From Eroica With Love 11
December 30, 2007
This time, the English cover favors a portrait of Dorian over Led Zeppelin (or at least most of them, maybe John Paul’s on the back). I prefer the portrait of Dorian myself, but that was probably Bonham’s only chance at making the cover.
This series still just kills me with every volume. It consists entirely of stupid jokes, but it knows what stupid joke to make to be the most effective in any situation. There’s a scene where Klaus promises to give Dorian special NATO epoxy that will fix artwork, and when he gives up the goods, it is revealed that it is a box of nothing more than “James” Bond, an epoxy available so cheaply that James himself often buys it. It’s really funny in context, I promise.
There’s also some aftermath for the party thrown last volume. When the agents spot James in Zurich, they pelt him with food (egged on by G over the phone), which James happily gathers and consumes. There’s a scene where the Major just can’t bring himself to give Dorian CPR, and there’s a fight between he and Bonham over who will do it, Bonham’s argument being that Dorian would enjoy it more from Klaus. Later, while the characters are scaling a mountain, Dorian regrets that it is not light enough out to enjoy the view, then a page full of nothing but panels of Klaus’s butt follows, and Dorian comments that at least there are some sights he can enjoy. Later, an argument breaks out about the vitality of the Major’s butt. Obviously there are a lot of jokes about Dorian and Klaus in this volume, and I loved every goddamn second of it.
There are also some gags which you can very clearly visualize in your head in a movie. At one point, when Dorian isn’t getting into an assignment, James and Bonham decide that they will play their trump card. There is a panel at the bottom of a page that zooms in on Dorian’s face, while Bonham, way off in the background, Bonham tells him the Major will be at a party he needs to go to. The top of the next page features the Earl in the back of a car, smoking a cigarette, decked out in full evening regalia and laughing merrily. You can just see the jump cut on the page. It’s a stupid gag, but it’s just the best when this series does it. There’s another couple moments that are fun to picture, two of them quiet moments between the Earl and the Major, one the moment where the Major decides he absolutely cannot perform CPR, and one where Dorian describes the CPR Bonham would have administered: “From Bonham with Love, it would be slow and hot.” Quite frankly, that was the best line in the series yet. It was entirely worth my ten dollars for this volume.
So yes. So far, the series is showing no signs of slowing down or stopping as far as being the best shoujo series I’ve ever read goes.
December 31, 2007 at 2:03 pm
[...] Child, vol. 21 of Jojos Bizarre Adventure, vols. 3 and 4 of Skip Beat, vol. 1 of Zombie-Loan, and vol. 11 of From Eroica With Love. At The Star of Malaysia, Pauline Wong reviews vol. 1 of S.A. AsianWeek looks at Manga: The Complete [...]
January 2, 2008 at 3:21 pm
[...] Fall in Love Like a Comic, and vol. 6 of O-Parts Hunter at the Manga Maniac Cafe. Connie checks out vol. 11 of From Eroica With Love, vol. 2 of 10, 20, and 30, vol. 1 of Andromeda Stories, vol. 2 of MPD Psycho, and vol. 2 of [...]
January 12, 2008 at 7:06 am
I can’t say I agree with you about the cover change. Then again, I’m one of those weirdos who generally prefers most supporting characters to main characters in just about any story out there, and “From Eroica with Love” is no exception for me. It would have been cool to have a volume with Bonham on the cover. James may have a chance, but…then again, maybe not.
Speaking of CMX swapping covers, let’s play the game of “Guess which volumes CMX will change the covers on next”! My definite guesses are volumes 17, 19, 24, and 28. Volumes 27 and 30 are maybes because CMX may conclude that a lot of readers would think that these pictures are kind of odd or boring.
January 14, 2008 at 12:05 am
I’d have to agree with your guesses for the covers, though I’m holding onto hope for 27 just because I think that’s a cute picture of James. Maybe 26, just because it’s possible the world is not quite ready for Dorian in a bubble bath, and maybe also 34, he’s pretty effeminate in that one as well. All he’s missing are the earrings.
It is kind of sad that the side characters aren’t ever used on the covers in this series. They are significantly less… handsome and more cartoony in design than the main characters (with the exception of maybe Z), but it’s a shock that there hasn’t been a cover with just James, or James and Bonham, or even a few of the agents on it. They’re in every story, just like Klaus and Dorian. Maybe there’ll be a CMX cover swap that puts James and Dorian on the cover, there’s a few good illustrations of the two.
