Time Stranger Kyoko 1 by Arina Tanemura: B-

July 15, 2008 by Leave a Comment

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve been invited to contribute reviews to the Manga Recon section of PopCultureShock. This is my first review for them, and it was originally published here. Carlos Santos from ANN has also written a review of this title, and brings up some points left out of mine, so you may want to check his out, as well.

It’s the 30th century and all of the nations of Earth have united to form a single kingdom. The treasure of the people is their princess, Kyoko, but she’d rather attend school like a normal girl than fulfill any of her royal obligations. Her sixteenth birthday is approaching, however, and along with it the celebration at which Kyoko must finally appear before her subjects, putting an end to her incognito scholastic career.

Kyoko resigns herself to her fate, but her father offers her an alternative—if she can awaken her younger twin sister, who has been asleep since birth, and turn princess duties over to her, Kyoko can have her freedom. To do this, she must locate twelve godstones scattered around the planet and the twelve telepaths who can use them. When gathered, they can set into motion the giant clock upon which Princess Ui sleeps and use its power to awaken her.

I was pretty put off initially by the notion that Ui was to be awoken for the sole purpose of foisting princess duties upon her. Even though Kyoko intends to give her sister a choice in the matter, it’s still a thoroughly selfish aim. Quickly, though, Kyoko ends up revealing her identity anyway (to thwart a band of thieves who’re menacing her schoolmates) and her goal becomes simply meeting her sister.

Adventure ensues, with Kyoko gradually acquiring more powers and, eventually, locating the first of the telepaths. She’s often tempted to use her powers for selfish reasons, but usually ends up helping others in the end. Other hobbies include requiring rescue by her bodyguards and behaving irrationally.

There are some comedic elements to the story, though not all of them are a success. I giggled at the instructions for the issuance of a royal greeting (step 5: gesture flamboyantly!) and I like that Kyoko’s magic cane has a personality and dialogue, but I can’t stand the character of Chocola. She’s the King’s cat android pet, and I reckon I’m supposed to find her unbearably cute, but instead she just creeps me out.

As usual, Tanemura’s artwork features big eyes, lots of screentone, and a plethora of flowers. I was a little disappointed that she didn’t avail herself of the opportunity to draw the kirito—humans whose DNA has been combined with that of plants or animals—in a new and different style. Mostly, they just get things like pink hair or gold eyes. Kyoko herself has pointy ears, but no one has commented on them thus far, so I’m not sure if she’s supposed to a hybrid or not.

While I didn’t love this volume, I didn’t absolutely hate it, either. It’s true that neither the story nor the characters particularly engage me, but because the series is only three volumes long, it’s really not that much of a commitment to see it through to the end. I expect that I will do so.

As a final thought, I leave you with a topic: Arina Tanemura is the manga equivalent of Meg Cabot. Discuss.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Filed Under: Fantasy, Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: , ,

I.O.N by Arina Tanemura: B-

July 10, 2008 by 5 Comments

From the back cover:
Ion Tsuburagi chants the letters of her first name as a charm to bring good luck when she needs it. Then she meets Mikado Hourai, the president of the Psychic Powers Research Society at school, and touches a mysterious substance he’s been developing. Now chanting ‘I-O-N’ gives her telekinetic powers!

Review:
I don’t normally comment on covers, but I.O.N has one of the prettiest I’ve seen. It’s all shades of green, blue, and purple, making Ion’s ginormous Ribon-issue brown eyes stand out. Her hair is blue on the cover, which prompts me to consider that I haven’t really encountered too many manga characters with oddly-colored hair (by which I mean impossible for a human and not merely improbable for a Japanese person). Maybe that’s more of an anime thing. In this case, I’m not sure whether Ion’s hair is truly supposed to be blue or if Tanemura is just having fun with the cover art. Either way, it’s purty.

