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31 December 2010 Leave a Comment

Oishinbo, A la Carte: Japanese Cuisine

Author: Tetsu Kariya
Illustrator: Akira Hanasaki
U.S. publisher: Viz Media
ISBN: 9781421521398
Released: January 2009
Original release: 2006
Awards: Shogakukan Manga Award

Oishinbo, A la Carte: Japanese Cuisine, written by Tetsu Kariya and illustrated by Akira Hanasaki, was the first Oishinbo collection to be released by Viz Media’s Signature line in 2009. Oishinbo, which began publication in 1983 in Japan, is a long running manga that is currently up to one hundred four volumes and is still going. In 1987, the series won the Shogakukan Manga Award for General Manga and it has remained very popular throughout its publication. The Oishinbo, A la Carte collections are basically thematic “best of” compilations. While Japanese Cuisine was the first volume to be made available in English, technically it is the twentieth volume in the A la Carte series and was originally published in 2006. Between 2009 and 2010, Viz released seven of the A la Carte collections and the series received a nomination for the 2010 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia. I believe it was this nomination that first brought Oishinbo to my attention and when I learned it was about food there was no way I was going to pass up on the manga.

Japanese Cuisine collects ten stories exploring elements of Japanese food culture as well as brief commentary on the subject from the author Tetsu Kariya. The compilation focuses on elements of Japanese cuisine that make it distinct from others, extending beyond just the food itself to the entire dining experience and skills used in and needed for preparation. Japanese Cuisine features knife techniques, different styles and types of sashimi, rice, and tea, the importance of the food’s presentation, proper etiquette, and the use of chopsticks among many other things. This variety makes for a good introduction to Japanese food culture and Oishinbo itself. And while fish is a prominent component in many of the stories—understandable since it is also a fairly prominent component in Japanese cuisine—the collection never really feels repetitive. The Viz edition of the manga also includes recipes and practical applications of the subjects covered.

Because Japanese Cuisine is a thematic compilation with stories taken from throughout the Oishinbo series, it is sometimes difficult to get a good feel for the overarching plot of the story and the book can feel a bit disjointed at times. However, each chapter or “course” selected fairs pretty well as short, mostly self-contained vignette. The editor’s notes are also very useful in helping to keep the reader oriented and provide further enlightenment on the subjects addressed. In fact, the manga as a whole is both very informative and engaging. The creators’ enthusiasm for food is obvious through the characters’ own passion and the attention and care given to the portrayal of the various dishes. The amount of detail included in the food’s illustration is one of the highlights of Akira Hanasaki’s artwork. While I frequently find the character designs appealing, it’s really the food that stands out—appropriate and certainly important for a manga about cuisine.

I’m not sure that Oishinbo would initially appeal to readers who aren’t already interested in food or Japanese culture but it does make the subjects very approachable and for a foodie like me it’s simply fantastic. In addition to all of the food talk there’s plenty of drama (oh, the drama!) and it is amusing and thrilling to see people get so worked up and emotional about the things they are passionate. Granted, Shirō (the main protagonist) does come across as a bit of an ass much of the time, but he’s nothing compared to his father who may be brilliant but who is a complete bastard. While Oishinbo is primarily a food manga, it is also about the intense relationships that the characters have with food and with each other. I really enjoyed Japanese Cuisine and learned quite a bit reading it in addition to being entertained by the story. I look forward to picking up the next volume, Sake, very much.

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19 July 2010 Leave a Comment

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Volume 1

Creator: Fumi Yoshinaga
U.S. publisher: Viz Media
ISBN: 9781421527475
Released: August 2009
Original run: 2005-ongoing (Melody)
Awards: James Tiptree Jr. Award, Japan Media Arts Award, Sense of Gender Award, Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize

Out of all her series so far, Ōoku: The Inner Chambers is probably the one that has garnered the most awards and nominations for Fumi Yoshinaga, including the first ever James Tiptree, Jr. Award given to a manga. Even though Ōoku was the first of Yoshinaga’s works that I learned about, I actually ended up reading, and thoroughly enjoying, several of her others before picking it up. The English edition of Ōoku is published by Viz Media as part of their Signature line. As of October 2009, five volumes of the series have been released in Japan and it is projected to run for a total of ten volumes. There is even a live-action adaption planned for October 2010. The release schedule is slower than most manga, only one volume per year, which results in some impatient readers, but also encourages the savoring of each individual installment.

After a brief introduction, most of the first volume concerns Yunoshin Mizuno. The year is 1716, more than eighty years have passed since the beginning of the Redface Pox epidemic; the male population of Japan has been reduced to nearly a quarter of what it once was. Out of necessity, women have taken on the roles previously held by men, including even the military rule of the country. In order to avoid an unwanted marriage and to best support his family, Mizuno decides to enter into service in the Ōoku, or Inner Chambers, of the Shogun. There, hundreds of men are kept and women barred except for the Shogun herself who may choose among the men for her concubines. Mizuno quickly realizes that life in the Inner Chambers is not exactly what he was expecting and finds himself caught up in others’ political maneuverings. The first volume also give a good picture of Yoshimune Tokugawa, the current shogun—a strong-willed woman not afraid to challenges the status quo.

