Thread for MANGA REVIEWS

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

[glow=red,2,300]Since we forgot to make a subforum for manga, I guess we can lump it with anime, since anime is really just animated manga [/glow]

To start off, I thought i'd review the first manga I ever read, Ranma 1/2 (review to follow, next post)

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

RANMA 1/2

38 Volumes (Japan)Shonen Sunday comics
36 Volumes (USA/Canada) ViZ Manga comics (the first 4 volumes were combined into 2 by ViZ)

This was the first manga and anime series I ever read/watched and , was likely the manga that most North American Otaku ,who got started in the early 90s, cut their teeth on. Drawn and written by the "Queen of Manga" Rumiko Takahashi (Inuyasha, Maison Ikkoku, Urusei Yatsura), Ranma 1/2 is probably as good an introduction to the wild and weird World of Japanese comics as any! (Well, it's not every hyper-macho, Chavinistic martial artist who turns in a girl; and, that's only the beginning of the strangeness!)
As most of you likely know, this is a series about a teenage boy (Ranma Saotome) who is engaged to the youngest daughter ( Akane Tendo) of his Father's best friend, against the wishes of both, but in time, feelings grow, yet, neither can bring themselves to admit that maybe they aren't such a bad match after all. However, things are complicated by a water-borne curse that causes Ranma to litterally change sexes whenever he's hit with cold water (Hot water reverses the curse so that he returns to his true sex). This is a bit of an inpediment to the young couple's chances, as Ranma not only attracts girls, but, often other boys when in his "Girl form" (Sometimes refered to as Ranma-chan).
As with any Takahashi series, both Ranma and Akane have to fight off a number of unwanted romantic liasons, and several martial arts challenges on the way to..........well........I'd like to say their ultimate happiness but, as with Urusei Yatsura, Rumiko Takahashi failed to give the series a truly satisfying ending; however, if you haven't read Ranma 1/2, don't let that stop you....the series is funny, adventurous and often throws a curve, when you don't expect one.
1/2 (of 5)

Look for: Totally unlikely martial arts such as "Full contact pairs figure skating" and "Martial arts Food delivery"
Look OUT for: Slapstick, a nasty little panty stealer named Happosai & a rather vague final ending to the series

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

Our rating system:

5 smiley rating system )

- poor , dont bother
- fair, nothing great
- good, worth a look
- Great, check this out
- Excellent, don't miss it!!!!!

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

VIDEO GIRL AI
13 volumes (plus 2 volumes of the sequel "Video Girl Len", for a total of 15)
Shonen Jump comics (Japan), ViZ manga comics (USA/Canada)

Can a boy find happiness with a girl who comes out of his TV set?That's the basic premise of what is by FAR my favorite manga, Video Girl Ai; a romantic dramedy by Masakazu Katsura.

Yota is a lonely dateless teen who is constantly being teased by classmates because the Kanji for his family name Moteuchi can also be read as Motenai....Japanese slang for "No girlfriend".....and even worse, the girl he loves (Moemi), is in love with his best friend. What can he do? Where can he turn? Well, he's secretly selected to be the first customer of the Gokuraku video store (Gokuraku can be translated as "of the heavens"), a store that specializes in [glow=red,2,300]"Video dates"*...[/glow]only, THESE vid dates have a new twist...!
The video store pops out of nowhere, and Yota, looking for a movie comes in, only to find the girl of his dreams, of course, shes only a girl on a video but, once he puts the tape in his VCR, he gets a BIG surprise.........the girl in the tape, AI, magically comes out of his TV set, and into his life! Unfortunately, there's a catch: She was played in a broken VCR and the "perfect" Video Girl ( Read: No emotions, great cook and made just to please men in a robotic way ) has been turned into an IMperfect one: Lively, mischievous and with the ability to love! In other words, the love doll is now a typical girl and Yota falls for her charms, unfortunately, if Ai falls in love, or is loved, her fate is sealed, she has to be erased! Ai has only one month of tape time anyway, so , she dedicates herself to helping Yota win the girl he loves.
Later in the series, a sweet younger tomboyish girl named Nobuko declares her love for Yota; and Ai, hiding her true feelings does the best she can to get them together.....not knowing Yota secretly feels the same way for Ai. (But, both know that if they ever try to declare their feelings, Ai will be erased forever!)
Unlike the short OAV series, the manga is a complete story with many twists, turns and even the death of a sympathetic main character. This manga could be called a romantic comedy, but, there's also tragic elements such as a near-rape and the already mentioned death. Further complicating things is that AIs EEEEVIL creator enjoys playing with human hearts and gives Ai extra time to live, so that he can torture Ai and Yota even further.....but, in the end, the young couple get their revenge!
As I said, this is by FAR my favorite manga, I'd give it 10 smileys if I could but, all I can do is give it 5/5


