http://www.popcultureshock.com/manga/

As you’ll see, the site got more than just a facelift. Jon improved the navigation by making content readily available through the front page, providing handy links to recurring features as Manga Recon @ the Movies, On the Shojo Beat, The Otaku Bookshelf, and Your Definitive Guide to… We’ve also improved the category and tag functions; it’s now possible to browse the site by publisher, manga-ka, and review type. And for folks with a serious weekly manga habit, we’ve introduced a new poll that lists the week’s upcoming releases and encourages you to tell the world what you’re planning to buy. (List updated every Friday, courtesy of our friends at Midtown Comics.)

If you subscribe to our feed, you’ll want to update your aggregator with the following address:

http://www.popcultureshock.com/manga/index.php/feed/

This is an exclusive feed for manga content–no tights and capes stuff to crowd out your Naruto newsblasts.

We hope you’ll explore the new site, and look forward to hearing your comments. Jon has provided a space on the front page where you can record your thoughts. N.B. This blog will no be updated after today, so please make note of our new address!

Thank you for reading Manga Recon!

Katherine Dacey, Senior Manga Editor
Chloe Ferguson, Contributor
Erin Finnegan, Contributor
Phil Guie, Contributor
Isaac Hale, Contributor
Ken Haley, Contributor
Sam Kusek, Contributor
Michelle Smith, Contributor

Aspirin, Vol. 1

By Eun-Jeong Kim
Tokyopop, 200 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Naming a manhwa Aspirin is a bit like naming a movie D.O.A.: if it’s good, no one will think twice about the title; if it’s bad, all but the most restrained critics will have a field day riffing on the title. Alas, Aspirin falls into the latter category owing to a headache-inducing combination of stale jokes, ugly artwork, and confusing storylines.

The set-up is pure shonen. Ondar, a not-so-bright young man, finds himself on a quest to round up the four “Direction Gods,” a quartet of powerful demons accidentally released from captivity by the bumbling King Dan-Goon. Should he accomplish his mission, Ondar will marry the king’s daughter; if he fails, he’ll be permanently exiled from the kingdom. Helping Ondar on his quest is the foul-mouthed, foul-tempered Haemosoo, a demon hunter and inveterate womanizer whose romantic conquests cause almost as many complications for the pair as the Direction Gods themselves. As one might infer from my summary, Ondar and Haemosoo’s mission is really just a pretext for extended fight scenes and wacky hijinks. Reading many of the chapters, it’s easy to forget who, exactly, the pair are supposed to be hunting, as they engage in hand-to-hand combat with a wizard named David Cupperfield, a pistol-packing nun, and a pair of high-kicking twins who appear to have escaped from Street Fighter Alpha. The artwork does little to clarify the story; too many pages are marred by clashing patterns, heavy speed lines, and grotesque close-ups of shouting characters. By the end of volume one, I found myself reaching for something stronger than aspirin to purge the memory of this unfunny train wreck.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Samurai Champloo: The Complete Series

Created by manglobe, Written and Illustrated by Masaru Gotsubo
Tokyopop, 352 pp.
Rating: Teen (13 +)

Samurai Champloo: The Complete Seriescollects volumes one and two of the Samurai Champloo manga, a series of short stories involving the trio of Jin, Mugen and Fuu that otaku know and love from the anime series of the same name. The manga contains a short remake of the first episode, showing how the three characters fall in together and the beginning of their search for Fuu’s mysterious “Sunflower Samurai,” but aside from that, it contains new and original tales set during their journey.

It’s an OK read. None of the stories are particularly amazing, though a few are interesting enough to make me wish that they had been turned into episodes, particularly a two-parter involving a Russian otaku. Most of the stories split the group up, focusing on one or two of the trio, while others seemingly focus on new original characters with the trio stumbling into their stories. The art is nice and loose, managing to convey a nice sense of movements and action while resembling the anime’s style (without being beholden to it). In addition to the stories there’s also some nifty extras tossed in: two short letters from the Tokyopop editor for the series, a sketchbook section, and a bonus volume involving zombies.

The bottom line: fans jonesing for more of Fuu, Mugen and Jin might want to give Samurai Champloo a look, but don’t expect new revelations or character development.

–Reviewed by Ken Haley

Sola, Vol. 1

Art by Chaco Abeno, Story by Naoki Hisaya, Character Designs by Naru Nanao
Broccoli Books, 216 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

There’s an unspoken understanding among otaku that manga adaptations of popular anime leave something to be desired: think of the Cowboy Bebop or Wolf’s Rain manga, both of which are pallid imitations of the originals. I haven’t seen the thirteen-episode anime on which Sola is based, though I’m guessing it’s a more satisfying experience than reading its poorly paced adaptation. The manga unfolds in a herky-jerky fashion, with tedious slice-of-life scenes punctuated by occasional fights and off-putting panels of fanservice featuring girls in towels, ridiculously short skirts, and thigh-high patent leather boots. (Because when you’re facing an unspeakable evil, nothing says “ready for combat” like fierce footwear and a garter belt.) The action scenes are surprisingly static; characters spend more time striking dramatic or provocative poses than they do inflicting damage on one another.

About the best I can say for Sola is that Broccoli Books has done a first-rate job with the packaging, offering fans the kind of bells and whistles that are all too scarce on this side of the Pacific: gorgeous full-color plates, high quality paper stock, and a generous assortment of bonus features that includes translator’s notes, gag manga, character sketches, and a detailed synopsis of the anime. The translation isn’t too bad, though the text includes a few typos and unintentional howlers. (One character describes her first shopping trip as a “revolution,” a sentiment that would strike most Marxists as terribly bourgeois.) The bottom line: anime buffs and moe enthusiasts may want to add Sola to their collection, but most manga readers won’t find much to love except the cover art.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Togari, Vol. 6

By Yoshinori Natsume
Viz, 200 pp.
Rating: T + (Older Teens)

Returned to earth after spending centuries in hell as punishment for his evil ways, Tobei is now tasked with hunting down and returning 108 sins that have escaped Hell. Armed with the mystic sword Togari he must face the challenges of the 21st first century while tracking down these supernatural entities. But is this job an offer or redemption, or another form of punishment?

Togari is a fairly straightforward action series: kid on a quest who slowly begins to discover things about himself. In this volume, we see him beginning to notice some internal changes in the way he relates to people and the world. Where once he was an angry monster of a boy, he’s now beginning to connect and relate to others. Of course the catch is, the nicer and less hateful he becomes, the less powerful Togari seems to be. Manga-ka Yoshinori Natsumue’s artwork is actually really lovely. (DC junkies may recognize his name as the creator of CMX’s Batman: Death Mask.) There’s a nice angular feel to it at times, and he mixes cross-hatching and toning for shading to wonderful effect. The action sequences can be a bit iffy at times, but I get the feeling that comes more from the nature of the fights in this volume (creatures made out of water and smoke) than the art itself.

–Reviewed by Ken Haley

Very! Very! Sweet, Vol. 1

By JiSang Shin and Geo
Yen Press, 176 pp.
Rating: Teen

If you had stripped this book of all identifying marks and given it to me to read, I never would’ve guessed it was from the same creative team behind Rolling, which I reviewed in last week’s Manga Minis column. It’s got solid characterization for one thing, and a plot that looks like it’ll actually go somewhere!

Both of the main characters are likable in their own way. Be-Ri is an animal-lover who’s raising money to protect some land from development. She’s obsessively frugal and has the awesome hobby of collecting junk to refurbish and sell online. Tsuyoshi is a coddled rich boy who has been sent to Korea by his grandfather as a way to curb his misbehavior. He comes across as bratty, but isn’t really all that bad. Any teen who is willing to heed the earnest advice of his mother earns points in my book.

Although Be-Ri and Tsuyoshi get off on the wrong foot, the potential for each to positively impact the other’s life is easy to spot. A couple other things I like about the story are the deftly handled love polygon forming between several of the characters and the way Tsuyoshi’s partial grasp of Korean is portrayed. His dialogue makes sense, but is imperfect, resulting in sentences like, “I also discomfort.”

To be sure, there are some rough spots, but the charm of the series remains intact despite the clunky expository dialogue and irrational grandpas. I look forward to seeing how the story will unfold.

–Reviewed by Michelle Smith

Cy-Believers, Vol. 2

By Shioko Mizuki
Go! Comi, 200pp.
Rating: 16+

The second installment of Shioko’s Mizuki’s Cy-Believers is, if nothing else, a stellar example of bad transitioning and plot rehabilitation. The first hundred or so pages cruise along amiably through situational comedy until, out of seemingly nothing, a curveball last chapter manages to scare up some drama, tension and secrecy that presumably will bridge the series into future installments.

Which begs the question: why spend two and a half volumes treading water only to suddenly try and ground this airy, gag strip-eqsue comedy in something of substance? Almost the entirety of the volume is given over to yet more comedic, meanderingly pointless episodes involving everygirl Rui and her attractively nerdy compatriots until the arrival of Rui’s creeper of a father provides an excuse for change. And change it does, as suddenly everything is not as it seems, otherwise known as time to air some family laundry–much-needed plot development, to be sure, but also one hell of a right turn for the series. The art style, however, remains hopelessly mired in the same ambiguous toned world of its predecessor, showcasing Mizuki’s ability to sketch characters but not backgrounds well. Granted, Cy-Believers is no longer a plotless wonder, but do you really need two volumes of filler to get there?

–Reviewed by Chloe Ferguson

Goong: The Royal Palace, Vol. 2

By Park So Hee
Yen Press, 200 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

Goong: The Royal Palace unfolds in an alternate version of present-day Korea, one that still boasts a Windsor-esque royal family. The story focuses on commoner Chae-Kyung, a high school student who marries the next in line to the Korean throne. Just as Diana Spence did in real life, Chae-Kyung discovers that being a princess isn’t glamorous, as her day-to-day life is filled with palace intrigue, onerous civic responsibilities, jealous classmates, and an indifferent husband who’s in love with someone else. (At least Crown Prince Shin is a babe.)

Though the plot is an amalgam of familiar soap-opera conventions—romantic triangles! hot younger siblings! disapproving mother-in-laws!—the story has surprising depth, showing us the emotional toll that public life exacts on the young couple. The characters, too, are developed beyond their plot functions into flawed, interesting people. Chae-Kyung, for example, is a refreshingly honest, outspoken heroine who tries to please her new family while struggling to preserve her sense of self, sometimes committing egregious faux pas in the process. Another plus is the artwork: it’s flat-out gorgeous, with considerable attention devoted to ancient ceremonial costumes (not to mention the contemporary fashions… no one here shops the sale rack at Old Navy). The characters’ bodies are somewhat stylized, but are a little softer and more languid than the norm for seong-jun manhwa, adding to the artwork’s sensual appeal. Pair those beautiful images with a compelling plot and boatloads of romantic tension, and you have the recipe for manhwa crack. Highly recommended for shojo and josei buffs of all ages.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Love*Com, Vol. 8

By Aya Nakahara
Viz, 216 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

Risa and Outani are finally going out, but she’s uncertain about how she’s supposed to act around him now. She’s got this preconceived notion of what a girlfriend should be, and internally beats herself up each time she fails to live up to that ideal. It helps some when Outani sets aside his natural reticence and introduces her to people as his girlfriend, but he still hasn’t articulated exactly why he loves her, and she’s having a hard time imagining what he could see in her.

Later, Outani’s neighbor, Mimi, finds out he’s got a new girlfriend and is furious. The beautiful and tall middle schooler has harbored a crush on him for years, but abandoned hope because she thought he only liked tiny girls. A lot of Mimi angst follows, and while it’s creditable that Risa sympathizes with her plight, the way this new character suddenly dominates the story is rather irksome.

Eventually, though, I realized that her purpose is to solidify the main couple’s relationship. We see that she really poses no threat to them at all, that Outani’s feelings never waver, and that he and Risa really are made for each other, rough edges and all. Having fulfilled this destiny, may she now go quietly away.

While this particular volume didn’t focus on the leads quite as much as I would’ve liked, it still excels at depicting the insecurities and awkwardness of this period in a relationship. That’s no surprise, since Love*Com has nailed many other aspects of first love. I’m sure it will continue to do so in the volumes to come.

–Reviewed by Michelle Smith

Rolling, Vol. 1

By Ji-sang Sin and Geo
Tokyopop, 192 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

It’s not difficult to get admitted to Bright Free High School. They’ll take anyone, even other schools’ rejects, and theoretically whip them into shape with strict rules that exceed even the military’s notions of discipline. This volume introduces the four students and one freeloader who are sharing a dorm room. Episodic adventures ensue.

