Tezuka and Astro Boy as a stamp

This has been a good year for English-language Osama Tezuka fans. Vertical is printing his Black Jack series in beautiful editions. DMP published Tezuka’s experimental manga, Swallowing the Earth. Frederick Schodt is touring the country with his lecture on the life and legacy of Tezuka. Two new books about the life and works of Tezuka were published this year too, God of Comics and The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga.

To cap it all off, the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art is hosting a month long celebration of Tezuka’s animated works, Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, Father of Anime. This past weekend marked the inauguration of the event, which I was fortunate enough to attend.

Introducing Astro Boy

The weekend began with a lecture by Frederick Schodt at 7:00 PM on Friday, November 13, entitled “Introducing Astro Boy”. This was similar to the lecture he gave at Otakon. Tezuka, born in 1928, is called the God of Manga in Japan, and some are also referring to him as the Father of Anime. He attended medical school and actually received his license, but he never practiced. He liked to joke that one of his medical professors told him it was a good thing for his patients that he became a manga artist.

Frederick Schodt

Obviously, manga existed before Tezuka. However, Tezuka heavily influenced post-World War II manga by introducing new visual styles and storytelling techniques. Tezuka was himself influenced by Disney and the Fleischer brothers. He brought the cinematic style he saw in their cartoons to manga and made popular a more decompressed style of storytelling. Tezuka also helped introduce sophisticated themes into children’s manga.

Astro Boy made his first appearance in a short side story titled Captain Atom. There was such a positive response to the story, Tezuka’s editor convinced him to make Captain Atom a star of his own series. Tezuka completely retooled the character and the story. When the robot boy reappeared he had a new name to signal his new beginning, The Mighty Atom (Astro Boy to American audiences). The series was immediately a success. Astro Boy went on to become a symbol of science and technology in Japan. He is still a much beloved character today

In 1957, a kamishibai based on Astro Boy was made. In 1959, a short-lived live-action Astro Boy TV show was created. (Fred said this is so bad, it’s good.) Finally, in 1962, Tezuka had enough money to form his own animation company, Mushi Productions. In January 1963, the Astro Boy animated TV show premiered. It was the first half-hour weekly animated series on Japanese TV. Astro Boy became a national phenomenon. The whole family would gather around the TV set to watch the show. Executives from NBC saw the show and licensed it for syndication in the US, where Astro Boy premiered in select areas in September 1963.

Following the lecture, there were four episodes of the original Astro Boy anime series aired, all directed by Tezuka, including the first and last episodes of the series. Afterward, there was a short Q&A session. Fred said that Tezuka was embarrassed by the original Astro Boy series, because of the crude animation. However, you can see a noticeable improvement in the animation between the first episode and the last.

The Film Is Alive

Saturday’s schedule began at 2:00 PM with a short documentary entitled The Film Is Alive. This was a 45-minute film that examined Tezuka’s career as an animator, starting with his first experimental film in 1962 and ending with his last film, another experimental short, made before his death in 1989. This was an amazing documentary that revealed a dimension to Tezuka that I never knew existed.

Tezuka was responsible for several animated TV shows, feature-length films, and short experimental movies. Tezuka loved animation and wanted Japanese animation to be better known globally. He became an ambassador for anime by attending animation festivals around the world and getting international animation festivals hosted in Japan. His passion was experimentation. He loved exploring what was possible with animation both visually and from a storytelling perspective, using various styles and techniques. The one constant in all his animation was that was all hand-drawn. He didn’t like computer animation.

L to R: Natsu Onoda Power, Ada Palmer, Helen McCarthy, Frederick Schodt, moderator (sorry forget to write the name down.)

After the film, there was a panel discussion driven by questions from the audience. The four panelists were:

• Natsu Onoda Power, visiting professor at Georgetown University and author of God of Comics: Osamu Tezuka and the Creation of Post-World War II Manga
• Ada Palmer, professor at Texas A&M and founder of the website Tezuka in English. She has an essay on Tezuka in the forthcoming Anime and Philosophy, edited by Josef Steiff and Tristan D. Tamplin
• Helen McCarthy, author of The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga
• Frederick Schodt, author of The Astro Boy Essays: Osamu Tezuka, Mighty Atom, and the Manga/Anime Revolution

Initially, they began by discussing Tezuka’s influence. It turns out that his influence extends beyond just manga and anime. His works were, and continue to be, the inspiration for many scientists and doctors pursuing the careers they currently have. Several prominent roboticists in Japan have admitted they still dream of building Astro Boy.

Like everyone else of his generation, World War II was the defining event of Tezuka’s life. It shaped his desire to promote the positive, productive uses of technology over the destructive applications he had experienced. It also influenced his feminism. He saw Japanese women having to take on traditionally male roles and jobs during the war while the men were fighting abroad. (Helen says seeing his mother in these roles was the inspiration for the character Princess Knight.) The realities of war fueled his pacifism. And his experiences with American soldiers during the occupation helped shape his belief in racial equality.

Tezuka often said that manga was his wife and anime was his mistress. Tezuka could spend lavishly on experimental animation projects. Fred said that because he was so open to play with the form of animation, his animated works are often uneven and undisciplined. Ada pointed out that Tezuka approached animation like a clinical researcher. He was always testing new ideas and probing to explore limitations. He didn’t have any boundaries to what he was willing to try.

Tezuka’s star system probably grew out of his love for theater and early Hollywood movies. Growing up, his father would import movies and cartoons from America. His mother often took him to plays at the Takarazuka Theater. Tezuka created a stock group of characters that appeared throughout his manga, like actors assuming roles in a play or movie. This allowed him to create new series much more quickly, since all the character designs were finished.

Marine Express

Sunday also began with a film at 2:00 PM. This time it was a made-for-TV animated movie, Marine Express (1979) written by Tezuka himself and produced by Tezuka Productions. The Marine Express is an underwater train that runs from Los Angeles to Tokyo. Private detective Ban Shunsaku has been hired by the chief engineer to investigate his suspicions about illegal activities involving the train’s maiden voyage. However, Shunsaku arrives to find the chief engineer dead. He later spots the killer boarding the Marine Express and follows him onto the train. What follows is a murder mystery combined with a crime thriller mixed with a disaster film that morphs into a time travel adventure with invading space aliens. It’s a wild ride for both the train passengers and the viewing audience. Featured is most of the ensemble from Tezuka’s star system.

Following the film was a brief discussion by Helen McCarthy and Frederick Schodt. Helen loved the film, calling it sheer silliness. Fred said the film is the ultimate in-joke for Tezuka fans. He said it is a great foreshadowing of postmodern deconstructional storytelling. Amazingly, Tezuka insisted on drawing every key frame involving Black Jack. This was a film that the entire family could enjoy, as parents and children talk about the characters and which series they remember each one from.

Thoughts on the Weekend

My only disappointment the entire weekend was with the audience size. On Friday night, there were about 160 people in attendance. Saturday, the audience had dropped to a mere 80. Sunday, the number plummeted to a dismal 40 people. I was embarrassed that such great guests spoke to such a meager crowd. I know that the anime festival held during last year’s Cherry Blossom Festival packed the 300-seat theater. I don’t know why this event failed to draw a similar audience. Hopefully, the rest of the Tezuka events will attract a larger crowd.

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend that showed me new depths to the man Tezuka and his works. I now have an even more profound respect and appreciate for Tezuka. I didn’t have any idea about his experimental animation films. All the guests were magnificent and I would like to see Otakon, New York Anime Festival, Anime Boston, and the other East Coast conventions book them to speak. Tezuka really is Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Walt Disney, and Max Fleischer all rolled up into one person. He is such a formative force in manga and anime that all fans of both media need to be familiar with Tezuka and his works. Hopefully, events like the Smithsonian’s Tezuka Film Retrospective will be a start to make that happen.

Maria Holic Book 1

Maria Holic Book 1
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by Minari Endou; adapted by Clint Brickham; Tokyopop, $10.99 US

Kanako Miyamae is a high school sophomore transferring to Ame No Kisaki, an all-girl missionary school. Kanako is a lesbian, but she isn’t comfortable enough with her sexuality to be tell others her orientation. She transferred with romantic visions of meeting her soulmate. While there is no shortage of attractive girls, Kanako is discovering that a pretty face doesn’t mean a beautiful soul.

Maria Holic is meant to be a farce, a broad stroke comedy that satirizes the tropes found in shojo and yuri manga. However, it reads like a bigot openly mocking people who aren’t ‘normal’. Lesbians, transvestites, tomboys, and such are all targets of ridicule.

Not surprisingly, all the characters in this book are one-dimensional. When you’re mocking someone, there’s no need to understand them or cast them in a sympathetic light. Kanako walks around ogling her classmates and falling in love based on the most superficial reasons. Her classmates don’t figure out she’s a lesbian simply because it’s not convenient to the plot. It’s certainly not from a lack of clues.

The artwork is the only likable part of the book. It’s competent. The character designs are nice. The page layouts are well-done. It does have a feature that I don’t think I’ve seen before in manga: panels of just word balloons. There aren’t many, but it’s still unusual.

Maria Holic is odious. I had to force myself to finish the last quarter of the book. Turning each page seemed to become more of a chore the closer I got to the end. Avoid this book and its condescension. Comedy shouldn’t make the reader feel tainted and disgusted. Comedy is meant to uplift us.

Samurai Harem: Asu No Yoichi Book 2

Samurai Harem: Asu No Yoichi Book 2
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by Yu Minamoto; adapted by Hope Donovan; Tokyopop, $12.99 US

Yoichi Karasuma spent the first seventeen years of his life in a remote mountain dojo learning swordsmanship from his father. Now he is living with the Ikaruga sisters at their family dojo, where he is learning how to be a member of modern society. The hardest part is behaving properly around women. Two attractive female assassins show up to kill Yoichi. Yet another obstacle as he’s trying to just fit in.

The setup is derivative of Ranma ½ and Love Hina, which is indicative of the general lack of imagination found in Samurai Harem. The series is a harem comedy that focuses on the creepy aspects of the genre without any attempts to include the charming counterbalancing elements.

The best example of the disturbing nature of Samurai Harem is how the fan service specializes in crotch shots. Not panty shots, but in between the legs, focusing on the pubic region of girls and women. Just when you think the book might be showing some character development or emotional warmth, there is a crotch shot with a sound effect coming from the girl’s genitalia. The series is shameless in its tastelessness.

The artwork is very well-done. Minamoto is a master of cheesecake drawings. The loving details given to the female character designs and fashions only make the series that much more lecherous. Such talent should be used to illustrate a good romantic comedy, not banal fan service.

Only fans of unapologetic T&A manga will enjoy this series. The plot is rice paper thin. The characters are one-dimensional. Readers are advised to steer clear of Samurai Harem.

Zone-00 Book 1

Zone-00 Book 1
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by Kiyo Qjo; adapted by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane; Tokyopop, $10.99 US

Ango Shima is an exorcist who has just moved to Tokyo. He is aided by his two assistants: Sharaku, also his butler, and Hanabusa, his maid. It turns out his very odd classmate, Saburo Kujo, is a leader of the Tokyo creatures (demons). Ango has come to destroy all the creatures but discovers he must team up with them to hunt down a common enemy. Someone has created Zone-00, a drug that turns humans into mock creatures.

Zone-00 is a mess, starting with the artwork. The panels are busy and often crowded. Qjo is trying to make the art feel energetic, but instead it’s chaotic. The page layouts suffer the same clutter problems. All the characters have unruly hair that like kudzu appears everywhere. The book is eye-straining to read.

Unfortunately, neither the characters nor plot are any improvement over the art. None of the cast is interesting. Everyone seems to spend a lot of time in inane conversation. They all want to prove how cool and sophisticated they are. However, it all comes across as silly and pretentious.

The plot moves at a glacial pace. They spend more time at bath houses and beaches then actually tracking down the drug dealers and manufacturers. For someone committed to the destruction of all creatures, Ango gets chummy quickly with his sworn enemy.

Zone-00 is victim to its own excesses. The art and storytelling need to be streamlined. Lost in all the muddle appears to be the makings of an interesting story. However, potential for a better story isn’t sufficient reason to recommend this series. Readers should skip Zone-00 in favor of a manga that is more focused.

Momogumi Plus Senki Book 1

Momogumi Plus Senki Book 1
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by Eri Sakondo; adapted by Rachel Brown; Tokyopop, $10.99 US

Yuuki Momozono is cursed with Disaster Attraction Disorder. This means that calamity haunts everything he does. He has just found out that he is the reincarnation of Momotaro (Peach Boy) from the famous Japanese folktale and inherited a demon curse from his previous life. He must break the curse causing his misfortunes before his eighteenth birthday or he will die. The school he has begun to attend is filled with students who are also reincarnations of various folk figures. There among his schoolmates is the chance to free himself of the curse.

Momogumi Plus Senki is an enjoyable light read. Sakondo has created a likable cast of central characters with Yuuki and his three companions: Sawa, Masahiko, and Yukishiro. Yuuki’s friends are all good-natured and readily accept their past lives without any conflict. Yuuki himself starts out as a depressed person, but the warmth and optimism of his new companions quickly win him over.

Part of the charm of this series is its sense of humor. Sakondo doesn’t allow any of the characters to take themselves too seriously. Sankondo also has fun with the personality of the cast. Masahiko is the reincarnation of Momotaro’s dog. He has the loyalty and affection of a puppy. He can let his canine enthusiasm get the better of him sometimes.

I also like how amenable the other students are to Yuuki’s bad luck. They know when he gets called on to answer questions, baseballs are bound to come soaring through the windows. So all the students sitting next to the windows have umbrellas to protect themselves from flying glass.

