Just Another Manga Monday #9

Our featured manga this week is よつばと！, or Yotsuba&! in English. It's eleven volumes (so far). I own all of them but honestly I'm writing this before I've read the latest two. I'm taking a break since I read through the first nine too quickly and want to savor the last two.

But first! If you look a couple lines up you may notice that surprisingly this edition of "Just Another Manga Monday" is not written by Julz or Blue Shoe. In point of fact (you can never say "in point of fact" enough) this is my first time writing on the topic of manga. I haven't read many different manga but the ones I do like I read a ton of. Yotsuba&! is one of the chosen few.

The manga follows the misadventures of a strange, young Japanese (or is she?) girl named Yotsuba who recently moves to a new house with her father (or is he?). The stories are often laugh out loud hilarious. I don't like to read overly serious manga, and in the others I like there are always humorous parts, but I've never read one that caused me to burst out in a startle-my-wife level of laughter before. It's a manga unlike one I've seen. It's light hearted but never too goofy, it's thoughtful but never too serious. It's a manga that you can read any time and just feel better. This is all due to the eponymous character of Yotsuba.

Cicada-Yotsuba

Yotsuba is six years old, incredibly positive, and insatiably curious. All the stories center around her adventures and how they affect the people around her. The cast of characters is small and only consists of her father, her father's very few friends, and the family next door. It's drastically different than any other manga I read in that it has no overall plot. Each volume is broken up into stories. The first one has seven. And they actually are stories, not chapters. Each one is just a glimpse into the life of Yotsuba and the antics she gets up to. Sometimes one story will lead into another. For example, in one they plan to go camping and in the next they go camping, but just as often you'll go from eating ice cream to catching cicadas. For me, I crave continuity, but even though it sounds disjointed there is enough that connects the stories to prevent them from feeling too episodic.

Yotsuba&! isn't without it's flaws. Maybe flaws is an unfair word since the manga succeeds at what it sets out to do: share with you interesting stories from Yotsuba's life. That part is great but when I started the series I expected it to be more. In the first couple volumes you are presented with some mysteries: Where did Yotsuba come from? Where's her mother? Why does she randomly use English words? Hints are dropped which add to the mystery and my curiosity. Then those hints stop and that whole mystery is abandoned. Was it ever supposed to be a mystery? Is the author saying "it doesn't matter where she came from, just laugh at her going to the convenience store by herself."? Like I said before, I crave continuity, and I hoped this would turn into that overall plot that Yotsuba&! lacks. This probably only bothers me because I'm used to reading story driven manga. Even the episodic ones I read have an overarching story (Mushishi for example). I brought this up with my wife who is also a Yotsuba&! fan and she said this wasn't unusual for manga. I guess I don't read enough. Paul pointed out when I described this to him that it sounds like a newspaper comic. I guess it is in a way. I could draw a ton of parallels between this and Calvin and Hobbes. The benefit of Yotsuba&! being in manga format is that each story isn't limited to four panels. I'm digressing.

Many of our readers are studiers of Japanese or at least interested in Japanese culture. So am I, which is one of the main reasons I love Yotsuba&! so much and why I heartily recommend it to any likeminded people. Since I grew up in the northeastern US my childhood was pretty different to the kids of Japan. Even though I would never trade my summers of barbecuing with the neighbors or trick-or-treating on Halloween, I still wish I could somehow share in this collective childhood that it seems like a lot Japanese people have. There are the staples like catching cicada, or visiting the grandparents in the 田舎, or joining in a festival, or watching the fireworks in summer (well, I guess Americans have that one too). By reading Yotsuba&!, in a way I feel like I can get a sense of what it's like. Even if you don't care about any of that, at least Yotsuba is funny.

I rate Yotsuba&! four silver moons and one half star (my own personal rating system). It's good, I think you'd like it.

By the way, even if you've never heard of Yotsuba&! I'm sure you've seen one of the characters, ダンボー:

Originally from Yotsuba&!, someone from Amazon.com thought it was cool and made him their mascot. He's become quite famous from photographers taking artsy pictures of him.

Just Another Manga Monday #8

Shojo Showdown!

I picked two random series off of my shelves to read and compare. The two selected were MeruPuri and Tail of the Moon.

MeruPuri is a short series consisting of only 4 volumes and written by Hino (also author ofVampire Knight). Tail of Moon is quite the opposite in length, comprising 15 volumes.

