Are you ready for some post-Otakon manga? (But pre-SDCC.)

BANDAI:
Code Geass: Lelouch Of The Rebellion Vol. 4. Shoujo. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Asuka since 2006.

DARK HORSE:
Berserk Vol. 30. Seinen. Hakusensha, serialized in Young Animal since 1989.

DC/CMX:
Orfina Vol. 6. Shonen. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Dragon Age since 1992.

ICARUS:
Scarlet Desire. Hentai. No idea whatsoever.

VIZ:
Vagabond VIZBIG Edition Vol. 4. Seinen. Kodansha, serialized in Weekly Morning since 1998.
Real Vol. 5. Seinen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Young Jump since 1999.
Oishinbo (Viz Edition) Vol. 4. Seinen. Shogakukan, serialized in Big Comic Spirits since 1984.
Inubaka Crazy for Dogs Vol. 13. Seinen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Young Jump since 2004.
Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 19. Shonen. Square Enix, serialized in Shonen GanGan since 2001.
Children of the Sea Vol. 1. Seinen. Shogakukan, serialized in Ikki since 2007.
Case Closed Vol. 30. Shonen. Shogakukan, serialized in Shonen Sunday since 1994.


That's it. Recs? Oishinbo, for the awesome foodie in us all. And Children of the Sea, because we need to support Viz putting out Ikki stuff, and it's fan-damn-tastic if you haven't been reading it online.

Kuroshitsuji. 7+ volumes, shonen. Square Enix, serialized in GFantasy, 2006.

That stage direction alone should tell you what I'm talking about today. Yes, it's Shakespeare's first tragedy, Titus Andronicus.

I wasn't looking forward to this one. It's despised by critics, who regard it as beneath Shakespeare to write such gory trash. Many in the past have tried to indicate that either a) it was the first thing he ever wrote, and thus immature (likely untrue), or b) that he never wrote it. As always, if critics (especially Victorian critics) didn't like a Shakespeare play, they tried to prove it wasn't his, as Shakespeare must be PERFECT.

And yet? The play was a HUGE hit in Shakespeare's time, right from the start. Audiences adored it, and it was staged again and again after its debut. And indeed, whenever people in the twentieth century have tried to stage it, they've found a very appreciative audience, ready to come in and watch the madness.

When I started to read it, I assumed that the reason for the popularity was simply because of the violence and bloodshed. No play of Shakespeare's is gorier than this one, not even the histories with all their battles come close. The daughter of the main character is raped, then has her tongue cut out and her hands cut off. And yet? She continues to be a major character even after this.

As you can imagine, this is sometimes difficult to perform. There comes a time, usually about when Lavinia takes stick in mouth to write out the names of her attackers, that you risk the audience laughing at the sheer OTT-ness. One scene in particular, which features the stage direction I have in my header, has Titus suddenly start to laugh. It's even written out, "Ha, ha, ha!" A short bark of a laugh. And yet, its tragedy is that it signifies that Titus has finally slipped from grief into insane revenge.

This is, by the way, the play that features our tragic hero as master chef, serving up his daughter's rapists to their mother in pies. Eat your heart out was never so literal. And then come the deaths, and the other deaths, and still more deaths. It's rather odd that one of the most well-rounded subtle characters is the main villain, Aaron.

Who, by the way, is black. Something that proved very interesting to many who rewrote this play for Restoration and Victorian times. Naturally, the violence and rapes had to go. So they were left to insert other things. And black actors of the time (and there were a few) rewrote Aaron to be the tragic equal of Titus, almost an Othello character. In the original, Aaron's son is murdered and Aaron himself is buried up to his neck in the ground to die of thirst and starvation. Yeah, bit of a difference between that and the rewrite.

This is not a great play. It is, as you have no doubt noticed, about as subtle as a truck. But it's a fascinating play, and one of Shakespeare's most theatrical. In addition, its themes of big-R REVENGE would be re-examined in his greatest tragedy, Hamlet.