Look for: Romance, comedy, magically romantic moments, heartbreak, twists and turns, beautiful art.
look OUT for: Full or partial nudity, etchii moments, the heartbreaking death of a main character and some violence (including a near rape).


[glow=red,2,300]*In Japan, you can walk into a video store and buy a "date" with a young girl on video...you visit restaurants , go to the beach, see a movie...then end the night at her place.....of course, real video dates STAY on the tape, or on the DVD[/glow]

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

[glow=red,2,300]Officially VIDEO GIRL LEN is books 14 & 15 of the Video Girl Ai series but, in reality, it's more of a sequel in book 14 and a PREquel in book 15....so I'll review them separately[/glow]

Book 14 VIDEO GIRL LEN
This is a true sequel of the VGA books as it's set some 8 years into the future and Yota is now married to Ai (who isn't actually shown, only briefly alluded to) , and a teacher; however, the story revolves around one of his students (Hirome) who, like the young Yota can't seem to win the girl of his dreams (Ayume, who just happens to look exactly like Yota's crush, Moemi, did at that age), and like Yota, finds himself the lucky (?) recipient of a video girl.
The twist here is that Len is more of a traditional video girl, more intent on helping Hirome than in falling in love with him, she CAN show emotion, but, she seems to only be able to express platonic feelings. Unlike Ai, Len does her "job" and stays with Hirome only until she helps him win Ayume's heart; after which, she returns to the video tape to be re-rented to the next customer who needs help, with his love life. Personally, this is where I found this story much less appealing than the idea of a vid girl that CAN fall in love...in fact, I found it a let down as the story brings back the idea that the Vid girls are really just slaves of the Gokuraku video store , with no will, or chance to have a life of their own. While the story is OK on its own, when coupled to the Ai story, it tends to water down the whole concept of a Vid girl who only wanted to be "Real", that made VGA so good!
:)1/2

Look for: The same beautiful "good girl art" that makes all of Katsura's mangas so nice to look at
Look OUT for: less appealing characters/story than VGA

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

Book 15 is actually the last 5 chapters of Video girl Len and a one-shot story that seems to have been the genesis for ALL the Video Girl stories that followed, named simply
VIDEO GIRL, complete

This story is obviously a much earlier one-shot story (possibly never before published) that was written and drawn several years earlier (I can tell by the art), which was reworked and vastly expanded to become Video Girl Ai. Again, the main male character (Hiroko...he has a rather feminine name) is a loser who can't win the girl of his dreams , again, he is the favoured recipient of a Video Girl and , as in VGA, she comes out slightly modified from the sexy female robotic "love doll", instead emerging from the TV as a somewhat crude tomboy (She looks almost identical to AI, minus Ai's strange spiral hairstyle).....and as in the later VGA they eventually fall in love. This is a good story to read if you enjoy seeing the evolution from the simple idea expressed here, to the much expanded VGA of the previous volumes, and if only for that reason , worth the the price of VGA volume 15


Look for: Characters and a story that would evolve into those of VGA, several years later
Look OUT for: "Etchii" situations

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

Wow, it's been a year since I wrote a manga review here, okay then, time for another.......