There were three main factors I considered in this Shojo Showdown! - plot, characters, and X factor.

Plot:

MeruPuri- A girl who is a descendant of magical royalty from another world carries an old heirloom mirror as a necklace. Little does she know that this necklace serves as a portal to another world. In dire need, a young prince uses this mirror as an escape and winds up with our young heroine. Placed under a curse, the young prince turns older when he is exposed to darkness. In his new form, he is attractive to our heroine and she does not know how to deal with her new crush.

-Tail of the Moon-- The heroine, Usagi, lives in a ninja village and is far from qualifying as a ninja. She is finally given an assignment to travel to another village so that she may wed and give birth to the children of a well-respected ninja named Hanzo. She immediately falls in love with the man, but is rejected just as quickly. He refuses to marry anyone, especially a bride-elect who is unqualified as a ninja. Usagi must train hard to qualify and also try to thaw the heart of Hanzo.

Bottom line: It's a tie. Both manga have interesting storylines and a theme of love.

Characters:
-MeruPuri-- The main characters are Airi, the story's heroine, and Aram, a prince. Over the course of the series, they develop enough for the reader to develop an understanding and empathy for these two characters. Because the series is so short, though, the other characters are not as well-developed. There is an older brother to the prince (comic relief), a servant to the prince, another prospective love interest for Airi, a fairy, the queen and others who play minor roles, but nothing like the main two. The author does a good job in developing the relationship between Airi and Aram, and raising the level of romance as the prince gets older.

[Image- MeruPuri, entrance of Aram's older brother/comic relief]

-Tail of the Moon-- Usagi and Hanzo are very well-developed (especially Usagi). By the end of the series I felt like I knew her personally. Other major characters include Usagi’s sidekick Mamezo (she raised him), other possible love interests for Usagi, other possible love interests for Hanzo, political figures, and family members. This series is about ninjas and the reader gets to experience training as well as assignments.

Bottom Line: -Tail of the Moon- wins. The characters are developed a great deal more than in MeruPuri-.

X Factor (that extra something):
-MeruPuri-- For me, the X factor in -MeruPuri- was the mental creep out. Airi is 15 and falls in love with a 7 year-old. He transforms into the body of a 17 year-old which is fine, but still has the mental capacity of a child, which, as I said- creeps me out!

-Tail of the Moon-- Ninja training!! It was awesome reading about ninja life, training and assignments. It makes you feel like you are there. Also, the ending! I’m conflicted about the ending of this manga. Maybe it’s because I didn’t want to see it end after 15 volumes, but I did not like the way it was concluded, though at least it’s memorable. I can’t remember how half of the manga I’ve read terminate.

[Image- Tail of the Moon, Usagi is on a ninja assignment]

Bottom Line: MeruPuri -…definitely loses in X Factor. -Tail of the Moon- wins.

Winner: The winner of Shojo Showdown! is -Tail of the Moon-!

It's such a fun read! I could read the series over and over again.

Just Another Manga Monday #7

American Manga? Yay or Nay?

Every time I walk into a Borders, Books a Million or Barnes n Nobles I immediately head straight for the manga aisle. I can’t even control it anymore; it’s just instinctive. Over the past couple of years I’ve noticed some American mangas permeating the section…which I do not appreciate. I think the first title I saw that confused me was a World of Warcraft series. I guess there is a general assumption that anyone who reads manga is therefore nerdy and must be into video games as well. Next, I saw a Star Trek series. I don’t think it was too long after the newest movie came out. Once again, I was turned off and never opened it. Last year the newest craze in American manga was the Scott Pilgrim series *(though actually Canadian). I admit I was a little intrigued because my friends were so into it and it was rumored to have many nerdy references. Eventually I saw the movie, courtesy of my brother. I decided to give the series a read, but I was more curious to see why it is placed in the manga section as opposed to the graphic novel section.


Now, I don’t know if there is a definition of what ‘manga’ is supposed to be in the United States so I’m just going to go with what’s obvious to me based on years of experience. Words tend to change their meaning based on geography and culture so if you’re in Japan you can probably offer some different insights and I can’t wait to hear them. (For example I was thinking of the word ‘anime.’ In Japan doesn’t it refer to any cartoon, whereas in the states it would only be used in the context of Japanese animation?) Well, anyway, ‘manga’ to me is a Japanese style comic book, generally read from left to right, which follows certain themes (friendship, love, conquering opposition, etc.).

