Title: The Wallflower / Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge (volumes 1-8)
Media: Manga
Text: English
Story: Hayakawa Tomoko
Art: Hayakawa Tomoko
Publisher: Del Rey Manga (originally Kodansha)
The person who decided on the English title for this really ought to be caught and put in a small room with no visual or auditory stimulus, there to be confined for an indeterminate period of months. Seriously, though, could you come up with a blander title? Not to mention, it gives absolutely no clue as to the contents of the book.
Anyway, here's the concept. Stop me when you realize just how non-"wallflower" this is.
Four guys are living in a boarding house. One day, their landlady contacts them and says that her niece is going to be living there, and she has a job for them: Make this girl into an outstanding lady. If they do, they continue to live there, at no cost. If they fail, the rent triples. Confident in themselves, the boys agree... But what they couldn't have foreseen was that the girl in question is no mere normal girl. A few tips on grooming and an introduction to polite conversation isn't going to cut it, because ever since the boy she liked called her "ugly", Nakahara Sunako turned into darkness personified.
So, instead of trying their hardest to make a lady out of Sunako, the guys are mostly reduced to attempting to keep the landlady from finding out just how far gone the girl is. Let comedy ensue.
For the most part, this manga can be read out of order. There are few stories that span more than one chapter. Of course, there is ongoing characterization, but it happens at a slow enough pace that it isn't impossible to pick up on it as you go. I would still suggest starting from the beginning, naturally, but if you can't find volume one at your local bookstore, any of the others will serve just as well to introduce you to the story.
The series is currently eleven volumes English-translated, with at least two more due out this year. Meanwhile, the Japanese release is up to volume 18 (as sourced from animenewsnetwork.com), and apparently going strong, since there is currently an anime adaptation ongoing. We can certainly hope that makes its way over here as well.
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
2007/04/10
2007/03/30
Geoff Reviews - Fruits Basket (v.1-14)
Title: Fruits Basket (volumes 1-14)
Media: Manga
Text: English
Story: Takaya Natsuki
Art: Takaya Natsuki
Publisher: Tokyopop (originally Hakuensha)
Fourteen volumes? Yes, fourteen volumes. Fruits Basket, or Furuba, to use the series' nickname, has been called the best-selling shoujo manga in America. I'm sure there are sales figures floating around somewhere to prove that, though that's not really that important.
I hesitate to call Furuba a slice of life series only because I can't recall any slice of my life in which I've hugged a member of the opposite sex who then promptly transformed into an animal. Well, it's supposed to be a closely guarded secret, so I can accept that although it's never happened to me, it could. (Okay, not really, but this gets back to the whole suspension of disbelief thing.)
Before I get started, a quick note on romanizations: The Tokyopop translations stuck a bunch of "h"es in where "o"s and "u"s go. This is supposedly an accepted romanization style for long vowels, or "u" extensions of vowels. However, these mystically appearing "h"es made my life miserable when I was just starting out in learning the Japanese language, so I won't use them. There is no plain "h" in the Japanese language. Don't misunderstand, there are "h" sounds, but they are all "h" plus vowel. (HA, HI, FU, HE, HO, respectively.) Thus, Tohru becomes Tooru, Sohma becomes Souma, and so forth. The same applies to many words with extended vowels, but in a purely English-translated text, the names are the only place that romanization should be an issue. ... ... ... Anyway, rant over, I suppose. On with the show.
Whether or not it can be called slice of life, the series certainly can lay claim to a quality mix of comedy and drama, along with an enjoyable cast. The story opens with Honda Tooru living out of a tent, because her grandfather's house is being remodeled. She happens across a house near where her tent is set up, out in the middle of relative nowhere, which, like the land she's pitched the tent on, belongs to the Souma family, and is inhabited initially by Soumas Yuki and Shigure. It would be nice to say that the Soumas took her in out of kindness and human decency, but saying that it's because none of them could cook or clean worth a lick is much more accurate.
The Souma family, or at least particular of its descendants, are cursed by what are referred to as the "vengeful spirits of the Chinese zodiac". Each of the twelve, plus the cat, have associated weaknesses, likes, and dislikes based on their animal to go along with the general "transforms into that animal when hugged by a member of the opposite sex" bit. Needless to say, this isn't exactly something that the family would be pleased about if it were to become common knowledge.
While it's not really something to recommend a manga based on, the author talk sections are easily some of the most memorable in memory. Just for a taste: "When a character dies in an RPG, my first thought isn't, 'Oh, how sad'... It's 'Please give back the items you had equipped, okay?' Then I feel bad about being so cold-hearted."
At some point, which I didn't think to pin down at the time (probably around volume nine or ten), the story shifts from Tooru living life while trying to hide the Souma family secret to her getting the idea that she might be able to find a way to break the curse.
-----
The review feels like it cuts off quite abruptly, but I'm not sure what else I can say without going into excessive spoilers and ruining things for potential readers. So, I'm going to leave it at that.
With this, plus the eventually forthcoming reviews of the five books of the Belgariad by David Eddings, and The Tempting of America by Robert Bork (and the review that I won't be doing of volumes 5-8 of KareKano), I've clobbered the March reading challenge with room to spare, even if you want to count English-language manga at 3-to-1, 4-to-1, or even 5-to-1. (Go me? Heh...)
Media: Manga
Text: English
Story: Takaya Natsuki
Art: Takaya Natsuki
Publisher: Tokyopop (originally Hakuensha)
Fourteen volumes? Yes, fourteen volumes. Fruits Basket, or Furuba, to use the series' nickname, has been called the best-selling shoujo manga in America. I'm sure there are sales figures floating around somewhere to prove that, though that's not really that important.
I hesitate to call Furuba a slice of life series only because I can't recall any slice of my life in which I've hugged a member of the opposite sex who then promptly transformed into an animal. Well, it's supposed to be a closely guarded secret, so I can accept that although it's never happened to me, it could. (Okay, not really, but this gets back to the whole suspension of disbelief thing.)
Before I get started, a quick note on romanizations: The Tokyopop translations stuck a bunch of "h"es in where "o"s and "u"s go. This is supposedly an accepted romanization style for long vowels, or "u" extensions of vowels. However, these mystically appearing "h"es made my life miserable when I was just starting out in learning the Japanese language, so I won't use them. There is no plain "h" in the Japanese language. Don't misunderstand, there are "h" sounds, but they are all "h" plus vowel. (HA, HI, FU, HE, HO, respectively.) Thus, Tohru becomes Tooru, Sohma becomes Souma, and so forth. The same applies to many words with extended vowels, but in a purely English-translated text, the names are the only place that romanization should be an issue. ... ... ... Anyway, rant over, I suppose. On with the show.
Whether or not it can be called slice of life, the series certainly can lay claim to a quality mix of comedy and drama, along with an enjoyable cast. The story opens with Honda Tooru living out of a tent, because her grandfather's house is being remodeled. She happens across a house near where her tent is set up, out in the middle of relative nowhere, which, like the land she's pitched the tent on, belongs to the Souma family, and is inhabited initially by Soumas Yuki and Shigure. It would be nice to say that the Soumas took her in out of kindness and human decency, but saying that it's because none of them could cook or clean worth a lick is much more accurate.
The Souma family, or at least particular of its descendants, are cursed by what are referred to as the "vengeful spirits of the Chinese zodiac". Each of the twelve, plus the cat, have associated weaknesses, likes, and dislikes based on their animal to go along with the general "transforms into that animal when hugged by a member of the opposite sex" bit. Needless to say, this isn't exactly something that the family would be pleased about if it were to become common knowledge.
While it's not really something to recommend a manga based on, the author talk sections are easily some of the most memorable in memory. Just for a taste: "When a character dies in an RPG, my first thought isn't, 'Oh, how sad'... It's 'Please give back the items you had equipped, okay?' Then I feel bad about being so cold-hearted."
At some point, which I didn't think to pin down at the time (probably around volume nine or ten), the story shifts from Tooru living life while trying to hide the Souma family secret to her getting the idea that she might be able to find a way to break the curse.
-----
The review feels like it cuts off quite abruptly, but I'm not sure what else I can say without going into excessive spoilers and ruining things for potential readers. So, I'm going to leave it at that.
With this, plus the eventually forthcoming reviews of the five books of the Belgariad by David Eddings, and The Tempting of America by Robert Bork (and the review that I won't be doing of volumes 5-8 of KareKano), I've clobbered the March reading challenge with room to spare, even if you want to count English-language manga at 3-to-1, 4-to-1, or even 5-to-1. (Go me? Heh...)
