Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation 16
Posted: March 16, 2010 Filed under: Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation 6 Comments »Yoshiyuki Nishi – Viz – 2010 – 18 volumes
Hm. Well, at the very least, I finally got to see the titular Bureau of Investigation. The cases are a little different than what I thought, and I think I’m missing out on quite a bit by not being all that familiar with Muhyo’s personality. His brevity and smug superiority when carrying out a job translated well in his heroics from the long story that just finished, but I just can’t tell what he’s implying when he does it on these short cases. There could be several readings, and I’m having trouble figuring out if he’s just a jerk or if his lack of explanations and insight is meant to get Roji and the reader thinking about what’s going on.
That’s probably my other problem. It was pretty obvious what was going on in the long story since monsters were summoned and fought in a pretty clear manner, but with these smaller ghosts, poltergeists, and whatnot, I’m having a harder time trying to figure out what the seven-headed dog or Muhyo are trying to do to defeat them. I think that’s part of the mystery, but since I don’t have as much a grasp on the magic system as I thought I did, that part’s a little lost on me. Even having said that, the story seems a little more fragmented than I’d like, too, and feels like it jumps around a lot. That could just be me having a hard time reading it because of the factors mentioned above, though.
I did ike the last case in the volume. There was a lonely ghost going around consuming any student who said they were its friend, and the case opened with two police officers seeking Muhyo and Roji’s help with a series of kidnappings they’d tried everything to solve. The officers didn’t believe in magic, but of course that’s what works in the end. I liked the little peek into the “real” world in that story, though the disbelief has little bearing on the case itself. And while I had a hard time following what was going on, I did love the ghost itself. It had a suitably sad story to go with it, and the methods used by both it, Muhyo, and the police were pretty epic stuff.
I still find myself interested, even after being slightly more disappointed with this volume than I thought I would be. I still like the general plot, and I still adore the whole aesthetic the series has going for it. Even after being puzzled by what was going on here, I’m still curious to read the last two volumes and find out what kind of conclusion the series reaches. As a whole, it strikes me as only okay, but I’ve grown attached enough to want to follow it to the end.
This was a review copy provided by Viz.
Box Man
Posted: March 15, 2010 Filed under: Box Man Leave a comment »Imiri Sakabashira – Drawn & Quarterly – 2009 – 1 volume
I reviewed this book over at Manga Recon, so you should check it out over there.
I was simultaneously disappointed and fascinated by this book. I wasn’t expecting the complete lack of traditional narrative that this volume has, but the trip its protagonist takes is so fascinating and full of things to look at that I wound up not minding too much.
From Eroica With Love 15
Posted: March 13, 2010 Filed under: From Eroica With Love 24 Comments »Yasuko Aoike – CMX – 2010 – 36+ volumes
Oh man. It’s been eight months, and I’ve been very patient. You know what time it is now, right?
It’s time for another volume of From Eroica With Love. The end of the Seventh Seal story, no less, which started way back in June 2008.
Normally I comment on the cover, but I have nothing to say this time since the cover matches the Japanese edition. Please allow me to distract you with these color illustrations from the newest installment, then. Maybe it would be more interesting to start pointing out where the small back cover illustrations come from, though. Some of those are pretty obscure. This volume’s is from a phone card, but I couldn’t find it in any of my artbooks.
Hmm… The ending to the Seventh Seal story didn’t go at all like I thought it would. I was wondering who would come out on top, since there was no way to make anyone happy in this situation. There were two nice twists to the end of the story, and I liked that part a lot. The twists also explain why the story was called Seventh Seal, something that has been bothering me. But since the ending was strictly business, there wasn’t as much humor. Actually, it was just the opposite, the Major nearly died, and wound up in the hospital. Which then opened the door to a few side stories that made up for the lack of humor in this brief part of the Seventh Seal.
One was a short two-page gag about Agent Lawrence writing the Major a “get well” letter. The second… the second was where all the funny was. It was about the office betting poll concerning when the Major would get angry and let himself out of the hospital. When they all realize that the Major intends to stay there as long as it takes, the espionage and begging starts. For the most part, it’s a fight between the Chief of NATO and Charles Lawrence/NATO’s Head of Accounting over two specific dates that would make them the winners. Dorian shows up to throw a wrench into the works, of course. It’s funny, and I especially love all the desperate/terrible methods that the NATO agents use to try and trick the Major, but it’s not quite as good as the birthday party for the Chief a couple volumes back.