LOVE HINA (123 chapters,` by Ken Akamatsu)
Sold in North America by TOKYOPOP

Let me start off by saying that when i first was introduced to this series (by the anime), I was less than enthused; however, this spring I began reading the manga and, I was blown away!
Love Hina is a love comedy that can also be classified as a "harem" comedy and as such, it is most deffinately "ecchi" (slightly perverted....as opposed to "Hentai" which is something much nastier )Showing most of the female characters in various "fanservice" scenes and stages of undress (YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED).
Nonetheless, the main storyline is indeed a sometimes touching, often frustrating love story between the beautiful and outwardly confident (but secretly VERY insecure about herself) Naru and the classic "nerdy looking guy" Keitarou; who , despite his image is actually a very poor student. He's a 3-time "Ronin"*(Which means that he's failed 3 times to pass the entrance exams to get into his college/university of choice, and is thus in student limbo) , trying to get into the top-rated Tokyo University, a school that may just be out of his reach; but he persists, having made a promise to someone special that they would one day go there together....sadly, he was just a Kindergartner at the time and can't remember who she was!
As for Naru, she is in highschool but also working hard to pass Tokyo U's entrance exam in the following semester, and as it turns out, because she also made a promise to someone that SHE can't recall!
It all begins when Keitarou shows up at the resort hotel his Grandmother owned , hoping to stay there while he tries one more time to pass TUs entrance exams...only to find out that "The Hinata Inn" has become an all-girl's dorm for local students; and the girls don't take kindly to strange men in their dorm! (For the most part, the girls in this series are exceptionally strong fighters {With the exception of the gentle and hyper-sensitive Shinobu<The girl in the pic with short black hair} and the happless Keitarou becomes the official Hinata Inn punching bag; especially when he displeases the Mecurial Naru; which seems to happen almost constantly. [Think Akane Tendo in Ranma 1/2; only MORE violent!])
Keitarou manages to find work at the Inn as his Grandma (Who has gone on a long trip) makes him Hinata's manager, and, with no other choice, the girls slowly learn to accept him (and later, they pretty much all fall for him); although, Naru, who has a huge crush on a former teacher, keeps him at arm's lenght for most of the series.
Basically, as the series goes on, Naru becomes Keitarou's tutor and "Study Buddy" (Seeing as they are both aiming to get into the same university) and, they slowly, but not smoothly, fall in love; however, as with most "harem" comedies, the other girls get in their way and you're left wondering "Will they EVER get together?"....Well; I'm not going to give it away; if you haven't read this series, do yourself a favour and read it!!! (As long as you don't mind nudity and mild to medium sexual situations)

LOVE HINA 5/5 Smiles!

Look for: Romance, comedy, romantic moments, heartbreak, twists and turns, beautiful "girl" art and wonderfully quirky characters.
look OUT for: Full or partial nudity, etchii moments and some violence

*The term "Ronin" for a student in limbo was originally a term meaning a Samurai (Japanese soldier) with no master, thus, as a warrior, he was in limbo, also

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

[glow=red,2,300]Classic manga![/glow]
URUSEI YATSURA (AKA LUM)
1978-1987 by Rumiko Takahashi 366 chapters (34 Volumes)
originally published by Shonen Sunday Comics Japan
also partially published* by VIZ manga Comics under both the "LUM" and "Return of Lum" names in North America
*Viz permanently suspended the series about 1/3 of the way through; it can be found however, on some scanlation sites

SOMETIMES, THE "ONE SHOT CHARACTER" TAKES OVER!

