Category: Detectives

Ongoing Investigations: Case #033

Leave a comment

At NYCC, Yen Press was giving away all the books they had brought to display on Sunday. It was mostly picked clean when I got there. I had to take what was interesting but not owned by Kohaku, Narutaki, or me. I picked up Black God book three based on the first episode of Black God anime which had potential to either be very good or very bad. I heard there were significant differences between the anime and the manga. It is a bit odd reviewing the third book in a series but here I go. The main character is out of school and works as a computer programmer in the manga. The pace of things is different because the girl killed at the end of the first episode does not die until the end of the second book. We start off with a guy having sex with a loli (so right there Narutaki is not going to be a fan). We soon learn after a fight and some exposition that Steiner (the previously mentioned loli-toucher) and Excel (the previously mentioned fake loli) are allies if morally flexible allies. The fights are generally enjoyable and one of the strongest reasons to keep reading. I don’t know why by my favorite character in the series is Akane but Kuro and Keita have yet to really sell me. If I had not watched the first episode of the anime I think I could have generally figured out what was going on although seeing it definitely helped. I can’t say that the book made me rush out to buy the rest of the series but if I saw it on sale I would pick it up. It’s not exactly original but it seems interesting. I am curious how Keita’s mother plays into the evil organization and if they have the cojones to kill of Akane despite me liking her.

My friend lent me the graphic novel Skim after we were admiring Jillian Tamaki’s artwork in a another project. Her style is certainly Japanese print inspired and she had the ability to draw characters who aren’t beautiful looking but rather charismatic anyway. Skim takes place during a period of change in a young girl’s life. It follows “Skim” as she falls in love for the first time, loses and gains a friendship, and as she discovers change is okay. Skim has a sense of humor about herself and her thoughts on the world around her are a breath of fresh air. Mariko Tamaki is able to capture a teenager’s thought patterns without coming off as trite or overly angsty. 

I picked up Translucent number one from a Dark Horse RighStuf sale after hearing people talk about it on the The Anime Roundtable. It a cute little love story about a girl who has a strange medical condition that is makes her partly transparent and the boy who loves her. I think is a series destined to be loved by critics and manga otaku and ignored by the masses. It has cute characters and a lovely little story that is only five books long. Mamoru is a nice goofy guy and Shizuka is a sympathetic girl much like Mugi from Hitohira. The side characters like Okouchi are quite charming. For some reason, the atypical art style and fact that the two are in a relationship reminds me a lot of Love Roma. I do admit while the unusual art style in Love Roma was a stylistic decision, here it is more of odd because it looks so amateur. I have noted that seinen series are more willing to artists who tell good stories but less artistic skill. While I enjoy that fact, I feel it further ghettoizes seinen manga in the U.S. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and we might do an article when it wraps up.

I love VIZ’s release of 20th Century Boys. Check out the abundant spot gloss all over the place! Not to mention the cover design is really nice! I had actually read a few chapters of this series a mighty long time ago. I am glad to be reading it again. In this first book we really get to know Kenji, I wonder if he will remain at the forefront or if we will get to see more of the group as well. I am certainly intrigued by the strange goings on as well as “Friend.” I do feel that an entire group of friends completely forgetting an incident is rather far fetched, but I have accepted this as part of the story. And I hope it will be explained as the story goes on.

I started reading Hero Tales in Yen Plus recently. Coming from Hiromu Arakawa of Fullmetal Alchemist I am sure this series already has plenty of buzz. Though I have not heard anything about it other than its existence before I started reading it in Yen Plus. I did not even realize that there was a 26-episode anime. Is there some reason no one talks about this series despite it coming from such a high profile artist or am I just not talking to the right people? It’s an enjoyable martial arts adventure so far. You have an oppressive empire and a young hero with a mysterious power tied into his destiny. I like Taitou and Laila’s brother/sister relationship. The general plot structure reminds me of the Suikoden series due to Taitou being one of the stars of the Big Dipper. He therefore has to find the other stars to accomplish his task. The main character has a much more powerful berserker form which could lead to lameness. Looks fun and worth following in either Yen Plus or graphic novels.

My love for Dragon Eye seems to be shared by few, but nevertheless (or perhaps because of that fact) I grabbed up volume six as quickly as I could. For whatever reason, this volume really drove it home for me that Issa is more of an in-between shonen and seinen hero, as opposed to his looks and attitude that imply he is the typical shonen protagonist. The beginning of this volume somewhat clears up a mystery (with a very good fight) and then pushes us fully into a new one involving the upcoming tournament. We are also introduced to some of squad one and specifically Akira, who seems to have a major problem with Hibiki. Incidentally, Hibiki remains one of my favorite characters and continues to be a mysterious guy. Aoi’s, his squad captain, interest in him is intriguing. It doesn’t seem romantic so I suspect they are related in someway. Looks like the tournament will be starting in the next book, can’t wait!