Alas, it turns out the cover is really the best thing about this one-shot. Some of its problems are due to its length. Exposition gets crammed into dialogue where it doesn’t really belong, resulting in awkward sentences like, “I was wondering who that was, but what do you know, it’s Mikado Hourai, the President of the Psychic Power Research Society.” Emotional developments are also rushed, like when Ion declares that she might be falling for Hourai a mere 7 pages after meeting him.

The rest of the problems are due to the story itself, which just isn’t very cohesive. The nature of the plot is episodic, with Ion using her new-found powers to perform astonishing feats such as extinguishing fires, saving drowning kids from being struck by malicious logs, and protecting her romantic rival from a falling tree. Tanemura’s sidebars mention that her editors kept her in suspense regarding the ultimate length of the series, and it shows. She doesn’t really try to do anything substantive until the end, but even so, that mostly consists of Hourai being uncertain whether he likes Ion for herself or because she’s got psychic powers.

The artwork is typical of Tanemura’s style—lots of screentone, lots of flowers and stars—but as this is her first published manga volume, the result is a little less polished than in her later works. When seen from straight on, noses are just vertical lines and after I conceived of the notion that they looked like coin slots, I kept seeing them in the fashion. Pages do get a little overcrowded at times, but I didn’t have any problems following the story visually. I particularly like the character design for Tagosaku, who’s drawn in a different style from everyone else. The loyal henchman of the President of the Student Council, he’s essentially just a weird little dude who is used for comic relief throughout. I like him.

I.O.N is a decent read. It’s largely lacking in substance and purpose, but if one goes into it just expecting a magical girl fantasy, it’s not that bad. It might be better to procure it from a library, though, if one can.

Filed Under: Manga, Sci-Fi, Shoujo Tagged With: , ,

Honey and Clover 2 by Chica Umino: A

July 8, 2008 by 6 Comments

From the back cover:
Love is never easy for our heroes. Takemoto is forced to confront his resentment of his stepfather and his own feelings of being cast adrift, while Mayama and Ayu flounder in their unrequited loves and Morita faces the prospect of being held back another year.

Review:
Reading Honey and Clover for me is similar to reading Sand Chronicles in that it induces a strong feeling of nostalgia. Rather than a protagonist looking back upon a series of memories, however, in this series Takemoto will often pause mid-experience and ponder how this wonderful moment with everyone together will one day be in the past, but how he knows he’ll remember it over and over. Maybe I’m just a sucker for that sort of reflective, bittersweet vibe, but I think it adds an extra layer of meaning to the story.

The scene to which Takemoto is chiefly referring is one of the best in the volume, where everyone ends up joining Hagu in an ultimately fruitless search for a four-leaf clover to give her beloved guardian (their favorite professor) who is going away on a trip. I also really enjoy the chapter where the characters are in a frenzy trying to get their graduation projects done on time, since it means we get to see them actually doing what they’re going to school for. And who doesn’t have some kind of parallel experience from their own college days?

The volume contains a couple of love confessions, too, as Mayama and Yamada each make their feelings known to the object of their affections. Yamada’s confession is especially moving, since Mayama bears it so calmly and just lets her get it all out. I think I’m a sucker for awesome unrequited love, too.

I also want to compliment a neat trick Umino used in the course of providing some back story for Mayama’s plight. Mayama’s in love with an older woman, Rika, who was a classmate of Hanamoto-sensei. As Hanamoto recounts the tale of how he became roommates with Rika’s now-deceased husband, we see three successive panels of said husband hailing Hanamoto first by his last name, then as Shûji, then as Shû. It’s a nifty little shorthand to chart the progress of their growing friendship.

In addition to the emotional moments, there are a lot of amusing ones as well. Umino’s art style in general is a big draw for me as I do enjoy Teh Cute. I know some object to how young Hagu looks but, really, there aren’t any pervy connotations regarding her at all. My one complaint is that I still don’t quite have a handle on her personality, but maybe that’s supposed to be the point. Hagu had a very isolated upbringing, so perhaps we’ll get to know her better as she continues to flourish in her new environment. I hope so.