2007/03/20
Geoff Reviews - Spiral ~Suiri no Kizuna~ v.2
Title: Spiral ~Suiri no Kizuna~ (volume 2)
Media: Manga (tankouban)
Text: Japanese
Story: Shirodaira Kyo
Art: Mizuno Eita
Publisher: Gangan Comics (a Square/Enix publication)
Volume two of Spiral picks up right where the first left off, with the locked room mystery. As I read through, I keep meaning to go back and look at the similarities and differences between the manga and anime adaptation, since I know there are a couple of changes between the two (primarily to keep the number of incidental knifings down in the anime, is my assumption).
Ayumu quickly proves himself in the finale of the locked room saga, unmasking the culprit with a certain Holmesian flare.
Speaking of differences between the anime and the manga, it was interesting to see, between reading the first two volumes, and watching the first two episodes of the anime, what got left out when the series got animated. Really, the anime truncated the manga storyline, and attached it at different points, involving the same people in multiple events rather than using the original manga characters in order to tighten up the time frame.
Anyway, after the locked room comes what is, in my opinion, the first point in Spiral where I said to myself, "I have to see the rest of this.": The turtle bomb. I know, if you haven't read or watched Spiral, your mental image here probably isn't capturing the event. Essentially, Ayumu has half an hour to somehow decipher a nine-digit disarm code, or the concert hall he was in will be blown to bits (and him with it, of course). Now, you can solve the disarm code yourself, with the right information (and a bit of luck). Just consider what a turtle from China, and a three-by-three grid have in common. The last piece you need is that the number 1 (one) is in the second box of the third column.
Media: Manga (tankouban)
Text: Japanese
Story: Shirodaira Kyo
Art: Mizuno Eita
Publisher: Gangan Comics (a Square/Enix publication)
Volume two of Spiral picks up right where the first left off, with the locked room mystery. As I read through, I keep meaning to go back and look at the similarities and differences between the manga and anime adaptation, since I know there are a couple of changes between the two (primarily to keep the number of incidental knifings down in the anime, is my assumption).
Ayumu quickly proves himself in the finale of the locked room saga, unmasking the culprit with a certain Holmesian flare.
Speaking of differences between the anime and the manga, it was interesting to see, between reading the first two volumes, and watching the first two episodes of the anime, what got left out when the series got animated. Really, the anime truncated the manga storyline, and attached it at different points, involving the same people in multiple events rather than using the original manga characters in order to tighten up the time frame.
Anyway, after the locked room comes what is, in my opinion, the first point in Spiral where I said to myself, "I have to see the rest of this.": The turtle bomb. I know, if you haven't read or watched Spiral, your mental image here probably isn't capturing the event. Essentially, Ayumu has half an hour to somehow decipher a nine-digit disarm code, or the concert hall he was in will be blown to bits (and him with it, of course). Now, you can solve the disarm code yourself, with the right information (and a bit of luck). Just consider what a turtle from China, and a three-by-three grid have in common. The last piece you need is that the number 1 (one) is in the second box of the third column.
2007/03/12
Geoff Reviews - 300 (the movie, not the graphic novel)
Title: 300
Media: Video
Audio: English
Story: Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Michael Gordon (screenplay); Frank Miller, Lynn Varley (original work)
This is one of those movies that I have to qualify as the "see in theatre" type. And I have to say, I wasn't disappointed in the least by that decision. Visually, 300 is exactly the kind of movie that deserves a large screen and loud speakers (exceptionally good ones probably aren't necessary, but the loudness is). While I'm certainly no art critic, there was enough well-done cinematography in the movie that even I could notice.
For those who aren't aware, once you get back through the movie and the graphic novel, the story itself is based on the Battle of Thermopylae, between the Greeks and the Persians. While some storytelling undoubtedly went on for the sake of making an enjoyable movie, the premise remains the same: The king of the Spartans, along with 300 of his men, and (in the historical event) 700 diverse other Greeks, met and held back the invading hordes from Persia for several days.
In the end, it's the story of men who loved their country so much that they were willing to fight to the death to defend it. My first thought was actually a Heinlein quote, so I'll just end with that:
"The noblest fate that a man can endure is to place his own mortal body between his loved home and war's desolation."
Media: Video
Audio: English
Story: Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Michael Gordon (screenplay); Frank Miller, Lynn Varley (original work)
This is one of those movies that I have to qualify as the "see in theatre" type. And I have to say, I wasn't disappointed in the least by that decision. Visually, 300 is exactly the kind of movie that deserves a large screen and loud speakers (exceptionally good ones probably aren't necessary, but the loudness is). While I'm certainly no art critic, there was enough well-done cinematography in the movie that even I could notice.
For those who aren't aware, once you get back through the movie and the graphic novel, the story itself is based on the Battle of Thermopylae, between the Greeks and the Persians. While some storytelling undoubtedly went on for the sake of making an enjoyable movie, the premise remains the same: The king of the Spartans, along with 300 of his men, and (in the historical event) 700 diverse other Greeks, met and held back the invading hordes from Persia for several days.
In the end, it's the story of men who loved their country so much that they were willing to fight to the death to defend it. My first thought was actually a Heinlein quote, so I'll just end with that:
"The noblest fate that a man can endure is to place his own mortal body between his loved home and war's desolation."
2007/03/09
Geoff Reviews - Kare Kano (v.1-4)
Title: Kare Kano (volumes 1-4) (also known as Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou, or His and Her Circumstances)
Media: Manga
Text: English
Story: Tsuda Masami
Art: Tsuda Masami
Publisher: TokyoPop (originally Hakusensha)
It's been years since I had contact with Kare Kano, and that was in the anime form. Going back and actually reading the manga, it's interesting to see the differences that Gainax added in. Yes, added in. The story is exactly the same, at least as far as my admittedly shoddy memory is concerned... It just lacks all of the references to previous Gainax works (primarily Shinseiki Evangelion) that the anime had.
Anyway, as to the manga itself, Kare Kano is pretty typical shoujo fare. That is, girl meets boy, girl falls for boy (after a bit), new couple faces trials. Of course, the trick to the genre is not so much in the premise as it is in the characterization and execution, both of which are done quite well.
The main character for the story is Miyazawa Yukino, and she's perfect. Okay, well, that's a blatant lie, but you'd never convince her classmates of that. Top of the class, pretty, good at sports... If the character were written today, rather than twelve years ago, the entire school would be her onee-sama following. Instead, for the first time in her life, she has competition for the top spot in everything: Arima Souichirou. And so, completely undeclared, the war for the number one spot is on.
Media: Manga
Text: English
Story: Tsuda Masami
Art: Tsuda Masami
Publisher: TokyoPop (originally Hakusensha)
It's been years since I had contact with Kare Kano, and that was in the anime form. Going back and actually reading the manga, it's interesting to see the differences that Gainax added in. Yes, added in. The story is exactly the same, at least as far as my admittedly shoddy memory is concerned... It just lacks all of the references to previous Gainax works (primarily Shinseiki Evangelion) that the anime had.
Anyway, as to the manga itself, Kare Kano is pretty typical shoujo fare. That is, girl meets boy, girl falls for boy (after a bit), new couple faces trials. Of course, the trick to the genre is not so much in the premise as it is in the characterization and execution, both of which are done quite well.
The main character for the story is Miyazawa Yukino, and she's perfect. Okay, well, that's a blatant lie, but you'd never convince her classmates of that. Top of the class, pretty, good at sports... If the character were written today, rather than twelve years ago, the entire school would be her onee-sama following. Instead, for the first time in her life, she has competition for the top spot in everything: Arima Souichirou. And so, completely undeclared, the war for the number one spot is on.
2007/03/01
Geoff Reviews - Rozen Maiden (v.3)
Title: Rozen Maiden (volume 3)
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Peach-Pit
Art: Peach-Pit
Publisher: Tokyopop (originally Gentosha Comics)
I have to start this off by being nice, since Tokyopop got its act together a bit in this volume. Suiseiseki actually did gain a mode of speech in place of her ever-present "desu". They translated "desu" as "yes", yes. Also, they almost weaned themselves entirely off of "impish" as a translation for "chibi".
The actual volume entails more maneuvering, along with the proper introduction of the third (or is it the fourth) doll in the Rozen Maiden series, Souseiseki. (Please, don't blame me for forgetting whether Suiseiseki is 3rd and Souseiseki is 4th, or the other way around... They're twins, after all.) It's also nice to see Jun growing as a character in this volume.
So, at this point, we know there are six dolls, and we've been introduced to all but the second one. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that last introduction is going to happen before anything serious happens in regards to the fights that make up the "Alice Game".
One open question from the volume is, who are the brothers Jun witnessed, and how do they tie in? (Well, we know about one of them, but that's a spoiler for the volume.) Also, on a related note, how and why was Jun able to witness this, when it wasn't part of his past experience? Sure, we can relate that back to the existence of magic in the world if we need to, but it seems like the kind of thing that ought to be explained at some point. Something to look forward to, perhaps.
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Peach-Pit
Art: Peach-Pit
Publisher: Tokyopop (originally Gentosha Comics)
I have to start this off by being nice, since Tokyopop got its act together a bit in this volume. Suiseiseki actually did gain a mode of speech in place of her ever-present "desu". They translated "desu" as "yes", yes. Also, they almost weaned themselves entirely off of "impish" as a translation for "chibi".
The actual volume entails more maneuvering, along with the proper introduction of the third (or is it the fourth) doll in the Rozen Maiden series, Souseiseki. (Please, don't blame me for forgetting whether Suiseiseki is 3rd and Souseiseki is 4th, or the other way around... They're twins, after all.) It's also nice to see Jun growing as a character in this volume.
So, at this point, we know there are six dolls, and we've been introduced to all but the second one. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that last introduction is going to happen before anything serious happens in regards to the fights that make up the "Alice Game".
One open question from the volume is, who are the brothers Jun witnessed, and how do they tie in? (Well, we know about one of them, but that's a spoiler for the volume.) Also, on a related note, how and why was Jun able to witness this, when it wasn't part of his past experience? Sure, we can relate that back to the existence of magic in the world if we need to, but it seems like the kind of thing that ought to be explained at some point. Something to look forward to, perhaps.
2007/02/27
Geoff Reviews - Crossroad (v.1-6)
Title: Crossroad
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Mizuki Shioko
Art: Mizuki Shioko
Publisher: Go!Comi (originally Akita Shoten)
No aliens, magic, weird planets, or extraordinarily skilled people? What's a story to do? Live on the strength of its comedy and drama, of course. There's nothing terribly special here outside of the characters, but they're the point and focus of the story anyway, so that's not a bad thing. As the American publishers said as the preview for volume five, anything I could really tell you about the story would be a spoiler... so, I'm better off not saying anything. I could just quote the blurb from the back of volume one, but it's exceptionally misleading, so I can't in good conscience do so.
As shoujo manga go, this is one of the better ones I've read recently. While the technical definition of "shoujo manga" is "comics for girls", that doesn't really cover the concept. If you can say shounen manga as a whole goes about character development through training and combat (please, use these terms training and combat loosely, this can cover everything from martial arts to racing cars to baking bread), then shoujo manga is more character-relationship driven. Put another way, most shounen-series characters develop their abilities, while most shoujo-series characters develop as people.
I only have two real gripes about the series. First, I had to turn off my brain just a bit to keep from bludgeoning it on the 900 pound deus ex machina in the room, otherwise known as how the main characters wound up together at the beginning of the story. Without spoiling it, let's just say that I had to promise my suspension of disbelief a week's vacation if it would overlook that one plot point. The thing is, I don't think I would've actually taken issue with it if the rest of the series weren't so incredibly normal.
Second... It's over already? Sure, I had a bad feeling about it when the mangaka commented in volume one that she'd already covered half of the story as she originally saw it, but all of a sudden, I'm staring at the upcoming release of volume seven as a resolution for the story? It's not impossible, if by resolution it means clearing up the storyline of the two primary characters... but all the other major characters seemed to have stories worth telling as well, and one volume isn't going to be time enough for nearly all of them (or any of them, really, if the focus is where it should be, in wrapping up the primary line).
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Mizuki Shioko
Art: Mizuki Shioko
Publisher: Go!Comi (originally Akita Shoten)
No aliens, magic, weird planets, or extraordinarily skilled people? What's a story to do? Live on the strength of its comedy and drama, of course. There's nothing terribly special here outside of the characters, but they're the point and focus of the story anyway, so that's not a bad thing. As the American publishers said as the preview for volume five, anything I could really tell you about the story would be a spoiler... so, I'm better off not saying anything. I could just quote the blurb from the back of volume one, but it's exceptionally misleading, so I can't in good conscience do so.
As shoujo manga go, this is one of the better ones I've read recently. While the technical definition of "shoujo manga" is "comics for girls", that doesn't really cover the concept. If you can say shounen manga as a whole goes about character development through training and combat (please, use these terms training and combat loosely, this can cover everything from martial arts to racing cars to baking bread), then shoujo manga is more character-relationship driven. Put another way, most shounen-series characters develop their abilities, while most shoujo-series characters develop as people.
I only have two real gripes about the series. First, I had to turn off my brain just a bit to keep from bludgeoning it on the 900 pound deus ex machina in the room, otherwise known as how the main characters wound up together at the beginning of the story. Without spoiling it, let's just say that I had to promise my suspension of disbelief a week's vacation if it would overlook that one plot point. The thing is, I don't think I would've actually taken issue with it if the rest of the series weren't so incredibly normal.
Second... It's over already? Sure, I had a bad feeling about it when the mangaka commented in volume one that she'd already covered half of the story as she originally saw it, but all of a sudden, I'm staring at the upcoming release of volume seven as a resolution for the story? It's not impossible, if by resolution it means clearing up the storyline of the two primary characters... but all the other major characters seemed to have stories worth telling as well, and one volume isn't going to be time enough for nearly all of them (or any of them, really, if the focus is where it should be, in wrapping up the primary line).
2007/02/22
Geoff Reviews - Rozen Maiden (v.1-2)
Title: Rozen Maiden (volumes 1-2)
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Peach-Pit
Art: Peach-Pit
Publisher: Tokyopop (originally Gentosha Comics)
Let's see, a story about dolls with supernatural powers who have to fight it out in order to become some kind of perfected conception of a girl so they can meet their creator. Off the wall? Sure. Fun, though, particularly since during their downtime, they tend to make the main human character's life into something akin to a living hell.
Surprisingly, volume one doesn't suffer nearly as much from the general slow pacing that introductory volumes normally do, which is a nice change of pace. When just getting to know the characters is downright fun, the writer is obviously doing something right.
I'll admit right now that my gripes with the second volume are cosmetic translation issues. Please make allowances for my linguistic nerdishness while I complain for a moment.
First off, every time they referred to "Lil' Strawberry", I about lost it. Sure, it's technically a fair translation of what was probably "Ichigo-chan", referring to Hinaichigo, in the manga, but here's the kicker: I kept expecting to turn the page and see the rest of the dolls' names translated as well. I wouldn't have gotten very far against characters called "True Red" and "Mercury Lamp". (I'm about three keystrokes away from breaking my rule against emoticons in the blog at the moment, because this is just begging for a sweatdrop.) Still, in deference to Tokyopop's choice not to use the original Japanese honorifics, though I still say the text loses flavor without them, since the English "equivalents" don't carry nearly the level of attached meaning, I can understand this one. Not approve, but understand.
Next up, impish. Yes, impish. A word that has connotations that don't come even remotely close to a) what the character was trying to convey in the original text, and b) what the word that was actually used really means. (Rejoice, you get a freebie Japanese of the Week!) The original word in question is: 禿び (chibi) n. 1) small child; pipsqueak; small fry; 2) (vulg) short person; midget; dwarf; 3) small animal; runt; 4) worn down. In this case, we're looking at the first or second definition (context in the manga). Now, here's what Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary has to say on the word impish: Impish adj. 1) of, relating to, or befitting an imp; especially : MISCHEVIOUS
Okay, laying those aside, the last one is one of those thing that Tokyopop will never get right until they relax on allowing actual Japanese into their translations. Part of Suiseiseki's character is the misuse of "desu". To get out of this without a minimum three page explanation of the proper usages of the word, please take my word for it that "desu" does not end every sentence in normal speech. Unfortunately, it's one of those things that just doesn't translate well, and since in Tokyopop's translating religion, leaving the language alone doesn't fly, Suiseiseki's idiosyncrasy just kinda... disappears.
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Peach-Pit
Art: Peach-Pit
Publisher: Tokyopop (originally Gentosha Comics)
Let's see, a story about dolls with supernatural powers who have to fight it out in order to become some kind of perfected conception of a girl so they can meet their creator. Off the wall? Sure. Fun, though, particularly since during their downtime, they tend to make the main human character's life into something akin to a living hell.
Surprisingly, volume one doesn't suffer nearly as much from the general slow pacing that introductory volumes normally do, which is a nice change of pace. When just getting to know the characters is downright fun, the writer is obviously doing something right.
I'll admit right now that my gripes with the second volume are cosmetic translation issues. Please make allowances for my linguistic nerdishness while I complain for a moment.
First off, every time they referred to "Lil' Strawberry", I about lost it. Sure, it's technically a fair translation of what was probably "Ichigo-chan", referring to Hinaichigo, in the manga, but here's the kicker: I kept expecting to turn the page and see the rest of the dolls' names translated as well. I wouldn't have gotten very far against characters called "True Red" and "Mercury Lamp". (I'm about three keystrokes away from breaking my rule against emoticons in the blog at the moment, because this is just begging for a sweatdrop.) Still, in deference to Tokyopop's choice not to use the original Japanese honorifics, though I still say the text loses flavor without them, since the English "equivalents" don't carry nearly the level of attached meaning, I can understand this one. Not approve, but understand.
Next up, impish. Yes, impish. A word that has connotations that don't come even remotely close to a) what the character was trying to convey in the original text, and b) what the word that was actually used really means. (Rejoice, you get a freebie Japanese of the Week!) The original word in question is: 禿び (chibi) n. 1) small child; pipsqueak; small fry; 2) (vulg) short person; midget; dwarf; 3) small animal; runt; 4) worn down. In this case, we're looking at the first or second definition (context in the manga). Now, here's what Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary has to say on the word impish: Impish adj. 1) of, relating to, or befitting an imp; especially : MISCHEVIOUS
Okay, laying those aside, the last one is one of those thing that Tokyopop will never get right until they relax on allowing actual Japanese into their translations. Part of Suiseiseki's character is the misuse of "desu". To get out of this without a minimum three page explanation of the proper usages of the word, please take my word for it that "desu" does not end every sentence in normal speech. Unfortunately, it's one of those things that just doesn't translate well, and since in Tokyopop's translating religion, leaving the language alone doesn't fly, Suiseiseki's idiosyncrasy just kinda... disappears.
2007/02/12
Geoff Reviews - Many Manga
I went on something of a reading binge over the weekend. Of course, having done so, that means I have plenty of things to talk about, as far as series go.
Title: Nodame Cantabile (volumes 3-8)
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Ninomiya Tomoko
Art: Ninomiya Tomoko
Publisher: Del Rey (originally Kodansha)
Overall: I'm not sure it's possible for me to talk this series up enough. After reading the first two volumes, I had to put the series on hold for a few days, since volumes three and four didn't ship with 1-2 and 5-8. Needless to say, as soon as I got hold of the volumes missing from the middle, I went through the rest of it in one shot. The comedy and character interactions are still as much on track as they were for the first two volumes. Put simply, Nodame keeps delivering on the promise it displayed at the beginning.
I did have a bizarre realization hit me somewhere around volume seven. As Chiaki was putting together his new orchestra, I noticed that it was almost "shounen action with musical instruments", where most of the characters from early on in the story kept falling into the background as more powerful characters (better musicians, in this case) came up to take their place, as the series moved outside of the school for more of its action. Not that it doesn't make sense that better musicians would be found outside a single school, of course, far from it... just an odd realization that got me thinking of how to classify shounen action as a genre. I mean, beyond fighting, it's been done with organized sports, shogi and go, and even bread-baking. So, why not music, too?
§§§§§
Title: Rurouni Kenshin (volumes 21-28)
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Watsuki Nobuhiro
Art: Watsuki Nobuhiro
Publisher: Tokyopop (originally Shounen Jump Japan, Shueisha)
Overall: Compared to the character dramas and comedies and first volumes recently, Kenshin is a relative snap to comment on. This is one of those series that has been around for quite some time, and I can only blame myself for only now getting around to reading the end of it. (Well, volume 28 is actually the end of it, but even I have to go to bed at some point, right?)
A very condensed Kenshin: Himura Kenshin is a wandering swordsman, 10 years after the end of the war that brought about the Meiji restoration in Japan. Unfortunately for him, all sorts of nasty folk are gunning for him because of his part in that revolution, and so, in the traditional shounen action manner, the fights are on.
Anyway, the 21st through 28th volumes comprise the final arc of the Rurouni Kenshin story, the Revenge Arc. It is primarily the story of Yukishiro Enishi, who wants to kill Kenshin because Kenshin killed Enishi's older sister, though almost none of the story is told from Enishi's side. Kenshin's our hero, after all, and there were certain mitigating circumstances surrounding the woman's death (which I'm certainly not going to spoil for you here). The fights are the highlights, naturally, though they actually tend quite a bit to the short side, particularly in the later volumes, where the plot puts the squeeze on page space - a good thing, in my estimation, but fans of fight sequences will probably be a bit put off.
Being by Tokyopop, definitely not my favorite people in the world (quit squatting on the Spiral manga, dang it, it has been two years!), I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. I didn't notice any of the ticky-tack errors they've been prone to in the past, such as text falling off the sides of the page, or overrunning the speech bubbles. I still wish they'd take a little more care in text positioning, but as long as it's readable, that's only worth a minor, passing gripe.
Kind of a postscript, since I saved this as a draft yesterday, and then finished volume 28 last night... The final volume puts a very nice cap on the story, showing what happened to all the characters after the end, as it were.
§§§§§
Title: Loveless (volume 4)
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Kouga Yun
Art: Kouga Yun
Publisher: Tokyopop (originally Ichijinsha)
Overall: Now I have to wait three more months to get my next fix of Loveless. Yes, I think it's that good, that I'll wait impatiently for three months, after reading a volume that's only been out a week (and only delivered today). There are definite hints of Spiral here, if you can substitute in spell battles in place of elaborate death traps. Granted that the main character, Ritsuka, isn't anywhere near the genius level of Narumi Ayumu, but that's certainly not stopping Loveless from being a good mystery.
Many people have written many words about Loveless as a shounen-ai story. That's fine, since it is, after all... but that's not what keeps me turning the pages. I'm more curious about... oh... Why did Ritsuka suddenly change two years ago, and why does he retain no memory of such simple things as his likes and dislikes up to that point? Who killed his older brother, and why? Or, for that matter, is his older brother really even dead? There've been some hints that things couldn't turn out as they have been so far in the story if he wasn't still alive somewhere, after all. And who all comprises Septimal Moon (Nanatsu no Tsuki is the original term, "The Seven Moons" is probably a better translation, but "Septimal Moon" does sound pretty cool...), and what is their actual purpose?
§§§§§
Title: Hitsuji-chan in the Dark (ch.1-3)
Media: Manga monthly
Text: Japanese
Story: Nagakura Hiromaru
Art: Nagakura Hiromaru
Publisher: Dragon Age Magazine (Fujimi Shobo, Kadokawa Shoten)
Overall: The story of a witch hunter and the witch who falls in love with him because she likes unusual (read: creepy) things. I was pretty much sold on giving this one an extended shot when Kokurou-kun (the witch hunter) broke the teacher's desk during his self-introduction to the class. It's difficult to say too much about it yet, since three chapters is roughly half a volume of manga, for a manga that comes out of a monthly publication, but the art suits the supernatural/horror vibe that it strives for, and the characters have interesting beginnings.
I still have several more chapters of this laying around in more recent Dragon Age volumes, so I'll get back to it with a firmer opinion later on.
§§§§§
Title: Shingetsutan Tsukihime
Media: Video
Audio: English, or Japanese (subtitles optional)
Story: Tokita Hiroko (script), Nasu Hinoko (original work)
Publisher: Geneon Entertainment
Overall: Having finally played through the game, I wanted to watch back through this and see why so many people who had played the game disliked the series. Well, I have to say, I'm not entirely certain what their complaints were. The story was primarily Arcueid's storyline, with a touch of the Dark Side of the Moon storylines tied in, and a few bits of originality for good measure. Now, I can understand why the purists might have wanted to see some specific things that didn't happen due to time restrictions (there's only so much room in twelve ~23-minute episodes, after all), but there's nothing there to ruin the enjoyment of what is still, even on a second watch through, and enjoyable vampire series.
§§§§§
Title: Nodame Cantabile (volumes 3-8)
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Ninomiya Tomoko
Art: Ninomiya Tomoko
Publisher: Del Rey (originally Kodansha)
Overall: I'm not sure it's possible for me to talk this series up enough. After reading the first two volumes, I had to put the series on hold for a few days, since volumes three and four didn't ship with 1-2 and 5-8. Needless to say, as soon as I got hold of the volumes missing from the middle, I went through the rest of it in one shot. The comedy and character interactions are still as much on track as they were for the first two volumes. Put simply, Nodame keeps delivering on the promise it displayed at the beginning.
I did have a bizarre realization hit me somewhere around volume seven. As Chiaki was putting together his new orchestra, I noticed that it was almost "shounen action with musical instruments", where most of the characters from early on in the story kept falling into the background as more powerful characters (better musicians, in this case) came up to take their place, as the series moved outside of the school for more of its action. Not that it doesn't make sense that better musicians would be found outside a single school, of course, far from it... just an odd realization that got me thinking of how to classify shounen action as a genre. I mean, beyond fighting, it's been done with organized sports, shogi and go, and even bread-baking. So, why not music, too?
§§§§§
Title: Rurouni Kenshin (volumes 21-28)
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Watsuki Nobuhiro
Art: Watsuki Nobuhiro
Publisher: Tokyopop (originally Shounen Jump Japan, Shueisha)
Overall: Compared to the character dramas and comedies and first volumes recently, Kenshin is a relative snap to comment on. This is one of those series that has been around for quite some time, and I can only blame myself for only now getting around to reading the end of it. (Well, volume 28 is actually the end of it, but even I have to go to bed at some point, right?)
A very condensed Kenshin: Himura Kenshin is a wandering swordsman, 10 years after the end of the war that brought about the Meiji restoration in Japan. Unfortunately for him, all sorts of nasty folk are gunning for him because of his part in that revolution, and so, in the traditional shounen action manner, the fights are on.
Anyway, the 21st through 28th volumes comprise the final arc of the Rurouni Kenshin story, the Revenge Arc. It is primarily the story of Yukishiro Enishi, who wants to kill Kenshin because Kenshin killed Enishi's older sister, though almost none of the story is told from Enishi's side. Kenshin's our hero, after all, and there were certain mitigating circumstances surrounding the woman's death (which I'm certainly not going to spoil for you here). The fights are the highlights, naturally, though they actually tend quite a bit to the short side, particularly in the later volumes, where the plot puts the squeeze on page space - a good thing, in my estimation, but fans of fight sequences will probably be a bit put off.
Being by Tokyopop, definitely not my favorite people in the world (quit squatting on the Spiral manga, dang it, it has been two years!), I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. I didn't notice any of the ticky-tack errors they've been prone to in the past, such as text falling off the sides of the page, or overrunning the speech bubbles. I still wish they'd take a little more care in text positioning, but as long as it's readable, that's only worth a minor, passing gripe.
Kind of a postscript, since I saved this as a draft yesterday, and then finished volume 28 last night... The final volume puts a very nice cap on the story, showing what happened to all the characters after the end, as it were.
§§§§§
Title: Loveless (volume 4)
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Kouga Yun
Art: Kouga Yun
Publisher: Tokyopop (originally Ichijinsha)
Overall: Now I have to wait three more months to get my next fix of Loveless. Yes, I think it's that good, that I'll wait impatiently for three months, after reading a volume that's only been out a week (and only delivered today). There are definite hints of Spiral here, if you can substitute in spell battles in place of elaborate death traps. Granted that the main character, Ritsuka, isn't anywhere near the genius level of Narumi Ayumu, but that's certainly not stopping Loveless from being a good mystery.
Many people have written many words about Loveless as a shounen-ai story. That's fine, since it is, after all... but that's not what keeps me turning the pages. I'm more curious about... oh... Why did Ritsuka suddenly change two years ago, and why does he retain no memory of such simple things as his likes and dislikes up to that point? Who killed his older brother, and why? Or, for that matter, is his older brother really even dead? There've been some hints that things couldn't turn out as they have been so far in the story if he wasn't still alive somewhere, after all. And who all comprises Septimal Moon (Nanatsu no Tsuki is the original term, "The Seven Moons" is probably a better translation, but "Septimal Moon" does sound pretty cool...), and what is their actual purpose?
§§§§§
Title: Hitsuji-chan in the Dark (ch.1-3)
Media: Manga monthly
Text: Japanese
Story: Nagakura Hiromaru
Art: Nagakura Hiromaru
Publisher: Dragon Age Magazine (Fujimi Shobo, Kadokawa Shoten)
Overall: The story of a witch hunter and the witch who falls in love with him because she likes unusual (read: creepy) things. I was pretty much sold on giving this one an extended shot when Kokurou-kun (the witch hunter) broke the teacher's desk during his self-introduction to the class. It's difficult to say too much about it yet, since three chapters is roughly half a volume of manga, for a manga that comes out of a monthly publication, but the art suits the supernatural/horror vibe that it strives for, and the characters have interesting beginnings.
I still have several more chapters of this laying around in more recent Dragon Age volumes, so I'll get back to it with a firmer opinion later on.
§§§§§
Title: Shingetsutan Tsukihime
Media: Video
Audio: English, or Japanese (subtitles optional)
Story: Tokita Hiroko (script), Nasu Hinoko (original work)
Publisher: Geneon Entertainment
Overall: Having finally played through the game, I wanted to watch back through this and see why so many people who had played the game disliked the series. Well, I have to say, I'm not entirely certain what their complaints were. The story was primarily Arcueid's storyline, with a touch of the Dark Side of the Moon storylines tied in, and a few bits of originality for good measure. Now, I can understand why the purists might have wanted to see some specific things that didn't happen due to time restrictions (there's only so much room in twelve ~23-minute episodes, after all), but there's nothing there to ruin the enjoyment of what is still, even on a second watch through, and enjoyable vampire series.
§§§§§
2007/02/08
Geoff Reviews - Nodame Cantabile (v.1-2), Train+Train (v.1), Kashimashi (v.1)
Several things on the list to review this time.
Title: Nodame Cantabile (volumes 1-2)
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Ninomiya Tomoko
Art: Ninomiya Tomoko
Publisher: Del Rey (originally Kodansha)
Overall: I think the author's note in the front of volume two says it best, really: "I had originally started out writing a comic about youth involved in classical music, but now it seems the characters are getting a little odd... I can't say where this is going... My apologies." While that just about covers it, what it fails to mention is the humor of the series, which is definitely up there as far as I'm concerned. (Caveat: Humor is definitely a subjective taste.) It won't sound like much from any description I've found, but it ends up as a readily suggestable manga anyway.
Nodame is a difficult series to synopsize (is that even a word?), because the character interactions really are the story. That said, the story is primarily that of Shinichi Chiaki, pianist and violinist, who wants to be a conductor. What he really wants is to learn from a European conductor named Viera, but between his fear of flying, and of the ocean, Chiaki is basically locked in place in Japan.
§§§§§
Title: Train+Train
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Kurata Hideyuki
Art: Takuma Tomomasa
Publisher: Go! Comi (originally Media Works, Inc.)
Overall: A planet dedicated to learning, circled by trains? Okay, I know, it sounds wacky, and probably none too bright. Still, it's a story by Kurata Hideyuki, the man who gave the world paper manipulation as a superpower, so even though it sounds odd, I didn't have much choice but to give it a shot. As with most first volumes, it suffers from the slump caused by having to introduce the characters. Unfortunately, it didn't pick up quite to the extent that I'd been hoping it would, but I'll hold out for another volume or two before making an ultimate decision.
It comes off as a kind of action/adventure/schoolyard drama, with the twist being that the schoolyard is actually the planet, and the dorm being the train.
§§§§§
Title: Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Akahori Satoru
Art: Katsura Yukimaru
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment (originally Media Works, Inc.)
Overall: This is one of those series that I've had the Japanese volumes sitting around for for quite a while now, and I was rather surprised when Seven Seas picked it up for a translated release. Frankly, they did a great job with the translation, right down to the font choices. Anyway, as to the story, I have to air my complaint up front: The alien whose spaceship crashes on Hazumu, and who then resurrects him as a female, stays. Again, comedy is a subjective kind of thing, but as character-driven as Kashimashi is, the deus ex machina really shouldn't have stayed for dinner. That aside, the story of Hazumu trying to fit in as a girl is enjoyable, and often humorous in its own right.
Now, as a fair word of warning, if you think from the subtitle of the series that you might have problems with it, you probably will. Otherwise, I'd suggest giving it a read, as a solid first volume, and preview of where the story is going.
Title: Nodame Cantabile (volumes 1-2)
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Ninomiya Tomoko
Art: Ninomiya Tomoko
Publisher: Del Rey (originally Kodansha)
Overall: I think the author's note in the front of volume two says it best, really: "I had originally started out writing a comic about youth involved in classical music, but now it seems the characters are getting a little odd... I can't say where this is going... My apologies." While that just about covers it, what it fails to mention is the humor of the series, which is definitely up there as far as I'm concerned. (Caveat: Humor is definitely a subjective taste.) It won't sound like much from any description I've found, but it ends up as a readily suggestable manga anyway.
Nodame is a difficult series to synopsize (is that even a word?), because the character interactions really are the story. That said, the story is primarily that of Shinichi Chiaki, pianist and violinist, who wants to be a conductor. What he really wants is to learn from a European conductor named Viera, but between his fear of flying, and of the ocean, Chiaki is basically locked in place in Japan.
§§§§§
Title: Train+Train
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Kurata Hideyuki
Art: Takuma Tomomasa
Publisher: Go! Comi (originally Media Works, Inc.)
Overall: A planet dedicated to learning, circled by trains? Okay, I know, it sounds wacky, and probably none too bright. Still, it's a story by Kurata Hideyuki, the man who gave the world paper manipulation as a superpower, so even though it sounds odd, I didn't have much choice but to give it a shot. As with most first volumes, it suffers from the slump caused by having to introduce the characters. Unfortunately, it didn't pick up quite to the extent that I'd been hoping it would, but I'll hold out for another volume or two before making an ultimate decision.
It comes off as a kind of action/adventure/schoolyard drama, with the twist being that the schoolyard is actually the planet, and the dorm being the train.
§§§§§
Title: Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated)
Story: Akahori Satoru
Art: Katsura Yukimaru
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment (originally Media Works, Inc.)
Overall: This is one of those series that I've had the Japanese volumes sitting around for for quite a while now, and I was rather surprised when Seven Seas picked it up for a translated release. Frankly, they did a great job with the translation, right down to the font choices. Anyway, as to the story, I have to air my complaint up front: The alien whose spaceship crashes on Hazumu, and who then resurrects him as a female, stays. Again, comedy is a subjective kind of thing, but as character-driven as Kashimashi is, the deus ex machina really shouldn't have stayed for dinner. That aside, the story of Hazumu trying to fit in as a girl is enjoyable, and often humorous in its own right.
Now, as a fair word of warning, if you think from the subtitle of the series that you might have problems with it, you probably will. Otherwise, I'd suggest giving it a read, as a solid first volume, and preview of where the story is going.
2007/02/04
Geoff Reviews - Spiral ~Suiri no Kizuna~ v.1
Why isn't this in with D.Gray-man and 100 Bullets? Because I hadn't finished the volume when I wrote that post. And the tildes in the title? That's how it's written on the author information and publisher information page.
Title: Spiral ~Suiri no Kizuna~ (volume 1)
Media: Manga (tankouban)
Text: Japanese
Story: Shirodaira Kyo
Art: Mizuno Eita
Publisher: Gangan Comics (a Square/Enix publication)
Overall: Honestly, I'd forgotten just how much I liked this series, both in manga and anime form. The subtitle of the series, "Suiri no Kizuna", translates as "The Bonds of Reasoning". (Inference is another translation of "suiri", though not used nearly as often in translating the subtitle. Interestingly, though not surprisingly, "suiri" also refers to the mystery or detective story genre.) This is easily my favorite meitantei (detective) story, though Death Note is a very solid second. In the end, though, Spiral has Hiyono-chan, who is quite possibly one of the most entertaining characters in manga. Spiral is right up there on the must-read list.
For those for whom a Japanese text is a mystery in and of itself, there is an anime version of Spiral released by FUNimation. Unfortunately, the translation isn't of the highest quality (or I'm just picky, having done my own translating for the manga), though serviceable, and the anime only covers the first six or so volumes of the manga. The anime does, however, have an incredibly appropriate soundtrack, which serves to highlight every important moment without getting in the way of the show. The other misfortune is that Tokyopop, the American company which has the rights to the Spiral manga, has been squatting on them, unmoving, since 2005.
The mystery begins two years before the story truly starts, in a short prologue in which Narumi Ayumu receives a cryptic phone call from his older brother, Narumi Kiyotaka: "I'm going to look into the mystery of the Blade Children. Please tell Madoka." Two years later, Ayumu wakes up from a dream fitting this description, late for his afternoon classes, only to end up fingered for a murder he did not commit.
Chapters one through three center on the mystery of how a girl could have been killed from a fall if no one was present to push her, and once the killer was revealed, who killed the killer, and why. The arc closes with the knowledge that the Blade Children mystery is somehow tied in to the first killing. Meanwhile, chapters four and five begin a locked room mystery quite as unfathomable as the one depicted in Sir A.C. Doyle's "The Sign of Four".
The characters make the series, with even the best of them having their flaws. Ayumu, for example, is an excellent deductive reasoner, but in his own mind, he is forever trapped in the shadow of his brother, Kiyotaka. Beside the brilliant Ayumu, Yuizaki Hiyono is the normal one, both noisy and nosy. Still, though she's neither a natural genius like Ayumu, or possessed of the mystery-shrouded brilliance of the Blade Children, Hiyono holds her own quite capably.
Volume two brings in the first of the important Blade Children, but we'll get to that later.
A few differences to note between volume one of the Spiral manga and the first few episodes of the Spiral anime:
The girl killed in the first volume of the manga actually survived in the anime, and was not done in by fellow students related somehow to the Blade Children, but instead by one of the Hunters (who the manga gets to later). The different outcome is explained by the presence of a delivery truck, which broke the girl's fall early, thus sparing her life.
The Hunter, after he was found out and confronted, was then shot (if I'm recalling correctly... it has been some time since I watched the anime) rather than felled by an arrow, and he didn't die either, but ended up in the hospital where he passed on the information about the plot being related to the Blade Children.
And finally, under the dust jacket, there is a four-panel extra of Ayumu trying to figure out what bothers him about the hand puppets that Hiyono had in chapter two.
Title: Spiral ~Suiri no Kizuna~ (volume 1)
Media: Manga (tankouban)
Text: Japanese
Story: Shirodaira Kyo
Art: Mizuno Eita
Publisher: Gangan Comics (a Square/Enix publication)
Overall: Honestly, I'd forgotten just how much I liked this series, both in manga and anime form. The subtitle of the series, "Suiri no Kizuna", translates as "The Bonds of Reasoning". (Inference is another translation of "suiri", though not used nearly as often in translating the subtitle. Interestingly, though not surprisingly, "suiri" also refers to the mystery or detective story genre.) This is easily my favorite meitantei (detective) story, though Death Note is a very solid second. In the end, though, Spiral has Hiyono-chan, who is quite possibly one of the most entertaining characters in manga. Spiral is right up there on the must-read list.
For those for whom a Japanese text is a mystery in and of itself, there is an anime version of Spiral released by FUNimation. Unfortunately, the translation isn't of the highest quality (or I'm just picky, having done my own translating for the manga), though serviceable, and the anime only covers the first six or so volumes of the manga. The anime does, however, have an incredibly appropriate soundtrack, which serves to highlight every important moment without getting in the way of the show. The other misfortune is that Tokyopop, the American company which has the rights to the Spiral manga, has been squatting on them, unmoving, since 2005.
The mystery begins two years before the story truly starts, in a short prologue in which Narumi Ayumu receives a cryptic phone call from his older brother, Narumi Kiyotaka: "I'm going to look into the mystery of the Blade Children. Please tell Madoka." Two years later, Ayumu wakes up from a dream fitting this description, late for his afternoon classes, only to end up fingered for a murder he did not commit.
Chapters one through three center on the mystery of how a girl could have been killed from a fall if no one was present to push her, and once the killer was revealed, who killed the killer, and why. The arc closes with the knowledge that the Blade Children mystery is somehow tied in to the first killing. Meanwhile, chapters four and five begin a locked room mystery quite as unfathomable as the one depicted in Sir A.C. Doyle's "The Sign of Four".
The characters make the series, with even the best of them having their flaws. Ayumu, for example, is an excellent deductive reasoner, but in his own mind, he is forever trapped in the shadow of his brother, Kiyotaka. Beside the brilliant Ayumu, Yuizaki Hiyono is the normal one, both noisy and nosy. Still, though she's neither a natural genius like Ayumu, or possessed of the mystery-shrouded brilliance of the Blade Children, Hiyono holds her own quite capably.
Volume two brings in the first of the important Blade Children, but we'll get to that later.
A few differences to note between volume one of the Spiral manga and the first few episodes of the Spiral anime:
The girl killed in the first volume of the manga actually survived in the anime, and was not done in by fellow students related somehow to the Blade Children, but instead by one of the Hunters (who the manga gets to later). The different outcome is explained by the presence of a delivery truck, which broke the girl's fall early, thus sparing her life.
The Hunter, after he was found out and confronted, was then shot (if I'm recalling correctly... it has been some time since I watched the anime) rather than felled by an arrow, and he didn't die either, but ended up in the hospital where he passed on the information about the plot being related to the Blade Children.
And finally, under the dust jacket, there is a four-panel extra of Ayumu trying to figure out what bothers him about the hand puppets that Hiyono had in chapter two.
Geoff Reviews - D.Gray-man v.1-3, 100 Bullets v.9
For a quick review of how I'm going to go about reviewing things, please see the first installment of "Geoff Reviews". I'm going to change up the format slightly, to get the information about what I'm reviewing right up front. There are a couple of them today, so I'll get to it.
Quickly, though, a physical description of manga. Both translated manga released here in the States, or original Japanese tankouban are roughly the size of a paperback book. I only make this distinction in that I may well review things out of Japanese monthly compilations, which take chapters (in order) of current series and publish them in a large volume. There are also weeklies of the same variety. Anyway, the compilations are more the size of a hefty hardback book, though still technically a paperback. Manga tend to weigh in around 200 pages, containing between six and ten chapters, of a single story, while the compilation weeklies and monthlies are closer to 700 pages.
I'd use the term graphic novel, but in the world according to me, that applies to larger-sized compilations of (primarily American) comicbook works. These are roughly the size of an 8.5"x11" one subject notebook. (Note, that isn't an exact dimension gained by either looking it up or physically measuring it, but an eyeballed generalization.)
Title: D.Gray-man (volumes 1-3)
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated from Japanese)
Story: Hoshino Katsura
Art: Hoshino Katsura
Publisher: Viz Media
Overall: A fun adventure. The comparisons to Full Metal Alchemist are probably going to be made over-much, but that's okay for now. Still a fun adventure, even given the shounen action/adventure formula. File it under the heading "If the first volume doesn't catch your interest, don't push yourself." Offsetting that, though, is the fact that it was enjoyable enough that I went through the first two volumes in one sitting, and the third one the next day.
To expound, D.Gray-man is the story of Allen Walker, a boy turned exorcist after realizing the mistake he made in accepting an offer to have his father brought back from the dead. Like I sad, the comparisons to Full Metal Alchemist are probably going to be made over-much, and that's the plot point most people are going to hang such arguments on. (For those who don't know, the short version from FMA: Edward and Alphonse Elric are brothers who set out to become alchemists and find the Philosopher's Stone after a failed alchemic experiment in which they attempted to bring their mother back to life.)
In any event, volume one chronicles Allen's journey to a conclave of exorcists, and the happenings along the way. Primarily, this is the "get to know Allen and the world in general" volume, including the series primary villain (for the moment), the Millennium Earl. It picks up in the second half, when he actually reaches his destination, and quite nearly gets himself killed.
The next two volumes consist mostly of Allen's first two missions for the order of exorcists he has joined. The first of these is a standard race-against-the-clock-type story, where Allen and his partner for the mission have to rush off to keep an important item from falling into enemy hands. Being shounen action, of course, this ends up entailing a large brawl where Allen has to learn more about his abilities as an exorcist to end up the victor. Still, Hoshino-sensei draws a good fight, though, like most such manga, a high-budget anime will make it look more impressive.
Volume three, after a goofy opening chapter centered on the rampage of a robotic construct of the science department rampaging through the exorcist headquarters, settles into a much more human story - a city where time is looped for everyone except the exorcists sent to investigate, and one woman who has the misfortune of knowing that October 9th is currently eternal. This volume also introduced the council of villains working with the Earl, at least one of whom is a human collaborator, rather than a being from the darkness.
§§§§§
Title: 100 Bullets - Strychnine Lives
Media: Graphic Novel
Text: English
Story: Brian Azzarello
Art: Eduardo Risso
Publisher: Vertigo Comics
Overall: The continuing story of a loose collection of organized crime families called "The Trust" and their struggle for existence after they lost control of and then tried to wipe out their elite peace-keeping force, the Minutemen. It's tough to say much about this volume, if only because it builds directly on the eight that came before it. Simply, if you've been reading the series to this point, you'll want to get this volume for exactly the same reasons you got the others - characters you can't look away from, and the progression of a story that you want to read the end of. This is definitely not a "for everybody" kind of recommendation, though. If you don't approve of, or can't at least get past, a high level of sex, drugs, violence, and murder in your entertainment choices, 100 Bullets isn't the kind of thing you want to be reading.
It's very easy to lure someone into reading 100 Bullets. Here's the sales pitch that worked on me, and worked for me on everyone I've considered recommending the series to: A man meets you somewhere. Maybe it's on a bus. Maybe you're having lunch in your favorite restaurant. Maybe you're just walking down the street. Wherever you are, this man stops you, and holds up a case. "In this case," he says, "is a gun, one hundred rounds of untraceable ammunition, and irrefutable proof that what I'm about to tell you is true. How you use them is up to you." You've been wronged somewhere, by someone. Maybe you don't even know who it is, or exactly what they did. That man knows, though, and the information in that case proves it. Now what do you do?
That's not all there is to the story, of course, but that's the start of it. Some of the stories, like the primary of volume nine, attach to the main story only in that they occur in the same city at the same time that some of the main characters happen to be there. What they do effectively is to continue building the feeling of the world Azzarello has created. which stands on its sudden violence.
§§§§§
Quickly, though, a physical description of manga. Both translated manga released here in the States, or original Japanese tankouban are roughly the size of a paperback book. I only make this distinction in that I may well review things out of Japanese monthly compilations, which take chapters (in order) of current series and publish them in a large volume. There are also weeklies of the same variety. Anyway, the compilations are more the size of a hefty hardback book, though still technically a paperback. Manga tend to weigh in around 200 pages, containing between six and ten chapters, of a single story, while the compilation weeklies and monthlies are closer to 700 pages.
I'd use the term graphic novel, but in the world according to me, that applies to larger-sized compilations of (primarily American) comicbook works. These are roughly the size of an 8.5"x11" one subject notebook. (Note, that isn't an exact dimension gained by either looking it up or physically measuring it, but an eyeballed generalization.)
Title: D.Gray-man (volumes 1-3)
Media: Manga
Text: English (translated from Japanese)
Story: Hoshino Katsura
Art: Hoshino Katsura
Publisher: Viz Media
Overall: A fun adventure. The comparisons to Full Metal Alchemist are probably going to be made over-much, but that's okay for now. Still a fun adventure, even given the shounen action/adventure formula. File it under the heading "If the first volume doesn't catch your interest, don't push yourself." Offsetting that, though, is the fact that it was enjoyable enough that I went through the first two volumes in one sitting, and the third one the next day.
To expound, D.Gray-man is the story of Allen Walker, a boy turned exorcist after realizing the mistake he made in accepting an offer to have his father brought back from the dead. Like I sad, the comparisons to Full Metal Alchemist are probably going to be made over-much, and that's the plot point most people are going to hang such arguments on. (For those who don't know, the short version from FMA: Edward and Alphonse Elric are brothers who set out to become alchemists and find the Philosopher's Stone after a failed alchemic experiment in which they attempted to bring their mother back to life.)
In any event, volume one chronicles Allen's journey to a conclave of exorcists, and the happenings along the way. Primarily, this is the "get to know Allen and the world in general" volume, including the series primary villain (for the moment), the Millennium Earl. It picks up in the second half, when he actually reaches his destination, and quite nearly gets himself killed.
The next two volumes consist mostly of Allen's first two missions for the order of exorcists he has joined. The first of these is a standard race-against-the-clock-type story, where Allen and his partner for the mission have to rush off to keep an important item from falling into enemy hands. Being shounen action, of course, this ends up entailing a large brawl where Allen has to learn more about his abilities as an exorcist to end up the victor. Still, Hoshino-sensei draws a good fight, though, like most such manga, a high-budget anime will make it look more impressive.
Volume three, after a goofy opening chapter centered on the rampage of a robotic construct of the science department rampaging through the exorcist headquarters, settles into a much more human story - a city where time is looped for everyone except the exorcists sent to investigate, and one woman who has the misfortune of knowing that October 9th is currently eternal. This volume also introduced the council of villains working with the Earl, at least one of whom is a human collaborator, rather than a being from the darkness.
§§§§§
Title: 100 Bullets - Strychnine Lives
Media: Graphic Novel
Text: English
Story: Brian Azzarello
Art: Eduardo Risso
Publisher: Vertigo Comics
Overall: The continuing story of a loose collection of organized crime families called "The Trust" and their struggle for existence after they lost control of and then tried to wipe out their elite peace-keeping force, the Minutemen. It's tough to say much about this volume, if only because it builds directly on the eight that came before it. Simply, if you've been reading the series to this point, you'll want to get this volume for exactly the same reasons you got the others - characters you can't look away from, and the progression of a story that you want to read the end of. This is definitely not a "for everybody" kind of recommendation, though. If you don't approve of, or can't at least get past, a high level of sex, drugs, violence, and murder in your entertainment choices, 100 Bullets isn't the kind of thing you want to be reading.
It's very easy to lure someone into reading 100 Bullets. Here's the sales pitch that worked on me, and worked for me on everyone I've considered recommending the series to: A man meets you somewhere. Maybe it's on a bus. Maybe you're having lunch in your favorite restaurant. Maybe you're just walking down the street. Wherever you are, this man stops you, and holds up a case. "In this case," he says, "is a gun, one hundred rounds of untraceable ammunition, and irrefutable proof that what I'm about to tell you is true. How you use them is up to you." You've been wronged somewhere, by someone. Maybe you don't even know who it is, or exactly what they did. That man knows, though, and the information in that case proves it. Now what do you do?
That's not all there is to the story, of course, but that's the start of it. Some of the stories, like the primary of volume nine, attach to the main story only in that they occur in the same city at the same time that some of the main characters happen to be there. What they do effectively is to continue building the feeling of the world Azzarello has created. which stands on its sudden violence.
§§§§§
2007/01/31
Geoff Reviews (Whatever Crosses His Path)
I know I've talked about reviewing before. Anyway, the short version for this purpose is that I'm going into this as a fan. That means that a) I'm biased, naturally, and b) I'm looking for entertainment value before I ever look for art value. For the purposes of ranking, I'll use a six-part scale, as follows: (1. Don't recommend even trying to watch it; 2. Minimally watchable, give it a shot if it somehow piques your interest or falls into one of your preferred niches; 3. An average show, neither really good nor bad; 4. A good show, actually recommendable; 5. A great show, give it a try unless it falls in a genre that you actively dislike; 6. An excellent show, at least give it a shot whether you like the genre or not.) Remember, though, that all of these are biased through my belief in what constitutes good and bad in a show (or a book, or music, for that matter). I'll try to be as clear as possible as to what that bias is, though, so that the ratings will actually be useful to you.
Up today is the anime series Gungrave. This was recommended to me by a friend of mine as one of his favorites. I was almost willing after the first episode to write it off as an incredibly generic, over-cooked action/adventure show for boys (hereafter called a shounen action, meaning an action show for young boys), but, between the praise that my friend had given it, and the fact that I try to give series at least two or three episodes to develop before deciding whether or not to dump them, I plowed on.
I'm certainly glad that I did. In contrast to the first episode, where everything was displayed in a characteristic over-the-top, semi-futuristic, shounen action way, the series quickly settled into the past, concentrating on the lives of the two young men who would become the major players in what the first episode had established as the present. To put it simply, I came to a shounen action series, and a character drama broke out. The characters developed a level of depth that I certainly hadn't expected... always a good thing, in my estimation.
By my measure, the arc in the past was strong, concentrating primarily on how the two main characters, Harry MacDowel and Brandon Heat, came from being low-grade street punks to rise through the ranks of Millennion, the criminal organization which controlled their city.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and the past is not indefinitely long. Shortly after the halfway point of the 26-episode series, the show caught back up with the present, with all of the over-the-top-ness that implied from episode one... with bells on. Instead of the story of people we could accept as real, we have guys sprouting extra limbs, explosive bombs made of body fat, and helicopter blades coming out of their backs, amongst other things.
There should be no surprise that the best moments of the second half of the series were also the most human ones, and that extended even as far as the obligatory fights. The more human the opponent in question was (I hesitate to use the word villain, since where are you going to apply it? To the current members of the mob? Or the former hit man now out for revenge against the organization?), the more interesting the fight was.
Now, I'm given to understand that the "present" portion of Gungrave was actually based off of the first video game of the same name. That being the case, whoever wrote the "past" portion did an impressive job of storytelling. If only they would have allowed a rewrite of the game-based portion by that same person to cut down on the excesses, I could have classified this as a great show.
Title: Gungrave
Media: DVD
Audio: Japanese, with English subtitles (an English dub is included on the discs, but what little of it I listened to made me wish I hadn't)
Overall: A good show that bordered for a long time on greatness. I'd suggest giving it a shot, but understanding that if you're not really a fan of the first episode, there will be parts of the second half that you won't have any appreciation for. If you get that far, though, see it through to the end, as the ending lives up to the expectations placed upon it.
Up today is the anime series Gungrave. This was recommended to me by a friend of mine as one of his favorites. I was almost willing after the first episode to write it off as an incredibly generic, over-cooked action/adventure show for boys (hereafter called a shounen action, meaning an action show for young boys), but, between the praise that my friend had given it, and the fact that I try to give series at least two or three episodes to develop before deciding whether or not to dump them, I plowed on.
I'm certainly glad that I did. In contrast to the first episode, where everything was displayed in a characteristic over-the-top, semi-futuristic, shounen action way, the series quickly settled into the past, concentrating on the lives of the two young men who would become the major players in what the first episode had established as the present. To put it simply, I came to a shounen action series, and a character drama broke out. The characters developed a level of depth that I certainly hadn't expected... always a good thing, in my estimation.
By my measure, the arc in the past was strong, concentrating primarily on how the two main characters, Harry MacDowel and Brandon Heat, came from being low-grade street punks to rise through the ranks of Millennion, the criminal organization which controlled their city.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and the past is not indefinitely long. Shortly after the halfway point of the 26-episode series, the show caught back up with the present, with all of the over-the-top-ness that implied from episode one... with bells on. Instead of the story of people we could accept as real, we have guys sprouting extra limbs, explosive bombs made of body fat, and helicopter blades coming out of their backs, amongst other things.
There should be no surprise that the best moments of the second half of the series were also the most human ones, and that extended even as far as the obligatory fights. The more human the opponent in question was (I hesitate to use the word villain, since where are you going to apply it? To the current members of the mob? Or the former hit man now out for revenge against the organization?), the more interesting the fight was.
Now, I'm given to understand that the "present" portion of Gungrave was actually based off of the first video game of the same name. That being the case, whoever wrote the "past" portion did an impressive job of storytelling. If only they would have allowed a rewrite of the game-based portion by that same person to cut down on the excesses, I could have classified this as a great show.
Title: Gungrave
Media: DVD
Audio: Japanese, with English subtitles (an English dub is included on the discs, but what little of it I listened to made me wish I hadn't)
Overall: A good show that bordered for a long time on greatness. I'd suggest giving it a shot, but understanding that if you're not really a fan of the first episode, there will be parts of the second half that you won't have any appreciation for. If you get that far, though, see it through to the end, as the ending lives up to the expectations placed upon it.
2006/12/19
Reviewing Reviewers
It's pretty safe to say that most people know better than to trust professional reviewers of just about anything these days. That said, though, it still might be somewhat useful to understand why that mistrust in them abounds.
"I like what I like." It's a simple enough statement, but it covers the entirety of why a professional reviewer's opinion fails compared to that of a friend. With a friend, you have a general understanding of their likes and dislikes, whether or not you happen to share them. Say, for instance, that a friend of yours absolutely hates horror movies, and you've loved to death every horror movie that he's hated. If somehow, he gets dragged along by another friend to see the latest, and tells you that it absolutely scared him out of his wits, that's probably a good indication you'd better get out to see that show.
The professional, meanwhile, is tied up in trying to be a professional. There need to be reasons that a professional does things, whereas an amateur can usually get by doing them by feel. (A professional, after all, has to justify why he should be paid, particularly when it comes to something like watching movies for a living.) So, our pro here has to keep their eyes out for the direction, and action, and the various story elements, and try to make a rational decision and commentary based on those things.
Where's the disconnect? After all, a well-directed, well-acted, well-storied movie ought to be a hit, right? Well, here's the problem in a nutshell. People, by and large, aren't going to the movies (or watch television, for that matter) for the art. They're doing it to be entertained... which, naturally, is an entirely different level from watching something for artistic value. Take Independence Day, for example. The professionals couldn't pan the thing fast enough. A pulp movie if there ever was one, aliens and rayguns and the potential destruction of earth averted by a cable TV guy. And yet, the viewing public couldn't get enough of it. Not because it was a great movie, but because it was an enjoyable movie.
It runs the other way, too, with all the press and pre-review for things. Take, for instance, all the pre-canned buzz that Studio 60, or whatever it's called, got from NBC before the season started. And yet, what took off in the eyes of viewers wasn't that, but the relatively unreviewed and unhyped (pre-season, remember) Heroes (which, unsurprisingly, is one of the two or three TV shows in English that I'll actually watch).
So, who are you going to trust when you're trying to make your media consumption choices? Seems like a fairly obvious choice.
"I like what I like." It's a simple enough statement, but it covers the entirety of why a professional reviewer's opinion fails compared to that of a friend. With a friend, you have a general understanding of their likes and dislikes, whether or not you happen to share them. Say, for instance, that a friend of yours absolutely hates horror movies, and you've loved to death every horror movie that he's hated. If somehow, he gets dragged along by another friend to see the latest, and tells you that it absolutely scared him out of his wits, that's probably a good indication you'd better get out to see that show.
The professional, meanwhile, is tied up in trying to be a professional. There need to be reasons that a professional does things, whereas an amateur can usually get by doing them by feel. (A professional, after all, has to justify why he should be paid, particularly when it comes to something like watching movies for a living.) So, our pro here has to keep their eyes out for the direction, and action, and the various story elements, and try to make a rational decision and commentary based on those things.
Where's the disconnect? After all, a well-directed, well-acted, well-storied movie ought to be a hit, right? Well, here's the problem in a nutshell. People, by and large, aren't going to the movies (or watch television, for that matter) for the art. They're doing it to be entertained... which, naturally, is an entirely different level from watching something for artistic value. Take Independence Day, for example. The professionals couldn't pan the thing fast enough. A pulp movie if there ever was one, aliens and rayguns and the potential destruction of earth averted by a cable TV guy. And yet, the viewing public couldn't get enough of it. Not because it was a great movie, but because it was an enjoyable movie.
It runs the other way, too, with all the press and pre-review for things. Take, for instance, all the pre-canned buzz that Studio 60, or whatever it's called, got from NBC before the season started. And yet, what took off in the eyes of viewers wasn't that, but the relatively unreviewed and unhyped (pre-season, remember) Heroes (which, unsurprisingly, is one of the two or three TV shows in English that I'll actually watch).
So, who are you going to trust when you're trying to make your media consumption choices? Seems like a fairly obvious choice.
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