In reading Scott Pilgrim I tried to determine- would I consider this a manga?




Similarities and Differences:
Style. The most obvious difference to me was the artistic style. The characters are drawn in a more ‘chibi’ fashion I guess you could say- short, stout. Maybe this is because they’re *North American and fatter? The eyes are still drawn large but the style is just a little sloppier in comparison to Japanese books. It is not as inspiring or breath-taking to me. I wouldn’t consider it art as I would often consider the other manga that I read.

Ultimate Venus and Scott Pilgrim

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Alichino and Chobits below

Content. The content is so very very different. I don’t think I’ve ever read a manga where a character is called an ‘Asshat.’ I guess that’s something a translator would never put in. Maybe I’m not reading vulgar enough manga to make the comparison, but I stick to my guns that the content is different. The sense of humor and references are very *North American. I don’t know if I can describe it any better than that; it would be like trying to describe British humor. You know it when you see it but can’t especially put it into words.


Themes. Friendship and Love. Finally a match! Based on the themes alone, I would put Scott Pilgrim into the manga category. The series is basically a gigantic love triangle. Scratch that.. octagon? Too many to count. But within the story exists the overlying theme of true love between Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers and the relationships with many friends along the way. Now I can be nitpicky here and point how completely different the dynamic in these friendships are between those of other manga friendships, but I was just happy to find a match. Unfortunately that is still in the back of my head. They’re so *North American about it. Sarcasm, making fun of each other, the prolific use of ‘your mom’ jokes…


In conclusion, I’m going to have to say that… whoever decided *North American graphic novels like Scott Pilgrim should go into the manga section is a complete Noob! The artwork doesn’t do the category justice and the content doesn’t fit the spirit of the genre.

If you liked the movie Scott Pilgrim though you should definitely give the books a read (there’s only six). Like all book/movie pairs there are many differences and you will be surprised.

* = Edited as of 4/08/2011

Just Another Manga Monday #6

Death Note is a pretty popular title here in the states. I imagine it would be decently popular in Japan as well. Usually I am not particularly drawn to many of the mainstream titles promoted in the US, but I won’t knock ‘em before I’ve tried them.

I was introduced to Death Note at Otakon 2007 (an anime convention located in Baltimore) through a screening of the Death Note Live movie. It was interesting…a long film, twisted, calculating, entertaining and surreal. I wanted to learn more. I started reading the manga series and was given the complete box set as a gift one year.

There are 12 volumes + a bonus 13th on “How to Read” the series. This 13th volume is full of character profiles, interviews, origins of chapter titles, story commentaries, design secrets, rules and tricks, and the pilot chapter. Yes. The series is that involved. Let me tell you a bit about it.

The death note is a notebook. Shinigami, or gods of death, use books called death notes to kill human beings. To start the story, one Shinigami named Ryuk becomes bored with the realm of Shinigami and drops his notebook in the human world. A human boy discovers it and opens it to discover the death note rules inside, the first of which being “The human whose name is written in this note shall die.” [Also included with the box set is an additional booklet with all the death note rules.] This boy’s name is Light Yagami, son of the chief of Japanese police. This makes for an interesting mix when Light decides to test the powers of the death note and his own father is investigating the cases. Light decides to use the notebook…but for good. Killing for good? A highly debatable issue. Is killing off criminals in the interest of justice really fair? The public debates this within the story. Those who are in favor of the killings name their savior Kira. They fear and respect him. Meanwhile, a high level investigator named L has been brought in as a specialist due to the growing number of murders throughout Japan.

The character development is great with several key characters: Light, Ryuk, L, Misa Amane, and Rem just to name a few. This series is mind boggling with its intricate plot details. It is a battle of the wits between Light and L with many twists and turns along the way. There is hatred, betrayal and sacrifice. If you like criminal investigations you will enjoy trying to see where the story is going. Death Note is not the mushy shojo I’ve reviewed before. It is a favorite of guys and girls alike- more just to those who appreciate an intellectual story.

