Golgo 13 8
Posted: January 30, 2009 Filed under: Golgo 13 Leave a comment »Hmm. I didn’t actually enjoy the second case in this volume that much. There were a few notable things about it, though. I liked that Duke Togo shipped his gun by carrier pidgeon to avoid the mob finding it. I also liked the way the end of the story was handled. It was a superb twist, come to think of it. The contact had problems with a pair of brothers, but could only afford to hire Golgo 13 to kill one of them. So… he has to take out the other brother himself, and the plan is quite perfect. The situation itself, the reasons, and the characters all had me less fired up, though.
The first story was pretty amazing only because HOLY CRAP HE MISSED. I mean, you sort of expect it sometimes, because such a big deal is made out of his 100% success rate. But… that doesn’t mean it can’t shut your brain down when it happens. There are reasons it happened, and Duke Togo seeks out a Yoga Master to teach him how to go up against the psychic that is foiling him. Almost as important as Golgo 13 missing, the story somehow makes my previous sentence sound very plausible and normal.
The end matter was a little less exciting this time around, too, but I guess I have to read about big geek wars that are waged in the letters column of Big Comic every once in awhile to keep my mind in shape.
Let Dai 13
Posted: January 30, 2009 Filed under: Let Dai | Tags: BL 2 Comments »Hmm… did I post reviews yesterday? I think I did, but I just realized I had five volumes to talk about tonight. I didn’t think I read five volumes in one day (six counting Captive Hearts, which I have to finish tomorrow), especially on a weekday, but I guess I did. I suspect I may have… some sort of problem.
But if the problem leads to me reading Let Dai, I can’t complain too much. It looks like Dai is going to be avoiding Jaehee for the duration of the series, but… well, you know. They’re soul mates and all, so they’re going to run into each other at least a little bit.
The bigger problems in this volume deal with the rapidly escalating sad situation surrounding Naru’s dad, a new gang showing up at school that have it out for Naru for getting the Furies members in trouble, and Naru, Jaehee, and Gohee getting in trouble for jumping the Vice Principal a few volumes back when he was forcing himself on Miss Jin. Gohee needs to avoid punishment, since he’ll be expelled if he gets in any more trouble. The gang stuff sort of drags Naru and Jaehee back where they don’t really want to be, though, so they’re the ones taking the punishment for jumping the principal.
Jaehee takes a beating, just like he always does, and after avoiding him like crazy, Dai steps in to save him by beating the shit out of the punks. This scene is quite nice, but I have to say… the scene that takes the cake this volume is the aftermath, where Dai gets himself drunk after his run-in with Jaehee. His brother comes to pick him up at the bar, and tells him he saw Jaehee kissing Yooneun in the street. Dai has to get out of the car to puke his guts out while his heart is breaking. While you may not think puking is that romantic, it’s the best reaction I’ve ever seen for a character finding out about a cheating lover, and it’s all the more potent coming from the rather stoic Dai.
I was afraid I had burned myself out on this series, but I still love it SO HARD. Even after reading all the volumes over and over again the past couple months, I still thoroughly enjoy every page. It’s just the best.
Martin & John 1
Posted: January 30, 2009 Filed under: Martin & John | Tags: BL 4 Comments »Of all the Tokyopop titles that got cancelled, it will be Hee Jung Park’s titles that I will miss the most. I would give all my copies of Sorcerer Hunters and Boys Be for them. Hotel Africa was truly unique in almost every way, in the story it told and the narrative structure and setting and… well, everything. I haven’t yet read the second volume because I know I will only want more when I finish it. Martin and John was the one that sounded the best out of all of them (I didn’t really like the first volume of Fever and I didn’t realize Too Long had come out), but it took me forever to get ahold of it, long after the cancellation notices had come. And again, I was hesitant to read it because I knew I’d love it and wouldn’t be able to get more.
I was right. I was absolutely right. I actually liked this volume more than I did Hotel Africa, though Hotel Africa is still probably the better series. I like the premise for Martin and John quite a lot. It sets out to tell the stories of different men named Martin and John and the bonds that they share. The first story in this volume is one of romantic partners and the troubles they were having together, and the aftermath of an accident. It was really, really beautiful, and accomplished a lovely story with nothing more than three characters.
The second half of the volume tells the story of a musician named John who winds up with his stepmother’s adopted 4-year-old son after his father and stepmother die. This would have me cringing in most cases, except the boy keeps doing creepy things and showing signs of abuse. The plot develops in that direction, with John caring more and more for the boy as he finds out about the kid’s past, and the volume leaves off with the question of his father’s money and the boy’s original mother trying to adopt him back to get the inheritance. It’s got more elements of humor in it than the first half of the volume, and is quite a nice story by the time it cuts off at the end of the volume. Once again, I’m really rather upset that I won’t get to see a continuation of this series.
