Jason Thompson on Banana Fish: "Yes, Banana Fish slips into the manga bad habit of having the side characters remind us how cool the main character he is. OTOH, Akimi Yoshida gets a free pass because Ash really is that cool."
Connie C on Pretty Face: It turns out Rina has a long-lost twin sister named Yuna! And Rina is so happy to have Yuna back! And Rando can’t possibly explain what’s happened, and doesn’t have anyplace to go, so he feins amnesia and just goes along with it, living in the same house as his crush and pretending to be her twin sister. He eventually finds a photo of himself, but when he realizes how crushed Rina would be to lose Yuna again, he decides to play along until he finds the real Yuna. This is somehow simultaneously as creepy as it sounds and not nearly as creepy as it could be.. . . its ribaldry can be simultaneously entertaining as well as creepy.
Ash and Michelle Smith on Attack on Titan:
ASH: If Attack on Titan has one thing going for it, it’s the series’ intensity. And tragic deaths.
MICHELLE: I feel very wrong that “tragic deaths” has seriously made me consider Attack on Titan.
ANNA: I feel the same way. What is the ratio of tragic deaths to non-tragic deaths per volume?
MELINDA: I also would like to see some statistics on this. Yes.
Sean Gaffney on Are You Alice?: "Are You Alice? has a 2nd volume that may potentially have something comprehensible happen, which Vol. 1 lacked, in my opinion."
Movie Review: 'When the replicants learn the role they've been designed for, they do not rebel; they submit. This ostensible passivity may perplex some U.S. audiences even more than the humanoid plot twist. "It's not a very American theme, is it?" says Ishiguro. "It's antithetical to the American creed of how you should face setbacks — that if you fight back, love conquers all." No, it's more a Japanese creed, that accepting one's fate is a form of heroism.'
Shaenon K. Garrity on Phoenix: "Tezuka is getting into his groove here. All life on Earth is destroyed halfway through the story, and it just keeps going."
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
What I read in June 2013: Digest Version, part 3 of 3
b Loveless 1,3: I have very little self control. When there is a Manga Moveable Feast, if I make the mistake of reading any of the posts, I always end up re-reading part of the topic. And loving it. And feeling guilty. Oh, man, things were so simple in these early volumes even though they were incredible mysterious and complicated. Soubi is a very puzzling character. He can be very mature, he can be kind, he's ruthless enough to put himself through a lot of pain to beat the Zeroes, but then he takes them home and takes care of them.
b One Pound Gospel 1-4: This is the story of a boxer with promise but no self-discipline where food comes in and his quest to win the affection of a lovely neighborhood nun-in-training. Yeah, it's a tad wacky, more Maison Ikkoku Lite than InuYasha, and it's not really a sports manga at all, but it was amusing. Each fight has some weird constraint or bargain or lesson, and my favorite is probably the one where the opponent has a huge tattoo of the Virgin Mary on his chest, and Kosaku is told by the head nun that he's not allowed to punch the tattoo or else.
"You've taken my tacos from me. Boxing is all I have left!"b Saiyuki Reload 8:
This is a tough but good volume, where the crew is split up, and a city of humans scheming to steal more from the youkai who lived there first uses some of them to their own ends. It's pretty much sad the whole way through as powerful people manipulate the fear in people's hearts and inflame it into hatred, and horrors that cannot be taken back are committed, perpetuating a cycle of revenge that might only end when no one is left standing. Poor Goku is helpless to stop things."It's not about human or youkai. Or whose side I'm on. This's about what's important to me."b Skip Beat! 31: Oh, things are tense as Ren dives deep into his role as a psycho, so deep that he kind of nearly kills a co-star. Kyoko talks him down and pacifies the director and tries to figure out what she's supposed to do to help him when he's in such obvious and (to her) inexplicable agony.
b Slam Dunk 9:
Guess what? There is some basketball in this volume. There's a lot more drama off the court, though, as someone who once turned his back on the sport tries to get back in the groove and become part of the team he was somewhat responsible for beating the crap out of in recent volumes. And it's tourney time! Can their new line-up blow away the competition? b W Juliet 10-11, 13: Summer camp brings Ito back in contact with a childhood bully, and he's crushing on her hard. She has some trouble telling him she's already taken, and Makoto gets jealous. On the home front, things come to a head with the weird American girl who's obsessed with Ryuya. Can she manage to score a point off Papa Miura to avoid having to leave Ryuya and go back to America?
