Category: Manga of the Month

Manga of the Month: Bartender

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Bartender (バーテンダー) by Araki Joh and Kenji Nagatomo

hisui_icon_4040 I swore at some point in time I had written up Bartender as a Manga of the Month. I just can’t find any record of that ever happening. It might have been one of the early Manga of the Month posts that were lost to the mists of time (and maybe an obscure corner of the Wayback Machine) or it just might be that I have REALLY BAD memory. Either way since the current iteration of the blog does not have any such post it is time to correct that oversight no matter how it occurred.

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Manga of the Month: Limit

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Limit (リミット) by Keiko Suenobu

narutaki_icon_4040 The precarious balance of power that governs high school is taken for a dark and tragic ride in Keiko Suenobu’s Limit.

After a bus accident strands a few surviving high school girls in the woods, their vow to find help and get out the mountainous region quickly becomes a regime of suspicion and fear. Each person is tested when lies, jealously, and bullying weigh on them as each one is confronted with their choices and pasts.

Konno is a girl who quickly conformed to the high school scene to be accepted and in turn she pushed down others like bookish Kamiya and isolated Morishige. The tables are turned when surviving their ordeal becomes of paramount importance. Retribution is a tricky business and as is a redemption that may never come. Every girl has a story to tell and learning about each other pushes some closer and other further apart.

Despite the violent and often hopeless nature of Limit, it also works to create bonds and just a glimmer of hope at key moments. The affects others actions have on those around them and the devastation of high school life is on full display. A tense read for sure as you wait with bated breath for the next twist in their hope for survival.

~ kate

Manga of the Month: Ranma ½

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Ranma ½ (らんま½)
by Rumiko Takahashi

hisui_icon_4040 Ranma ½ is a lot like Akira.

Wait, wait, wait. Put down those torches and pitchforks. Let me explain for a second. It will all make sense if you just give me a chance.

They not the same when it comes to content. I meant that in the sense that at one point in time it was almost inconceivable to think that anyone who was any sort of casual anime fan had not seen at least a little of either. People tended to either love or hate either title and of course that led to lots of “overrated” and “overexposed” being thrown around about both. But even if you your opinion was in the middle of the road about it you were expected to have an opinion about both. They were an integral part of the framework of fandom conversations.

And then time passed and luster fell off both titles. Neither of them are forgotten. They still randomly appear on top 10 lists. They still influence people. They still get brought up in conversation. They are just no longer the essentials they once were. You can bring them up at a convention and if half the audience has not seen either of them you’re not too surprised.  And so at some point both of them went out of print.

Viz announced at Anime Expo that the Ranma 1/2 manga was going back into print in a new format. Then at Otakon they announced the same for the anime. With this classic coming back into the consciousness (and store shelves) soon I decided this was a good a time as any to talk about this series.

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