In 1977, an unknown manga-ka entered the Shogakukan "New artist" contest with a strange little story about a paper boy who was being cursed by aliens; just 20 years old, Rumiko Takahashi found herself the winner and was offered a contract to write manga for Shonen Sunday comics. Her first major effort was to rework the idea of her one-shot into a new story about a boy similarly cursed to meet obnoxious aliens, everywhere he went(in fact , the name of the series , loosely translated means "Those obnoxious Aliens!") Unlike the paper boy who met aliens out to destroy the World, in the one-shot, the new series protagonist the leacherous Ataru (Whose only goal in life was to have his own harem), was meeting beautiful, amourous aliens; much to the consternation of his loyal, long-suffering girlfriend, Shinobu. This was the original premise of the series, there were even looks into the future showing Ataru and Shinobu as a couple with a young son. However, the first episode introduced a green-haired, bikini-clad alien named LUM (reputedly she was named after Chinese bikini model Agnes Lum) Who's appearance turned the series on it's ear, and created a new manga-superstar! In that watershed first episode, Lum's father ,King of the planet URU, a World populated by ONI (Japanese Demons), was threatening to invade the Earth, unless a champion of the World (Chosen by his computer) could beat his daughter in a game of tag....unfortunately for Ataru (The World's unluckiest man); the computer picked HIM; and even worse, his opponent (Lum) could fly and shoot out tremendous bolts of electricity. Eventually, Ataru does win the game of tag, and through a misunderstanding, Lum's hand in marriage....and with that, the Lum character was never meant to be used again; however, the series readers couldn't get enough, and Lum went from "one-time guest alien", to become the series true star!
From this point on, Lum would chase Ataru, Ataru would chase Shinobu (or any other girl [human OR alien] who happened to cross his path) and a frustrated Lum would show her displeasure by jolting Ataru with 50000 volts! (Unfortunately, she often showed her love in the SAME manner!)
As the series went on, characters got more and more numerous and more and more quirky/fantastic; such as a shut-in girl who talked to trees, a boy so rich he had his own army (complete with tank batallions ) and air force (and he also talked to his pet octopi) and a girl raised to be a boy by her Dad and who was later engaged, to a boy raised as a girl!
Comic relief moments were numerous, particularly the appearances of Lum's baby cousin Ten-chan, who could fly (but only in "baby steps") and shoot fire like a living flamethrower. (And of course, he HATED Ataru....and vice-versa).
The core of the story eventually became that although Ataru dreamth of having his own harem, deep down, it was Lum that he truly loved, but, he couldn't bring himself to admit it. The series ended with a vague conclusion, much as did her later work Ranma 1/2; however, that shouldn't stop anyone from trying the series that began the rise to stardom of the woman who would later give us Maison Ikkoku, Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha (to name a few) . One word of warning, the series began with overtly simple story lines (with all the depth of an Archie comic story); and doesn't truly begin to get good until just about the point in the series, where VIZ ended publication, in North America.
(The entire series is available, in English, on a handful of online manga scan websites though!)

out of 5

Look for: Slapstick comedic violence, art and storytelling that improve exponentially over the course of the series & the blooming of Rumiko Takahashi from manga novice to manga superstar!
Look OUT for: Some mild nudity, mild sexual situations & a rather vague final ending to the series

Below: Lum as drawn & painted by me on a doorhanger:)

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

[glow=red,2,300]MYSTERIOUS GIRLFRIEND X[/glow]- Riichi Ueshiba , Kodansha comics; Japanese only; no official North American release*
(*Available on online manga "scanlation" sites in English)
37 Chapters, ongoing- Originally a one-shot in 2004, it became a series in 2006

This is a rarity, in that I'm reviewing a series that has yet to finish, but, I've been so impressed that I wanted to share this manga with those who may not have tried or heard of it yet.