The third story is about a supposedly haunted statue that Dorian takes an interest in. It’s mostly serious, and a pretty good mystery, to boot. There’s a strange scene with him and the Major where the latter shows up out of nowhere to “interfere” and the two seem rather friendly. Actually, there are a few scenes like this in the volume, where the Major seems to tolerate Eroica more than usual and the two are almost friendly, as pposed to the Major absolutely loathing the presence of Eroica. Then again, he also punches him and trips him, so it’s not like anything’s really changing.
One thing that made me uncomfortable were the weird STD jokes that were in this volume. There are three. The first was in such poor taste that it made me cringe when the other two came up. I mean… a line was crossed. It was kind of weird.
Another thing… the adaptation seemed slightly different this time. A little off, and not as punchy as usual. The story’s a little different in this volume, of course (not the usual humorous case), and the volume summary on the back cover is still absolutely spot on, but I wonder if the translator changed. I would check, except the last thirty pages of the Temptation on the Rhine story and all the stuff that comes at the end of the book (ads, next volume preview, and publication info) were replaced with the pages from the end of the first volume of My Darling Miss Bancho. Printing error. I’ve never had one that bad, and of course it had to happen in my favorite series. Usually these don’t affect many copies, so I’m going to pick up another volume from elsewhere, but still. Bah.
The next volume, which should come out in November, will begin the “Emperor’s Waltz” story. Now, this story was the end of the original series. I’ve got the Japanese volumes of this. It’s… very beautiful. It would have been an appropriate end, and it’s got absolutely everything good about this series in it, except for the disappointing and unfortunate fact that Dorian is afraid of ghosts through the first part of it. I absolutely cannot wait.
Magic Touch 7
Posted: March 13, 2010 Filed under: Magic Touch Leave a comment »Izumi Tsubaki – Viz – 2010 – 9 volumes
Mmm. Yosuke’s mysterious past, and the reason he doesn’t like to be touched, are finally revealed in this volume. I wondered where the last volume was going, and it almost seemed like Chiaki and Yosuke were parting forever, but it’s not so bad. What happens to Yosuke is pretty disturbing, and since this was almost entirely a flashback, I have to wonder how it’s going to be dealt with in the next volume. It wasn’t amazing or anything, but it was an interesting plot development that added some (disturbing) insight to the character. Since I don’t read the series super-regularly, I’m a little afraid to find out whether or not the person in question is now… er, related to Yosuke.
The last third or so of the volume deals with side characters. The school friends in this series are the least interesting part for me, which is a shame since there are a lot of series that wouldn’t bother to include them at all. But they’re mostly background fodder, though this story was pretty cute. The student council president and one of the members of the massage club enter into a cute little romance based on body heat/lack of body heat.
Again, it’s a cute series, and this is probably the best volume so far, but it’s still pretty middle-of-the-road. I like Chiaki and Yosuke, and most things involving them are cute and pretty interesting, and while massage doesn’t really enter into this volume, I still think that’s a super-interesting hook. But… you know. It’s just kind of there, otherwise. Most shoujo fans will probably find it a pretty fun read, and it’s easy to get into so don’t hesitate if you run across a random volume, but just keep in mind it’s only okay.
This was a review copy provided by Viz.
Astral Project 3
Posted: March 12, 2010 Filed under: Astral Project 3 Comments »marginal / Syuji Takeya – CMX – 2009 – 4 volumes
Forgive me, for I have sinned. I was reading this when I wrote up my Midterm Report Card recommendations for Manga Recon, but I decided to hold off on reading the whole thing until the fourth volume came out. Then I didn’t get the fourth volume for a long time, which is terrible because this series is mind-blowing amazing. So I’m going to rectify this oversight right now and give the most robust recommendation I can muster.
Now, there’s a lot of existential and philosophical talk floating around this series. Normally, this would turn me off in a big way, especially since I normally have a lot of problems following this type of thinking in a manga (usually because it’s not handled well, but also because nine times out of ten I prefer shutting my brain off when I read comics). I’ve heard a few people mention they were turned off by this aspect of the series, and I completely understand that. It’s got my ear, though, and I love where it’s going with its themes. I can’t get over how clearly and easily a lot of the heavy stuff is being conveyed, too.
What are the themes at this point? Well, the theory put forth for this period of heavy astral projection is that humans are fundamentally flawed and broken at this stage of their evolution. They’ve come up with alternate forms of communication, effectively shutting them off from the most necessary form, that of the face-to-face conversation. There’s also the fact that the first worldwide religion, television, is essentially worse for humanity than anything that has come before. It’s a depressing time, and people are escaping. The two astral projections without human bodies theorize that those two conditions will destroy humanity.