The little boy is named Martin, as is John’s best friend and confidante. The John in this story is straight, and sleeps with many women. Elder Martin might not be, but not much comes of that. I’m not looking for the two to hook up or anything, especially since most of the focus is on the younger Martin.
There’s also a single chapter at the beginning of the book that… I think is unrelated? I had a hard time getting into the beginning because I thought that the Martin and John featured in the brief first chapter, a weird sci-fi type story with a master/servant relationship, were the same Martin and John in the first half of the volume. I don’t think they are, but they do all resemble one another.
It would be kind of awesome, actually, if all the stories were connected in some way. I would love to see a series finale that pulled that off after a few volumes. This seems to be the best-selling of Hee Jung Park’s Tokyopop titles (at least on Amazon), so I can always hold out hope that at least this one will see a continuation in better times.
Banana Fish 3
Posted: January 30, 2009 Filed under: Banana Fish 1 Comment »If you’re planning to collect this series, here’s something to keep in mind: All the early volumes are published in two editions, the Shojo edition and the Pulp edition. As the series goes out of print, the prices on the Shojo editions are going to go up since this is what people are going to look for. If you find that you don’t want to pay $30 for an ex-library copy of a single volume of manga, look to see if there is a Pulp edition (in this case, 1569314381). The art is flipped and the trim size is larger, but you’ll probably pay far less as long as the used copies hold out. In my case, it was $3 instead of $30, and it was very much worth it to me.
I think my commentary on this series will be far less… animated than the entry I just wrote for Basara. There’s all sorts of fun stuff going on in Basara, but everything in Banana Fish is pretty serious business, and I feel like it’s hard to pick apart the plot since the volumes just move so smoothly and seamlessly through the story. One thing leads to another, and there’s no pause between things. It’s pretty amazing actually, because I just can’t think of any other series where not a lot of effort goes into transitioning between prison fights, skipping bail, murder attempts, and road trips to Cape Cod.
Ah, poor Griff. I wasn’t expecting that so soon, honestly. I was really hoping that his walking around last volume meant good things. He is sort of a catalyst, though, and I’m kind of surprised that Ash didn’t go visit that doctor when he got out of prison to get an idea of what happened, or even to pick up the Banana Fish.
Banana Fish is explained slightly better, and I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what’s going on. The origins and what Dino plans to do with it are still rather dim points though, and I’m kind of looking forward to finding these things out.
The action in this series is superb. I look forward to absolutely every fight Ash starts, because it’s just so cool. I wouldn’t have really believed I could like a character this much for such weird reasons. I mean, the reasons really are just that he’s cool. His personality is still kind of a mystery, and I disagree with a lot of decisions he makes. It’s a good thing he has his coolness, because I think I would be at a loss without that element.
I’m kind of hoping Ibe hops ship soon. He’s kind of a downer, though I admire his dedication to Eiji, and I know he has to stick around for his sake.
I’ve got one more volume of this before I have to pause and wait for more to come in. I anticipate a pretty hardcore marathon and/or party when they finally do.
Basara 2
Posted: January 30, 2009 Filed under: Basara 14 Comments »Oh, Sarasa, Shuri. You two crazy star-crossed lovers. I hope the convenient meetings at the hot springs will continue for a while yet, but I must say I’m a big fan of communicating via parrot, too. Here’s hoping the owl will grow up and get in on the messenger service action.
I liked… well, everything about this volume. The best action section was probably Tatara’s trip through the underground tunnel to reach the city with the Suzaku sword. I liked the various traps, pitfalls, and dangers, and I liked the way the main character collected herself to overcome the challenge. Though I feel like pointing out that the little owl probably wouldn’t have survived that swim at the end.
The other action scene, where we meet Hayato and he does his bad decision thing, was not as good only because… Tatara pretty much tells you exactly what is going to happen, and Hayato is kind of annoying. He seems to be sticking around, and he’ll probably be the one wielding the Suzaku sword, so I guess I should get used to him.
Bonus: not one, but two couples sleep together in this story. Of course, one was far less… erotic than the other, but I’m rooting for the non-erotic couple more. They did sleep together naked, but the actual sex was had by the nearly-married couple. It was tragic sex, so I guess that means I shouldn’t get too attached to Shido, then?
I’m also looking for more opportunities for Ageha to enter the story. He’s just awesome.
I’m actually kind of surprised that the story contains somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-10 characters as of the second volume, and I have absolutely no trouble keeping any of them straight. If only Hoshin Engi had these powers.
We Were There 2
Posted: January 29, 2009 Filed under: We Were There 4 Comments »I’m surprised by how easy it is to jump into series at the second volume. While I’d still rather start with the first, the brief recaps at the beginnings of these always seem sufficient. Even with a nice little story like this.
I’m always slightly taken aback by series like this… totally serious shoujo without a hint of comedy or melodrama. Sand Chronicles is kind of similar in tone, though that is a smidge over-the-top drama wise sometimes. This one is just very serious, from what I’ve read.
It’s also a very simple story. A girl gets a crush on a boy, and the boy isn’t reciprocating since he’s still trying to get over the death of his former girlfriend. The story of he and the girlfriend is told in this volume, and it’s most heartbreaking. It’s made even more so by the steps he takes towards the end of the volume with the girl he likes. I’m definitely going back for the first volume of this, because while I’m missing absolutely zero story that couldn’t be inferred from this volume, I’m very fond of the interaction between these two characters, and I’m curious to see how it started.
It’s a surprisingly touching series. I really wasn’t expecting something like this, so I was kind of taken aback while I was reading it. This is definitely a good thing. It stands out from… well, pretty much everything else in the Shoujo Beat imprint, I think. The thing it most resembles is Socrates in Love, but I almost hesitate to make that comparison since it’s been so many years since I’ve read that one. I’m hoping for a short series, but I like what I’ve read so far, and now I’m curious to see where the relationship goes and how the boy acts.
This was a review copy provided by Viz.
Hoshin Engi 9
Posted: January 29, 2009 Filed under: Hoshin Engi 1 Comment »So, do you have problems keeping everything straight in this series like I do? Ask and ye shall receive. This volume, in addition to the usual general chart and terms in the back of the book for all the magic stuff, also gives recaps of many scenes throughout the series, and there’s a section in the back that gives positions for different characters and the odds in the Zhou vs. Yin war. There’s also an entire chapter with copious margin notes that explain the relationship and position of every character, which is basically everyone on the Zhou side in that chapter (it’s sort of a short goof-off chapter before the war actually begins later in the volume). Even with all this stuff, it’s STILL hard to keep track. There is just more going on in this series than in anything else I can think of. I really do have a hard time keeping track, and it drives me crazy. I don’t have any problems like this with other series. And it’s not because this is bad, either, it’s just… complicated. Maybe I should save up a bunch of volumes and read them all at once.
Ah, but there’s the catch… I like it a little too much to wait to read it. I do like Taikobo, and I like the idea of purging the world of the magical beings. I’m starting to think that perhaps everyone magical, including Taikobo, will wind up in the Hoshindai by the end of the series.
I am having serious problems with the magic system, though. So there’s Kongrong Mountains and Kingo Islands, and they both have their sennin and doshi and 12 elites that train everyone, et cetera. Dakki is… originally a fox, but the type of magical being, that turns into a human after being exposed to moonlight for 1,000 years? She’s from Kingo Islands, and then betrayed them somehow? Then there are humans that are born with magical powers that go and train in the sennin world. You can be a human with magical powers, maybe, that stays a human if you don’t go train with the sennin. But once you go train, you are then a doshi, and can’t go back to being a human? And are some humans more gifted magically than others? Are some only magical beings? Maybe the ones that were once animals or stone lutes or whatever? I think most of my current confusion comes from the fact that I thought it took a long time to train to be a doshi, yet Inchi and Inchon left and came back with paope, and then weren’t humans anymore? I guess?
Anyway. The important thing is that there’s lots more Taikobo and his strategies in this volume. Towards the end, the actual battles start, and Taikobo’s clearly a master when it comes to this sort of thing. Even the human war seems to benefit from Taikobo’s brains. I also really liked the situation with Inchi and Inchon, and I’m looking forward to the outcome of the battle that this volume leaves off on. I’m… also rather curious about King Chu. What has Dakki done.
I forgot to mention last volume, but the character on the cover has a paope which is simply a rock she pitches at people to hit them, and then it returns to her. This doesn’t do that much damage, but it has max annoyance value because whoever gets hit with it makes a “weirdly erotic face.” Taikobo’s face is perfect, and we get twice as much since Yozen disguises himself soas not to show his “erotic” face. It’s little touches like this that make me enjoy this series way more than I should.
