A Case Suitable for Treatment

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.

2009-11-08T18:00:31Z

Henry V is probably Shakespeare's most popular history, especially today now that the love of Falstaff has dimmed a bit. The combination of the 1944 Laurence Olivier movie and the 1989 Kenneth Branagh movies make it a play many are likely to have seen, and it's very good at stirring the emotions. In fact, is it a bit too good? As this is also Shakespeare's most controversial and criticized history.

There's lots of reasons for this. First of all, at the time, there was the killing off of Falstaff. Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 were incredibly popular, and the end of Part 2, even though it featured Hal renouncing Falstaff, seemed to indicate that they would be back soon. True, there was The Merry Wives of Windsor about this time as well, but since Hal and Falstaff seemed so intertwined, no one was expecting anything less than "Henry IV Part 3", only with a new king.

But Shakespeare had already given signs that he was a bit sick of the Falstaff gang. (I will go into more details when I get to Part 2 of Henry IV.) What's more, the plot was shaping up in such a way that it would be very difficult to use Falstaff. If he reformed, he'd be dull, but if he didn't, how would be be near the King at all? Pistol took his place for most of the comic scenes in Henry V, along with the Welsh captain Fluellen, who was allowed to have most of the jokes *and* be a competent soldier. Falstaff, meanwhile, died offstage. And by the end of the play, Bardolph and Nym were dead, and Pistol mentioned Mistress Quickly dying of syphilis. Really, this is almost Shakespeare kicking his audience in the teeth.

And then there's Essex. I haven't mentioned the Earl in some time, but it's hard to avoid him here. The epilogue to this play is basically a giant paean to Essex's campaigns, comparing his wars against the Irish to Henry V. Of course, a few months later, Essex would return from Ireland defeated. And then conspire to assassinate the Queen. Shakespeare's plays have had their awkward timely references (Richard II is another good example, and almost as controversial), but even in Henry VIII his patronage wasn't THIS obvious.

In modern times, Henry V has also been rather awkward. One of the bigger reasons is one that we've come across many times before - Shakespeare rarely likes to let his character's motivations be obvious and one-sided, always preferring to draw subtle shades of grey to black and white. Of course, here he's doing so in a play whose plot demands black and white. Is Henry an awesome warrior king, restoring England to her rightful glory? Or is he a hypocrite and chessmaster, using his subjects for his own ends? Well, yeah. Certainly fans of Hal were already irritated with him after his throwing off Falstaff in IV-2, and he does a few things here that raise an eyebrow (the tennis balls are hardly a good reason for war, although you can argue he wanted a random excuse; he also tries to bribe divine vengeance).

Modern productions have occasionally chosen to add darkness to several scenes - Bardolph's execution, for instance - which I think fits in very much with the tendency of Henry IV plays to have serious, melancholy Falstaffs these days. Many are simply uncomfortable with the idea of comedy in the History plays, feeling that it makes light of the wars and death that surround them. (What these people make of Hamlet, which is frequently hilarious, is best left for another time.)

In the end, I think Henry V works best on stage or screen, when you can let yourself get carried away by its fervor. On the page, with only cold words to analyse, Henry is a lot less easy to like.

Manga the week of 11/11

2009-11-05T23:59:03Z

Yes, it comes out on Wednesday. Veteran's Day is only a semi-holiday. And there's quite a bit of it again.

801 MEDIA:
Dog x Cat Vol. 1. Yaoi. Core Magazine, serialized in Drap since 2007.
Love Skit. Yaoi. Libre Shuppan, serialization unknown, 2006.

DARK HORSE:
Oh My Goddess Vol. 13 (unflipped). Seinen. Kodansha, serialized in Afternoon since 1988.

DC/CMX:
Deka Kyoshi Vol. 1. Softbank/Flex title.

DEL REY:
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle Vol. 24. Shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine since 2003.

DIGITAL MANGA PUBLISHING:
Blue Sheep Reverie Vol. 2. Yaoi. Nihon Bungeisha, serialized in Karen since 2006.
Ciao Ciao Bambino. Yaoi. Core Magazine, serialization unknown, 2005.
Devil Inside. Yaoi. Shinshokan, serialization unknown, 2003.
Great Place High School Student Council Vol. 1. Yaoi. Houbunsha, serialization unknown, 2008.
Millennium Prime Minister Vol. 2. Whatever Wings Is. Shinshokan, serialized in Wings since 1998.
Train Train Vol. 3 (Final Volume). Whatever Wings Is. Shinshokan, serialized in Wings since 2002.

GO! COMI:
Ultimate Venus Vol. 5. Shoujo. Akita Shoten, serialized in Princess since 2006.

UDON:
Swans in Space Vol. 1. Kodomo. Poplar, serialized in Comic Bunbun since 2006.

VIZ:
Flame of Recca Vol. 33 (Final Volume). Shonen. Shogakukan, serialized in Shonen Sunday since 1995.
Hayate the Combat Butler Vol. 13. Shonen. Shogakukan, serialized in Shonen Sunday since 2005.
Ikigami The Ultimate Limit Vol. 3. Seinen. Shogakukan, serialized in Big Comic Spirits since 2005.
Inu Yasha VIZBIG Edition Vol. 1. Shonen. Shogakukan, serialized in Shonen Sunday since 1996.
Inu Yasha Vol. 42. Shonen. Shogakukan, serialized in Shonen Sunday since 1996.
Jormungand Vol. 1. Seinen. Shogakukan, serialized in Sunday Gene-X since 2006.
Record of a Fallen Vampire Vol. 7. Shonen. Square Enix, serialized in Shonen Gangan since 2003.
Switch Vol. 11. Shonen. Square Enix, serialized in GFantasy since 2002.
Yakitate Japan Vol. 20. Shonen. Shogakukan, serialized in Shonen Sunday since 2002.

YEN:
Cat Paradise Vol. 2. Shonen. Akita Shoten, serialized in Champion Red since 2006.
Crimson Shell. Shonen. Square Enix, serialized in GFantasy since 2005.
GA - Geijutsuka Art Design Class Vol. 2. Seinen. Houbunsha, serialized in Manga Time Kirara Carat since 2006.
Higurashi When They Cry Vol. 5. Shonen. Square Enix, serialized in GFantasy since 2005.
Ichiroh! Vol. 2. Seinen. Houbunsha, serialized in Manga Time Kirara since 2007.
Sundome Vol. 6. Seinen. Akita Shoten, serialized in Young Champion since 2006.

That's a lotta manga. Recs? Flame of Recca finally ends, a loooong series. For those who never read Inu Yasha, the VIZBIG edition is bigger and unflipped. I really enjoy Hayate the Combat Butler. Jormungand should appeal to Black Lagoon fans. GA is cute 4-koma. And I'm enjoying seeing how they kill 'em all again in Higurashi, which starts the Curse Killing arc with this volume.

