NANA 2 by Ai Yazawa: A

February 26, 2008 by Leave a Comment

From the back cover:
Moving to Tokyo, Nana Komatsu is hoping to reinvent herself as someone whose fortunes rise and fall independent of the vagaries of romance. Arriving in the city at the same time, Nana Osaki has plans to score big in the world of rock’n’roll. Even though they come from different backgrounds, these two young women quickly become best friends. What follows is a thundering blast of sex, music, fashion, gossip, and all-night parties.

Anxious to get into a Tokyo groove, both women are on the prowl for a funky and cheap place to live. But inexpensive apartments in Japan’s capital city are hard to find. Thank goodness each Nana has a clique of cool friends willing to help out. Too bad these friends are a little wiggy!

Review:
Again with the sex, music, fashion, gossip, and all-night parties! At least the first three were decently represented this time.

This series is so interesting—sometimes it feels like nothing has really happened because it flows along without dwelling for ages on a topic, but when you look back you see much has occurred. The girls find and decide to share an apartment, Nana K. gets a job at a cool vintage shop, Nana O. demonstrates some unexpected skills, Nana K. reflects that something is still missing from her life, Nana O. stages an impromptu concert on the kitchen table…

My one big complaint is the number of times the series breaks the fourth wall. It happens a lot, mostly in little side comments, but once in an important scene where Nana K. is trying to explain to Shoji why it’s so important that she live on her own. I find that sort of thing disruptive rather than amusing, and I hope it gets phased out soon. The translation’s also slang heavy (“For reals?”).

On the other hand, I absolutely love how Yazawa uses slightly-blurred images of real buildings, sidewalks, or shops as backdrops for her characters. This might not be a new idea, but it still looks really cool.

I’m definitely starting to get into this series now. I was a little worried after the first volume, since it had a boring patch, but my fears have been allayed.

Filed Under: Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: , ,

NANA 1 by Ai Yazawa: A-

February 26, 2008 by 2 Comments

From the back cover:
Nana Komatsu is a young woman who’s endured an unending string of boyfriend problems. Moving to Tokyo, she’s hoping to take control of her life and put all those messy misadventures behind her. She’s looking for love and she’s hoping to find it in the big city.

Nana Osaki, on the other hand, is cool, confident, and focused. She swaggers into town and proceeds to kick down the doors to Tokyo’s underground punk scene. She’s got a dream and won’t give up until she becomes Japan’s No. 1 rock’n’roll superstar.

This is the story of two 20-year-old women who share the same name. Even though they come from completely different backgrounds, they somehow meet and become best friends. The world of NANA is a world exploding with sex, music, fashion, gossip, and all-night parties.

Review:
The last line of that blurb is so unappealing. It’s also wrong. There was a smattering of sex, some music, a little bit of fashion, no gossip that I was able to discern, and the only thing close to an all-night party was a quartet of friends talking and drinking beer. Ooh, wild and crazy!

This volume serves as a prologue to the main serialization of NANA, which begins in volume two. There’s a long chapter for each of the Nanas, covering the last two years or so of their lives. I’m pretty sure I’m not in the minority when I say that, while directionless Nana Komatsu is okay, I much prefer the driven Nana Osaki. Nana K. could be excised from the series entirely and I’d still keep reading it, but the same isn’t true of Nana O.

There are some good things about Nana K.’s story. Her eventual boyfriend, Shoji, is much more like a regular guy than the typical shoujo love interest. He admits he’s capable of sleeping with a girl he doesn’t love, is hesitant to confess his feelings, and has an unromantic approach to consummating the relationship. Perhaps my main problem with this chapter is that I saw the beginning of the NANA anime, and revisiting it again is a tad boring.

Nana O.’s story is really great, though. The chapter tells the story of how her boyfriend, Ren, decides to join another band in Tokyo with a chance of making it big. Those around her assume she’ll be going with him, but she says that, if she did, she’d just sit around the house, making miso soup and watching Ren become successful in a group with a better girl vocalist (than she is). She has too much pride for that, so allows him to go on alone and stays where she is to improve her skills. I gotta love a character who’s serious enough about her goals that she’ll not let love distract her.