The art is well-done in this series. Sankondo does a good job conveying emotion. The action sequences are quick and lively. The humor has a nice subtle quality to it. The art complements the storytelling perfectly.

Momogumi Plus Senki is not a must read by any stretch of the imagination. However, it is a pleasant, upbeat series. It can serve as a break from heavier fare or just a good distraction. The way Sakondo plays with Japanese folktales makes me want to go read the originals. Readers already familiar with the folktales might enjoy seeing Sakondo’s fun twist on them.

(The publisher provided review copies of all books.)

Imagine being immersed in a long, meandering conversation with someone that speaks their mind openly on any and everything. Further imagine that you look at your watch and discovered you’ve been captivated by this person for several hours, and it’s only been the two of you the whole time. That’s what it’s like to read Hayao Miyazaki’s Starting Point: 1979-1996. It’s one of most delightful, enlightening, and at times surprisingly confessional books I’ve read in a great while.

Starting Point: 1979-1996
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Starting Point is a collection of Miyazaki’s writings and interviews. There is a nice bonus in the center of the book, an eight-page, full-color manga on the history of in-flight dining done for Winds, Japan Airlines’ magazine. This is followed by nine black-and-white pages from Miyazaki’s notebooks. (The last three are untranslated so you can see the quality of Miyazaki’s penmanship.) The foreword is by John Lasseter, one of the founders of Pixar and friend of Miyazaki. The afterword is by Isao Takahata, long-time collaborator of Miyazaki and co-founder of Studio Ghibli.

Over the course of the book, the reader is able to develop a well-rounded picture of Miyazaki, both the man and the animator. In high school, Miyazaki originally wanted to be a gekiga manga artist (49). (Gekiga is a style of realistically drawn manga. The stories are often gritty, dark portrayals of modern life.) However, the Japanese animated movie Hakujaden (The Tale of the White Serpent) literally changed his life.

It made me realize that, behind a facade of cynical pronouncements, in actuality I really was in love with the pure, earnest world of film, even if it were only another cheap melodrama. I was no longer able to deny the fact that there was another me — a me that yearned desperately to affirm the world rather than negate it. (70)

Miyazaki went off to college where, surprisingly, he majored in political economics. While in college he was also part of the Children Literature Study Group (311).

In 1963, he was hired by Toei Animation as an in-between animator (the entry-level job for animation companies). He found the daily grind of television animation becoming unbearable. He was ready to return to his former dream of becoming a manga artist, when a Russian animated film reignited his passion. “Had I not one day seen Snedronnigen (The Snow Queen) during a film screening hosted by the company labor union, I honestly doubt that I would have continued working as an animator.” (71)

In 1978, Miyazaki would make his directorial debut with the television series Future Boy Conan (yet to be released in the US). In 1979, Miyazaki directed his first feature film, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro. In 1985, Studio Ghibli was founded. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Miyazaki has a great deal of faith in the unlimited potential of animation as a storytelling medium. In this sense he reminds me of Tezuka, who believed that manga had unlimited potential and was an art form on par with novels, short stories, and theater. I find Miyazaki’s passion for cartoons compelling and share his belief that the only limits to cartoons are the imaginations of animators.

In other words, I am talking about doing something with animation that can’t be done with manga magazines, children’s literature, or even live-action films. I’m talking about building a truly unique imaginary world, tossing in characters I like, and then creating a complete drama using them. Simply put, this is what animation is to me. (17)

He has equally high hopes for what his films will accomplish.

To my way of thinking, creating animation means creating a fictional world. That world soothes the spirit of those who are disheartened and exhausted from dealing with the sharp edges of reality, or suffering from a nearsighted distortion of their emotions. When the audience is watching animation, they are apt to feel light and cheerful or purified and refreshed. (25)

But if we can free ourselves from the various complexes we have and the tangled relationships we are in to live a freer, more open world, we might be able to become strong and heroic. I think everyone entertains thoughts of becoming more beautiful, or more gentle, or of having a more meaningful existence. (306)

His high ambitions for animation have made him a harsh critic of much of the animation he sees. “I frankly despise the truncated word ‘anime’ because it only symbolizes the current desolation of our industry.” (72)

But I’d like to see effort put into filmmaking sufficient to withstand the bare-knuckled criticism that I’m providing here. Cartoons have certain weaknesses that we normally don’t notice, and a type of laxity arises precisely because the films are treated as mere cartoons. (118)

His most vehement criticism is leveled at television animation.

“Producing an animation series merely to fill time slots in the broadcast schedule is like generating cultural pollution.” (186)

TV cartoon shows were all just a bunch of slapdash, amateurish, uninspired, derivative creations. We used to say among ourselves that making them was like working with still-open wounds. (279)

Is it any wonder that one he was given the freedom to make animated films, he never returned to television again?

I was also amazed some of the personal confessions that show up in this book. A touching reflection on his relationship with his father and his perceived failings as a parent, “I tried to be a good father, but in the end I wasn’t a very good parent.” (204) His flaws as a first-time director, “The schedule slipped and I caused a lot of trouble for the staff and the production company. This was entirely due to my failing, as I can only work following my intuition and feelings.” (66) Even his personal shortcomings, “I’m a careless sort of person, so I am often quick to say bad things about people.” (211)

My favorite sections of the book are where he discusses Future Boy Conan and each of his films in detail. We learn Miyazaki didn’t intend for the ending of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind to have the religious overtones that it did. But once the film headed in that direction he couldn’t steer it otherwise. (393) Further, we find out Kiki’s Delivery Service was actually made for young women heading to Tokyo to find their first job and make a place for themselves in this world. (262, 378) Porco Rosso was made, “…for tired, middle-aged men whose brain cells have turned to tofu.” (267) There are so many more interesting facts about the production and themes in each of his major works.

So many great quotes can be pulled from this book. There are tons of fascinating ideas that could fuel extended discussions among its readers. Not to mention, lots of behind-the-scenes glimpses of the reality of making animated TV shows and feature films. There is such a wealth of information, no review can truly hope to touch on everything contained within the pages of this book.

I honestly believe that every anime fan needs to read Miyazaki’s Starting Point: 1979-1996. It’s a chance to see deeply inside the anime industry, as well as an opportunity to intimately know one of anime’s greatest directors. I highly recommend Takahata’s afterward as a loving, but brutally honest, portrayal that only a real friend could write. This is also a must-read for American animation fans. It offers a different perspective on cartoons, and how they should be made, than we generally hear in the US. Simply put, this is too significant a book to let simply pass you by. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

Bonus Feature: I showed Johanna what my copy of Starting Point looked like when I was reading it and she thought it would be fun to take a picture of it share with you. So here are my photos. I annotated each photo in an attempt to justify/explain my process.

On Tuesday night, I was giving the rare pleasure of seeing two underground comix luminaries sit down and talk for an hour. The University of Richmond’s Modlin Center for the Arts hosted Genesis: A Conversation with R. Crumb and Franciose Mouly at the Richmond CenterStage Carpenter Theater.

The evening opened with a brief introduction to the two guests. Mouly founded Raw Books & Graphics in 1977. She is currently the art director for The New Yorker magazine and the editorial director of Toon Books. Crumb’s first job as an illustrator was for American Greeting cards in 1962. In 1967, Crumb moved to San Francisco and founded the underground comix movement. In 1991, he moved to France, where he still lives today. The Virginia Commonwealth University library has an excellent resource page on Crumb.

The setup and format for the evening was very basic. Two chairs were placed at the center of the stage. Behind them was a large projection screen. The two guests talked for an hour with Mouly acting as interviewer/moderator. At the end of their conversation, they opened it up to audience questions for a half-hour. There was no photography allowed of Mouly or Crumb. Crumb didn’t hold an autograph session, although Velocity Comics and Chop Suey Books had presigned copies of Crumb’s Genesis book for sale in the lobby.

After a brief introduction, both Mouly & Crumb walked on stage. Crumb began the evening with a pratfall. It was clear from the start that Mouly was hoping for an hour of serious discussion exploring some of the themes in Crumb’s work. Crumb, however, was in a more playful mood and wanted to crack jokes and keep it lighthearted. The most animated moments of the evening were when Crumb wasn’t talking about himself but instead talking about his wife, reactions to his work, or criticizing corporate America.

The conversation started with Crumb talking about the 1994 documentary of his life, titled Crumb. It was clear that he was unhappy with the film, but unclear as to why. I wasn’t sure if it was because he thought the film was biased in its presentation or because the film was too revealing. He said that he was glad that his family was living in France when the film was released in the US. He didn’t think that his daughter, Sophie, would have been able to attend public school after the film’s release. The film made him want to change his appearance and who he was.

Crumb’s biggest concern in moving to France was losing touch with American culture, since his work is based on cultural observations. He would never presume to make comments on French culture since he didn’t grow up in it and was still trying to understand it. He expanded on American culture during the audience Q&A section. The one thing that he despises is how corporations are really the driving force and shapers of US culture. There are layers and layers of chicanery and deception. We are so bombarded by PR that Americans don’t even realize how ubiquitous it is.

Mouly mentioned that Crumb’s wife, Aline, is an excellent artist in her own right. Crumb agreed and felt it was unfair that she had to compete against his fame/notoriety. Crumb met Aline in 1971 when she moved out to San Francisco to be part of the underground comix scene. She was the first women to do autobiographical underground comix. Currently, she is working on creating shrines. They showed pictures of her Barbie shrine and Virgin Mother shrine. A couple of times in the conversation Crumb mentioned how much they are still in love.

Next they focused on specific Crumb comix. Mouly commented on them and asked for his thoughts. One was “A Gurl” about a woman masturbating. She thought it showed a sensitivity toward women. Crumb was surprised since he said it all came out of his imagination. Next was a comix titled “Don’t Touch Me”. This was a multipage work that depicted a woman being raped. The first page is from the perspective of the woman. Mouly says that it’s not what it appears at first. Crumb was happy she got it. He’s frustrated that people just have a knee-jerk reaction without trying to understand the joke. Then he said that all women have rape fantasies. This was the only remark Crumb made that drew a negative reaction from Mouly and the audience. They quickly moved on.

Crumb’s love of music and the portraits he’s done of early blues and jazz musicians were briefly discussed. He said that music has a powerful effect on him and the portraits were a way of expressing appreciation to the musicians. Interestingly, he doesn’t listen to music while he draws; he prefers it to be silent. Crumb said he can either draw comix or listen to music but can’t do both. Also, he only listens to CDs if he can’t get the 78. Crumb and his daughter, Sophie, have been members of various bands. Aline can play an instrument but doesn’t share their passion.

The conversation then focused on Crumb’s illustrated version of the book of Genesis. Originally, he had intended to do a satire of Adam and Eve. After studying the text, he decided to do a straightforward visual interpretation. Once he finished with the Adam and Eve story, he realized he felt compelled to do the entire book of Genesis. For visual reference, he visited the British Museum’s collection of Sumer and Assyrian art but found there wasn’t very much there. So he looked for other sources to help fill out the visual details. D.W. Griffith’s 1916 film Intolerance turned out to be the most useful. All the sets and costumes were based on Assyrian bas-reliefs. Crumb used stills from the movie as visual reference. In order to complete the book, Aline rented a secluded cabin in the mountains for him to use as a studio. He was left alone during the week; she visited him, and brought provisions, on the weekends.

Mouly confessed Crumb’s book was the first time she had actually read the book of Genesis. Crumb said he had heard that from many other people. He did a lot of research into the text while working on the illustrations. He was amazed to discover the amount of debate about the Biblical texts. Some word meanings have been lost to the ages, and scholars argue over how to translate them. Some words are ambiguous, and more than one meaning could be appropriate to the text. Sometimes the debate is how to best translate the text to communicate the original meaning to modern readers. He didn’t realize how difficult it would be to illustrate Genesis when he started. Now that he is finished, he won’t do any other Biblical books.

During the Q&A section, Crumb was asked about his first experience with LSD. He tried LSD back in June 1965, when it was still legal. It shattered reality for him. It shattered everything. He was so detached from reality that he threw up and didn’t realize it at the time. The next day when he went to work, the world seemed hollow and like cardboard to him. Later in San Francisco, he smoked pot and did so for eight years. But his advice is to stay sober. Today’s youth doesn’t value their own native intelligence. They don’t value their own natural ability for perception and awareness.

The evening ended with Mouy making the observation that Crumb’s Genesis is a modern Rorschach test. Most discussion is really about the reader’s reaction to his book and less about the book itself. Some find it too salacious, and others say it’s not salacious enough. Then they got up and exited the stage. Crumb ended the evening the way he began it, with a pratfall.

I enjoyed the conversation. I do wish that Crumb had been a bit more serious and willing to engage Mouly in discussions about themes in his works and how he intended readers to react to certain comix. That being said it was a captivating and entertaining hour and a half. Like all truly good programs, it felt like the time flew by. Hopefully, they will tape one of the other evenings to allow more fans to experience this event. I’m sure no one left disappointed. (A free ticket to the event was provided by the Modlin Center.)

Crumb doesn’t follow any organized religion; in fact, he might be an atheist. In the introduction, he tells us that he doesn’t believe that the Bible is the Word of God, or even inspired by God. Yet he strove to produce the most straightforward, faithful-to-the-text, illustrated version of Genesis. And succeeded. Every word found in the Biblical text is included in Crumb’s version. Further, Crumb didn’t make up additional dialogue or narrative scenes. What you get is the Biblical text and nothing but the Biblical text.

