Review: Kasumi, Volume 1

Kasumi, Vol. 1
Written By Surt Lim, and Illustrated by Hirofumi Sugimoto
Del Rey Manga
Rated T for Teen (13+), USA $10.95, CAN $12.50
195 pgs.
Starting off with Kasumi, I was surprised to find out that it was a global manga. The setting was very Japanese, and that’s an odd first statement to make; it ends up being the very crux of this review.

Kasumi is an interesting hybrid, with art by a Japanese artist, and writing by an American author. The two together have written Kasumi for an English speaking audience, although, to be honest, it looks like it’s been translated. The art is in the traditional right to left format of Japanese writing, and the setting is in Japan. It’s a strange path for Surt Lim to take, and it really pushes the boundaries of how closely global manga should imitate regular manga.

Kasumi shows off some very classic shojo cliches, none of which I was particularly glad to see. At an elite school for upper-class snobs, Kasumi is assigned a seat next to the coolest guy in town, who, of course, has an elite clique fan-club called the RSF that ruins the lives of anyone who even interacts with him. When Kasumi gives him a love-note for a fellow classmate, the evil fan-club leader forces Kasumi into a ridiculous agreement; she must perform a magic show (sleight-of-hand is Kasumi’s hobby) and if it doesn’t impress Ryuuki ( the classic shojo heart throb) she has to leave the school. The nasty clique destroys all of Kasumi’s magic equipment, and after a terrible, bumbled show, she finds if she holds her breath, she can become invisible.

I almost threw the book away at this point. Not that this sort of crap doesn’t happen in shojo manga all the time, but the point of the matter is, that this kind of behavior never occurs in an American school, and I doubt very highly that it happens in any school, no matter the nationality. I understand that Kasumi is a story, but by creating a set of characters who create demands of other characters that have no base in reality threw off my immersion completely. The plot at this point is completely contrived.

After I had given it a few days, I came back to it. The plot resolves itself like a typical shojo, which is fine. The rest of the book (without spoiling too much more of the story) involves Kasumi checking out her newfound powers, and battling with the RSF. The book ends with a pretty good cliff-hanger, and hints at the story to come.

The biggest problem with this manga is this: Lim tries so hard to craft an authentic Japanese shojo that she completely misses the boat on some of the most pivotal story-telling points. She manages to include every shojo cliche and gives up her voice for an authenticity she has no claim to. The starting ingredients are fantastic; a lovable geeky side-kick, a likeable heroine with a power that’s interesting yet limited in scope,
and a very competent artist. It is a shame that she could not capitalize on these wonderful elements in the way she could have.

To give the writer a bit of credit, things clear up after the awful beginning. The ending is well written, and the protagonists are all very likeable. Since I was interested enough in the ending to continue reading, I would not be a proper manga critic if I didn’t try the second volume. I do hope, however, that Lim moves beyond the cliche and starts making this manga her own. Otherwise, Kasumi will be yet another failed global manga that could have been spectacular.

A Manga Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I hope that everyone is stuffing their faces with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and all sorts of wonderful Thanksgiving treats like pumpkin pie. Take a moment to reflect on all the wonderful things that have happened through the year, and get fueled up for tomorrow’s shopping extravaganza (Black Friday is scary!). Since food is going to be on everyone’s mind and in everyone’s belly, I thought today would be a good day to celebrate manga… that celebrates food.

Warning: Some of these manga are not yet published in English (but most have been liscenced).

1) Yakitate!! Japan – Viz Media:

Yakitate!! Japan is an odd series: a fish out of water meets cooking meets shonen parody manga that focuses on a young man’s desire to bake the perfect bread. While the main character Kazuma learns, competes, and bakes, the reader is introduced to different bread styles. Over the top humor is the name of the game here, and Yakitate does that well.

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2) Antique Bakery – Digital Manga Publishing

Some very interesting yaoi manga have been published that center around food, and Antique Bakery is probably one of the most notable. Focusing on the pastry chef Ono and his crew of pastry making men (one of which is a champion boxer??) and their amazing products, this slice of life manga is sure to leave you craving sweets.