Filed Under: Josei, Manga Tagged With: ,

Skip Beat! 13 by Yoshiki Nakamura: B+

July 4, 2008 by Leave a Comment

From the back cover:
Ren’s acting test is about to begin, with his entire future hanging in the balance, and he’s managed to make his leading lady Itsumi mad at him. Rather than confront him directly, Itsumi decides to hit him where it hurts. Will she sabotage his test, or will Ren be able to get it together and use his legendary acting ability to lead her through the scene?

Review:
I like Ren and I like that his performance in this test makes Kyoko realize that he possibly doesn’t hate her after all, but the whole thing is quite silly. The reactions of the spectators crack me up, with multi-panel shots of everyone blushing or gasping simultaneously. I think the director even falls to his knees with squee at one point. It’s a little much.

Kyoko also doesn’t feel like her usual self this volume, since mostly she’s just watching from the sidelines. The most Kyoko-like thing she does is experience envy when Ren compliments his co-star, not because of random petty jealousy but because she wants to be good enough to receive such praise from him herself. It does seem that she may be starting to develop feelings for Ren, chiefly because she devotes a fair amount of effort to convincing herself she isn’t.

This isn’t my favorite volume of Skip Beat!, but it’s still a good read. Even when the situation they’re in is a bit goofy, I still like the characters enough to keep my snickering to a minimum.

Filed Under: Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: ,

Sand Chronicles 2 by Hinako Ashihara: A

June 28, 2008 by 3 Comments

From the back cover:
Just when Ann has adjusted to life in the countryside—and even has a boyfriend!—her father invites her to live with him in Tokyo. Now she must choose between a father she hardly knows and a young man she is just beginning to know. But she soon discovers that they aren’t the only ones vying for her affections!

Review:
In a recent post on his blog, David Welsh said, “It’s entirely possible that Hinako Ashihara’s Sand Chronicles is less a great graphic novel for teens than a great graphic novel for former teens who remember the pointed moments of awkwardness and uncertainty of that time of life.” I kept remembering that comment as I read this volume, and I think it’s very true.

There’s a definite sense of “this was once terribly important to me and I wanted it to last forever, but now it’s all just a memory” about it all. This is bolstered by the way the story is structured—like a series of recollections and snapshots in time, with the shortest interval between chapters so far being six months. It induces strong nostalgia in me for those days—the me I was, the things I did, the people I used to see every day—and I think a distance of some years from one’s adolescence is required for that kind of wistful retrospection to flourish.

As regards the story itself, I really love both chapters included in this volume. In the first, Ann must decide whether to remain in Shimane with Daigo and her friends or to return to Tokyo to live with her father. The depiction of her divided loyalties and struggle to decide is very well done and I was impressed by how much of an emotional response the conclusion to the chapter provoked in me. In the second, the love triangle that’s been developing since the first volume gets explored. I really like that neither of the boys involved is an easy shoujo stereotype. One is more reserved than the other, but there are no fiery hotheads involved.

Seriously, y’all. Read this manga.

Filed Under: Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: , ,

Maison Ikkoku 8 by Rumiko Takahashi: B

June 27, 2008 by Leave a Comment

From the back cover:
Godai’s eavesdropping causes him to misunderstand Kyoko’s words—again. This time, it’s during Kyoko’s visit to her former husband’s graveside. A new wide-eyed tenant, Nozomu Nikaido, moves into room No. 2 and quickly causes trouble for the other Maison Ikkoku residents, especially Godai in his pursuit of Kyoko.

Review:
I was looking forward to Nozomu’s appearance, since he was left out of the anime. He arrives just after a couple of chapters with a more serious tone—Kyoko realizes she may be starting to get over Soichiro, and asks for his forgiveness—and dominates the rest of the volume with his antics.