The series begins as high school freshman Tsubaki Akira (I'm using the Japanese custom of family names first) is feeling nostalgic for Hayakawa Aika, the girl he loved all through middle school; unfortunately, he never had the courage to tell her, and now she is attending an all-girl's school across town. Akira is alone and thinks he will never find a girlfriend....then, fate intervenes,when a new girl transfers to his home room, and takes the desk to his right...and, eventually,his heart!
At the beginning, Mikoto is just a weird girl who never talks to anyone in the class; and spends all her lunch breaks sleeping; making her less than popular with her new classmates. Slowly, Akira begins to show interest in this rather strange girl, who's bangs hide her face, and her emotions. One day, during the break, he notices that she drools in her sleep...out of some weird curiosity, he decides to taste her drool and finds it to be rather sweet.....she surprises him by catching him in the act, and informs him that if her drool tastes sweet, then it's because he is falling in love with her; and, he agrees...and from there, it just gets weirder!
From that point on, she decides to give him a daily taste of her drool (on her finger...see bottom pic); and occasionaly, she tastes his (She can tell his emotions, and whether he is lying to her through his drool); litteraly, their drool is the glue that binds them! (While this is probably a bit on the gross side, it does make their rather chaste** relationship interesting) **She won't even let him hug her without permission!
Along the way, Akira and Mikoto's relationship grows VERY slowly, and yet, is very strong on his part (Akira cuts up his picture of his old crush in front of Mikoto as proof of his feelings); Mikoto on the other hand seems very aloof and cold....until any other girl threatens their pairing, at which time she let's him see her true feelings, if only briefly! (Mainly, she shows displeasure by pulling out a pair of scissors*** and cutting up anything within 5 feet of herself!) *** I won't tell you where she hides them, you need to see it for yourself!!!
Other characters include Akira's sister (Who takes care of him as his mother died when he was a toddler...Mothers in manga sure die young a lot, don't they???) and the couple's best friends Ueno Kouhei & Oka Ayuko, another couple, who's relationship is much more conventional than Akira and Mikoto's (Akira wants nothing more than to have Mikoto show him affection the way Ayuko does to Kouhei!) Later on, other boys begin to show interest in Mikoto, and one almost steals her heart, until his drool turns out to be incompatible! (lol) Another rival shows herself in the person of popular teen idol singer Imai Momoka, who is a near twin of Mikoto (though less busty), that Akira mistakenly takes for his quiet GF. ( however, this story arc has only begun, so I dont know where it will go!)
All in all, if you like romantic comedy and something REALLY original, this might just be for you!
Atm, this is by far my favorite NEW manga!
out of 5 smilies!!!!






Look for: Sweetly romantic moments, originality, hilarious scenes and situations
Look OUT for: Some really gross drool-sharing, occasional echii moments and some full nudity (But, only used in context; never as blantant fanservice) Also, you might find the release schedule a bit frustrating, as it only comes out once a month...but, it's worth the wait!

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

ps, if you have any comments about my reviews, feel free to share them...but, be nice ... Or, if you'd like to review a manga or anime of your own choice, please feel free to do so; but, no "hentai" plz

[thegl0r]

Ooo, not certain about posting this one...

Thanks to being in a bit of a cultural vacuum I've not had much exposure to manga but there is one series that I liked (if that's the right word). Barefoot Gen by Nakazawa Keiji, which ran to 10 volumes. Parts of it have also been turned into anime and also a live action. I've not read all of them, but those I have read were very well done. Well worth a read.

Barefoot Gen Series

Barefoot Gen #1: A Cartoon Story Of Hiroshima (ISBN 0867196025)
Barefoot Gen #2: The Day After (ISBN 086719619X)
Barefoot Gen #3: Life After The Bomb (ISBN 0867195940)
Barefoot Gen #4: Out Of The Ashes (ISBN 0867195959)
Barefoot Gen #5: The Never-Ending War (17 April 2008, ISBN 0-86719-596-7)
Barefoot Gen #6: Writing the Truth (17 April 2008, ISBN 0-86719-597-5)
Barefoot Gen #7: Bones into Dust (5 Mar 2009, ISBN 0-86719-598-3)
Barefoot Gen #8: Merchants of Death (9 April 2009, ISBN 0-86719-599-1)
Barefoot Gen #9: Breaking Through Borders (10 Feb 2010, ISBN 0-86719-600-9)
Barefoot Gen #10: Never Give Up (10 Feb 2010, ISBN 0-86719-601-7)


Loosely based on the authors own experiences, this harrowing story is told through the eyes of a young boy. It tells the story of life during the days towards the end of the war, living through the bombing of Hiroshima and the following days and years and the effects this caused on Japanese society and culture. It's not a barrel of laughs, but there are some lighter moments.

