Home Archives for Takehiko Inoue
13 July 2012 2 Comments

Library Love, Part 10

Support manga, support your library!

Here’s what I’ve been reading:

Good-bye by Yoshihiro Tatsumi. Good-bye collects nine short manga from gekiga pioneer Yoshihiro Tatsumi. The stories all tend to be somewhat dark and pessimistic but somehow manage to avoid being overly depressing. Sex and sexuality seems to permeate the tales. The political commentary and social satire can be a bit heavy at times, but overall the stories are all very strong. I haven’t read much of Tatsumi’s manga, but Good-bye seems to be a fine introduction to his work. The storytelling is powerful and the narratives are engaging. Frederik L. Schodt contributes an excellent introduction to the collection. A brief interview with Tatsumi is included at the end of the volume as well.

Mangaman written by Barry Lyga and illustrated by Colleen Doran. Mangaman has a fun concept that, sadly, wasn’t executed as well as I was hoping. The basic premise is that Ryoko Kiyama, a manga character, has fallen through a rip between worlds and has landed in reality. Expect, he brings all the quirks of manga and comics along with him—people can see his thought bubbles, he literally transforms into a chibi, speedlines get in the way and fall to the floor making a mess, and so on. Unfortunately, the comic is hindered by a plot that barely exists and flat characters. There’s also a tendency to rely too heavily on stereotypical perceptions of manga. Still, Mangaman can be amusing and quite clever at times (especially visually) and I did like Doran’s high-contrast artwork.

Real, Volumes 7-9 by Takehiko Inoue. I think Real may very well be my favorite series by Takehiko Inoue. This surprises me a bit since while I enjoy sports manga, it’s not really my “thing.” But Real is phenomenal. Sure, there’s wheelchair basketball and it’s important to the story (and the athletes are amazing), but to me Real is more about its human elements and drama than it is about sports. The characters are confronted by their limitations and either have to overcome them and accept themselves as who they are or else fall into despair. The characters’ struggles aren’t easy ones—they make progress and they have their setbacks. I can’t help but wish the best for all of them. I’ll be picking up this series to own.

Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror by Junji Ito. Uzumaki features some genuinely creepy and disturbing imagery. Kurôzu-cho is a small Japanese village that has become infected with spirals. This doesn’t sound particularly horrifying, but in Ito’s hands it absolutely is. People become obsessed and driven insane by the spirals they find in nature or by those that are man made. Bizarre and terrifying events unfold in the town that can all be traced back to spirals. The stories are fairly episodic, but they do all tie together in the end. Many of them are also somehow tied to a girl named Kirei who often serves as the narrator. I preferred the first volume before things get really weird, but I was thoroughly engaged for the entire series. I was seeing spirals everywhere long after I finished Uzumaki.

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29 June 2012 2 Comments

Vagabond, Omnibus 2

Creator: Takehiko Inoue
U.S. publisher: Viz Media
ISBN: 9781421522449
Released: December 2008
Original release: 1999-2000
Awards: Japan Media Arts Award, Kodansha Manga Award, Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize

The second Vagabond omnibus, published by Viz Media in 2008, collects the fourth through sixth volumes of Takehiko Inoue’s award-winning manga series Vagabond. These three volumes were originally released in Japan between 1999 and 2000 and were published in English by Viz Media as individual volumes between 2002 and 2003 before being collected into an omnibus. Inoue’s Vagabond is based on Eiji Yoshikawa’s epic historical novel Musashi, which I made a point to read before delving into the manga series. So far, I have really been enjoying Inoue’s version of Japan’s legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. And I’m not the only one. Vagabond received both a Japan Media Arts Award and a Kodansha Manga Award in 2000 and then a Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2002. Because June 2012’s Manga Moveable Feast focused on the work of Takehiko Inoue, I figured it was a good opportunity to look at Vagabond again.