There are several live movies, spinoff novels, and an anime series in addition to the manga. Personally I’ve only seen the first movie and own all the manga. I would like the watch the anime when I have the time, especially because I’ve cosplayed as Misa Amane before. If you would like to see more, here is the main website: http://deathnote.viz.com/

If you’re looking for a manga series that is complex, intriguing, stimulating, and twisted look no further than Death Note!

Just Another Manga Monday #5

Julie's a little busy lately taking care of her new puppy (it's a Japanese breed, so maybe she'll post a few pictures sometime soon), so I'll be standing in this week.

As I may have mentioned, I'm not a huge manga or anime enthusiast. But that's not to say I dislike them categorically. As for manga, I've tried reading a bunch of different stuff, but I find that the genre that most appeals to me is education, if that's a real thing. Of course one of the main reasons for a non-native speaker to read Japanese manga is to pick up the language. I think this has to go hand-in-hand with enjoyment. If you try reading something you don't really like, you'll eventually get bored or discouraged and give up. On the other hand, though, I don't think there's much immediate practical benefit from learning the words for things like "sword of divine destiny" or "robotic fusion core." Sure, you may want to work up to that if your ultimate goal is fluency, but it's not going to help you in daily life. I like to read manga that are more down-to-earth and focus on normal(ish) people and situations.

The first manga I read that I really enjoyed and sparked my interest in this "genre" is called ダーリンは外国人 (My Darling is a Foreigner). Several people I've spoken to about it have been aware of the movie by the same title that came out in 2010, but disappointingly haven't been familiar with the comic. This is unfortunate, because from what I've read and heard about the movie, it fails to do the manga justice. While the cinema version is a love story between characters Saori and Tony (the husband and wife of the manga series), the comic isn't a story at all, per say. It's a collection of little dialogues and interactions between Saori (who is the author and illustrator of the series) and her husband Tony (who writes small essays that are inserted between segments). Their episodes together vary greatly by topic, but tend to gravitate both towards language and comparative culture. Not only is Tony a foreigner living in Japan, but he is also a linguaphile both by interest and profession. As such, he is constantly offering up anecdotes about life abroad or lessons about the languages or histories of foreign cultures.

Tony is also very knowledgeable about ketchup...

There are several volumes out now, including "My Darling is a Foreigner" 1&2, "Inside My Darling's Head" 1&2, "With Baby," and a few that I haven't throughly investigated. At least the first one has also been released in English, though I'm not sure if it's being sold abroad.

If you like language or education-oriented manga, I suggest you give this one a try.

Just Another Manga Monday #4

When I opened up the cover to this week’s manga, staring me in the face was VIZ’s definition of ‘shojo.’ They define shojo as:
“1. Manga appealing to both female and male readers. 2. Exciting stories with true-to-life characters and the thrill of exotic locales. 3. Connecting the heart and mind through real human relationships.”

Interesting. I consider shojo in general to be geared more towards girls with all the mushy romance I think that guys would skim over, but hey, I guess they’re trying to create a new shojo.

This week’s manga is Ceres: Celestial Legend (Ayashi No Ceres). Like last week manga’s Absolute Boyfriend, it was also written by Yuu Watase, author of Fushigi Yuugi. It is also rated T+ for older teen. I would attribute this to violence, sexuality and slight nudity.

Ceres is a 14 volume series (also an anime) based on a global legend about an angel’s cloak. In the legend, an angel is bathing and a fisherman steals her heavenly robes. Without them, she cannot return to heaven and is forced to live out her days on earth and marry the fisherman. One day, she learns from her children where her robe is hidden and returns to heaven.


In this story, Aya and Aki Mikage are 16 year old twins who are descendants of a Celestial angel named Ceres and her fisherman husband. Aya (left), Aki (right):

As the fates have allowed, Aya was born with enough pure blood for the maiden Ceres to find her body suitable, thus, Ceres possesses Aya and demonstrates supernatural powers. The angel Ceres is angered because her heavenly robes were never returned to her and seeks revenge on the Mikage family, most of all her fisherman husband. In turn, the Mikage family is trying to kill Aya to defend themselves from Ceres.

Throughout the series, Aya faces many challenges. She must survive on her own while avoiding the Mikage family, looking for her brother, and trying to repress Ceres’s destructive powers. Along the way, though, Aya is met with help. A boy named Yuhi comes to her aid as well as a mysterious and attractive man named Toya. Even though her life is in danger she still finds time for romance!