A more mild Week 2.

BLU:
Loudest Whisper Vol. 1. Yaoi. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Ciel since 2004.

DC/CMX:
March on Earth Vol. 2 (Final Volume). Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in LaLa DX since 2004.
From Eroica With Love Vol. 14. Shoujo. Akita Shoten, serialized in Princess since 1976.

DMP:
Train Train Vol. 2. Whatever Wings is. Shinshokan, serialized in Wings since 2002.
Shining Moon. Yaoi. Houbunsha, serialization unknown, 2003.
Millennium Prime Minister Vol. 1. Shoujo. Shinshokan, serialization unknown, 1998.
Ludwig II Vol. 1. Shoujo. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Asuka since 1996.
Love Control Vol. 2. Yaoi. Libre Shuppan, serialized in Magazine Be x Boy since 2006.
Il Gatto Sul G Vol. 3 (Final Volume). Yaoi. Taiyo Tosho, serialized in Craft since 2002.
Angelic Runes Vol. 1. Josei. Shodensha, serialization unknown, 2007.

SEVEN SEAS:
Dance in the Vampire Bund Vol. 4. Seinen. Media Factory, serialized in Comic Flapper since 2006.

TOKYOPOP:
Pet Shop Of Horrors Tokyo Vol. 5. Josei. Asahi Shinbunsha, serialized in Mugenkan since 2004.
Fate/Stay Night Vol. 4. Shonen. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Shonen Ace since 2007.

VIZ:
Yakitate Japan Vol. 18. Shonen. Shogakukan, serialized in Shonen Sunday since 2002.
Switch Vol. 9. Shonen. Square Enix, serialized in GFantasy since 2002.
Shakugan no Shana Vol. 4. Seinen. Mediaworks, serialized in Dengeki Daioh since 2005.
SA Vol. 11. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 2003.
Red River Vol. 26. Shoujo. Shogakukan, serialized in Shoujo Comic since 1995.
Inu Yasha Vol. 38. Shonen. Shogakukan, serialized in Shonen Sunday since 1996.

YEN PRESS:
Yen Plus.


Recs? I still enjoy Special A, which actually shipped to me already. Odd seeing Diamond be early. From Eroica With Love is good for those who don't mind some yaoi with their shoujo.

Julius Caesar is one of those Shakespeare plays I will always associate with school more than with the stage. It's a very popular high school play, being a tragedy that also straddles the bounds of history. It's absolutely filled with familiar quotes, so students can go into it knowing that Friends, Romans, Countrymen is coming. And it's also very good.

No, scratch that, it's excellent. This was only Shakespeare's third tragedy. His first, Titus Andronicus, I'll get to soon, but suffice to say it's nowhere near as well-written as this. And Romeo and Juliet was very good, but has a totally different non-historical feel. Caesar is especially good considering how unconventional it is. For a tragedy called Julius Caesar, the audience must have been startled when the title character was killed with half a play still to go. Brutus is the tragic hero here.

Speaking of which, yet again we have another Shakespeare play that can be difficult to perform, in that you need to find the right balance between Caesar and Brutus. During the 17th-19th century, most of the great actors took on Brutus, and played up the evil tyrantness of Caesar (everyone hates Shakespeare's ambiguity, and tries to write it out). But around the turn of the 20th century, Caesar emerged in prominence once more, and became more sympathetic, leading to Brutus looking less tragic hero and more tragic jerk.

Shakespeare does love making these characters likeable, even as they're discussing killing Caesar. (Oh yes, remember the double time I talked about in Othello? It's here too, as the plotting and murder of Caesar takes place over a few weeks and over one or two nights at the same time.) And the scene in Act 4 with Brutus and Cassius getting angry with each other, then making up is an actor's dream (plus has the very odd mention of Portia's death, offscreen).

And then there's Marc Antony, who barely shows up until after Caesar's death, but once he does, hoo boy. Shakespeare has never written a better example of why mob politics are reprehensible than Antony's famous speech, where he turns the mob into dogs hungering for the conspirator's blood in just a few short minutes. (Note that, in an 1864 production where Brutus was Edwin Booth, his brother played Antony. That'd be John Wilkes Booth. Later famous for other things.)

Julius Caesar makes people think about the basic question: did Caesar have to die? Was his rule tyrannic? Was he a despot? Were Brutus, Cassius and the others merely trying to save the state they loved? Shakespeare presents both sides equally (likely to the annoyance of Queen Elizabeth, who was not fond of plays about overthrowing the current ruler, especially through violent murder). 1599 again, a very busy year for Shakespeare.

As for what happens after, well, I'll be getting to Antony and Cleopatra down the road. But for now, just enjoy Julius Caesar, a highly underrated tragedy that prepared everyone for his fourth and most famous one in the following year, Hamlet. Hamlet asks many of the same questions, with Hamlet taking the role of Brutus and Claudius of Caesar. And again, we're never quite sure if there *is* a correct answer.

As usual these days, announced via Amazon listing rather than a con.

Kokaku Torimonochou. 5+ volumes, shonen. Kodokawa Shoten, serialized in Beans Ace, 2004.
Shiawase Kissa Sanchoume. 15 volumes, shoujo. Hakusensa, serialized in Hana to Yume, 2005.
Hanako to Guuwa no Tera. 4 volumes, shonen. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Shonen Ace, 2004.
.hack//CELL. Whatever.
Deadman Wonderland. 5+ volumes, shonen. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Shonen Ace, 2007.

What timing, licensing SKS as it ends in Japan. :) TP will call it Happy Cafe, which works.

Cover goes to Oresama Teacher.

Color pages for Shiawase Kissa Sanchoume (2), Seiyuu Kaa!, Jiu Jiu and Issho Ni Neyou Yo.

Apparently it's confirmed in this issue that Shiawase Kissa Sanchoume will end soon.

Breakdown:
Shiawase Kissa Sanchoume 79
Gakuen Alice 116
Seiyuu Kaa! 2
Monochrome Kids 9
Hana To Akuma 34
月刊なかとば (gag comic)
Love So Life 12
Jiu Jiu 6
Oresama Teacher 35
Hoshi Wa Utau 38
Issho Ni Neyou Yo 9
Kyou Mo Ashita Mo 25
Senzoku 3
鎌田ギュウ乳販売店 (gag comic)

Skip Beat!, Kamisama Hajimemashita, and Love Sick are on break this week. Senzoku is irregular.

Whoops. I had Thursday off, and totally forgot to do this.

BLU:
Junjo Romantica Vol. 10. Yaoi. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Ciel since 2002.

DARK HORSE:
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shinji Ikari Raising Project Vol. 1. Shonen. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Shonen Ace since 2005.

DC/CMX:
Go West Vol. 3. Shonen. Mediaworks, serialized in Dengeki GAO! since 2003.

DEL REY:
The Wallflower Vol. 20. Shoujo. Kodansha, serialized in Bessatsu Friend since 2000.
Shiki Tsukai Vol. 5. Shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Shonen Sirius since 2005.
Samurai 7 Vol. 2 (Final Volume). Shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Magazine Great since 2006.
Negima!? Neo Vol. 2. Shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Magazine Special since 2007.
Gakuen Prince Vol. 2. Shoujo. Kodansha, serialized in Bessatsu Friend since 2006.
Amefurashi Vol. 1. Shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Shonen Sirius since 2006.

DIGITAL MANGA PUBLISHING:
Swallowing The Earth. Seinen. Shogakukan, serialized in Big Comic since 1968.
Color. Yaoi. Shinshokan, serialized in Dear+ since 1999.

ICARUS:
Girl With A Thousand Curses. Hentai. Akane Shinsha, serialization unknown, 2006.

TOKYOPOP:
NG Life Vol. 2. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 2006.
KimiKiss Vol. 1. Seinen. Hakusensha, serialized in Young Animal since 2007.
Guardian Hearts Vol. 2. Shonen. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Shonen Ace since 2001.
Game x Rush Vol. 1. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 2005.
Gakuen Alice Vol. 8. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 2003.
Fruits Basket Vol. 23 (Final Volume). Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 1998.

VIZ:
We Were There Vol. 5. Shoujo. Shogakukan, serialized in Bessatsu Comic since 2002.
Ultimate Muscle Vol. 23. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1979.
Strawberry 100% Vol. 9. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2002.
Shonen Jump.
Shaman King Vol. 23. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1998.
Reborn Vol. 12. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2004.
Prince of Tennis Vol. 32. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1999.
Naruto Vol. 45. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1999.
Nana Vol. 17. Shoujo/Josei. Shueisha, serialized in Cookie since 2000.
Love Com Vol. 13. Shoujo. Shueisha, serialized in Bessatsu Margaret since 2001.
Leave It to PET! Vol. 2. Kodomo. Poplar, serialized in Comic BunBun since 2005.
Kurohime Vol. 12. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Monthly Shonen Jump and Jump Square since 2000.
Honey Hunt Vol. 2. Shoujo/Josei. Shogakukan, serialized in Cheese! since 2007.
High School Debut Vol. 10. Shoujo. Shueisha, serialized in Bessatsu Margaret since 2003.
Gin Tama Vol. 13. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2004.
ChocoMimi Vol. 1. Shoujo. Shueisha, serialized in Ribon since 2005.
Captive Hearts Vol. 5 (Final Volume). Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in LaLa since 1999.

YEN:
Sundome Vol. 5. Seinen. Akita Shoten, serialized in Young Champion since 2006.
Cat Paradise Vol. 1. Shonen. Akita Shoten, serialized in Champion Red since 2006.


That's pretty damn big. Some notes: I mark Cookie and Cheese as shoujo and josei. I tend to think they're solely josei by now, but Japanese sales figures group them in the former. Tween girls should not be reading magazines as sordid as these, let's say that. Captive Hearts ends this week, as does Samurai 7. And contrary to popular belief, Tokyopop is not annnouncing closure now that their cash cow is over. :)

Recs? From Viz, there's Gintama and Love Com. From Tokyopop there's Gakuen Alice and the final Fruits Basket. DMP has the magnificent Swallowing the Earth in one giant volume, Tezuka and highly recommended. And for those who liked the stupid harem comedy of Evangelion Episode 26, well, here's another spinoff based around that sort of thing from Dark Horse.

The big news - 30 volumes of One Piece in 6 months. From Jan 2010 to June, 5 vols. per month.

Shonen Jump will jump to the Impel Down arc in Jan. 2010.

Yes, I think this is stupid. I also doubt Viz has a choice in the matter. Shueisha owns them.

Renai Crown. 4 volumes, Josei. Shueisha, serialized in Comic Crimson, 1998. From the author of Earthian.
Saboten no Himitsu. 4 volumes, shoujo. Shueisha, serialized in Ribon, 2004.
Hadashi de Bara wo Fume. 4+ volumes, shoujo. Shueisha, serialized in Margaret since 2008. From the Tail of the Moon creator.
Hana Ni Arashi. 2 volumes, shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in LaLa, 2006.
BioMega. 6 volumes, seinen. Shueisha, serialized in Ultra Jump, 2004. Sequel to BLAME!, licensed by Tokyopop.

Tokage Ouji. 2 volumes, shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in LaLa, 2003. Artist did Ballad of a Shinigami, also from CMX.
Ah! Itoshi no Banchousama. 5+ volumes, shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in LaLa, 2006. Very surprised Viz let them get this. Only girl at guy's school.
Nadeshiko Club. 7 volumes, shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume, 2000. CMX also picked up the same author's Towaware Gokko recently.