After Miyamoto Musashi’s duel with Yoshioka Denshichirō is forced to a draw, the walls of the Yoshioka dōjō in flames around them, the injured young swordsman takes the opportunity to leave Kyoto. It is agreed that he and Denshichirō will meet to fight again in a year’s time, allowing them both to recover and improve their swordsmanship, assuming they can survive that long. Denshichirō might not have much of a problem in that regard, but there are several people after Musashi’s life, including Gion Tōji, a highly skilled swordsman from the Yoshioka school who blames Musashi for its destruction. Now more than ever Musashi is determined to become invincible, deliberately seeking out talented martial artists and challenging them to fight. Musashi is a natural-born fighter but when he confronts Inshun, a prodigy of the Hōzōin spear technique, he is forced to realize that brute power and blood-thirst may not be where true strength lies.

As Vagabond progresses, Musashi is slowly growing and developing not only as a swordsman, but as a person. Takuan Sōhō, the monk who in many ways is responsible for saving Musashi’s life when Musashi was still known as Takezō, advises the younger man that he needs to truly understand and accept himself before he will be able to accomplish anything else, something that Musashi hasn’t yet been able to do. Much of Musashi’s drive to fight and defeat strong opponents is due to the fact that he can’t see his own strength. The only way he can prove his worth to himself is by directly comparing his skills to those of others through battle. While Musashi may be naturally talented when it comes to fighting, he is still young, immature, and rough around the edges. He puts his entire self into and behind his sword; his fights not only forge and hone his physical skills but his very soul.

One of the things I love most about Vagabond is Inoue’s phenomenal art. It tends towards the realistic and his figure work is fantastic. The artwork also helps to emphasize and enhance Inoue’s storytelling. As might be expected from a story about a legendary swordsman and his rivals, there are plenty of fights in Vagabond. However, these confrontations don’t occur just to be forgotten. The characters learn from each other and their battles. Wounds, both physical and mental, aren’t sustained just to simply disappear after the fight is over. People have to recover from their injuries and that takes time. A bruised face may take several chapters to heal while graver injuries take significantly longer. They may even leave a person more vulnerable in later fights. How the different characters choose to deal with these consequences is fascinating; all of the prodigies, while intense, come across as just a little strange. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Vagabond.

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25 June 2012 2 Comments

My Week in Manga: June 18-June 24, 2012

My News and Reviews

I posted two reviews last week, neither of which have anything to do with manga whatsoever. As I’ve mentioned before in passing, I study traditional Okinawan karate kobudō. Because of this I was interested in learning more about Okinawan history. George H. Kerr’s study Okinawa: The History of an Island People was exactly what I was looking for. It is the first and one of the only comprehensive histories of Okinawa available in English. My second review was for Todd Shimoda’s novel Subduction with artwork by his wife L. J. C. Shimoda. The illustrations and overall design of the book were some of my favorite parts of the novel.

Digital Manga has launched their latest Kickstarter project. The company hopes to publish Osamu Tezuka’s Unico in English and in full color. The project already has a ton of support and I’m expecting it to be successful. Plus, if the project meets it’s goal quickly, Digital Manga will announce yet another Tezuka manga to be licensed. As much as I love seeing Tezuka available in English, I hope that Digital Manga will consider other titles to fund through Kickstarter, too. Another project I’d like to draw your attention to is for Laurianne Uy’s Polterguys, Volume 1, a fun manga-inspired comic. You can learn more about Laurianne and read Polterguys at her website Laurbits.com.

This week is the Takehiko Inoue Manga Moveable Feast! Anna and Michelle, the co-hosts for this month’s Feast, have a nice kickoff post. Below, I have a quick take for the first couple of volumes of Inoue’s series Slam Dunk. I previously reviewed the first Vagabond omnibus and later this week I’ll be reviewing the second. Buried in some of my past Library Love posts, I have a couple of quick thoughts on Real, which is probably my favorite series by Inoue. Happy Feasting, everyone!