Each chapter ends with a Nana on the verge of coming to Tokyo. I’m really looking forward to seeing Nana O. meet up with Ren again someday. I haven’t any particular anticipation regarding the other Nana, though.

Filed Under: Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: , ,

Skip Beat! 4 by Yoshiki Nakamura: A

February 24, 2008 by 1 Comment

From the back cover:
Kyoko helps the LME president’s granddaughter heal from a childhood tragedy, and in return she should have earned a free ride through the LME training school. But the other students throw a fit, and now she still has to pay. In order to support the high cost of the program, Kyoko gets a job as a seat filler on a TV show. But when one of the characters gets sick, Kyoko has to fill in—in a chicken suit! To make matters worse, Sho is the guest star! Will Kyoko destroy her only chance of revenge?

Review:
This was a truly excellent volume. The resolution to the cliffhanger from the previous volume was good, but the best part was definitely the variety show and its aftermath. I’m generally not one for silly gags, but putting Kyoko in a chicken suit for her first chance at confrontation with Sho was genius. In that guise, she was able to switch some questions from the audience and generally contrive to humiliate Sho, culminating in a fabulously absurd badminton match.

Kyoko was frustrated both by her lack of success in getting revenge on Sho and also by getting fired for going berserk in his presence and losing sight of the job she was supposed to be doing. This was further support for her realization in the last volume that she truly does want to do a good job, so I enjoyed seeing this thought continue to grow within her. She also realized just how far she has to climb to truly be able to challenge him.

There were also some really good scenes between Kyoko and Ren. In one, it was hinted that they’ve actually met before when Kyoko was quite young. Later, she saw an unexpected side of him and actually made some headway toward figuring him out. Too bad the bonding moment happened while she was still in the chicken suit, which she wore from page 92 on.

This volume felt like a near-perfect balance of comedy and character development to me. I find I’m really looking forward to Kyoko’s climb up the celebrity ladder. I just hope she doesn’t mellow so much on the journey that the big confrontation with Sho never actually happens.

Filed Under: Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: ,

Skip Beat! 3 by Yoshiki Nakamura: A-

February 22, 2008 by Leave a Comment

From the back cover:
Kyoko is determined to win her way into show business, even if it means wearing embarrassing bright pink overalls and putting up with spoiled stars. But her first big assignment proves more difficult than she imagined when she finds herself in front of the camera with an injured leg. Will she be able to ace her first attempt at acting despite the pain, or will she make an utter fool of herself in front of her sort-of nemesis, Ren Tsuruga?

Review:
In the first few chapters of this volume, the contest with the petulant diva continued and Kyoko performed admirably despite her injury. Her seriousness inspired a similar quality in Ren, and Kyoko was thrown by how easily he was able to manipulate her responses by subtle nuances in his own acting. This spurred a very important revelation for her: she genuinely wants to be good at acting.

The last couple of chapters dealt with her next assignment—befriending Maria, the trouble-making granddaughter of the agency president. I really expected Maria to be an incredibly annoying and attention-demanding character, but to my surprise, these were my favorite chapters of the volume! Her angsty backstory wasn’t really original, but I liked how it affected her view of grown-ups. She ended up adoring Kyoko because the latter talked to her honestly and didn’t try to disguise any of her feelings. The cliffhanger ending at the end of the volume was actually pretty suspenseful.

My complaints were few. The art still looked a little weird sometimes, particularly where the male characters’ hair was concerned. There was also a repeated gag wherein a character was apparently paralyzed by Kyoko’s vengeful spirits. This might’ve been an A volume otherwise.

Filed Under: Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: ,

Sand Chronicles 1 by Hinako Ashihara: A-

February 21, 2008 by 1 Comment

From the back cover:
After her parents get divorced, Ann Uekusa and her mother move from Tokyo to rural Shimane. Accustomed to the anonymity of city living, Ann can’t get used to the almost overbearing kindness of the people in her mother’s hometown. But when personal tragedy strikes, Ann discovers how much she needs that kindness.

Review:
This was really good, with an original structure that made the story feel special. It started with Ann around age 26, packing and getting ready to get married and move overseas. A memento from her past triggered some memories, and the rest of the volume featured Ann at age 12, then at 14. The setting was also original, taking place in rural and snowy Shimane rather than an urban environment. The essence of a small town was captured nicely, and I swear the snowy scenes really looked cold.