I enjoyed this series a lot. Maybe it’s because I’m a little sappy… I cried while reading Steinbeck’s The Red Pony just like I cried while reading this series. Since there are 14 volumes, the author is able to develop the characters in a way that one becomes attached to them.

Just Another Manga Monday #3

The featured manga this week is called Absolute Boyfriend. It is a six volume series, and a complete shojo! This one is definitely for you, girls.

Absolute Boyfriend stars Riiko, a teenage girl living on her own because her parents are away on business. Like many of us at a time, she is lonely and just wants a boyfriend. She meets a shady character who sends her to a website where she orders and receives a customized doll through a free 3 day trial. He is completely life-like, superhuman and naïve to cultural norms. Missing the return date, she now owes them data for their company or a million dollars. She names the doll Night because he is from the Nightly Lover series. Riiko’s neighbor, Soshi, looks out for her. They fight like cats and dogs, but it is obvious they care for each other.
Throughout the series, Riiko struggles through having an AI robot boyfriend and trying to keep it a secret, figuring out who she loves, surviving bitchy high school girl drama, as well as other twists and turns along the way.

The series is rated T+ for older teen. It has a slightly perverted humor. Example (remember to read from right to left):

It was written by Yuu Watase, creator of Fushigi Yugi (one of my favorite anime series) and it is like a reverse Chobits (very popular anime/manga series in which a boy falls in love with an AI doll named Chii). I would recommend this series if you are looking for a laugh and romance.

Just Another Manga Monday #2

This week’s manga is more of a specialty. It is a collector’s series consisting of only two books called The Lady of Pharis. It is a prequel to the Record of Lodoss War manga.

The Record of Lodoss War is a fantasy anime/manga series which focuses on the troubled island of Lodoss, and the struggle to restore balance between the forces of light and darkness. Within ROLW, there is a tale of six great heroes who survived the “The War of Heroes”, a war against demons. The Lady of Pharis series tells this tale of the demon war.





Our heroine is Flaus, leader of the warrior priests. She receives the aid of familiar characters Beld, Wort, Fahn, and Karla. It is entertaining to see these characters young and full of life. Beld is especially amusing as an arrogant mercenary for hire. There are many engaging relationships, such as romance and rivalry. These relationships provide a great background for a ROLW fan, or are simply enjoyable as a one-time read.


There is no rating on the manga, but I would rate it at teen due to violence and nudity. The books primarily consist of battles, so if you enjoy action scenes, you will enjoy them. The nudity is not in bad taste, simply an artistic choice for the demon lord.


If you are a ROLW fan, The Lady of Pharis is a MUST read. If you have never heard of ROLW, The Lady of Pharis is a great starting point which could lead you to Record of Lodoss War: Gray Witch, and Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight.

Just Another Manga Monday #1

The turn of a new year is a good time for reflection. Looking at things here at JADJ, I realize that we're severely lacking on manga and anime-related content. While I'm not a huge fan of the stuff myself, I do acknowledge that there is some good stuff out there, and it can be a tool for learning. Thusly, I've asked my dearest sister, who happens to be a big manga fan, to write a periodic few words on some choice titles that she recommends. And while it's no longer Monday here in Japan as of this posting, it remains the titular time in some parts of the world. The title stands!
-Paul

My onii-chan asked me to blog a little about manga. Easy enough, since I have so much. I figured I'd start with my favorite- From Far Away (彼方から).

This series is categorized as fantasy shojo (for girls), but I would have to disagree. Usually when you read shojo you get weird sappy stories taking place in a high school starring a teenager who has some quirk like a person on their hand (Midori Days) or a gender change (Ranma 1/2). From Far Away certainly falls into the fantasy genre, but I believe has elements that would appeal to guys as well. True, there is an underlying theme of romance, but there is also much about war, battles and culture.
To set the scene, our heroine Noriko is transported from Japan to a magical world as 'The Awakening'. The Awakening can be used to control the Sky Demon (an evil and powerful force) and therefore every kingdom and evil dude is searching for her. A young warrior named Izark, who just so happens to be the human reincarnation of the Sky Demon, saves her from danger, unaware of her identity. The series develops these characters in an interesting way, showing their relationship change as Noriko learns the foreign language and customs.

If you find yourself interested in science fiction and are looking to read a series that focuses on war tactics in addition to character development, you will enjoy From Far Away.