Lostphrack

It’s been a while, I know. Sorry about that, classes have been running me ragged. I’ve got something a little different for you today, a novel review! The news and manga reviews will be returning shortly, but for today I’ll be taking a look a Sword of Honor by David Kirk!

Sword of Honor
by David Kirk
Doubleday, 464 pgs
Rating: Not Rated

David Kirk’s Sword of Honor is the second book is series about the life the legendary Japanese swordsman, Minamoto Musashi. Beginning shortly after the last, major battle of Japan’s Warring States Period in 1600, it depicts the feud between Miyamoto Musashi and the esteemed Yoshioka Sword School in Japan’s former capital of Kyoto.

The Musashi presented here is fairly different from the one I’ve seen in other media. He’s confused, unsure of himself at times and just attempting to muddle out his philosophy and ultimate goal in life. For much of the book he rages against the rigid lifestyle of Japanese society, aiming much of his anger at The Way. The Way within the book is basically the code by which everyone lives. It dictates how to interact with others, organizes a social hierarchy and even lays down the procedures for ritual suicide. The way he rails against it throughout the book makes him feel a bit more like a traditional Western protagonist who seeks to undo the status quo. Something that will hopefully connect with American readers.

One of the most noticeable things about the book is Kirk’s use of language and to give the text a detached and stand offish feel. Some folks might not like the coldness this produces, but I liked it. The emotional detachment is a perfect match for the Kirk’s version of Musashi’s Japan. It’s cold, staid and full of repression and rigid ritual and behavior.

Conversely, Kirk manages to bring Kyoto to life despite the aforementioned standoffishness, describing it’s bustling, crowded streets with such detail that it crafts a vivid picture of a living thriving metropolis. The amount of time spent on the city might seem a little odd at first, but over time it’s becomes obvious that Kyoto is as much as character in the novel as anyone else.

Perhaps the most interesting character isn’t Musashi but the Yoshioka samurai Akiyama. Initially sent out to hunt down Musashi for some perceived slight from years past, Akiyama starts out almost as a reflection of Musashi. Dedicated to The Way and the sword school he serves, Akiyama is haunted by the fact that his apparent mixed heritage will forever keep him from being fully accepted no matter his accomplishments. Kirk spends quite a bit of time developing Akiyama’s internal struggle and he was quite possibly my favorite character in the entire book by it’s end.

Sword of Honor was a pretty engaging read, though it did take a little time for me to warm to the style of David Kirk’s prose. Once I got past that it turned out to be a pretty enjoyable read that picked up more and more steam until its bloody, apocalyptic climax.

Sword of Honor will be available on November 3rd from Doubleday. Galley copy provided by the publisher.

Long ago, the premiere week of the new fall TV season was a Big Deal. And as those of you who read this space regularly probably know, in our household, it still is. Even though Premiere Week, as an institution, went away decades ago, and cable television, Netflix, and other viewing-on-demand options have practically ended […]

It’s been much, much too long since our last yokai spooktacular, so I decided that all month long, well be diving into the well of souls and shining an eerie ghoulish light on the ghosts and goblins from the land of the rising sun. And who better to kick this off than renowned author and […]

School has thrown my weekly review schedule into turmoil, but I’ll keep cranking them out when I can! Until then, news and reviews ahoy!

• Digital Manga is preparing their next Osamu Tezukua Kickstarter campaign. The series? Wonder 3!
• In the wake of Dave Marshall taking over as Editor in Chief of Dark Horse, ANN reached out to editor Carl Horn to ask him about the company’s manga plans.
• And last but not least, the New York Times Best Sellers List for October 4th.

And now, onto this week’s review of Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 3!

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 3
by Miki Yoshikawa
Kodansha Comics, 192 pgs
Rating: Older Teen (16 +)

A new rival appears! as Ryu and the Supernatural Studies Club enjoy the fruits of his ability to switch bodies via smooching, student council member Nene Odagiri emerges to throw a wrench into their fun. With the threat of blackmail hanging over his head, Ryu finds himself slowly being drawn into the politics and power plays of the student council. From Miki Yoshikawa comes Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 3!

I’m not really feeling this series. While the humor surrounding the body swapping and the other power is fine, the characters just feel too one note. Ryu’s the misunderstood outcast, who seems rough and tumble but is really a nice guy at heart. Urara’s the highly successful student who’s a bit stand offish, but has moments of genuine emotion and warmth towards Ryu, which is shocking because they’re so different, and on and on it goes. We’re three volumes in and while the series is a little goofy and kind of fun, it’s not really doing anything to make it stand out from the other high school dramas that are out there. Even with the magic kissing powers and abilities it still feels a little, been there done that. Revelations in this volume might alter this and hints at greater mysteries surrounding the schooling the powers, but I’m not sure the characters are compelling enough to make me care.

Miki Yoshikawa’s artwork is fine. The setting requires it to be full of school uniforms, but she gets around the conformity and sameness thanks to the characters hair and body langauge. Ryu’s always a bit aggressive, stressed out and highly emotive, which contrasts a bit with Ushio, who’s often sporting a much calmer and cooler manner. Of course, Ushio’s also got glasses, which seems to be required for the calm, collected school boy in modern anime and manga. While the character’s reactions are often comically over the top, Miki Yoshikawa stops just short of crossing the line into ridiculous chibified antics, blending the physical comedy and extreme moments in nicely with the more grounded bits of the series.

While Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches has been getting some positive buzz online, it’s just not clicking for me. It’s light and fun, but also feels a bit familiar and samey at this point. Maybe it will pick up as the series goes on, but it does leave me wondering just how many high school comedies/romances/dramas we need.

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vol. 3 are available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copiy provided by the publisher.

The Quaker Cemetery is a privately owned cemetery in Leicester, Massachusetts. It lies on land donated to the local Quakers that is positioned between the Worcester Regional Airport and Worcester Reservoir.



The actual name of the place is Friends Cemetery, but because of the unique gates at the entrance, locals know it as Spider Gates   The gates are actually an art deco style but you can see the spider motif happening there and it goes nicely with the stories of hauntings and weird happenings.



Stories and rumors abound about this place, and there's even been a song written about it, which you can listen to here.

So, what do the stories say?

The gates are said to be the eighth gate to hell.

There is a large oak tree where a teenaged boy allegedly hanged himself.  Rumors say that the rope with the noose in it are still there, hanging from a branch of the tree.  I've been there.  It's not.  However, there is another story that says the rope and noose will show up in pictures taken of the tree.

There are stories of an altar in the middle of the cemetery that was used for Satanic rituals.  Again, NOT.  There is a raised area in the approximate center of the cemetery, but there are no signs of an altar ever having been there.

It is said that a white substance sometimes oozes from the ground.

There are runes carved into some of the stones.   There's no detail as to whether this means that there are runes carved into the headstones, but one site I found stated that the runes can be found by turning over loose stones from the stone wall.

It is said that at night you can hear moaning and roaring sounds coming from the surrounding woods. The cemetery, however, is closed at night.

There is a small culvert located just outside the cemetery.  It is said that the body of a young girl who was murdered and dismembered was stuffed into the small space.

There is no documentation for ANY of this.  Most of the stories you'll read if you Google, contain nothing but hearsay and exaggeration. I looked at dozens of websites while researching this story.  There are a lot of personal experiences but very little solid documentation to be found about those experiences.  Most of the photos that show anything odd about this site are either obvious fakes or camera flare and whatnot.

My personal opinion is that this particular "haunt", simply isn't.  It is a beautiful graveyard, lovingly tended and cared for by the Worcester - Pleasant Street Meeting of Friends (Quakers) and to the best of my knowledge is still in use.  

If you love old cemeteries, then a respectful daytime visit is definitely worth the effort of finding the place.  Ghost hunters, however, probably don't want to bother.

The Red Headed Hitchhiker of Rt 44 is one of the creepiest ghost stories I've ever heard about my little corner of the world.  

Well, I missed a week. Apologies for that, but better late than never? At any rate, here’s a Manga Monday review of A Silent Voice, Vol. 2, plus a few news items that caught my eye.

• Kawakubo Shintaro, the Kodansha editor assigned to Attack on Titan gave an interview in August where he talked a bit about Attack on Titan’s ending and it’s beginnings.
• The creators of Viz’s Ultraman manga, Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi, have been announced as the creative team on a new Getter Robo manga.
• And last but not least, the New York Times Best Sellers List for September 20th, which sees One-Punch Man, Vols. 1 + 2 take the top two spots.

And now, onto this week’s review of A Silent Voice, Vol. 2!

A Silent Voice, Vol. 5
by Yoshitoki Oima
Kodansha Comics, 192 pgs
Rating: Older Teen (16 +)

Yoshitoki Oima’s touching drama about bullying and it’s affects on both the bully and the bullied returns. Shoya Ishida has finally tracked down Shoko Nishymiya, the deaf girl who was the target of his bullying several years ago in the hopes of somehow making amends. Does Shoko Nishymiya want an apology though?

Unsurprisingly, she doesn’t want an apology but is ok with his attempts to befriend her. What ensues is not only the beginning of their friendship, but Shoya Ishida’s discovery that he can make friends and has reasons to live, that there are people who love him, care for him and believe in him. It’s fairly touching and feels very honest in places, with Shoya’s mindset at the beginning of the volume being all too relatable and genuine. That said, it’s hard to not notice how even this well done series is already falling into certain shonen drama cliches. Shoya’s journey of making a friend in Shoko and his ensuing bonding with others in his class or those connected to Shoko is eerily similar to that of the heroin’s of Say I Love You or even My Little Monster. All are well done and handle the material a little differently, but not differently enough for it to be entirely invisible.

Thankfully, while the originality of the plot isn’t terribly exciting, the characters are interesting and complex enough that it doesn’t really matter. Shoya Ishida is shown to be conflicted about his need to better himself and change his life, yet feeling like he doesn’t deserve to. It brought to mind a line from the HBO show The Wire, “Shame is some tricky shit. It makes you want to better yourself, then beats you back down when you think you can.” He constantly swings between hoping that he can make amends with Shoko or help his mother, and feeling like he doesn’t deserve to live or be happy or even try to better himself.

Since Shoko is the lead and our point of view character, Yoshitoki Oima engages in some interesting visuals to help reinforce his emotional state. Chief among them is the X’s that appear of nearly everyone’s face early on in this volume. Obscuring the face and indicating that the characters are some how off limits to Shoko helps drive home his sense of isolation and his inability to connect. The visual continues to the point where making a friendship literally causes the X to fall off of a character’s face. The rest of the visuals are solid and I was surprised by Yoshitoki Oima’s choice to try and render the individual signs of the sign language used. At times it looks a little silly, with some characters having multiple arms and looking like an Indian god or goddess, but at the same time it helps reinforce the sense of separation that Shoko feels and to a degree, the way it makes them stand out amongst a crowd.

With a A Silent Voice, Vol. 2, Yoshitoki Oima’s series starts to enter territory that feels more than a little familiar. Thankfully the strong characters are relatable and real enough make it possible to get past the more cliched bits. The end result is a touching and highly enjoyable story!

A Silent Voice, Vol. 2 is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.

My 3-D cut paper piece for Guillermo Del Toro: In Service of Monsters which opens tomorrow night at Gallery 1988 (West).

Not sure if it can be called a midweek review when it’s coming on Friday, but whatever it’s called, this is it! Before we get to this week’s review of Noragami, Vol. 5, some news.

• Waku Waku NYC was last weekend and Kodansha had some new titles to announce!
• Sticking with Kodansha for a minute, they’ve added their entire digital catalogue to the Comixology, meaning that there are now over 350 volumes from 53 Kodansha series available at the site.
• A few days ago, Gangsta creator Kohske took some time to respond to some questions from his English fans.
• And last but not least, the New York Times Best Sellers List for September 13th, which sees Attack on Titan, Vol. 1 return its return to the list!

And now, onto this week’s review of Noragami, Vol. 5!

Noragami, Vol. 5
by Adachitoka
Kodansha Comics, 200 pgs
Rating: Older Teen (16 +)

Intrigue, betrayal and tragedy abound in Noragami, Vol. 5 from Adachitoka! Kugaha, a resentful servent of Bishamon, continues to scheme against his mistress, spinning his web and luring other servants of Bishamon into doing his dirty work. However, even this master planner is surprised when Yato shows up on Bishamon’s doorstep!

Noragami is a fairly entertaining shonen series, with interesting and engaging characters who seem to have much more going on under their surface than you might expect at first glance. The current story of an angry and jealous shinki working against his master is a fine and solid idea for a story, utilizing the mechanics of the world that Adachitoka has spent the last few volumes detailing. The ins and outs of blighting and how a shinki’s negative emotions adversely affect their master are of particular note, making the subtext of how neglected relationships and the lack of communication can sour and become painful into blatant text. That said, it all feels unneeded. The relationship between Yato and Bishamon, the intrigue surrounding Kugaha, neglected shinki and more all provide material for a compelling story on their own. The addition of complex rules that govern shinki and their relationships to their respective gods/masters and to the rest of the supernatural world of the series just feels… excessive? The same story could be told without them and they end up feeling like a concession made due to the manga being a shonen series.

While the story may suffer from a bit of shonen over explanatory syndrome, the action scenes manage to avoid falling into the stereotypical shonen mold consisting of lots of talking and in depth explanations into every little move a fighter makes. This allows the action to be exciting and fast paced, free from the expository drag that plagues many titles. Beyond the action scenes, the visuals continue to be solid, though always a little dark and grim, reinforcing the shadowy nature of the world which the gods, ayakasha and shinki inhabit. This visual tone does clash a bit with the lighter moments, particularly with the comedic over reactions and even with the odd story moment where someone may talk about it being a beautiful day or such.

I don’t usually spend time talking about translations or editing, but the end notes of Noragami continue to be an enjoyable and interesting bonus. The detailed notes from Alethea and Athena Nibley are fantastic and gives a glimpse into hardwork that goes into translating manga. The past volumes have gone in depth in to the many layered meanings of names and terms present in the original Japanese text, and this volume continues to be an enlightening read with an interesting look into some of the puns and wordplay which may be a bit difficult to convey and translate into English. I look forward to reading the notes in each volume, something that’s only ever happened before with Carl Horn’s copious notes at the end of every Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service volume.

While I certainly have some issues with Noragami, they’re mostly surface. Beneath the complex web of rules that govern god and shinki interactions is a story about human relationships, honesty and how having too big of a heart can sometimes cause one to over stretch to their own detriment.

Noragami, Vol. 5 is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Title: Scum’s Wish
Author: Mengo Yokoyari
Genre: Seinen, Drama, Romance
Publisher: Crunchyroll (US) / Square Enix (JP)
Original Magazine: Big Gangan
Read: (Digital simulpub, back-issues premium members only)
Currently Available: 4 volumes, ongoing

Most experience unrequited love a time or two (or three, or four…) in life. Whether it’s longing gazes going unreturned, hopeful texts going unanswered, or a frantic confession turned down, unresolved feelings, especially as a teenager, can prove difficult to deal with. At first glance our main couple in Scum’s Wish has seemingly hit the jackpot; Mugi is the kind and considerate boyfriend of any girl’s dreams, while Hanabi’s cute and friendly personality draws admiration from both other boys and girls. Unbeknownst to anyone else though, Mugi and Hanabi hold one mutual secret: They don’t really want each other.

Scum’s Wish is deceptively uncomfortable. Based on the title alone we know we’re not getting a generic shoujo romance or rom-com. What we get instead is a series filled with selfish people driven by their own desires and not much else. Hanabi and Mugi are a sort of “rebound” couple to the extreme; Mugi harbors an unrequited crush on his ex-childhood tutor turned teacher Minagawa, while Hanabi harbors similar feeling for her childhood friend (and also turned teacher), Kanai. The two realize their mutual unrequited affections and begin what seems to be strictly physical relationship — though it worth noting it seems like they don’t quite go “all the way.” To their credit, Hanabi and Mugi are fairly honest about the nature of their relationship — because while isn’t romantic it is a relationship — and how each is using the other to fill a void. Still, despite serving as “stand-ins” for each other’s real objects of affection, Hanabi and Mugi share a non-physical intimacy and familiarity that they themselves don’t seem to realize. They talk, occasionally joke, and know each other’s weakness. Rejected and bouncing teenage hormones off of one another, for Hanabi and Mugi a quiet interlude during a rooftop lunch says more about their relationship than roaming hands do.

It’s the people around Hanabi and Mugi that are shockingly cruel and forceful. The well-loved teacher Minagawa isn’t with her own destructive issues, and the ripple effect they have is one of the best conflicts of the series so far. Hanabi too finds another female admirer, who further proves that people can and do disregard the feelings of others to get what they want. The series is uncomfortable in a Flowers of Evil or Inside Mari kind of way, brimming with familiar sexual tensions that none of the characters  — adult and child alike — seem well-equipped to responsibly handle. Loneliness and the need for validation drive many of the characters, but the closer they get (whether physical or otherwise) the more they hurt each other. In a way this excusable for the younger set in the series, but the adults’ manipulations bring this series into some interesting territory.

I’ve always been a fan of uncomfortable manga and uncomfortable media in general, so Scum’s Wish is right up my alley. The series isn’t uncomfortable is a voyeuristic way, but rather uncomfortable in that the characters’ actions are completely believable. While I wouldn’t recommend series for the too young because of the sexual content, if you’re at home with the uncomfortable and folks being cruel, Scum’s Wish is a good addition to the Crunchyroll catalog.

 

The post Manga Review Project: Crunchyroll’s Scum’s Wish appeared first on Manga Connection.

Welcome to a very belated midweek manga review. It’s so late it should probably be called something else, but it won’t be because, reasons. Another fairly slow news week, but I still managed to ferret out a few stories to tide you over before heading off to this weeks review!

• Vertical has confirmed that they’ve licenses Maybe’s The Abandoned Sacred Beasts with plans to release is starting in May of 2016. The link to the ANN article includes more information plus a short, Japanese, promotional video.
• It was announced, in the latest issue of Afternoon, that Tsutomu Nihei’s Knights of Sidonia would be ending in the November issue. Vertical is currently releases the manga in the U.S. with volume 14 set for release later this month.
• And last but not least, the New York Times Best Sellers List for September 6th. It’s the second week of a list without Attack on Titan, Vol. 1, which had enjoyed 110 straight weeks on the list!

And now, onto this week’s review of Ninja Slayer Kills, Vol. 1!

Ninja Slayer Kills, Vol. 1
Manga by Koutarou Sekine, Created by Bradley Bond and Philip Ninj@ Morzez
Kodansha Comics, 208 pgs
Rating: Older Teen (16 +)

Neo-Saitama, a futuristic dystopia straight out of a 90s cyberpunk novel, is controlled by the ruthless Soukai Syndicate. On their path to domination their cybernetically enhanced ninja battled rival gangs, uncaring of the civilians caught in the middle of the bloody gang war. Now, one year later, their actions have finally caught up with them in the form of the enigmatic Ninja Slayer! From new comer Koutarou Sekine comes Ninja Slayer Kills, Vol. 1!

Ninja Slayer Kills, Vol. 1 has the odd distinction of being a remix of the original Ninja Slayer story, intended to be newcomer friendly and with a more shonen-y feel than the source material. With nearly all Ninja Slayer novels and manga adaptions still unreleased in the U.S., it’s difficult to tell what’s been altered, what’s different and how the elements are remixed. As a straight forward action series though, it’s not too shabby. Koutarou Sekine wastes little time in getting to the action as the volume opens with a flashback touching upon Ninja Slayer’s origins before skipping ahead to Ninja Slayer on his path of vengeance. From there things don’t really let up and it’s almost entirely non-stop action and fights for the rest of the volume. The characters are simple and basic at this point, with Ninja Slayer looking for revenge and nearly every other ninja being a mustache twirling villain, in the case of the Laomoto-Khan that’s almost a literal description.

Under Koutarou Sekine’s hand, the non-stop action looks fantastic, with energetic and dynamic fight scenes, and a general aesthetic that oozes cool. The various ninja look interesting and just this side of ridiculous as they come loaded with cybernetic enhancements ranging from strange tread like arms, massive tubular heads and more. The backgrounds, though limited, are detailed and gorgeous, full of neon signs, futuristic buildings and massive highways. They tend to drop out during the action sequences, leaving us with speed lines, explosions, smoke and the like.

Ninja Slayer Kills, Vol. 1 is a fun, action packed manga with a great look to it. The character designs and general aesthetic feel like a welcome throw back to the halcyon days of the late 80s and early 90s, where cyborgs and Bladerunner style cities where common place. That said, the artwork is the best thing about the series at this point.

Ninja Slayer Kills, Vol. 1 is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Say I Love You, Vols. 7 + 8
by Kanae Hazuki
Kodansha Comics
Rating: Older Teen (16 +)

With Say I Love You, Vol. 9 being released this week, it’s time to finish catching up with Kanae Haruki’s romantic drama and take a look at Say I Love You, Vols. 7 + 8! As Mei and Yamato celebrate their one year anniversary together, teen model Megumi deals with the fall out of her actions and attempts to correct the direction her life is taking. Unfortunately for Mei, part of this correction involves Megumi entering and attempting to win the annual “School Idol Contest”! The prize? A date with the winner of the male competition, and the odd’s on favorite to win that is none other than Yamato!

If that last two volumes were a little shaky and began to lose me, these two volumes do a pretty good job at driving a nail into my interest in the series. Much of them is dedicated to the “School Idol Contest” which is essentially a beauty pageant. This in turn leads Mei to rediscover what it means to be girl, which in this case means dressing up and making herself pretty. This is a long standing cliche that’s always rubbed me the wrong way, no matter what country or medium it’s in. The sequences with Mei trying to “better” herself and finding her femininity are more than a little reminiscent of all those teen movies where the weird girl in all black ends up in a pastel dress and realizes the joys of being conventionally attractive. It’s doubly annoying here as, thanks in part to the artwork, Mei doesn’t look any different after all the fuss.

Thankfully it’s not just two volumes of this and much of Say I Love You, Vol. 7 is given over to fleshing out and trying to develop Megumi’s character. Unfortunately her introduction and the last two volumes spent so much time building her up as a cackling villain, that her moments of self awareness here feel out of character for her. It also feels like Say I Love You is recycling plot points from earlier in the series, with Megumi’s slow realization that her attitude is a problem and basing her self esteem on the reaction of others mirroring that of Aiko, who went through a similar realization prior to becoming a friend of Mei’s. Incidentally, Aiko was also a romantic rival. This pattern of turning her romantic rivals into friends almost makes Mei a shojo equivalent of Dragon Ball Z’s Goku. Try and steal Yamato from Mei and you’ll lose, go through a period of self discovery and eventually become her friend.