If you were curious about the three main characters Hero Tales, this is the pic of the week:

Ongoing Investigations: Case #032

1 Comment

Got the books 18-20 of Blade of the Immortal in a recent Dark Horse sale, which makes them mildly affordable. We are at the end of the prison arc and I couldn’t be happier. I found it to be mostly boring, but it did do one very important thing. Rin has come into her own more, she is brave and decently strong. She also is thinking on her feet. Rin has just plain matured and it is very nice. Though at moments she is still a bit deer-in-the-headlights. If we didn’t know how Rin felt about Manji before (which you would be stupid not to), we certainly do now with her daring rescue attempt. Also Manji fights dudes while being chained to a wall. You have no idea how happy I am to see that man back in action. There was not enough bad-assery with him in jail. Though Doa is proving herself to be one crazy, deadly woman. Looking forward to the conclusion of this arc in 21 and then we are on the alleged home stretch.

I immediately read Hitohira book three as soon as I got my hands on it. We see the results of Mugi’s first stage performance. It uses the old manga trope of the play that is a metaphor for the main plot. It is a well done trope and quite enjoyable. We then see the the result of a bet made in book two and the fall out for all the characters. Bittersweet triumph and heartbreaking disappointment are the watchwords for this volume but that is not all there is. All in all I like this series more and more because I really see myself in Mugi. Her low self-esteem might easily turn away some readers but it is a very realistic portrayal of it. I am eagerly awaiting the next story. I am curious to see what happens now that a good deal of the relationships between the characters have changed. The art remains average but cute without veering into saccharine. I should really sit down and see if the anime adaption is any good. You can read a preview for volume three, too.

Got the second Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro at Yen Press’s booth at NYCC 2009. Thanks! This book continues the melancholy, traveling adventures. But as an added bonus we learn a lot about Kuro’s past and her travels when she was much younger. We also learn a little more about Sen (the bat), who I am very curious about. One traveler Kuro meets looks like he has stepped out of Sherlock Hound. As I was pondering if this was a reference or a coincidence, I see the manga-ka’s little comment in the back. He makes another Sherlock Hound reference so I knew it was on purpose. This is so rare so he gets extra bonus points for doing so. As with the first book, there are many beautiful color pages to enjoy throughout. Looking forward to the next one!

Tengu-Jin by Sumomo Yumeka is the story of a Japan that has been divided into two separate antagonistic nations due to a cataclysm. It centers around two brothers named, Mozuku and Shinonome. Shinonome has become a bit of an oddity at his school because anyone who pray to him has their wish granted. It turns out that Shinonome is a very important tengu that represents Eastern Japan. When a marriage between the tengu of the East and West seems to be the only way to stop a war between their respective countries how will this effect the brothers’ relationship? The first half is mostly comedy with a bit of drama. The last half is a flash back to a previous life that switches the formula with mostly drama with a bit of comedy. The art is nice with plenty of pretty boys being the majority of the cast. Once again like the Manzai Comics I get very light BL. There is nothing more than a little cheek kissing and a few longing glances. I can’t say that I really had any strong feelings on the story. Nothing in it was particularly objectionable nor did anything compel me to continue reading. I definitely enjoyed the comedy aspects more than the drama which I think is why it came off as so fulfilling. You can read a preview here.

Read the first book of Pluto which is coming out in VIZ’s newly revamped Signature line. The printing quality is a bit better, there are some color pages, and the book even has French folds (flaps). The story seems to pull influences from everywhere but maintains it’s ability to tell its own story. The mystery has already got me hooked! Are the deaths of these robots and humans related? No human traces at the crime scene, but robots aren’t supposed to be able to kill humans! It is a detective story so of course it gets extra bonus points from me. The only thing I found strange and maybe it is explained more later on, but the name Pluto is what they are calling the killer. In the story two characters are talking the deaths. They start going through all the names for the God of death in different cultures when they reach Pluto, they for some reason think that one is better than all the others! Uh. . . okay. I also really like the international setting of the series. Can’t wait for the next one!

Garden of Sinners: Paradox Spiral kicks up the length of the Garden of Sinners movies by being twice as long. It was interesting that we hardly see Mikiya but in his place for most of the movie is the proto-Shiro otherwise known as Tomoe Enjo. Shiki saves Tomoe from a pack of thugs and learns that he thinks he killed his family but it appears that his family is still alive. Tomoe is clearly troubled but what truly happened in Tomoe’s bizarre apartment complex? Has it been tied into everything else that has been happening to Shiki? Once again ufotable studio creates another beautiful movie. They continue to put a good amount of artistic flair to everything from the fight scenes to the conversations. The fight scene in the apartment complex balcony is worth the price of admission alone. You have to sit down and clear your mind before starting this movie more than the other four because they tell the story in a non-linear fashion. The parallels between Soren Araya and Kirei Kotomine are obviously lampshaded by the creators by them having the same seiyuu. Writing this review has totally reminded me that I forgot to ask for a release date for the first book from Del Rey when I was at New York Comic Con.

In honor of my Blade of the Immortal mini-marathon, this is the pic of the week:

Ongoing Investigations: Case #029

Leave a comment

I have stayed up to date with Toradora! and I think it has been worth it so far. It has been continuing to mix comedy and drama while keeping the story entertaining. I think all the characters have grown on me and continue to impress me. The most impressive thing about Toradora! is how I have warmed up to Ami. At first I felt that she was the loud, bitchy girl who you are supposed to feel sympathy for after one bit of drama ala Sheryl from Macross Frontier. They have avoided this trap by slowly letting us see her complexity. By not trying to change our perception of her like a light switch it makes her a richer and more sympathetic character. I do not love her with the passion that others do but I actually now enjoy seeing her in the story. Minori has also revealed herself to be beyond that of a silly airhead especially when at Ami’s villa and during the school festival.

Finally picked up a copy of All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, the first hardcover collection. It is great to see Jim Lee doing Batman again, he is just incredibly, insanely talented period. And he has only gotten better as time has gone on. There are some really intense pieces which Scott Williams really enhances in this series including one where Batman is holding up little Dick Grayson, here is a scan. I wasn’t aware this series was starting with a Robin origin story, not that I am complaining, on the contrary it was a pleasant surprise. True to Frank Miller form he writes Batman as a borderline psycho which always keeps you guessing. And it certainly does boast an all-star cast, as the title implies, with appearances from the Joker, Bat-girl, and Cat-woman in just these first few issues. Oh, and Batman and Robin making fun of the Green Lantern, hilarious. Looking forward to more!

I am not quite certain why I keep reading Ken Akamatsu stuff. For some reason his books entertain me even if I can’t really say they are good. I just read Negima 19 and 20. Since the school festival arc is over it means they need a training arc before they move on. Ah, the staples of shonen fighting mixed with the staples of shonen romance. And I enjoy this why? Oh and because we did not have enough tsundere girls in the series we had to add Anya, Negi’s childhood friend. I did like her crazy boobie conspiracy theories though. I am always a little scared about how well researched the magic and Latin is in Negima. It’s like finding out that porn you just watched had a team of historical consultants.

Continuing reading of Switch, just finished the second book. It keeps itself moving between intense cop drama and humor pretty well. We wrapped up the story involving the famous model with some serious business. Kai and Hal are a good pair. Then we have a short bust with the help of the department’s analyst, Kuzui, she has a most hilarious crush on Kai. We end on another longer story, which continues into the next volume, involving a high school gang. I have to admit to enjoying seeing Hal and Kai having to infiltrate a high school to get a drug bust. Oh so 21 Jump Street! Though Hal is only posing as a teacher.

I watched the first 4 episodes of Turn A Gundam again. I had started watching a long time ago but then some computer trouble wiped out what I had downloaded so I stopped there vowing to watch it after I finished the original Gundam. Since we are currently watching First Gundam for the blog I decided to restart Turn A. It’s an unusual Gundam series even though it is directed Yoshiyuki Tomino. The initial steam-punk technology of Earth is strange and there are no colonies, only men from the Moon. Loran’s role as a double agent is definitely unique because he has best wishes for both sides. Sochie Heim is a likable character but so far she is getting kicked pretty hard by life and I don’t expect that to change. I will also say it’s amusing to see quite a bit of nudity of both sexes so far. I guess they really wanted to sell you on this 20th anniversary Gundam series.

I was so happy to see the Tower of Druaga second season start up. While I didn’t think the first series was the most incredible story ever written, I really enjoyed it and it left you on quite a cliffhanger! So getting back into it was fun. A little time has passed since the end and we start out with some interesting new mysteries. Fatina remains my favorite character and her interactions with Jil are nicely thoughtout. As with the first season, the opening is unrelated but very well done and a joy to watch. I really appreciate when the staff thinks about the placement of the text in an opening, as opposed to just slapping it over their beautiful animation.

And now my pic of the week (or Hisui reveals herself to be a Turn A Gundam shipper):