It’s not that I disliked the result, it’s just that the antics (pranks among the residents, chiefly) aren’t really anything new. I got all optimistic when it seemed like he was going to steal Kozue away from Godai, since that’d be a tidy ending to their relationship and one in which she wouldn’t end up hurt. Alas, it was not to be. As soon as Godai determined to warn her away from the dense Nozomu, I knew what would happen.

Still, Maison Ikkoku earns points for simple charm alone. Plus, the gradual thawing of Kyoko’s heart makes me happy. I’ve past the halfway point now, so things should begin moving soon!

Filed Under: Manga, Seinen Tagged With: ,

Four Shōjo Stories by Keiko Nishi, Moto Hagio, and Shio Sato: B+

June 26, 2008 by 1 Comment

From the back cover:
An unprecedented collection of stories by the greatest shōjo manga (girls’ comics) artists of our time!

In shōjo manga, a uniquely literary genre of Japanese comics, the relationships between characters are as meticulously crafted as the story’s action. Shōjo artists are renowned for their visual innovations, as well. Experimenting with page layouts, panel placement, the interplay of text and image, and expressionistic background effects, the three female manga artists of Four Shōjo Stories create a uniquely absorbing reading experience!

Review:
It would be impossible to write a review of Four Shōjo Stories without referencing its unique history. Who better to shed light on its origins than Matt Thorn, the original translator and author of the book’s introduction. Here’s a post he made on MangaBlog in March 2007. Suffice it to say that, although this wasn’t cheap, I am pleased to’ve found a copy significantly below the price range stated in Matt’s comments.

Of the four stories, two are sci-fi works by shoujo creators and the other two are by josei artist Keiko Nishi. I liked those by Nishi least, though they weren’t bad. The second one in particular had a melancholy vibe that I liked, but none of the characters were sympathetic.

I’d expected to like Moto Hagio’s “They Were Eleven,” since I’ve seen it praised before. I wasn’t disappointed. It seemed to drag a little initially (at 120 pp, it was by far the longest story in the collection) but picked up steam and by the end it was clear that all the stuff that happened at the outset had served a purpose. Fans of sci-fi in general but also fans of shoujo series that feature what I call “gender hijinks” would probably enjoy this story.

The surprise for me was Shio Sato’s “The Changeling.” I’d never heard of Sato before, but I liked her story just about as much as Hagio’s. In it, a competent and boyish female space pilot received a signal from a previously uncontacted planet and went to investigate. Her opinions on the inhabitants she encountered were thoughtful and different than I’d expected. The story stuck in my head after I had finished and made me wish something else by Sato would get licensed. It also had a cute final panel.

While the contents of Four Shōjo Stories might not be uniformly stellar, they’re still enjoyable. It’s too bad they probably won’t see the light of day in a readily accessible, $8.99 sort of package any time soon.

Filed Under: Josei, Manga, Short Stories, Shoujo Tagged With: ,

Maison Ikkoku 7 by Rumiko Takahashi: A

June 16, 2008 by 1 Comment

From the back cover:
Godai ends up in the hospital and has two unexpected visitors. His cute cousin comes to nurse him and Kyoko’s other suitor, Mitaka, ends up being his roommate. Godai’s problems aren’t over when he’s discharged—he has to deal with Kyoko and his school absences.

Review:
This volume is truly excellent, with many classic moments and even some movement on the relationship front.

I like the appearance of the hitherto unseen Mr. Ichinose, and find the chapter where both parents compete in an event at Kentaro’s school to be sweet and wonderful right up until the end when it’s revealed that Mrs. Ichinose has participated not for her kid’s sake, but to win some sake. That kind of ruins it a bit.

Several chapters feature Godai in a hospital after he broke his leg rescuing Kyoko from a crumbling bit of roof. Some of these aren’t so hot—I didn’t particularly care about the elopment of Godai’s cousin—but it’s about here that Kyoko begins to seriously ponder what her feelings are, and even comes close to smooching him. Anytime we get something from Kyoko’s point of view, I like it.

