The Rising Stars of Manga, Vol. 7

Edited by Hope Donovan
Tokyopop, 212 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)

For the 2007 Rising Stars of Manga competition, Tokyopop awarded prizes by genre, rather than naming an overall winner. The sheer number of categories—eight, including Action, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, plus a wild card “People’s Choice” award—allowed the judges to recognize a greater range of subjects and styles than in previous years. There was a downside, however, to handing out so many trophies: the final product is as uneven as a preliminary round of American Idol. There are some exceptional performances, some heartfelt ones in which passion compensates for weaker technique, and some amateurish ones that fare poorly by comparison with the rest.

The two strongest entries kick off the anthology. Daniel Lucius Cross’s “Ares Maier” (Best Action), easily the best-looking title of the bunch, opens with an expertly staged fight between a dragon and a young warrior. Just as we’re thinking it’s kaiju clobberin’ time!, however, Cross delivers a surprising twist that elevates “Ares Maier” from simple fantasy to something more poignant—think Brave Story—and worthy of further development. “Ares Maier” is followed by “B is for Bishie” (Best Comedy), a satire poking fun at one of mangadom’s hoariest clichés. Russell Langdon Herrick and Margaux Hymel have chosen an easy target, to be sure, but their enthusiasm is infectious, as they riff on makeover shows, Mel Brooks movies, and, of course, those beautiful manga boys that inhabit the pages of Fruits Basket and X/1999. The artwork is a bit uneven—the bishonen are suitably pretty, but several characters resemble the bobble-headed denizens of King of the Hill, especially when viewed in profile. With a little editorial guidance, however, I’m confident that Herrick and Hymel can iron out the wrinkles in their presentation to produce a terrific comedy for Tokyopop.

In contrast to “Ares Maier” and “B is for Bishie,” most of the stories in RSoM are strong on visuals but weak on story and characterization. “I’ll Be Waiting” (Best Romance), for example, revisits a Chinese folktale about a pair of lovers separated in life and united in death. Lanny Liu does little to flesh out the stock characters—virtuous maiden, humble young man, ruthless noble—or embroider the plot with fresh details, but her beautiful, manwha-influenced artwork lends a gravitas to the story that sets it apart from the anthology’s numerous action-adventures. Erin Simpson and Megan Spence’s “Argosy” (Best Sci-Fi) is among the most visually arresting entries. That “wow” factor comes at a price, however: Simpson and Spence lavish too much attention on spaceships and cityscapes and too little on plot and cast, producing a sharply illustrated collection of scenes that lack dramatic tension. The same is true of two other smart-looking stories in the collection, Jerry D. Garcia’s “Fortune Finders” (Best Fantasy) and Erick Melton and William Ruzicka’s “Gagaku Berceuse” (Best Horror). “Fortune Finders” reads like a collection of gag strips, while “Gagaku Berceuse” begins like an episode of Three’s Company and ends like a chapter of Dokebi Bride.

As one might expect from such an anthology, a few entries seem more like dress rehearsals than public performances. Although the conclusion to Stacy Nguyen’s “Melody” (Best Drama) is surprisingly subtle, most of the story sags under the weight of its stiff artwork and dialogue. (Sample: “What brings a pianist into an archaelogist’s office?” “Your brandy.” “You’ll find none of that here at an institution of education and especially not in my office.”) Crystal Hawkins’s “Scratched” (Best Mystery) suffers from many of the same tendencies—awkwardly drawn characters, exposition-heavy dialogue—as well as forensic and procedural gaffes that would be readily apparent to any CSI or Columbo fan. The most frustrating entry, however, is Ryan Mauskopf’s “Blueblood” (People’s Choice Award). At first glance, the artwork looks professional, with mecha elements and backdrops on par with the best sci-fi imports. But a closer examination reveals Mauskopf’s difficulty drawing people as three-dimensional, gendered objects. The writing, too, is problematic. Mauskopf seems to be telling four or five different stories at once without achieving closure on any of them. After finishing “Blueblood,” I felt the urge to dig out a red pencil and tame the more unwieldy passages—an urge apparently shared by Tokyopop’s editorial staff, judging from their prefatory remarks.

Volume seven concludes with the RSoM Hall of Fame as well as practical advice for novices. (Would-be manga-ka will find also find the judges’ comments instructive, as the judges spill the beans on what they liked and didn’t like about each entry.) For the American fan who aspires to create as well as appreciate, RSoM will be a welcome addition to her DIY library. Other readers—especially those curious about global manga’s future—will find RSoM a fun, if bumpy, ride.

This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher. Volume 7 is available now.