Ōoku is more serious overall than most of Yoshinaga’s other work that I’ve read, but she still incorporates lovely moments of humor. Her artwork is as expressive as ever and I personally think it is some of her best. Backgrounds are slightly more detailed than I am used to seeing from Yoshinaga and her depictions of Edo era clothing are simply gorgeous. A few color plates are also included and are stunning. Viz’s presentation is beautifully done, although occasionally a panel is cropped a little too closely, and the larger Signature format shows off the artwork nicely. All of the main characters have distinctive looks and even the secondary characters show a good variety of design, something that Yoshinaga seemed to struggle with in her earliest works but here is executed elegantly.

As any good alternate history should, Ōoku incorporates historically accurate elements—such as Japan’s Edo era isolationism and the events surrounding the succession of the Shogunate—and gives them new meaning and reason. While the women are officially in charge, the men still have a tremendous amount of influence. Even so, Yoshignaga’s women are strong and can hold their own—the Baron’s smackdown of the Senior Chamberlain was brilliant, for one. Occasionally, Ōoku can be rather text heavy but the information conveyed is interesting and generally important. Unfortunately, the faux-Early Modern English is rather awkward when used. I think I understand what Viz was trying to do—capture the different levels of formality inherent in the Japanese language but no longer a prominent part of English—but they don’t quite pull it off; the language is distracting. But overall, the first volume of Ōoku is a strong start to the series. Beautiful, emotional storytelling accompanies beautiful, expressive art. I am very much looking forward to continuing the series—I love what I’ve seen so far.

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27 May 2010 Leave a Comment

Biomega, Volume 1

Creator: Tsutomu Nihei
U.S. publisher: Viz Media
ISBN: 9781421531847
Released: February 2010
Original run: 2004-2009 (Ultra Jump)

It was the gorgeous cover of the first volume of Biomega that caught my eye and made me pick it up for a closer look. I didn’t recognize the title or the creator, Tsutomu Nihei. I ended up putting the book back on the shelf, but for the next few weeks my mind kept wandering back to it. And then I discovered that one of the plot elements was at least vaguely connected to Mars and any remaining self-restraint I had collapsed (I have a thing for Mars). I soon found a copy of Biomega, Volume 1 in my possession. I was very pleased with my decision when one of the guys at my favorite comic store was elated by my choice. Biomega was actually one of the store’s featured selections at the time, he liked it so much. So, satisfied with my purchase, I happily took it home. And then promptly finished reading it that night.

In the year 3005, the N5S virus was introduced into the Earth’s atmosphere, the disease quickly spreading throughout the population. Most of the infected transform into grotesque, inhuman “drones” while a very select few, known as accommodators, are able to adapt to the virus, making them a valuable commodity. Zoichi Kanoe is a synthetic human, designed to be stronger, faster, and more resistant to the virus than his counterparts. Along with Fuyu, a highly sophisticated artificial intelligence, he has been sent by Toa Heavy Industry to the city of 9JO to locate and retrieve any surviving accommodators. But Toa isn’t the only group searching for accommodators, and while Zoichi has some significant advantages, he most definitely isn’t invincible.

It’s not something that I always mention, but Viz Media’ production values for Biomega are great. Plenty of gutter space is given so none of the art or text ends up lost in the binding. The quality of the printing is consistent and excellent throughout, particularly important for Biomega because there is a lot of ink on these pages. The artwork is dark, both literally and figuratively, the white space being overwhelmed by shading, helping to create a fairly ominous atmosphere that is highly appropriate for the story. The immense, sweeping architecture and city landscapes manage to convey a sense of claustrophobia despite their size, their obvious decay only adding to the environment’s grimness. Nihei’s character designs are also marvelous and fit his setting nicely. Eyes tend to be set widely apart which I found disconcerting at first, but the style eventually grew on me. The once human creatures are twisted and creepy but are occasionally beautiful in their nightmarishness. One of the things that really impressed me about the artwork was Nihei’s ability to not only convey action, but also the tremendous speed at which things were happening.

It is the artwork that really carries the first volume of Biomega; there is very little dialogue and while the basic premise and characters have been introduced, not much development has had a chance to occur yet. For the most part, the art handles this task admirably, though there were occasions that I was slightly confused by who was supposed to be who (story-wise, visually everyone is quite distinctive) and what exactly their purpose in the Biomega world was. However, I do think that this will be revealed and further explored in subsequent volumes. The plot is vaguely repetitive so far, mostly consisting of Zoichi riding around and shooting things, but he’s pretty badass while doing it, so I’m all right with it. Some of the weaponry seems a little over the top but that does mean there are some massive explosions and phenomenal scenes of destruction, which is always fun. I know that I’m certainly looking forward to reading the second volume, anyway.

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