The first story dealt with Ann and her mother in their new surroundings, with Ann meeting some kids her age as well as an old friend of her mother’s, who provided some background information. In the second, she and her friends went on a camping trip, which might sound like a set-up for lame filler, but which actually provided many good character moments. There were some things about the stories I didn’t like, like the predictable outcome of the situation with Ann’s mom in the first story or her obnoxious romantic rival in the second, but they were greatly outnumbered by the things I did like.

I thought it was interesting that the second chapter dealt in part with Ann’s menstrual cycle. That’s a topic I’d never seen in manga before, so it was pretty cool to see a character discussing it with her good friend and just boosted the realism of the series even further. There weren’t any wacky hijinks here, just an “honest girl with a strong will” making her way through some painful times while attempting to cherish each moment of life. I’m looking forward to the next volume.

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Hana-Kimi 22 by Hisaya Nakajo: B

February 16, 2008 by Leave a Comment

From the back cover:
When Mizuki is almost caught changing clothes, the school goes wild with rumors about a mysterious girl on campus! Can our heroine keep her secret, or will she be outed and separated from Sano, just when their relationship is blossoming?

Review:
So, you’ve been keeping a secret from the one you love for ages and you’re worried they’ll hate you if you tell them now. To work up the courage to confess you:

a. seek spiritual guidance
b. get drunk
c. take up karate

If you answered C, you’re as illogical as Mizuki! And don’t forget to guard the secret of your gender by changing clothes right next to a window!

Although Mizuki’s motivation for joining karate was dumb, I did at least enjoy the scenes with the R.A.s and Mizuki where she admitted the truth and a conference was held to decide what to do about it. Sano stood by her, and there were some good scenes between them. The only annoying thing about those chapters was that flamboyant R.A. Himejima kept spouting his pretentious German phrases throughout, like he couldn’t dispense with them even for a serious situation.

I was pretty happy with the resolution to all of that, but then! In a stupid, stupid plot development, one of the R.A.s confessed to his girlfriend that he’d accidentally glimpsed another girl’s cleavage and thusly was so ashamed that he needed time to himself to deal with this “grave sin” (*eyeroll*). The rumor of a girl on campus then migrated back to Osaka High. Have I mentioned this is stupid? It’s another case of having a character do something moronic just to further the plot along. I’m glad there’s just one volume left of this series.

Filed Under: Gender Hijinks, Manga, Shoujo Tagged With:

Basara 26 by Yumi Tamura: B

February 11, 2008 by Leave a Comment

From the back cover:
Sarasa’s quest for freedom has ended, but the story isn’t over yet! In this volume of special side stories, Yumi Tamura goes deeper than ever before to explore the characters and world of Basara. Hijiri and Nachi recount childhood memories of ships, sea monsters, and mermaids. A band of star-crossed rebels arises in another time—and changes the course of Sarasa’s battle. And Tatara finds his true calling… as a pop star?

Review:
These stories weren’t bad, but they really weren’t anything awesome, either.

The first story, “Nakama” (fellowship), featured Hijiri and Nachi and showed how they originally became friends and also tied in with both of them moving on with their lives and thinking of starting families. It was cute. That’s about as much as can be said about it.

In “Dakara” (because), Asagi attempted to explain his dislike of Shuri to his manservant by describing an incident wherein a beloved peach got smooshed. Really, that was all it was. It was very short, though it at least provided the info that Asagi was indeed on his way to visit Hijiri and Nachi.

The bulk of the volume was occupied by “Katana” (sword), a tale about an ultimately unsuccessful band of rebels who fought against the royal family a few generations before the heroes of the main story. I liked parts of this a good deal, especially all the unrequited love going on, but it was just too short (even with 100 pages) to really get to know the characters. I did like how Tara, the sole female warrior in the group, tied in with the main cast. Some of the other connections were obvious (we already knew Hayato was descended from one of these guys), but hers was a surprise.

I haven’t much to say about the pop star thing, other than that it was pure silliness. And it had a cameo by Motomichi! That alone was worth something, at least.