Kanae Hazuki’s visuals continue to be a bit of a mixed bag. While she does a solid job at depicting emotions through her characters eyes and facial features, her paneling and ability to emphasize or make the characters look instantly distinct and recognizable from each other continues. This becomes a real problem during the beauty contest when Mei’s supposed to look very different thanks to make up and hair styling, but ultimately she looks exactly like she did at the beginning of these volumes, she’s just wearing different clothes.

The thing that originally attracted me to Say I Love You was the way it approached body issues, peer pressure and more. The last few volumes have moved away from that a bit and as a result the series has floundered slightly and felt like a more conventional romance tale, or maybe it’s always had that and I’m just now noticing after 8 volumes. Either way it’s clear that with Say I Love You, Vols. 7 + 8 I feel my interest in the series beginning to wane.

Say I Love You, Vols. 7 + 8 is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copies provided by the publisher.

Welcome to a belated midweek manga review! This week I’ll be taking a look at Say I Love You, Vols. 5 + 6. It’s been a rather slow news week, but there’s still an item or two that’s caught my eye.

• Earlier this week, Shueisha announced the cancellation of Garaku.mag. Several of the series will be continuing in a digital format through the Garaku no Mori site.
• Medicos Entertainment is releasing several Ajin: Demi-Human Black Ghost figures this month. The company has also released a figure for Shinichi Izumi and Migi from Parasite as well.
• And last but not least, the New York Times Best Sellers List for August 30.

And now, onto this week’s review of Say I Love You, Vols. 5 + 6!

Say I Love You, Vols. 5 + 6
by Kanae Hazuki
Kodansha Comics
Rating: Older Teen (16 +)

After a lengthy break it’s time to return to one of last years pleasant surprises, namely Kanae Hazuki’s Say I Love You! As the date of Mei Tachibana and Yamato Kurosawa’s one year anniversary draws near, they’re relationship hits a rough point thanks to the arrivals of Yamato’s old friend, Kai, and a rival for Yamato’s affections in the form of up and coming model, Megumi. Will their relationship weather this unexpected onslaught of adolescent desires and misunderstandings, or will Mei return to the life of solitude she had when the series started? All this and more in Say I Love You, Vols. 5 + 6!

One the things that initially attracted me to Say I Love You was the way it handled and dealt with more realistic relationship issues that teens might be facing. Things like body issues, sexual exploration and awakenings, bullying and more. Say I Love You, Vols. 5 + 6 continue this trend, but much like the earlier ones seem to be including some of the more conventional manga tropes as well. While Mei’s had romantic rivals before, none of them were like Megumi, who takes on a distinctly villainous tone throughout these two volumes. She schemes, manipulates and plots to win Yamato’s affection to the point where I half expected to see her steepling her fingers while monologuing. While Kanae Hazuki does use her machinations as a jumping off point to explore Mei’s continued insecurities, Megumi still feels too over the top when compared to the rest of the cast. Even when we’re given glimpses into her backstory, something clearly meant to elicit sympathy, she still comes off a bit too villainous. I half expected some scenes of her steeling her fingers while cackling madly.

Say I Love You’s artwork has always been a little hit or miss with me. While Kanae Hazuki does a fantastic job crafting characters, her artwork has always lent her cast a weirdly lanky and skeletal look, particularly when it comes to their hands. This might not be much of an issue, but there’s a focus on hand holding, caresses and touching throughout the volumes, and so we get plenty of shots of freakishly skeletal and spider-like hands. There are also some minor problems with her layouts. On more than one occasion I found my eye drifting to the wrong voice bubble due to some shaky placements. There are several pages where images from one panel overlap into another, but that panel they’re overlapping from isn’t the next panel is the sequence, leading to some minor confusion here and there.

Say I Love You, Vols. 5 + 6 continues Kanae Hazuki’s enjoyable tale of the love lives of teenagers, but they certainly feel like the weakest volumes in the series so far. Much of this is due to Megumi and her antics. Hopefully once her primary plot runs its course the series can get back on track.

Say I Love You, Vols. 5 + 6 is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copies provided by the publisher.

My Hero Academia, Vol. 1
by Kohei Horikoshi
Viz, 192 pgs
Rating: Teen

Superhero comics have long been a staple of the medium in the United States. Arguably they’ve dominated sales and the public conscious more so than any other genre in the American comic book scene for over half a century. Japan, on the other hand, not so much. That said, Japan certainly has had their own superhero tradition, one look at the long running live action franchises like Super Sentai or Kamen Rider is proof of this. Over the last few years, Viz has shown interest in tapping into America’s love of the superhero with several superhero manga titles. Tiger & Bunny, One Punch Man and now… Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia.

The latest in Viz’s small wave of superhero manga My Hero Academia, Vol. 1 introduces us to a world where superpowers are the norm and the road to becoming a hero is an academic one. Enter Izuku Midoriya, a middle school student who stands out from the rest of his powered classmates by virtue of not having any powers. With nothing but a dream and determination, he sets out on his quest to become a hero… but can he?

Izuku Midoriya is an underdog, an outcast, but one determined to see his dream through regardless of the naysayers! Indeed, while he may not have a superpower, he certainly has the power of determination and to win over the heart and mind of the one of the world’s greatest heroes, All Might. While All Might was initially skeptical of Izuku’s dream, he’s ultimately won over by his heart and thus becomes his secret sponsor, supporting him, training him and more as Izuku pursues his dream. The under dog with a secret and a selfless heart is a fairly classic mold for American superheroes. Indeed, the scenes of him being bullied at school reminded me of similar scenes from older Spider-Man stories and, to a lesser degree, Superman stories. Meanwhile, the class setting, school rankings, and other things like a rival character call to mind a myriad of shonen tales. While it’s an interesting mixture and an enjoyable read, it doesn’t quite come together to create a compelling and gripping read.

Kohei Horikoshi’s heavily stylized and cartoony artwork doesn’t really help matters much and took me a little while to get used to. When characters leap into action their faces and bodies twist and flap in some rather disturbing ways, though what’s happening is almost always clear and easy to follow. The cartoonish art and the faces that look like they’re in wind tunnels allows for a rather easy and fun depiction of motion and intensity. The character designs do a pretty solid job at capturing a character’s personality, with Izuku’s slightly harried appearance perfectly capturing his underdog personality. Many of his superhero designs reminded me of Adam Warren’s work on Empowered, a superhero comedy full of ridiculous but memorable looking outfits. Such is most definitely the case in the last few pages when Izuku’s classmates debut their costumes.

Despite an interesting and easy to root for main character, and despite being a rather fun read, My Hero Academia, Vol. 1 didn’t really wow me. It’s mix of super heroic and typical shonen fare left it feeling a little too predictable and without anything that had me wanting to come back for more. It was an enjoyable read, but ultimately one that failed to really hook me.

My Hero Academia, Vol. 1 is available now from Viz.

Welcome to the latest midweek manga review here at Sequential-Ink! There was a brief break last week due to finals, but I’m back on track and looking to return to a twice a week schedule for the rest of the month. Despite the fact that I just welcomed you to a midweek manga review, this midweek review is actually a little different as I’ll be looking at The Science of Attack on Titan, which technically isn’t manga! Before we get that though, some news from the past two weeks…

• The Ultraman blitz on America continues! Sci-Fi Japan attended Comicon earlier this summer and was able to interview Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi, the creators of the Ultraman manga soon to be released by Viz!
• Speaking of Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi, the latest issue of Bessatsu Shonen Champion announced that the duo’s new manga, Robot Detective will be premiring in the magazine’s next issue. Robot Detective is based off of Shotaro Ishinomori’s 1970s tokusatsu series of the same name.
• Earlier this month, Last Gasp Publishing opened a Kickstarter to get Barefoot Gen into schools and libraries. If the publisher is able to meet their goal, 4,000 copies of Keiji Nakazawa’s seminal manga will be printed in hardcover for distribution to schools and libraries.
• At long last, all 20 of the Marvel manga variant covers have been revealed!
• Al Jazeera recently posted How Comic Books Helped Fuel Japan’s Love for the Atom, an article about how Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy was used to help change the Japanese public’s perception of nuclear power back in the 70s.
• And last but not least, the New York Times Best Sellers List for August 16th.

And now, onto this week’s review of The Science of Attack on Titan!

The Science of Attack on Titan
Written by Rikao Yanagita, Illustrated by Maru Fujishima, Additional Illustrations and Attack on Titan originally created by Hajime Isayama, Translated by Ko Ransom.
Kodansha Comics, 208
Rating: Older Teen (16 +)

As Attack on Titan mania sweeps the world, leading to spin off series, anime series, OVA’s, action figures, games, moves and more, one man dares to ask the important questions! One man dares to ask just what is the body temperature of a Titan, or just how fast does the vertical maneuvering gear move you through the air. That man is Rikao Yanagita and he’s written The Science of Attack on Titan to address just such issues!

At first glance, The Science of Attack on Titan is more than a little reminiscent of Max Brook’s Zombie Survival Guide. Both books approach their subject matter from an ostensibly scientific view point, laying down or deciphering the known “facts” about their respective subjects. The Science of Attack on Titan’s similarities to the Zombie Survival Guide is at their height during the “What Should I do if the Titans Attack?!” and “Anti-Titan Measures” chapters. With the two chapters dealing with theoretical strategies, what we’ve actually seen in the series and more, the comparison is hard to avoid. Outside of those two chapters, The Science of Attack on Titan is a whole other beast. The book is full of (pseudo?) scientific calculations regarding things like the Titan’s mass, their body temperatures, and even theories as to how they generate energy. Theories regarding the construction of the walls, how Titans generate the energy needed to live, three dimensional maneuvering gear speeds and more are all presented, sometimes with numbers and ideas rooted in actual science to back them up.

While some folks might balk at some of the ideas and theories presented, there are sections of the book that actually help put things into perspective. Portions dealing with the size and scale of the walls draw on material from the book to give real world size comparisons while raising good questions about the speed with which they were built. Likewise Titan heights are compared to animals, both living and dead, and common structures help to drive home just how massive these creatures really are!

Scattered throughout are various charts and illustrations which help organize some of the data Rikao Yanagita throws out. In some cases they’re just full of numbers, while others help give you a sense of things like scale, or even depict some of his more outrageous and silly theories. My personal favorite is the shot of the Titans sunbathing in a valley.

While Rikao Yanagita’s The Science of Attack on Titan is not a necessary or important addition to the Attack on Titan franchise, but it is a fun one! The theories and ideas are presented in a playful and enjoyable manner, and some of are interesting enough that readers may find themselves mulling them over and wondering if Hajime Isayama actually will address some of the issues or ideas raised. In the end it’s a quick, fun read that seems ideal for Summer traveling.

The Science of Attack on Titan is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review volume provided by the publisher.

Fairy Tail, Vol. 49
by Hiro Mashima
Kodansha Comics,208
Rating: Teen (13 +)

As the last volume came to its conclusion, all seemed lost. Tartaros’ plan to activate the anti-magic bombs seemed to be unstoppable, despite the efforts of Fairy Tail and their allies. Then, as all seemed lost the dragons returned! Now,Igneel and Acnologia clash in the air as the Tartaros arc comes to an end, but what will become of Fairy Tail? Hiro Mashima brings this story arc to it’s explosive, heart wrenching climax and sets the stage for the next arc with Fairy Tail, Vol. 49!

