Weekly Recon, 11/21/07

Look past the pirates, ninjas, and gold diggers that dominate this week’s shipping list, and you”ll spot a few genuine treaures: the eleventh volume of the criminally under-appreciated Kekkaishi (Viz), the best shonen series you’re not reading; the first volume of My Dearest Devil Princess (Broccoli Books), a comedy about a demon so inept she frequently consults Soul Stealing for Dummies; and the first volume of The Palette of 12 Secret Colors (CMX; reviewed below), an all-ages tale about a colorful wizard-in-training. Old-school manga fans have reason to give thanks as well. This week’s booty includes a new, unflipped version of Masamune Shirow’s cyberpunk classic Appleseed (Dark Horse) and an omnibus edition of Kazuo Umezu’s Reptilia (IDW Publishing). To read a short excerpt from Reptilia, or learn about one of mangadom’s most eccentric personalities, visit Same Hat! Same Hat!, where super-knowledgeable hosts Ryan and Evan have compiled a veritable archive of Umezu trivia, links, and weird collectibles.

One final note: beginning this Sunday, every Weekly Recon column will include a brief index listing the anime and manga reviews from the previous week. Show some love for my fellow bloggers Carlos Alexandre, Erin F., and Ken Haley by clicking on the links below and posting feedback (friendly dissent encouraged).

REVIEWED LAST WEEK:
Full Metal Panic Novel: Fighting Boy Meets Girl (Tokyopop); Godchild, Vol. 7 (Viz); Mushi-Shi, Vols. 2-3 (FUNimation); Nana, Vol. 7 (Viz); Phantom, Vols. 1-3 (Tokyopop); S.A. (Special A), Vol. 1 (Viz)

REVIEWED THIS WEEK:
Cute Dolls and Fun Dolls (Vertical, Inc.); The Palette of 12 Secret Colors (CMX)

SHIPPING THIS WEEK:
Apothecarius Argentum Vol. 3 (CMX; click here for a review of volume 1)
Appleseed, Vol. 1: Promethean Challenge (Dark Horse)
Avalon High Coronation, Vol. 1: Merlin Prophecy (Tokyopop)
Blade of the Immortal, No. 131 (Dark Horse)
Case Closed, Vol. 20 (Viz)
Gold Digger, No. 90 (Antarctic Press)
Gold Digger II: Pocket Manga, Vol. 2 (Antarctic Press)
Gold Digger Sourcebook: The Official Guide to the Gold Digger Universe, No. 11 (Antarctic Press)
Japanamerica: How Japanese Culture Has Invaded the US (Macmillan)
Kamui, Vol. 9 (Broccoli Books)
Kekkaishi, Vol. 11 (Viz; click here for a review of vols. 1-9)
Manga Mania: Occult and Horror (Watson-Guptill Publishing)
My Dearest Devil Princess, Vol. 1 (Broccoli Books)
Ninja High School: Hawaii Pocket Manga, Vol. 5 (Antarctic Press)
The Palette of 12 Secret Colors, Vol. 1 (CMX; reviewed below)
Pirates vs. Ninjas II: Up the Ante, No. 5 (Antarctic Press)
Puri Puri, Vol. 3 (DrMaster; click here for a review of volume 1)
Reptilia (IDW Publishing)
SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, Vol. 7 (DrMaster)
Stray Little Devil, Vol. 5 (DrMaster)
Wizard Anime Insider, No. 51

Cute Dolls and Fun Dolls

By Aranzi Aronzo
Vertical, Inc., 80 pp. each

Whether you’ve dedicated an entire room in your house to “crafting” or break out in hives at the mere mention of gimp, it’s hard to deny the weirdly winsome appeal of Aranzi Aronzo’s DIY books. The latest—Cute Dolls and Fun Dolls—offer over 120 pages of patterns and step-by-step instructions for making three-dimensional versions of your favorite Aranzi friends. Cute Dolls focuses on Aranzi’s most popular characters, from the super-kawaii Brown Bunny, Grey Cat, and Munkey to the less cuddly Fish and Kidnapper, while Fun Dolls features patterns for new characters: Panda Bug (a cross between a bumble bee and a panda bear), Coffee Cup (just what it sounds like—an anthropomorphic mug), and Unmotivated Kid (my personal favorite).

Both books earn high marks for presentation. The instructions are complemented by clear illustrations demonstrating how to assemble the dolls, while the paperback binding and 8″x 10″size make it easy for would-be seamstresses to photocopy patterns. Since I nearly flunked Home Economics, it’s almost impossible for me to assess the skill level necessary for completing these projects. (True story: I stitched my shirt to the sewing machine, requiring a shears-of-life rescue from the instructor.) So I sent my review copies to someone who is handy with a glue gun and a felting needle: my younger sister Claire, an Aranzi fan and Etsy seller who can work magic in almost any medium. Her verdict? Though the instructions are easy to follow, novices and young kids may find these projects too complicated to be fun; anyone with sewing skills, however, will be cranking out Striped Dogs and Spritekins with ease. (Gee, I wonder what I’m getting for Christmas this year?)

No matter what your skill level, anyone can enjoy the books’ subversive humor. In the introduction to Cute Dolls, for example, White Bunny vocalizes every crafting novice’s worst fear when she exclaims, “You’ll suffer terribly if you don’t read this first? Scary!” And then, of course, there are the dolls themselves. I can’t imagine an American expert encouraging youngsters to sew blank-faced layabouts or trench-coat wearing kidnappers; such unwholesome characters would inspire censorious outrage from humorless adults. But it’s this mischievous, poking-fun-at-the-grownups tone that makes Aranzi Aronzo books such a welcome addition to the hobby aisle at your local Borders, and a perfect gift for the crafty friend who’s grown weary of making the holiday centerpieces and Halloween costumes in Martha Stewart Living and Better Homes and Gardens.

Cute Dolls and Fun Dolls will be available in bookstores on November 21st.

The Palette of 12 Secret Colors, Vol. 1

By Nari Kusakawa
CMX, 188 pp.
Rating: E (Everyone)

This delightful, all-ages title has something for everyone: appealing characters, adorable animals, pirates and high-seas adventure, magic, and a hint of G-rated romance. The story focuses on Cello, a wizard-in-training. Cello attends a unique academy on the tropical island of Opal, where students study to become palettes, or color magicians. Each palette learns how to borrow color from Opal’s exotically hued birds and “paint” objects with those colors. Alas, Cello is a poor study and frequently stains herself the same bright pink as her beloved bird Yoyo, earning herself numerous trips infirmary to restore her proper skin tone and hair color. Over time, she befriends the academy’s doc-in-residence Guell, a grumpy but good-natured palette who always gets swept up in Cello’s misadventures, whether thwarting a group of poachers or tutoring a group of precocious tots.

Though the stories have considerable charm, there’s a big drawback to The Palette of 12 Secret Colors: it’s monochromatic, making it difficult for readers to distinguish “blue” swatches from “yellow” or “pink” ones. Working with this limited color scheme, Nari Kusikawa does muster some visual pizzazz, populating Opal with a comical assortment of birds of varied shapes, sizes, and temperaments. She’s also created a terrific heroine in Cello, whose relentless optimism and powerful but unrefined technique seem better suited for a shonen tournament series than a cute shojo romance. Cello is a refreshing change of pace from the typical self-doubting, wishy-washy magical girl, and The Palette of 12 Secret Colors is all the better for her brash confidence and unkempt appearance.

Volume one of The Palette of 12 Secret Colors will be available on November 21st.