The Book of Genesis
Illustrated by R. Crumb
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Let’s talk briefly about the translation of Genesis used. The majority of the text comes from Robert Alter’s translation, but Crumb did edit and revise the translation where he thought he could make it read more smoothly. For some revisions, he used the King James version of Genesis, and some wording is original to Crumb himself. What we have is a perfectly fine translation. There are no major alterations or radical word changes. Crumb stays as faithful to the original text as any other editor.

Now on to the part everyone is really interested in, the artwork. Here I think I might disappoint some people: I wasn’t shocked or scandalized by what I found in Crumb’s drawings. I’m very familiar with the Biblical text and familiar enough with Crumb’s work to know what I could expect before I opened the book. I knew that Adam and Eve walked around the garden naked in chapter 3. I knew that Crumb was going to draw them both in all their glory. And he did. There are no low-hanging branches, no hiding behind bushes, and no conventionally placed hands and arms. I’m well aware that in chapter 19, Lot gets drunk and has sex with his daughters. Sure enough, Crumb draws the incestuous copulations. The couple isn’t making love under the blankets, there are no well-placed shadows, and no use of shadows on the wall. You see what they’re doing in full detail.

Crumb’s lack of modesty and decorum is certain to upset conservative Christians, Jews, and Muslims. But the cover comes with “Adult Supervision Recommended for Minors” and “The First Book of the Bible Graphically Depicted! NOTHING LEFT OUT!” advisories. So even if a reader is unfamiliar with who R. Crumb is, they can’t say they weren’t amply warned. Let’s be honest, Christian bookstores won’t be stocking this next to other illustrated versions of the Bible; they won’t be stocking this at all.

Other people who might be scandalized are people unfamiliar with the Biblical text. Genesis is the story of God’s relationship with fallen humanity. Adam’s son, Cain, commits the first murder. Noah gets drunk and passes out naked. Abraham is so scared of Pharaoh that he lets Pharaoh marry his wife with any word of protest. We’ve already mentioned Lot’s incest. Laban and Jacob are competing con artists. And Jacob’s sons sell one of their own, Joseph, into slavery because they’re jealous of all the attention he gets. It’s all there in the text, humanity at its best and its worst. Heroes of faith with fears, doubts, and flaws just like the rest of us.

There are several things I like about Crumb’s version. First, he makes the genealogy passage of chapter 11 an enjoyable read. This is something Francoise Mouly brought out in her discussion of the book with Crumb. He does it simply and effectively. While the text is telling us who begat whom, Crumb shows us scenes of daily life around 3,000 BC. This really brings to life the names being listed. It also brings out the passage of time. As we look at grandparents cuddling grandchildren, villages making sacrifices to gods, and couples dancing, the passing centuries become more tangible. We understand that the lives of generations of people, much like ours, is quickly passing by. Crumb brought poignancy to the passage for me.

Second, Crumb does a great job creating a believable bronze age world. This isn’t Cecil B. DeMille’s sparkling clean, perfectly groomed vision of the Bible. The people in Crumb’s version sweat, get dirty, have disheveled hair, etc. They aren’t always the most attractive people. They all don’t get old gracefully and with dignity. This is a world of body odor, dusty trails, hard labor, animal smells, blazing hot days, freezing nights, etc. It’s a world where the most advanced technology is the wheel, the sword, pulleys, and carving tools. You understand how difficult life was for the people in those times. It’s amazing to think of the cities and monuments they built with just the muscle of men and beasts.

Third, the attention to detail helps makes some passages easier to understand. The best example is in the Joseph saga (chapters 37 and 39 thru 50). Just reading the text, you wonder why Joseph’s brothers don’t recognize him when they meet him in Egypt. Crumb shows you how radically different Joseph looked from the last time they saw him. When his brothers see him in Egypt, he looks just like any other Egyptian high official. He is not only wearing Egyptian clothes, but he is clean-shaven, has an Egyptian hair style, and has Egyptian mannerisms. There is nothing about him to suggest he was ever the son of a nomadic shepherd. Here, Crumb’s illustrations function like a commentary to make explicit what is hidden in the text.

There are a couple of charming idiosyncrasies to Crumb’s choices. First, Crumb uses the stereotypical Western depiction of God. I’m reminded of how men like Michelangelo, William Blake, and Albercht Durer painted or drew Him. God has powerful features and long, flowing white hair and beard. Most people will find the image instantly recognizable. Second, Crumb makes most of the important women of Genesis look like his wife, Aline. Eve, Sarah, and Rachel all look alike. It’s a touching demonstration of how much he loves his wife but makes for some odd reading.

Beyond any doubt, Crumb is an incredibly skilled draftsmen. The pen work in this book is marvelous. You could use this book to illustrate figure drawing, what perfect cross-hatching looks like, and how to pay attention to the smallest details. There are no shortcuts taken in this book. Each panel is meticulously drawn. Foreground and background characters are fully rendered. Thinking about the time and energy it would take to do just one panel makes you appreciate the immerse labor it took to complete the entire book.

I’m not sure who the audience for this book would be. Mouly mentioned this was the first time she had actually read the book of Genesis, so I’m thankful to Crumb for making this Biblical book accessible to a new audience. Certainly, Crumb’s current fans will enjoy this work.

I actually would like all Christians to read the book, because of how real and human it makes the great heroes of faith. They worked hard, got tired, made mistakes, made love, got old, and died just like everyone else. They weren’t insulated from the harsh realities of this world. And in the midst of daily living, they developed a lasting relationship with God that formed the foundation of our own faith today. Crumb’s faithfulness to the text is able to flesh out the daily ordinary live of the patriarchs without diminishing the extraordinary nature of their faith. Honestly, and perhaps ironically, I don’t think anyone else could have accomplished that incredible feat.

Crumb’s Genesis is truly a remarkable book. I’d like everyone to experience a chapter or two of book so they could judge for themselves if the book is appropriate for them. Like Genesis itself, this book is a mix of the sacred and the profane. Not everyone will find that to their liking. However, I sincerely believe it’s worth the effort to read the book, at least once.

NPR posted the first five pages of the book, while Boing Boing has chapter 19, the story of Lot and his daughters in Sodom, as well as a video flip-through.

(The publisher provided a review copy.)

Nana is a normal human girl who is friends with Majoko, a witch of the same age from the Land of Magic. A magic diary serves as the portal between the two worlds. The girls have lots of adventures together in the Land of Magic. This volume opens with the conclusion to the cliffhanger from volume 1. Further adventures in this book include helping an old clay pot find a beloved owner, attending the Snowman Festival, searching for the runaway Mirror Fairy in the Land of Mirrors, and a visit to the Land of Toys. All of the chapters but the first are self-contained stories.

The Big Adventures of Majoko Book 2
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This second volume is just as delightful as the first. Majoko continues to be impulsive and overly confident. The authors are careful to make her a likeable character by showing how her faults come from youthfulness. I love that she understands how special and unusual the Land of Magic is and is filled with enthusiasm and curiosity. I do worry that Majoko seems to be have a very slow learning curve. I’m hoping as the series continues that she will begin to mature. Perhaps some of Nana’s own maturity will rub off on Majoko.

There were two chapters I found particularly heartwarming. The first is when Majoko and Nana help an old piece of magical pottery find an owner he got separated from years ago. The years have not been kind to the pot. Yet, when he is reunited with his old owner, she immediately welcomes him and showers him with affection regardless of his appearance. It’s a wonderful lesson on the true worth of each person.

The second chapter I found moving is when Nana’s mother accidently throws out her favorite doll, Katie. Nana and Majoko travel to the Land of Toys to find the doll. They find out how bitter abandoned and abused toys feel. They also discover the power of love. Katie is able to use all the love Nana has given her over the years to reform one of the abandoned toys, making him happy and emotionally whole. It’s a touching lesson on treating our possessions with respect.

The page layouts are simple and easy for young readers to follow. The drawings are a little simpler than the standard manga, but they don’t lack details. There is lots of energy to the artwork to keep young readers engaged in the book. One nice extra with this book is a two-page guide on how to read unflipped manga. Not just how to read a page, but even how to read the balloons within a panel. I really like having this in the book, so it’s right there if young readers get confused.

Udon does make one small misstep. The inside back cover tells readers, “For more cool stuff, games, and free previews, visit MangaforKids.com.” However, the only thing currently on the website is free previews. I hope they correct this soon. I hate for them to disappoint young, excited readers who are looking for ways to have more fun with the books and characters.

I still think The Big Adventures of Majoko is a great series for both sexes, though I realize that boys are much less likely to read a series with two girl protagonists. The stories are short and quick-paced. There is plenty of humor to keep things entertaining and from getting too serious. It’s a great series for introducing kids to manga. Parents will enjoy the books, too. I’m glad to see Udon continue it’s commitment to quality manga for younger readers.

(The publisher provided a review copy.)

Artie and the Knights face a dilemma: they need to raise $300 to replace the broken windshield on Principal Dagger’s car. The grand prize for the Dueling Dragons Robot Tournament is $300. The problem is that Joe and the Horde always win the tournament by bullying one of the smartest kids in school into building them an undefeatable robot. Artie then finds out there may be an easy way to insure their victory, but it may not be the right decision. Meanwhile, Percy never seems to be around and is upset that Artie has entered the Knights in the robot tournament. Will Artie and the Knights make the right choices? And if they do, does that mean losing the robot duel?

Knights of the Lunch Table:
The Dragon Players
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This is the second book in the Knights of the Lunch Table series. Whereas the first volume had a lot for both parents and kids to enjoy, this volume is more focused on the younger readers.

It’s a morality tale that’s practical to all areas of life. The big decision that Artie has to face is whether he is willing to win at any cost or will he compete fairly and risk losing. Embedded in this decision is the question of how Artie is going to live his life in general. Is he simply going to take the path of least resistance, or is he willing to work hard, make sacrifices, and do what’s right? In this regard, the book reminds me of Merlin’s lessons in T.H. White’s The Once And Future King.

Cammuso does a great job of making Artie’s world and his choices very realistic. The bad guy, Joe, gets away with a lot because kids are too scared to tell on bullies for fear of getting beat up. Seeing Joe and his buddies getting away with so much makes it harder for Artie and the Knights to choose the more difficult and morally correct path. None of the adults seem to be aware of what’s going on. However, Artie and the Knights aren’t completely left to their own devices.

Like his name sake, Mr. Merlyn gives Artie both the advice he needs and the freedom to make his own decisions. He puts into words the lessons that Artie’s other mentor, the magical locker, can only hint at. It’s the locker that leads Artie to Evo to see what happens when you always choose the easy way to success and get caught. It’s the locker that also gives Artie the book on how to build robots. You have to wonder about the relationship between Mr. Merlyn and the locker.

The lesson Artie and the Knights learn is one that we as adults need to be reminded of, too. It’s easy to get so fixated on achieving your goals that you lose your moral compass. In your obsession, you make decisions with real consequences that you will come to regret. Sometimes you spend the rest of your life living with the fallout of just one bad choice. Making the right decision is never simply an autonomic response. We’re constantly faced with new challenges that force us to stop and think what direction we want to take with our lives. The book is a great reminder that doing the right thing is a lifelong struggle.

There is one minor flaw in this volume. At one point in the story, we’re told that there are four teams signed up for the robot tournament. When we actually get to the tournament itself, however, the only teams competing are the Knights and the Horde. What happened to the other two teams? Part of what upsets me is that I was really looking forward to two rounds of robot competition and only got one. So I’m feeling a little cheated myself.

My other complaint is that I wish Gwen was used more often in this book. She’s the only female member of the Knights and often the voice of reason. Artie and the Knights take her for granted. We never get to see her and Artie working on the robot together. I’m hoping that she’ll have a bigger presence in the next book and step out of the background to become a major character.

Although aimed mostly at kids, there are some things for the parents, too. The opening three pages are an amazing foreshadowing, motif setup, and summary of the book all in one. You have to go back and reread those pages after you finish the book to see how well those first three pages are crafted.

I’m also a fan of what I call the Lunch Ladies from Macbeth. They only get a couple of pages in each book, but they are so wonderfully kooky. I love the off-kilter rhyming and how it all seems non-sequitur and yet makes sense at the same time. It’s a masterful stroke to combine prophecy and comic relief in the same persons, without ruining the integrity of either character type.

Cammuso’s art is delightful. The use of thick lines and bright primary colors make this an eye-catching book. The pages are well laid out and make for easy reading. My favorite pages are the ones where the entire page itself is one panel with smaller panels inserted. I’d like to see that layout used a little more often. Cammuso is also excellent at expressing emotions. You can feel Artie’s awkwardness when he’s called to speak with Mr. Merlyn after class. Percy’s frustration at being bullied really jumps off the page. Just like the first volume, this is a book you can just flip through and enjoy visually for its own sake.

Knights of the Lunch Table: The Dragon Players is a great all ages book. I hope that Cammuso and Scholastic will continue with the series. I recommend the series to anyone looking for well-written kids comics that can deliver a message through a truly entertaining story instead of just moralizing. I look forward to the further adventures of Artie and the Knights. You can preview the first three pages of this book at the publisher’s website.

Friday

Events at the New York Anime Festival (NYAF) didn’t begin until 2:00 PM on Friday. This gave me the morning to head over to Kinokuniya bookstore. I love looking at all the Japanese pens and stationary goods that are available. Plus, I needed to find a book for a project I promised a friend that is long overdue now. I actually ended up spending more money at Kinokuniya than I did at the convention.