Your and My Secret 3
Posted: January 28, 2009 Filed under: Your and My Secret 8 Comments »I really, truly love every volume of Ai Morinaga’s manga. I know I sometimes say bad things about My Heavenly Hockey Club not having a plot, and these things are true, but they don’t override the Ai Morinaga awesome value. Every volume of Ai Morinaga is full of disturbing things that I will never be able to unsee as long as I live. I don’t know how she does it. I don’t want to know how she does it. But it is a very special skill, one that every single other mangaka lacks. I truly want to be disgusted in that special Ai Morinaga way every time I read a volume of manga. It’s rare that I get the privilege, and I’m so lucky that four of her series have made it into English. Here’s hoping for Yamada Taro Monogatari sometime in the future.
The thing that made me laugh hardest in this volume was when Senbongi figured out what happened to Akira and Momoi… and didn’t care. He had zero reaction to the whole body swap thing, and had no problem doing it with his childhood friend in a girl’s body. Akira really is the only one who sees a problem. This whole situation is highlighted later when the art students misunderstand the tension between Akira-who-is-really-Momoi and Senbongi (Momoi wants to keep Senbongi from defiling her body) and draw yaoi manga about the two. Once again, only Akira cares about these disturbing developments.
The more disturbing content in this series revolves around the grandfather. The grandfather is truly upsetting in most things that he does. In one instance, he is driven to finish his machine when he is promised that Shiina will clean his ears like a proper young lady if he finishes, which prompts the grandfather to have a plethora of sparkly fantasies of Shiina being a good granddaughter to him.
Shiina delivers.
The best thing of all about this series is that it does have plot development, unlike My Heavenly Hockey Club. Sure, we get stalls like the whole Romeo and Juliet story in this volume, but good things usually come of this. Things like manga slashing the characters. So there you go.
Banana Fish 2
Posted: January 28, 2009 Filed under: Banana Fish 4 Comments »So Ash is quite a creepy boy. His silence lands him in prison when the mob boss Dino pulls a few strings, and he gets kind of weird on his cellmate when he finds out that Max Lobo knew his brother in Vietnam and was also researching the meaning behind banana fish. Actually, this scene was unfortunate in that Ash Lynx and Max Lobo, two men with slightly silly names, exchanged their real names. Aslan Callenreese for Ash and Max’s real last name is Glenreed, which sounds like a real name, but… well, Aslan Callenreese. It’s almost as good as our friend Quillish Whammy from Death Note.
The setup for landing Ash in prison baffled me a little bit, especially since this was before the age of cellphones. How did Dino know that Marvin was going to botch things, and how did he know that things were going to play out exactly right in order to send Ash to prison? Maybe getting him arrested was actually Arthur’s doing, who… maybe could have taken advantage of the situation, and then Dino had him thrown into prison. But even Arthur setting up Ash like that is a little unbelievable. I didn’t like it any less for it, though. The whole thing was rather awesome, if not for poor Skip.
Actually, what was also unfortunate was what Ash was hit with for motive in the police station. That was really, truly unfortunate, and it made me hate Dino and Marvin a lot more.
Eiji is still around at the end of the volume, and he tries his hand at some covert gang communication. He’s not so good at it, but I suspect he’ll be around for a long time yet, so he’ll get better.
I’m really kind of wrapped up in things right now. I have no doubt that I could read the whole series in one sitting. Volume 3 has still not arrived, and I’m dying to continue.
B.O.D.Y. 2
Posted: January 28, 2009 Filed under: B.O.D.Y. 3 Comments »I need to fill my quota for contemporary shoujo romance, stat! B.O.D.Y. does the trick, and is actually a cute story to boot.
I don’t have that much to say about this volume, actually. It’s sort of got a Peach Girl/Hot Gimmick thing going where a ton of stuff happens in one volume that’s tied so tightly together that it feels like nothing really happens, yet you’ve read 200 pages of story. This is a very good thing, because it marks a truly addictive series. B.O.D.Y. hasn’t addicted me quite yet, but I’ve got two more volumes sitting here, so it’s still got a good chance.
Surprisingly, this is the type of series where the boy and girl get together very early on. I tend to like these series better since there’s far less plot about whether or not the two will hold hands, and the story moves on to other things.
The host thing is working out to be far more interesting than I thought it would. Already, one of Ryu’s clients goes creepy-stalker on Ryu and Ryoko. I’m not sure if she’s down for the count, but I doubt she’ll be the last of the psychos melting out of the woodwork. Even better is the president of the host service, who puts a challenge to Ryoko that Ryoko takes up. I’m not sure how this will work out, but it’s gone into some pretty creepy territory so far.
The volume leaves off on a wicked cliffhanger, and I’ll probably be sampling the other two volumes later this week. It’s got a lot going for it right now, so I’m pretty optimistic about it being something I’ll be hooked on before too long.