In general, the Tartaros arc has been pretty fantastic. The story had ridiculously high stakes, moved along at a good pace, providing dramatic character moments for the cast of Fairy Tail along with some exciting and intense fight sequences. The climax doesn’t really disappoint in this regard. Natsu’s forced to confront the loss of someone incredibly dear to him in what’s probably the most emotionally moving moment in the series that I’ve come across so far. Unfortunately, it’s all downhill after the first third of the volume. The Tartaros arc was full of things that set up great character moments and could push the characters into new arcs. Elfman being forced to confront his betrayal of the guild, Natsu and Grey struggling with their respective losses and such. Instead of letting this play out and giving us a chance to see how these moments affect the characters, Hiro Mashima decides that it’s time for another time skip! So we’re suddenly whisked one year into the future following the dissolution of Fairy Tail to kick off the new arc which will presumably be Natsu and company getting the band back together. I’m not terribly keen on time skips to begin with and this is the second one in about 20 volumes! Yeesh.

The book continues to look slick and polished, with the special attacks from the various characters looking appropriately intense and impressive. Hiro Mashima also uses splash pages and double splash pages to nice effect, allowing important emotional beats to hang in the air, literally in one case, for the audience to drink in. I’m also pleasantly surprised at just how good he is at drawing dragons! Igneel in particular is a fantastic, traditional take on the Western idea of a dragon who looks great on every page he appears on. The other dragons are a bit less traditional, but no less interesting to behold.

While the Tartaros arc was pretty enjoyable, the aftermath which occupies most of Fairy Tail, Vol. 49 just doesn’t click. The forced time skip may provide an ok jumping on point for newcomers, but it undercuts the impact of the arc and sets up an obvious reunion story. I’m sure some of these things will be addressed in the new arc, but the time skip still feels awkward and unneeded.

Fairy Tail, Vol. 49 is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review volume provided by the publisher.

Welcome to another midweek manga review! This week I’ll be taking a look at the final three volumes of Sankarea with my review of Sankarea, Vols. 9 – 11, but first, some news items from Otakon and elsewhere!

• The licensing surprises just keep on coming with Kodansha’s announcement that they’ll be releasing Leiji Matsumoto’s Queen Emeraldas in 2016. If that wasn’t enough, they also announced plans to release Yui Sakuma’s Complex Age and Nao Emoto’s Forget Me Not as well.
• Meanwhile, Viz announced they’ve picked up Inio Asano’s Goodnight Pun Pun for a 2016 release.
• Also at Otakon, Vertical announced three new titles, Riichi Ueshiba’s Mysterious Girlfriend X, Kaori Ozaki’s The Gods Lie and Ryo Hanada’s Devil’s Line
• In non-Otakon news, the Asahi Shimbum recently ran an article about the English edition of the Attack on Titan manga having over 2 million copies in print!
• And last but not least, the New York Times Best Sellers List for August 2nd.

And now, onto this week’s review of Sankarea, Vols. 9 – 11!

Sankarea, Vols. 9 – 11
by Mitsuru Hattori
Kodansha Comics,
Rating: Teen (13 +)

The climatic volumes of Mitsuru Hattori’s zombie horror/comedy/romance series, Sankarea, are here! After the life altering events at the ZOMA island, Chihiro and Rea return to Japan. Unfortunately, Rea’s memory has been altered and her relationship with Chihiro has fundamentally changed. Struggling to keep Rea ignorant of the truth of her nature as a flesh eating undead monstrosity drives Chihiro to look deep into his family’s past, finally uncovering the truth of the elixir and learning the ultimate fate of his late mother. Will this information prove to his advantage, or is Rea doomed to become a mindless zombie?

The final three volumes kick off with the conclusion of the ZOMA arc, before quickly whisking our heroes back to Japan where Mitsuru Hattori quickly establishes the new status quo of Rea’s and Chihiro’s relationship. Thankfully he doesn’t give us much time to settle in and things quickly go south as Rea’s taste for flesh quickly overtakes her, forcing Chihiro to uncover the mysterious origins of the elixir. Doing so not only gives us the low down on several of Sankarea’s big mysteries, but also provides Misuru Hattori a chance to change up his visual styling through an extended flashback sequence set in feudal Japan. If it sounds like I’m spending a lot of time talking about the plot rather than the characters or their development, that’s because these final three volumes are incredibly plot heavy. While the flashback is a lovely touch visually, it’s essentially a lengthy info dump with someone narrating and telling us what happened over the span of several hundred years prior to the start of the series. We don’t really have enough time left to see how Chihiro deals with the revelations about his family’s sordid and grim past, or how he really emotionally copes with his climatic encounter with Rea.

Sankarea’s art has always been ok. Nothing really amazing but not offensively bad at the same time. The horror bits were where Mitsuru Hattori’s visuals really shone and that hasn’t changed throughout the series. Once again the bouts of zombie attacks or Rea’s struggles with her hunger look fantastic, only to be broken and weakened by the inclusion of goofy chibi-humor which detracts from the otherwise serious mood that the story’s been building. This is especially apparent in the climatic showdown. The highlight of these three volumes is the aforementioned extended flashback, where Mitsuru Hattori alters his style, employing thicker line work to separate the feudal period story moments from the contemporary bits. It looks fantastic as a result as is a lovely creative treat that helps makes a 100 page explanation all the more palpable.

Sankarea, Vols. 9 – 11 provide a decent wrap up to the story. Most of the long term mysteries are wrapped up, but it all happens so fast that it almost feels a tad rushed. A little more time given to Chihiro coming to grips with his past, or Rea dealing with some of the events from the climax would have been nice. Otherwise, this was a satisfactory end to a fairly enjoyable series!

Sankarea, Vol. 9 – 11 is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.

After a longer than planned absence, I’m back with a new midweek manga review! The past couple of weeks have seen us go through San Diego Comicon and Anime Expo, so there’s plenty of manga related news bits floating around right now. This isn’t all of them by any stretch of the imagination, but these are the highlights that really caught my attention.

• Udon won SDCC, and quite possibly the decade, when they announced plans to release Riyoko Ikeda’s classic series, Rose of Versaille.
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Creator Kazuki Takahashi was awarded a Comic Con Inkpot Award at Comicon! The award recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions to comics, sci-fi/fantasy and the like. Past Japanese Inkpot winners include Osamu Tezuka, Hayao Miyazaki, Naoko Takeuchi and more.
• Shigeru Mizuki’s Showa 1939 – 1944: A History of Japan and Showa 1944 – 1953: A History of Japan won the Eisner Award for “Best U.S. Editon of International Material – Asia” at this years Comicon. The series is one of several Shigeru Mizuki works to be released by Drawn & Quarterly in recent years.
• A Manga Publisher’s Roundtable was held at Comicon this year. Hosted by Deb Aoki, the panel was made up of editors from several U.S. manga publishers and the discussion focused on busting commonly held misconceptions about the U.S. industry. Topics included such things as sports manga not selling, older series being a hard sell, josei not selling, scanlations and more.
• Marvel recently unveiled a slew of their Marvel Manga Variant covers. The latest round of covers include Ant-Man: Last Days by Q Hayashida, Guardian of Knowhere by Yasuhiro Nightow, Planet Hulk by Imaishi Hiroyuki and more.
• Crunchy Roll’s Peter Fobian rolls out a new feature highlighting specific manga artists, for his first entry in the series he takes a look at Tsutomu Nihei
• And last but not least, the New York Times Best Sellers List for July 26th.

And now, onto the featured review of Your Lie in April, Vol. 2!

Your Lie in April, Vol. 2
by Naoshi Arakawa
Kodansha Comics, 224 pp
Rating: Teen (13 +)

Young Arima Kosei is forced to confront his fears in an attempt to help Kaori Miyazono in her violin competition. Is this the push Arima needed to regain his confidences and embrace music once again, or will it break him even further? And just what is Kaori to him anyway? Love, music and more abound in the Naoshi Arakawa’s Your Lie in April, Vol. 2!

Naoshi Arakawa does a fantastic job at building up the various relationships that pepper this series. Clearly the primary romance is the burgeoning one between Kaori and Arima, and his depiction of how the duo connect through music is nicely done, with Kaori slowly opening Arima up to musical possibilities that his mother never thought to show him. That said, I couldn’t help but think that Kaori seems to be veering into Manic Dream Pixie Girl territory. She’s a bubbly, energetic young woman who’s pulling Arima out of his brooding funk and teaching him to embrace the wonders of music and enjoy life again in the process, and it’s a cliche that I’m not terribly fond of. The fact that she’s clearly ill just makes it worse and I’m left hoping that we don’t end up with her dying and her death serving to inspire or motivate Arima. For now at least, the relationship building is interesting and Naoshi Arakawa tosses in twists and turns by setting up love triangles, romantic rivals and more. Watching Arima attempting to negotiate his own feelings towards Kaori, mixed with his low self esteem and the feelings of his two friends is interesting and seems like it’ll provide plenty of chances for drama and tension as the series progresses.

The big hook of the series is music and Arima’s relationship to it. While a musical performance might not seem like the most interesting or easy thing to depict in sequential art, Naoshi Arakawa does a pretty solid job at conveying the drama, emotional state and physicality of the performances in this volume. Shots of sweat pouring down his head, musical notes floating away from the paper and more all do a nice job at making his panicked state obvious. Likewise his style is cartoony enough, and he keeps the visuals light enough that the comedic over reactions don’t feel intrusive or distracting.

With Your Lie in April, Vol. 2, the series continues to be a enjoyable read, though there are some plot and character elements that seem like that could easily backfire or end up being rather disappointing if they’re not handled carefully in the future. I’m definitely curious to see how the various relationships will play out and hopefully it will avoid some of the more obvious cliches and pitfalls that this volume seems to hint at.

You Lie in April, Vol. 2 is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.

小林正樹のノカット版『怪談』はBlu-ray とDVDに米国に来ます！


New cover art for KWAIDAN designed by Sean Freeman.

For the first time, the uncut, original three-hour version of Masaki Kobayashi's haunting anthology, KWAIDAN (1964), will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States this October 20, 2015 by Janus Films and the Criterion Collection!

From the Criterion press release: After more than a decade of sober political dramas and social-minded period pieces, the great Japanese director Masaki Kobayashi shifted gears dramatically for this rapturously stylized quartet of ghost stories. Featuring colorfully surreal sets and luminous cinematography, these haunting tales of demonic comeuppance and spiritual trials, adapted from writer Lafcadio Hearn’s collections of Japanese folklore, are existentially frightening and meticulously crafted.

This all-new home video release of KWAIDAN will include:

• New 2K digital restoration of director Kobayashi’s original cut
• Uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• Audio commentary by film historian Stephen Prince
• 1993 Kobayashi interview by director Masahiro Shinoda
• New interview with assistant director Kiyoshi Ogasawara
• New piece about author Lafcadio Hearn
• Trailers
• New English subtitle translation
• An essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien

Japan
1964
181 minutes
Color
2.35:1
Japanese

The Criterion Collection's page for KWAIDAN

Witchcraft Works, Vol. 5
by Ryu Mizunagi
Vertical Comics, 186 pgs
Rating: Not Rated

Ayaka and Honoka find themselves between a rock a hard place as they come under attack by a new, powerful and clever enemy. The enigmatic Tower Witch known as Weekend! After swiftly defeating Ayaka’s mother, she launches a explosive plan to capture Honoka, forcing the duo and the rest of the Workshop Witches onto the defensive! Is there anyway to stop Weekend? Witchcraft Works, Vol. 5 sees Ryu Mizunagi ramp up the action and destruction as the new enemy looms!

Ryu Mizunagi’s artwork continues to be the highlight of the series. Her detailed character designs and backgrounds provide ample eye candy. At times they almost feel a bit too over designed, threatening to loose readers as the patterns blend and shift, making distinct character shapes difficult to make out at times, though this is thankfully less of a problem here than it was in volume three. The action scenes tend towards the short and speedy, but much of the book is instead focused on interaction and dialogue.

Sadly the story and the characters aren’t as interesting as the artwork. While Ryu Mizunagi’s clearly created quite a complex world for the series, with organizations, deep lore and more, the characters who occupy it are kinda of forgettable. They tend to just blur together and no one really jumps out as being terribly memorable. Many also seem to be fairly one note. Ayaka, for example, is pretty much your typical strong, silent and stoic character. She’s cold and aloof and… uh, that’s about all the personality she shows us. Honoka fairs a little better, but still feels fairly bland and forgettable. For much of the volume his emotional state is confused, towards the end he becomes a little more active and less passive, but throughout much of the volume he’s fairly helpless. Admittedly, this is a bit of a nice role switch, with the woman, Ayaka, being the strong capable character who has to protect and save Honoka and actually does it pretty damn well. It’s a nice twist on a fairly typical cliche endemic to stories the world over, but it’s not really enough to hold my attention when the rest of the story and characters are bland and forgettable.

Witchcraft Works, Vol. 5 continues to be a show case for Ryu Mizunagi’s lovely artwork, while the story still leaves me cold and bored. There’s just no one and nothing in these volumes which makes me care about the characters or their actions. Ultimately it’s a pretty, but forgettable read.

Witchcraft Works, Vol. 5 is available now from Vertical Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.

AX is behind us and we’re eyeball deep into Comicon, so there’s a ton of manga and manga related news to catch up on.

• At Anime Expo last weekend, Vertical announced several new title, including Keiichi Awawi’s Nichijo, Kanata Konami’s FukuFuku: Kitten Tales and the Attack on Titan: Lost Girls novel co-written by Hajime Isayama and Hiroshi Seko.
• Speaking of Attack on Titan: Lost Girls, it’s set to receive a manga adaption in Japan. Given how many other Attack on Titan spin off series and adaptions have made it Stateside, it seems like only a matter of time before this comes over here as well.
• TokyoPop held a panel at AX announcing their plan to return to publishing in 2016. There wasn’t a whole lot of information to come out of the panel, but the mere announcement of TokyoPop’s return set off some rather interesting discussions online.
• In the wake of TokyoPop’s announcement, Comics Alliance ran a piece about their past treatment of “OEL” creators, with a number of comments from several “OEL” alumni. Likewise, The Beat ran a similar article looking at TokyoPop’s return, their planned “Pop Comics” site and their handling of the “OEL” line and creators.
• Viz made several licensing announcements at AX, including their plans to release the Naruto spin off and follow up series, along with several new additions to their Shojo Beat line, including Shuriken and Pleats from Matsuri Hinoa and Behind the Scenes from Bisco Hatori.
• And last but not least, the New York Times Best Sellers List for July 19th.

And now, onto the featured review of xxxHolic: Rei, Vol. 3!

xxxHolic Rei, Vol. 3
Created by Clamp
Kodansha Comics, 208 pgs.
Rating: Older Teen (16 +)

All good things must come to an end as Watanuki is about to discover within the pages of Clamp’s xxxHolic Rei, Vol. 3. The little mysteries and oddities that have been plaguing Watanuki throughout the previous volumes of the series have been building this moment, when Watanuki is forced to make a choice…

On one hand I really enjoyed this volume. It does a great job at driving home the immensity and emotional impact of Watanuki’s decision and how it’ll affect him and his life and the life of those around him. It’s a weight that you feel even after he’s made it, with the scene of him waking and being forced to live with the consequences of the decision being a strong and haunting one. Unfortunately, much of the decision and the mechanics of it are based in aspects of the series and the universe it inhabits, which are more thoroughly detailed and established in the original series, xxxHolic, leaving me wondering just what happened and why? While the importance of the decision is palpable, the reasoning behind it and why it has to occur ultimately felt a little shaky. Presumably if xxxHolic Rei wasn’t my introduction to this world, it’d all click properly, but alas that’s not the case.

As usual Clamp’s artwork is absolutely gorgeous to look at. The heavy use of black produces some rather stunning panels and splash pages. While the slender and lanky character designs are generally rather lovely, every now and then there’s a scene that highlights just how freakishly long their limbs are. Watanuki in particular seems to possess legs that are almost three times the size of his torso in a few places. That said, whenever Yuko’s on the page the artwork is positively dripping with a languid sensuality that is palpable. The continued use of the smoke effect to draw and pull readers eyes along in a few sequences, while also highlighting a character or object touched by the supernatural, is still a lovely little design touch that I never get tired of seeing.

xxxHolic Rei, Vol. 3 definitely felt like a coda to a previous story and was a bit impenetrable at times. Sure, people who just came on board get the reveal to a mystery that’s been brewing since the first volume of this series, but it’s so tied into a larger continuity that they might be a bit lost at times, I know I was. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when the series returns for a fourth volume and whether it provides a clean jumping on point, or whether it will still be tangled in threads from the previous series.

xxxHolic Rei, Vol. 3 are available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Ajin: Demi-Human, Vol. 5
By Gamon Sakurai
Vertical Comics, 200 pp
Rating: Not Rated

Sato’s war against the Japanese government enters a new phase! Having gathered a group of like minded Demi-Human’s to his cause, Sato escalates his campaign against the mortal Japanese government in a spectacularly bloody fashion. Meanwhile, Kei’s attempt to remove himself from the brewing conflict fails and forces him and his friend, Kaito, to take drastic measures. Gamon Sakurai’s action/horror series Ajin: Demi-Human, Vol.5!

Ajin: Demi-Human, Vol. 5 is a fascinating look at what works for this series and what doesn’t. The first third of the volume is given over to Sato and his increasingly daring strikes at the Japanese government and humanity in general. This is really the most compelling aspect of the series so far as Gamon Sakurai’s done a fantastic job at making both sides fairly untrustworthy and monstrous. The Japanese government is right to be worried about the Demi-Humans and what they’re capable of, but their methods of research and study have been shown to be absolutely horrific and inhuman, meanwhile the Demi-Humans have been shown to be rather ruthless and heartless in their attempts to create a society where they can live and essentially rule. Watching it play out feels like a bloody version of the X-Men without a clearcut good guy and other super powered beings.

Gamon Sakurai continues to top himself when it comes to action scenes. Sato’s well planned shootout with an SAT (think SWAT) squad is a sight to behold. Not only is the run and gun action absolutely fantastic, but Gamon Sakurai includes some rather intense sniper action as well, showing just how effective a small number of Demi-Humans can be when they’re organized and working together. The result is the highlight of the volume and probably one of the better action sequences I’ve seen in a contemporary setting. The fact that he’s able to get across speed, intensity, and excitement without sacrificing any clarity is absolutely fantastic. I can only hope that American and Japanese artists are taking notes, because he’s really teaching a masters class here.

As fantastic as it is, the battle scene isn’t without problems, most of which are due to questionable in story logic. For example, the Japanese government chooses to not employ tranquilizer darts while combatting Sato, despite the fact that they work. Their reasoning is that it’s illegal and if they were used in public it would be a disaster. Instead they opt to tie Sato up and repeatedly shoot him in the head! Something that the Japanese public in the world of Ajin would apparently be ok with…? It’s such a startling bit of plot inspired stupidity that it took me right out of an otherwise fantastic action sequence.

Sato’s amazing battle with the Japanese government only takes up the first third of Ajin: Demi-Human, Vol. 5, the rest of the volume is given over to Kei’s attempts at removing himself from the brewing conflict altogether. To this end he hides out in a remote rural village and tries to live like a normal teenager. Naturally things go sideways and he’s forced to flee. The idea of a protagonist who wants to spend his time in class, playing video games or watching TV instead of being killed repeatedly for a cause he doesn’t believe in makes sense, but watching it play out isn’t the most gripping material. Thankfully Gamon Sakurai reunites him with his old friend, Kaito. The duo’s banter and antics help give Kei’s story some much needed energy and it ends up with a buddy adventure feel. While this helps, Kei’s just not a terribly interesting or compelling figure and I often found myself hoping that the focus would shift back to Sato throughout much of it.

While Ajin: Demi-Human, Vol. 5 is something of a mixed bag, for the first sixty six pages alone it’s worth checking out, as they deliver what is easily one of the best action scenes of the year. While Kei’s story isn’t the most engaging, it takes some turns which place it on track to collide with Sato’s plans in a rather bloody way, and given Gamon Sakurai’s amazing action scenes it’s bound to spectacular when it comes.

Ajin: Demi-Human, Vol. 5 is available now from Vertical Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Welcome to another midweek manga review! This time I’ll be taking a look at Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Vol. 4, but first some news…

• The Attack on Titan train keeps on chugging along with Funimation’s announcement that they’ve licensed the live action Attack on Titan movies.
• Earlier today at AX, Viz announced that Haikasoru will be releasing the first three volumes of Yoshiki Tanaka’s Legend of the Galactic Heroes novels in 2016!
• With a panel at SDCC and AX in the offing, Brigid Alverson takes a look at the history of Tokyopop.
• While the next bit is not technically manga related, it is kinda/sorta related to a Japanese franchise. Namely, American comic book publisher, BOOM! has acquired the rights to produce a Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers comic.
• And last but not least, the New York Times Best Sellers List for July 12th.

And now, onto the featured review of Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Vol. 4!

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Vol. 4
Art by Satoshi Shiki, Story by Ryo Suzukaze, “Attack on Titan” created by Hajime Isayama, Character Designs by Thores Shibamoto
Kodansha Comics, 192 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16 +)

The adventures of Kuklo and company trundle on with Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Vol. 4! Satoshi Shiki’s adaption of Ryo Suzukaze’s light novel continues as Kuklo is sentenced to exile for his purported involvement in the raid on the Innocencio mansion and the death of Dario Innocencio. Once more he finds himself beyond the wall, but this time with none of the protection of the Survey Corps, forcing him and fellow prison Cardina Baumeister, to engage in a desperate nighttime race for safety.

After having read the novel that this is based on, I have to admit I have a new appreciation of Satoshi Shiki’s adaption. He keeps things moving at a very brisk pace, with scenes that took pages to get through in the novel reduced to a few quick panels and meaningful glances. Much of this particular volume is dedicated to a nighttime chase scene and it’s surprisingly well done. The vague outlines of the menacing, misshapen figures of the Titans lurking in the dark does a great job at building up the tension as Kuklo and Cardina race north in a desperate bid for safety.

Satoshi Shiki’s artwork continues to be pretty solid, with the Titans being a particular standout feature of the series. They’re wonderfully grotesque, in ways that Hajime Isayama’s aren’t. They’re anatomies aren’t quite as off, their limbs not quite as lanky, but he imbues them with a weird texture and lumpiness to them. Like they’re musculature is off, making them nightmares and distorted in their own unique way. His handling of the action sequences is kinetic, if a bit messy at times.

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Vol. 4 continues to be an enjoyable, quick read. It ties into the overall world that Hajime Isayama has created nicely, reinforcing the conspiratorial aspects with whispers and suggestions about the Military Police and ruling families being up to no good, while also giving us a glimpse at events that seems rather pivotal in the world’s history. If you’re hungering for more Attack on Titan between the releases of the original series, this is sure to satisfy.

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Vol. 4 is available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.