Hana To Yume 2009-23

2009-11-05T22:44:54Z

Cover goes to Oresama Teacher.

Color pages for Seiyuu Kaa! (2), Love So Life, Monochrome Kids, and Akatsuki no Yona.

The one-shot is from a newbie, Hio Izumi. This is her debut in Hana, she's had stuff in The Hana before.

Breakdown:
Seiyuu Kaa! 9
Gakuen Alice 122
Love So Life 17
Oresama Teacher 41
Berry Berry 10
月刊なかとば (gag comic)
Monochrome Kids 15
Nice To Meet You, Kamisama 33
Hana To Akuma 40
Hoshi Wa Utau 44
Akatsuki no Yona 6
鎌田ギュウ乳販売店 (gag comic)
Kyou Mo Ashita Mo 31
Isshi Ni Neyou No 13
Black Cat And My Master (one-shot)
幸福ローン (short manga)

Skip Beat!, Jiu Jiu, and Tadaima na Uta are off this issue.

YANKEES WIN!

2009-11-05T05:09:40Z

27!!!

New DMP licences

2009-10-31T21:00:58Z

It's Yaoi-Con, so there's a pile of new yaoi licenses from Digital Manga Publishing. They are all 1 volume unless noted.

Double Cast. Yaoi. Shinshokan, serialized in Dear+ since 2007.
Koyoi wa Kimi to Chi no Kiss wo. Yaoi. Shinshokan, serialized in Dear+ since 2008.
Café Latte Rhapsody. Yaoi. Libre Shuppan, serialized in Magazine Be x Boy since 2008.
Ayashi no Kimi no Koiwazurai. Yaoi. Libre Shuppan, serialized in Magazine Be x Boy since 2008.
Koi suru Boukun. Yaoi, 6+ volumes. Kaiousha, serialized in Gush since 2005.
Soba ni Oitene. Yaoi. Libre Shuppan, serialized in Magazine Be x Boy since 2005.
Seven Days. Yaoi, 2 volumes. Taiyo Tosho, serialized in Craft since 2007.
Koukyuu no Arika. Yaoi. Taiyo Tosho, serialized in HertZ since 2007.
Doushitemo Furetakunai. Yaoi. Taiyo Tosho, serialized in Craft since 2008.
Spiral of Sand. Yaoi. Taiyo Tosho, serialized in HertZ since 2005.
Kizuna (Deluxe Edition). Yaoi, 11 volumes. Libre Shuppan, serialized in Magazine Be x Boy since 1992.
Cho Maniac ni Aishite. Yaoi. Libre Shuppan, serialized in Magazine Be x Boy since 2008.

Good times for yaoi fans.

The smallest worm will turn, being trodden on.

2009-10-31T14:09:39Z

Henry VI, Part 3 has always had a few basic problems to overcome. It's the third part in a trilogy, so is very rarely performed on its own. It's one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, and many scholars suggest that it was co-written. Modern critics tend to focus on the fact that his prose and verse is still in development and ignore the actual plot and characterization. And like all the history plays, it steals shamelessly from other sources.

Sorry, scrap that history in the last sentence. Like all Shakespeare's other PLAYS.

It really has to be said, mostly as everyone does, Shakespeare stole. Constantly, from almost everything. There's not a critical edition that I haven't read that doesn't go on for pages about his 'sources', be they Holinshed's Chronicles, Boccaccio's Decameron, Plutarch's Lives, or what have you. This does not, of course, stop these from being some of the greatest plays in the world. Shakespeare took his varied sources and simply made magic.

Admittedly this isn't among his top plays, but it's still a very good read. Its main problem - again - is the King. Generally critics have been fairly harsh on Henry VI in these three plays. The ones who sympathize most tend to be those who admire his religious views, and his tendency to believe that God will provide and His will is absolute. Unfortunately, to those who want a more active King, this leads them to want to beat him to death with staplers. The country really begins to fall apart in this play, culminating in Henry's murder by Richard of Gloucester, and it's hard these days to take it the way Elizabethans did, as God's revenge for the events of Richard II.

Speaking of Richard, this is pretty much where the future Richard III comes into prominence. In fact, it's not so much character development as character turning on a dime. In Act III, Scene ii, he announces to the audience "Hi, I'm the villain!", and his ability to get his way even as others detest him and asides to the audience are in full force here. The only thing missing is his sense of humor and the sheer FORCE of personality. You never actually like him here, whereas one of the key points of Richard III is that you admire him despite his evil. (As a note, a lot of Richard III performances add the killing of Henry as some sort of flashback, to remind the audience how we got here).

And then there's Margaret, who also has her decline and fall here, although unlike Henry she is still around for Richard III. Basically, all of Shakespeare's future strong female roles, be they heroines or villains, owe a lot to Margaret. She keeps railing at Henry to get a backbone, she leads armies, she gleefully taunts York (and he rails against her, in one of Shakespeare's most famous rants). Just as her rages are powerful, so is her grieving when Prince Edward is stabbed, and she almost becomes an inhuman force of nature by the next play. But we'll leave that for Richard III.

As I said, this gets short shrift, like all the other Henry VIs, and he has written better histories. On the whole, though, this trilogy has proved to be much better than I'd expected, and an excellent example of Shakespeare's genius being evident right at the start of his career.

I Hate You More Than Anyone 8

2009-10-30T23:11:28Z

Spoilers abound!

The main 'plot' of this, Banri Hidaka's first major manga series, was almost wrapped up by mid-Volume 6. Sure, Senko and Honjo still needed to resolve, but there was clear evidence that if the manga had been only a mild hit, it could have ended there, even with us not knowing about Maki's past.

However, it was popular, so Banri introduced Maki's half-brother, Saki, and we begin the major plot complication that infests Volumes 6-10 of this 13-volume series. It's to her credit that she knows when to use the typical shoujo tropes (Maki breaking up with Kazuha to protect her), and when to toss them away (the breakup lasts about a chapter and a half).

More importantly, she starts firing off most of her backstory guns here. Grumpy Maki and his family issues, attending middle school with young Honjo and meeting Mizushima (who really is Shigure from Fruits Basket, at least in the past. The two mangaka are friends, and it wouldn't surprise me if one work influenced the other. And yes, this one came first.)

Oh, and there's Azumi, whose story forms half of this volume and most of the next. Hope you like flashbacks!

I should note that despite all the angst this manga is still filled to the brim with hilarious moments. Banri never lets a serious angsty moment go by without undercutting it a few moments later, and it's to the benefit of the series as a whole. Some of the jokes are broad (Kazuha thinking she's accidentally decapitated Maki), and some are so tiny I had to read it twice to get it (Kazuya hitting Chizuru in an Osaka comedy style, offhandedly, while listening to Honjo's black humor). And there's tons of meta. ("What was that smile on the last page?!? He never smiled like that before!?!")

There are, of course, some faults. As always, Banri Hidaka's sense of pacing tends to flit (her side columns paint her as a bit of a ditz, and it doesn't surprise me in the least), and much of the time you either feel things are moving glacially, or else duck as the kitchen sink is being thrown at you. If you don't like cartoon violence in your shoujo (things like throwing your best friend out of a window, or decapitating your boyfriend), you're reading the wrong artist, as those are in VB Rose too. And while I don't think you NEED to know about her past Akiyoshi Family series to enjoy this, anymore than you need to have read this to enjoy VB Rose, the constant mentions of them can be aggravating (It's rough telling North American readers to read the comics about the other siblings when they're unlikely to ever be licensed).

Oh, and for those waiting for Kazuha to grow a pair (so to speak) and move forward in her relationship with Maki, this is your volume. (Sorry, Senko and Honjo fans, you'll have to wait for Vol. 11 and 12 for their story to really hit overdrive. Though they get a FANTASTIC moment here.)

Manga the week of 11/4

2009-10-29T23:04:36Z

My icon has never been more appropriate. Viz hates us.

BANDAI:
Lucky Star Vol. 2. Shonen. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Comp Ace since 2004.
Gundam00F Vol. 1. Shonen. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Gundam A since 2008.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Vol. 6. Shoujo. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Asuka since 2006.

DC/CMX:
King of Cards Vol. 8. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Bessatsu Hana to Yume since 1998.
Fire Investigator Nanase Vol. 3. Seinen. Shinchosha, serialized in Comic Bunch since 2006.

DEL REY:
xxxHOLIC Official Guide. Kodansha.
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle Vol. 23. Shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine since 2003.
Papillon Vol. 4. Shoujo. Kodansha, serialized in Bessatsu Friend since 2006.
Mahou Sensei Negima Vol. 24. Shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine since 2003.
Minima Vol. 4 (Final Volume). Shoujo. Kodansha, serialized in Bessatsu Friend since 2006.
Kamichama Karin-chu Vol. 6. Shoujo. Kodansha, serialized in Nakayoshi since 2006.
Fairy Tail Vol. 8. Shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine since 2006.
Air Gear Vol. 14. Shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine since 2002.

DIGITAL MANGA PUBLISHING:
Selfish Mr. Mermaid Vol. 2 (Final Volume). Yaoi. Libre Shuppan, serialization unknown, 2006.
La Satanica. Yaoi. Core Magazine, serialization unknown, 2007.

SEVEN SEAS:
Dance in the Vampire Bund Vol. 5. Seinen. Media Factory, serialized in Comic Flapper since 2006.

VIZ:
We Were There Vol. 7. Shoujo. Shogakukan, serialized in Bessatsu Comic since 2002.
Wāq Wāq Vol. 2. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2002.
Vampire Knight Vol. 8. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in LaLa since 2005.
Ultimate Muscle Vol. 24. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in V-Jump since 1998.
Shonen Jump.
Shaman King Vol. 25. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1998.
S.A. Vol. 13. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 2003.
Rosario + Vampire Vol. 10 (Final Volume). Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Monthly Shonen Jump since 2004.
Prince of Tennis Vol. 34. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1999.
Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 13. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in LaLa since 2003.
Otomen Vol. 4. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Bessatsu Hana to Yume since 2006.
Nana Vol. 19. Shoujo/Josei. Shueisha, serialized in Cookie since 2000.
Love Com Vol. 15. Shoujo. Shueisha, serialized in Bessatsu Margaret since 2001.
Kurohime Vol. 14. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Jump Square since 2000.
Kaze Hikaru Vol. 15. Josei. Shogakukan, serialized in Flowers since 1997.
Honey Hunt Vol. 3. Shoujo/Josei. Shogakukan, serialized in Cheese! since 2007.
Hikaru No Go Vol. 17. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1998.
High School Debut Vol. 12. Shoujo. Shueisha, serialized in Bessatsu Margaret since 2003.
Haruka Beyond the Stream of Time Vol. 6. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in LaLa since 2000.
Gintama Vol. 15. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2004.
Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden Vol. 9 (Final Volume?). Shoujo. Shogakukan, serialized in Shoujo Comic since 2003.
D.Gray-Man Vol. 15. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2004.
Claymore Vol. 15. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Jump Square since 2001.
B.O.D.Y. Vol. 7. Shoujo. Shueisha, serialized in Bessatsu Margaret since 2004.
Black Bird Vol. 2. Shoujo. Shogakukan, serialized in Bessatsu Comic since 2007.
Beast Master Vol. 1. Shoujo. Shogakukan, serialized in Bessatsu Comic since 2007.

Viz, why do you hate freedom like this? Why all the first week? Geez.

New Negima and Fairy Tail are always fun. As for Viz, some not-quite-final volumes. Rosario + Vapire has a 2nd season of manga that's still running, and the FY sequel is on hiatus, not ended. New Ouran and Otomen are always welcome. Love Gintama. And I've heard good things about Beast Master, plus it's short.

LaLa 2009 December

2009-10-25T16:13:49Z

It's the end of October, which means the year is over for LaLa, whose dates are always way ahead of actual sale date.

Cover goes to Vampire Knight.

Color pages for Ouran High School Host Club (2), フォークテイルのトナカイ (2), Chotto Edo Mate, and Mishounen Produce (2).

Breakdown:
Ouran High School Host Club 75
Maid-sama! 43
Vampire Knight 55
Faster Than A Kiss 30
Babysitters' School 2
フォークテイルのトナカイ (one-shot from the Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time author. Something Reindeer?)
Library Wars: Love & War 22
La Corda D'oro Special Chapter (16 pages)
Chotto Edo Matte 16
Junai Labyrinth 7
嫁姑教室 (gag comic)
Mishounen Produce 6
Ookami-heika no Hanayome 5
ゆめくらい (one-shot from Ken Saito, the Name of the Flower author)

Natsume's Book of Friends is off this month.

The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.

2009-10-25T14:47:07Z

I've been going on for some time about scholars and critics arguing about which play was Shakespeare's first, for many and varied reasons. Having read all the contenders, I am prepared to side with those who argue that Henry VI, Part 2 was the first play to be primarily written by William Shakespeare (which means I also agree with those saying Part 1 was written last, as a prequel). This is especially odd, given that it's also probably the best of the three Henry VI plays.

There's a lot to like here, provided that you don't go to a play called Henry VI and expect to side with Henry VI. He's a weak king, historically, and the trouble with weak kings is that they tend to make weak characters. Richard II had similar problems, but his speeches, some of the most poetic in all of Shakespeare, helped make up for that. Henry VI doesn't have such luxury. His faith is nice to see, but it's not really enough.

However, we have a ton of other interesting characters. The Duke of York, for one, who gets his rebellion on in full force here. We also meet his two sons, Edward and Richard, who will both become far more important later. (It should be noted that Richard here is basically a young jerkass who happens to be deformed. He really doesn't become the fascinating study of machiavellian evil he would become until about halfway through Henry VI Part 3.)

Queen Margaret also comes into power here, and she is a piece of work, being Shakespeare's first major strong female role. Yes, she's not meant to be a likeable strong female role, but that doesn't stop actresses wanting to play Lady Macbeth either. Actually, it's rather surprising how little actress attention Queen Margaret has gotten, considering the strength of the role throughout both Part 2 and 3 and Richard III. Certainly she makes a nice contrast to Eleanor, who is almost the traditional dumb blonde here.

And then there's Jack Cade. You can't really discuss Part 2 without mentioning Cade, who rules all of Act 4 with the carnival-esque People's Rebellion. Possibly the most historically inaccurate part of a play filled with historical inaccuracies, but that's missing the point. The scenes of him and his men can be terrifying, with the mock trial and executions of fairly sympathetic Lords, and the heads up on pikes thrusting out towards the audience. It's even more interesting when you consider the possibility that this might have been a very early role for Will Kemp, who would go on to become Shakespeare's most popular comedic Fool.

Of course, if you're going to see this play these days, as with almost all historical performances of the trilogy, you're likely going to see an abridged combination of 2 or more of the Henry VI plays. The shows get cut, adapted, switched, rewritten, and otherwise stretched into shape so that the audience doesn't have to sit for 12 hours to see all 3 plays. So most likely you won't see this play on its own unless you actively search it out (You might see it as part of a trilogy done over months, but most people don't want to see a Part 2 by itself.) Still, it's a good 'un, and works much better on stage than it does on the page.

Retro LaLa 2001-12

2009-10-24T12:49:02Z

What was in LaLa 8 years ago?

Cover goes to Haruka: Beyond the Streams of Time.

Color pages for Okojo-san (6), Omake no Kobayashi-kun (2), Millennium Snow, Omukae Desu, and Captive Hearts.

The breakdown:
Okojo-san 61. The 6 pages seem to be all color. The series is slice-of-life? No idea, really. Author currently writing Omiai Ikasaremakuri! for Silky.
Omake no Kobayashi-kun 44. About halfway through this series. Surprised it's never been licensed. Artist currently drawing Caramel Boy for LaLa.
Kare Kano 61. A little over halfway through this classic. Series released by Tokyopop. Artist is currently drawing Chotto Edo Made for LaLa.
Millennium Snow 5. Sad this series got suspended without a real ending. Oh well. Series released by Viz. Artist is currently drawing Ouran HSHC for LaLa.
Haruka: Beyond the Streams of Time 16. Artist is still pretty much drawing this, albeit more irregularly. Series released by Viz.
Haruka: Beyond the Streams of Time Special Chapter. See above.
Okojo-san 62. Also see above.
Venus in Love 31. Ah, girl-loves-boy, boy-loves-boy. It's a classic trope. Series released by CMX. Artist currently drawing Junai Labyrinth for LaLa.
Yakumo Tatsu 72. Again, this should be licensed, but isn't. Artist best known for Jyu-oh-sei and Demon Sacred. Currently drawing Vampir for Kodansha's Afternoon.
23:00 5. Almost done, this was a 1-volume story. Author best known for Beauty Is The Beast over here. Currently drawing Bozurabu! for LaLa.
Omukae Desu 19. Series released by CMX. Author is currently drawing Faster Than A Kiss for LaLa.
Kaguya Hime 86. GOD, I wish this would be licensed. Artist currently drawing Secret - Top Secret for Melody.
From Far Away Part 5, Chapter 16. Series was released by Viz. Author currently drawing Otogimoyou Ayanishiki Futatabi for Melody.
FunFun Factory 14. Seems almost like a Ribon or Ciao title, i.e. younger than LaLa's demographic. Artist currently drawing Docca for Mag Garden's Comic Blade.
Captive Hearts 22. Man, remember when Hino was unpopular? Series released by Viz. Currently drawing Vampire Knight for LaLa.
B.B. Joker. The chapters are unnumbered, this is 4/5 through the series. Artist just finished 4 Jigen in last month's LaLa.
The Recipe for Gertrude 8. Series released by CMX. Artist finished Two Flowers for the Dragon for LaLa about 4 months ago.
Superwrongman 4. Seems to be a gag series.

This actually seems pretty badass. Nice variety, lots of good titles, lots of licenses. Someone needs to pick up Kaguya Hime and The Other Kobayashi, though.

Retro Hana to Yume 1998-22

2009-10-22T23:00:25Z

What was in Hana to Yume 11 years ago?

Cover goes to Tea Prince.
Color pages for Descendants of Darkness (2), Tea Prince, Shoujozame, and Kimi wa Bokura Taiyou da.

The breakdown:
Descendants of Darkness 20. Manga is licensed by Viz.
Shanimuni GO 4. Baby & Me, the author's previous series, is licensed by Viz.
Hana-Kimi 38. Manga is licensed by Viz.
Tea Prince 35. Author currently writing Orange Chocolate for Betsuhana.
あめのち晴れ (gag comic)
Angel Sanctuary 82. Manga is licensed by Viz.
I Hate You More Than Anyone! 23. Manga is licensed by CMX.
Shoujozame 'Japan Chapter' 1. This is about Vol. 9 of this Shinji Wada series.
高校天使 (gag comic)
Waraenai Riyuu 7. This was the author's longest series for Hakusensha, at 4 volumes.
Hiou Shirabyoushi 13. This series would go on to be 12 volumes.
Kimi wa Bokura Taiyou da 2. This was part of a collection of short stories. Author just started Fluffy Mix for Betsuhana.
Jun'ai Karen Kyousoukyoku 14. Author is currently drawing 1+1 for Betsuhana.
冷蔵庫物語 (gag comic)
技師室のペテンシ (one-shot). This would be collected in Short Sunzen Vol. 2, out from Tokyopop.

Tower of the Future, Fruits Basket, and Tokyo Crazy Paradise are on break.

As you can see, the front of the mag? Packed with licensed hits, bar Tea Prince (crappy) and Shanimuni GO (too long, no romance).

Manga the week of 10/28

2009-10-22T22:01:40Z

Last week of the month has become Tokyopop blitz, and this week is no exception.

AURORA:
Queen of Ragtonia Vol. 1. Shoujo. Shodensha, serialized in Mugen Anthology Gensou Collection since 2007.

BLU:
Liberty Liberty!. Yaoi. Gentosha, serialization unknown, 2005.

DC/CMX:
I Hate You More Than Anyone Vol. 8. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 1998.
Apothecarius Argentum Vol. 8. Shoujo. Akita Shoten, serialized in Princess Gold since 2004.

DIGITAL MANGA PUBLISHING:
Ludwig II Vol. 2. Shoujo. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Asuka since 1996.
Kurashina-sensei's Passion Vol. 1. Yaoi. Biblos, serialization unknown, 2004.

TOKYOPOP:
Zone-00 Vol. 2. Shoujo-ish. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Beans Ace since 2000.
Tsubasa: Those With Wings Vol. 3 (Final Volume). Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 1996.
Togainu No Chi Vol. 4. Yaoi-ish. Enterbrain, serialized in Comic B's-Log since 2006.
Shinobi Life Vol. 3. Shoujo. Akita Shoten, serialized in Princess since 2006.
Phantom Dream Vol. 4. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume Planet Zoukan since 1994.
Pet Shop Of Horrors Tokyo Vol. 6. Josei. Asahi Shinbunsha, serialized in Nemuki Zoukan since 2004.
NG Life Vol. 3. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 2006.
Mikansei No. 1 Vol. 1. Shoujo. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Asuka since 2005.
Kyo Kara Maoh Vol. 4. Shoujo. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Asuka since 2005.
INVU Vol. 5. This is manwha, but it's so anticipated I thought I'd mention it.
Game x Rush Vol. 2 (Final Volume). Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 2005.
Bloody Kiss Vol. 2 (Final Volume). Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 2006.
Aria Vol. 5. Shonen. Mag Garden, serialized in Comic Blade since 2002.

VIZ:
Gestalt Vol. 3. Shonen. Square Enix, serialized in GFantasy since 1995.
Dragon Ball Z VIZBIG Edition Vol. 5. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1984.

Recs? I HATE YOU MORE THAN ANYONE! OR ELSE! Also, ARIA! Shinobi Life is very good as well.

Hana To Yume 2009-22

2009-10-21T21:39:35Z

Cover goes to Monochrome Kids.

Color pages for Berry Berry (2), Oresama Teacher, Dancing Girl!, and Kyou Mo Ashita Mo.

Love Sick ends this issue; it will be 3 volumes total.

Breakdown:
Berry Berry 9
Monochrome Kids 14
Oresama Teacher 40
月刊なかとば (gag comic)
Skip Beat! 148
Seiyuu Kaa! 8
Dancing Girl! 4
Nice To Meet You, Kamisama 32
Hana To Akuma 39
Hoshi Wa Utau 43
Kyou Mo Ashita Mo 30
鎌田ギュウ乳販売店 (gag comic)
Love Sick 18 (final)
Senzoku 4

Love So Life, Gakuen Alice, Akatsuki no Yona, Isshi Ni Neyou No, Jiu Jiu and Tadaima na Uta are off this week. Senzoku and Dancing Girl! are irregular.

I'll woo you like a soldier, at arms' end, and love you 'gainst the force of nature!

2009-10-18T00:37:36Z

As I've been re-reading Shakespeare, I've enjoyed every play I've read. Some I find more 'interesting' than 'good', but each one has been, all told, well worth the read.

I knew we'd have to break that streak somehow. and it ends today, as I discuss The Two Gentlemen of Verona, a play where the best character in the whole thing is the dog. And no, I'm not exaggerating for comic effect.

Certainly the play has been very popular. Like many of Shakespeare's broad comedies, it tends to work well on stage, provided the players play up the farce of the thing. It's prominent in the movie Shakespeare In Love, as a running gag (noting, as I said, the dog as the best thing in it). It's grown less popular as we've hit modern times and That Ending is less excusable, but that's true of a lot of Shakespeare's other comedies too.

As I've read critical editions of Shakespeare's Comedies, written by various editors, I've seen about 6 or 7 different arguments about the order in which Shakespeare's comedies were written. Critics tend to think Measure for Measure came before All's Well That Ends Well these days, and likewise that The Merry Wives Of Windsor was written after Henry IV and V. And then there's Shrew, Errors, LLL and Two Gentlemen, all of which vie for the title of 'Shakespeare's earliest comedy'.

They vie for that title as whichever play is the earliest gets to have the all-purpose 'he was still learning the craft' excuse, the same one given to Henry VI and Titus Andronicus. Having now read all four of them (I'll get to Shrew and Errors later, I promise), I'd argue that Shrew and Two Gentlemen should be placed as the earliest comedies, with Errors and LLL a few years after the fact. Mostly due to endings.

Errors is very tightly plotted, with an ending that can only be described as 'crafted'. And while LLL has an open, unsatisfying ending, it's very clear that that's deliberate on the part of the playwright. Shrew and Two Gentlemen, however, look to the past more than the future, and thus have characteristics of most of the pre-Shakespeare comedies. In particular, the rampant misogyny.

Those who defend Two Gentlemen tend to note it's very in tune with the Elizabethan idea of male friendship, and the trials and tribulations it goes through when love of another woman comes between it by necessity. Most men of that time held that marriage was nowhere NEAR as strong a bond as that of two male best friends (needless to say two female best friends also didn't measure up). Now to be fair, when many marriages of the time were arranged, this might have a kernel of truth to it. Still, by Jacobean times arranged marriage in Britain was being seen as passe. (Note, btw, this is the same sexism I discussed last week with the Sonnets).

But the main problems with the play are a) the plotting (loose and awkward, a far cry from the comedic farce of Errors); b) the characters (absolutely paper thin, albeit archetypes he would use later on with far more success - Julia is the inspiration for all his other women dressed as men); and c) That Ending.

For those unaware, in the final act of Two Gentlemen, our "hero" Proteus - who has really behaved like a cad throughout the play - has just rescued the girl he's besotted with, Silvia, from bandits in the forest. This is while he is accompanied by his 'page', who is Julia, his first love, who he threw over like a rag when he saw Silvia. Proteus professes his burning passion for Silvia, who is in love with his best friend Valentine. She rejects him. He then grabs her and basically forces her to the ground, saying the quote in the header, which is to say "I am going to rape you." He is then stopped by Valentine, fortuitously showing up at the last second.

So far so mediocre. It's jarring, but no more so than any other Shakespeare "comedy" with Elizabethan values. After Proteus is stopped, Valentine points out what he's doing... and Proteus apologizes instantly. And then... Valentine offers him Silvia (?!?!). Before Proteus can accept, Julia faints, revealing her true identity. Then the Duke and the rest of the cast show up, all is explained, and Proteus realizes that he loves Julia after all (?!?!?!). Happy ending for all! By the way, the amount of lines Silvia has after Proteus threatens her with rape, and while she is offered up by her true love to her attempted rapist? Zero.

Of all the crappy moral endings Shakespeare wrote (Shrew, Much Ado, All's Well, M4M), this one may be the most head-bashingly frustrating. Yes, I get that it's about male bonding, Will, and true, Silvia was not exactly the most forward girl anyway, but... AIGH. And as you'd expect, modern productions have turned this ending into high tragic drama, with ambiguous endings noting everyone's living unhappily after all, usually with implications that Proteus and Valentine are gay.

To be fair, however, the parts with the dog *are* very funny.

Manga the week of 10/21

2009-10-15T22:06:07Z

Gotta say, Kodansha, you disappointed me. If they're straight reissues - of the L-to-R 90s volumes - say so.

DC/CMX:
Two Flowers for the Dragon Vol. 5. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in LaLa since 2006.

DEL REY:
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles Character Guide Vol. 2. Kodansha.

DIGITAL MANGA:
Happy Boys Vol. 1. Whatever Wings Is. Shinshokan, serialized in Wings since 2007.
Boys Love. Yaoi. Shinshokan, serialized in Dear+ since 2007.

VIZ:
What A Wonderful World Vols. 1 + 2. Seinen. Shogakukan, serialized in Sunday Gene-X since 2003.
20th Century Boys Vol. 5. Seinen. Shogakukan, serialized in Big Comic Spirits since 1999.
Vagabond VIZBIG Edition Vol. 5. Seinen. Kodansha, serialized in Morning since 1998.
Rin-Ne Vol. 1. Shonen. Shogakukan, serialized in Shonen Sunday since 2009.
Real Vol. 6. Seinen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Young Jump since 1999.
Inubaka Crazy for Dogs Vol. 14. Seinen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Young Jump since 2004.

YEN:
Sumomomo Momomo Vol. 2. Seinen. Square Enix, serialized in Young Gangan since 2005.
Soul Eater Vol. 1. Shonen. Square Enix, serialized in Shonen Gangan since 2004.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Vol. 4. Shonen. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Shonen Ace since 2004.
Hero Tales Vol. 1. Shonen. Square Enix, serialized in Gangan Powered since 2006.

Decent week, though very weighted towards 'guy titles'. Recs include 20th Century Boys, of course; What a Wonderful World, more seinen introspection from the author of Solanin; the debut volume of Rumiko Takahashi's Rin-Ne; and (finally) the first volume of Soul Eater.

Who will believe my verse in times to come?

2009-10-10T21:18:36Z

Shakespeare's Sonnets, nowadays, are considered some of the most beautiful and romantic verses in history. So I found it very amusing how they originally were published to utter silence, and subsequently were disparaged for hundreds of years.

Why? Well, one reason for the lack of good reception at the time of Shakespeare might be that sonnets were considered passe by the time Shakespeare is thought to have written most of them. He composed a number by 1598, and most of the rest between 1602 and 1609 (well, at least, that's the latest critical thought. Dating the sonnets is even harder than dating the plays). The fad of writing sonnets was more 1580s. Early 1580s. So I imagine when the quarto came out in 1609, most Shakespeare fans went "...sonnets? really? After Venus & Adonis, after The Rape of Lucrece, we get... sonnets?" It would be like putting a doo-wop album out in 1976.

Shakespeare himself mocked sonnets, in fact, throughout his plays. Love's Labours Lost and All's Well That Ends Well, for example, feature characters composing sonnets for their loves, and they are invariably thought of as complete doofuses. However, the answer seems to be that Shakespeare disliked sonnets that came before his, so endeavored to do better. He did. The sonnets as a whole are brilliant, yards ahead of anything others had written at the time.

So... still unpopular? Well, yes. There's the small matter that about 4/5 of the sonnets were written from Will to a young man. In fact, this is likely why critical opinion continued to be mixed in the years to come. And yes, surprise surprise, from the Restoration onwards some of the 'young male' sonnets were rewritten to be to a young woman. Can't have Shakespeare be anything but a MANLY man, of course. The same critics also notes the Sonnets were early in his career, and thus more callow. Again. Anything to avoid saying Shakespeare might have been gay/bi/het/hot for llamas.

Of course, there ARE sonnets in the collection that are to a lady. The Dark Lady. And yeah, some of these are a bit hard to read today. Shakespeare's women in his plays could sometimes be read as proto-feminist, but these sonnets? Not so much. In fact, I'd go so far as to call them a trifle misogynistic. Luckily, appended at the end of the Sonnets is a poem called 'A Lover's Complaint', which does a bit to redress the balance. Just as the Sonnets were a man complaining about the misery women bring (and how awesome men are), A Lover's Complaint is about a woman who is unhappy with the man she obsesses on.

Obsession being the right word. The one thing everyone notices about the Sonnets is how utterly emotionally raw they can be. Shakespeare almost puts TOO much of himself into the verse, and the narrator in the Sonnets, especially when he rails against the fairer sex, seems like he rails a little too much to not be totally obsessed anyway. The same goes for the woman narrating A Lover's Complaint. Her complaint is so torrid and beautifully lyrical that it serves to undercut her point.

Which of course may have been Shakespeare's idea. Never was there a position that the Bard did not hesitate to take both sides on. Or a third, if one was available. It's why we can still argue about him 500 years later.

Manga the week of 10/14

2009-10-08T21:44:12Z

A much milder 2nd week, with the debut of a "new" publisher.

DARK HORSE:
Gantz Vol. 7. Seinen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Young Jump since 2000.

KODANSHA:
Ghost in the Shell Vol. 1. Seinen. Kodansha, serialized in Young Magazine since 1989.
Akira Vol. 1. Seinen. Kodansha, serialized in Young Magazine since 1982.

SEVEN SEAS:
Inukami! Vol. 4. Shonen. Mediaworks, serialized in Dengeki GAO! since 2006.

VIZ:
Red River Vol. 27. Shoujo. Shogakukan, serialized in Shoujo Comic since 1995.
O-Parts Hunter Vol. 18. Shonen. Square Enix, serialized in Shonen Gangan since 2001.
Inu-Yasha Vol. 41. Shonen. Shogakukan, serialized in Shonen Sunday since 1996.
Gimmick Vol. 9 (Final Volume). Seinen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Young Jump since 2005.
Boys Over Flowers - Jewelry Box. Shoujo. Shueisha, serialized in Margaret since 2008.
Black Lagoon Vol. 8. Seinen. Shogakukan, serialized in Sunday Gene-X since 2002.
Battle Angel Alita Last Order Vol. 12. Seinen. Shueisha, serialized in Ultra Jump since 2000.

If you haven't bought Akira or Ghost in the Shell the previous 8 times they came out, they're both definitely worth a buy. Support Kodansha, teeny publisher! OK, not so teeny...

Hana To Yume 2009-21

2009-10-05T23:09:48Z

Cover goes to Hana to Akuma.

Color pages for Nice To Meet You, Kamisama (2); Hana to Akuma; Hoshi Wa Utau; and Subordinate Kiss (a one-shot debut).

Love Sick ends next week; it will be 3 volumes.

As always, when a series is licensed I try to use the Viz name.

Breakdown:
Nice to Meet You, Kamisama 31
Seiyuu Kaa! 7
Love So Life 15
Hana to Akuma 38
月刊なかとば (gag comic)
Gakuen Alice 121
Skip Beat! 147
魔女の花問答 (one-shot?)
Hoshi Wa Utau 42
Akatsuki no Yona 5
鎌田ギュウ乳販売店
Isshi Ni Neyou No 12
Subordinate Kiss (one-shot?)
Love Sick 17
Jiu Jiu 11
幸福ローン (short manga)

Monochrome Kids, Berry Berry, Oresama Teacher, Kyou Mo Ashita Mou and Tadaima na Uta are off this week.

He was a man of an unbounded stomach, ever ranking himself with princes

2009-10-04T12:31:18Z

I have to admit I wasn't looking forward to Henry VIII. It had a bit of a reputation that preceded it, and was one of the few Shakespeare plays I'd never read back in high school and college. It was one of Shakespeare's last plays, co-written with John Fletcher, and was one of the two plays (with Two Noble Kinsmen) that were written after The Tempest, thereby ruining his 'perfect final scene' to retire on. In addition, it was apparently propaganda, being so fawning over the wonderfulness of Henry VIII that it made historians ill. And like every co-written play, it wasn't entirely by Shakespeare, therefore it sucks. See my previous entries regarding Bardolatry.

Well, first of all, EVERY Shakespeare history makes historians ill. Talk to one of them about Henry V or Richard III some day. Second, I found that this was another play (like King John) that was filled with so much pageant and pomp in 18th and 19th century plays that, when the time came for more minimalist modern texts, no one wanted anything to do with it, regardless of its merits. More than most Shakespeare plays, it's very hard to drag away from its context. You can have Richard III in Nazi uniform, or Henry V in World War I, and people will go with it. But Henry VIII is just too famous to mess with much. And as a result directors just don't like the play.

The play, by the way, was likely not originally performed as Henry VIII. Most scholars believe that 'All Is True', the subtitle of the play, was actually its title as first written, with Henry being added by the Folio collators to make the histories more name-centric. Not that this play isn't drenched with Henry - it is. Though naturally it doesn't cover its entire life. It may not be as filled with toadying propaganda as I'd thought, but the play conveniently stops with the birth of Elizabeth from Henry and Anne Bullen (as she is called in the play), and thereby neatly avoids the other 4 wives and Anne's end.

It does have Katherine, though, who is fantastic. For a play that is setting up as one of its major plot points Katherine's fall and Anne's rise, Anne is barely in it, and Katherine is a powerful and dignified figure, someone who knows what's happening and tries to stop it through simply saying it's wrong. It doesn't work, of course, because her husband is Henry VIII, but it's rather surprising Shakespeare let her come off so well.

In fact, for a play dependent on the word 'true', there's a lot of deceit. The play hammers on the word, assuring everyone in the audience that these events are true so often that any rational person will raise an eyebrow and try to look closer to see the flaws. And they are there. I wonder if the reason it's called such harsh propaganda is because Shakespeare was overegging the pudding, so to speak, making it so true it invites falsehood.

It's also a romance. Well, sort of. Henry VIII was written at least 12 years after his last 'history' play, Henry V, and therefore logically has far more in common with the plays he wrote in that period. And the plays he wrote right before this one were Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale and The Tempest - all his romances. This is probably why Katherine's deathbed scene has an incredible vision, with angels and garlands dancing over her head - it fit with the fantastic impossibilities at the time.

And I haven't even mentioned Cardinal Wolsey. :) See quote in header.

In the end, it wasn't one of my favorites, but I did get more out of it than I expected, as is now traditional with my Shakespeare re-read.

Manga the week of 10/7

2009-10-01T22:47:29Z

Duck, folks. First of the month again.

BANDAI:
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Vol. 5. Shoujo. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Asuka since 2006.

DC/CMX:
Oh My Brother Vol. 1. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in LaLa since 2006.
Ballad of a Shinigami Vol. 2. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in LaLa DX since 2006.

DEL REY:
Yozakura Quartet Vol. 5. Shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Shonen Sirius since 2006.
The Wallflower Vol. 21. Shoujo. Kodansha, serialized in Bessatsu Friend since 2000.
Shugo Chara Vol. 7. Shoujo. Kodansha, serialized in Nakayoshi since 2006.
School Rumble Vol. 13. Shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine since 2002.
Orange Planet Vol. 2. Shoujo. Kodansha, serialized in Nakayoshi since 2006.
Negima!? Neo Vol. 3. Shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Magazine Special since 2007.
Gakuen Prince Vol. 3. Shoujo. Kodansha, serialized in Bessatsu Friend since 2006.
Dragon Eye Vol. 8. Shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Shonen Sirius since 2005.

FANFARE/PONENT MON:
Summit of the Gods Vol. 1. Seinen. Shueisha, serialized in Business Jump since 2000.
A Distant Neighborhood Vol. 1. Seinen. Shogakukan, serialized in Big Comic since 1998.

IDW:
Bloom County Vol. 1: 1980-1982. Seinen. Washington Post Writers Group, serialized in many newspapers since 1980.

SEVEN SEAS:
Venus Versus Virus Vol. 7. Seinen. Mediaworks, serialized in Dengeki Daioh since 2005.

UDON:
Fairy Idol Kanon Vol. 2. Kodomo. Poplar, serialization unknown, 2004.

VIZ:
Yu Yu Hakusho Vol. 18. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1990.
Yu-Gi-Oh R Vol. 1. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in V-Jump since 2004.
Wild Ones Vol. 8. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 2005.
Strawberry 100% Vol. 10. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2002.
Slam Dunk Vol. 6. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1990.
Skip Beat! Vol. 19. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 2002.
Shonen Jump.
Rosario + Vampire Vol. 9. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Monthly Shonen Jump since 2004.
Reborn Vol. 13. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2004.
One Piece Vol. 22. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1997.
NORA Vol. 7. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Monthly Shonen Jump since 2004.
Naruto Vol. 46. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1999.
Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation Vol. 13. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2004.
The Magic Touch Vol. 4. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 2004.
Leave it to PET Vol. 3. Kodomo. Poplar, serialized in Comic BunBun since 2005.
La Corda D'Oro Vol. 11. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in LaLa since 2004.
Knights of the Zodiac Vol. 27. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1986.
Kimi Ni Todoke Vol. 2. Shoujo. Shueisha, serialized in Bessatsu Margaret since 2006.
Hoshin Engi Vol. 15. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1996.
Happy Happy Clover Vol. 3. Shoujo. Shogakukan, serialized in Ciao since 2006.
Gentlemen's Alliance Vol. 10. Shoujo. Shueisha, serialized in Ribon since 2005.
Eyeshield 21 Vol. 28. Shonen. Shueisha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2002.
ChocoMimi Vol. 2. Shoujo. Shueisha, serialized in Ribon since 2004.
BakeGyamon Vol. 4. Shonen. Shogakukan, serialized in Shonen Sunday since 2006.
Baby & Me Vol. 16. Shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 1991.

YEN:
Yen Plus.

(collapses from exhaustion)

First of all, get Bloom County Vol 1! So happy that IDW is releasing this uncut, and flipped, in the original English no less!

Second, get the two Fanfare titles, as they are both utterly awesome.

As for Viz, too much to mention. I will mention Kimi ni Todoke, which is great, Skip Beat, which is fantastic, and Magic Touch, because it's not as bad as everyone is saying.

NYAF news

2009-09-27T22:12:36Z

Sorry for the delay, but I was *at* NYAF, so was unable to post about stuff. It was great fun.

TOKYOPOP:
Boku ga Utau to Kimi wa Waraukara. 1 volume, shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized mostly in Bessatsu Hana to Yume from 1993 to 1998. From the creator of Fruits Basket. This means everything out in Japan is now out here bar Hoshi Wa Utau.
Ratman. 5+ volumes, shonen. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Shonen Ace since 2007. From the creator of Murder Princess.
.hack//LINK. I don't care.
Seikon no Qwasar. 7+ volumes, seinen. Akita Shoten, serialized in Champion Red since 2006. Artist did Mai-HIME and Mai Otome manga.
Croquis. 1 volume, yaoi. Gentosha, serialized in Rutile Sweet since 2004.
Blood Honey. 1 volume, yaoi. Gentosha, serialized in Comic Magazine LYNX since 2008.
Love Knot. 1 volume, yaoi. Gentosha, serialized in Comic Magazine LYNX since 2007.
Kawaii Akuma. 1 volume, yaoi. Gentosha, serialized in Comic Magazine LYNX since 2008.
Sakoku Renai. 1 volume, yaoi. Gentosha, serialized in Comic Magazine LYNX since 2007.
[EDIT - And the 2nd Fruits Basket fanbook.]

VERTICAL:
Peepo Choo. 2+ volumes, seinen. Kodansha, serialized in Morning 2 since 2008. I am so very happy about this.
Futatsu no Spica. 16 volumes, seinen. Media Factory, serialized in Comic Flapper since 2001. Twin Spica got a manga in 2004. Those who liked Translucent might like this.
70 Oku no Hari. 1 volume, seinen. Media Factory, serialized in Comic Flapper since 2008. Based on a story by Hal Clement.
Chi's Sweet Home. 6+ volumes, seinen. Kodansha, serialized in Morning since 2004. They really do have this. It will be flipped and have translated SFX (which the artist has approved), so that it can sell mainstream. I approve.

DEL REY:
Koko ni Iru yo!. 5 volumes, shoujo. Kodansha, serialized in Nakayoshi since 2007.
Rave Master. 35 volumes, shonen. Kodansha, serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine since 1999. Del Rey will finish the series, Tokyopop started it.
Arisa. 2+ volumes, shoujo. Kodansha, serialized in Nakayoshi since 2009. The new title from the Kitchen Princess creator.
Yokai Navi Runa. 3+ volumes, shoujo. Kodansha, serialized in Nakayoshi since 2008. From the Mamotte Lollipop artist.

VIZ:
Gente - Ristorante no Hitobito. 3 volumes, seinen. Oota Shuppan, serialized in Manga Erotics F since 2006. A sequel to Ristorante Paradiso.
Toshokan Sensou: Love & War. 4+ volumes, shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in LaLa since 2008.
Ningyou Kyuutei Gakudan. 2+ volumes, shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Bessatsu Hana to Yume since 2008. From the Godchild/Cain author.
Kamisama Hajimemashita. 4+ volumes, shoujo. Hakusensha, serialized in Hana to Yume since 2008. From the author of Karakuri Odette.
Bob to Yukaina Nakamatachi 2009. 1+ volume, seinen. Shogakukan, serialized in Ikki since 2009. A silly baseball comedy.
Kotae Wa Mittsu. 2+ volumes, seinen. Shogakukan, serialized in Ikki since 2001. (Not sure Ikki was around in 01, it may have started elsewhere). Another silly manga.

That's a lot of licenses! Most excited about all the Vertical stuff, Library Wars, Kamisama, and more Natsume Ono.

Manga the week of 9/30

2009-09-24T22:22:06Z

A very quiet 5th week for manga.

BANDAI:
Code Geass: Nightmare of Nunnally Vol. 2. Shonen. Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in Comp Ace since 2006.

DARK HORSE:
Gunsmith Cats Burst Vol. 4. Seinen. Kodansha, serialized in Afternoon since 2004.
Berserk Vol. 31. Seinen. Hakusensha, serialized in Young Animal since 1989.

That's it. I said it was quiet. Gunsmith Cats Burst is great.

LaLa 2009 November

2009-09-24T21:46:08Z

Cover goes to La Corda D'oro.

Color pages for Bebishittazu School (2), Mishounen Produce, Ookami-heika no Hanayome, and Mikumo and Yashio.

Ouran High School Host Club is off this month.

Breakdown:
Bebishittazu School 1 (new series from Me & My Brothers creator)
Maid-sama! 42
Natsume's Book of Friends 36
Vampire Knight 54
La Corda D'oro 51
Faster Than a Kiss 29
Mishounen Produce 5
Chotto Edo Matte 15
Toshokan Sensou: Love & War 21
Junai Labyrinth 6
嫁姑教室 (gag comic)
Ookami-heika no Hanayome 4
Mikumo and Yashio (one-shot?) (from the Two Flowers for the Dragon mangaka)

Retro Hana To Yume 2005-19

2009-09-24T09:10:57Z

I really enjoyed Karakuri Odette Vol. 1, so went to see what ran in HtY the issue that it debuted. This one isn't too far back, so we should see lots of series we know.

Cover goes to Gakuen Alice.

Color pages for Fruits Basket (2), Shanimuni GO, and Karakuri Odette.

The breakdown:
Fruits Basket 115
Gakuen Alice 52
Pheromomania Syndrome 45
Shanimuni GO 129
もうすこしがんばりましょう (gag comic)
Special A 32
Nosatsu Junkie 29
Karakuri Odette 1
３年Ｚ組ポチ先生 (gag comic)
Gokuraku Doumei 17
幸福ロー (gag comic)
Fairy Cube 10
Golden Days 9
Manabiya Sannin Kichisa 19
青春の１ページめに君の名前を (one shot)
蒲田ギュウ乳販売店 (gag comic)
兄ワールド (gag comic)

Skip Beat!, Sugar Princess, and The Magic Touch are on break.

Things to notice:
1) There's a lot fewer 4-komas in HtY these days compared to just 4 years ago.
2) Many of these are licensed. Very few ongoing series here not picked up by someone. Pheromomania Syndrome may be too weird?