Quick Takes

Calling by Miu Otsuki. Calling was a really nice surprise. I wasn’t expecting much out of the manga, but it turned out to be an excellent boys’ love one shot. One of the best things about Calling is that Otsuki avoids many of the unfortunate and often used tropes of the genre, especially those dealing with rape. When Kazuaki tells Kira to stop, Kira stops. (Seriously, consent is hot.) The story is much better for it, too. The men’s relationship deepens and matures more naturally than it would have otherwise. The two obviously care for each other and make for a very affectionate couple. There are conflicts and misunderstandings in Calling, but it is a very sweet manga with well-developed characters.

Sanctuary, Volumes 1-4 written by Sho Fumimura (Buronson) and illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami. Akira Hojo and Chiaki Asami are two ambitious young men who are determined to transform Japan together, Hojo working through the underground and Asami working through the political system. Their struggle to rise to power is fraught with challenges as they confront corruption and very real danger. They have literally put their lives on the line to reach their goal. Sanctuary is thrilling. Hojo and Asami advance only to be pushed back again. They just barely manage to hang on to control of the situation. One wrong move and all of their efforts will come to nothing. This series is fantastic and I’m really looking forward to reading the rest.

Slam Dunk, Volumes 1-2 by Takehiko Inoue. Slam Dunk was the first of Inoue’s manga to be translated into English. Initially published by Raijin Comics, the license was later rescued Viz Media. Slam Dunk was Inoue’s breakthrough manga. The story follows Hanamichi Sakuragi, a big guy and high school delinquent who joins the basketball team in order to win the affection of a girl. Except, he doesn’t really know much about basketball. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how funny the series is. It was also interesting to see Inoue’s earlier, more simple (but still dynamic) style of drawing. Although I don’t feel compelled to rush out to find out what happens next, I enjoyed these first two volumes and would like to read more.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Episodes 14-26 directed by Kenji Kamiyama. It’s been a while since I’ve watched any Stand Alone Complex, but because so many of the episodes stand on their own, I found myself falling back into the series fairly easily. Unfortunately, some of those episodes can be rather tedious; although there’s some good world building, there’s a lot of talk and not much action. I would find my attention wandering, making it difficult to follow some of the political machinations that become important later on. But when the series actually gets around to kicking into gear, it’s great. The animation quality is excellent, too. And I’m never going to complain about a soundtrack by Yoko Kanno.

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13 May 2011 Leave a Comment

Vagabond, Omnibus 1

Creator: Takehiko Inoue
U.S. publisher: Viz Media
ISBN: 9781421520544
Released: September 2008
Original run: 1998-ongoing (Weekly Morning)
Awards: Japan Media Arts Award, Kodansha Manga Award, Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize

Takehiko Inoue’s Vagabond is a series I have been looking forward to starting for quite some time now, but I promised myself that I would read Eiji Yoshikawa’s epic historical novel Musashi first since the manga is loosely based on that work. Now that I have read Musashi, nothing is holding me back from reading Vagabond. Vagabond is a popular and highly regarded series in Japan, winning both the Japan Media Arts Grand Prize and the Kodansha Manga Award in 2000 as well as the 2002 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. The manga began serialization in 1998 and although it is currently on indefinite hiatus it is up to thirty-three volumes. Viz Media began publication of the English translation in individual volumes in 2007 as part of their Signature line. In 2008, they began releasing the series in an omnibus edition, each collecting three volumes of the original manga along with a bit of additional bonus material. It’s a nice format for someone just starting to read Vagabond as it makes the long series a little easier on the pocketbook. (We do miss out on some of the nice cover art, though.)

Takezō Shinmen and his best friend Matahachi Hon’iden left their home to make a name for themselves as warriors and samurai. Instead, the young men are put to work clearing roads for the army. After the Battle of Sekigahara they find themselves alive but seriously wounded and, perhaps even worse, on the losing side. Shamed, Takezō and Matahachi begin their journey home. Matahachi is from a good family and has a fiancée waiting for him. Takezō on the other hand has nothing but bad memories and is disliked and feared by most of the village. Pursued by the authorities and having killed many in the process, his homecoming is less than welcome and he goes into hiding in the nearby mountains. It isn’t until the monk Takuan Sōhō, close friend of the local lord, becomes involved in the search for Takezō that any progress is made quelling the violent youth.

Inoue is a phenomenal artist and storyteller. Although Vagabond is based on Yoshikawa’s Musashi, Inoue has made the story his own. While the core elements remains the same and some scenes have been taken directly from the novel unchanged, Inoue isn’t afraid to make changes to the story’s pacing, characters, and plot to better suit his medium. And of course, it is always different seeing something visually presented rather than only reading about it. I adore Inoue’s illustrations. Using a realistic style and beautiful figure work, he brings the characters of Vagabond to life and quite a few of them to their death as well. Vagabond is a very bloody, graphic, and violent work. Throughout the manga, Inoue uses interesting and dramatic points of perspective for his artwork. And beginning in the second volume he begins to incorporate more traditional looking ink brushstrokes to emphasize certain people and panels.

Each of the characters in Vagabond, whether primary or secondary, have unique designs and personalities and are easily distinguished from one another. And Takezō? Holy hell is he scary; completely deserving to be called a demon by the others. He is incredibly strong but extremely undisciplined as a younger man. He doesn’t hesitate at all to kill another person, sometimes even delighting in it. Even after the three year break between volumes two and three he seems incapable of restraint. While he does appear to have gained more control and focus, Takezō (now going by the name Miyamoto Musashi) still lacks in maturity. I do wonder if Inoue will explain what happened in those three years or if he’ll just let things stand as they are. I also want to know what happened to the characters who don’t reappear in the third volume. However, I am confident that that will be revealed in subsequent volumes. Vagabond is definitely a series I will be following to its end; I look forward to experiencing more of Inoue’s fantastic artwork and storytelling.

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24 December 2010 Leave a Comment

Library Love, Part 6

Support manga, support your library!

Here’s what I’ve been reading:

Banana Fish, Volumes 14-17 by Akimi Yoshida. Yoshida has really ratcheted up the action and plot with these four volumes. There are only two left in the series and I have no idea how she’s going to wrap everything up! I’ve really been enjoying Banana Fish; the deepening relationship between Ash and Eiji is simply fantastic. Things are getting really dangerous for them and their allies and it’s hard to see how they’re going to pull through. Eiji in particular is a very changed person, although he has had a significant influence on Ash as well. I want to see the both of them happy but it’s going to be difficult with multiple crime syndicates and mercenaries gunning for Ash.

Hikaru No Go, Volumes 4-7 written by Yumi Hotta and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. I really didn’t expect Hikaru to become as serious as his is now about Go. It’s fascinating to see him grow as both a person and a player. Sai is as adorable and earnest about the game as ever and is happy to see Hikaru take more interest. Although, it does mean he doesn’t get to play as much as he would like. More and more characters are being introduced as Hikaru moves on from his school’s Go club to being accepted as an insei, hoping one day to become a professional Go player. Even though it’s heading in a different direction than I originally thought, I’m loving this series and can’t wait to read more.

Real, Volumes 4-6 by Takehiko Inoue. Damn this series is good! It can be a little emotionally exhausting and intense at times. We get a bit more of Togawa’s back story, Nomiya’s struggle to find his direction in life, and Takahashi’s discord with his family. These are real people dealing with real issues that aren’t always pretty. The attention given to the un-idealized portrayal of disability, physical therapy, recovery and the effects they have on people is stunning. I highly recommend this series even if you’re not into sports manga because it really is about so much more than basketball. Real amazes me.

Yotsuba&!, Volumes 2-3 by Kiyohiko Azuma. Jumbo is still my favorite character and I love seeing the trio of him, Yotsuba, and her father hanging out together. Yotsuba still manages to be adorable without being annoying, completely confounding her friends and neighbors. I’m actually surprised by how much she manages to get away with; the others put up with her antics with amazing tolerance. Perhaps it’s just that she’s such a good-hearted kid even when she’s getting herself into trouble. It’s really a delight to watch as she experiences and enjoys things in life for the first time.

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