In Clothes Called Fat
by Moyoco Anno
Vertical Comics, 268 pgs
Rating: NA

Noko is an overweight office worker who copes with bullies at work and an abusive boyfriend at home, by eating. Unfortunately, this creates something of a vicious cycle, as the more she eats the bigger she gets and the more abuse her co-workers heap upon her. While things look like they couldn’t get much worse for Noko, she’s about to discover that they can. Published in 1997 as part of a weekly magazine aimed at adult women, In Clothes Called Fat is Moyoco Anno’s unnerving portrait of a woman’s struggle with her weight and lack of self esteem.

This is not an easy or light hearted read. Nearly every character who appears in this book is broken and damaged in some way. Whether it’s Noko’s self-destructive streak which gets progressively worse throughout the volume, or her co-worker Mayumi whose entire sense of self worth seems to be based upon her ability to ridicule and put down those who weren’t gifted with her good looks, or Noko’s overly religious and bitter co-worker Tabata, everyone is damaged. Unfortunately for Noko, she’s often the target of everyone else’s issues. What starts off as verbal and mental abuse escalated quickly thanks to Mayumi. She flaunts an affair with Saito, Noko’s nominal boyfriend, frames her for another co-workers mistake, and ultimately engages in a scheme that feels over the top given the more grounded themes of the book. Saito, for his part, does absolutely nothing to help Noko. Due to his own issues, Saito encourages Noko to remain overweight while periodically ignoring her and cheating on her, returning to her because she’s safe and one of the few things in his life that he has control over. This too slowly escalates as Noko seeks to lose weight, culminating in a particularly disturbing scene where he physically abuses Noko, jamming food down her throat while screaming at her to keep eating. With most stories like this, such a scene would lead Noko to leaving Saito, but not in In Clothes Called Fat. Instead, her mental deterioration simply continues as she begins to engage in even more self-destructive behavior in an attempt to keep Saito around.

In Clothes Called Fat is an incredibly dark and grim read that might catch folks by surprise, as there’s virtually no light at the end of the tunnel. At one point Noko joins a spa to help her loose weight, only to encounter more abuse from the spa workers and no help thanks to one of the weaker subplots in the book, involving an elderly paramour Noko had a one night stand with. Noko never quite gets the kind of help she needs, but neither does anyone else. Readers will be left hoping that one of characters would exhibit some degree of self awareness and get the therapy they so desperately need, but it never comes. The cycles of abuse continue until they culminate in mental breakdowns, arrests and medical emergencies.

If this were an American story, In Clothes Called Fat would probably end with Noko standing up for herself and either accepting her body or working towards changing it in a healthy manner, probably while meeting a man along the way who loves her for who she is. Moyoco Anno eschews all this and instead gives a haunting, disturbing tale which avoids the pitfalls and cliches that would come from it being an uplifting and affirming story. Instead she gives an honest and all too real look at Noko’s psychological downward spiral, which ultimately makes In Clothes Called Fat an incredibly unsettling read that’s bound to stick to your ribs long after you’ve put the book down.

In Clothes Called Fat are available now from Vertical Comics.

Starring Fear, Black Flag, X, Motorhead, Alice Cooper

Directed by Penelope Spheeris

Distributed by The Shout! Factory

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When discussing the history of punk rock, most people would likely cite the groundbreaking acts coming out of England or New York City; the scene in Los Angeles has, historically, attracted far less attention from the media. And for that reason, director Penelope Spheeris embarked upon the making of her first true feature film, The Decline of Western Civilization (1981). Shot in and around Los Angeles, from 1979-1980, the film chronicles a movement most in the media chose to avoid all together. Spheeris takes a ground-level approach to the material, capturing not only live performances from the bands that helped shape the sound of Los Angeles’ burgeoning punk rock scene but also the lifestyle punk kids who attend the shows, understanding club owners and misunderstood conceptions. Raw and unvarnished, Spheeris delves deep into the growing punk subculture, cajoling answers out of these spiky street urchins like a therapist earning her keep.

It isn’t enough to know they’re into such abrasive music, or what they like about it; part of the rubric here is to understand the deeper connection that has brought such varied youths together. The answers may be worded differently but they all share the same themes – physical abuse, verbal abuse, drug use at a young age, self-esteem problems. It becomes apparent early on that the offensive clothes they wear, Liberty spike hairdos & mohawks, and intimidating-to-the-average-person personas are really just a big cover up for insecurities. Obviously not everyone in the scene back then shared the same difficulties, and if I have any jab at Spheeris’ movie it’s that these kids are almost presented a little too sympathetic. It wouldn’t have seemed entirely out of place had Sally Struthers popped up after the credits to solicit donations so that “you, too, can help feed and clothe a homeless punk rock youth”. No documentary is without bias. It’s clear Spheeris has a real affection for these adolescents (some more than others – she wound up dating one of the guys from the third film for years) and so she presents them as being a misunderstood group that displays surprising amounts of heart, brains and comprehension.

But enough about the interviews! Many of you have likely come for the music… I have not. My bread-and-butter growing up was metal – thrash, death, black, heavy, and even a little hardcore – but I have never been a fan of punk rock. Except for The Misfits and The Ramones, and that’s it. Still, as a fan of music and creativity and all things fun & slightly dangerous, this movie had appeal in so far as it presented to me a world of which I knew very little. Those who do love them some old-school L.A. punk rock will find performances from Black Flag, The Germs, Catholic Discipline, X, Circle Jerks, Alice Bag Band, and FEAR. Each group performs two-to-three songs, while Circle Jerks and FEAR each get five. None of the songs here won me over, but having been to so many metal shows I understood the energy of the crowd – and those circle pits – and this film does a great job of getting across that intensity.

Additionally, many of the musicians in the featured bands, and many who were not, are interviewed about their respective roles in the scene. The most memorable scenes center on the late singer of The Germs, Darby Crash, who makes breakfast while discussing his pre-show pick-me-up requirements. Later, he shows off his pet tarantula. Second to this is a quick clip with Ron Reyes of Black Flag showing off the closet where he sleeps for $16 a month. To say none of these people live an extravagant lifestyle would be a massive understatement.

Extravagance is just the thing in Spheeris’ second entry in the series, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988). A number of notable and not-so-notable metal musicians are interviewed here, discussing the excessive lifestyles and debaucheries that are part-and-parcel of being in a metal band in Los Angeles circa the mid-80s. The subjects are portrayed in stark contrast to the mostly-homeless, unmaterialistic punks of the previous film. Here, we’re treated to the teased hair and made-up faces of Poison (who look just ridiculous), a dude who looks like a fat Trey Parker with a teased mullet, Ozzy Osbourne attempting to make himself breakfast (some of which was staged), W.A.S.P.’s Chris Holmes guzzling vodka in a pool float – fully clothed – as his mom sits nearby, Steven Tyler’s proclamation that he “snorted up Peru” and blew a fortune, and, maybe best of all, Paul Stanley conducting his interview from a bed filled with half-naked groupies. This is everything the last film wasn’t, and then some.

As a big fan of heavy metal from this era, I can say with certainty that Spheeris’ film manages to perfectly capture the “sex, drugs and rock & roll” ethos by which virtually everyone here lived. Every single musician interviewed here is convinced they’re going to hit it big or die trying, with the obvious exception of those who were already on top of the rock world; however, there isn’t much of a discernible difference in attitudes between the haves and have nots. Everyone is living like a rock star – booze flows freely and scantily-clad women are around every corner. Surprisingly, the rampant drug use many of the Sunset Strip acts were known for is only lightly touched upon. In fact, many of the groups interviewed say they don’t use drugs at all, and others don’t even drink. Perhaps this was Spheeris trying to clear up some misconceptions about the L.A. scene. The main thrust of the picture is success – whether working to keep it or working to achieve it.

Despite a number of big names being interviewed, the performances are mostly made up of bands that either had modest success or very little with only one act – Megadeth – achieving a worldwide following. Aside from Mustaine’s thrash metal headliner, acts shown here include London, Odin, Faster Pussycat and Seduce. Not exactly the most inspiring collection of bands from that era, although some of that may have to do with reluctance to participate from top acts. It seems unconscionable Spheeris wouldn’t try for groups like Guns ‘N Roses or Motley Crue, though the likely excuse is they were just too damn busy taking over the world.

The trilogy wraps up with The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998), a film that returns to the L.A. punk scene to show how much (or little) has changed. Instead of focusing on the music, this time around Spheeris dedicates most of the picture to the “gutter punk” kids. The results are not dissimilar to the first film; the main difference being instead of showing the squalid conditions in which bands members live, now we see how these street kids get by. Most come from an abusive home, most have issues fitting in, all have a major problem with authority in any form and all of them live either on the streets or they squat in abandoned units.

Spheeris continues her style of launching questions and direction from behind the camera, this time asking about racism, tolerance, upbringings, issues with law enforcement and where they’ll be in five years (most common answer: “dead”). A good chunk of the film is dedicated to squatters, who inform viewers about how to do so. I learned how to make a “squat candle”, a skill I will hopefully never have to use in the field. In many ways this is like a real-life version of Suburbia (1984), which is itself practically a documentary. Hearing about the plight of these “gutter punks” lacks some impact, since the material was also covered in the first film to a degree, but it is definitely clear not one of these kids had much of a chance growing up and they have less of one now. Be sure to stick around until the very end of the credits for a total downer!

The first Decline seems to be the most celebrated of the trilogy, though your enjoyment will almost entirely depend on your musical choices. As a metal fan, I had less interest in the first and third film yet still found both to be at least intriguing in the sense they captured a time and a place that doesn’t exist anymore and that’s always fascinating (to me). What I most enjoyed was Spheeris’ ability to ask hard, sometimes uncomfortable questions that make her subjects shift in their seats with uncertainty. This isn’t some surface “news/sports/weather” interview meant to offer up a crude overview of the movement; these films all dig deep into their subjects and get them to reveal what’s hidden just beneath unconventional exteriors.

Long unavailable on home video in any format – ever – Shout! Factory has brought the entire trilogy to Blu-ray with all-new 2K transfers and spectacular results. The first Decline sports a 1.33:1 1080p picture, while II and III are framed at 1.78:1. Although there are no previous versions to compare to this set, it’s very clear a great deal of work went into making sure this is the best all three films have ever looked. All of the prints used look to have been kept in good condition (even though no negative for the first film could be located), with very little dirt or scratches to be seen. Film grain is very evident on all three but not in excess, and in the case of the first film it really adds to the aesthetic. Of the three, II looks the most polished and cinematic, while the first and third films are fittingly “dirtier” in their appearance. Colors look accurate, contrast is solid and there are really no major issues worth discussing. Could these transfers be picked apart and scrutinized more closely? Sure, but why bother? These films were intended to look a little raw and rough and the presentations here nail that aesthetic.

All three features have two audio options – English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound (48kHz/24-bit) or 2.0 stereo. The live songs benefit the most from the multi-channel tracks, adding fullness to the tracks and expanding the thin soundfield. The first film is the only one that has any instances of hissing and pops, although again it seems fitting given the nature of the picture. Otherwise, the interviews all come across clean and level with no major issues. Subtitles are available on all three films in English SDH.

DISC ONE: The Decline of Western Civilization

Director Penelope Spheeris and box-set producer Anna Fox deliver an informative audio commentary that expands upon the many interviewees seen in the film, adding anecdotes and bits of trivia that allow a more complete picture of that time period to be painted.

Next up is an audio commentary from… Dave Grohl? Yep, the Foo Fighters frontman is a massive fan of this film and he’s here to tell you all about why he loves it and what it means to him.

“Never-Before-Seen Footage”:

– “X Signs Contract”
– “Tour of the Masque”

“Never-Before-Seen Performances”:

– “FEAR – We Destroy the Family/No More Nothing/Waiting for the Gas/Fresh Flesh”
– “Germs – Lexicon Devil/Let’s Pretend”
– “The Gears – Elk’s Lodge Blues”

“Additional Extras” include Henry Rollins Interviewing Spheeris, stage announcements and a theatrical trailer.

There are also “Extended Interviews” with Black Flag, Darby Crash at his apartment, X, Brendan Mullen, Nicole (Germs’ manager) and the Light Bulb Kids.

DISC TWO: The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years

Director Penelope Spheeris delivers another audio commentary, this time joined by The Nadir D’Priest, lead singer for London. Once again, this is another must-listen track for those who want all the additional dirt on the who’s who of the film.

There are extended interviews with Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Chris Holmes (W.A.S.P.), Gene Simmons, Lemmy, Ozzy Osbourne and Paul Stanley.

A theatrical trailer is also included.

DISC THREE: The Decline of Western Civilization Part III

“Extended Interviews” are included, featuring Flea, Keith Morris, Leonard Phillips (The Dickies), Rich Wilder (The Mau-Maus), and the Light Bulb Kids.

“Additional Extras”:

– “Behind the Scenes”, with commentary from Spheeris.
– “Gutterpunks”
– “LA County Museum of Art Panel – DECLINE I & II”
– “Premiere/Movie Introduction”
– “Sundance Interview with Spheeris”
– “Theatrical trailer”

DISC FOUR: Bonus Disc

“Decline II Extended Interviews – London/Megadeth/Odin/Poison/Gazzari/Mega Crowd” runs for over an hour.

“Decline I News Report”

“Decline II Cruising the Strip”

“Decline III Panel”

“Tawn Mastrey Interviews Spheeris”

“LA County Museum of Art Panel – Decline II”

“Mark Toscano Interviews Spheeris”

“Nadir & Lizzy”

“Theatrical trailer – SUBURBIA”

The four discs come housed in a sturdy, side-loading slipcover. The first three films come housed in standard Blu-ray keepcases, while the bonus disc comes in a slim case. There is also a thick booklet included, featuring lengthy essays and pictures related to each film.

Special Features:

THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION

• Audio commentary with director Penelope Spheeris and box set producer Anna Fox
• Audio commentary by musician/filmmaker Dave Grohl
• Extended interviews with the bands – Black Flag, Germs, X
• Additional band performances – Fear, Germs, The Gears
• Additional interviews with the Light Bulb Kids
• Henry Rollins interviews Penelope Spheeris
• Extended interview Brendan Mullen, owner of The Masque
• Extended interview with Germs manager, Nicole
• Theatrical trailer

THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION PART II: THE METAL YEARS

• Audio commentary with director Penelope Spheeris and Nadir D’Priest (London)
• Extended interviews – Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Lemmy, Chris Holmes, Ozzy Osbourne, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and more
• Theatrical trailer

THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION PART III

• Extended interviews with Flea, Leonard Phillips (The Dickies), Keith Morris, Rick Wilder
• Additional interviews with the Light Bulb Kids
• Sundance Film Festival interview with Penelope Spheeris
• LA County Museum of Art Panel – DECLINE I and III
• Behind the Scenes
• Theatrical trailer

BONUS DISC

• Extended interviews with the bands from DECLINE II – Megadeth, London, Odin
• DECLINE I News Report
• DECLINE II Cruising the Strip
• DECLINE III Panel
• LA County Museum of Art Panel – DECLINE II
• Tawn Mastrey interviews Penelope Spheeris
• Nadir and Lizzie interview
• Theatrical trailer for Penelope Spheeris; SUBURBIA
• Mark Toscano interviews Penelope Spheeris

The post Decline of Western Civilization Collection, The (Blu-ray) appeared first on Dread Central.

Welcome to another midweek manga review, here at Sequential Ink! This time around I’ll be looking at The Seven Deadly Sins, Vols. 5 – 8 from Nakaba Suzuki, but first some news…

• Last week saw DMP unveil their latest Osamu Tezuka Kickstarter project. This time around they’re aiming to publish Storm Fairy, with an eye towards a Unico reprint, and a physical release of Crime and Punishment as well. They’ve already reached their initial goal, but the Unico and Crime and Punishment stretch goals remain open.




• After five years, Jason Thompson’s ANN column “House of 1000 Manga” is coming to an end. To celebrate it’s impending finale this weeks installment is a look back at Shaenon Garrity’s 10 favorite series.




• Elsewhere, horror site Dread Central takes a look at the recent spate of live action manga adaptions.




• And last but not least, the New York Times Best Sellers List for June 28th.

And now, onto the featured review of The Seven Deadly Sins, Vols. 5 – 8!

The Seven Deadly Sins, Vols. 5 – 8
by Nakaba Suzuki
Kodansha Comics
Rating: Teen (13 +)

The adventures of Meliodas and the rest of the Sins continue in Nakaba Suzuki’s The Seven Deadly Sins, Vols. 5 – 8! These volumes see the Sins enter into a fighting tournament in an attempt to retrieve Diane’s Holy Weapon, a giant sized war hammer! As per usual, things don’t go according to plan and they soon find themselves embroiled in a battle with some familiar faces who are part of the New Generation of Holy Knights! Revelations, mysteries and more await the Sins in these four volumes.

I’ve been pretty luke warm on The Seven Deadly Sins from the get go, and these volumes don’t do anything to really change my opinion for the better. These four volumes cover two short arcs, the first focusing on a fighting tournament, which also serves as a gateway to introduce a new faction of Holy Knights and further the ideas of a conspiracy and schism plaguing that organization. Much of it is made of the old kick/splode as Meliodas, Ban and the rest of the gang engage in battle to retrieve Diane’s Holy Weapon. The second arc sees the gang dealing with the fallout of the previous battle and the revelations of New Generation and the revelation of what their long term goal is. The big event is the discovery and reunion with another Sin in the form of Gowther, a massive armored member of their team… or so they think!

Frankly, the revelations and plot twists and hidden secrets don’t help cover up the fact that The Seven Deadly Sins still reads like a fairly typical, paint by numbers shonen series. The characters are paper thin and they all seem to share a singly playful attitude. Not just the Sins, but even the antagonists. Meliodas is the playful pervy guy, Ban is the playful guy with an edgy attitude, Diane is the playful girl with a temper, etc. Several of their enemies sport similar personalities in this volume, with one of them even… well, look at the page to the right and see for yourself. I know I’m a little old and outside of the target demographic for this, but that didn’t keep me from getting interested in and invested in say… Attack on Titan, which happens to run in the same magazine as The Seven Deadly Sins. The characters are just terribly bland and uninteresting and all the mystery and ominous talk about demons and Holy Wars just can’t cover that up.

In the past, Nakaba Suzuki’s artwork was a high point. Even if his writing was a bit bland, I always enjoyed his thatch heavy art style. While that’s still present here, it’s accompanied by some absolutely atrocious anatomy that I hadn’t noticed before. Ban and others engage in broke back poses that are easily on par with anything in the American superhero comic scene. A few characters have arms which seem to stretch to their ankles and spines that twist and bend in ways that you’d expect from a Titan. The action, at least, is exciting and fun, and Nakaba Suzuki’s character designs are generally ok, but I was a bit disappointed by the weird physiques and poses he put many of his characters in.

The Seven Deadly Sins, Vols. 5 – 8 should be a fairly major and important period for the developing plot line with all the information and revelations that are thrown at us. Unfortunately it’s all marred by a really generic cast along with a drop off in the artwork. With eight volumes under it’s belt The Seven Deadly Sins needs to show some improvement lest it remain a middling shonen series.

The Seven Deadly Sins, Vols. 5 – 8 are available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copies provided by the publisher.

Fragments of Horror
by Junji Ito
Viz, 224 pgs
Rating: Teen + (16 +)

For the first time in nearly a decade, Junji Ito returns to the horror genre with Fragments of Horror, a new collection of short stories of the macabre, bizarre and horrifying. Best known for his horror masterpieces, Uzumaki and Gyo, Junji Ito is one of the most well known creators of horror manga in the U.S. Will Fragments of Horror live up to the expectations and reputation of the previous works of his released here?

In short, no. Fragments of Horror is a mixed bag, with stories ranging from the surprisingly touching and haunting “Gentle Goodbye,” to the bizarre and nonsensical “Magami Nanakuse,” to the creepy and disturbing “Black Bird.” While there are some good solid horror tales to found among these stories, there’s a surprising amount of stories which are just meh or downright forgettable. “The Futon,” which serves as the book’s opening story, is a story which has hints of the disturbing nature of some of his other works, but is most memorable for being so incredibly short and ending so quickly it feels like it never even got started. The aforementioned “Magami Nanakuse” stands out for another reason entirely, namely being the lowest point in the collection. It’s a weird little tale of a young woman obsessed with a reclusive and highly quirky author by the name of Magami Nanakuse. After contacting the author and being invited to visit her things go south quite quickly. Before you know it we’re being bombarded with a bizarre rendition of a cross dressing or transexual character, it’s never made clear which they are, along with some unfunny visual puns regarding body tics. It’s an uninteresting story that ends up sitting there like a lump in the middle of the collection. “A Gentle Goodbye,” on the other hand, is quit possibly the highlight of Fragments of Horror and was a lovely surprise! It’s a wonderfully emotional and moving story which uses the supernatural as a beautiful metaphor for the process of moving on from the loss of a loved one. I’m so used to Junji Ito and his bizarre body horror which is full of gross out moments, that I had no idea he was capable of something this elegiac and haunting. In a collection that features women being dissected, people being enveloped by mold, “A Gentle Goodbye” is an unexpected treat.

Interestingly enough, almost all of the stories involve the dissolution of a traditional relationship, whether they be a heterosexual couple or a family unit. The two leads from “The Futon” bare the worst of this, as they feature in two stories where their relationship is put through the ringer thanks to a woman touched by the supernatural. Likewise we witness the breakdown of the family unit in “Wooden Spirit” when a widower remarries to a younger woman despite his daughter’s protests. Again and again, this collection features stories where the horror comes to us via infidelity or an outside woman injecting herself into the various relationships throughout the book to such point that it’s hard to ignore. Horror is often a conservative genre, but seeing it laid out so explicitly was a little surprising.

One thing about Fragments of Horror which is consistent throughout the otherwise uneven outing, is Junji Ito’s visuals. Even if the stories don’t quite click or come together, he maintains a flair for the visually disturbing and unnerving. “Black Bird” isn’t my favorite story and doesn’t quite click for me, but my god is the titular figure one of the most disturbing and unnerving creations I’ve seen this year. Even “The Futon” which is only a few pages long and not terribly good, still has a visual punch which comes during the last page reveal and is both gross and disturbing. Junji Ito’s knock for the visually disturbing remains in tact and hasn’t been dulled by time.

In his afterward, Junji Ito wonders if his horror muscles have gotten weak or rusty and after reading Fragments of Horror, I’m inclined to say yes they have. This book really feels like Junji Ito is shaking off his ring rust. It’s uneven, some of the stories are flat duds, but when it clicks for him it really clicks. I can only hope that this isn’t a temporary return and that he continues and works with the horror genre and shakes off that ring rust, because I get the feeling that once he finds his groove again, he’ll be back to churning out the disturbing classics we all know and love.

Fragments of Horror are available now from Viz.