The first panel I attended on Friday was How to Become Famous on the Internet, moderated by Adam Ghahramani with Michael Pinto and Gia Manry as panel members. This was one of my favorite panels. Lots of good solid information about how to build a lasting readership on the internet. I appreciate how all three speakers made it plainly clear that growing a following is hard work. It will take a lot of time and well-planned effort. Adam said it best when he told the audience not to be a novelty, but a trend setter.

Very briefly, here is Michael’s presentation.

1. What do want to be famous for? What makes you stand out? Can you describe what you do in 25 words or less?
2. Be reciprocal. The internet is one of the places where the good guys win. Be nice. Link to other people’s websites.
3. It takes a great deal of time. You have to take a long-term perspective.
4. Follower count doesn’t mean that much. You don’t want just sheer numbers; you want a committed audience. It’s easy to get big numbers, but they’ll just as quickly move on to the next big thing.
5. Always Have a Hub That You Own. It’s okay to develop a following on Twitter or Facebook, but remember that you’re at the mercy of those sites. You need a web presence where the audience is directly yours and you have full control of maintaining that audience.

I don’t want to shortchange the presentations that Adam and Gia gave. Both were excellent and had original ideas of their own to share. If someone recorded that panel, I hope they will either upload the audio or a transcript. It’s worth getting all the details.

The next panel I planned to attend got cancelled, which left me free time to wander around the convention hall. There I met and hung out with Erica Friedman and Sean Gaffney. There really weren’t that many good deals for manga buyers. I did pick up three volumes I was looking for from a vendor’s used selection and got a good price on them. There was one true discount manga dealer. However, most of their stock was older manga that I already have full series of.

Ed Chavez of Vertical

My only other panel on Friday was the Vertical Panel. Deb Aoki and Brigid Alverson have excellent listings of all the titles announced. Ed Chavez, Director of Marketing, hosted the panel. He began by explaining that Vertical is a prose publisher and that influences the way they look at manga licenses. Personally, I was thrilled to hear that Chi’s Sweet Home was finally licensed. I’m buying three copies of each volume. I already have two people in mind that I will be giving this manga as a gift to.

Saturday

My first panel for Saturday was Steampunk in Anime hosted by Mike Van Helder with G.D. Falksen, Jared Axelrod, Evelyn Kriete, and Liz Gorinsky. Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction focusing on an alternate version of the Victorian era. The idea is attempting to duplicate many modern machines but with steam as the power source. Themes found in steampunk are the wonder of technology, the excitement of the unknown, a sense of adventure to life, and the gentlemen scientist. The best examples of steampunk anime are Steamboy, Nadia Secret of the Blue Water, Steam Detectives, and Last Exile. The discussion was a little disjointed. I wished they had started off with a definition of steampunk and then a brief history of the subgenre. Instead, you got this information piecemeal over the course of the hour. Other than that minor complaint, it was a great panel. I was unfamiliar with steampunk and so learned a lot.

Next I got to see the first two episodes of the Emma anime. The show is just as charming and leisurely paced as the manga. I enjoyed it tremendously.

My second panel was Opportunities and Obstacles for Japanese Music in the US Market, moderated by Megumi Sato with David Hou, Hayden Brereton, and Keiko Shibata as panelists. The first Japanese pop (JPop) song to hit the US charts was “Sukiyaki” by Kyu Sakamoto which went to number one in 1963. Later, Lady Pink would reach number 37 in 1979 with “Kiss in the Dark”. Since then, there haven’t been any Japanese bands to break the Top 40 chart in the America. Needless to say, Japanese bands have a hard time establishing a sizable fan base in the US. Recently, BOA and Utada have tried to break into America, but with limited success. One problem has been the perception of Asian musicians as foreign, whereas European musicians don’t have problems establishing an audience in the America. Another problem is the management of the top tier JPop acts isn’t interested in trying to expand into the US. They don’t think the effort is worth the return. What is happening is more indy bands are coming over from Japan and slowly building a fanbase. It’s taken some time, but now more Americans are becoming aware of JPop. All the panelists were optimistic and think there are more opportunities than challenges today for JPop.

Reni, a JPop cosplay singer

My final panel as an audience member on Saturday was the Anime News Network panel. It was moderated by Christopher McDonald with Justin Sevakis and Bamboo Dong as panelists. Chris had planned to make a big announcement at NYAF; however, the contract is still being finalized. So they used the time for audience questions. Most questions were, “Do you think they will ever make an anime of this?” or “Will they release a second season of that?” I look forward to seeing what ANN’s big announcement will be.

Saturday also brought my first experience as a panelist. I was part of the Blogger’s Roundtable moderated by Kate of Reverse Thieves. My co-panelists were Gia Manry, Deb Aoki, Scott VonSchilling, Evan Minto, Dave Cabrera, Pat, Carl Li, Alain Mendez, and Caleb D. Because of the size of the panel, we only had time for four questions. First was to introduce ourselves. Second, how did you get into blogging? Third, what is your favorite piece of memorabilia? The final question was asked, via Twitter, by Zac Bertschy. Ed Chavez of Vertical came to the podium and read it.

It was my favorite question of the night. “Does it ever feel like you’re just writing into a void, or perhaps an echo chamber, with the sheer volume of anime blogs?” Which Ed modified slightly to ask how do we start and encourage critical discussion among bloggers and reviewers. That’s a question I’ve been asking myself. I would like to see more interaction among reviewers so we can encourage and challenge each other to probe more deeply into the books we’re reading. I think the panel was a good starting place for this. Overall, it was such a positive and energizing experience that I’m thinking of putting together a couple panels for Otakon and NYAF.

Sunday

The first panel on Sunday was Convention War Stories. The two moderators/panelists were Kevin McKeever of Robotech.com and Adam Sheehan of Funimation. This was a fun panel with both telling stories about protecting voice actors from stalkers, dealing with actors hired to play a character for a convention, creepy fans, nightmare convention setups, and so forth. I’d like to see them continue to have this panel with different guests each year.

Japanese Ghosts: GeGeGe no Kitaro

My final panel for the convention was Japanese Ghosts: GeGeGe no Kitaro moderated by Dawn Mostow with Kjoe and Mie Iikeda as panelists. The first thing I noticed walking into the room was a print from the Mizuki exhibit I covered last year. While gawking at the print, Mie introduced herself to me. She is the one responsible for assembling the exhibit. It was a great pleasure to met and thank her.

The panel focused on Mizuki’s very popular and influential manga GeGeGe no Kitaro. There have been five TV shows based on this manga. The panel began with a discussion of what are yokai (see my exhibit report for a discussion of the term). They then went on to discuss some of the central characters of the manga with illustrations from the newest anime series. Japanese folklore is wonderfully rich, and Mizuki is considered a self-taught expert on the subject. Again, I can only lament the travesty that his works are not available in English. This wonderful panel made me hunger for Mizuki’s works even more.

Overall Impression

The NYAF was a great show this year. I’m not a Gundam fan, but having Yoshiyuki Tomino as the guest of honor brought a lot of energy and excitement to the show. Also, the musical guest AKB48 generated a good deal of buzz too. The show has a very upbeat feel to it.

The biggest joy for me at NYAF was getting to meet up with other manga reviewers and bloggers. I got to spend a lot of time with Brigid Alverson, Deb Aoki, Melinda Beasi, Robin Brenner, Erica Freidman, Sean Gaffney, and Moritheil. These are people I talk to online but don’t get to see in person since we live so far from each other. It just reinforced the sense of community I’ve felt this past year getting to know these people. It was also a great privilege to met Ed Chavez and have some quick impromptu conversations with him. All of these people, along with Johanna, inspire and challenge me as a reviewer. Talking with them encouraged me to continue improving my writing and reviewing skills, to strive more for excellence and dig deeper into the books that I’m reviewing. I feel very honored to be in their presence and want to continually show myself worthy of being a member of the manga reviewers’ community.

The Dealers' Room

Everyone has already complained about the Javits Center’s location problems. That didn’t bother me as much. I wished the dealers’ room had been larger with more discount manga vendors, but that’s a very minor complaint at best.

I’m looking forward to the combined NYAF/NYCC show next year. It’s a chance to have my love of US comics, manga, and anime all under one roof. However, I know that there will be scheduling conflicts galore. So it will be interesting to see what sacrifices I’ll have to make. A friend of mine goes to a ton of US comic shows but has never been to an anime show, so it will allow him to finally see what one is like. I’m hoping the meeting of the two fandoms will provide a positive experience for everyone.

Some New Kind of Slaughter (or Lost in the Flood (and How We Found Home Again): Diluvian Myths From Around the World) retells twelve ancient flood myths and one original story set in modern times. The book uses the earliest known flood myth as the narrative frame to tell the other stories. The Sumerian king, Ziusudra, is warned by the god Enki that the world is about to be flooded. He takes his people to the coast and buys a boat large enough to house them all. While on the ship, Ziusudra has visions of other people and their flood experiences. Besides the Sumerian myth, three other stories run the length of the book. They are the modern story of Sharon Boatwright, an original version of the Noah story, and the Chinese myth of Fu Xi and Nuwa.

Some New Kind of Slaughter
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Biblical and comparative religion students are aware that Noah’s tale in Genesis is not the only ancient flood story. In fact, it’s not even the oldest. The oldest flood story is from Sumer and dates back to approximately 1700 BC. Almost every culture has a flood myth. Some are stories of global floods; other are local flood stories. As this book points out, we are still writing flood stories today about experiences in New Orleans and Phuket, Thailand.

Given the number and variety of flood stories, it’s amazing that someone hasn’t attempted a project like this before. Certainly, there is more than enough material for a monthly series to run several years. Of course, the problem may be the research needed to portray the historical and cultural context of each story accurately. Most flood stories would barely occupy one issue, so each month the creative team would have the challenge of presenting a different ancient culture. This may explain why no one has done it before and the present book limits itself to just twelve ancient tales.

Some New Kind of Slaughter is a mixed bag. Taken individually, the authors have done a good job of selecting and illustrating a wide variety of flood stories. However, the overall narrative structure of the book itself is too fragmentary to enjoy the myths.

Throughout most of the book, the reader is asked to follow five narratives at once: the four larger stories plus a shorter myth. Since this isn’t an epic tale, like Lord of the Rings, these separate story lines aren’t part of a grander narrative that will tie them all back together. For a 126-page book, I find five concurrent storylines silly and excessive. Much more satisfying would have been to keep the narrative devise of Ziusudra’s vision and then to tell each myth in turn completely before moving on to the next.

Another complaint I had with the book was the lack of bibliography or source notes for the myths. I suspect that some readers, like myself, will find this book whets their appetite for further reading on flood myths. Unfortunately, the authors have left us to our own devices to find if there are any collections of flood myths and if so, what the best ones are. I did locate a website with a listing of many, if not most, of the world myths by country with footnotes. So for those interested in learning more, that is a good place to start.

This lack of source material is most glaring in the original version of Noah that Mann and Lewis tell. Those familiar with the Biblical narrative are going to find a lot of new material. Even students of the rabbinical traditional will find unfamiliar characters and elements. What Mann and Lewis did was combine into one story the Biblical version, rabbinical tradition, and material from the Qur’an and Islamic tradition. I’m well-versed in the Genesis account but have no familiarity with the Jewish and Islamic sources, so I was shocked by the appearance of a fourth son for Noah, a giant, the Book of Raziel, the body of Adam, and seventy villagers in this story. I had no clue where all this new material came from until I began to research the extra-Biblical mentions of Noah. If you’re going to radically alter a familiar story, then you’re obligated to let your readers know this is an original version and what you based this new telling on, even if it’s just your own imagination.

In general, I liked Mann’s artwork. He does a good job of displaying the different cultures for each myth. In fact, I was able to identify the country of origin of a couple of myths based on the clothing of the characters. He uses a thick-line style that works well to convey character emotions. However, this same thick line causes problems with characters in the background or in panels simulating a movie long shot. Often, there is a lack of details in these characters. Hands become parallelograms with lines for fingers. In some panels, the juxtaposition of fully rendered figures and stick figures was jarring enough to throw me out of the narrative to stare in disbelief at the art.

Despite its flaws, Some New Kind of Slaughter works well as an introduction to the rich world of flood mythology. In this book, you can see how wonderfully diverse this body of literature is. Floods are still a deadly reality in the world today. As the authors astutely point out, our experience with floods is one of the many ways that we are still connected to our ancestors and the authors of these myths. We still tell stories to help define and understand our experiences and to find meaning in the midst of what seems to be utter chaos. Some New Kind of Slaughter helps us to reconnect with our forefathers and to find comfort and companionship in our common struggles.

(A complimentary copy for this review was provided by the publisher.)

Otaku: Japan’s Database Animals
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Published in Japan in 2001, Otaku: Japan’s Database Animals became a bestseller. Hiroki Azuma reshaped both academic studies of otaku culture and how otaku understood themselves. The book is finally available in English, allowing American fans and scholars access to this highly influential work.

Otaku is the term used for devoted Japanese fans of anime, manga, and video games. The otaku culture in Japan is similar to the comic book fan culture in the U.S. Otaku are not simply consumers but collectors and enthusiasts. They purchase related merchandise items like figures, posters, jewelry, clothing, etc. They publish fan magazines, set up internet sites dedicated to their favorite series, and write fan fiction. In 2007, the otaku market represented approximately 1.7 billion dollars in sales (p. xv).

Let me begin with a minor translation quibble. In this book, Western and Japanese persons are mentioned. For the Japanese names, the translators have preserved the Japanese order of family name first, given name second. This makes for awkward reading, especially when Western and Japanese names appear in the same paragraph or worse, the same sentence. I can’t find any place in the book where the translators make this clear to the reader. Given this is a translated work, it would be wise to stick with Western name order for all persons to avoid any confusion.

