Congratulations to the winners of our MW Giveaway! Four lucky folks snagged a copy of Vertical’s latest Tezuka tome through our drawing:
- Kirk Benshoff, Brooklyn, NY
- Juan-Pablo Caceres, San Francisco, CA
- Eve Sonnier, Spencer, MA
- Jeff Wong, Stockton, CA
And Brendan Hale of Oakland, CA was the first person to correctly answer the question, How does Michio Yuki give the police the slip after confessing his crimes to Father Garai? (Answer: Yuki dons a nun’s habit and walks out the front door.) Thanks to everyone who participated! Win or lose, we hope you’ll spend a little time exploring the Vertical site, where you’ll find generous preview of MW, as well as a sneak peek at the forthcoming The Seven Magi, a three-volume manga based on the wildly popular Guin Saga novels. And if you’re wondering what’s in the Vertical pipeline for 2008 (hint: it rhymes with back track), visit Publisher’s Weekly for the scoop.
This week’s manga haul is a little more varied than last week’s, with new offerings from ADV, CMX, DMP, and Tokyopop, as well as another heavily illustrated DIY manual promising to help Americans learn kanji. By far the best deal of the week is ADV’s new omnibus edition of Azumanga Daioh, a 686-page brick of 4-coma goodness. Penned by Yotsuba&! creator Kiyohiko Azuma, this delightful collection of comic strips follows the sometimes mundane, sometimes surreal adventures of six high school students: Chiyo (the brain), Kagura (the jock), Osaka (the space cadet), Sakaki (the sensitive giant), Tomo (the spaz), and Yomi (the mature one). If you’re still itching to part with some cash, you might want to pick up Alice on Deadlines (Yen Press), the story of lecherous shinigami who swaps bodies with an unsuspecting high school student. And if you’re a connoisseur of all things Korean, you’ll want to check out UDON Entertainment’s brand new manwha line. UDON’s first two offerings—Dorothy of Oz, a Korean take on Frank L. Baum’s classic, and Star Project Hiro, a Pygmalion-esque comedy about Korean pop singers—look like a lot of fun.
REVIEWED THIS WEEK:
- Aqua, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
- The Art of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: Watercolor Impressions (Viz)
- I, Otaku: Struggle in Akihabara, Vol. 1 (Seven Seas)
SHIPPING THIS WEEK:
- Alice on Deadlines, Vol. 1 (Yen Press)
- Ark Angels, Vol. 3 (Tokyopop)
- Azumanga Daioh Omnibus Edition (ADV Manga)
- Blame!, Vol. 10 (Tokyopop)
- Boys Be, Vol. 15 (Tokyopop)
- Camera Camera, Vol. 1 (DMP)
- Can’t Win With You, Vol. 2 (DMP)
- Dorothy of Oz, Vol. 1 (UDON Entertainment)
- Dragon Hunter, Vol. 17 (Tokyopop)
- Eden: It’s an Endless World, Vol. 9 (Dark Horse; click here for a review of vols. 1-7)
- Enchanter, Vol. 6 (DMP; click here for a review of volume 1)
- Everybody Cosplay, Vol. 1 (ADV Manga)
- Hands Off: Don’t Call Us Angels, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
- Initial D, Vol. 28 (Tokyopop)
- Innocent Bird, Vol. 3 (Tokyopop)
- Kanji in Mangaland, Vol. 1 (Japan Publications Trading Co.)
- Kindachi Case Files, Vol. 16 (Tokyopop)
- King of Cards, Vol. 2 (CMX)
- Little Queen, Vol. 4 (Tokyopop)
- Love Mode, Vol. 7 (BLU Manga)
- Neck and Neck, Vol. 8 (Tokyopop)
- Never Give Up, Vol. 6 (Tokyopop)
- One, Vol. 10 (Tokyopop)
- Planet Blood, Vol. 7 (Tokyopop)
- Prince Charming, Vol. 1 (DMP)
- Princess Princess, Vol. 5 (DMP; click here for a review of vols. 1-2)
- Queens, Vol. 4 (Tokyopop)
- Recast, Vol. 4 (Tokyopop)
- Sakura Taisen, Vol. 6 (Tokyopop)
- Satisfaction Guaranteed, Vol. 5 (Tokyopop)
- Seimaiden, Vol. 10 (CMX)
- Star Project Chiro, Vol. 1 (UDON Entertainment)
- The World of Quest, Vol. 1 (Yen Press)
Aqua, Vol. 1
By Kazuo Amane
Tokyopop, 192 pp.