Then more trouble on the homefront as youngest Miura Tatsuyoshi has enough of being picked on and snaps. Yuko and Akane have some rough moments, but they finally say what they need to say. Makoto's oldest sister who eloped to get away from their father is in town, and Ito can't help meddling to try to get the family to reconcile. Then there's a bit about how people always think Ito and her best friend Yoshiro are dating when Yoshiro has already publically confessed his love to Misaki. Then it's costumes and cultural festivals and sabotage. Then other stuff happens in volume 12, which I don't have.
In volume 13, Ito ends up spending some accidental quality time with Makoto's hated father. She does her best to work her usual magic. Graduation is coming up, and Makoto and Ito are auditioning to try to find employment once they graduate, but Ito gets really sick and has a terrible audition, but she impresses the scary director, and they both get in. Then it's the big reveal as Ito gets in trouble, and Mako gets caught with his hair off by one of her brothers, and things start to fall apart.
"Manga is about being entertaining, not being realistic." 98Good to know.
Quotes of December 2013, Part 3
Jason Thompson on Banana Fish: "When Ash has to kill people, he does: no Disney Villain Deaths here. ("What do you think I am? I'm a murderer, okay? I kill people!")
Melinda Beasi on Black Bird: 'I want to say “good riddance,” but… what will I have left to hate now? I feel bereft.'
Joseph Luster on Hare+Guu: "If the face of every moe character was merely a veil draped over a gaping, apocalyptic maw tunneling toward the infinite beyond, we'd all be living in Guu's surreal jungle, and we'd probably love every minute of it."
Sean Gaffney on Strobe Edge: "After the previous couple of volumes of Strobe Edge tried to hit maximum angstosity, this one seems to be more of a breather."
Jessi Silver: "[R]ealizing that bad anime exists and not every series is Cowboy Bebop-tier entertainment is just a part of being an anime fan past the honeymoon phase."
Jason Thompson on To Terra: 'The English edition's back cover copy reads "In space, no one can hear you cry," but don't worry; To Terra… has spaceships and rayguns, not just emo. In space, no one can hear you explode either.'
Melinda Beasi on Black Bird: 'I want to say “good riddance,” but… what will I have left to hate now? I feel bereft.'
Joseph Luster on Hare+Guu: "If the face of every moe character was merely a veil draped over a gaping, apocalyptic maw tunneling toward the infinite beyond, we'd all be living in Guu's surreal jungle, and we'd probably love every minute of it."
Sean Gaffney on Strobe Edge: "After the previous couple of volumes of Strobe Edge tried to hit maximum angstosity, this one seems to be more of a breather."
Jessi Silver: "[R]ealizing that bad anime exists and not every series is Cowboy Bebop-tier entertainment is just a part of being an anime fan past the honeymoon phase."
Jason Thompson on To Terra: 'The English edition's back cover copy reads "In space, no one can hear you cry," but don't worry; To Terra… has spaceships and rayguns, not just emo. In space, no one can hear you explode either.'
What I read in June 2013: Digest Version, part 2 of 3
b Dawn of the Arcana 10: By golly, yes, they did go there. I sort of expected some kind of Loki-enabled intervention, but I forgot this is the series where they totally killed off a pretty major antagonist far earlier than I expected (and made it hurt the reader more than expected). It turns out that she didn't make the decision, though, which makes me a bit glad because that would have been really hard for Nakaba. And then everything falls apart. Nakaba and Caesar return to their respective kingdoms where they divorce each other and start pursuing the same future even though they are separated: they want peace in their generation, and they will lie, scheme, and kill for it if they have to. A dangerous game, and they're both growing up fast playing it.
b Grand Guignol Orchestra 5:
of 5: The end is nigh! Hooray! We'll maybe sort of find out at least part of what is going on, right? Then again, this is Kaori Yuki; viva style over substance! More goth costumes, more zombies, more treachery and tragedy and sorrow and songs. Maybe some folks even make it to the end alive?