The book introduces its rather heavy point with a conversation of rites of passage, saying that one of the problems is that modern society lacks such a thing. They go on to state that Japanese otaku culture is the most socially broken and spiritually robust of the Earth’s inhabitants, and it got this way by being neutralized by and following the example of the United States. Bascially, it’s the bad social practices and policies of the US that will kill civilization. I know it’ll come back around to this point in the final volume, and I must say, I absolutely need to see the US destroy humanity.
There are other things going on aside from this conversation, however, which is another huge saving grace for the series. Masahiko falls in love for the first time in his life, finally courting Misa on the ground. Their relationship blossoms in an understated way, and Masahiko begins opening himself up to her, which causes him to reflect on himself. We also meet Misa’s mother and Zampano’s wife, and she gets drawn up into a rather major story event by the end of the volume. Interestingly, the story event was related more to the characters than to the plot.
I love the character development in this series an awful lot, too. Admittedly, one of the story’s weaknesses seems to be that the original focus, what happened to Masahiko’s sister Asami, continually falls by the wayside, but it never disappears completely. I think this is pretty intentional, however, since the story is largely about Masahiko exploring himself, and coming to terms with the loss of his sister, whether through death or because she projected too hard, is a part of that.
The story also addresses the subject of the astral projections and what happens after death.
Awesome, awesome stuff. And very unique, to be sure.
St. Dragon Girl 6
Posted: March 12, 2010 Filed under: St. Dragon Girl 1 Comment »Natsumi Matsumoto – Viz – 2010 – 8 volumes
Oh dear. You know when you open the volume and the title page illustration invites you to fill in your own dialogue in the blank speech bubbles that you may be a little too old for the series. And I’m definitely not the target audience.
There’s a lot of fun in this volume. The chapters are still episodic, with the only continuing plot thread continuing to be the shy, unaknowledged relationship between Momoka and Ryuga. The chapters in this volume contain more stories of ghost possessions, demon fights, girls possibly moving in on Momoka’s territory, and a cute chapter at the end focusing on Ron-Ron, the stuffed panda inhabited by the spirit of the “Panda King.”
The clear winner of the stories in this volume was one involving a fox demon who was masquerading as a movie star and collecting souls through her popularity. Momoka was her stunt double in a movie, and she steals all her memories of Ryuga away. It’s a two-part story, and while it wasn’t edge-of-your-seat thrills or anything, it was still pretty heavy stuff for this otherwise light series.
It’s extremely cute, and as I said, it’s pretty fun, but it’s a shallow kind of fun. It lacks a lot of the charm similar adorable series have, maybe just because it lacks character and plot development. Nothing is ever a serious threat, and it’s pretty clear how things will shake out before they happen. One thing to its credit is that the stories aren’t repetitive cliches, and I think that’s what saves it from being uninteresting… but still.
This is adorable, and fans of cute shoujo aimed at younger readers will likely find a lot to like in it, but there are much, much better things to read out there.
This was a review copy provided by Viz.
Hikaru no Go 18
Posted: March 10, 2010 Filed under: Hikaru no Go 2 Comments »Yumi Hotta / Takeshi Obata – Viz – 2010 – 23 volumes
This volume was an interlude from the main story, called “Six Characters, Six Stories.” The short stories covered everyone from major players like Akira and Hikaru/Sai to old favorites like Kaga and Mitani, and they even slipped in Nase, who I forgot about completely. In a way, her story was my favorite, if only because of the contrast between her and the go parlor.
I thought all the stories except the final one, featuring Sai and Hikaru, were quite good. Even that one was enjoyable, but it wasn’t quite as cute or enlightening as the others in the book. Two of them were sort of glimpses into what was happening at the story when we were introduced (the circumstances surrounding Mitani at the Go parlor before he met Hikaru, how Akira was playing before Hikaru entered the picture). The story covering Kurata was about his school days, Kaga and Nase’s stories were set in the present, and Hikaru’s story was from the near-past. They also all covered a variety of subject matter, from horse racing to Japanese pottery to dating.
It’s a testament to the strength of the series and characters that there could be an interlude like this, and that it is still just as enjoyable as the regular storylines normally are. They do play go in most of the stories, but it’s not present at all in one or two of them, and doesn’t play a major role in any of them aside from being a common theme.