I’ve seen this kind of premise before, but usually in a way that incorporates character moments in with the fun. Rolling doesn’t do that; it just sort of drifts along with no point or direction. Honey and Clover, for instance, might use the chapter about the ramen shop opening up across from campus to highlight the students’ insecurities and romantic woes. In Rolling, the main point is… how come Il-yong always gets an egg?

The back cover also hints at possible romantic involvement between the characters, but this never quite materializes. Two characters are particularly cuddly with each other and some sudden personality transplants (a character shown in chapter one to be logical is suddenly inane by chapter three) allow for a nude laundry scene, but there’s no real shonen-ai to speak of.

When all is said and done, Rolling is bland. We’re given no reason to care about these characters or to find their escapades interesting.

– Reviewed by Michelle Smith

Vidia and the Fairy Crown

By Haruhi Kato
Tokyopop, 192 pp.
Rating: All Ages

Like Kingdom Hearts and Kilala Princess, Vidia and the Fairy Crown features familiar Disney characters and settings—in this case, the fairies of Never Land—in brand new adventures. The manga itself takes its cue not from Disney’s animated Peter Pan film of 1953, but a more recently launched line of spin-off novels and straight-to-DVD movies based loosely on characters from J. M. Barrie’s 1906 novella, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. (God, I love the Wikipedia sometimes…) Given the source material, it’s not surprising that most Never Land fairies are wholesome and domestic, blessed with talents such as doing dishes, folding laundry, and making other people clap. The lone exception is Vidia, a dour creature whose primary talents are flying fast and talking trash about the other fairies—two qualities that immediately endeared her to me, but make her an outsider in Pixie Hollow. When the Queen’s crown goes missing, the other fairies scapegoat Vidia, accusing her of stealing it. Vidia then teams up with the impossibly sunny Prill to clear her name, retrieve the Queen’s tiara, and teach the other fairies a lesson about tolerance.

Older readers will find the material predictable, as the mystery unfolds in the same manner as a typical Scooby Doo episode, with every clue’s significance explained in painstaking detail. Parents, too, may find the story wanting, especially its retrograde gender roles—surely Disney could have updated the material to include fairies with talents outside the kitchen and the washroom. Seven-to-ten-year-old girls, however, will adore Vidia and the Fairy Crown for its button-cute artwork and fantasy elements, though many of them will prefer the prissy Prill to her saucy, black-clad counterpart.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Forest of Gray City, Vol. 2

By Uhm JungHyum
Yen Press, 200 pp.
Rating: Teen

Mourning the cancellation of Suppli? Still in Tramps Like Us withdrawal? Then I have something to help you heal that josei jones: Forest of Gray City, a two-volume soap opera chronicling a March-December romance between a twenty-something woman and her seventeen-year-old roommate. The first volume introduced us to the three principle characters: Yun-Ook, a graphic designer whose independent streak has complicated her search for Mr. Right; Bum-Moo, a brooding hottie with a killer wardrobe and a taste for older women; and Bum-Moo’s stepsister, whose loves her younger brother a little too much. Volume two begins with an extended flashback to Bum-Moo’s relationship with his stepsister, showing us how they met, and how tragedy brought them closer together.

Uhm JungHyum packs enough sudsy twists into the first sixty pages for a sweeps’ week worth of General Hospital episodes: second-chance weddings, fatal car crashes, law suits, and abusive husbands all factor into Bum-Moo’s backstory. Yet Forest of Gray City never veers into camp or melodrama, thanks to the beautiful artwork. Uhm JungHyum uses screentone and background detail sparingly, often relying on white space to suggest the isolation and sadness her principles are feeling. The story itself is a little rushed; the artist introduces a rival for Yun-Ook’s affections midway through the second volume, never allowing us to see this character as anything but a plot device. (His subplot barely merits twenty pages—a hiccup in the resolution of the central drama.) Narrative shortcomings notwithstanding, Forest of Gray City offers the same kind of compelling characters and elegant artwork as Suppli, Tramps Like Us, and Walkin’ Butterfly in a wallet-friendly, two-volume package, complete with gorgeous color plates. A must for josei connoisseurs!

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Kekkaishi, Vol. 14

By Yellow Tanabe
Viz, pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

In this volume of Yellow Tanabe’s utterly enchanting Kekkaishi, we see a return to the episodic storytelling of earlier volumes. Though the multivolume Kokuboro arc was quite fun, the episodic supernatural dilemma solving is where this series really shines. Whether it’s taking down rogue ayakashi or stymieing the sex drive of a lustful goblin king, Yoshimori always has many hurdles to overcome in his quest to become a stronger kekkaishi.

In my last review, I noted the remarkable similarities between this series and its Shonen Jump counterpart Bleach. To be sure, the series have a lot in common. Demon-slaying dominates, and they even both involve cross-dimensional travel to an enemy fortress. As Kekkaishi finished its Kokuboro arc though, it has accomplished what Bleach did not. After an epic conflict, Kekkaishi has taken the much more believable and entertaining route of returning to the episodic storytelling that made it so great in the first place. Where Bleach has all but abandoned its most compelling draw, the monster-of-the-day fare of the pre-Soul Society arc, Kekkaishi has made a triumphant return. For Bleach, any sense of grounding has been lost as increasingly boring non-stop epic battles have dominated everything since the impressive Soul Society arc. For Kekkaishi, the first long story arc of Kokuboro was likewise a triumph, but the aftermath has been a far greater pleasure.

In addition, Tanabe’s art has only improved since her early volumes. My favorite improvement has been how wonderful all of the characters facial expressions are now. Also, Tanabe has a rare gift for a shonen mangaka: her flashback arcs are awesome. They add a lot to the story, and make you love the characters even more. Cheers to Kekkaishi and Yellow Tanabe for making me genuinely hopeful for the future of shonen manga. Run, don’t walk to the nearest volume of Kekkaishi. You won’t regret it!

–Reviewed by Isaac Hale

Pumpkin Scissors, Vol. 3

By Ryotaro Iwanaga
Del Rey, 222 pp.
Rating: 16+

Volume three of Pumpkin Scissors is lackluster at best. The book picks up with the Pumpkin Scissors busting the President of Public Waterworks for meeting with the elusive Sterling Wheel. The operation then devolves into a “who’s had a sadder time at war” battle between a flame-thrower named Hans and PS’s own Corporal Oland. Hans dies, SW leaves (mysteriously) and Pumpkin Scissors is sent back to HQ where they laugh, cry and find out their leader, the tomboyish Alice, has a fiancé.

Though volume three has drama to spare, the childish art ruined any mood that was created. Hans’ dilemma was an interesting storyline, but he didn’t last long enough for his torment to matter. Alice’s engagement and the introduction of her sisters seemed like useless filler. And almost every event that occurred in this volume never seemed mature enough for the “war” tone the book is trying to give off, or to justify the 16+ rating.

The entire time I was reminded of Full Metal Alchemist, as the two stories share the same wartime European setting. Yet Pumpkin Scissors lacks the fantastical magic that makes FMA the interesting story that it is. Possibly the only “magical” object in Pumpkin Scissors is Oland’s Blue Light, which makes him “super-human.” However, it seems almost as ineffective as the book itself. Not recommended.

–Reviewed by Sam Kusek

By Kazuo Umezu
Published by Viz
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Kazuo Umezu’s writing defies easy categorization. His horror stories unfold in an almost haphazard fashion, seldom offering Western readers the kind of inevitable showdown between supernatural menace and righteous avenger that’s de rigeur in grindhouse flicks. In a less charitable frame of mind, I might suggest that Umezu was simply making it up as he went along, adding whatever Grand Guignol flourishes tickled his fancy; in a more critically responsible frame of mind, I’d argue that Umezu uses non-sequitors, heightened realism, and Freudian imagery to create a hallucinatory atmosphere that thumbs its nose at logic or teleology.

Artist Mizuho Hiroyama offers this pithy assessment of Umezu in the afterword to Cat-Eyed Boy:

But just what is this unforgettable bizarreness that lies at the core of Umezu’s world? Is it a child’s nightmare? I think that this probably the best way to describe it… It’s simply fear. The escalating fear and imagination of a child who is unable to fall asleep in a pitch-dark room late at night… thinking about the worst-case scenarios and wondering, “What would I do if this happened?”

I think Hiroyama is on to something here: as anyone who’s read The Drifting Classroom knows, that entire series reads like a child’s nightmare, filled with terrifying monsters, chase scenes, and irresponsible—or worse, evil—adults whose inability to save the day forces children to rely on themselves.

These same motifs recur throughout Umezu’s work, especially in Viz’s deluxe, two-volume edition of Cat-Eyed Boy. The collection encompasses eleven stories of varying length that are tied together by the presence of the titular character, a half-demon, half-human creature. As that description implies, Cat-Eyed Boy finds himself relegated to the periphery of both worlds, ostracized by demons and humans alike. His role varies from story to story; in some, he’s an active participant in events, while in others, he serves as a kind of J-horror Greek chorus, commenting on the action without playing a direct role in the outcome.

By far the strongest entry is “The Tsunami Summoners.” On one level, it’s an origin story, explaining where Cat-Eyed Boy came from, how he was exiled from the demon world, and why humans greet him with such suspicion, despite his frequent efforts to intervene on their behalf. On another, it’s a superb example of Umezu-style comeuppance theater, as a small coastal village is punished not only for mistreating one of their own members but for ignoring an ancient warning about a sea-borne menace. Everything about the story works beautifully: the crack pacing, the unforeseen plot twists, and the genuine pathos of Cat-Eyed Boy’s situation as he tries to protect the same villagers who tormented his sole human friend. The summoners are a particularly effective menace, as their initial appearance is relatively benign—they look like brain-shaped rocks, perfect for building walls and houses—allowing them to insinuate themselves into the story before we’re really aware of the danger they pose.

Other standouts include “The One-Legged Monster of Ondai,” a cautionary tale about the evils of lepidoptery; “The Thousand-Handed Demon,” a blood bath in which a evil spirit possesses a statue of the Buddhist deity Kwannon; and “The Stairs,” a story about a boy so eager to be see his late mother that he ignores all warnings about the perils of crossing between the lands of the living and the dead.

Several stories were simply too long or scattershot to leave much of an impression. The chief offender is “The Band of One Hundred Monsters,” a rambling tale in which a group of hideously deformed humans aspire to become demons. I thought it was going to be an extended riff on the creative process, as the story initially focuses on the interaction between the “monsters” and a manga-ka known for his bizarre horror tales. Instead, Umezu quickly dispatches the manga-ka and steers the narrative in a wholly unanticipated direction, with the Band of One Hundred going vigilante on pretty, soulless people. The net result is about as successful a union as peanut butter and gefilte fish: it’s never clear what the rationale is for combining these two storylines, as they don’t work together at all.

Viz presents Cat-Eyed Boy in two generously sized volumes, both clocking in over 450 pages. Both are beautifully packaged, with French flaps, creamy paper stock, and color pages. I particularly liked the endpapers, which catalog the various demons found in both volumes. And what a rogue’s gallery it is—these monsters are considerably more grotesque than anything Umezu conjured for earlier series, sporting myriad eyes, warty skin, tentacles, and grossly misshapen bodies. Most of the stories aren’t terribly spooky or shocking by contemporary standards, but the sheer oddness of the character designs will get under your skin like images from a particularly vivid nightmare.

Volumes one and two of Cat-Eyed Boy are available now.

This week, we tackle four new titles: volume five of The Antique Gift Shop (Yen Press), a Korean import with a supernatural vibe; volume one of Classical Medley (CMX), a shonen romp in which the characters have musically inspired names; volume four of Her Majesty’s Dog (Go! Comi), a shojo romance with a demonic twist; and volume two of Hollow Fields (Seven Seas), Madeleine Rosca’s award-winning OEL series.

The Antique Gift Shop, Vol. 5

By Lee Eun
Yen Press, 200 pp.
Rating: Teen

The first four volumes of The Antique Gift Shop adhered to the same formula: unsuspecting customers purchase objects from a magical emporium, only to discover that said objects are possessed by spirits with agendas of their own, e.g. reuniting lost lovers, punishing bullies for bad behavior. Volume five is something of an anomaly, as the longer of the two stories is only tangentially connected to the shop. In it, a delivery man finds himself stranded at a compound whose gothic denizens shun the one seemingly normal resident, a curly-haired moppet with big, dewy eyes. Though Lee Eun channels Charles Addams’ iconic family with her marvelous character designs and atmospheric backgrounds, she has considerable difficulty with the actual storytelling. Each scene is weirdly self-contained, leading to a denouement that feels more like a bolt from the blue than the logical resolution of the story’s central mystery. The second chapter suffers from many of the same problems–disjointed storytelling, cryptic dialogue–but has a crucial advantage: it stars the proprietress of the gift shop, a character familiar from previous volumes. Her story is, at times, frightfully hard to follow–I think she plays a hand of go to save her mother’s soul–but I did learn a few fun facts about Korean playing cards, and and dug her opponents’ fabulous costumes, which struck me as something Cotton Mather might have worn after a visit to seventeenth century Korea.