Obviously, such a short review can’t explore or convey the complex arguments that Azuma lays out in his book. So I’ll focus on the central theme by looking at what Azuma means by database and animal. Specifically, Azuma shows how the current generation (born 1980 and after) consumer patterns embody the postmodern worldview (pp. 6,7).

Postmodern Fan Culture

The characteristic of postmodernity most important to Azuma is the loss of grand narratives (pp. 26-29). The hallmark of modernity was the belief that the deep structure of reality could be described in one coherent theory/philosophy. Examples of these grand narratives include Christianity, rationality, humanism, or nationalism. Postmodern criticism has shown either a given narrative is fundamentally flawed in itself, or it doesn’t have the explanatory power or scope that its advocates claimed. Instead, postmodernity has shown that the deep structure of reality is fragmentary and can’t be reduced to one unified theory. At best, we can form small narratives that give us a perspective on a portion of that deeper layer. Azuma prefers to call the fragmentary deep layer of reality the database of reality.

Let’s relate this back to otaku culture. Here, I’ll use examples more familiar to a U.S. audience. An example of modern fan culture would be that based around Star Wars. This was a series that took place within a universe with an elaborately developed backstory. The movies, books, and characters all participate and have a place in this grand narrative. So when we look at Luke Skywalker, we see him as part of a greater whole.

Postmodern fan culture is best seen through the original Aeon Flux series. Those who remember the original five shorts from MTV’s Liquid Television will remember each short ending with Aeon’s violent death. The next short would pick up as if Aeon had survived. The focus in this series is not some epic drama, but on the character Aeon and her current mission. We aren’t given many details about the world she lives in. There was no grand narrative to the original series, just the small narratives of each episode.

Human vs. Animal Culture

The second major concept in Azuma’s book is how this loss of grand narrative affects the nature of who we are. Under modernity, the fundamental characteristic of being human is a desire and quest for meaning. Humans can’t take reality as is; they believe there is something more to the world we live in. By contrast, animals don’t desire deeper meaning. The only thing an animal seeks is to have its needs met. The move from modernity to postmodernity means that homo sapiens are throwing off the artifice of humanness and returning to our animal roots (pg. 67).

Azuma postulates that contemporary otaku culture is thoroughly postmodern in nature. Consumers are no longer looking for grand narratives; they simply want characters that satisfy their criteria of traits. Companies no longer start with a story and then develop characters to fit the story. Instead, you now have a consumer database of desired characteristics (pp. 39-44). Companies cull from this database the appropriate number of traits to form a character, then build a story for the character and develop related merchandise. Some companies, like Pinky Street or Hot Wheels, don’t even bother with story. They simply develop character/product lines that will appeal to otaku needs.

Let’s return to our examples from above. A Star Wars fan purchases merchandise as a way to participate in the grand narrative of that universe. You can’t own the Star Wars story, but you can buy a book or figure and in that way own something representative of the epic story. Here, you are being a human consumer. It’s the Star Wars narrative that motivates your purchase and gives meaning to the products you own.

However, you can only purchase Aeon Flux products as an animal. There’s no grand narrative that motivates you; it’s the character herself. Aeon has traits that you find attractive. Perhaps you admire her beauty, the fact she’s a spy, or her proficiency with weapons. You might then go on to buy similar characters, like other female spy characters or other brunette women proficient with guns. You’re purchasing figures/products because of a desire for characters of a certain type regardless of what series they appear in or if they are even part of a series.

Japanese Consumerism

Finally, Azuma sees otaku culture as being reflective of Japanese consumerism in general. Because of the unique nature of otaku culture, it’s easier to analyze their consumption patterns and the ideology behind those trends. Once you’ve extracted the philosophical model, then you can apply it to other subcultures and general Japanese culture.

What makes Azuma’s argument so persuasive is his knowledge of otaku culture. He understands otaku history. Furthermore, he has an expansive knowledge of anime shows, manga series, video games, and popular characters. He weaves into his argument illustrations drawn from such diverse knowledge. His analyses of Saber Marionette J (pp. 22,23), Di Gi Charat (pp. 39-47), the art of Takashi Murakmi (pp. 63-66), and novel games (pp. 75-86) are amazing. It feels like Azuma’s argument is built on thoughtful observation of and participation in otaku culture and not him trying to force otaku culture into a pre-existing philosophical mold. It’s a brilliant demonstration of how even ‘low culture’ has depth and layers.

Otaku: Japan’s Database Animals is a thought-provoking book. It’s dense at parts because of the complexity of the thought and not because the use of academic jargon. Azuma’s prose is lively and meant to reflect the writing more typical of journalists than scholars. The translators have done an excellent of preserving these qualities of the original.

Application to U.S. Superhero Fans

What amazed me was how relevant Azuma’s discussion is to modern US superhero fans. In fact, you can argue that DC and Marvel pioneered postmodern consumerism. The way both companies have handled their characters over the decades have conditioned fans to follow a character through changing writers, artists, storylines, powers, origin stories, and universe crises. It’s not uncommon to hear fans discuss their love for a character but their dislike for a particular story arc or the way the current creative team is handling the character.

DC has gone even one step further in that there are multiple coexisting narratives or continuities for a character. For example, look at Batman. There are at least four continuities that a fan can choose to follow. First, there is the narrative found in the comic books. Second, there is the continuity of the animated series from the 1990s. Third, the storyline of the live action films. Finally, the narrative of the current animated series. So a fan of Batman can now choose which continuity they find the most likeable and follow that narrative to the exclusion of the others. You can’t get a more perfect example of Azuma’s database animal consumerism where the character is what matters most, not the narrative.

For those looking to understand otaku culture or Japanese scholarship of otaku culture, this is a must read. Given the similarities between otaku culture and U.S. comic book fan culture, it also offers fresh insight there, too. It’s not a easy read, but it’s worth the effort. I would like to see University of Minnesota Press follow up with more of Azuma’s works. My hope is that American comic scholars will read and react to this book in their writings. Having this book in English provides a great opportunity for cross-cultural communication among scholars to promote a deeper, more nuanced understanding of fan culture universally.

(A complimentary copy for this review was provided by the publisher.)

Gesicht has been assigned to guard Adolf Haas and his family. Haas’ former colleagues have decided he’s a liability and want him dead before he can reveal too many of their secrets. But Gesicht is starting a personal crisis as buried memories begin to surface, revealing shocking details of his past.

Also in this volume, Hercules faces off against Pluto, while Uran, Professor Ochanomizu, and Professor Tenma all have to come to grips with what happened to Atom.

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka Book 5
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Volume five at its core is about robot psychology. It specifically focuses on how robots handle hate. This theme is first mentioned during Epsilon’s conversation with Hercules in volume three. Epsilon is worried that as robots grow closer to humans, robots will learn hatred. He’s scared of the consequences robot hatred will have. We also see this theme briefly alluded to in volume four, when Tenma tells Ochanomizu that emotions like sadness and frustration are needed for an artificial intelligence to truly mature.

Tenma’s statement in volume four is further significant because it offers a different definition of intelligence than is commonly held. Tenma believes that true intelligence is both cognitive and emotive. Robot law demands robots be built with suppressed emotions, thus robots are stunted intellectually. It’s obvious that even Ochanomizu doesn’t share this view, since he thinks Atom is a masterpiece. Tenma sees Atom as a failure because of his lack of emotional range. Further, I believe Tenma is echoing Urasawa’s own belief on the nature of intelligence, and I suspect we will see the rest of the series explore this idea.

Why does Tenma see emotion as fundamental to true intellectual development? In the West, we have a compartmentalized view of human nature. We see the cognitive and emotive sides of our beings as not just separate but in opposition to each other. Urasawa is offering a more holistic view of human beings. Reason and emotion are opposite sides of the same coin. Just as there is no such thing as a coin with one side, so too there is no such thing as pure cognitive intelligence. Pure rationality is simply machine processing. For cognition to have life there must be emotion. What fuels us to seek a cure for cancer? A well-constructed, logical argument about physical health? No. It’s compassion. It’s seeing people suffer and die from cancer and being moved emotionally to want no one else to endure the same fate.

So why does Epilson fear hatred? Because of its irrational nature. Robots are constructed with multiple levels of safeguards to prevent them from intentionally harming humans. Any strong emotion would bypass or override those safeguards. What happens when robot behavior truly becomes human and losses its predictability? Robots are stronger, faster, smarter, and more durable than humans. Robots have enjoyed civil rights because they are not seen as a threat to humanity. But what if humans can no longer trust robots? They’ll revoke robot civil rights. Imagine how the newly emotive robots will react to the loss of their civil rights. Epilson fears for the future of the Earth, if robots learn to hate.

This discussion brings to light the differences between cognitive maturity, emotional maturity, and experiential maturity. Robots have the reason and body of an adult. The difficulty comes when robots begin to develop emotions but have no experience to handle what they’re feeling. It’s obvious why they would be dangerous at this stage in their lives. In humans, the danger is mitigated by the fact we are physically developing as we begin to mature emotionally. Of course, you can’t program in emotional maturity the same way you can program in rationality. Assuming we’re as committed as Tenma in making robots holistic persons, the problem is how to safely develop emotional maturity in robots.

There is a great Tezuka moment in this book. One constant motif in the original Astro Boy series was robots teaching humans how to behave humanely. In this book, Gesicht has come to realize the anger buried deep inside himself. He confesses his anger to Haas and how it scares him. He asks Haas if the hatred ever disappears. Haas has let anger consume and define him all his life. Here, a robot who has a right to hate Haas and his brother is shamed by his anger and begs to be free of it. In that moment, a machine is teaching a human proper care for the soul. Haas sees his failure as a person and cries. It’s a powerful moment of redemption for both men.

Adding depth to the exploration of robot psychology is the chapter focusing on Uran. She is coping with the loss of her brother. We see her going through the same steps of grief as a human. It’s a heartbreaking chapter as we come to see how deeply she loved Atom, even if they didn’t always get along. Uran shows how emotionally complex robots really are. I love that the school principal understands this and advises the teachers to treat Uran like any other student coping with death of a family member. The last two pages are the most poignant. They also show us how amazingly perceptive and accurate her intuitions are.

This book introduces Professor Tenma as a major character. In the original series, Tenma was an enigma. You could understand why he created Atom, and even why he rejected Atom, but not why he went on to treat Atom the way he did. Urasawa fleshes him out more, like he does with all of Tezuka’s characters, while preserving an air of mystery around him. The conversation between Tenma and Ochanomizu is one I’ve longed to see as an Astro Boy fan, two robotic geniuses talking shop. There’s a darkness to Tenma that unfortunately skews his vision of life. He focuses on the negative emotions and thinks they are the path for robots to reach full personhood. I’m hoping in the next volume that Ochanomizu will offer a corrective, showing Tenma that robots can mature just as fully through love. Atom and Uran are the perfect examples of this.

As always, the art is amazing. One thing that struck me in this volume was the perfect pacing of each scene. Urasawa knows exactly how many panels to dedicate to each moment to produce the needed emotional impact or dramatic effect. If there is tension between two characters, he knows whether you need one or two silent reaction shots to convey the proper friction. The last scene of Uran’s chapter is amazing because each panel is a punctuated moment. Each moment increases the emotional potential of the scene. Slowly, meticulously, Urasawa progresses the narrative to the last page, where we are hit with all that stored emotion. We feel both knocked off our feet and relieved. Then brilliantly, the last two panels provide the seamless transition to the next chapter.

I want to praise Viz for their reproduction job. In the last three volumes, there are pages that can’t have been easy or cheap to get right. Viz has spent the time and effort to make sure the book you’re holding is the same quality as the series it contains. The Viz Signature line is at a slightly higher price point, but the books are worth every penny you pay.

I have to say that volume five has been my favorite book of Pluto so far. It’s an incredibly rewarding read, both cognitively and emotionally, with multiple layers of narrative. I love how Urasawa is giving new depth to older themes while bringing in new themes to explore. It’s a book that has captivated and energized my thinking for several days. Each time I think about a particular chapter or character, I get excited by all the ideas that come flooding in for me to examine and play with. Setting the imagination on fire is the hallmark of great literature.

(A complimentary copy for this review was provided by the publisher.)

By day, Soichi Negishi is a meek, mild lover of saccharine Swedish pop who hopes to become a famous musician in the same genre. By night, he is Lord Krauser II, front man for the Detroit Metal City (DMC), an underground death metal band, infamous for depraved lyrics and reprobate stage antics. The manga focuses on the conflict these two opposite personalities and lifestyles cause Soichi.

Detroit Metal City Book 2
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Detroit Metal City is one of the guiltiest pleasures in my life. There are so many reasons not to like this series: abundant use of foul language, crude humor, misogynistic lyrics and actions, moronic fans, etc. Yet these unsavory elements are exactly what makes the series so funny and a delight to read. Wakasugi’s genius is that he has created this insane setup of musician with borderline Dissociative Identity Disorder (split personality) and just runs full throttle with it. The humor is so over-the-top that you can’t take it seriously. In fact, DMC doesn’t take itself seriously. Often the last panel of a story is Wakasugi giving us a knowing wink.