February 4, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I didn’t see volume 34’s art sooner, and I agree with you about that. The page I was looking earlier at didn’t depict anything beyond volume 30. I’ve wondered about volume 26’s cover myself, and the more I think about it, the more likely it’ll be swapped, too.
Oh, I’m VERY surprised to see that Agents A and B (and that creepy-ass Director–really, I swear he bugs me more than most readers, but I think I’ve been pursued by those types more than the average female of my age; I chalk it up to my full, but voluptuous figure…a lot of creepy, old lechers seem to go for that) are on the cover of volume 32.
February 5, 2008 at 2:43 am
I almost didn’t notice the guys in the background of 32, it’s hard to get past the kind of odd expression on Klaus’s face. Of course, that may also be due partially to the fact I really dislike the way she shapes faces after the series came off of hiatus.
I like the Director on the cover of that volume though, he looks happy to be eating whatever it is he’s got there.
February 6, 2008 at 1:36 am
Heh, I didn’t even pay attention to the expression on Klaus’ face (is he pensive, annoyed, or both?) nor did I pay much attention to what the Director was eating (it looks as if he’s eating strawberry shortcake or something similar, but maybe it’s a box of candies instead–the picture I’m looking at is too small for me to tell). I never cease to be amazed by how two people can notice entirely different things in the same scene.
I do agree with you about how the characters’ faces look later on in the series. I know that Dorian and Klaus’ faces seem to be reshaped more than anyone else’s, but there’s something I find really odd-looking about Agent A’s post-hiatus face, but I can’t place my finger on what it is. I actually don’t mind that they’re drawn with stumpier legs, though an awful lot of people complain about that.
February 6, 2008 at 4:04 am
I haven’t had a good look at the interior art for the post-hiatus volumes, so I don’t really want to say anything else about it besides for the obvious change to Klaus and Dorian. I’m kind of looking forward to comparing the two styles, but it’ll be another couple years before the series gets that far in English.
I should get some of the later bunkoban volumes. I probably won’t be able to make much of what’s going on, but they’re cheap, I love the cover illustrations, and I will be able to see the later art.
February 11, 2008 at 8:54 pm
I have enjoyed your site.
I’m a Japanese fan of “From Eroica with Love”.
I wish this amazing manga will be translated into English of all volumes.
And please enjoy it.
Thank you.
From Japanese fan with Love.
February 12, 2008 at 3:36 am
Thanks for the comment, I’m really glad you enjoyed the articles. “From Eroica With Love” is among my all-time favorite series, so I’m always extremely happy when the next English volume comes out.
March 30, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I had a productive weekend this weekend, as I went to my first ever anime con! It was a blast, and I got…
Duck Prince Vol. 1, From Eroica with Love Vol. 2, and URUSEI YATSURA Vol. 1!! I saw the Urusei Yatsura within three seconds of walking into the Dealer’s Room and snapped it up. XD
March 31, 2008 at 1:07 am
Was the volume one of Urusei Yatsura the “Return of Lum” volume 1, or was it the huge perfect collection volume? I’ve never read the “Return of Lum” section of the series myself, but I loved that huge Perfect Collection.
March 31, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Actually, I’m not really sure what I got. It’s not the Return of Lum, because I know what those look like and my volume has Lum * Urusei Yatsura Vol. 1 on the cover. But…it’s not the Perfect Collection. >.< It’s about the size of the Return of Lum series, and it has a dust jacket. It’s in perfect condition, but I can find no mention of it anywhere on the Internet. XD
April 1, 2008 at 3:16 am
Hmm… I’m not really sure because I haven’t seen them, but I think a lot of the ancient Viz series with “perfect collections” may have had graphic novel releases prior to the perfect collections. I know that was the case with Mai the Psychic Girl at least, which had 3 perfect collections along with 4 regular volumes that you never see anywhere.
April 1, 2008 at 7:45 pm
That’s what I think I have. I looked up the isbn on isbn.nu, and that’s what it seems like. ^^ I got it for half off the cover price (US$14.95), so I was really excited. XD
April 16, 2008 at 5:43 pm
I’ve been reading your Eroica reviews for some time now, and I must say I am impressed. Eroica has slowly begun to weave it’s way into my heart, replacing Deathnote and many other manga as my favorite series. Did you know that volume 12 is out already? I look forward to seeing your take on that!
April 17, 2008 at 1:37 am
Thanks! I’m always glad to hear about someone else who’s totally into the series, it definitely deserves more popularity.
I read volume 12 a couple weeks ago, but I haven’t posted the review yet because there’s something I want to scan and post with it and I haven’t been able to get my scanner working. I’ll probably wind up taking a photo instead and posting it this weekend.