The bottom line: the cover art is beautiful, but the interior is a mess. Wait for volume six or backtrack to the first volume if you’d been curious about this series.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Classical Medley, Vol. 1

By Sanae Kana
CMX, 162 pp.
Rating: Teen (T)

There are two magical orbs in the Classical Kingdom, one a ball of light and the other a sphere of darkness. The power of the latter has been sealed away since being abused by a king of yore, and a ceremony to renew the seal is required every 100 years. The ceremony goes wrong, and the current king winds up possessed by dark powers while Alto, protagonist of indeterminate gender and bodyguard to the prince, obtains the powers of light. Alto flees with Prince Soprano and trusty dragon companion Mezzo to seek help from Soprano’s brother, who is the only one not to have come under the king’s evil influence since he’s attending school in another country.

This title is rated Teen, but it’s hard to imagine any teen wanting to read this. The characters look and act younger than their established ages, the attempts at humor are not funny, and the story keeps getting modified as it goes along. I’d say it ought to be rated All Ages instead, but there are a few gratuitous images of the queen’s enormous boobs that might make that problematic.

Classical Medley is thoroughly mediocre, treading closely to the border with outright bad. I’m usually a completist, especially with a short series like this, but I couldn’t endure a second volume, even to know how it all ends.

–Reviewed by Michelle Smith

Her Majesty’s Dog

By Mick Takeuchi
Go! Comi, 196 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

In my review of volume seven, I noted some similarities between Her Majesty’s Dog and InuYasha. In both series, for example, the heroine is a teenaged priestess/schoolgirl who pals around with a moody demon dog. Though the two series diverge plot-wise, they share another trait: the filler arc. Volume nine of Her Majesty’s Dog feels like one of those “Hey, let’s have InuYasha disrupt the cultural festival at Kagome’s school!” storylines that Rumiko Takahashi likes to insert between long, drawn-out quests for jewel chards. Nothing of consequence happens: Amane and Ateko quarrel and reconcile; Amane and Hyoue help a tree spirit cross over; the gang attend–you guessed it–a cultural festival.

Mick Takeuchi’s art hasn’t evolved much from the first volume. Her character designs and backgrounds are crisply rendered, if a little generic, while her indiscriminate use of screentone would vault her to the top of Dee DuPuy’s Most Wanted list. Takeuchi still struggles with action sequences; the few scenes involving koma-oni combat are a hot mess of diagonal panels, facial close-ups, and sound effects.

That said, fans of the series shouldn’t skip volume nine, as Amane “makes a shocking decision” (to borrow a phrase from the dust jacket) in its final pages–a decision with the potential to end her relationship with Hyoue for good and bring the series to a dramatic close.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Hollow Fields, Vol. 2

By Madeleine Rosca
Seven Seas
Rating: All Ages

One thing I can credit Hollow Fields with as a series: the main character does get more interesting. In the first volume, Lucy Snow showed severe growing pains at her new school, whining how it was too cold outside to dig up corpses, and fainting at the sight of vats full of genetically-engineered fish-birds and formaldehyde. Not only was she in danger of failing her first week and earning detention–which according to the rules at Hollow Fields, means being sent to the ominous windmill no student has ever returned from –worse, she was almost no fun. And attending a school for aspiring mad scientists should be fun, right?

In volume two, Lucy toughens up and shows potential in certain forbidden sciences. Unfortunately, she still comes across as bland compared to her classmates, especially Summer Polanski, who would be the star if this were a more subversive series. But it isn’t; writer/artist Madeleine Rosca seems content serving up a routine adventure plot, in which Lucy has to get out of Hollow Fields or something terrible will happen to her. Worse, Rosca doesn’t even let the suspense build until the next volume. Instead, just when the dark twists on academic competitiveness and pre-teen girl rivalries start to heat up, a major plot development takes place, and things take a turn towards more run-of-the-windmill stuff.

As a reader, I wanted more scenes like the mid-term exam, in which Lucy and her classmates unleash destructive class projects on a scale-model city. At least Rosca’s art, which combines cute, nose-less children with spooky-looking backgrounds, continues to make an interesting-looking combination. Now if only the story itself were as twisted as it looked.

– Review by Phil Guie

Ellie Mamahara: Alley of First Love

By Ellie Mamahara
BLU Manga, 186 pp.
Rating: Older Teen

Despite its lurid title, Alley of First Love isn’t about cruising—it’s actually about two childhood friends whose relationship takes a sexy turn in adulthood. Shusuke, a dark-haired hottie, is an injured soccer star who’s marking time at the family liquor store; Atsushi, a fair-haired innocent, is a graduate student who spent nearly six years abroad. When they’re reunited, Shusuke contrives improbable schemes for spending time with his old pal (one involving a giant panda suit… don’t ask) to gauge Atsushi’s interest in him.

Not much actually happens; most of the book is devoted to flirtatious exchanges and earnest conversations about feelings. That uneventfulness is both a plus and a minus. On the one hand, it’s refreshing to see character development take center stage in a genre known primarily for steamy man-on-man action. On the other, Ellie Mamahara lacks Fumi Yoshinaga’s flair for dialogue, so the script is rather pedestrian. The artwork, too, is serviceable but not great. Like many manga-ka, Mamahara favors lean boys with bee-stung lips, sleepy eyes, and impossibly broad shoulders—in short, characters who read as sufficiently masculine, but have a certain softness and sensuality that’s more feminine. Her backgrounds are spare, with shojo-esque screentone patterns frequently standing in for actual detail. For readers who prefer yaoi that depicts healthy, consensual relationships, Alley of First Love offers a welcome respite from some of the more explicit offerings in the BLU, DMP, and Kitty Media catalogs. Hard-core fujoshi, however, are advised to seek thrills elsewhere, as Mamahara’s book is a strictly PG-13 affair.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Kasumi, Vol.1

Story by Surt Lim, Art by Hirofumi Sugimoto
Del Rey, 208 pp.
Rating: 13+

Born out of an east-west creative partnership and helmed by Del Rey, Kasumi gets effort points, a couple cute points, and not a whole lot else. The setup smacks of been-there, done-that, from cheery everygirl Kasumi’s strange new powers (which, of course, manifest themselves in socially humiliating circumstances) to her rich girl rival and mysterious ice block of a love interest. Friend making, school hijinks, and magic usage naturally ensues. A quirky set of extras provides a bit of air, but even a bit of weirdness can’t liven up a series that seems dead set on crafting Kasumi a few token magical friends to move the background action along.

The okay vibes extend even to the realms of art and toning, with Sugimoto’s serviceable closeups marred largely by the occasional anatomical iffyness and, more gravely, by serious tone abuse. Every character has been lovingly toned with a healthy plethora of grays and gradients, but the backgrounds have been left to languish in obscurity. Who needs shapes or distinguishable features when a splash of black gradient will do? The end result- very few well-drawn backgrounds, or, worse, extant backgrounds proves a serious detractor in the long run. Kasumi may be a step in the right direction for global manga, but also proves that there’s still much ground to be covered in closing the quality gap.

–Reviewed by Chloe Ferguson

Kikaider Code 02, Vol. 7

Story by Ishinomori Shotaro, Art by Meimu
CMX, 178 pp.
Rating: Mature

The long awaited finale to the Kikaider Code 02 series is here! Unfortunately, I haven’t actually read any of the series prior to this, so it left me a bit lost. Still, it wasn’t too hard to grasp what was going on, though some of the plot twists were perhaps lost on me. Meimu’s artwork was lovely and the designs for Kikaider and the various other robots were fantastic. The story itself concludes the tangled web of intrigue involving Jiro (aka Kikaider), his pseudo-brother Saburo (aka Haikaider), the rest of their family, and a secret organization that was plotting to wipe out mankind. It’s a fast paced, action packed finale with an ending that might leave some scratching their heads. It’s open to interpretation, but seemed awfully grim to me. In addition there’s some nice sketchbook material included in the end, along with a short afterward by Meimu about the series. Interesting stuff that left me wanting to hunt down the rest of the series so I could better grasp this final chapter.

–Reviewed by Ken Haley

The King of Fighters Art Book

Created by Wing Yan and King Tung
Published by DrMaster, 92 pages
Rating: Unrated

From artists Wing Yan and King Tung comes The King of Fighters Art Book, 92 pages of full-color oversized reproductions of the duo’s covers for three different King of Fighters comic series (2001, 2002 and 2003). Each cover takes up a single page with a little notation at the bottom indicating which series it’s from. The duo have done a good job at capturing the likenesses of the various characters, and fans of the comics or games will be pleased to see characters ranging from Kyo to Bill Kane making appearances in the various pieces. While the covers are certainly lovely, it’s a bit disappointing that that’s all the book contains. No sketchbook material, rough pencils, rejected covers or anything of that nature. It’s essentially a cover gallery, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it gives the book a really light feeling, especially since it comes with a $22 price tag. Still, fans of Wing Yan and King Tung’s art might want to give it a look, as might fans of the comics and video game series.

–Reviewed by Ken Haley

La Corda d’Oro, Vol. 8

By Yuki Kure
Viz, 178 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

Volume eight of La Corda d’Oro begins with every musician’s worst nightmare: in the middle of a performance, Kahoko loses her mojo. Her intonation wobbles; a string breaks; and worse still, the magic spell that allowed her violin to practically play itself wears off, forcing her to scratch and pick her way through the remainder of the piece. Though she’s demoted to last place in the school music competition, her fellow contestants (five of whom are cute, tousled-haired boys) praise her gutsy performance, squeaks and all.

This opening chapter has a certain intensity and honesty that’s generally lacking in La Corda d’Oro as a whole. Some of that is attributable to the beautiful artwork; many scenes are wordless, focusing instead on a facial expression or a hand poised to bow a phrase. Yuki Kure’s toning is superb, giving her characters and objects an unusually solid appearance—something that’s all too rare in shojo—while evoking Kahoko’s fragile, anxious state. The rest of the volume is conventional shojo fluff, as Kure introduces a potential rivalry between Kahoko and a button-cute girl from Ryotaro’s middle school, and sends Kahoko to an amusement park with the deadly serious—some might say pompous—Len. Volume eight also includes an utterly forgettable short story about a rich boy who behaves like a doormat in the presence of the girl he loves, despite the fact she’s a brusque pain the butt. From the rougher artwork and choppy narrative flow, I’d guess this story predates La Corda d’Oro, as it lacks the polish of Corda’s very best pages.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Naruto, Vol. 30

By Masashi Kishimoto
Viz, 178 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

I’d like to preface this review by saying I was a Narutard years before it was cool. I got into Naruto when Shonen Jump first hit newsstands in the US. Though admittedly, the series’ first fifty-ish chapters are unarguably Naruto’s heyday, this hasn’t stopped the ongoing series from still being a blast. Even though Naruto embraces pretty much every shonen meme and convention, it brings enough originality and sheer entertainment value to make up for it. Additionally, there’s just no getting over the fact that Naruto simply has terrific character designs. This series is a terrific balance of humor, action, and a healthy dash of manservice for the fangirls.

In this volume, Naruto and co. face off against various members of Akatsuki, this year’s super-secret evil badass hall of fame. Why is it that with each successive shonen story arc, the villains get less and less memorable? In my not-so-humble opinion, most shonen stories get stretched far beyond their natural life cycles and lose originality and fall back on conventions as a result. Naruto is no exception—this is volume 30 for Christ’s sake! The way the manga cuts from one fight to the next makes me consider going on Ritalin with every read. The way this manga really should be enjoyed is one chapter at a time (as you would if you were reading it in a magazine). With a week between each chapter, the extra-special scene shifts and fever-pitch action really work in Naruto’s favor. Regardless though, the graphic novels are quite a bargain at $8.00, and volume 30 should definitely be picked up if you’ve kept up with the series so far!

–Reviewed by Isaac Hale

Tears of a Lamb, Vol. 3

By Banri Hidaka
CMX, 192 pp.
Rating: Teen (T)

The greatest strength of this series is the relationship between its two lead characters. After getting off to a rough start—with Kei badgering Kanzaki to allow her access to his apartment so she can search for a lost ring—it has developed into a solid friendship, with each able to confide in the other about their problems. I particularly like how Kanzaki’s consideration of Kei is shown through his actions rather than told in mere words. The best scenes are when they are engaged in heartfelt conversation. Unfortunately, such moments do not happen often in this third installment of the series. The standout chapter actually focuses on the school doctor and her own experiences in high school. A nice character piece, it also provides a glimpse of the mysterious Suwa, the older man upon whom Kei is fixated and the owner of the ring for which she is searching.

Hidaka’s art is cute (I love the fleecy lambs sprinkled throughout) but my enjoyment is marred by the continual reliance on violence as a source of humor. Poor Kanzaki takes a pounding on practically every page and it’s really beginning to disturb me. If you can get past that, however, Tears of a Lamb definitely has something unique to offer.

–Reviewed by Michelle Smith

xxxHolic, Vol. 12

By CLAMP
Del Rey, 208 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

I’ll be the first to admit that I love xxxHolic to death. I love the art, love the creativity, even love the quasi-spiritual pretentiousness. And to be sure, this latest volume of xxxHolic has all that. Unfortunately, this latest volume takes the self-important pontification to a really obscene level, with the dialogue ascending to a fever pitch of narcissism. During a particularly emo moment, for example, Sakura says: “The only thing I could do until the ‘time’ that I changed the future was to act through the part I saw in a dream.” Trust me, this makes no more sense in context. Frankly though, if CLAMP can get its obligatory emo monologues out in this single volume, it’s a-okay by me.

Despite my bitching, this volume is still a pleasure to read. xxxHolic is easily the best series CLAMP has whipped up since Card Captor Sakura, and it shows in the one-shot stories and the jaw-dropping artwork. Seeing the chapter title pages in their ornate and sexy awesomeness makes me yearn for an xxxHolic artbook like nobody’s business. Though this volume is not nearly as good as it could have been, it’s still the same old xxxHolic, and for that it still gets my purchasing recommendation.

–Reviewed by Isaac Hale

Chloe’s Picks

After School Nightmare, Vols. 6-7 (Setona Mizushiro, Go!Comi)
What’s not to love about this deliciously psychological take down of adolescence? Dark stories, dreamy art and some serious baggage to unload have kept this Go!Comi gem buoyant even into later volumes—perhaps especially into later volumes. With everything beginning to unravel and the tantalizing pieces falling into place, there’s a sense that some big reveals are just around the corner. It’s all shaping up to be one hell of a home stretch—and if you haven’t picked up the series yet, now’s as good a time as any to start.

Nightmare Inspector: Yumekui Kenbun, Vol. 2 (Shin Mashiba, Viz)
I’m not inclined to be a fan of uncannily similar retreads, particularly when the material is so elegantly done elsewhere (xxxHolic, it has to be said) but the innovative dynamics and whimsical pretty factor have won me over in the case of Nightmare Inspector. Short, dark vignettes may not be for everyone, but there’s a sense that the series is a little to airy to be grounded in trifles like heavy plot and character development, although both are present in subdued doses. Accessible, quick, and cleverly done, this series is a wholly unexpected gem.

Fairy Tail, Vols. 1-2 (Hiro Mashima, Del Rey)
Fairy Tail’s strength lies not so much in its originality as in its ability to out-quirk all the other guys in the room. True, the series treads familiar shonen territory, but it does so with a sense of off-kilter weird that forgives its clichéd sins. Two appealing main characters and a whole untapped background crew of oddballs promise to stave off the staleness (at least for now) and provide ample hijinks to amuse into further volumes. It’s more of a comfort food than a rare delicacy, but like any familiar dish, it merits repeat meals in spite of its less-than-daring nature.

Isaac’s Picks

Barefoot Gen, Vols. 5-6 (Keiji Nakazawa, Last Gasp)
Though I’ve been saddened and frustrated by many series’ cancellations and hiatuses, Barefoot Gen was the first I ever wrote the publisher over. Barefoot Gen is not light reading. This is not a light-hearted manga you pick up to enjoy a summer afternoon. This is a comic like Art Spiegelman’s Maus—it grabs you by your conscience and your heartstrings and leaves a mark that doesn’t disappear. Barefoot Gen, like Maus, covers one of the greatest human tragedies of our time, the nuclear bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The protagonist Gen, who is modeled after the author himself, must struggle to survive and provide for what remains of his family while facing poverty, prejudice, and radiation poisoning. Barefoot Gen uses the comics medium in the rarest of ways—to humanize tragedy in a way that words alone cannot.

From Eroica With Love, Vols. 12-13 (Yasuko Aoike, CMX)
I have to admit, this series really took me awhile to pick up. I yoinked the first seven volumes at my local comic stores blowout sale and they sat on my shelf until Katherine offered to let me review volume 11. I knew from various sources that I should love the series, so I said yes and quickly caught up. Hot damn! This series is hilarious, parodic, dramatic, and very, very eighties. Between the ridiculous heists and the homoerotic subtext (and just plain text) between Klaus and Eroica, this manga is a non-stop crack up. Sadly, like most of CMX’s titles, it hasn’t been the biggest financial success in the world. Give this classic a try ASAP, and you won’t regret it!

NANA, Vols. 8-10 (Ai Yazawa, Viz)
Though apparently this is the #1 shojo manga of all time in Japan, this manga has become one of the biggest overlooked gems published in the US today. Like Paradise Kiss before it, Ai Yazawa’s NANA captures the drama of human relationships in a way no other manga-ka or comic creator can. Though in this snippet I will refrain from a HUGE spoiler in volume 8, I can only say that volumes 1-7 have been but warm-up for Ai Yazawa’s masterpiece of human drama. The fates of the two bands, Trapnest and the Black Stones, become hopelessly intertwined, and the future changes from one of hope to total uncertainty. This is one emotional roller coaster you do not want to miss.

Parasyte, Vol. 3 (Hitoshi Iwaaki, Del Rey)
Though it’s highly ironic to associate this comic with emotions of kindness and loving, I have nothing but nostalgia and respect for Hitoshi Iwaaki’s action/sci-fi/horror masterpiece Parasyte. When I first started getting into manga besides that known to tweens nationwide, Hitoshi Iwaaki’s Parasyte was one of the first manga I checked out of my local public library. Sure it was flopped, somewhat low quality, and laughably translated, but its immense coolness captured my imagination. Having just given up Animorphs a few years earlier, the experience of reading a more mature and jaw-dropping story based on alien parasites blew me away. Now, thanks to Del Rey’s awesome re-release, we get to relive the awesomeness of the head-splitting, body-slicing aliens of Parasyte. Sure the body designs are “a little stiff,” but does that matter when people controlled by alien parasites can turn their heads into flesh-grinding Cuisinarts?!! It doesn’t get better than this, people.

Yakitate!! Japan, Vols. 9-11 (Takashi Hashiguchi, Viz)
Now I love me some shonen manga, but when a parody as straight-faced and brazen as Yakitate!! Japan shows up I have to admit the genre is pretty ludicrous by nature. The irony is that even though Yakitate!! Japan is a parody on one level, it’s also an amazing shonen tournament manga on another—a bread-baking tournament manga that is! Unlike the rest of the manga on this list, there is no exotic twist or additional depth to Yakitate!! Japan. The characters bake bread… and then fight for their artisan’s honor! Batshit ridiculous, on a constant speed high, and completely unabashed, this manga simultaneously tears the genre to shreds and reminds us why it is so awesome in the first place. May you find Ja-Pan someday soon Kazuma (but not too soon)!

Kate’s Picks

Dororo, Vol. 1 (Osamu Tezuka, Vertical, Inc.):
Once again, Vertical gives Tezuka the red-carpet treatment, rolling out this minor masterpiece in a handsome English-language edition with snazzy covers, helpful cultural notes, and a translation that captures the darkness of the subject matter while respecting the fact that Dororo is, in fact, a shonen manga with some seriously corny dialogue. None of this would matter if the story wasn’t good, of course. But Dororo is dark, funny, shocking, and ridiculously entertaining—crack in manga form, if you will. It also offers a window into a transitional period in Tezuka’s style, as he matured into the creator of such masterworks as Buddha, Phoenix, and the unfinished Ludwig B. A must for serious manga fans!

Suppli, Vol. 2 (Mari Okazaki, Tokyopop)
Suppli is one of the first manga I’ve read that depicts post-collegiate life without a whiff of fantasy or glamour. Its heroine is a twenty-something advertising grunt who works in a cube farm, pulls all-nighters, has bad hair days, and worries that she’ll become her office’s designated old maid. After shedding a long-time boyfriend, she quickly becomes embroiled in romantic intrigue with two co-workers, neither of whom seem like great prospects: one drags a steamer trunk of emotional baggage behind him, the other hides his feeling behind a brusque—some might even say rude—façade. Though the second volume ends on a cliffhanger worthy of General Hospital, the overall tone of Suppli is more muted; the story seldom veers into soap opera territory, instead focusing on the real frustrations that all of us experience in our twenties. (You know, the big imponderables: What am I supposed to do with my life? Will I always be alone? That sort of thing.) The artwork is flat-out gorgeous, filled with floral and water imagery that highlight the heroine’s ever-changing emotional state with grace and subtlety. If you’re one of those folks carping about the dearth of manga for adults, you owe it to yourself to pick up this gem.

Toto! The Wonderful Adventure, Vol. 1 (Yuko Osada, Del Rey):
Around the same time Del Rey launched Fairy Tail, they also released Toto! with considerably less fanfare. It’s too bad they didn’t give Toto! the same marketing push, as this high-spirited shonen romp plays like a Miyazaki flick, complete with airships, pirates, plucky heroines, and a cute pup with a Very Big Secret. While the plot feels familiar—Boy With Dream Pursues Goal With Single-Minded Intensity (or stupidity, take your pick)—the artwork has a loose, sketchy feel that infuses Toto! with a fresh energy. Add a colorful cast of supporting characters (a.k.a. the Man Chicken gang) and playful allusions to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and you have a series that promises many volumes of light-hearted, fast-paced entertainment.

Ken’s Picks

Crayon Shinchan, Vol. 1 (Yoshito Usui, CMX)
It may not be high art, but it is a hilarious series which follows the exploits of the naughty, yet charming, Shinchan as he brings all manner of woes to just about everyone he encounters. Whether he’s harassing a poor elevator attendant, or causing problems at home, the stories never failed to bring a smile to my face. The comedy is fairly universal, and the timing and pacing is dead on. All these factors help make the series a fun and entertaining read.

Dororo, Vol. 1 (Osamu Tezuka, Vertical Press)
How could this not be on my list of top picks so far? The first volume of Vertical’s release of this unfinished, yet very fun, shonen samurai tale was definitely a highlight of the first six months. The action is fast, smooth, and wonderfully over the top at times. Add to that some interesting and fun characters and you have a damn fun shonen story! While it’s perhaps not as highbrow or smart as some of the other Tezuka works that have made their way stateside in the past few years, I think it has the benefit of being a slightly more accessible to the general manga reading public. The shonen-y quest format of the story makes it a nice entry level drug for younger fans who may have been turned off by more serious Tezuka fare.

Parasyte, Vol. 3 (Hitoshi Iwaaki, Del Rey)
I know I picked it as one of the best of 2007, but I’ve just got to pick it again because, well, it’s just that good! It’s a fantastic seinen series with shape-shifting, human-eating alien parasites that masquerade as people’s heads! It’s got a nice blend of everything, ranging from humor, horror, introspective meanderings, and more. To top it all off, in the latest volume Iwaaki opens up the story with urban legends arising about people with deformed faces, along with showing the Japanese governments response the looming situation. The noose is slowly tightening for our intrepid hero and his talking hand, and I for one can hardly wait for the next volume. More people need to read this!

Michelle’s Picks

Love*Com, Vols. 4-6 (Aya Nakahara, Viz)
Remember back in high school, where you had a crush on one of your friends but all he could ever see you as was his funny pal? I certainly do, so perhaps that’s why I enjoy Love*Com so much. By this point in the series, Risa has summoned the courage to confess her feelings to Ôtani, but things haven’t gone as well as she’d hoped. Risa’s internal agonizing and doubts ring true, as does Ôtani’s continual confusion as he struggles to adjust to her ever-changing moods and emotions. In the latest volume, a rather irksome new rival has been introduced, but though it appears he’s driving a wedge between the two leads, it’s just possible he’s trying to help them out.

Sand Chronicles, Vols. 1-2 (Hinako Ashihara, Viz)
The compositional structure of Sand Chronicles is a large part of why I love it. After her parents’ divorce, Ann Uekusa and her mother move to a rural area of Japan. The story unfolds as a series of recollections as recalled by the now-adult Ann, snapshots in time of events whose impact is still clearly felt many years later. People and feelings that she once held dear are now nothing more than memories, and moments that she wanted to hold onto forever have slipped away. Knowing that what we’re reading about does not last lends a bittersweet feel to the story that I adore. The characters are likeable and realistic, too, and mingled with all of the nostalgia are plenty of amusing moments. In just two short volumes, Sand Chronicles has managed to establish itself as one of the best manga series I’ve ever read.

Seduce Me After the Show (est em, Deux)
If you’re looking for something thoughtful and a little melancholy in your yaoi, check out Seduce Me After the Show. This collection of seven short stories is about grown men dealing with their feelings for each other in various ways. The title story is especially good, as it deals with a dancer grieving for his mother and an actor who realizes he’s still acting even when the camera isn’t running. The back cover makes mention of themes like “the dichotomy of hope and despair,” but there’s also an undercurrent of artistic encouragement that runs through several of the stories. The art is distinctive, as well, and several of the character designs are quite original, including a 50-year-old man as love interest in one of the stories, and when’s the last time you saw that happen in this genre?

Skip Beat!, Vols. 10-12 (Yoshiki Nakamura, Viz)
In any other series, the failure of the two leads to realize their feelings for each other by the tenth volume would be intensely frustrating. But Skip Beat! has so much to offer beyond romantic possibilities for Kyoko and Ren that it doesn’t seem like an arbitrary delay at all for them to still be largely clueless of their own emotions. They’re in the middle of working on a remake of a successful drama, and that is where their focus chiefly lies. Kyoko is a refreshing heroine, far more intent on improving her skills than mooning over some guy and while Ren has now realized his feelings, he’s exercising restraint because of Kyoko’s age. Or at least, he claims that’s the reason why…

Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Vols. 16-17 (CLAMP, Del Rey)
Talk about game changing! After multiple volumes of quest-type adventures and self-referential cameos with little movement in the villain’s plans, the dam breaks and important things start happening left and right. In these two volumes, the travelers find themselves in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo ravaged by dangerous environmental conditions. No character emerges from the experience unscathed. Unlike some shonen series where the characters essentially remain the same from start to finish, CLAMP allows their cast to change in fundamental and surprising ways. If your interest in this story waned a ways back, consider giving it another chance; many of the flaws that plagued the earlier volumes now seem like memories of a more innocent time.

San Francisco, CA, July 16, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced an exciting agenda of personal appearances, screenings and convention exclusives for the 2008 Comic-Con International taking place July 23-27 at the Convention Center in San Diego, CA. VIZ Media will be located in Booth #4113.

The year 2008 marks the 5th Anniversary of VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP Magazine and also the 40th Anniversary of Japan’s largest manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, the source of some of the world’s most popular manga. These double milestones mean loads of events, appearances, announcements and many show-only exclusives during Comic-Con International 2008!

Highly anticipated by many excited fans will be an ultra-rare, in-person appearance by Tite Kubo, creator of the smash-hit BLEACH manga series, in the VIZ Media booth for two one-hour signing sessions on Saturday, July 26 at 10:00am and 3:30pm. This is the first time he will appear at any North American convention. Each signing session will be limited to 100 persons each. The first 50 fans who purchase a BLEACH item from the VIZ Media retail area each day from Wednesday through Saturday will each receive a special shikishi signing board and ticket as gifts. These gifts will qualify fans to attend one of the signing periods and receive an autograph from Kubo-sensei himself.

VIZ Media will also welcome Kubo-sensei, along with his editor, Mr. Atsushi Nakasaki, for a unique panel discussion about his work on Saturday from 1:00pm to 2:00pm in Room#7AB. Panel attendees will receive a limited edition BLEACH poster while supplies last. Throughout the convention, the VIZ Media Prize Patrol will be awarding prizes to fans dressed in BLEACH attire. Kubo-sensei is the creator of the wildly successful manga series BLEACH and ZOMBIEPOWDER. Both series are published domestically by VIZ Media and BLEACH is also currently serialized in SHONEN JUMP magazine.

A free theatrical screening of the BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY will be held on Friday, July 25 at 7:00pm at the Gaslamp 15 theatre located in downtown San Diego. A limited number of free passes to attend this special event will be available. Fans are encouraged to come by the VIZ Media booth to pick up one of the free passes while supplies last. Greeting guests at the screening will be KON, the lovable character from the BLEACH manga series. BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY is rated T for Teens.

The September release of Takehiko Inoue’s riveting basketball-themed manga series – SLAM DUNK – is also anticipated by many fans, and VIZ Media will highlight this upcoming title throughout Comic-Con with a variety of fun games and events including a very special in-person appearance by NBA star Greg Oden of the Portland Trailblazers on Sunday from 12:00pm to 1:00pm. Also attending to celebrate the release of SLAM DUNK are two of the famed Los Angeles Laker Girls, who will be at the VIZ Media booth on Friday, July 25 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm. SLAM DUNK is rated T for Teens.

VIZ Media will also headline a variety of panel discussions throughout the convention, beginning with a SHONEN JUMP panel on Friday from 10:00am to 11:00am in Convention Center Room #2. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to meet the editors and find out what they’ve got up their sleeves for 2009. Also on Friday, the VIZ Media Anime and Manga Panel will be happening from 3:00pm to 4:00pm in Room #2. The SHOJO BEAT magazine panel discussion is scheduled on Saturday from 3:30pm to 4:30pm in Room #10.

Finally, VIZ Media is pleased to have the work of three significant manga creators – Takeshi Obata, Naoki Urasawa and Taiyo Matsumoto – nominated in three categories for the 20th Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, which are considered the Oscars of the comic book industry. Mr. Obata is nominated in the Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team category for his work on DEATH NOTE and HIKARU NO GO. NAOKI URASAWA’S MONSTER is a contender for Best Continuing Series and Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Japan. Mr. Matsumoto’s, TEKKONKINKREET: Black & White is also nominated in the Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Japan. The awards are scheduled for Friday, July 25 in Ballroom 20 at the Convention Center.

“This year’s Comic-Con International is especially significant for VIZ Media as 2008 marks the 40th Anniversary of Japan’s best-selling manga anthology, Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, as well as the 5th Anniversary of the widely-read North American counterpart, SHONEN JUMP, and we are excited to celebrate these double milestones,” says Evelyn Dubocq, Sr. Director, Public Relations. “VIZ Media will present a captivating array of fun activities, discussions, in-person appearances and product exclusives that will make each day of this year’s show a truly memorable event for new as well as veteran fans!”

VIZ Media will also be available for portfolio reviews on Sunday, the 27th, from 2:00pm to 4:30pm in the Portfolio area of the Convention Center. Artwork will be reviewed by Marc Weidenbaum, Vice President of Original Publishing and Eric Searleman, Senior Editor at VIZ Media.

Phil Guie is a freelance writer who lives in Brooklyn, New York. A liberal arts graduate with a degree in English, he is doing surprisingly well, and even has time to focus on his hobbies, which include movies and American comic books. Phil’s favorite film is The Third Man, and he can talk about superhero comics until the cows come home.

Sam Kusek goes to Emerson College in Boston, has an awesome girlfriend, and enjoys taking late-night rides through the city on his baby blue bicycle, Gloria. He wears tight pants and buys cartons of Vitamin Water… and why don’t they have Vitamin Water vending machines?! He loves (and often quotes) Scrubs and Home Movies, and has a great appreciation of local music and, of course, manga.

Michelle Smith has been writing manga reviews on her blog Soliloquy in Blue since 2006 and has amassed a diverse and extensive manga collection. She’s a musician, a math person, a voracious reader, a competent cook, and a new homeowner. Basara tops her list of favorite manga, and she shamelessly exploits all opportunities to urge people to read it.

Welcome aboard!

As for this week’s new arrivals, you’ll find something to suit just about every taste, from fanservice spectaculars (Alice on Deadlines, Nephilim) to fantasy-adventures (Dorothea), shojo romances (I Hate You More Than Anyone, Tears of a Lamb), and angsty vampire intrigue (Vassalord). My top picks for the week are Silver Diamond (Tokyopop), a peculiar sci-fi series with gorgeous artwork, gorgeous male leads, and enough plants to populate the New York Botanical Garden (don’t ask, just read) and Real (Viz), Takehiko Inoue’s gritty, funny drama about paraplegic basketball players. Want a second opinion? Then check out Ken’s glowing yet perceptive review of this decidedly adult story.

SHIPPING THIS WEEK
Alice on Deadlines, Vol. 3 (Yen Press)
Bizenghast, Vol. 5 (Tokyopop)
Case Closed, Vol. 24 (Viz)
Chibi Vampire, Vol. 9 (Tokyopop)
Daemonium, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
The Dark Good-Bye, Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)
Dorothea, Vol. 2 (CMX)
Elemental Gelade, Vol. 8 (Tokyopop)
Ellie Mamahara: Alley of First Love (BLU Manga)
Ghost Talkers Daydream, Vol. 1 (Dark Horse)
I Hate You More Than Anyone, Vol. 5 (CMX)
Martin and John, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
Nephilim, Vol. 2 (Aurora)
Oh My God, Vol. 1 (Aurora/Deux)
Plastic Chew (Tokyopop)
Psychic Power Nanki, Vol. 3 (Tokyopop)
Real, Vol. 1 (Viz)
Rising Stars of Manga, Vol. 8 (Tokyopop)
Rolling, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
Rose Hip Rose, Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)
Rurouni Kenshin VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 3 (Viz)
Samurai Deeper Kyo, Vol. 29 (Tokyopop)
A Seduction More Beautiful Than Love, Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)
Silver Diamond, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
Spiral: Bonds of Reasoning, Vol. 4 (Yen Press)
Star Trek: The Manga, Vol. 3 (Tokyopop)
Suzunari, Vol. 1 (Yen Press)
Tears of a Lamb, Vol. 3 (CMX)
Tetragrammaton Labyrinth, Vol. 3 (Seven Seas)
Tokko, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
Vassalord, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
Your and My Secret, Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)

Metro Survive, Vol. 2

By Yuki Fujisawa
DrMaster, 208 pp.
Rating: 15+

The second volume of this balls-to-the-wall disaster drama pits Mishima and his ragtag band of fellow survivors against a posse of hooligans under the spell of two charismatic host club owners. And what a pimp-tastic pair they are: one sports a fur that would be the envy of Joe Namath, the other a white suit pilfered from the Superfly prop trailer. (Both look freshly pressed, despite the rivers of gasoline, sewage, and blood flooding the basement levels of Exopolis.) Artist Yuki Fujisawa doesn’t waste a panel as he steadily escalates the conflict between these two groups to a point of almost unbearable tension. Though Fujisawa attempts a few curveballs, the basic plot is fairly predictable, with expendables meeting gruesome ends while principals take turns demonstrating hidden reserves of selflessness and courage. Fujisawa wisely brings the story to a close at the end of volume two with a final act that will please—if not surprise—readers. As I noted in my review of volume one, the big drawback to Metro Survive is the art. Frankly, it’s ugly, with too many speedlines, too many muddy backgrounds, and too many characters drawn in a cartoonish manner. If you’re not a stickler for pretty pictures, however, you could do a lot worse than this brutally efficient two-volume thriller, which reads like a Quentin Tarantino remake of Earthquake.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Nightmare Inspector: Yumekui Kenbun, Vol. 2

By Shin Mashiba
Viz, 184 pp.
Rating: 13+

Nightmare Inspector is an exceptionally good retread, filled with lush visuals. The premise—a tea house with a resident baku, or dream eater, that will attend to customers’ supernatural needs at a price—calls to mind obvious comparisons to xxxHolic, but the series’ artistic tone strikes a different note. Fans of the latter may identify similar story strengths and weaknesses with the former, namely in the dark, one-shot nature of each anecdote and the generally cynical take on human nature. The stories are small, deliciously well-done tales of human viciousness and supernatural personification, in which everyone from the dead to ordinary household objects may show up with a request. That said, Nightmare Inspector’s dogged adherence to single, thirty-page tales must ultimately diversify if the series wishes to sustain readers’ interest beyond a single volume.

Even if the plot setup doesn’t compel you to pick up a copy, the art alone should prove enticing. Striking an Art Nouveau balance between Far East and Victorian West, the swirling colors and dreamy screentones create an ambiguous world in which menace hides behind the fantastic. Manga-ka Shin Mashiba turns mediums and styles into key story elements, generally to impressive ends. A middle story in which charcoal drawings play a key role is one of most ingenious uses of art to further story seen in quite a long time. Nightmare Inspector’s formula may have been done before, but this stylish series still manages to prove its shelf-worthiness several times over.

–Reviewed by Chloe Ferguson

Red Angel, Vol. 1

By Makoto Tateno
DMP, 176 pp.
Rating: YA (Young Adult, 16+)

Mika and Eru are twin vampires with an unusual arrangement: the two share a body, variously manifesting themselves as a comely girl (Mika) or an androgynously beautiful boy (Eru). The two use their good looks to lure victims into their web—or at least, that’s how the volume begins, with a suitably creepy, faintly erotic story told from the perspective of one of their conquests. None of the subsequent chapters live up to the promise of the first, however. Manga-ka Makoto Tateno reduces Mika and Eru from actual participants in the stories to passive observers of other vampires’ tortured (but not very interesting) relationships. The final chapter takes the cake for sheer absurdity, suggesting that Tateno should spend less time trawling New Age sites for angel lore and more time actually consulting a Bible for the low-down on Satan’s heavenly exile. Though some reviewers have praised the art, I found it paradoxically busy and plain, with too much attention lavished on costumes and hair and not enough on backgrounds, faces, or basic anatomy. (All of the characters have the kind of razor-sharp chins and beanstalk necks I associate with CLAMP’s debut work.) I give Tateno credit for trying to put her own stamp on the gothic vampire romance—her vamps have beautiful red wings, for example—but wish she’d spent more time developing Mika and Eru into genuine characters instead of allowing them to remain blood-sucking ciphers.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Two Flowers for the Dragon, Vol. 1

By Nari Kusakawa
CMX, 192 pp.
Rating: Teen

Shakuya, the plucky protagonist of Two Flowers for the Dragon, belongs to a powerful clan boasting both human and dragon bloodlines. As a child, her parents selected a fiancé for her. When he went AWOL, Shakuya cast her lot with a new suitor, only to have her original husband-to-be resurface with no memory of his past. You don’t need to be a folklorist to guess where this old-as-the-hills story is headed: Shakuya announces a contest to determine which of her two beaus will become her husband.

The plot mechanics are a little creaky, especially the contrast between Shakuya’s amnesiac fiancé—a dashing rogue with flowing locks and the kind of cocky demeanor that rankles and intrigues at the same time—and her new man—a Dudley Do-Right who can be as stiff as Al Gore on the 2000 campaign trail. The art, too, is so-so. Readers of The Recipe for Gertrude and The Palette of 12 Secret Colors will quickly discover that Nari Kusakawa has a limited repertoire of character designs in her arsenal. Yet Two Flowers of the Dragon leaves a fresh, vibrant impression. Part of the story’s appeal is attributable to Shakuya, who’s smarter and more self-possessed than most shojo heroines; one of the series’ running jokes is that she’s actually more powerful than either Lucien or Kuwan. (She can transform into a badass dragon, capable of smoking anyone in her path.) The series’ other great strength is the way Kusakawa uses slapstick and supernatural intrigue to reveal her characters’ true emotional states. Even a gambit as shameless as introducing two button-cute tiger cubs serves a genuine dramatic purpose, showing us how protective and solicitous Shakuya really is. The bottom line: Two Flowers for the Dragon surprises and delights, even when it follows shojo formula to the letter.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Ultimate Venus, Vol. 1

By Takako Shigematsu
Go! Comi, 192 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Sometimes promotional copy can be misleading. After reading the back cover of Ultimate Venus, for example, I concluded that Takako Shigematsu had updated Pygmalion for the shojo set by making the Henry Higgins figure young and sexy, rather than fussy and middle-aged:

Poor Yuzu is an orphan who’s too clumsy to hold a job. She’s reduced to living in a playground—until a handsome stranger named Hassaku informs her that she’s the heir to a fortune, and whisks her into world of wealth, power, and more hot suitors than she can shake a scepter at! But there’s a catch: Hassaku must turn this klutz into a lady of refinement, or Yuzu will lose everything!

While the blurb is an accurate summary of the volume’s first thirty pages, the story takes an abrupt detour from the “Street Where You Live” to Knot’s Landing, as Yuzu discovers her extended family will stop at nothing to prevent her from inheriting her grandmother’s corporate empire. Hassaku morphs from etiquette coach to bodyguard, trailing Yuzu everywhere she goes to prevent an unscrupulous aunt or cousin from nabbing her. Making his task more difficult is Yuzu herself; earnest and naïve, she’s quick to judge and even quicker to fall in love, traits that guarantee she’ll need rescuing at the end of every chapter.

If the main story line is strictly paint-by-numbers, the subplot involving Yuzu’s grandmother is not. Shigematsu portrays her as a sexy business woman in her forties, the kind of sleek, powerful character that Barbara Stanwyck or Ellen Barkin was born to play. Throughout the volume, Shigematsu dangles the possibility that Hassaku and Yuzu’s grandmother have a more intimate bond than employee/employer—a pairing that’s supposed to make the target audience feel sympathy for Yuzu. For those of us entering cougar territory, however, the scenes with Yuzu’s grandmother are a blast of fresh air: funny, outrageous, and a potent reminder that confidence is much more sexy than fumbling, self-effacing naivete. If Shigematsu ever does a spin-off project featuring Yuzu’s grandmother, I’ll be the first to buy it.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Apple, Vol. 1 (UDON Entertainment)
Korean comics
In glorious full color
Kind of like Robot.

Dororo, Vol. 2 (Vertical, Inc.)
Hyakkimaru
Is missing forty-eight parts
That has got to hurt.

xxxHolic, Vol. 12 (Del Rey)
Poor Watanuki
Should make out with Domeki
And give up on girls.

SHIPPING THIS WEEK
Alive: The Final Evolution, Vol. 5 (Del Rey)
Apple Anthology Vol. 1 (UDON Entertainment)
Cat-Eyed Boy, Vol. 2 (Viz)
Don’t Blame Me, Vol. 2 (DMP)
Dororo, Vol. 2 (Vertical, Inc.)
Flock of Angels, Vol. 3 (Aurora)
Gantz, Vol. 1 (Dark Horse)
Great Place High School (DMP)
Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D, Vol. 2 (DMP)
I Shall Never Return, Vol. 3 (Aurora/Deux)
Kamichama Karin-Chu, Vol. 1 (Del Rey)
Le Chevalier d’Eon, Vol. 5 (Del Rey)
Love Recipe, Vol. 2 (DMP)
Moon Child, Vol. 11 (CMX)
Nodame Cantabile, Vol. 14 (Del Rey)
Oh! My Goddess Authentic Edition, Vol. 9 (Dark Horse)
Pumpkin Scissors, Vol. 3 (Del Rey)
Suzuka, Vol. 8 (Del Rey)
Tomcats (DMP)
Tower of the Future, Vol. 11 (CMX)
xxxHolic, Vol. 12 (Del Rey)

By Fuyumi Soryo
Published by Del Rey
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

The vivid images that haunt us when we sleep seem like perfect fodder for art. Yet we often produce dream-inspired work that’s much goofier and far less potent than our nocturnal imaginings: think of Salvador Dali’s unabashedly Freudian dream sequence in Spellbound (the one false note in an otherwise great thriller), or John Fuseli’s heavy-handed symbolism in The Nightmare (in which a Rubenesque sleeper is tormented by a ghostly horse and an incubus, the ultimate Romantic two-fer). These images fail to shock because they seem too mannered, too staid—in short, too neat, failing to capture the subconscious mind’s ability to juxtapose the banal with the fantastic. In ES: Eternal Sabbath, however, manga-ka Fuyumi Soryo steers clear of the clichés and overripe imagery that reduce so many dreamy works to kitsch, producing a taut, spooky thriller that reminds us just how weird and terrifying a place the mind can be.

The first volume of ES introduces us to Shuro, a young man with the ability to read thoughts. Shuro uses the information he gathers from other people to impersonate their friends and family members, wiping their memories clean when he tires of the situation. One afternoon, Shuro bumps into neuroscientist Mine Kujyou just as a man is being bludgeoned to death in front of a dozen horrified onlookers. Mine is shocked when no one remembers seeing Shuro saunter past the crime scene in a state of utter indifference, as if he knew what was about to transpire. Her researcher’s instinct piqued, she begins to track Shuro’s movements, initiating a game of cat-and-mouse that quickly escalates into psychological warfare.

In a plot twist that would surely please Fox Mulder, a researcher from a clandestine government laboratory arrives on the scene, Smoking Man style, to explain that Shuro is, in fact, a clone, created by scientists on the hunt for the “eternal sabbath,” a.k.a. eternal youth, gene. (The psychic powers powers are a happy by-product of the experiment.) Shuro escaped from his creators with fellow clone Isaac, an even more powerful, less scrupulous mind reader with a destructive agenda. Mine must then decide whether to assist Shuro and Isaac’s creator in re-capturing the wayward clones, or to allow Shuro to disappear back into the shadows.

To be sure, many of ES: Eternal Sabbath’s themes are science fiction staples: do scientists have an ethical obligation to treat engineered life forms with the same care as humans? Are there realms of knowledge and experience that cannot be quantified or explained through modern science? That such tried-and-true questions resonate with us is testament to Soryo’s storytelling skills. She never offers pat answers, nor does she use her characters as mouthpieces for condemning genetic research. Instead, she creates a small, intimately linked cast whose conflicting desires, insecurities, fears, and friendships dramatize the series’ overarching theme, what does it mean to be human?, while underscoring the horror and poignancy of the clones’ liminal status.

Soryo’s artwork is up to the task of telling her ambitious story. Her character designs, though a little blank-faced, are refreshingly realistic, as are her detailed backdrops. (Mine and Shuro both look preternaturally calm most of the time, as if they’d OD’ed on tranquilizers.) Where Soryo really shines, however, are the dream sequences, which are visceral and unsettling. In volume one, for example, there’s a brief scene in which a large insect emerges from a disturbingly organic mass that suddenly shatters into hundreds of living, moving pieces. The strangeness of the image, the abrupt shift in mood, the blurry line between inanimate and animate objects—these feel like an authentic product of the subconscious, and not a Freudian rebus to be decoded by the audience.

I could cavil about a few details, but on the whole, this eight-volume series has few wasted pages. The story moves at a brisk clip without sacrificing characterization or common sense; the art suggests the workings of the subconscious mind without silliness; and the ending is genuinely moving and surprising. Science fiction fanatics will find much to like here, as will horror buffs, josei aficionados, and readers who like the idea that women can kick butt in the sciences, Lawrence Summers and evil clones be damned.

All eight volumes of ES: Eternal Sabbath are available now.

As Bang Zoom! president Eric P. Sherman explained to PCS last December, the series’ primary goal is to educate fans about the profession by giving them behind-the-scenes access to animation and video game productions. “We tried to make this film so as to create the feel of having a back stage pass, or access to a movie set,” he explained.

The Bang Zoom! Crew interviewed hundreds of voice actors, from greenhorns to seasoned pros such as Steve Blum (Cowboy Beblop), Yuri Lowenthal (Naruto, Noein, Hellsing) and Kate Higgins (Bleach, Naruto). Each volume is divided into five episodes exploring different aspects of the craft, from technique to technology. Volume one “takes the viewer from the very basic ‘What is a Voice Actor?’ all the way up through ‘How did you break into the business?’” Sherman explained. “These questions are really at the very core of the film, and they are answered here, but in several different ways in the film. And in later episodes, actors and casting professionals give their own very thoughtful, personal nuggets of advice on what you should do if YOU wanted to do this for a living.”

Veteran voice actor Yuri Lowenthal (Naruto, Noein) is one of seventy-five professionals to appear in the final cut of Adventures in Voice Acting.

In addition to the actor interviews, Adventures in Voice Acting includes vocal warm-up exercises, practical advice for breaking into the business, and studio tours that help the fan better understanding the dubbing process. Volume one, for example, features the following episodes:

• Process and Techniques While In The Booth
• Audition Preparation Tools
• Finding Your Way into the World of Voice Acting
• What to Expect on the First Day in the Studio
• Advice from the Pros

To celebrate the release of Adventures in Voice Acting, Bang Zoom! will be sponsoring free clinics at Anime Expo 2008 in Los Angeles. These one-hour sessions will provide fans with an opportunity to chat with industry experts as well as try their hand at dubbing with a professional audio engineer. Workshops will be held July 3rd – July 6th; to register, visit the Bang Zoom! booth (#811) in the Exhibit Hall. For more information about the workshops, click here.

Adventures in Voice Acting, Vol. 1
Available: July 3, 2008 at Anime Expo® 2008
Run Time: 131 minutes plus 30 minutes of extra features
For more info: www.AdventuresInVoiceActing.com

Cat-Eyed Boy, Vol. 1 (Viz): Over at The Comic Book Bin, Leroy Douresseaux offers an excellent summary of Cat-Eyed Boy’s appeal:

Something that I admire and enjoy in Kazuo Umezu’s horror fiction is his embrace of that which is absurd, grotesque, and macabre in the supernatural. So much of American horror deals with violence, as if the only way in which the reader can be made fearful is through the threat of bloody hell. That’s why so much of American horror cinema revolves around a familiar scenario: You did something to me when we were in high school; now, ten years later, I’m going to kill all of you using pricey cutlery. There’s this insistence on logic and logical motives – even when dealing with an illogical or insane person.

There may be an internal logic to how Umezu creates, and there may even be an overarching logic to his narrative. However, he presents the supernatural as outside of nature – the other or something else entirely different from the human world. Our logic, our rules, and our bargaining power don’t work. It is not uncommon for Japanese horror or supernatural stories to eschew logic; things often don’t make sense. Even when humans think they’ve discovered the rules of the game or that special incantation to ward off the bad, it won’t necessarily work – even when it’s so obvious that it should.

In short, Umezu’s special brand of Comeuppance Theater is a celebration of the irrational, the grotesque, and the subconscious—the very things that John Fuseli and William Blake celebrated in their work. (OK, maybe that’s stretching it. But it’s not a stretch to say that Umezu has an affinity for odd, dreamy images that look like the by-product of an absinthe-soaked brain.)

Inubaka: Crazy for Dogs, Vol. 9 (Viz): Really, do I need to say more than “Bernese Mountain Dog puppies on the cover”? Yes? Then you’re probably a cat person, and should seek out copies of What’s Michael? post-haste.

Kurogane Communication, Vol. 1 (Go! Comi): It’s the end of the world as she knows it, but Haruka, the plucky heroine of Kurogane Communication, feels fine. She’s got a posse of robot pals to keep her company as she journeys across an apocalyptic wasteland searching for other humans. Though I’ve seen many glosses on the same Omega Man premise, Kurogane Communication wins points for embracing a light-hearted approach to the material, steering clear of the angst, cynicism, and brutish violence that too often make doomsday scenarios about as much fun to read as having a root canal.

Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, Vol. 15 (Viz): I’m secretly convinced that “Naoki Urasawa” is actually a nom de plume for John le Carré, who decided that after years of writing tightly crafted espionage thrillers, he was going to let his hair down and write a gonzo, de Palma-esque story with all the trimmings: a Stasi-run home for little wanderers (and future assassins), a cross-dressing psychopath, and an innocent doctor framed for murders he didn’t commit. If it sounds absurd, it is. But Urasawa is a masterful storyteller, never losing momentum (or credibility, for that matter) as he spins his elaborate, multi-faceted yarn.

Walkin’ Butterfly, Vol. 3 (Aurora): This fierce, odd, funny series focuses on a very tall, very self-conscious girl who decides to transform her life by becoming… a runway model. (I know, I know, that doesn’t sound like the best career choice for someone with body issues.) If manga-ka Chihiro Tamaki had adopted a fizzy, chick-lit approach to the material, I would have checked out after two chapters. But she isn’t afraid to make her heroine uncouth and unlikable, nor does she glamorize the fashion industry—if anything, Tamaki demonstrates that the climb from Booth Babe to Catwalk Queen is an arduous process that’s anything but fabulous. With great, spiky artwork that’s as unfinished as its lead character.

SHIPPING THIS WEEK
.hack//GU, Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)
.hack//XXXX, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
A.I. Revolution, Vol. 4 (Go! Comi)
+ANIMA, Vol. 8 (Tokyopop)
Aoi House in Love, Vol. 2 (Seven Seas)
Battle Royale Ultimate Edition, Vol. 3 (Tokyopop)
Battle Vixens, Vol. 13 (Tokyopop)
Bogle, Vol. 1 (Go! Comi)
Cat-Eyed Boy, Vol. 1 (Viz)
DragonBall: VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 1 (Viz)
DragonBall Z: VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 1 (Viz)
Fallen Moon Daten No Tsuki (DMP)
From Eroica With Love, Vol. 13 (CMX)
Fruits Basket Ultimate Edition, Vol. 3 (Tokyopop)
Gakuen Alice, Vol. 3 (Tokyopop)
Go Go Heaven, Vol. 6 (CMX)
Inubaka: Crazy for Dogs, Vol. 9 (Viz)
Junjo Romantica, Vol. 6 (BLU Manga)
King of Hell, Vol. 19 (Tokyopop)
Kurogane Communication, Vol. 1 (Go! Comi)
Me & My Brothers, Vol. 4 (Tokyopop)
Musashi #9, Vol. 15 (CMX)
Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, Vol. 15 (Viz)
Pet Shop of Horrors Tokyo, Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)
Saiyuki Reload, Vol. 8 (Tokyopop)
Shin Megami Tensei Kahn, Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)
Tarot Café, Vol. 7 (Tokyopop)
Venus Versus Virus, Vol. 4 (Seven Seas)
Walkin’ Butterfly, Vol. 3 (Aurora)
Welcome to the NHK, Vol. 7 (Tokyopop)
A Wise Man Sleeps, Vol. 2 (Go! Comi)
Yggdrasil, Vol. 1 (Go! Comi)

By Anna Hanamaki
Aurora Publishing, 192 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Screwball comedy? Gender-confused bodice-ripper? Homage to Moto Hagio? In a word, yes—the very silly but totally entertaining Nephilim is all those things. All it needs to put it over the top is a mangafied likeness of Fabio on the cover.

The story focuses on Gai, a studly soldier, and Abel, a waifish creature who’s male during the day and female at night. The two meet cute, manga-style: on a moonlit night, Gai spies Abel bathing in a spring. In a vain effort to restore her compromised honor, Abel grabs a knife and lunges at Gai without pausing to grab a towel or a kimono. (Not to worry—Abel never flashes more than a bellybutton at readers, thanks to some strategically places tresses. Janet Jackson might find Nephilim instructive.) After failing miserably, Abel begins trailing Gai everywhere he goes, vainly waiting for another opportunity to strike. Gai, for his part, finds Abel’s unwavering commitment to killing him a sure sign that they’re meant for each other. As their romance blossoms, Abel confesses the real reason she must kill Gai: if she fails to do so, she’ll die from The Curse, an affliction that befalls Nephilim who’ve been seen in their true, i.e. nocturnal, form.

I’d be the first to admit that Nephilim isn’t a good manga in any conventional sense of the word. The art, for example, is uneven. Manga-ka Anna Hanamaki draws handsome faces and gorgeous hair, but has difficulty creating visually distinctive backdrops—or even deciding in what century the story takes place. (Some scenes are set in what looks like feudal Europe, others in what appears to be a modern American city, complete with its own Holiday Inn.) The characters, too, leave something to be desired. Though Gai seems smitten with Abel, the pairing isn’t convincing. We never learn what he sees in her—frankly, she seems like a pain—nor do we learn enough about him to guess at the attraction: does she remind him of his mother? his first love?

I still liked it.

To get in the right frame of mind to read Nephilim, I strongly encourage you to recreate the summer camp experience: find a few giggly friends, turn off the lights, bust out the flashlight and the contraband candy. You may discover, as I did, that Nephilim reminds you of the tawdry paperbacks that everyone stowed under their mattresses—books filled with overripe dialogue, ridiculous plot twists, and steamy encounters (or what passed for a steamy encounter in the estimation of an inexperienced fourteen-year-old). Yes, my inner snob is embarrassed to admit just how much I enjoyed Forever and Sweet Valley High: Playing With Fire back in the day. But boy, were they fun to read, offering unadulterated escapism in a neat little package—just like Nephilim.

Volume one of Nephilim is available now.

If yaoi be your food of love, read on; DMP is releasing four new one-shots this week covering every phase of a relationship from Loving Gaze to New Beginnings. The cream of the crop? Hard Rock, a soap opera chronicling the romantic entanglements within a four-member boy band. Also arriving on store shelves this week are the latest volumes of long-running series Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad (Tokyopop), Blade of the Immortal (Dark Horse), Boys Over Flowers (Viz), and Negima (Del Rey); the first installments of Forget About Love (Tokyopop) and You’re So Cool (Yen Press), two manhwa aimed squarely at the teenage market; and the all-ages title Pokemon: The Rise of Darkrai (Viz), which Lori Henderson’s daughter Jenny pronounces “pure funny.”

Being something of an elderly curmudgeon, my top choices this week skew a little older:

Gimmick!, Vol. 1 (Viz): I hadn’t planned to pick up a copy of Gimmick! until I read Phil’s enthusiastic review. Equal parts F/X and MacGuyver, the story focuses on a special effects guru who uses his considerable talents to aid actors and actresses in distress. Though the series “boasts cool characters, fast-paced plots, and stylized artwork,” Phil explains, what distinguishes Gimmick! from dozens of other action-adventures is its “reliance on human ingenuity over strength or swordplay.” No word on whether the hero makes a bomb out of chewing gum, baling wire, and an old alarm clock, but something tells me Richard Dean Anderson would whole-heartedly approve of the concept.

One Pound Gospel, Vol. 1 (Viz): After twenty years, Rumiko Takahashi finally completed this delightful four-volume series about a boxer torn between two loves: food and Sister Angela, a pretty noviate who takes an interest in his foundering career. After allowing the first three volumes to go out of print, Viz is reissuing the series in a new, unflipped format with a “refreshed” translation and new cover art. If your primary exposure to Takahashi has been Ranma ½ or InuYasha, One Pound Gospel makes a fine introduction to the quieter observational humor characteristic of her masterpiece Maison Ikkoku. A must for every serious manga fan’s collection!

Sunshine Sketch, Vol. 1 (Yen Press): Imagine, for a moment, that Chika Umino and Kiyohiko Azuma collaborated on a 4-koma series about life in an art-school dormitory. The resulting series might look a lot like Sunshine Sketch, a gentle, slice-of-life comedy about a quartet of teenagers attending a prestigious art school. As in Azumanga Daioh, there’s no real plot to speak of; the four-panel strips focus on the interactions among the teens, each of whom embodies a certain type, from the tall, athletic Sae (who’s a bossy tomboy) to the spastic genius Miyako (who paints a mean picture but can’t sit still for five minutes). A small cast of supporting characters—a cosplaying teacher, an unnamed principal, a rival from another class—round out the cast.

HEY, BIG SPENDER…
Speaking of Lori, she’s directing readers to a great sale on Tokyopop books at Bookcloseouts.com. The selection is decent, the titles attractively priced (between $3.00 and $6.00), and the service good. Though the sale runs until the end of June, don’t dally—the good stuff goes fast.

Over at Sporadic Sequential, John Jakala notes that DiscountAnimeDVD is offering the first ten volumes of the hard-to-find Firefighter Daigo of Company M for the wallet-friendly price of $70. Click here for details.

Have a money-saving tip you’d like to share with other manga maniacs? Send me an email and I’ll post it in the next edition of the Weekly Recon.

SHIPPING THIS WEEK
Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad, Vol. 12 (Tokyopop)
Black God, Vol. 3 (Yen Press)
Blade of the Immortal, Vol. 19 (Dark Horse)
Blood Sucker: Legend of Zipangu, Vol. 7 (Tokyopop)
Boys Over Flowers, Vol. 30 (Viz)
Dorothy of Oz, Vol. 3 (UDON Entertainment)
Dragon Hunter, Vol. 18 (Tokyopop)
Dragon Knights, Vol. 26 (Tokyopop)
Faeries Landing, Vol. 19 (Tokyopop)
Forget About Love, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
Gimmick!, Vol. 1 (Viz; click here for the PCS review)
Gold Digger II: Pocket Manga, Vol. 4 (Antarctic Press)
Hard Rock (DMP)
I Wish, Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)
InuYasha Ani-Manga, Vol. 27 (Viz)
Law of Ueki, Vol. 12 (Viz)
Life, Vol. 9 (Tokyopop)
Loving Gaze (DMP)
Manga Shakespeare: A Midsummer’s Night Dream (Abrams Books)
Manga Shakespeare: The Tempest (Abrams Books)
Missile Happy, Vol. 3 (Tokyopop)
Negima, Vol. 18 (Del Rey)
New Beginnings (DMP)
O-Parts Hunter, Vol. 10 (Viz)
One Pound Gospel, Vol. 1 (Viz)
Pokemon: The Rise of Darkrai (Viz)
The Rising Stars of Manga UK and Ireland, Vol. 3 (Tokyopop)
Recast, Vol. 6 (Tokyopop)
Red Angel, Vol. 1 (DMP)
Restart (DMP)
Roadsong, Vol. 3 (Tokyopop)
Rure, Vol. 3 (Tokyopop)
Shakugan no Shana, Vol. 3 (Viz)
Strawberry Marshmellow, Vol. 5 (Seven Seas)
Sunshine Sketch, Vol. 1 (Yen Press)
Tactics, Vol. 5 (Tokyopop)
Teru Teru X Shonen, Vol. 2 (CMX)
Utopia’s Avenger, Vol. 5 (Tokyopop)
You’re So Cool, Vol. 1 (Yen Press)
Yumekui Kenbun Nightmare Inspector, Vol. 2 (Viz)
Zatch Bell, Vol. 19 (Viz)
Zombie-Loan, Vol. 3 (Yen Press)

After School Nightmare, Vol. 7

By Setona Mizushiro
Go!Comi, 200 pp.
Rating: 16+

Forget gender bending—the latest installment of Setona Mizushiro’s surreal horror masterpiece snaps gender in half and throws it out the window. Girl/boy protagonist Mashiro continues to grapple with his identity in the midst of drama so thick you could practically take a knife to it. On the rocks with onetime admirer Sou and ex-girlfriend Kureha, Mashiro is shocked to see the two begin a relationship—and to realize that his interest in Sou might just be called jealousy. Mizushiro in turn sends everyone into varying bouts of angst and self-reflection, choosing to plumb the depths of character backstory in place of nightmare-world action.

It’s clear that something funky is going on just about everywhere, but with every revelation comes a new, more twisted batch of questions. Mizushiro’s evidently gunning for the slow reveal, and even has the moxie to throw a serious new romantic player into the game this late. There’s the usual dose of metaphorical blood, violence and killing in the dream world, but the action this time around remains firmly rooted in the real, determined to pressure the characters into exhibiting just what they’ve learned from six volumes of nightmares. The result is a newly invigorated series that promises a strong end—and a maddeningly engrossing journey getting there.

–Reviewed by Chloe Ferguson

Foxy Lady, Vol. 1

By Ayun Tachibana
Tokyopop, 192 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Foxy Lady is the by-the-numbers story of a boy named Jin and an attractive, skimpily dressed half-demon named Kogane, where the latter must mate with the former in order for the latter to turn human. Between Jin’s inexperience with women, Kogane’s superhuman powers, and the supporting cast’s various quirks creating a multitude of misunderstandings, Jin looks to have his proverbial hands full for quite some time. Hilarity and hjinx supposedly ensues.

What’s that genre called, the one that is all about magical girls wanting to get it on with ordinary teenage boys, that piles on layers and layers of fanservice at the expense of little extraneous things like characterization and plot? Because Foxy Lady is a textbook example of that genre. And just like pretty much every other anime and manga that falls under that genre, it is targeted at a very specific audience. Foxy Lady will likely satiate that audience, while leaving the rest of us yearning for something with a bit more depth.

–Reviewed by Carlos Alexandre

The Gorgeous Life of Strawberry-Chan

By Ai Morinaga
Anime Works, 192 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Despite the arm-flapping, shouting, and profuse shedding of crocodile tears, not much actually happens in The Gorgeous Life of Strawberry-Chan, an odd collection of short stories about a talking frog who lives at an all-boys boarding school. Calling the thirty-odd chapters that comprise Gorgeous Life “stories” exaggerates their length and coherence; each chapter is really just a vehicle for risqué humor (e.g. boys in drag, boys in compromising positions) and violent slapstick. The yaoi japes are mildly amusing, but the frogsploitation is not. Morinaga clearly intended these scenes to be funny in an Itchy-and-Scratchy sort of way—see Strawberry-Chan’s owner flatten him with a shoe! see Strawberry-Chan’s owner bury him alive!—but the cumulative effect of so much sadistic behavior is exhaustion, not amusement. Making matters worse is the art. Morinaga’s fondness for busy backdrops (e.g., psychedelic swirls, pulsing plaids), extreme facial close-ups, and dark, indeterminate patches of screentone yield something akin to a manga migraine: hard on the eyes and the frontal lobes. Perhaps the editorial staff at Anime Works shared my reservations about Gorgeous Life, as their efforts seem half-hearted at best. Typos crop up throughout the text, as do awkward sentences and grammatical errors. The layout department chose an especially ugly font for the dialogue, adding another element of visual chaos to Morinaga’s cluttered layouts. In sum, The Gorgeous Life of Strawberry-Chan may not be the worst manga of 2008, but it certainly is a contender for the short list.

–Reviewed by Katherine Dacey

Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 9

By Taeko Watanabe
Viz, 200 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Volume nine of Kaze Hikaru offers more of the same gender-bending shojo drama of previous volumes. Don’t be deceived by the swords and samurai outfits—this series is all about the shojo drama. Fortunately, the samurai action is hardly the main attraction of Kaze Hikaru. The true testament to Kaze Hikaru’s quality as a manga is that the gender-bending keeps a lot of the original humor it had at the beginning of the run. Even though many of the main characters are perfectly aware of the protagonist’s female identity, many of the Shinsengumi do not, resulting in humurous homosexual under/overtones. The strange gender interactions and running inside-joke is really what keeps this series at its running high quality. The series’ art is another high point. Even with the traditional hair cuts and period outfits, the character designs are still fairly attractive and unique.

Unfortunately, the gender-bending that makes Kaze Hikaru so fun is its main flaw as well. After nine volumes and lots of time passing, it seems a little silly that Sei is unclear on which characters know about her gender and which don’t. This is kind of confusing, and makes it especially difficult for readers trying to jump into the story now. Also in true romantic shojo style, not a whole lot happens in this volume. As is often frustrating in manga romances, the relationship buildup is full of self-doubt and constant backpedaling. If Sei weren’t such an entertaining character, this series would fall easily into mediocrity. Fortunately, Kaze Hikaru’s fine-tuned sense of style and character depth make it a comic worth reading.

–Reviewed by Isaac Hale

I, Otaku: Struggle in Akihabara, Vol. 2 (Seven Seas): As one might guess from the title, I, Otaku is a meta-manga about fandom in all its various permutations: anime fanatics, figurine collectors, fujoshi. Though the slapstick and obsessive behavior need no editorial intervention to comprehend, the dialogue is peppered with references to singers, actors, and other figures in the Japanese public eye. Not to worry—translator/adaptor Ed “MangaCast” Chavez has provided copious notes to let the uninitiated in on the jokes. At last year’s New York Anime Fest, Ed assured me that volume two will be even funnier than volume one as Sota and Kenji take a gig at a magazine called Boys’ Heaven. Sounds like a perfect chaser for the first two installments of Fujoshi Rumi (Media Blasters) to me.

My Heavenly Hockey Club, Vol. 5 (Del Rey): Saying My Heavenly Hockey Club isn’t my favorite Ai Morinaga title is a bit like saying Great Expectations isn’t my favorite David Lean movie—it’s still a fun series, even if it isn’t quite on par with her best work. My chief criticism of Hockey Club is its repetitiousness: midway through volume one, Morinaga fell into a predictable routine of road trips, forfeited games, and wacky hijinks, even as she sent her team of misfits to increasingly exotic locations. Still, the artwork is a big step up from Duck Prince and Your and My Secret, and Morinaga’s try-anything-for-a-laugh approach hits the bull’s eye more often than not—though I’m wondering if she’s jumped the bear shark in volume five with an abominable snowman sighting. I’ll just have to wait and see…

The Palette of 12 Secret Colors, Vol. 3 (CMX): Thanks to routine abuse by Gene Shalit and Michael Medved, words like “gentle,” “sweet,” and “charming” pack all the critical punch of “nice” and “good.” Yet this all-ages adventure story about a female palette (i.e., magician who manipulates color) is gentle, sweet, and charming without being twee or preachy. True, Palette would have been more effective in color—a point manga-ka Nari Kusakawa freely concedes—but the stylish art and appealing cast help offset this obvious limitation of the storytelling. Highly recommended whether you’re a shojo fanatic, a shonen junkie, or a parent in search of an all-ages title that will entertain your tween without offending your sensibilities.

HEY, BIG SPENDER…
Over at Sporadic Sequential, John Jakala notes that Thing From Another World is running a variety of promotions on manga and graphic novels, from free shipping on orders of $25 to $10 discounts on orders worth $50. (A tip: check out the Nick-and-Dent section, where you’ll find a wide selection of Dark Horse titles at 50% off list. The copies aren’t cosmetically perfect, but when you could assemble the full run of Lone Wolf and Cub or Reiko the Zombie Shop for a fraction of the retail price, who’s complaining?) Click here for more information. And from now until June 1st, RightStuf is discounting all Viz manga by 33%, a promotion that extends to pre-orders on summer and fall series like Black Lagoon, Cat-Eyed Boy, One Pound Gospel, Real, Slam Dunk and the snazzy VIZBIG Edition of Vagabond. Enter coupon code bang when you checkout to have the discount applied to your order.

Have a money-saving tip you’d like to share with other manga maniacs? Send me an email and I’ll post it in a future edition of the Weekly Recon.

SHIPPING THIS WEEK
Apothecarius Argentum, Vol. 5 (CMX)
Appleseed, Vol. 2: Promethean Unbound (Dark Horse)
Berserk, Vol. 23 (Dark Horse)
I, Otaku: Struggle in Akihabara, Vol. 2 (Seven Seas)
Legend, Vol. 2 (Yen Press)
Minima!, Vol. 2 (Del Rey)
My Heavenly Hockey Club, Vol. 5 (Del Rey)
One Thousand and One Nights, Vol. 4 (Yen Press)
The Palette of 12 Secret Colors, Vol. 3 (Viz)
The Reformed (Del Rey; click here for the PCS review)
Rurouni Kenshin VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 2 (Viz)
Street Fighter II, Vol. 2 (UDON Entertainment)

My top picks for this week:

The Gorgeous Life of Strawberry-Chan, Vol. 1 (Media Blasters): The Strawberry-Chan of the title is a much-abused talking frog whose owner attends an all-boys boarding school. Could this be a “Frog Prince” parody with a yaoi twist? One can only hope. But even if Ai Morinaga plays it straight (so to speak), readers will be treated to a healthy dose of slapstick and gender-bending weirdness that should keep the story fizzy and fun.

Kekkaishi, Vol. 13 (Viz): From the Viz website: “The fate of the dreaded Kokuboro ayakashi lies in Yoshimori’s hands as he and his allies fight to get out of Kokuboro Castle alive! By comparison, his formerly hair-raising nightly patrols of the Karasumori Site seem like a walk in the park. But if he survives and returns home as the conquering hero, does an even greater evil lie in wait…?” Translation: NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE SAME! READ THIS MANGA NOW!

Swan, Vol. 13 (CMX): Our Senior Ninja Consultant Erin Finnegan has promised to write a lengthy review explaining why everyone should read this seventies shojo classic. Until she does, however, I’m happy to beat the drum for Swan, possibly the best tournament series ever written. Yes, the story focuses on an aspiring ballerina, and yes, the artwork practically sparkles with estrogen, but don’t be fooled: its dreamy heroine Masumi is just a tutu-clad variation on Hanamichi Sakuragi (Slam Dunk), Kazuma Azuma (Yakitate!! Japan), and Naruse Tohru (Harlem Beat), athletes who entertain similarly grandiose ambitions to be The Best. Kyoko Ariyoshi’s character designs may look dated to twenty-first century audiences, but her draftsmanship is superb; you can practically hum along to the Firebird’s Grand pas as you watch it unfurl across the page. And for Slavophiles like me, the cameo appearances by Bolshoi principles and frequent references to Tchaikovsky make Swan just that much more heavenly.

By the way, if you’ve been curious about Manga Sutra Futari H but were too embarrassed to flip through a copy at Barnes and Noble, visit the Tokyopop website, where you’ll find a new chapter every day from now until June 12th. Not eighteen? Tokyopop is also posting volumes one through six of The Tarot Café online; click here to view the schedule. (Each volume will be available for a few days only.)

SHIPPING THIS WEEK
11th Cat, Vol. 5 (Yen Press)
Case Closed, Vol. 23 (Viz)
Daring Students Association, Vol. 1 (UDON Entertainment)
Dokkoida!, Vol. 2 (CMX)
Eiken, Vol. 10 (Bandai)
The Gorgeous Life of Strawberry-Chan, Vol. 1 (MediaBlasters)
Haridama Magic Cram School (Del Rey)
Heavenly Executioner Chiwoo, Vol. 4 (Yen Press)
Kekkaishi, Vol. 13 (Viz)
Mamotte Lollipop, Vol. 6 (Del Rey)
Moe USA, Vol. 2 (Japanime)
Psycho Busters, Vol. 3 (Del Rey)
Shugo Chara, Vol. 4 (Del Rey)
Skim (Groundwood Books)
Sundome, Vol. 2 (Yen Press)
Swan, Vol. 13 (CMX)
Two Flowers for the Dragon, Vol. 1 (CMX)
Venus in Love, Vol. 3 (CMX)
Yozakura Quartet, Vol. 2 (Del Rey)