Rating: Teen (13+)
Like most of Miyazaki’s movies, Aqua seems to take place in a highly romanticized version of nineteenth-century Europe. Only a few exotic flying machines and contraptions hint that Aqua is, in fact, set on Mars nearly 150 years in the future. (The costumes provide another hint: all the female characters are dressed like Braniff stewardesses, circa 1967.) Now known as “Aqua,” terraforming has transformed the once-barren landscape into a beautiful, water-covered planet of canals, rivers, and Old World streetscapes. Akari Mizunashi arrives on Aqua with a single goal: to become an Undine, or female gondolier. Volume one focuses on the first days of Akari’s apprenticeship, as she meets more experienced Undines, explores Neo-Venezia’s elaborate network of canals, and makes some astonishing discoveries about Aqua’s inhabitants. As one might infer from my summary, not much happens in volume one. That isn’t a bad thing, as the atmospheric artwork and unhurried pace allow the reader to simply enjoy Kazuo Amane’s vision of a futuristic Venice. But the absence of a strong, compelling heroine means that Amane relies too heavily on beautiful scenery and whimsical critters to command our attention, and not enough on plot or character development. Aqua is never less than charming, but doesn’t quite overcome its dramatic inertia (at least in volume one).
Volume one of Aqua is available now.
The Art of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: Watercolor Impressions
By Hayao Miyazaki
Viz, 208 pp.
Flipping through the intimate, understated watercolors that comprise The Art of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, I was reminded what makes Hayao Miyazaki’s heroines so compelling: their complexity. Nausicaa, for example, possesses tremendous courage and resourcefulness, yet her fierce demeanor is tempered by compassion, empathy, and a hatred of violence. The various facets of Nausicaa’s personality are beautifully showcased in this 208-page collection of covers and promotional images that Miyazaki created for the manga’s 13-year run in Animage magazine. And while readers may not learn much from Miyazaki’s commentary (he spends a great deal of time disavowing his work), they will develop a greater appreciation for his creative process by studying the rough paintings and quick sketches at the back of the volume, which show many of the characters and creatures of Nausicaa in embryonic form. A lengthy interview with Miyazaki and a timeline detailing Nausicaa’s publication history round out the book. Although the $34 price tag is a little steeper than the other titles in the Art of Viz/Studio Ghibli lines, the high-quality reprints, glossy paper stock, and generous trim size make The Art of Nausicaa a worthwhile investment for Miyazaki fans of all ages.
The Art of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is available now.
I, Otaku: Struggle in Akihabara, Vol. 1
By Jiro Suzuki
Seven Seas, 180 pp.
Rated: Teen
Sota leads a double life. At school, he’s a cool guy with a girlfriend; off-campus, he’s a cosplaying toy collector who’s obsessed with anime—specifically, Papico, a series about a dog-eared cutie-pie in a schoolgirl outfit. While searching for a new Papico statue (the “Wanda Degitaru Doki Doki Dogi Okyan na Papico,” to be exact), Sota is “outed” by the proprietor of a small Akihabara store, who refuses to sell Sota the figurine unless the teenager comes clean about his geeky ways. The rest of volume one follows Sota’s misadventures as he “comes out” to various people—his girlfriend Eri, his “cool” classmate Kenji—attends a Papico show, and tries to scrape together enough money to feed his habit.
There’s probably a doctoral dissertation to be written about the fandom in-jokes and cultural references that fill the pages of I, Otaku. Until that thesis is published, only Japanophiles will giggle at all the allusions to pop stars and recent anime trends; more casual fans may find I, Otaku only intermittently amusing. There are a few marvelous gags that any manga lover can appreciate, however, including a hilarious swipe at fujoshi and a bonus story starring the “Sweet Fairies,” a pair of kawaii Martha Stewarts who goad a skeptical young woman into baking a batch of muffins. Given the challenge of translating such a pun-rich text, the editorial team has produced a very readable, funny script that’s nicely complemented by a thorough set of notes. While I don’t think the premise is rich enough to sustain hundreds of chapters, I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next volume.
Volume one of I, Otaku: Struggle in Akihabara is available now. Click here to read a short excerpt.
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