As good as these bits were, they can’t top my favorite chapter in the volume. Mitaka and Godai, upon running into each other for check-ups at the hospital (Mitaka ended up breaking his leg too), commence hanging out together and eventually drown their Kyoko-related sorrows in some booze. They stagger home, fully determined to tell her off for being stubborn and harboring a grudge against them for being idiots. That is, until they run into her. She says, “Let’s go home” and they both meekly go, “Okay.” Hee.

I haven’t talked about Takahashi’s art lately, but I’ve really been enjoying it. Background details continue to be excellent, and I’m particularly fond of little realistic touches, like a plane flying by in the background of one panel. It’s such a small thing, and yet I’m not sure I’ve seen it done before. The storytelling is also excellent, and though I do tire of the neighbors spoiling things, there were enough satisfying moments in these chapters that I didn’t come away annoyed.

Filed Under: Manga, Seinen Tagged With: ,

Maison Ikkoku 6 by Rumiko Takahashi: B+

June 15, 2008 by 1 Comment

From the back cover:
Grandma Godai comes for an extended visit and manages to meddle in Godai’s love life at every turn. Before she leaves, Grandma brokers a dream date for her wishy-washy grandson, but the night doesn’t turn out exactly as she planned…

Review:
Even though I didn’t like every story in this volume, as a whole, they formed a cozy, charming reading experience. In any other series, a random baseball chapter would probably irk me, but Maison Ikkoku can pull it off.

The one chapter I actively disliked featured Godai and his friend Sakamoto attending a welcoming party for freshmen. It was the first time drinking for one of the female attendees, and when she got drunk, Godai came very close to taking advantage of her. This was all played for comedic effect, of course. I don’t remember this being in the anime, so I have to wonder whether it was removed to kind of downplay Godai’s scumbaggery.

Godai’s grandma was in most of the stories, and stirred things up with many awkward questions and demands. She and the neighbors were especially annoying in this volume, but just when I was getting thoroughly fed up with the propensity of the latter to show up everywhere and ruin things for Godai, things took a turn for the cute when Godai and Kyoko ran away to escape them and had much fun in the process.

I’ve said before that Maison Ikkoku is like manga crack, but I think it’s more like manga meatloaf. Filling, satisfying comfort food with one essential recipe that can be tweaked many different ways. A perennial favorite.

Filed Under: Manga, Seinen Tagged With: ,

Bleach 23 by Tite Kubo: C

June 11, 2008 by 1 Comment

From the back cover:
The Arrancars, Hollows that have attained Soul Reaper-like powers, have descended on Karakura Town. Led by Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, they plan to eliminate anyone who poses a threat to them. And their deadly hunt doesn’t stop with Ichigo and the Soul Reapers—the Arrancars are after anyone with even a trace of spiritual powers!

Review:
Pardon me a moment while I indulge in a snicker over the name Grimmjow Jeagerjaques.

Ahem. Okay, moving on. I don’t know whether it’s the wait between volumes or that the story has really gotten majorly worse, but I found this to be thoroughly dull. Some Hollows with stupid names arrived and began fights with various Soul Reapers. Yawn. I don’t even fully understand this Arrancar business to begin with, so it all just seemed utterly pointless.

Still more pointless was some fanboy fodder involving Rangiku and her boobs (again). She just had to take a bath at Orihime’s house and then pounce and straddle the other girl while administering love advice in the nude. It was utterly retarded and served absolutely no narrative purpose whatsoever. I suppose that’s the definition of fanservice, but this is the first time I’ve seen an extended sequence like this in Bleach and I am annoyed by its appearance.

I’m glad I’m just reading this series from the library. I’ll probably give it a couple more volumes to regain my interest, but at the moment I’m not feeling too optimistic about it.

Filed Under: Manga, Shounen, Supernatural Tagged With: ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »