Plucked From The Pile: Emma, House of Five Leaves and Soul Eater

Emma Vol. 1 & 2 by Kaoru Mori: After reading A Bride’s Story and being blown away with Kaoru Mori’s artwork, several fellow bloggers made references to  her previous work, Emma. It is published under the now defunct DC Comics imprint CMX, but happily I was able to find some of the series at the library. Mori’s artwork is as meticulous as ever as she brings to life Victorian England.

Emma is a story about a young girl who grew-up on the streets and now works as a maid. She meets the son of a wealthy family, William, and as all these type of stories go, the relationship is forbidden due to their differences in class. It's a simple and common plot line but the characters are interesting and by the end of Vol. 2 it’s uncertain where the story will go. I would love to get into this series but as it’s out of print I’m afraid of never being able to find out how it ends.

Emma by Kaoru Mori was published by CMX but is now out of print. There are ten volumes in all.

House of Five Leaves Vol. 3 by Natsume Ono:  I found myself a little confused in the beginning of this book, perhaps because too much time passed since I read the previous volume, or maybe because I have been watching the anime version, which is similar but not quite the same as the books.

When fellow Leaves member, Matsu, is kidnapped, Masa goes undercover to help free him. Masa finds himself to be an integral member of the House of Five Leaves, whether he wanted to or not.  It also appears that his new acquaintance, Yagi, is a police officer and he must operate carefully to protect the other members. Masa’s sister also pays a an unexpected visit.

House of Five Leaves by Natsume Ono is published by Viz Signature under IKKI Comix. Vol. 4 is set to be released later this month.

Soul Eater Vol. 6 by Atsushi Ohkubo: This volume is all action as the story reaches its pinnacle with a showdown between Medusa and the DWMA, as she tries to execute her nefarious plan to use the black blood to revive the Kishin that lies beneath the DWMA. Each DWMA team has an adversary to defeat as they race through the underground maze that lead to the Kishin’s Shrine. What will happen now that the madness has been released? Interesting scenarios, likable characters and lots of humour make this series work.

Soul Eater by Atushi Ohkubo is published by Yen Press. Next volume released in October.

That’s last week’s pile. What did you read this week?

More From the Pile: Black Butler, Blue Exorcist, Nura and Bakuman

I finally made a dent in my “to read” pile. Things are looking a lot more reasonable now.  I ran into a computer glitch last week, and while it appears to be resolved for now, somehow I think the inevitable will happen soon and I’ll have to replace my computer. So while things are running this is what I plucked from the pile this week:

Black Butler Vol. 6: Thankfully it’s at the start of a new story arc and I was glad to have the story back on track. In this volume Ciel is sent to investigate the disappearance of several children. None of the children have come up dead so the focus turns to a circus that happens to be in town. Naturally Ciel and  his butler, Sebastian, must join the circus to investigate. They soon find out that they are not the only ones searching for answers as they meet up with the Grim Reaper. Readers find out a little more about the Reaper’s role as well a few hints of Sebastian’s devilish intentions.

Black Butler Vol. 6 by Yana Toboso is published by Yen Press, and the next volume is set to be released late October.

Blue Exorcist 3: The first part of this volume is the story about Father Fujimoto’s familiar demon cat named Kuro. Learning of Fujimoto’s death leads Kuro to turn wild. Rin and Yukio, armed with a special weapon left to Yukio by the Father, arrive to diffuse the situation. For the first time we see that Rin has the ability to hear and communicate with demons.

In the rest of this volume we learn a little more about Amaimon , the King of Earth, when he tests Rin’s abilities by stealing the Koma sword. There is some kind of plan between Amaimon and Mephisto Pheles but we don’t know if it is for good or evil. 

A new character, Shura Kirigakur, is introduced. She is a Knight and a senior exorcist first class who seems to be against wearing clothes. Shura had been working undercover at the school, keeping her eye on Rin, but revealed her presence after Amaimon’s attack on Rin.  She had been asked by Father Fugimoto to teach Rin how to use his Koma Sword in order to control his powers.

This series is still a lot of fun to follow although I’m not too fond of the new character. There is still enough intrigue to keep me interested.

Blue Exorcist by Kazue Kato is published by Viz Media, and Volume 4 will be available early October.

Nura Rise of the Yokai Clan 4: The Nura lands are being invaded by yokai from Shikoku. Rikuo’s grandfather, the current Nura Overlord, has disappeared. In an effort maintain order within the clan and to deal with the invaders, Rikuo is forced to assume command. The trouble is that during the daytime Rikuo must assume human form and is therefore vulnerable. The Nura clan rally around him to keep him safe. Rikou’s school is been infiltrated by a powerful yokai, Inugami. Fearing for the safety of the other students at the school, Rikuo must find a way to defeat him even though he is still in his human form.

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but my favorite thing about this series is the artwork. The inking is done by brush, which gives a fluid look that I find refreshing.

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan by Hiroshi Shiibashi  is published by Vis Medai.  Volume 5 is to be released in October.

Bakuman₀ Volume 6:   Well, Mashiro and Takagi are finally where they want to be. They are serialized in Shonen Jump with “Detective Trap” and have just scored the opportunity to  have color pages run for Chapter 19, along with the release of the fist graphic novel. Just when they  are ready to enjoy their success, disaster strikes. Exhausted from overwork and poor eating, Mashiro’s bad habits catch up with him and he ends up in hospital suffering from malnourishment and a liver condition that requires surgery. Alarmed by this turn of events, the magazine’s editor in chief, Sasaki, wants to put Detective Trap on hiatus until the boys graduate High School. Unhappy with the editor’s decision, Mashiro and Takagi do everything in their power to convince him otherwise. 

I found this volume a little difficult to accept because of the decision to keep working despite illness. The urgency with which to boys continue seems a bit over the top. Where are the boy’s parents? I find it difficult to think that they would let the boys, who are only 15-16 years old, make decisions that lead to them working themselves to death.

Credibility aside, there is still and infectious quality to this story. The way all the mangaka band together to convince the editor to let the series continue is energizing. I enjoyed the part where Mashiro insists on coloring in the hospital with a pile of Copic markers, which are my current obsession.

Bakuman by Tsugumi Ohba andTakeshi Obata is published by Viz Media . Volume 7 comes out in October.

There is still more on my pile, and I am happily working my way through it. How big is your too read pile? What titles do have waiting to be read?

Soul Eater by Atsushi Ohkubo

Soul Eater Volumes 1-5

I admit I may have misjudged this series.  A while back when I picked up volume 1 of Soul Eater, I was unimpressed and in fact it angered me. It seemed that it was all just an attempt at gaining an audience through the use of gratuitous ‘fan service’ that was totally unnecessary, and masked what could have been an interesting storyline. So I left the series alone. After some time passed and new volumes kept coming out, and there was a lot of merchandise themed on the series in the stores, I figured I must of missed something. I decided to give it another shot.

I was glad to discover that the next volumes had really toned down the panty shots and concentrated on interesting story lines.
Quick Summary:  The two main characters are Soul and Maka, students at the Death Weapon Academy (DWMA), where students work, mostly in pairs. One of the pair trains to be a Meister, who wields the weapon in battle, and the other becomes the weapon (through some sort of shapeshifting). The duos are tasked with taking the soul of those on a list, who are usually evil. The more souls the duos consume, the stronger the meisters become and the higher in rank they are. 

What makes this series work is that it’s full of interesting and amusing characters that are based on fairly routine supernatural beings such as zombies, Frankenstein, medusa, witches, and cats and so on, but characters are given interesting flaws and quirks that keeps it interesting. For instance, one of my favorite characters is Death the Kid, who is the son of the Shinigami (death reaper) in charge of the academy. Kid has an obsession symmetry which leads to all kinds of difficulty for him: even his weapons had to be symmetrical. In a cruel irony, Kid’s hair has a white streak on one side that makes him asymmetrical.  

The most unique aspect of this series is the artwork. It is very different form the manga I have come across so far. The characters have a distinct look but what stands out the most is the environment. The Academy is a castle of skulls, and the sky has either a sun or a moon that laughs mockingly.

Skipping volume 1, I would recommend this series for older teens; it is entertaining and full of humour.

Soul Eater is by Atsushi Ohkubo and is published by Yen Press. Volume 7 is to be released in October. The anime series is also available through Funimation.

Plucked From The Pile: We Were There and Higurashi When They Cry

This summer I’ve been drowning under a giant pile of books to read. I’m not complaining, I like having lots to read. It is just that seem l to be going through a particularly large pile at the moment. I had put various things on hold at the library at different times, however they all seemed to arrive at the same time. This along to with a bunch of new realises out this month (and last) has given me quite an impressive stack. The reading part is easy, finding the time to review is more difficult.

I’m continuing my foray into Shojo Manga with We Were There by Yuki Obata Vols. 1&2.  Having never been a romance/ soap-opera /drama kind of girl, I had long avoided books in this category, although looking at my blog reviews one wouldn’t have that impression!! In general the books in the category delivered what I expected to find: sweet, a warm-hearted romance. It wasn’t until I read The Sand Chronicles, that I discovered that Shojo can be more than just teen romance. They can be interesting peeks into the thought processes of characters, allowing the audience to journey with them as they work through some heavy life issues. I am always fascinated with stories that explore the psychological aspects of the characters.

We Were There is a coming of age teen romance but it offers an interesting look into the struggle of dealing with the aftermath of a death.  The main character, Nanami Takahashi, develops a crush on the school heart throb Motoharu Yano. He exudes self confidence and posses a charisma that leads to his instant popularity. However Nanami often encounters a contemplative, isolated and tired Yano. It isn’t until she learns that his girlfriend had died in a car accident during the summer that she is able to understand his confusing behaviour. 

I liked the way this story unfolds. We learn about what is plaguing Yano the same time as the protagonist Nanami finds out. We start to see just how wounded Yano is and how he puts on a brave public face to hide his true state of mind betrayed only by his inability to sleep at night which causes him to fall asleep in school.   

The first two volumes set up the relationship between Nanami and Yano and the series I assume, continues from there. There are fourteen volumes in the series; Volume 13 is set to be realised by Viz Media in October.

We Were There by Yuki Obata is published by Viz Media under Shojo Beat.

Also in my reading pile was Higurashi When They Cry: Eye Opening Arc Vol. 1 & 2. This is what I’d call a thriller manga. A short while back I remembered seeing the promo for this on the Yen Press home page. So when I came across it at the library, I decided to give it a try. It was a bit confusing at first because there seemed to be many different “arcs” within the series. I managed to match a couple or arcs and went from there. It wasn’t until later when I figured out that this series is based on a video game and the arcs represent different aspect of the game. Overall the story focuses on a young group of friends and the strange events that occur in a small town.

In the Eye Opening Arc we have twin sisters Shion and Mion Sonozaki. One sister, Mion, is set to become the next family head of what appears to be a mafia-like organization. The other, Shion, who should have been destroyed at birth as was the tradition, was instead hidden away at a boarding school. Unhappy with Academy life, Shion breaks out of school and returns to her home town of Okinomiya where she, with her sister’s knowledge, hides by impersonating her twin. All goes smoothly until Shion gets involved with a boy named Satoshi Hojo. He is a tragic figure whose parents were victims of the so called Oyashiro-sama’s Curse. For three years in a row, in the town nearby village of Hinamizawa, at celebration called the Night of the Cotton Drifting, a murder occurs and it has become known as the curse. Now orphaned, Satoshi and his younger sister have been forced to live with an abusive aunt. Satoshi tries his best to protect his sister. Shion, under the guise of Mion, develops feelings for Satoshi. His home life becomes increasingly dire as the Cotton Drifting approaches. When the celebration is over, it’s discovered that the Oyashiro-sama Curse has struck again. This time the victim is Satoshi’s aunt.

 In Volume 2 we find out that Satoshi is being suspected in his aunt’s death.  In an act of desperation, Shion blows her cover in order to give him an alibi. Now that her family knows that she is back in town Shion is punished, and is forced by her sister to inflict torture on herself by her sister as restitution. Despite her sacrifice, Satoshi disappears. She suspects that he has been erased but doesn’t know if that means he’s alive or dead. From there Shion descends into darkness as she tries desperately to figure out what happened to Satoshi.

Higurashi When They Cry was an interesting change of pace. This story is part mystery, thriller and dark romance that is peppered with violence and unpleasant characters and situations. Now that I know that the story has origins in a video game, it explains why the story seems to have many layers. Although I’m not in love with this series, I am curious to know how this arc ends. There are four volumes in the Eye Opening Arc, the last of which is being released later this month.

Higurashi When They Cry: Eye Opening Arc story by Ryukishio7, Art by Yutori Houjyou, published by Yen Press. 


So how big is your to read pile?

K-On Volume 1 by Kakifly

This is a manga I’ve heard buzz about online, and the large posters at the local anime shop got me thinking that I should see what the fuss is all about. K-On turned out to be a nice surprise. It’s isn’t hard-hitting or dramatic, it’s just a whole lot of fun.  

The first few pages are in colour which is immediately refreshing, just like with Chi’s Sweet Home. I admit that at first I was a little confused by the 4 panel layout, and it took me a little time to realize that the panels are to be read in a top down, left to right direction.

Synopsis: Two girls convince another two girls to join the Pop Music club in school in order to prevent it from being disbanded. Three of the girls are already familiar with instruments. Ritsu plays drums; Mio plays bass and Tsumugi’s on keyboard. The fourth member, Yui, agrees to play guitar although she has no experience. In the end they all decide to form a band. The pop club meets in the music room and they end up spending large amounts of time drinking tea and eating desserts thanks to Tsumugi who appears to be from an affluent family, and I have a feeling we will find out about who they are. Yui buys her first guitar and is so enamored with its beauty she is reluctant to play it. Eventually Yui does start learning to play, and in the process neglects her school work. The band needs to work together in order to to help get her grades up. Although the club now has enough members to remain valid, they discover that they are in need of a teacher-advisor before they can be official. The girls try to recruit the music teacher, Sawako Yamanaka, who turns them down.  Ritsu finds a photo album in the music room with a picture of the pop club members from years past and recognizes the music teacher who, despite her current “ladylike” teacher demeanour, was a hardcore rocker back in the day. They do some arm twisting and she agrees to become the advisor. The girls are now ready to prepare for their debut at the school festival leading them to deal with such issues as song writing, singing and costumes.  

Thoughts: The things I enjoyed about this manga, apart from the characters, was the little bits of detail Kakify put in, like how your fingers tips get really sore when you first start playing, and how callouses eventually form to help. I also enjoyed the part where Yui would just stare at her new instrument, polishing it and admiring it’s beauty. She even went so far as to sleep with it. As a one-time bass guitar player and band member, this was sort of a trip down memory lane (apart from all the tea and cakes). I feel a bit like the music teacher: I am now the serious mom who had a rockin’ past. I still have my guitar to prove it!

K-On by Kakify is published by Yen Press. Volume 3 is set to be released later this month.

A Bride’s Story 1 by Kaoru Mori Vol. 1

“Oh my” best describes this beautifully drawn hard-covered gem, released late last month by Yen Press.

Synopsis: Through an arranged marriage, 20 yr-old Amir Halgal finds herself wedded to a boy eight years her junior. Amir makes the best of her awkward situation and works hard to fit in with her new family and home. She brings with her village traditions and a quiet self-confidence that quickly endears her to her adopted family. As Amir slowly develops feelings for her new husband, her birth family may be set interfere with her new life.

Thoughts:  Although this “slice of life” story isn’t overly compelling, it’s the artwork that carries it. Kaoru Mori’s meticulously drawn images bring the book to life, helping the reader build a picture of what life might have been like in 19^th Century Asia , a time rich with tapestry, elaborate costumes and detailed woodwork.

There is a tiny bit of nudity that makes me recommend this for an audience 15 plus.

A Bride’s Story Volume II is set to be released by Yen Press in October 2011. 
You can watch Kaoru Mori working on the book here.

With The Light: Raising an Autistic Child by Keiko Tobe

Well, when I read manga and graphic novels it’s for escapism, a way to unwind and suspend with reality and open my imagination. This week when I read With the Light, I came crashing back down to reality. This was a very emotional book for me, perhaps because I’m a parent of a child with an identified exceptionality (albeit not autism) and I am also certified in Behaviour Modification, it felt real to me. This book is a work of fiction based on extensive research by the author Keiko Tobe, and she did her homework.

Synopsis:  Hikaru was born to eager parents full of hope and joy. However, it wasn’t long after his birth that his mother Sachiko started to notice some troubling things about her son. First it was his continuous crying and his dislike for being held. Then it was the lack of eye contact and his delay in walking and speech that alarmed her. Fortunately a perceptive family doctor sent Sachiko and Hikaru for tests; this is where they hear the word autism for the first time. 

Sachiko goes through stages in coming to terms with her son’s diagnosis: denial, guilt, and a great deal of shame which leads her to go to great lengths trying to hide it from everyone. Her son's behaviour causes her to lose friends, brings accusations of bad parenting from the in-laws and even threatens to end her marriage.  

After finding some much needed support from her parents, Sachiko finds the strength to seek help from the Social Welfare Center that had first diagnosed the possibility of autism.  Thankfully, the center is full of helpful and knowledgeable staff that put Sachiko and Hikaru on the path to learning how to work with autism and giving them the opportunity to meet other families who are in the same boat. 

A health emergency for Sachiko’s husband Masato causes him to re-evaluate his life and reunites the family. It soon becomes clear that raising Hikaru requires a joint effort, not only for the parents, but also from family, friends and the community at large. Hikaru becomes a unifying force as everyone works to keep him safe.

The story follows both Hikaru’s progress and challenges he faces in his early years as he goes from day care to Kindergarten and Grade 1 up to the birth of his sister.

Thoughts:  This book does several things. It gives us a glimpse into the life of a family who is learning to cope with a child with a disability. It demonstrates the many stresses families face both at home and within the community such as dealing with schools, daycares, family, neighbors and friends. It highlights that the one major obstacle families face is the lack of knowledge which leads to all kinds of misunderstandings, ignorant comments, blame and fear even in places one would expect understanding, such as hospitals and schools.

For all the negative feelings, Keiko Tobe gives us hope by showing that there are incredibly supportive people to be found in the community who are willing to go the extra mile and work with Hikaru. As for autism, the story shows us some of the methods and tools used to help reach children with this disorder. Some of the dangers and pitfalls are also explored but the overall message is one of hope or light.

I highly recommend this manga, as it helps raise awareness of this often perplexing disorder, it also reminds us to be mindful of how we judge others. It truly takes a community to raise a child.

With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child Vol. 1 by Keiko Tobe is published by Yen Press . Volume 11 is set to be released in September 2011.

Butlers, Bees, Bakuman and Lychee :

Last week I tried making a dent in my reading pile; this is what I read with a brief synopsis:

Black Butler Vol. 5: This one is all about the curry as Sebastian tries to concoct the winning recipe. There’s not much to this volume so it’s not one of my favorites. Since I missed reading Volume 4, perhaps it would have been more meaningful to me if I had read it. The first three volumes had a certain darkness to them that made them interesting, which seems to be missing in this latest issue. I love the artwork in this series,as stylistically it’s very interesting.

Black Butler is by Yana Toboso and is published by Yen Press rated for older teens.

Tegami Bachi : Letter Bee Volume 5: In this volume we get a little background of what motivates Zazie and why his amber  “resonates with his hatred”. We also learn about the tragic tale of Sarah and Hunt as well as the truth behind “the man who cannot be spirit” and its connection to Gauche’s disappearance. Speaking of Guache, he finally makes an appearance but he leaves as sea of tears in his wake.

This series is always emotionally intense, the whole series carries a feeling of misfortune, it's no wonder poor Lag Seeing is always in tears. I really like this series. Hiroyuki Asada crafts a world that really feels alive, and his artwork is so breathtakingly beautiful even the enemy Gaichuu shine like jewels. 

Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee is by Hiroyuki Asada published by Viz Media under the Shonen Jump label and is rated for teens.

Bakuman 4: There is a riff between Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi. Is it over for them? Anyway, even if they were still together, can two high school students possibly handle being in school and having a series in jump at the same time?  These questions and more are answered in this latest volume. Say what you will, but I always feel energised after reading this series.  I enjoy the writing, it’s full of suspense and strategising that seem to follow somewhat logical reasoning. This manga is heavy on the words but still manages to balance with the art work. This is the same formula that makes Death Note work so well. 

Bakuman is by Tsugumi Ohba and Tekeshi Obata and is published by Viz Media under the Shonen Jump label and is rated T for teens.

Lychee Light Club: Well, where to start? This is probably the darkest manga I’ve read so far. I know it has been compared to Lord of the Flies but shamefully I haven’t read that, for some odd reason Rocky Horror Picture Show and Sweeny Todd popped into my mind (without the music of course).  The fact that this manga is an adaptation of a theatrical production Tokyo Grand Guignol’s Lychee Light Club, might explain the book’s theatrical feel.  There are several themes running through this story such as:  puberty and the fear of ageing, what it means to be human, how to define beauty, trust and betrayal and so much more. The difficult part about this manga is that it's ultra violent, highly sexualized and it is particularly nasty towards women. Having said that, the fact that this manga can generate so much discussion is a testament to its strength. 

There is a great review/discussion on the Lychee Light Club that can be found at the Manga Curmudgeon here.

Lychee Light Club is by Usamaru Furuya and is published by Vertical and is rated 18+ (strong warnings here).