From the anime, here's when the bomb drops. This is rather grim.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfJZ6nwxD38

Sorry if I have depressed everyone, but perhaps when you're wondering about where some of those crazy story-lines with mutant monsters and derelict landscapes in Japanese fiction may come from... And surely we all love the Godzilla movies - I can see a triple box set from here. I just wish my video player didn't have a tape jammed in it.

A slightly related item is this, A Time-Lapse Map of Every Nuclear Explosion Since 1945 - by Isao Hashimoto. It starts slowly and then gains pace.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLCF7vPanrY

Perhaps not quite all of them, the author admits to not including North Korea's two and then there's the (disputed) Israel/South Africa team-up.

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

Wow, the A-bomb explosion in Barefoot Gen is truly horrifying! (After about 3 1/2 mins, I had to give up , as it was just too tragic); If you liked this, you night enjoy "Grave of the Fireflies" another anime based on actual experiences of the children who witnessed the destruction of Japan at the end of WW2 (The main characters die in the end), truly the saddest anime I've ever seen (I don't regret watching it, it is an anime masterpiece, but, I will NEVER watch it again).

But, if you're interested, here's a bit of a review found online; unfortunately, it contains some big spoilers:

whimsicalpicturesmanga.wordpress.com/2010/11/14/grave-of-the-fireflies/

[thegl0r]

Aug 3, 2012 7:27:28 GMT -5 mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman said:

Wow, the A-bomb explosion in Barefoot Gen is truly horrifying! (After about 3 1/2 mins, I had to give up , as it was just too tragic); If you liked this, you night enjoy "Grave of the Fireflies" another anime based on actual experiences of the children who witnessed the destruction of Japan at the end of WW2 (The main characters die in the end), truly the saddest anime I've ever seen (I don't regret watching it, it is an anime masterpiece, but, I will NEVER watch it again).

But, if you're interested, here's a bit of a review found online; unfortunately, it contains some big spoilers:

whimsicalpicturesmanga.wordpress.com/2010/11/14/grave-of-the-fireflies/

What, you mean even worse spoilers than you telling me that the main characters die in the end?

Don't worry, I have seen Grave of The Fireflies and yes, it's grim. All the way through I was hoping for "not another sad ending", and ineffectively willing people to be nice but expecting the worst. And we got given the worst.

I'm glad I watched it and will watch it again, but not too soon. I'm starting to remember more and more incidents from that film now. Stones, shudder.

Interesting sentiments presented in the poster at the end of that wordpress review.

[binetsushonen]

"Barefoot Gen" is the masterpiece.
When I was elementary school, this comic was in the collection of the library of the school already.
I was very scared to read this manga first, but I also found that this is the reality.
The moral of this manga if kept alive, it would have prevented the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster by The Tohoku Earthquake in Japan two years ago.
I think the people who love peace all over the world, and want to read Barefoot Gen.

By the way, the manga I introduce the "bartender".
Is this manga translated into the English?
Please see below for details.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartender_%28manga%29

Interaction with various people visiting the bar, hero who trained as a bartender in France will return to Japan of home. Success and failure. And success stories to have a bar of his own.
A lot of heart warming stories on this manga, so people who do not drink, people drink liquor can enjoy. You will learn about the knowledge alcoholic drinks and cocktails are abundant.
The only regret is that the bright colors of the cocktail is not be represented manga so black and white,,,.
Instead, this manga was live-actioned and animated on Japanese TV.
(Configuration is different slightly from the original comic book)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPlA2yUN_Bk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR6kTyDaRZI

Please check it out, if you unread!

By the way, my favorite cocktail is "Old Fashioned".
What's your favorite cocktail?

Attachments:

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

I do not believe the Bartender has been translated into English, here in the Americas at least, most manga is either Shonen/Yaoi, Shojo/yuri, etchii or hentai; manga for adult men is rarely translated.
As for cocktails, mine is Ocean Spray Cranberry (non-alcoholic, I don't drink alcohol)