cuts, Furuya’s first series written for a mainstream publication. It’s a gag oriented manga with each chapter, or “cut,” being only a page or two long. Certain characters do make reappearances, and there are a few recurring jokes, but for the most part each cut is fairly self-contained. Copious translation notes are included which is particularly useful in the case of Short Cuts because the manga’s humor frequently depends on knowledge of Japanese culture. However, there are plenty gags that are funny regardless. Personally, I find most of Short Cuts to be hilarious. A warning, though: Furuya can be very vulgar at times. One of my favorite things about Short Cuts is the wide range of art styles that Furuya employs.

Love Exposure directed by Sion Sono. In my opinion, Love Exposure is an absolutely brilliant film totally worth the nearly four hour needed to watch it. I enjoyed it immensely and was thoroughly engaged throughout. Love Exposure is intense and bizarre to say the least, dealing with themes of religion, love, lust, cults, sex, and violence. The sheer number of genres that Love Exposure incorporates is impressive. Comedy, drama, martial arts, psychological thriller, crime, horror, romance…I could keep going. And it’s all used to create a unique but somehow coherent story, often absurd and over-the-top, but always engrossing. Usamaru Furuya appears as Miyanishi and pulls off a cool, creepy persona very well.

Noriko’s Dinner Table directed by Sion Sono. I didn’t realize until after I started watching Noriko’s Dinner Table that it is actually the sequel to Sono’s film Suicide Club, which I haven’t actually seen yet. Noriko’s Dinner Table takes place before, during, and after the events depicted in Suicide Club. While the references to the earlier film will certainly be more meaningful for someone who has seen it, Noriko’s Dinner Table actually stands fairly well on its own. It’s a strange but intense film. Much if not all of the camera work is done by hand and the narrative uses a lot of voice-over work, making the film feel very personal. Usamaru Furuya shows up as “the man in the cafe.” Despite being unnamed, it’s not an insignificant role; you can’t miss him.

Zoo by Various. An adaptation of Otsuichi’s horror short story anthology by the same name, Zoo is a collection of five film shorts. A different director and creative team worked on each story. I didn’t find them to be quite as compelling as their original counterparts. I think the difference is that it’s not as easy to get into the characters’ heads. But Zoo is still an excellent adaptation and stays very true to the original. Usamaru Furuya worked on the screenplay, storyboard, and character design for “Hidamari no Shi” (also known as “Song of the Sunny Spot”), the only animated short in the collection. The other stories include “Kazari and Yoko,” “Seven Rooms,” “So Far,” and the titular “Zoo.”

Usamaru Furuya Manga Moveable Feast: An Introduction

© Usamaru Furuya

Welcome, everyone, to the Usamaru Furuya Manga Moveable Feast!

The first Manga Moveable Feast of the year begins today, January 22, and will end next Sunday, January 29. The Feast gives the manga blogging community an opportunity to explore and examine together a particular manga or creator. This month we will be focusing on mangaka Usamaru Furuya and his works and Experiments in Manga will be hosting.

Who is Usamaru Furuya?
Usamaru Furuya was born on January 25, 1968 in Tokyo. (That’s right! His birthday is Wednesday, so let’s throw a great Feast in his honor.) He made his manga debut in 1994 with Palepoli which was serialized in the monthly alternative manga magazine Garo.

Furuya was interested in creating manga since his childhood, even enrolling in Osamu Tezuka Manga Correspondence School and submitting to the portrait section of Shōnen Gaho. But in high school, his focus shifted to oil painting. He went on to study art at Tama Art University where he also developed an interest in drama, sculpture (particularly abstract three-dimensional figures), and butoh dance. For a time, Furuya was a member of the butoh performance groups Karas and Sankai Juku. After graduating from Tama Art University, Furuya worked as a high school art teacher before returning to manga, bringing his fine arts background with him.

Furuya has also worked a bit in the film industry. After creating the manga adaptation of Sion Sono’s 2002 cult classic Suicide Club, Furuya would play a role (“the man in the cafe”) in the film’s 2006 sequel Noriko’s Dinner Table. He also acted in another of Sono’s films, 2008’s Love Exposure, playing the part of Miyanishi. Furuya was also involved with the 2005 film adaptation of Otsuichi’s horror short story collection Zoo (which I have reviewed here). He was responsible for the screenplay, storyboard, and character design for the story “Hidamari no Shi” (translated as “Song of the Sunny Spot” in the English short story collection), the only animated short in the collection. There very well may be other examples, but these are the instances I am familiar with.

Blog: 古屋兎丸ブログ「ウサギ☆ひとりクラブ
Twitter: @usamarus2001

Furuya’s Manga in English
Usamaru Furuya’s official introduction to English-reading audiences was all thanks to Viz Media. First came excerpts from Palepoli in Japan Edge in 1999 and then in Secret Comics Japan in 2000. (Regrettably, the entirety of Palepoli has never been released in English, although the selections in the previously mentioned volumes are different from each other.) Furuya’s series Short Cuts was serialized in Viz’s now defunct manga magazine PULP before the two individual volumes were collected in 2000 and 2003, respectively.

CMX Manga announced in 2009 the licensing of Furuya’s 51 Ways to Save Her. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) the company folded before any of the series made it into in English. The recent resurgence of Furuya’s manga in English began in 2010 with Viz Media’s publication of the first volume of Genkaku Picasso. The final two volumes of the series were released in 2011.

2011 also saw Vertical stepping up with some Furuya manga, beginning with the one-volume Lychee Light Club, based on the Tokyo Grand Guignol’s theater piece. (Vertical has also expressed interest in licensing the prequel Our Light Club.) Most recently, Vertical began the publication of Furuya’s No Longer Human, a manga adaptation of Osamu Dazai’s novel by the same name (which I have reviewed here). The third and final volume is currently scheduled to be released next month.

Who knows what the future may hold, but I sincerely hope it includes more of Furuya’s works being licensed and released in English.

Feasting at Experiments in Manga
This is the first time that Experiments in Manga has hosted the Feast, so what should you expect? There will be new content related to the Feast posted every day. Mostly, the posts will consist of my own in-depth reviews of Furuya’s manga, so nothing too terribly exciting. I’ve previously reviewed Lychee Light Club, so for the Feast I’ll mostly be focusing on the first volumes of Furuya’s series. There should also be at least one guest post to look forward to! (Another first for Experiments in Manga.) Also, my monthly manga giveaway will begin on Wednesday and you’ll be able to enter for a chance to win Furuya’s Genkaku Picasso, Volume 1.

There will be three roundup posts during the Feast—one each on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday—as well as a final send-off on Sunday. These posts will highlight other participants’ contributions to the Feast. I will also be updating the archive page throughout the Feast. (I’ve already populated it with a ton of pre-Feast reviews and articles, so check it out.)

It will be very boring if I’m the only person posting content, so I encourage you all to take part in the Feast. Simply notify me of your contributions by e-mail at phoenixterran(at)gmail(dot)com or through my Twitter account @PhoenixTerran and I’ll make sure that you’re included in the roundups and archive.

Please enjoy the Feast!

Manga Giveaway: Magical Girl Mania Winner

And the winner of the Magical Girl Mania manga giveaway is…Lori Henderson of Manga Xanadu! (Which is a nice site, by the way. You should go visit and say hi.)

As the winner, Lori will be receiving Naoko Takeuchi’s Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 1. Last week was the Sailor Moon Manga Moveable Feast; coordinating this manga giveaway with that, I was interested in learning what other magical girl series people were enjoying. There was actually a lot of love shown for Sailor Moon, but you should check out the Magical Girl Mania comments for the full range of responses.

And now, a list of magical girl manga for your reading pleasure and delight!

Akko-chan’s Got a Secret! by Fujio Akatsuka
Alice 19th by Yuu Watase
Angel’s Wing by Tetsuya Aoki
Because I’m the Goddess by Shamneko
Cardcaptor Sakura by Clamp
Codename: Sailor V by Naoko Takeuchi
Corrector Yui written by Kia Asamiya, illustrated by Keiko Okamoto
Cutey Honey ’90 by Go Nagai
Full Moon o Sagashite by Arina Tanemura
Ironcat by Masaomi Kanzaki
Kamichama Karin by Koge-Donbo
Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne by Arina Tanemura
Magic Knight Rayearth by Clamp
Magical Mates by Mio Odagi
Mamotte! Lollipop by Michiyo Kikuta
Mink by Megumi Tachikawa
Miracle Girls by Nami Akimoto
Pichi Pichi Pitch: Mermaid Melody written by Michiko Yokote, illustrated by Pink Hanamori
Pretear: The New Legend of Snow White by Kaori Naruse
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi
Princess Tutu written by Ikuko Itoh and Jun-ichi Satoh, illustrated by Mizuo Shinonome
Revolutionary Girl Utena by Chiho Saito
Saint Tail by Megumi Tachikawa
Shadow Lady by Masakazu Katsura
Shugo Chara! by Peach-Pit
Spellbound: The Magic of Love by Tomoko Taniguchi
Sugar Sugar Rune by Moyoco Anno
Tokyo Mew Mew written by Reiko Yoshida, illustrated by Mia Ikumi
Ultra Maniac by Wataru Yoshizumi
Wedding Peach by Nao Yazawa

My Week in Manga: December 26, 2011-January 1, 2012

My News and Reviews

So, I have exciting news. Well, exciting for me. This past weekend I helped build a shelf in my room specifically for my manga. It runs the entire length of one wall and half of another. It looks great and I had fun filling it up with books. All of my manga is now out of boxes (except for my Ranma 1/2 collection), which makes me extremely happy. I also have a floor again. Anyway.

Last week was the Sailor Moon Manga Moveable Feast. For my contribution, I posted a review of Naoko Takeuchi’s Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 1. Also, a bit late, I have quick takes for Codename: Sailor V and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 2 below. This month’s manga giveaway also features Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 1. You still have until Wednesday to enter the Magical Girl Mania manga giveaway.

Speaking of the Manga Moveable Feast, I’ve officially made the announcement that Experiments in Manga will be hosting the Feast for January—Usamaru Furuya Manga Moveable Feast: Call for Participation. This will be my first time hosting the Feast, so I’m hoping to see some great contributions this month. I’ve already set up the archive page and have populated it with past reviews and articles. If you have any you would like to see added, just let me know!

Because of the upcoming Feast, and because of my November/December health issues, my posting here at Experiments in Manga might be a little wonky for a month or so. I’ll do my best to keep up, but you can probably expect to see My Week in Manga to be shorter than usual. Also, there won’t be any in-depth manga reviews until the Feast. In the meantime, you’ll just have to put up with my Japanese literature reviews.

Quick Takes

Codename: Sailor V, Volumes 1-2 by Naoko Takeuchi. For the most part, I enjoyed Codename: Sailor V. The series, though it ran concurrently with Sailor Moon, actually serves as a sort of prototype and prequel. I found Codename: Sailor V to be more coherent overall than the first couple of volumes of Sailor Moon. In fact, reading Codename: Sailor V helped me to understand some things about Sailor Moon that confused me. I particularly liked the first volume while the second volume turned out to be much goofier until the final chapter. Not that goofy is necessarily bad; I simply didn’t find it to be as engaging. I did like that several of the characters from Sailor Moon make cameo appearances in Codename: Sailor V.

From Eroica with Love, Volumes 5-9 by Yasuko Aoike. I’m really enjoying From Eroica with Love. Eroica and Klaus make such perfect foils for each other and I love watching them interact. And I can’t help but grin every time Klaus calls somebody a wanker, which is fairly frequently. I’m impressed by Aoike’s ability to create legitimate seeming scenarios for the two leads to encounter each other. The secondary characters, particularly Klaus’ “alphabets” and Eroica’s underlings, are also likable. Even James, who could have been annoying (and certainly is to the other characters), is delightfully amusing. The whole series is farcical, but completely believable in its own setting. I’ll definitely be tracking down the rest of the volumes available in English.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Volume 2 by Naoko Takeuchi. After an unfocused first volume, I was very happy to see things begin to make sense in the second volume of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. Not everything does mind you, but enough that I was able to enjoy the story and want to learn more. I’m starting to believe that Takeuchi actually has some solid ideas to play with. Probably most important is that the backstory for all the characters has been revealed (or at least has begun to be revealed). I still find Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon to be a little silly, although the second volume is less so. But, it’s a fun, charming silliness. I hope to continue to see Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon improve and find its footing.