b Kamisama Kiss 9:
Our heroine is actually thinking for once, and she's realized that her loving Tomoe might not be good for Tomoe. But then they end up on Tengu mountain, and wow. Their tengu pop star acquaintance has had a visit from a little brother telling of bad times on the mountain. He doesn't care, but Nanami does (and she's curious to know about his past). The mountain (where women are kind of forbidden) isn't exactly welcoming, but Nanami is determined to figure out what's going on and help whether they want her to or not.
b Kieli: The Dead Sleep Eternally in the Wilderness, Part I: Oh, the end is nigh, and I'm thinking it won't be a particularly happy one for anyone involved. Kieli meets her father and finds out a lot of very sad truths while things start to spin out of control in the capital. Joachin continues to be something of an enigma with his seemingly random acts of strange kindness. I think I may go through and re-read from the beginning when the last volume comes out, so I can remember everything, but that will require copious puddles of sunlight in the winter time, which might mean that I actually put it off until next summer, when I can bathe in sunlight while reading through all the horror and sadness again.
b The Last Airbender Prequel: Zuko's Story: I am still slightly bitter about many things about the Last Airbender movie (especially the revamping of Uncle Iroh), but I do like additional bits of backstory. It hurts the brain a little to try to reconcile both versions of the story, but at least one can see that although Iroh's appearance was changed in the movie, he's really still the same character.
b Grand Guignol Orchestra 5:
of 5: The end is nigh! Hooray! We'll maybe sort of find out at least part of what is going on, right? Then again, this is Kaori Yuki; viva style over substance! More goth costumes, more zombies, more treachery and tragedy and sorrow and songs. Maybe some folks even make it to the end alive?b Kamisama Kiss 9:
Our heroine is actually thinking for once, and she's realized that her loving Tomoe might not be good for Tomoe. But then they end up on Tengu mountain, and wow. Their tengu pop star acquaintance has had a visit from a little brother telling of bad times on the mountain. He doesn't care, but Nanami does (and she's curious to know about his past). The mountain (where women are kind of forbidden) isn't exactly welcoming, but Nanami is determined to figure out what's going on and help whether they want her to or not.b Kieli: The Dead Sleep Eternally in the Wilderness, Part I: Oh, the end is nigh, and I'm thinking it won't be a particularly happy one for anyone involved. Kieli meets her father and finds out a lot of very sad truths while things start to spin out of control in the capital. Joachin continues to be something of an enigma with his seemingly random acts of strange kindness. I think I may go through and re-read from the beginning when the last volume comes out, so I can remember everything, but that will require copious puddles of sunlight in the winter time, which might mean that I actually put it off until next summer, when I can bathe in sunlight while reading through all the horror and sadness again.
"He was supposed to be the great wall of evil blocking her path. It wasn't okay for him not to be.. . . [I]t wasn't okay for the ringleader behind all kinds of unforgivable things, Kieli's most hated enemy, to be just an exhausted, normal man like that. The people Kieli loved had been tormented all this time because of a stupid little enemy like this?" 144
"So normal human beings . . . Are allowed to let other people help them? Oh. Huh." 163
"Yup, I'm fighting a lot of losing battles right now, so I'm pretty pathetic." 207
b The Last Airbender Prequel: Zuko's Story: I am still slightly bitter about many things about the Last Airbender movie (especially the revamping of Uncle Iroh), but I do like additional bits of backstory. It hurts the brain a little to try to reconcile both versions of the story, but at least one can see that although Iroh's appearance was changed in the movie, he's really still the same character.
Quotes of December 2013, Part 2
Anna N on Red River:"Yuri and Kail are a sympathetic couple, even if some of their issues would be solved if they were only able to sit down and have an honest conversation about their feelings. Fending off witchy evil stepmothers, dodging kidnappings, and dealing with bronze age military tactics do take up quite a bit of time."
Joseph Luster on Hakkaider movie: "Now that sounds like a fun, roaring rampage of bloody revenge for the whole family, right?"
Melinda Beasi while discussing Banana Fish: 'Also, just in terms of the value of “innocence”… I think there’s an aspect of innocence that is overrated. I think we all have to do some wrong in the world in order to truly understand what’s *wrong* about it, if that makes sense. For instance, I don’t think it’s possible to understand the the consequences of hurting someone unless we’ve actually experienced it for ourselves. I think perfect innocence also requires a level of ignorance that isn’t ultimately a good thing in the world. I know that nobody here is suggesting otherwise, but I think that’s important when we’re thinking about Eiji as a real person and not just as a symbol for something.'
