Quotes February 2013 2

Sean Gaffney on Thermae Romae: "That’s why it’s always fantastic to see exceptions like these, a series with a nice big deluxe hardcover (which, admittedly, is probably the best way to ensure it will break even), which is about a Roman architect who finds he can now time-travel between Ancient Rome and modern-day Japan to learn about baths.. . . Yen’s presentation, as I noted above, is deluxe. A hardcover with a plastic slipcase in order to cover the Japanese original, which features a Roman statue with naughty bits. (Fear not – take off the slipcase and the bits are all present and correct.)"

Jason Thompson on Pupa: "One of the only horror manga on JManga, Pupa definitely wins points for imaginative depravity."

Daryl Surat on Casshan: 'The second you start asking “if the scientists intended for BK-1 to serve humanity and help save the trees, then why did they bother to install a giant laser beam in his mouth?” is the second you realize that marrying the logic of children’s entertainment to the desires for “mature” storytelling is likely to result in intellectual divorce. We the viewing audience just want robot violence and ladies in various states of undress, in that order of priority.'

Bamboo Dong on Bodacious Space Pirates: "Don't be fooled by your preconceptions of Bodacious Space Pirates. Yes, there are a lot of high school girl characters with school uniforms, but it's never played for fanservice. There are zero panty shots, zero pans of blushing girls, and zero scenes of girls trying to grab each other's bosoms. The girls are all smart and capable"

Rebecca Silverman on Thermae Romae: "Rich with period detail in both the art and the story, this unlikely tale of public bathing manages to be fascinating and engrossing even to an audience to whom the idea of getting naked in a tub with perfect strangers sounds more gross than appealing.. . . . Thermae Romae is far more interesting than a formulaic story about public bathing ought to be."

Casey Brienza on Gakuen Alice: "She is a determined little girl, you see, and though she can get discouraged at times, she is too stupid to wallow in her sorrows for long."