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3) Café Kichijoji de – Digital Manga Publishing

Another yaoi manga, this one deals in the antics of 5 cafe workers who have interesting powers and a whole bunch of attitude. Based off of a best-selling live drama program, you can be assured of quite a few laughs when your subject matter is demonic scone batter, gangs with grudges against the cafe, and sports competitions against other cafe employees.

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4) Iron Wok Jan – DrMaster Productions

In the same style as the popular TV show Iron Chef, Iron Wok Jan is a book that makes cooking look hard core. Jan, the main character, uses his cooking skills to compete with other chefs. One of the coolest things about this series is that it relays information and dish origins throughout the commentary on the battles between chefs. Yum!

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5) Drops of God – Kodansha

I’ll admit that I’m a huge fan of wine, and that I’m also fairly surprised that none of the major publishers has picked up this manga yet. It’s become a huge international hit in China, Korea, and France, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Drops of God features the son of a famous sommelier (wine critic) who has to race against his adopted brother to fulfill his father’s bizarre final wishes and find 12 wines which he compares to the 12 disciples of Jesus. Whoever finds the 12 first will inherit their father’s wine collection. An intense journey with some crazy wine descriptions, Drops of God is on my wishlist for Christmas! (Please someone license it!!)

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6) Oishinbo, a la Carte– Viz Media

A classic food manga, Oishinbo features a man on a quest to create the “Ultimate Menu” of dishes to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the newspaper he works for. Viz Media’s Oishinbo a la Carte will feature some of the select chapters in the manga’s long-running history. It’d be almost impossible to translate them all, as the manga has been running since 1983, and is compiled in over 95 tankobon!

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7) Kitchen Princess – Del Rey

On to the shojo! Kitchen Princess is a saccharine-sweet tale of an amazing cook who goes to culinary school to find her prince of flan, a boy who saved her day and gave her some of the sweet dessert shortly after her parents passed away. In her quest to beat the odds and become a culinary master, will Najika be able to find her prince and live happily ever after?
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8 ) Otomen – Viz Media

While not specifically all about cooking, Otomen is another shojo manga that focuses on cooking, cleaning, sewing, and stuffed animals; the thing is, the main character who loves all these things is the manliest man on campus! As Asuka falls for the new girl in school, this manga chronicles his journey to fall in love and be true to himself.

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9) Mixed Vegetables – Viz Media

Another shojo manga similar to Kitchen Princess, Mixed Vegetables introduces us to Hanayu, the daughter of a baking family who wants to become a sushi chef. Her counterpart, Hayato, happens to be the heir to a sushi restaurant and wants to become a pastry chef. Convenient, I would think! This story isn’t your typical shojo romance, and it’s a good change of pace.

Oh man, all this talk about food, and I’m getting hungry again! Leftovers, anyone?

Broccoli Breakdown

As a few people have mentioned, Broccoli Books is closing up shop at the end of 2008. Broccoli did some great work, with the publication of books like Aquarian Age: Juvenile Orion, Digi Charat Theater, and Sola.

This is a sad, yet not-unexpected event that follows the trend of falling revenue and higher competition in the manga market. This same market state has driven a complete restructuring of TokyoPop, and has caused other major publishers to reduce their manga output.

The question really becomes, “Why did Broccoli have to close??” I think that Simon Jones at Icarus Comics (warning, site is NSFW) has it mostly right. The problem with publishing manga these days is that there are dominant players in the US who are already appealing to the majority of readers. It’s hard enough to get a slice of that pie, and what makes it harder is that without a focus, a niche, or a major corporation as backing for your publications, it’s going to be hard to make things work in the long run.

I think that people trying to get into the manga publishing business these days should think twice before making the plunge. Unless you have a specific focus like yuri or yaoi (and even those niche markets are somewhat full), or have a special hook or twist (like Yen Press’ Yen Plus), I really don’t think you have a chance to make it big.

Companies that have been publishing manga, like Viz and Tokyopop have name appeal, and you can expect a certain standard with their manga. They also have some of the largest franchises, like Naruto or Fruits Basket.  Perhaps this is the problem with Kodansha moving across the Pacific and setting up its US imprint? Could it possibly be that the few major publishers in the US have the troubled manga market fairly locked up? That would explain the lack of titles from the publishing giant, even though they announced their arrival onshore a meager few months ago.

Regardless of the reasons that Broccoli had to shut down, it’s sad to see Broccoli go.

Manga Village, Kasumi, and more

It’s about that time of the year; that awful, dreadful, loathesome time where college students take their final exams, and can’t devote a ton of time to their blogs. Or reading manga, for that matter (which is something that makes me quite sad). That being said, at the end of the week I’ll be off on break, which means all sorts of free time!

In other news, I’ve taken a position at ComicVillage’s MangaVillage as a reviewer. This won’t change the format of my blog, but you may start to see more editorial type work here, with reviews being posted at MangaVillage and then reposted here a week or so later with some more content.

Kasumi has been weighing heavily on my mind lately. Maybe it’s because it’s sitting on my desk in front of me, practically yelling at me to review it. Trust me, I’ve got a lot to say. That’ll happen later this week.

Finally, the Sigma Xi’s Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference is going down this weekend in Washington D.C., and I’ll be presenting. Anyone know of any good shops that are around where I could possibly grab a copy of Monster vol. 2?

Vertically Challenged

In the past few days, the only thing that’s been squishing about in the manga rumor and gossip mills besides Chip Kidd and his poorly worded arguement about why he’s the author of Bat-Manga is the future of manga translator and publisher Vertical Inc.

Vertical Inc. is the publisher of many influential and ground breaking manga, with works like Black Jack, and Dororo written by the famous “god of manga” Osamu Tezuka and Andromeda Stories and To Terra… by Keiko Takemiya. Having just gotten a copy of the first volume of Dororo, I can do nothing but shower praise upon Vertical. The production values, translation, and overall goodness of this manga reminds me of why I started reading the stuff in the first place.

Let’s not lie to ourselves. The economy is pretty tight right now. Vertical had to let someone go, although managment says that they’re doing just fine. That being said, according to Brigid, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if they got a few more sales off of Black Jack. And, if Black Jack is anything like the preview (which you can view here), it’s worth buying.

Rewarding good publishers is something that must continue in order to keep getting high-quality, well produced manga such as Dororo and Black Jack. Brigid has been kind enough to offer deluxe editions of Black Jack to a few lucky winners, and if I’m not one of them, I’ll be buying the book, not only because I want to make sure Vertical continues to publish, but also because Black Jack is an amazing book.

As readers, we have the choice to support creators and localizers by buying the manga we love, or to get our manga through more illicit means. If the fate of this little obsession of mine is on the line, the choice, for me at least, is clear.

(To purchase Black Jack, check out Amazon.com)

Review: Haridama: Magic Cram School

Haridama: Magic Cram School
Written and Illustrated by Atsushi Suzumi
Del Rey Manga
Rated T for Teen (+13), USA $10.95, CAN $12.50
193 pgs.

Manga-ka Atsushi Suzumi is more popularly known for Venus Versus Virus, a longer running supernatural eye-patch and lolita fashion-wearing demon killer tag team. Haridama is a little more subdued, and it’s a one-volume shounen adventure staring two sorcerers in training, Kokuyo and Harika.

In the world of Haridama, sorcerers are people who have the ability to manipulate the world’s opposing forces, yin and yang, to create spells. Kokuyo and Harika are a special subtype of these sorcerers, called obsidians. As an obsidian, both Kokuyo and Harika only have half of the worlds forces (either yin or yang, but not both, like other sorcerers), and need a special stone made of obsidian in order to channel their powers into spells. This makes them weaker than normal sorcerers, and this tension between their abilities and the abilities of normal sorcerers comes into play quite a bit throughout the book.

This novel is a pretty standard shounen, with most of the plot devices you should expect when you read shounen. All of the chapters have the same general themes, like working together, always do your best, find the strength in your heart, and don’t skip class… well, that last one isn’t as common as the others, but you get the idea.

Despite the short length of the manga, Suzumi has done a good job fleshing out the magic that all of the characters in the manga use. Things never seem rushed, and the characters are likeable and, remarkably, equal as hero and heroine. Unfortunately, because the manga is only one book long, the characters never really get fleshed out, and the end of the novel leaves a few questions that will probably never be answered. Publishing wise, Del Rey has done a good job with this book, with no apparent lettering or printing problems. The art looks fantastic, and is probably the reason I picked up the book to begin with. Throughout the novel, the art does not disappoint.

Haridama is a good novel for anyone who liked Harry Potter and is looking for a quick read, but if you really liked the book, it is unfortunately, all you’re going to get. Haridama was a nice quick read, but to be honest, I ended the manga wanting more. It’s a shame that it didn’t last.

Review: The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, vol. 1

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, vol. #1
Written by Eiji Otsuka and Illustrated by Housui Yamazaki
Dark Horse Comics
Rated M for Mature (18+), $10.95 US
201 pgs.

In the spirit of All Hallow’s Eve, (even though I’m a whole week late) here’s a review of a spooky manga that does a bit of thinking too.

Kurosagi has the kind of plot that got me interested in manga from the get-go; it’s strange, it’s foreign, and all together wonderful and disturbing. Five students (and one sock puppet) from a Buddhist university in Japan use their special skills to interact with the dead and grant them their last wish. The intrepid group forms a business that helps souls trapped in their dead bodies to finally be free to move onto their next reincarnation.

The main character, Kuro, has the ability to talk to the dead when he touches them; Numato has the ability to dowse and find corpses;Sasaki is the general manager of the group, and an adept hacker who finds business for the team; Makino is an embalmer; and Yata is a channeler who speaks with aliens through the puppet on his hand (Yata is a gentle, soft spoken member of the team, while his puppet is anything but.) It’s very interesting group of people, and mangaka Otsuka takes advantage of each of the character’s abilities to propel the story.

The problem with working with the dead, is, unfortunately, you’re going to end up dealing with murderers eventually. For example, volume 1 of Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service deals with a serial killer who’s obsessed with creating the perfect corpse, a father with an unnatural affinity for his daughter (even after she’s taken her life), and a insurance fraud who can kill by statistics. Alongside dealing with these freaks, the team finds out the true meaning of the Dendera fields, and what a life is truly worth.

The most intersting thing about manga isn’t just the storyline; Otsuka not only manages to tell the story of the group of soul-savers, but the subject matter allows him to truly interact with social issues, and to start some commentary on misguided and troubled ways of the mainstream.

Now, this manga is not for the squemish. If you don’t like the thought of looking at dead, naked bodies, and/or are upsetted by gore, this manga isn’t for you. It’s very graphic. That being said, this manga has an almost tongue-in-cheek kind of mentality, and for a comic that covers some very heavy material, you never get weighed down by it.

Dark Horse has done a great job with this manga. Most interesting was their choice to use a cardboard like material for the front cover instead of the normal glossy front. While some people may complain about this, I think it gives the manga its own distinct feel. Extensive translation notes and high quality paper are some of the perks of paying a bit more for your manga, and I feel I got my money’s worth from this volume. The artwork is realistic and well drawn out, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

This first volume was easily all it took to make it on to my Essential Reading list. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the next volume.

I swear, I’m not dead

But that’s all I can really say for now. In a quick news bulletin, the quarter is wrapping up here at my university, so my time has been… well, spotty. Things clear up after wednesday this week, and I’ll finally get to those reviews I’ve promised.

In better news, a big shipment of manga just arrived to keep me through finals, and it’s going to be happy reading. A few volumes of Chrono Crusade, the first volume of The Kurosagi Corspse Delivery Service, volume 1 of Azumanga Diaoh, Hollow Fields, and volume 4 of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days have all been kind enough to grace my mailbox with their presence.

eBay is a wonderful thing.