Jason Thompson on To Terra: "Keiko Takemiya's To Terra… (1977-1980) is one of the classic shojo manga, except that it isn't shojo. It was published in Asahi Sonorama's Manga Shonen, which must have been a hell of a magazine, since it published both this and Takemiya's Andromeda Stories (1980-1982)."
Carl Kimlinger on Hyperdimensional Neptunia: "You can make a positive statement about literally anything if you throw in enough qualifiers. So it doesn't really mean anything when I say that Hyperdimension Neptunia is pretty good for a video game adaptation that has no decent characters and a surplus of molesting slime-dogs and lolicon tongue-monsters. But I really do mean it. Neptunia may be about the least promising series to ever be barfed out by the anime-gaming complex, but once it gets its legs under it, it's a surprisingly engaging little adventure. Pointless and unimaginative, sure, and probably artificially elevated by our septic expectations, but engaging nonetheless. Damn. There I go with the qualifiers again."
Joseph Luster on Hakkaider movie: "Now that sounds like a fun, roaring rampage of bloody revenge for the whole family, right?"
Melinda Beasi while discussing Banana Fish: 'Also, just in terms of the value of “innocence”… I think there’s an aspect of innocence that is overrated. I think we all have to do some wrong in the world in order to truly understand what’s *wrong* about it, if that makes sense. For instance, I don’t think it’s possible to understand the the consequences of hurting someone unless we’ve actually experienced it for ourselves. I think perfect innocence also requires a level of ignorance that isn’t ultimately a good thing in the world. I know that nobody here is suggesting otherwise, but I think that’s important when we’re thinking about Eiji as a real person and not just as a symbol for something.'
Jason Thompson on To Terra: "Keiko Takemiya's To Terra… (1977-1980) is one of the classic shojo manga, except that it isn't shojo. It was published in Asahi Sonorama's Manga Shonen, which must have been a hell of a magazine, since it published both this and Takemiya's Andromeda Stories (1980-1982)."
Carl Kimlinger on Hyperdimensional Neptunia: "You can make a positive statement about literally anything if you throw in enough qualifiers. So it doesn't really mean anything when I say that Hyperdimension Neptunia is pretty good for a video game adaptation that has no decent characters and a surplus of molesting slime-dogs and lolicon tongue-monsters. But I really do mean it. Neptunia may be about the least promising series to ever be barfed out by the anime-gaming complex, but once it gets its legs under it, it's a surprisingly engaging little adventure. Pointless and unimaginative, sure, and probably artificially elevated by our septic expectations, but engaging nonetheless. Damn. There I go with the qualifiers again."
Monday, December 2, 2013
What I read in June 2013: Digest Version, part 1 of 3
b 07Ghost 1-4: Holy unexpected license rescue, Batman! This series is still kind of a sloppy mess, but the story underneath all the slop is compelling enough that I will support this license rescue and learn all the names again in this different translation. Teito gets better acquainted with his inner Mikhail and then loses his Eye. He decides to take the test to enter the clergy anyway, and he and his new friend (the nice Oak guy) train and team up and do their best. Unfortunately, the church is attacked while the test is going on. Will Teito even have time to pass the test before the church is blasted down around him? You have to wait until the next volume to find out.
b Ai No Kusabi 8:
So I read volume 7 and was told volume 8 was the last, and I was trying to figure out how it could possibly end that quickly with all the threads it had outstanding and without being some stupid, cop-out, fake-y happy ending. Instead, it kept on its determined course, ignored lots of dangly bits, buckled down and focused, and continued to the end of its path, turned the tragedy on 150%. This has always been a really dark series, with two protagonists who loved each other but were ill-equipped to realize it or do anything even remotely positive about it. I wanted them to be happy, as I do all folks in love, but it just didn't seem in the cards. In the end, I guess they sort of were as happy as it was possible for them to be. Bitter, bittersweet ending.