Soichi is pathetically funny. He hates being Krauser. However, Krauser is inexorably a part of him. He is disgusted by the lyrics he writes for DMC, but each song seems to get darker than the next. Even when he wants to quit, he can’t stand seeing someone else try to be Krauser in his place. It’s tempting to think that Krauser is simply Soichi expressing repressed anger and frustrations, but there’s more to it than that. Even Soichi can’t explain everything Krauser says and does. In truth, I can’t even image how to reconcile these two personas or what a middle ground between the two would look like. Wakasugi has created this wonderful paradox that’s a goldmine of comedy. Krauser is only palatable because you know Soichi is behind the makeup and the disconnect is so extreme you either laugh or turn away in disgust.

Even more amazing is the devotion and worship the DMC fans give Krauser. They accept everything he does as brilliant and analyze everything he says for hidden meanings. They have formed a cult that believes Krauser really does every depraved act mentioned in his lyrics. Incredibly enough, they actually believe he spends most of his waking hours raping every woman he comes in contact with and murdering random strangers just for kicks. The fans don’t let little details like how all these murders and rapes escape both police and news media bother them.

There is also a great cast of supporting characters. The most charismatic is DMC’s manager, referred to simply as Boss. She is bawdy, aggressive, and rules with an iron fist. She judges all things by the amount of vaginal secretions they effect in her. She is the Shakespeare of libido metaphors. She’s serious about making the band a huge success. She also wants Soichi to abandon his Swedish-pop-loving ways and completely become Krauser. She is such a forceful personality that she steals every scene she’s in.

The art is just as energetic and hysterical as the story. Wakasugi is able to make Soichi look sweet and innocent while making Krauser look demonic and maniac. The character designs are exceptional. DMC’s stage costumes are a great parody of Kiss’s look. Soichi’s facial expressions in and out of makeup are priceless. Without the great art this book wouldn’t be half as fun as it is.

As a former Kiss fan, I find DMC to be a great parody of heavy metal music and all the craziness that surrounds it. It’s definitely not a series for the easily offended. The humor and language are very crude. If you can get past that obstacle, you will find an infectiously funny series. I crack up trying to describe DMC to friends. The fact I still find the jokes humorous several days after I’ve read the book is the best recommendation I can make.

(A complimentary copy for this review was provided by the publisher.)

The Mouse Guard have stopped a rebellion and siege of their headquarters at Lockhaven. However, their troubles are far from over. They don’t have enough provisions to survive the winter. The rebellion has brought to light the need for the independent mice cities to form an alliance to stave off external and internal threats. Gwendolyn, leader of the Mouse Guard, has sent out representatives to all the cities seeking supplies and offering to host a summit of the cities. Both are needed to insure the survival not just of the Mouse Guard, but all mice.

Mouse Guard: Winter 1152
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Mouse Guard is high fantasy in the tradition of Tolkien, Le Guin, and Brooks. Obviously, the scope of this series is much smaller; however, it’s just as rich and nuanced a world as any of the other epic fantasies.

Mouse Guard is populated with sentient animals, instead of humans. David Petersen crafts a realistic world by keeping as much of the natural physiology as possible in the animals. In addition, each species has its own culture, shaped by their place in the food chain and their survival techniques. Technologically and structurally, the mouse society is equivalent to the high Middle Ages (as the year in the title indicates). Opening this book is like stepping through the wardrobe to Narnia.

So many aspects of this book invite comparison to Tolkien. The focus of the book is simple and straight-forward: get supplies and renew alliances. (Tolkien’s focus was “go to Mordor and destroy Sauron’s ring”.) However, there are many obstacles and complexities along the way to those goals. This basic structure allows Petersen room for lots of character interaction and development. Just as in The Lord of the Rings, the mice discover a large, abandoned underground city, Darkheather. In fact, Darkheather’s architecture reminds me of Tolkien’s Moria. Remarkably, Mouse Guard doesn’t suffer from being compared to The Lord of the Rings; instead, it highlights how well-written and thought-out this series is.

Petersen focuses the narrative on a group of five mice, which allows us lots of time to get to know these characters. Each mouse has a distinct look and personality, which is just as well-developed as the world Petersen’s built. What endeared me most to this series is that words like honor, duty, sacrifice, and love are taken seriously and have significance in the life of these characters. These aren’t perfect mice, but they strive to live to up to the best and highest ideas. We deeply connect with these characters; we anguish over their struggles and cheer their triumphs. Again, like Tolkien, the nobility of these mice inspires and challenges us to be better people ourselves.

Reading Mouse Guard was a conflicting experience. Half of me wanted to turn the page to see what happens next, while half of me wanted to stop and linger over the luscious images. The artwork is filled with meticulous details in the designs of the cities, the weapons, the clothing, the everyday utensils, etc. Each city has its own unique architecture and fashion. Petersen uses rich, warm, earth tones for the world of the mice. It gives even the stronghold of Lockhaven a feeling of home. The art is simply gorgeous and a pure delight.

Archaia should be commended for a putting together a wonderful hardbound book. The paper is high quality. The reproduction shows all the details. There is a nice collection of extras at the end of the book. It’s definitely worth the cover price and would be a great gift book for an older child or comic fan. You can see a preview of the first five pages of this book at Archaia’s website.

I don’t say this lightly: Mouse Guard is perfect. There are no flaws in plot, character, design, color, narration, or world building. (Parents should be advised that because of the realism in this series, the fight scenes are bloody and characters do die. So be sure to take the age rating of 10+ seriously.) This is a must read for any fan of high fantasy. It’s also a must read for lovers of great comics in general. This was such a rewarding reading experience that I’m sad I have to wait until next year for the new story arc. I look forward to visiting this world again and spending more time with these incredible mice.

(A complimentary copy for this review was provided by the publisher.)

All books are priced at $10.99 US and were provided by the publisher, Del Rey, for review.

Kamichama Karin Chu Book 3

Kamichama Karin Chu Book 3
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by Koge-Donbo; adapted by The Twins (Alethea & Athena Nibley)

Karin and her three male friends are incarnations of the Greek gods. They fight against Rika, who controls the seeds of chaos. Kazune, Karin’s love interest, has gone into the future to discover how best to defeat these seeds. When he returns, Kazune becomes distant and won’t discuss what he discovered. His attitude is causing Karin great distress; this in turn threatens to destroy the bond among all four gods.

I’m coming into this story very late. This isn’t just the third volume of a series; it’s the third of the sequel to another series. So I was a little unclear on some of the specifics. For example, what exactly are the seeds of chaos and what threat do they pose to the earth? However, since this volume revolves around discovering what Kazune saw in the future that disturbed him, I didn’t need those details to understand the storyline.

I didn’t find Kamichama Karin Chu that interesting. The characters weren’t that sympathetic. They seemed obsessed over their relationships with each other. Of course, they didn’t actually talk to each other about how they felt. No one confronts Kazune over the discord he’s causing among the group. Also, they didn’t really seem worried about the seeds of chaos. If the fate of the world rests in their hands, the outlook is dubious at best.

The artwork is average for a shojo series. There was too much use of the chibi style. Instead of interjecting humor, its frequency became annoying. It felt like the story lacked focus and the chibi was used to as filler to keep up the page count. If this volume is typical of the series, then I advise readers to avoid Kamichama Karin Chu. There are a wealth of wonderful shojo series that are much better.

Princess Resurrection Books 4 & 5

Princess Resurrection Book 4
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by Yasunori Mitsunaga; adapted by Joshua Hale Fialkov; $10.99 US

Princess Lilianne is a member of vampire royalty. Hiro is her knight, a high-school-aged boy who appears to be still developing his skills. Her acquaintances include Riza, a werewolf, and Reiri, a non-royal vampire. There is a survival contest among the vampire princes and princesses. They have to prove their fitness to rule by killing off the competition. The lone survivor is crowned king/queen. The manga details Lilianne’s adventures as she attempts to win the throne.

Princess Resurrection Book 5
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Princess Resurrection is a fast-paced series with plenty going on to keep you interested. There’s a good mix of action and horror story elements to keep the series fresh. In these two volumes, you get a zombie story, a classic caught-in-a-nightmare tale, and a rescue mission. It’s definitely a plot-driven series, where even character development is used to drive the story forward.

Mitsunaga has created a solid cast of characters. Each has a distinctive look and personality. You can tell it’s more alliances of necessity than actually friendship among the group. This makes for some intriguing relationship dynamics. The artwork is average. At times, characters look flat or anatomy is slightly off, but these mistakes are rare. The splash pages are very good and add a nice visual punch to the stories.

Princess Resurrection is a good escapist series. I enjoyed what I read, but there isn’t enough there to make it a must-read. For action/horror fans, this could be a good series to pick up for a change of pace or to take a break from heavier material.

Negima!? Neo Book 1

Negima!? Neo Book 1
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story by Ken Akamatsu; art by Takuya Fujima; adapted by The Twins (Alethea & Athena Nibley)

Negi Springfield is a 10-year-old magical prodigy who has already completed all his wizard schooling at this young age. As part of his apprenticeship, he has been assigned to teach English at a private Japanese academy. He is also the homeroom teacher to an all-girl junior high school class. Negi’s real challenge is having to live in the same dormitory as his students, who treat him more as a younger brother than a teacher.

Negima!? Neo is an adaptation of the second anime based on the Akamatsu manga, Negima! Magister Negi Magi. This version of the Negima universe is much more plot-driven. I know Akamatsu critics will scoff, but a lot of the nuance and character development of the original manga is taken out. Also removed is most of the risqué humor. In essence, it’s an abbreviated retelling of the original manga with some minor changes to make the story move quicker.

Fujima’s art is very similar to Akamatsu’s. Since this is based on an anime, the character designs have been slightly simplified. Perhaps the biggest change is the toning down of the fan service. Note, I didn’t say removed, but there is significantly less. Fujima’s artwork overall is excellent. He does great exaggerated expressions during the humor scenes. The action sequences are dynamic and flow well. You have to admire Akamatsu’s eye for talented artists.

If you’re currently reading the original manga, there isn’t anything to recommend this book to you. However, if you’ve avoided Akamatsu’s work because of the fan service, then you might want to give this book a try. You will be able to get a sense of the story and characters with greatly reduced amounts of panties and cleverly concealed nudity. After all, this is a streamlined version of Negima designed to appeal to a larger audience.

Yozakura Quartet Books 3 & 4

Yozakura Quartet Book 3
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by Suzuhito Yasuda; adapted by Nunzio DeFlippis & Christina Weir

Sakurashin is a town where demons and humans live together. Until recently, the town has enjoyed a pretty quiet existence. The mayor of a neighboring town has shown up with a mysterious stranger who wants to be the mayor of Sakurashin. If Hime, the current mayor, doesn’t willingly surrender her office, then the stranger will take it by force. Hime and her friends have until sundown to figure out how to defeat the stranger and his goons. Of course, if they conquer this challenge, there is a bigger problem threatening the town’s very existence awaiting them.

I previous reviewed the first two volumes of this series. Now that Yasuda has a firm handle on the characters and the story, the problems that plagued the first two volumes are gone, and the strengths of the series begin to shine through. He has created a cast of endearing characters. The main attraction of the series is the deep affection the characters all have for each other and the town they live in. Yasuda does a great job of making the relationships feel authentic. He’s able to communicate that informality and familiarity that only longtime friends share.

Yozakura Quartet Book 4
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The key to making these relationships so believable is the judicious use of flashbacks. It’s not easy to do well, because the flashbacks have to be brief enough not to interrupt the main storyline. The best example is when he shows us how Hime acquired her trademark scarf and what it’s meant to her through the years. Once we understand the significance of the scarf, then Hime doesn’t have to go into a long speech about how much she loves it and what sacrificing the scarf proves. Instead, she tells Akina that if it’s a choice between the scarf or the town, then the town comes first. That simple sentence provides a wealth of information. The flashbacks allow Yasuda to keep the dialog between characters natural while filling us in on the true meanings behind the words.

The artwork is superb in this series. The action scenes burst with energy and tension. Yasuda is very adept at conveying the subtler emotions like timidity, doubt, and regret. It’s obvious that Yasuda puts a lot of thought and planning into his pages. They all have a nice clean layout. It makes for quick and easy reading.

At the end of each volume is about ten pages of bonus manga. These are a true treat. In volume three, we learn how much work Yasuda puts into converting the manga from serialization format to book format. Artwork is retouched, or if needed, redrawn; additional screen tones are added; even dialogue is edited or rewritten. You get the feeling that the serialized version is simply the final rough draft of the book version.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed these two volumes. Yozakura Quartet gets better with each book. It’s worth a second chance if you tried it before and wasn’t impressed. I look forward to watching Yasuda continue to grow and mature as a manga writer.

**Warning: This review contains spoilers.**

With this volume, the narrative jumps ahead three years to the summer of 2000. We finally discover what happened to Otcho since he disappeared twelve years ago in 1988. We also discover what happened to Professor Sikishima and his family. Remember, volume 1 opened with police investigating the Sikishima family’s disappearance.

20th Century Boys Book 4
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On a structural level, this volume is really about tying up some loose ends and reintroducing Otcho into the main storyline. In a sense, Urasawa is paying back his debt to the reader. Otcho was the red herring of the first two-and-a-half volumes. Urasawa owes us an explanation of where Otcho’s been and what he’s been doing. Especially since Otcho is the one who created the club and its distinctive symbol.

The previous three books have featured Kenji’s reluctant transformation into a hero. This volume is the story of Otcho’s metamorphosis. He starts out following the typical Japanese male life plan. He studies hard, goes to college, gets a corporate job, gets married, and has a child. All the while, he focuses more time and energy on his career than his family. It takes the death of his son for Otcho to break free of this drone mentality. After taking an honest look at his life, Otcho decides to literally leave it all behind and begin a new life in Thailand.