Welcome to another midweek manga review, here at Sequential Ink! This week I’ll be taking a look at the Kodansha Comics of Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, but before we get to that, some news from the past week.

• Fred Schodt recently appeared on Wisconsin Public Radio for a short discussion about Osamu Tezuka and Astro Boy.
• Eichiro Oda, creator of One Piece set a Guinness World Record for “the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author.” One Piece had over 320 million copies in print worldwide as of last year. The official listing of the record can be found on the Guinness World Records site.
• Viz’s digital Shonen Jump will be running Bikkuri and Rem’s Folie à Deux in the June 22nd issue. The one-shot manga was the winner of Kodansha’s International Manga Competition back in 2007!
• And last but not least, the New York Times Best Sellers List for June 21st.

And now, onto the featured review of Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vols. 1 + 2!

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vols. 1 + 2
by Miki Yoshikawa
Kodansha Comics
Rating: Older Teen (16 +)

By sheer accident, high school bad boy, Ryu Yamada discovers he has the ability to swap bodies with Urara Shiraishi, the class genius! What ensues is two volumes of hijinks, self discovery, bonding and more! Who knew body swapping could be so much fun? Well, apparently Miki Yoshikawa did and the proof is in Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vols. 1 + 2!

I had no idea what to expect from this series when I started it. The covers did absolutely nothing for me, and the title said very little about what to expect beyond a guy called Yamada and Seven Witches, who don’t actually appear in either of these volumes. So it was a pleasant surprise to discover that Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches is a really fun, goofy, light hearted comedy! While there are moments of pervy humor present, such as the typical pervy guy trying to grope girls any time he can, and even moments of Yamada looking at Shiraishi’s body while he’s in it, most of the humor comes less from that and more from the personality shifts and the upended expectations that Yamada has about Shiraishi’s life. Expecting her to be popular with lots of friends, he’s shocked when he discovers that she’s the subject of almost non-stop bullying from classmates. Likewise, his idea of how teen girls act is almost always met with bafflement and confusion from everyone he encounters while he’s in her body. As the story progresses the uses for the body swapping also become a little more bizarre, but not enough that it ruins the fun of the series or the premise. The first few swaps are accidental before Yamada and Shiraishi make a pact to help each other in different situations. For Yamada, this sometimes entails helping Shirashi’s social life develop, while Shiraishi spends most of her time in Yamada’s body gleefully taking test and studying to improve his grades.

The cast slowly builds up over the course of the two volumes, thanks in part to Yamada and Shiraishi finding themselves blackmailed into joint a school club, lest their body swapping antics be made public knowledge. Don’t worry, the black mailing is as goofy as everything else in this book and more characters just means that there’s more opportunities for body swapping wackiness, misunderstandings and accidents. In the second volume the humor is really the result of the club testing the bounds of Yamada’s ability, resulting in multiple body swaps, colds being spread like the plague and more. Sadly, by the end of the second volume it seems like the random goofiness might be coming to end as a larger plot involving the school president and who will succeed him in the role seems to be brewing. Hopefully this won’t detract from it’s lighter, fun tone, but only time will tell.

All the humor in these two volumes is helped immensely by Miki Yoshikawa’s expressive art. The cartoonish style of her artwork means that comedic overreactions blend in seamlessly with the look and feel of Yamda-kun and the Seven Witches and, thankfully, while there are goofy overreactions they never descend into the dreaded chibified forms that tend to bug me. Her skill with facial expressions and body language is used wonderfully, making it instantly recognizable at a glance who is who’s body just by the way they sit, stand, or the expressions they make. Yamada’s overly masculine bow-legged walk when he’s in Shiraishi’s body and Shiraishi’s body posture when she’s inside Yamda’s body are hilarious and not something that’s dragged only once in a while for a cheap pun and then dropped. Indeed, despite all the body swapping there are still some wonderful scenes in the second volume of Yamada slouching in a chair with his legs spread while he’s occupying Shiraishi’s body while other girls around sit in a more proper manner. Instead of drawing attention to it or making everyone point it out, something that does happen once in a while, it’s unacknowledged and all the more amusing for it, since she leaves it up the readers to catch it instead.

After reading Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vols. 1 + 2, I’m not sure I want an overarching plot to develop! Just watching the goofy misadventures of Yamada and company is enjoyable enough, that I’m almost afraid of what giving it long term plot line line will do to the chemistry and sense of fun that permeates these two books. Hopefully it won’t do anything though, because these first two volumes were a lovely and fun surprise!

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Vols. 1 + 2 are available now from Kodansha Comics. Review copies provided by the publisher.

Attack on Titan: Kuklo Unbound
Created by Hajime Isayama, novel by Ryo Suzukaze, art by Thores Shibamoto
Vertical Comics, 300 pgs
Rating: Not Rated

Set some 70 years before the events of Attack on Titan, Attack on Titan: Kuklo Unbound details a turning point in humanity’s struggle against the implacable Titans, a turning point that comes with a most unexpected backstory. Following a rampage by a Titan through Shingangshina district, a lone child emerges from his dead mother’s womb. Dubbed the Titan’s Son, Kuklo, he will go on to create an art that will change the world of Attack on Titan for all time. From Ryo Suzukaze and Thores Shibamoto, comes an untold tale from the history of Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan!

If any of the above sounds familiar, that’s probably because it is! Attack on Titan: Kuklo Unbound is the source material for the Attack on Titan: Before the Fall manga, currently being published by Kodanasha. Initially published as two volumes in Japan, Vertical has collected the two part tale from Ryo Suzukaze into a single volume for it’s U.S. release. It serves as a follow up to the Attack on Titan: Before the Fall novel, also by Ryo Suzukaze, and references events and characters from that as well. Thankfully it stands on it’s own pretty well and not once did I feel like I was coming in part way on a series already in progress.

The story follows Kuklo from his tragic birth up, imprisonment, gaining freedom and subsequent enrollment in the beleaguered Survey Corps. Along the way he develops rivals and enemies in the form of Xavi, the son of a wealthy merchant who had bought Kuklo and used him as a training dummy, Sharle, Xavi’s more empathic sister and more. Unfortunately, many of these friends and rivals end up feeling fairly cliche and one note, and not really developed and independent beings of their own. Kuklo manages to avoid this, but just barely, while other characters he meets such as Cardina and Rosa just feel like typical shonen-y stock figures. For Kuklo, his primary drive is to discover more about himself and his connection, if any, to the Titan’s. Is he a Titan’s Son? What does that mean exactly? Such desires are what ultimately lead him into contact with the Survey Corps who present him with the best opportunity to encounter and learn about the Titans. Thankfully his encounter with the Corps is timely, as they happen to be trying to develop and perfect a weapon system which can be used to help humanity battle the Titans, and guess who seems like a prime test pilot for the system?

Since it’s a light novel, everything tends to be fairly straight forward. Kuklo’s birth, subsequent imprisonment and torture at the hands of nearly everyone he comes into contact with, right through to his meeting with Sharle and members of the Survey Corps. all happen in a fairly plain and matter of fact manner. There’s not a whole lot of purple in this prose and even descriptions tend to be sparse. We’re not really privy to the inner thoughts of anyone beyond Kuklo and this results in most of the cast feeling a bit like stock characters rather than flesh out individuals. Attempts at developing Xavi in the second half feel drastically at odds with what we were shown of him in the first half of the book and don’t ring true at all. Sharle suffers as well. She starts off as a prominent and important figure but is virtually absent in the last half of the book.

While Attack on Titan: Kuklo Unbound ends up feeling a little uneven, but it’s also a fairly breezy and quick read. While it’s a little lighter on characterization than I had hoped, it still provided a fairly fun and enjoyable read with a look back into the early days of the Attack on Titan world. In the end, it seems like prime Summer reading material. Got a long car or plane trip coming up and have a hankering for some more Attack on Titan? Then this is the book for you!

Attack on Titan: Kuklo Unbound is available now from Vertical Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.

It’s still Thursday so it still counts as a midweek manga review! Apologies for the tardiness though. Very slow news week, but I still managed to find a few items of interest this week…

• After much waiting, Viz has announced a physical release date for One-Punch Man with the first two volumes set to be released in September.
• The Chinese Ministry of Culture released a list of 38 “blacklisted” anime and manga series. The series are banned in China in both print and online forms. Among the titles were Inferno Cop, Attack on Titan, Claymore, Parasyte and Afro Samurai.
• Earlier this year Marvel comics announced plans where almost all their books would receive manga variants covers this August. At the time no artists were named, but that’s changed. Marvel’s panel at the recently concluded New York Comic Con: Special Edition included news and images of two of the covers! House of M by Katsuya Terada, and Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #4 by Yusuke Murata! Except more cover images and names as August gets closer.
• And last but not least, the New York Times Best Sellers List for June 14th, which marks Attack of Titan, Vol. 1’s 100th week on the list!

And now, onto the featured review of Witchcraft Works, Vol. 3!

Witchcraft Works, Vol. 3
by Ryu Mizunagi
Vertical Comics, 190 pgs
Rating: Not Rated

From Ryu Mizunagi comes Witchcraft Works, Vol. 3 and the ongoing tale of Honoka Takaamiya, an ordinary high schooler until he finds himself dragged into a conflict involving many of his co-students who happen to be witches! Honoka’s life is further complicated as he learns that within him lies a powerful and mysterious witch known as Evermillion, making him a target for everyone!

Every now and then you come across a manga that leaves you scratching your head. Not because it’s thought provoking and not because it’s confusing, just because it fails to make any kind of real impression on you. Witchcraft Works, Vol. 3 is one of the manga.

Things kick off with a magical battle already involving a witch named Medusa and a whole lot of property destruction. That’s about the most exciting and interesting thing in this entire book. From there we descend into scenes discussing Honoka and the mysterious White Witch, Evermillion who is somehow locked inside of him. Her presence causes Honoka to become an object of desire for various witches and witch factions. Evermillion, incidentally, is sometimes referred to as the White Stuff. So yes… you have a bunch of magically powered girls battling over a high school student for the White Stuff inside of him. It doesn’t get any better from there folks. Complicating issues for Honoka is his weird relationship with Ayaka Kagari, who happens to be the most important and second most powerful figure in his high school, and his sister who appears to be harboring more than sisterly love for Honoka. Unfortunately for Witchcraft Works these complications and mysteries don’t come off as engaging or intriguing, and instead come off as kinda creepy and boring. Honoka’s personality is virtually nonexistent, and Kagari displays the emotional range of a plank, meaning that neither of the leads is terribly interesting or engaging.

The artwork isn’t bad, in fact the color pages at the beginning are really beautiful, but sadly the interior art alternates between ok and a bit of a mess. A shot of Honoka’s sister flying through town on what appears to be some kind of origami’d bi-plane blends in with it’s backgrounds due to heavy use of patterns and thin line work, ruining what probably was meant to be a rather cool shot. Similar things happen once or twice with the overly lacey and ornate clothing the witches wear in combat. When the characters are just talking, plotting or hanging out though, Ryu Mizunagi’s artwork becomes fairly solid and easy to follow.

Maybe jumping into Witchcraft Works with the third volume wasn’t the hottest idea, but after reading this volume and looking into the series some more, I get the feeling it wouldn’t matter where I started, I’d still dislike it. What humor is present generally fails and the main characters are just downright bland. I’m not sure who the audience is for Witchcraft Works, Vol. 3, but I know I’m not among them.

Witchcraft Works, Vol. 3 is available now from Vertical Comics. Review copy provided by the publisher.