Uh-oh! The power-crazed student council president finds out the our heroine is dating a boy from a crappy school. So what does she do? Lock her up without pants, of course! (I have no idea sometimes.) When her boyfriend Akira finds out, he's on a mission to reform his school and prove that it's not completely full of total losers. Except that it sort of is, and extreme measures have to be taken to make the place more respectable. New character: Banbi is this huge, facially-scarred, quiet guy who turns out to be a really nice rich boy also tired of being judged by his thug-like appearance. I am a big fan of Banbi because he has NO CREEPY INTENTIONS towards Akira, which is unfortunately refreshing . . .
b Boys Over Flowers 34-36 of 36: Yuki ends up in a unique position: she can give Sojiro another chance with the (only) girl he (ever) loved, which she does because she really loves him (and wants what's good for him even if it makes her miserable). While it turns out that Sojiro doesn't love the girl any more, he still gets a proper chance at closure. Then he decides to start being a player again, and Yuki is first in line . . . Err . . . I give up. Anyway, Tsukasa's father collapses, and his one year grace period sort of evaporates. He's leaving, but he can't quite find the right moment to tell Tsukushi, so things are awkward as he keeps screwing up and she keeps freaking out. He keeps asking her to marry him, and she keeps dodging the question, so when he makes the public announcement that he'll be moving to the United States for college, he promises he'll come back for her when he graduates. They have one last day together, and maybe one last night, but Tsukushi ends up falling in a pool and getting a fever, and Tsukasa doesn't push it. Then it's time for prom and graduation, and Tsukushi's parents lose their jobs again, so she might not get to go back for her senior year (not that she's terribly disappointed). Her family moves on the day of the prom, and her dress gets ripped, so she shows up all sweaty and bruised from moving and in her civvies. She gets one last dance with the guys, which is kind of a hoot. Her family also decides to work their tails off to make sure she can keep going to Eitoku, and she decides the same thing because there are people waiting for her there. To close things out, there's a lovely little short about Akira and some of the crap he's had to put up with keeping things in balance for the F4. Oh, Rui Hanazawa, you are still pretty great, and I wish she'd chosen you.
b Ai No Kusabi 8:
So I read volume 7 and was told volume 8 was the last, and I was trying to figure out how it could possibly end that quickly with all the threads it had outstanding and without being some stupid, cop-out, fake-y happy ending. Instead, it kept on its determined course, ignored lots of dangly bits, buckled down and focused, and continued to the end of its path, turned the tragedy on 150%. This has always been a really dark series, with two protagonists who loved each other but were ill-equipped to realize it or do anything even remotely positive about it. I wanted them to be happy, as I do all folks in love, but it just didn't seem in the cards. In the end, I guess they sort of were as happy as it was possible for them to be. Bitter, bittersweet ending."He could hope. All I have to do is not quit."
"It might break your heart, but there's love that can only be expressed the way they lived it."b Ai Ore! 4:
Uh-oh! The power-crazed student council president finds out the our heroine is dating a boy from a crappy school. So what does she do? Lock her up without pants, of course! (I have no idea sometimes.) When her boyfriend Akira finds out, he's on a mission to reform his school and prove that it's not completely full of total losers. Except that it sort of is, and extreme measures have to be taken to make the place more respectable. New character: Banbi is this huge, facially-scarred, quiet guy who turns out to be a really nice rich boy also tired of being judged by his thug-like appearance. I am a big fan of Banbi because he has NO CREEPY INTENTIONS towards Akira, which is unfortunately refreshing . . .b Boys Over Flowers 34-36 of 36: Yuki ends up in a unique position: she can give Sojiro another chance with the (only) girl he (ever) loved, which she does because she really loves him (and wants what's good for him even if it makes her miserable). While it turns out that Sojiro doesn't love the girl any more, he still gets a proper chance at closure. Then he decides to start being a player again, and Yuki is first in line . . . Err . . . I give up. Anyway, Tsukasa's father collapses, and his one year grace period sort of evaporates. He's leaving, but he can't quite find the right moment to tell Tsukushi, so things are awkward as he keeps screwing up and she keeps freaking out. He keeps asking her to marry him, and she keeps dodging the question, so when he makes the public announcement that he'll be moving to the United States for college, he promises he'll come back for her when he graduates. They have one last day together, and maybe one last night, but Tsukushi ends up falling in a pool and getting a fever, and Tsukasa doesn't push it. Then it's time for prom and graduation, and Tsukushi's parents lose their jobs again, so she might not get to go back for her senior year (not that she's terribly disappointed). Her family moves on the day of the prom, and her dress gets ripped, so she shows up all sweaty and bruised from moving and in her civvies. She gets one last dance with the guys, which is kind of a hoot. Her family also decides to work their tails off to make sure she can keep going to Eitoku, and she decides the same thing because there are people waiting for her there. To close things out, there's a lovely little short about Akira and some of the crap he's had to put up with keeping things in balance for the F4. Oh, Rui Hanazawa, you are still pretty great, and I wish she'd chosen you.