Otcho finds a spiritual mentor and begins the process of reshaping his life. I love Urasawa’s definition of personal strength. The strong aren’t the physically powerful, they are the ones who care so deeply for others that they will fight to the death to protect them. It’s not the Western model of the individuals forging forward in isolation. Urasawa is rejecting the Clint Eastwood/lone gunfighter concept of a hero. Here it isn’t incidental that the true hero is part of a community — it’s essential. This encapsulates what we learned watching Kenji take on the mantle of saving the world.

Reading Otcho’s back story, I couldn’t help but feel that Urasawa was making a critique of the Japanese business ethos. He finds a corporate culture that sacrifices family for profits to be morally bankrupt. We were given a glimpse of this when Kenji is told by the franchise representative that caring for Kanna is a hindrance to good sales. It becomes starkly clear when Otcho is such an absentee father that his son is killed while chasing after a business man he mistakes for Otcho. I wondered if Urasawa was indirectly implying the Japan bubble economy popped because of this fundamental flaw. That businesses, like individuals, need to be deeply connected to the community for strength and health.

Volume four also reinforces the idea that there is nobility and honor within all of us. Otcho may have given up on himself and lived in self-imposed exile, but Kenji still has faith in his childhood friend. The core members of Kenji’s resistance group are homeless men. Urasawa believes passionately that no one is beyond a second chance. The people we think are useless, broken, used up, or irrevocably fallen can still have it in them to do great things. They just need someone to believe in them and give them the opportunity to live up to their potential. It’s an encouraging message that even we the readers can still change our life and our world for the better. The only thing holding us back is our own limited self-perception.

It’s getting harder to find original ways to praise Urasawa’s artwork. And with eighteen volumes still to go, the problem’s only going to get worst. Urasawa is the consummate comics creator; he knows how to seamlessly blend the art into the storytelling. This allows him an economy of narration. He can say in a couple of panels what might take several paragraphs to convey. By illustrating it, the point or emotion comes across as more real and immediate than prose might be able to capture.

For example, the way Otcho’s world shatters at the news of his son’s accident is conveyed in just two panels, but we see and feel it all in those two pictures. Another example is when we first meet Kenji in this volume, we immediately see that he is more serious, more focused than when we last saw him. We feel the weight of those last three years on him. The visuals are truly stunning.

20th Century Boys continues to be an excellent series with a meticulously crafted plot with real depth to the story and characters. Urasawa conclusively demonstrates that comics can convey stories as dense and layered as any novel. Comic readers should be championing this as one of the series that proves graphic novels are worthy of that name and have come to full maturity. 20th Century Boys is a must read for readers of all stripes.

(A complimentary copy for this review was provided by the publisher.)

Hell Girl is an agent of revenge. If you have a grudge against someone, you can visit Hell Girl’s website at midnight and type in the name of the person you want to take revenge on. If Hell Girl accepts your request, she will visit you and give you a straw doll with a scarlet thread tied around its neck. All you have to do is untie the thread to send your perceived enemy to Hell. But there is a catch. If you send someone to Hell, then you are also condemned to Hell upon your death. Volume five contains four stories of people whose request is accepted by Hell Girl.

**Warning! This review contains spoilers!**

Hell Girl Book 5
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Simply from a storytelling perspective, Hell Girl is an unsatisfying read. The basic premise is that the people who contact Hell Girl are supposed to have no other recourse to find satisfaction. For the series to have any emotional punch, we need to get inside the desperation of the protagonist. Otherwise, their decisions seem rash and petty. However, these stories move too quickly to establish an effective bond between reader and sufferer. We barely have time to understand the story’s setup before Hell Girl is called in and someone is sent to Hell. More time is needed exploring the events and feelings that lead up to the decision to contact Hell Girl. Later, after the contract is sealed, we also need more time watching the protagonist come to fully understand the consequences of their actions: what they’ve done to another person, what they’ve done to themselves, and how this affects the people around them.

However, my main complaint is with Hell Girl’s system of morality. Hell Girl acts amorally. She doesn’t investigate to find out if the petitioner has a reasonable complaint. She doesn’t try to understand the situation or get the other person’s perspective. The only criterion to have your request accepted is that you have the appropriate level of hatred to condemn someone and yourself to Hell. The problem is that innocent people can, and do, get sent to Hell.

The last story of this volume serves to illustrate this ethical failing. Mizuho’s parents were killed in a hit-and-run accident. There were no witnesses and not enough physical evidence for the police to even have a suspect. Furthermore, Mizuho’s brother is sickly, and the stress of losing both parents has made his illness worst. After a period of time, Hideo Sato turns himself in as the hit-and-run driver. The police inform Mizuho about his arrest, but they also tell her that he will serve no more than five years because he has no prior criminal record. Mizuho finds it abhorrent that the man who caused her and her brother such suffering could get off so lightly. She contacts Hell Girl to exact her full measure of revenge.

It turns out that Sato fled the scene in a panic because he had a dying wife he was caring for. He wanted to be there for her final days. Once her funeral was over, he turned himself in, willing to accept the full punishment for his actions. Of course, Mizuho and the reader find this out after Sato is sent to Hell. Before surrendering, Sato sent Mizuho a letter of apology explaining why it took him so long to come forward.

Yes, it’s horrible that two people died as a result of Sato’s actions. Yes, he needs to be punished for accidental homicide and fleeing the scene of an accident. But does he deserve eternal torment for these actions? No. In fact, one of the frustrating aspects of this story is that we’re never told the exact circumstances of the accident. Even if Sato is completely at fault, it still doesn’t justify his being sent to Hell. His guilt, confession, and acceptance of punishment show him to be a morally good man who sincerely repents of the wrong he’s done. He’s not beyond redemption. He deserves an opportunity to make what amends he can. And he should be allowed that chance.

Hell Girl doesn’t care. Mizuho wants Sato to rot in Hell, and her hatred is intense enough for her to seal the contract without regard for the consequences. That’s good enough for Hell Girl.

Where is the concept of justice in this series? Does Hell Girl have no antithesis, someone to balance the moral scales of the universe? In the series, good comes across as impotent and evil as unstoppable. It seems that hatred and revenge are the most powerful forces in the Hell Girl universe. There are no opportunities for repentance, redemption, or reconciliation. Judgments are irrevocable, regardless of what new evidence comes to light. There is a hopeless fatalism at the heart of this series that nullifies any moral lessons it seeks to convey.

The art is another problem. Hell Girl is done in the shojo style, which itself isn’t problematic. However, Eto’s sensibilities lean to the romantic, and this undercuts the horror and the darker emotions of the stories. The females are drawn with eyes that take up half of their heads. This exaggeration makes it hard for their faces to convey a lot of emotion, since they all look wide-eyed in shock. Eto conveys horror, hatred, or fear by splashing a lot of black on a particular page or panel. There’s little attempt to blend these black areas in with the rest of the art, so it just muddies the page. Eto does show potential to be a good shojo artist; unfortunately, Hell Girl highlights her weaknesses instead of her strengths.

Hell Girl is a fundamentally flawed series, and the anime shared the same moral problems. However, the anime’s artwork is much better and conveys the negativity of the series effectively. Having just finished Mushishi, the failures of Hell Girl truly stand out. Where Mushishi brilliantly tells stories of human perseverance and our ability to create meaning in the midst of bizarre circumstances, Hell Girl can’t even get a simple morality tale about revenge right. It’s best to avoid Hell Girl in all her incarnations.

Johanna previously reviewed volumes one and two. A complimentary copy for this review was provided by the publisher.

Volume two picks up at the moment volume one ended; Nicori and Midori have run off to rescue Ame. Through a bizarre twist of circumstances, Ame is released by her captors. The rest of volume two, and all of volume three, focus on Nicori learning more about complexities of human relationships. He is trying to understanding what it means to be in love with someone and what being part of a family entails.

Minima! Book 2
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Since one of the central characters in Minima! is a talking stuffed animal, it’s easy to believe that the series will be a light-hearted comedy. However, Minima! is actually a comedic drama that focuses on feelings of alienation.

Ame struggles with a self-imposed alienation that comes from her shyness. Nicori’s alienation first comes from his being a toy of a little-known character. He later experiences isolation as the consequence of being the only talking toy. Sasaki, Ame’s friend and love interest, feels estrangement because he knows he is moving at the end of the school year. There is a hint in volume three that Midori might be struggling with feelings of alienation, too, despite all his bombast.

Sakurai does a good job of capturing the chaos of emotions you feel when you’re junior-high-school age. Characters in this series yell and fight, then later sheepishly apologize. They deeply care about each other, but they don’t know how to properly handle, much less express, what they feel. They’re impulsive and trying not to be reckless. It’s an awkward time in life, and having a talking toy in the center of it isn’t helping much.

Minima! Book 3
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My two favorite characters are still Nicori and Midori. Nicori is such a wonderful innocent. He fits in so perfectly with the humans. He’s new to all these emotions that he’s feeling, and he’s learning how to navigate all these different relationships. His lack of experience with humans allows him some unique insights. Since he doesn’t have any preconceived notions or emotional baggage, he’s often able to see to the heart of the matter. For example, he asked a simple question and changed the dynamics of Ame’s kidnapping. He believes in addressing problems directly and is a great catalyst for reconciliation among the other characters. He tries to so hard to do right by everyone that you can’t help but love him.

Like Nicori, Midori is filled with sincerity and good intentions. He wears his passion for his friends on his sleeve. I like him as a male role model because he’s not about being macho, but instead, he focuses on relationships and compassion. We find out that he essentially lives alone. His parents are rarely home. This helps us to understand why his friendships are so important to him and why he wants his friends to be happy. I get the feeling that volume four will take us behind Midori’s bravado to let us see what his struggles truly are.

The art continues to be something of a let-down. Sakurai is excellent with facial expressions and capturing emotions, but that’s all. The art tends to have a flat look. I do see some potential to be much better, since the basic figure work, page composition, and backgrounds are solid if not impressive. There are a few outstanding splash pages in these two books that point to what Sakurai is truly capable of.

Overall, I’m enjoying Minima! Even though it has some heavy emotional content, it’s not a dark and brooding series. It’s short, with the forthcoming volume four being the last book. Perfect to take on vacation or as a break from a longer, more intense series. (Complimentary copies for this review were provided by the publisher.)

Subtitled The Unreal Life of Robert Johnson
*Warning: This review contains some spoilers.*

Robert Johnson is perhaps most famous for the legend about how he acquired his ability to play guitar. The most popular version says that he met the Devil at midnight at the crossroads. For the price of Johnson’s soul, the Devil tuned his guitar, and Johnson from that moment forward could play the blues. In his short lifetime, Johnson only recorded 42 tracks of music: 29 songs and 13 alternate takes of those songs. He died very young, at the age of 27.

Me and the Devil Blues Book 1
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Me and the Devil Blues centers on the life of RJ. Hiramoto begins his fictional biography with the few facts we have of Johnson’s pre-blues life. RJ is a sharecropper with a pregnant wife. His dream is to be a bluesman, but he simply can’t seem to master the guitar. He hears the legend about sellling your soul to the Devil to become a great bluesman. One night, drunk and desperate, he gives it a try. It’s at this point that the series moves beyond biography and into the imagination of Hiramoto.

After making his demonic deal, RJ goes down to the local juke joint to hang out with the traveling bluesmen currently in town. After a couple of days, RJ’s brother-in-law shows up, telling him how disappointed he is. How he couldn’t believe that he’d abandon a pregnant wife and didn’t even return when she was due to deliver. How it’s been three months since RJ’s wife and child died during childbirth, and RJ hasn’t come to visit their graves. RJ realizes that somehow he’s lost six months of his life.

Everyone in town feels the same way as his brother-in-law, and RJ is ostracized. He decides to become a traveling bluesman and hits the road. A young Clyde Barrow (of Bonnie and Clyde fame) picks him up and they begin their travels.

Del Rey is publishing this series by including two Japanese volumes in each English edition, so references to volume numbers will be to the Japanese volumes. The first volume of this series is the most musically centered. In it, RJ talks about wanting to be a bluesman hanging out at the local juke joint listening to whatever musician is in town and trying to play the guitar himself. RJ has discussions with Son House and Willie Brown about what the blues truly are. Because of this focus, the section has the densest narrative structure and a tight, quick-moving plot.

Beginning with volume two, the focus and tone of the series shifts. It’s no longer about music; it’s about RJ slowly comprehending the full ramifications of the deal he struck with the Devil. As befitting good horror, the plot slows down and becomes a narrative of RJ and Clyde traveling through the landscape of Hell. However, Hiramoto doesn’t need to leave this planet to find a land filled with demons and perversity. He simply takes his audience on a journey through the terrors that rural America held for a black man in the 1930s.

Me and the Devil Blues Book 2
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Hiramoto is to be commended for his research. The people and the places in the series comes across as real and tangible. He captures the bleakness of the life of a Southern sharecropper and the poverty of small, black, rural farming communities. You can smell the sweat and beer in the juke joint. You can taste the dust on the road in the Midwest towns. This isn’t the glamourous America found in the Hollywood films of that period, but the realities of depression and racism. It’s an unsettling reminder of a time when being other than WASP put you at legal, social, and economic disadvantage in many places in America.

Hiramoto has written a gripping tale. Initially, it’s RJ’s passion for the blues that draws you in as you become familiar with his world. Next, you’re fascinated by the bizarre nature of his meeting and traveling with Clyde. Clyde, the burgeoning psychopath, comes across as normal compared to townsfolk they encounter. You’re both repulsed and captivated by these morally twisted people. You want to find out if RJ is literally going to survive. Hiramoto gives you no breaks in the suspense. There are no comic interludes to let you relax. It’s a relentless series.