It’s comparable to the Isumi volume in its relation to the story, honestly, but I liked it a lot better than Isumi’s story. It didn’t interrupt at such a critical time (at the moment, the story’s getting ready to start a new major plotline), it covered more characters, and was overall much lighter in tone.
Once again, Hikaru no Go really is one of the finest shounen series available in English. There are series I like better, certainly, but I’ll freely admit my tastes run to series that are more over-the-top. But even then, it’s impossible to deny the charm of the characters and the addictive, dramatic nature that the writing grants to their go games. It is ridiculous, in its way, but it’s also well-written and it’s an easy series for anyone to get into, not just manga fans. And I must say, the fact that it’s drawn by Takeshi Obata doesn’t hurt it one bit.
Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation 15
Posted: March 10, 2010 Filed under: Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation Leave a comment »Yoshiyuki Nishi – Viz – 2010 – 18 volumes
If I didn’t know better, I would think this was the final volume of the series. The person who I took to be the main villain is dealt with here, and there is a rather epic and long battle scene involving dozens of characters in what appears to be at least three different locations. Muhyo does what he sets out to accomplish, friendships are reaffirmed even among enemies, it does pretty much everything you would expect of a shounen finale.
Except then it keeps going. For three more volumes. I have no idea why… unless the better parts of the series were earlier, shorter stories and the author wanted to re-capture that before ending it? I do have the next volume, and I’ll probably tackle that next.
It’s actually very good that I have the next volume after the major story arc, because I’d love to pick up the series at a point without all the characters running around. Since I came late to the game, I’m clueless about them, but I am enjoying the unusual artwork and supernatural themes. I think I could really get into the magic systems the series uses, too, especially if the grouchy Muhyo is the one who is master of all of them. I mean… look at what he summoned. And how he summoned it. Muhyo is one of the most unlikely-looking heroes I’ve ever seen. It’s pretty cool. I’d also really like to learn more about the strange working relationship between him and Roji.
Not that I didn’t like what I saw of the characters. Teeki made for a great villain, and I also got a huge kick out of all the summon and supernatural creatures, especially the girl in the chariot. I also liked that there was a punishment for the foes. I’m not entirely sure of the extent of their crimes, but it’s interesting that they don’t get off easy simply because they decided to switch sides again. Everyone seemed to want it another way, but I did like that aspect of it.
I like it, and I think it’s a unique and unusual series, but I’m still not at the point where it’s making me want to try it from the beginning. There really were too many characters at this point in the story, and the finale leaned a little too heavily on making friends with people who hated you in school, and I hate when the final foes are defeated with friendship. I’m sorry. I mean, these people are being sucked down into Hell, and they’re talking about how much they like each other. On one hand, that’s kind of amazing. On the other hand… not so much.
I bet the early volumes of this series are great. So yeah, I’ve got one more here to read, and that a new storyline is starting, so hopefully that will give me enough of a taste to make me go back to the beginning for more.
This was a review copy provided by Viz.
Wild Act 10
Posted: March 10, 2010 Filed under: Wild Act 1 Comment »Rie Takada – Tokyopop – 2006 – 10 volumes
This is a good series that just wasn’t clicking for me in the second half, but for all my minor complaints, the tenth and final volume was more of the same and I literally read it in 20 minutes. I could not read it fast enough. What was the deal with both Ryus? What about that producer? Yuniko’s mother?
All of it’s here, along with one or two over-the-top action scenes worthy of their Hollywood setting. It’s completely self-aware, too, and there’s even great scenes where the flying squirrels get to act like heroes and be put in mortal danger and all that.
Romance! Danger! Excitement! This book has them all! And the answer to the most pressing question of the series is hilariously convoluted and impossible, just like a proper shoujo manga conclusion.
In other words, this final volume was amazing and well worth stumbling through a few slow volumes. Actually, I liked all the parts that took place in Hollywood. I liked Ryu and Yuniko. I liked pretty much everything about this series, save for the incest question. I loved that Ryu and Yuniko made for such a happy and healthy couple, I loved the ridiculousness of stealing all the actor memorabilia and using it to jog her amnesiac mother’s memory, I loved the sense of humor, I loved the flying squirrels, I just loved how brash and energetic it was in general. There was very little to dislike in Wild Act. It’s everything a shoujo manga should be, and it’s a shame I took so long reading it.
If you find it, don’t hesitate to pick it up. It is completely and 100% worth it to any fan of shoujo. I think it was popular while it was coming out, but it’s probably slipped under the radar over the years and it’s a definite gem of America’s shoujo near-past.