"In four years from now, if you come back a good man, I could make you very happy!"
Quotes of December 2013, Part 1
Anna N on Red River: "While Yuri seems to have an unfortunate habit of getting kidnapped fairly often, she’s also extremely level-headed and pragmatic. Kail rescues her, but she also uses some quick thinking to rescue him a number of times."
Joseph Luster on Inazuman: "There's just as much imagination required of the viewer as there is exhibited, which is part of the fun. With the type of special effects employed for television, many managing to be both crude and ingenious, suspension of disbelief doesn't even begin to describe the experience. That should be a given, though, especially in situations where, for example, Goro outs a Neo-Human in disguise because he "has no shadow," when he clearly does. That's the beauty of it all, and everything is played out so matter-of-fact that you can't help but buy into the timeless fun on screen. "
Jason Thompson on Banana Fish: "But of course, concept is 5% and execution is 95%. Banana Fish has got the execution, and execution-style killings, too. "
Sean Gaffney on Vinland Saga: "This is not going to be a cheery romp – expect the majority of the cast to die – but it’s gripping stuff, and incredibly hard to put down. I really enjoyed Planetes, but you can see how Yukimura has evolved further here. The story carries you along effortlessly, makes you care about these people even as it then hurts them horribly, and is simply filled with badass men being badass. It was worth the long wait to get this."
Rebecca Silverman on the Daily Lives of High School Boys: "This theme continues successfully throughout the show, playing with the contradictions inherent in adolescence – the moments of maturity followed by the desire to do something truly stupid."
Carl Kimlinger: "GUNxSWORD ends well, seeding its final episodes with moments of honest excellence, plenty of Van screaming and chopping things up (it is what he does best)," . . . "Mind you, this unusually satisfying climax isn't the result of careful planning or the product of narrative focus and purpose. Rather, it's the result of very talented storytellers sifting instances of transcendental power from the detritus of a highly entertaining, but lethally uneven show . . ."
Joseph Luster on Inazuman: "There's just as much imagination required of the viewer as there is exhibited, which is part of the fun. With the type of special effects employed for television, many managing to be both crude and ingenious, suspension of disbelief doesn't even begin to describe the experience. That should be a given, though, especially in situations where, for example, Goro outs a Neo-Human in disguise because he "has no shadow," when he clearly does. That's the beauty of it all, and everything is played out so matter-of-fact that you can't help but buy into the timeless fun on screen. "
Jason Thompson on Banana Fish: "But of course, concept is 5% and execution is 95%. Banana Fish has got the execution, and execution-style killings, too. "
Sean Gaffney on Vinland Saga: "This is not going to be a cheery romp – expect the majority of the cast to die – but it’s gripping stuff, and incredibly hard to put down. I really enjoyed Planetes, but you can see how Yukimura has evolved further here. The story carries you along effortlessly, makes you care about these people even as it then hurts them horribly, and is simply filled with badass men being badass. It was worth the long wait to get this."
Rebecca Silverman on the Daily Lives of High School Boys: "This theme continues successfully throughout the show, playing with the contradictions inherent in adolescence – the moments of maturity followed by the desire to do something truly stupid."
Carl Kimlinger: "GUNxSWORD ends well, seeding its final episodes with moments of honest excellence, plenty of Van screaming and chopping things up (it is what he does best)," . . . "Mind you, this unusually satisfying climax isn't the result of careful planning or the product of narrative focus and purpose. Rather, it's the result of very talented storytellers sifting instances of transcendental power from the detritus of a highly entertaining, but lethally uneven show . . ."
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