Category: Manga

Ongoing Investigations: Case #095

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hisuiconThe Tatami Galaxy was a quirky show all the way through but also an entertaining show all the way through. It might take a few episodes to get used to the sometimes light speed pace of the narrator’s dialog or the Groundhog’s Day time loop but if you can make it past 3 episodes and want a 4th you are probably home free. The thing I found most interesting was that about half way through I knew exactly how the series would end. I predicted how the series would end and it played out pretty much exactly how I thought it would. But I took this as a positive more than a negative. It was clear that the series had themes and messages they were being built-in the series and the reached a climax and resolution that tied everything together in a charming fashion. I think the series appeals to anyone who wonders what their life would be like if they just changed one thing. It shows how it is not the little decisions that you should agonized over having made but grabbing the opportunities in front of you. The Tatami Galaxy is going to be a show that pops up on people’s I can’t believe you have not seen this lists for years to come. It will never be anything close to a mainstream success but it will be remembered by those who enjoy it.  It is a great anime for anyone who wants something with an art house vibe but with an upbeat and comedic attitude.

I caught up to (though I’m still not sure how I fell behind) Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated this week with episodes 5 and 6. The fifth installment is a quirky and fun episode involving the “spookifying” of kids throughout Crystal Cove by a mysterious figure of legend called Que Horrifico. Parents are leaving town left and right and we are once again introduced to the tourist attraction concept of letting the mystery go unsolved. I was glad to see the revival of the gang disguising themselves to catch the culprit. The ending chase sequence is really well stylized and quite scary. The less scary but more plot heavy episode 6 was a real treat. It is prom time and there is a ghost girl on the loose whisking off unwitting teenage boys. At the same time a new girl called Alice arrives in town and instantly develops an attachment to Fred. No surprise to see more relationship stuff in this episode, but Velma’s overbearing girlfriend act is starting to be more grating than amusing. I was glad to see Daphne, who is probably my favorite character at this point, taking the initiative in seeking out more information on Mr. E’s clues. And the random appearance of one of her sisters who is in the military was hilarious. The ghost girl culprit is tied to a past case, and by past I mean original Scooby Doo past, references to which hadn’t really been brought up since the first episode. There is also a mysterious twist at the end and we meet a henchman of Mr. E. This episode really adds a lot of information to the overarching case that Mr. E is leading them to. Episode 6 was really stand out and shows what this show can do.

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Yen Plus Online Magazine, Where’s the manga?

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hisuiconIn July of 2008 Yen Press put out their inaugural of a brand new manga anthology called Yen Plus. It was a unique combination of manga from Square Enix, Korean manhwa, and American comics. It was an interesting experiment that had some killer titles with distinct name power from all over the globe but as of July 2010 the magazine will no longer be in distributed in a paper format and instead it will be avaliable online. This week we will be looking at the change from a print to digital distribution. What is lost, what is gained, and do we feel that the new online Yen Plus is worth the subscription fee.

As we have all heard time and again digital distribution is the future of, well, just about everything. Print media has survived, and continues to thrive in a physical format better than most, but things like periodicals and magazines are feeling the squeeze. So it was with a heavy-heart the community took the inevitable news that Yen Plus just could not keep up. Bringing the magazine, format and all, to the online market is an intriguing move and adding a subscription fee, though small, is even more of a curiosity.

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5 Series We’re Surprised Aren’t Licensed

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hisuiconI’m not going to lie to you. This post is mostly an easy post we are doing to recover from the madness and non stop posts that came from our Otakon 2010 coverage. But just because it is easy post doesn’t mean it can’t be entertaining. These are all series that we feel have the ability to do really well if they were licensed and translated into English but for one reason or another have not been picked up for the U.S. There might be licensing issues behinds the scenes, the price might be insanely high, there might be a bidding war going on, or dozens of other reasons that are keeping these shows from being picked up. But the #1 cure to such problems is enough customer demand. So what do you think? Are we being delusional about the series we picked? Did we leave anything out that you think is a sure fire success?

Honestly, I find it fun to speculate what would make a good license and why going beyond my own personal desire for a series. There are about a million shows and books that I’d like to own for myself in English but a lot of that is wishful thinking (Legend of the Galactic Heroes will surely be picked up, right? RIGHT?) but with this post it is more about a business stand point or atleast the thinking that these series would do well enough to earn a little bit for the companies releasing them. That being said, I don’t work in the anime and manga business and I only have a vague knowledge of certain aspects of it.

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