Hiramoto’s art is gorgeous and realistic in style. In the first volume, he captures the raw energy and passion of the blues. You can almost hear the music when he shows the musicians playing. In the latter volumes, he conveys RJ’s fear and emotional instability as he encounters the various monstrosities of his travels. There are some really beautiful splash pages sprinkled through the series. My favorites are RJ at the graves of his wife and child and later RJ waking up in the jail cell. The chaos of emotions and thoughts portrayed is just perfect.

Me and the Devil Blues is an excellent series for older readers. The setting and art style make this a good starting point for non-manga readers. However, they need to be warned that this isn’t really a story about one of the American blues legends, but more of a Southern gothic horror tale. The grittiness of the people and places reminds me of Flannery O’Conner; however, there aren’t any moments of transcendence. Hiramoto’s landscape isn’t Christ-haunted, but Christ-abandoned. Fans of older suspense and psychological horror stories will enjoy this series most.

(Complimentary copies for this review were provided by the publisher.)

All books were provided by the publisher, Del Rey, for review.

Le Chevalier d’Eon Book 6

Le Chevalier d’Eon Book 6
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story by Tou Ubukata; manga by Kiriko Yumeji; adapted by Ikoi Hiroe; $10.95 US

This volume focuses on Comte de Saint-Germain, an enigmatic figure whose actions seem random. He grants the King’s mistress a wish and increases one poet’s power. In the majority of the volume, he’s trying to avoid being murdered by the poet Candide.

I’ve previously reviewed the first volume, and my dissatisfaction with the series only increases. This book is deadly dull. In truth, I had a hard time staying awake while reading it. This story should be exciting, since half the book is Comte and his jailer fighting for their lives. But there was no life, no energy in the storytelling or the art.

As I pointed out previously, this series is all plot and no characterization. I didn’t connect with any of the characters in this volume, either. They all feel one-dimensional and offer no reason for me to want to get to know them better. Their emotions and responses come across as wooden.

The art has actually gotten worst since the first volume, and the costumes are simply ridiculous. If you think the female on the cover is showing a lot of skin, wait until you see her new costume. It looks like Gothic Lolita fetish wear. The anatomy in several places is just wrong. It was painful to look at the poses some of the characters struck. Plus, Yumeji draws the ugliest female hands I’ve every seen. They’re bony with large joints, the kind of hands you see on evil witches in Disney films.

Honestly, I can’t help but think this series is just an excuse for Yumeji to show off his skills as a Gothic Lolita fashion designer. More attention is paid to the clothes than plot or characters. I can find nothing to recommend about this series.

Shiki Tsukai Book 4

Shiki Tsukai Book 4
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story by To-Ru Zekuu; art by Yuna Takanagi; adapted by Mayumi Kobayashi; $10.99 US

Akira has the potential to become the Shinra Banshou, the person able to wield all seasonal magic and reunite the warring months. However, his powers threaten to awaken before he is ready to take control of them. The winter and spring seasons are attempting to aid Akira to awaken his powers naturally. The summer and fall seasons seek the Shinra Banshou power to destroy mankind.

I haven’t read the previous three volumes, and that put me at a disadvantage. You can tell that relationships have already begun to form and deepen. Also, all the introductory material about seasonal magic is over, so readers are expected to know how spells works. Even with those handicaps, I was still able to get a fair idea of what was going on and what the important relationships were.

The series shows some potential. I liked the characters and the action sequences were well-done. It’s interesting how everything in the US is done by covert government agencies, while in Japan, everything is done by covert divisions of corporations. I did find the harem aspect a bit disappointing. The series didn’t completely grab me, but I’d be willing to check out at least another volume before making my final decision.

The artwork is solid. Nothing impressive, but nothing distracting either. Del Rey really worked overtime on the extras in this volume. There is a 366-day calendar of birthstones and their meanings; a list of each month and its magical speciality; a list of incantations for each month; and an explanation of the spells used in this volume. This actually helped me understand the magical system and the battle scenes.

Given the detailed system that Zekuu has developed, I imagine this manga will appeal most to role-playing game enthusiasts. I’d be shocked if there isn’t a card game based on this manga already out in Japan. Overall, Shiki Tusaki was a decent read, but I won’t be putting it on my must read list.

Toto! The Wonderful Adventure Book 3

Toto! Book 3
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by Yuko Osada; adapted by Elina Ishikawa; $10.99 US

Kakashi and company start out in Dego City. The military are still seeking to recover the bracelet that Kakashi is wearing. Once they leave Dego City, they meet up with Paisley, a member of W.I.T.C.H. who gives them information about Kakashi’s bracelet and his dad.

I love the maniac energy of this series. Kashashi holds nothing back. He does everything with passion and sincerity. He and Dorothy continue to be immensely endearing characters. I enjoy getting to spend time with them in each volume.

Osada has a great sense of humor and comedic timing and always manages to catch me off guard with some bizarre gag. There are times when the jokes just stop me dead, and I need a moment to compose myself.

The art is wonderful. The character designs are original and eye-popping. Osada is a master of bringing out the character’s emotion. The art is filled with life. It totally sucks the reader into the story.

Toto is a pure pleasure read for me. It’s a series where the energy spills off the page and leaves me exhilarated when I’m done. The only heartbreak is that there are only two more books left in the series. You can read my reviews of volume 1 and volume 2.

Samurai 7 Book 1

Samurai 7 Book 1
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original story by Akira Kurosawa; manga by Mizutaka Suhou; adapted by Yoko Kubo; $10.99 US

This is a futuristic adaptation of the famous Kurosawa film. The earth has suffered during a great galactic war between all the planets inhabited by humans. There is now chaos in the aftermath. A small farming village knows that it will be invaded by robbers after the harvest, and all their rice will be taken. Two village members go to the city to find warriors to protect them and their crops.

Suhou has down a great job with this adaptation. Katsushiro is the central character. He is a young merchant’s son who has found a Taisenshatou, a special samurai sword. He wants to be a samurai himself, although he has no weapons training of any kind. He’s young, naive, and idealistic. He is also the emotional center of the story. His sincerity and good-heartedness make him instantly likable.

The other main characters are also appealing. Once the group of samurai are formed, the reader has already bonded to the characters and wants them to succeed. Suhou is smart to stick closely to Kurosawa’s original story. It’s a powerful tale that translates well from silver screen to book.

The artwork is acceptable. Suhou has a habit of not toning faces often and doesn’t use a lot of tone on figures. This gives the art an unfinished feel. The faces and figures are well drawn; they just need the appropriate shading added.

Honestly, I was very skeptical about book when I picked it up. So many adaptations fail to capture the majesty of the original. Suhou has done a brilliant job. This book will easily appeal to fans of Kurosawa and good stories in general.

Mushishi Book 6

Mushishi Book 6
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by Yuki Urushibara; adapted by William Flanagan; $12.99 US

I previously reviewed volume 4 of this series. This volume contains five complete short stories of the interactions between mushi and humans.

Mushishi may be the most underappreciated manga in print. The stories are quiet, gentle, and unpretentious. There is no grand narrative to the series other than Ginko traveling from town to town learning more about the nature of mushi and humans. These aren’t action stories that pump you full of adrenaline or romance stories that break your heart. These are meditative stories that make you sit and think. They move you deep in your soul, because they speak about the human condition on its most profound level. They make you appreciate your friends and family anew.

It’s because these stories connect so personally and uniquely with each reader that Mushishi is a series people don’t talk about a lot. It’s hard to explain to someone else the appeal of these stories without feeling like you’re revealing your own hidden self in the process. Writing a review for strangers seems daunting. We all know what happens when intimate details are shared on the internet. This silence is unfair to such a marvelous series.

The artwork is as warm and humble as the stories. I think I would be disappointed if it wasn’t. Urushibara is a skilled draftsman. She is able to convey all the complex emotions found in each story. I continue to highly recommend this series to comic readers of all types. It’s a series that should be on every top ten list of manga for 2008 and 2009.

Other have more eloquently expressed the quality of this series and agree that it’s the one of the most overlooked series currently running. You can read David Walsh’s wonderful review here and Melinda Beasi’s equally marvelous review here.

Continuing from my previous Otakon report, here is a list of Saturday’s panels and events.

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Lost in Translation

This was another panel where I forgot to record the moderator’s name. The essence of the panel was to discuss things that can’t be directly translated into English and look at how anime companies have handled such phrases. One thing I learned is that in Japanese the verb is usually the last element of the sentence. That means when a sentence gets cut short, all the translator has is subject and predicate, but no idea of the relationship between the two. Since a phrase like, “Jim, ball” doesn’t make sense in English, translators have to supply verbs that might fit the circumstances. So they might translate the sentence fragment as “Jim got the ball” or “Jim hit the ball” or “Jim, look, a ball!” Other topics discussed were cliches and colloquialisms, gendered pronouns, use of familial language with strangers, and spelling names in English. This was the moderator’s first time running a panel, and she did a great job.

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Phoenix

This is the new animated TV series based on Tezuka’s manga series. The animation is gorgeous, and the story closely follows the manga. It’s on my must-see list.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Frederick Schodt Q&A

Fred, as he likes to be called, was one of the first translators of manga. He has written several books on manga; the most famous is Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics. Currently, he is co-translating the Pluto series by Urasawa. This was an unstructured panel that allowed attendees to ask any question they desired. Mostly, Schodt endedup talking about how he got interested in Japan and manga and his experiences as a translator. Most of what he discussed can be found in this interview from Electric Ant magazine. Fred is a great speaker, and the hour flew by.

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Ghost Slayer Ayashi

This is an animated TV series about a group of ghost/demon slayers set in Japan around the first half of the 19th century. It’s a good action series with a great cast. The animation is excellent. I will be renting this series.

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Masquerade

This is one of the main reasons I go to anime conventions. The masquerade is where fans play instruments and perform skits, dance numbers, and stand-up comedy in costume. It’s been maligned and misunderstood by the mean-spirited, but for me, it’s the quintessential fan expression of love. I adore the masquerade. What sells it for me is the sincerity of the performers. Are the jokes cheesy? Yes. The acting and writing bad? Of course. Is it wonderful? Unquestionably. If you pardon the puns, it’s awfully charming and charmingly awful. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s three parts anime, two parts video games, one part manga, one part American pop culture, a sprinkle of high school drama, a pinch of high school band, and a dash of randomness all put in a blender set on puree. One routine had a couple in costume flag twirling to a Broadway song, another routine was five girls dressed up as modern Sailor Moon Scouts singing a Spice Girls medley, and another routine was a costumed couple doing ballet. How can you not love such diversity and creativity?

I only stayed for the first two hours, which means I only saw about 2/3 of the acts. I was getting tired and knew I had just enough in me to make the drive back to where I was staying. If I had been staying in Baltimore, I would have stayed for the entire show.

Sunday Events and Panels

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM Resiklo

This was a low-budget, live-action Philippines post-apocalyptic sci-fi film about humans trying to survive after aliens have wrecked havoc on the Earth. It’s definitely a B movie, but I love B movies, so it was right up my alley. You can learn more at the official movie site.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM The Roots of Japanese Anime

This collection of pre-World War II anime shorts is almost impossible to explain. These were made before the anime industry was trying to copy American animation styles. The shorts are steeped in traditional Japanese culture and story telling. You really have to see them for yourself. You can see a trailer for the DVD set at the official site.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Osamu Tezuka, Astro Boy, and the Manga/Anime Revolution, moderated by Frederick Schodt

Schodt is currently giving this presentation around the country. He begins with a short biography of Tezuka and early experiences that influenced his writing and art. Schodt then goes on to show how with Astro Boy, Tezuka founded the modern manga system. Simply put, Tezuka demonstrated that you could take a popular serialized manga, collect the stories into trade paperback books, then license the property for animation and merchandising, and finally license the series for overseas distribution. The Astro Boy manga began its run in 1952, and the anime began in 1963, the same year it was licensed for US syndication by NBC. Astro Boy was the first weekly, half-hour, animated series in Japan. Astro Boy became a national icon and a symbol of scientific knowledge and advancement.

Overall Impressions

I enjoyed this year’s Otakon tremendously. The biggest change for me was going as press and meeting lots of new people. This is also the first year that I spent more time in panels than in the anime rooms. I used to go to conventions because they were the best place to see and sample a larger variety of anime. But with Netflix and Rent Anime, I have access to everything currently on the market and a large percentage of older series. So this has allowed me to shift my focus at conventions.

The shift in focus has given me a renewed enthusiasm for convention going. Truthfully, I half went to Otakon looking for excuses not to go again, but I failed. Instead, I came away with panel ideas for Otakon and maybe myself.

The only sad part of Otakon is the fact it happened the weekend before San Diego Comic Con. Even as I’m typing this, Otakon has already been forgotten by the public. Everyone’s attention is focused on the news coming out of SDCC hourly. Hopefully, Otakon can be scheduled further from any of the other big conventions to keep it from getting lost in the crowd.

With any convention, your attitude going into it greatly determines what you can derive from the experience. Large-scale cons like Otakon really are a culture unto themselves, and you have to have an open mind to see and experience the unexpected. There really is something for everyone at Otakon, and for serious manga and anime fans on the East Coast, I suggest you go at least once. You especially have to attend the Masquerade when you’re there.

Here are links to con reports by my dining companions and a couple others.

• Anime Almanac
• Ani-Gamers
• Reverse Thieves
• Janaiblog
• Ogiue Maniax
• Publishers Weekly
• Anime News Network
• Anime Vice