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

Boys Over Flowers 3 by Yoko Kamio: A

February 10, 2008 by Leave a Comment

Book description:
Tsukushi joins Kazuya and his family for Summer vacation at their villa in Atami. Friction erupts between Kazuya and Doumyouji after the latter accidentally kisses Tsukushi during a black-out aboard his ship. Even more juicy tension develops between Shizuka and Rui, but does anything become of it?! And what will happen when Doumyouji finds out about Tsukushi’s true feelings for Rui?

Review:
This series is such good crack! I swear I want to just gobble up every bit of it I have, but I’m trying to exercise some restraint.

I find it amusing that the “friction” between Kazuya and Doumyouji takes the form of… a fishing contest. That’s just an example of how this series mixes silly comedic moments with more dramatic fare. Sometimes this doesn’t work so well, though. There’s one tense scene where Doumyouji forces himself on Tsukushi—I don’t condone this sort of behavior, but it’s riveting to read—and then right afterwards, Tsukushi’s dad is being a total goof. That’s a pretty jarring juxtaposition.

The Rui and Shizuka scenes are good in this volume too. Rui calls Shizuka out on playing with his feelings, though I’m not sure he gets that he’s essentially doing the same to Tsukushi. He’s gotta know that she fancies him, and he goes from being disinterested in her to being sweet. I like, too, that Shizuka’s not just some random love obstacle, but actually gets a subplot and character depth of her own.

I know I recently called this is a shoujo classic, but I’ll say it again. Highly recommended.

Filed Under: Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: ,

Love*Com 2 by Aya Nakahara: A-

February 9, 2008 by Leave a Comment

From the back cover:
Risa’s getting really confused about her feelings for Ôtani—she doesn’t know if she wants to help him get back together with his ex-girlfriend or keep him all to herself!

Review:
I didn’t like this volume quite as much as the first, but it’s still really good. This volume hits several major holidays: Christmas, New Year’s, and Valentine’s Day. At this rate, I wonder how we won’t be through with the characters’ high school years in just a few volumes. I hope this won’t be one of those stories where the author just keeps the characters in the same year even though the seasons are changing around them.

The Christmas story is my favorite of the volume. Nakao, one of the group of friends, has acquired tickets to see some obscure band on Christmas day, and only Risa and Ôtani are particularly keen to go, so they make arrangements to do so. Then Ôtani’s ex shows up and desires to impart a special message to him at a Christmas party. Risa encourages him to go, but then feels all lonely when her all friends have other plans and she’s left to attend the concert alone. Of course, Ôtani shows up at the last moment to keep his original promise. It’s a great moment between them.

A new character appears in the last two chapters: Haruka, a childhood friend of Risa’s who has a hero-worshipping thing going for her. He belittles Ôtani every chance he gets, and I thought it was pretty out-of-character for Risa not to curtail that sooner than she did. There’s some good stuff between Risa and Ôtani near the end of the volume, but I still like these chapters least.

Filed Under: Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: ,

Love*Com 1 by Aya Nakahara: A

February 9, 2008 by Leave a Comment

From the back cover:
Risa Koizumi is the tallest girl in class, and the last thing she wants is the humiliation of standing next to Atsushi Ôtani, the shortest guy. Fate and the whole school have other ideas, and the two find themselves cast as the unwilling stars of a bizarre romantic comedy.

Rather than bow to the inevitable, Risa and Atsushi join forces to pursue their true objects of affection. But will their budding friendship become something more complex?

Review:
This is really good! It’s almost got kind of a Marmalade Boy vibe to it somehow, though I can’t really explain why. Maybe ‘cos it’s romance-centric without some other plot figuring in, too.

I like both the lead characters. They think and act the same way, and like the same things, and I’m surprised how much I actually want to see them end up together, though I hope it takes a long time. In this volume, they initially attempt to help the other secure the affections of a crush, but when the crushees take a liking to each other, they transfer their efforts to getting those two together so they can just move on, already.

The art is also neat. Sometimes it’s not super pretty, and hands can be a bit big, but there’s a lot of variety and subtlety in facial expression that I appreciate. Nakahara also draws some really cute hairstyles.

Onward to volume two!

Filed Under: Manga, Shoujo Tagged With: ,
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