Home Archives for Nonfiction
18 April 2012 2 Comments

Otaku Spaces

Author: Patrick W. Galbraith
Photographer: Androniki Christodoulou
Publisher: Chin Music Press
ISBN: 9780984457656
Released: April 2012

A bit of an otaku myself, I was naturally interested in Otaku Spaces, written by Patrick W. Galbraith with photography by Androniki Christodoulou. I was very happy to be selected to receive a review copy of the book from the publisher Chin Music Press through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program. I was also thrilled to be introduced to Chin Music Press. Originally established in Tokyo and now headquartered in Seattle, much of the publisher’s catalog is devoted to Japan-related titles. Although I haven’t read it yet, I know Galbraith as the author of The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider’s Guide to the Subculture of Cool Japan. And while I am not personally familiar with Christodoulou’s work, she is an award-winning photographer who has recently been focusing on traditional and contemporary Japanese culture and on otaku culture in particular. Otaku Spaces seemed like it was in good hands and so I was excited to have the opportunity to read it.

While there have been plenty of books and articles exploring the otaku phenomenon, there has been a tendency, as Galbraith points out in the introduction of Otaku Spaces, to “talk about them but not to them.” Otaku Spaces changes that by including profiles and in depth interviews with nineteen people, most of whom self-identify as otaku, in an attempt to challenge the stereotypes fostered by popular culture. Otaku Spaces begins with an excellent introduction that briefly examines the origin of otaku culture and the history of the term itself. The introduction is followed by a brief glossary before Otaku Spaces turns to the real showpiece of the book, “Otaku Interviews and Portraits.” Each profile is accompanied by a photograph of the individual posing with their collection. The next sections are the photographs and profiles of “Otaku Places” such as Akihabara and Ōsu, interviews with “The Experts,” and additional “Supplementary Material.”

Galbraith and Christodoulou interview a wide variety of otaku, from those interested in underground paraphernalia to those interested in pop culture collectibles. Otaku are commonly associated with anime and manga, which are certainly well represented in Otaku Spaces, but they can frequently be involved in other subject areas as well. Stereotypically speaking, otaku are usually thought to be male, but there are plenty of female fans included in Otaku Spaces as well. I was surprised to discover that I was actually already knew of some of the otaku interviewed for Otaku Spaces, such as the cross-playing champion kickboxer Nagashima “Jienotsu” Yūichiro. But for every otaku I already knew there were four or five that I was meeting for the first time. Otaku Spaces provides a wonderful opportunity for them to share their knowledge of and passion for the things that they love, whether that be calculators or video games or just about anything else.

While many of the questions that Galbraith and Christodoulou ask the interviewees are tailored to their specific interests or collections, there are several questions that they make a point to ask each individual. These include questions like “Are you an otaku?,” “Will you continue to collect in the future?,” and “What is the difference between an otaku and a collector?” among others. The answers vary from person to person, emphasizing the fact that there is really no one type of otaku but that they are all experts in their own way. They may not always agree, but that is a valuable lesson in and of itself. The otaku in Otaku Spaces are real people with real lives, proving that there is more to otaku than just stereotypes. Otaku Spaces is an enlightening and engaging volume. It’s also a very attractive book with full color photography and simple infographics. Otaku Spaces is easy to recommend to anyone interested in otaku specifically or in Japanese pop culture in general.

Thank you to Chin Music Press for providing a copy of Otaku Spaces for review.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged: , , ,
22 February 2012 4 Comments

The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga

Author: Helen McCarthy
U.S. publisher: Abrams ComicArts
ISBN: 9780810982499
Released: October 2009
Awards: Harvey Award

The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga by Helen McCarthy has been sitting on my shelf since it won the 2010 Harvey Award for Best American Edition of Foreign Material. I had flipped through it several times but had never read the book in its entirety. Since February 2012’s Manga Moveable Feast focused on Tezuka and his works, it seemed an appropriate time to finally get around to doing so. The Art of Osamu Tezuka is a handsome volume published by Abrams ComicArts in 2009. It’s large red cover with the iconic Astro Boy is instantly recognizable. Also included with the book is “The Secret of Creation,” a behind-the-scenes DVD documentary of Tezuka at work. The Art of Osamu Tezuka is a combination of biography, art book, and catalog of major works printed in full color. Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of the Akira manga and anime, wrote the foreword. Although Tezuka is a very important figure in manga, I actually knew very little about him and his work, so I was looking forward to reading The Art of Osamu Tezuka.

Osamu Tezuka was born on November 3, 1928 in Toyonaka to his parents Yutaka and Fumiko. Growing up in Takarazuka with his two younger siblings Hiroshi and Minako, Tezuka’s parents encouraged the creativity and imaginations of their children. Tezuka became an accomplished artist at a very young age. He attended medical school with the intention of becoming a doctor, but abandoned the pursuit with his family’s blessing when he realized it would mean giving up what he really loved—storytelling and art. Eventually moving to Tokyo, Tezuka became a very successful and very prolific mangaka, one of the first to coordinate teams of assistants to manage huge workloads. He also became involved with animation and founded his own studio, constantly experimenting with new techniques and developing innovative ways to produce shows more quickly and cost effectively. On February 9, 1989, Tezuka died of stomach cancer at the age of sixty, leaving behind a lasting legacy that has influenced generations.

After a brief preface, the first chapter of The Art of Osamu Tezuka follows Tezuka’s family history and early life. Tezuka’s “star system” is explained in the second chapter, something I never quite understood until now. Basically, Tezuka had a set of characters that he would use like actors, who would sometimes portray themselves and sometimes take on other, often typecast, roles. In chapters three through seven, McCarthy takes a look at Tezuka’s career and life decade by decade, beginning with the 1940s and ending with the 1980s, particularly noting developing themes and influences. Each of these chapters includes a section devoted to the major works that began their release in that decade. The only thing unfortunate about this is that some series with multiple iterations, like Astro Boy, end up appearing in several chapters without much cross-reference. The final two chapters are devoted to Tezuka’s unfinished works and his lasting influence, respectively. Also included in The Art of Osamu Tezuka is a bibliography, an index, and a list of works by Tezuka that as of 2009 had been translated into English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German.

The Art of Osamu Tezuka consists of numerous mostly self-contained summaries and short essays, generally only a page or so in length, accompanied by hundreds of images. The book is structured in such a way that readers can either peruse the volume from beginning to end, providing a comprehensive synopsis of Tezuka and his work, or simply pick and choose subjects, titles, or images that interest them without causing too much confusion. Compared to his total output, very little of Tezuka’s work is currently available in English. I knew the man was prolific, but I had no concept of just how astoundingly prolific he was until reading The Art of Osamu Tezuka. I also didn’t realize that he would revisit already completed works, often rewriting or redrawing them for later editions and republication. The Art of Osamu Tezuka is a fantastic introduction to Tezuka and a wonderful overview of his career, making the volume very easy to recommend.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged: , , , , , , ,
10 February 2012 1 Comment

Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche

Author: Haruki Murakami
Translator: Alfred Birnbaum and Philip Gabriel
U.S. publisher: Random House
ISBN: 9780375725807
Released: April 2001
Original release: 1997/1998

Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Murakami is actually the English translation of two of Murakami’s books, Underground and The Place That Was Promised, which was serialized under the title Post-Underground. Underground, initially published in Japan in 1997, collects interviews Murakami held with victims of the 1995 sarin gas attack in Tokyo while The Place That Was Promised, released in 1998, collects interviews with members and ex-members of Aum Shinrikyo, the religious group responsible for the attack. The English translation of the two books by Alfred Birnbaum and Philip Gabriel was first published in 2000. The English edition doesn’t explicitly state so, but I believe that it is an abridgement. The first book in particular, Underground, seems to be a shortened version of original Japanese edition.

On Monday, March 20, 1995—a day falling between two holidays—select members of Aum Shinrikyo coordinated and executed a release of sarin gas, a highly toxic chemical weapon designed for military use, in various locations throughout the Tokyo subway system. Many people, including novelist Haruki Murakami, were frustrated and unhappy with the media’s coverage of the attack and related events. The media tended to focus on Aum and the more sensational aspects of the incident, often trampling or completely ignoring the personal experiences of the victims. Partially in response to this, Murakami decided to pursue and conduct interviews and collect individuals’ stories. Of the thousands of people immediately affected by the sarin gas attack, Murakami and his assistants were only able to positively identify around one hundred forty people. Still carrying emotional, psychological, and physical scars, even fewer were willing to be interviewed. In the end, only sixty people agreed to allow their interviews to be published.

Thirty-four of these interviews are included in the first part of the book, “Underground.” Murakami proceeds train by train, collecting similar stories together to create a more cohesive whole that allows the same events to be viewed from multiple perspectives. Each section of “Underground” begins with an overview of the Aum members who released the sarin gas in that particular location and a description of their actions. Before each individual interview, Murakami provides a brief introduction and personal commentary about that person. This allows their stories to not only be put in to the context of the events of March 20th, but into the context of their own personal histories and lives. These are not faceless individuals; they are real people who have lived through a terrible and traumatic episode, but this is not the only thing that defines them.

In “The Place That Was Promised,” Murakami interviews eight members of Aum Shinrikyo. Some of the interviewees were still members at the time while others had left or were excommunicated from the organization. None were directly involved with the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo underground. Neither did any of them condone the actions of their fellow members. It does help to already have some basic knowledge of Aum and its beliefs to fully understand these interviews. But even if you don’t, what is revealed through their stories is that they are normal people, just like anyone else, who turned to religion out of frustration with the society around them. Murakami does tend to be more argumentative while interviewing the Aum members. Before reading Underground, I knew very little about the Tokyo sarin gas attack. While the event is unquestionably tragic, Murakami handles the interviews with respect and is careful not to exploit the stories that have been entrusted to him. Underground is an compelling oral history.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged: ,
20 January 2012 1 Comment

Japan Edge: The Insider’s Guide to Japanese Pop Subculture

Editor: Annette Roman
Publisher: Viz Media
ISBN: 9781569313459
Released: July 1999

Originally published by Viz Media’s Cadence Books in 1999, Japan Edge: The Insider’s Guide to Japanese Pop Subculture is now out of print. I made a point of tracking it down because I knew it contained a few excerpts from Usamaru Furuya’s debut manga Palepoli. (They happily turned out to be different selections than the excerpts included in the manga anthology Secret Comics Japan.) But, Furuya’s work is not the focus of Japan Edge. Edited by Annette Roman, Japan Edge features four writers who have specialized in different areas of Japanese pop culture: Patrick Macias, Carl Gustav Horn, Yuji Oniki, and Mason Jones. (I was pleased to discover that Jones and Oniki both have connections to Ann Arbor since I live in the area; the city even comes up a few times in the book.) Matt Thorn and Satoru Fujii also make contributions to Japan Edge. I was already familiar with some of the contributors and their work and looked forward to seeing what they had to say in Japan Edge.

Japan Edge is divide into six chapters: “Anime,” “Film,” “Noise,” “Music,” “Manga Views,” and “Roundtable.” Interspersed between the chapters are the previously mentioned excerpts from Palepoli and brief “Tokyo Diary” entries by Oniki. The first four chapters in Japan Edge follow a similar pattern. They start with a general overview of the subject which is then followed by a personal essay by one of the contributors—Horn writing for “Anime,” Macias for “Film,” Jones for “Noise,” and Oniki for “Music.” The chapters conclude with commentary on future trends, collection suggestions, and a short biography and question and answer section with the respective writer. The “Manga Views” and “Roundtable” chapters are more of a joint, collaborative effort in which each contributor provides material.

The presentation and layout of Japan Edge is inspired by that of Japanese magazines. Overall, I really like the design of the book, but some of the text sizes and font choices make reading a bit of a strain on the eyes. The collection pages in particular are difficult to completely discern without significant effort. Japan Edge will probably appeal most to readers who are already interested in Japanese pop culture, especially since the book actually deals with Japanese pop subculture, as the subtitle indicates. In “Anime,” Horn primarily examines Studio Ghibli and Gainax, both of which were quite revolutionary in their time. Macias choose to focus on two subgenres of cult film—kaiju and yakuza. Noise is already its own subculture, as Mason points out, but in “Music” Oniki looks at a wider selection of alternative and indie sound. “Manga Views” covers everything from yaoi and dōjinshi to underground and ultra-violent manga and beyond. “Roundtable” goes on to briefly address other subcultures in Japanese literature, fashion, and photography.

Since it was published in 1999, over ten years ago, portions of Japan Edge come across as dated, particularly the future trends and collection sections. They still make for interesting reading, though. While the overviews of the various media only cover up to the late nineties, they do provide valuable historic information. When this is kept in mind they make nice, general introductions to the subject areas since they do address pivotal series and creators. The majority of Japan Edge holds up perfectly fine despite the book’s age. Large parts of the volume are devoted to the contributor’s own personal experience with Japanese pop culture. Their passion and intense interest is abundantly clear. I was even convinced to search out some of the materials mentioned in Japan Edge on the basis of the writers’ enthusiasm alone.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged: , ,
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.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged: , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »