Graphic Novel and Manga mini-reviews

Some really quick mini-reviews before I forget everything (all of these are paperbacks that I purchased) ... as an antidote to my Hugo's reading, we have gotten several manga and graphic novels lately.

Baron The Cat Returns (バロン 猫の男爵 Baron: Neko no Danshaku, lit. Baron: the Cat Baron) by Aoi Hiiragi is a very cute, short manga that is related to the Studio Ghibli movie The Cat Returns. According to http://studioghibli.wikia.com Hiiragi was commissioned to create a manga to go along with an animated short being developed for an amusement park. The ride fell through, but the short got developed into a full length movie. 

The artwork for some of the characters is significantly different and the story is somewhat dissimilar - though most of the key points are the same. Still, quite likeable in its own way.  Recommended if you are a fan of the movie or looking for a simple comfort read. All ages.

Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson - I haven't actually gotten to read all of this one. My daughter took it as soon as she spotted it and won't let me see it. She has been reading it at bedtime and laughing. The only parts I have read are the ones where she want some help with new words. What I have seen I have liked, and I have laughed out loud a couple of times too. Recommended. All ages.

Oh - forgot to add - it started out as a webcomic so you can take a look to see what you think.

http://www.gocomics.com/phoebe-and-her-unicorn/2012/04/22

TICK: The Complete Edlund
SPOON! This includes the first several Tick comics - the one stuck in my mind was Night of A Million-Zillion Ninjas. I have no idea what made me suddenly think of Tick, once it was stuck in my head I had to get a copy somehow.

So, when it showed up in the mail, I got to read original story, then the re-done 'origin' story and then it was grabbed out of my hands by my son, who promptly ran off and read it, laughing and reading out bits the entire time. He strongly recommends it. I still have to find where he squirreled it away.


 


RESERVoir CHRoNiCle TSUBASA  written and illustrated by the manga artist group Clamp. (Tsubasa (翼) is the Japanese word for wing.)

I haven't given these to my son yet (finally something I managed to hang onto!) and have just binge-read all four Omnibus volumes. Total fan! Once I got used to characters occasionally looking like Mr. Fantastic (all stretchy and elongated) I really enjoyed the art. Quite lovely.

This is my first Clamp series, so I don't have any of the alternate universe backstories for any of the characters, but that I just fine with me. I have already ordered the first Cardcaptors Sakura though since the next Omnibus isn't due out until August. 


From Amazon:

Childhood friends Princess Sakura and Syaoran, the son of an archaeologist, become entangled in a series of events that force them to traverse through alternate realities on an action-packed and unforgettable adventure!  In the Kingdom of Clow, an archaeological dig unleashes an incredible power, causing Sakura to lose her memories. To save her, Syaoran must follow the orders of the Dimension Witch and travel alongside Kurogane, an unrivaled warrior; Fai, a powerful magician; and Mokona Modoki, a curiously strange creature, to retrieve Sakura’s dispersed memories! But first, there is a price to be paid…

Also recommended. I really like the ride so far - though I am a little worried that there won't be an ending.Teen 13+ - mostly seems to be about characters drinking.

Monday Manga Mailbox

The past few weeks we have been flooding the house with some manga - looking for series that are going to be fun for the kids (since I there doesn't seem to be much in the way of kid friendly comics being published these days).

Since manga is not a genre but rather a format, one has to be very careful about selecting books - since most of the manga that is in print in English is actually for teenagers or adult readers. Finding kid friendly or "All Ages" titles takes work.

I have already mentioned how much my son and I like Twin Spica by Kou Yaginuma, even though the story is thoroughly packed with tragic backstories. Overall the series is amazingly sweet and hopeful. We are impatiently waiting for volume 5 to show up in the mail. The books are out of print, so I have been tracking down copies and they are arriving out of order. It is rather tough to have volumes 6 and 7 sitting there, giggling at you, while you have to wait for 5 to turn up.  So far though the story is very worth the effort.

Chi's Sweet Home by Konami Kanta is the story of a kitten that got separated from her kitty family and was adopted by a family that lives in a small apartment that has a strict no pet policy. It is just achingly cute - my daughter has been reading these on her own - a very proud achievement for her.

From the back of volume 1: 
Chi is a mischievous newborn American shorthair who, while on a leisurely stroll with her family, found herself lost. When we found Chi it was clear to us she was completely distraught as she longed for the warmth and protection of her mother. Feeling sympathy for the little fur ball, we quietly whisked her away inviting her into our small apartment home … where pets are strictly not permitted. While we dread parting with her, there is no way she can stay.

Little Chi is a happy and healthy litter-box trained kitten. And while she can be a little bit of a handful, she has been a great source of joy in our lives and a wonderful companion to our young son. Living with Chi has completely changed our lives, and we are sure she will have the same impact with whomever gives her a good home.

Both of the kids like Yotsuba&! by Kiyohiko Azuma. The title character is a rather unique little girl with green hair, always done up in four pigtails. Her name - よつば  - translates as "four leaved clover." よつば is the five year old adopted daughter of Mr. Koiwai - a single father who is portrayed as a bit of a slacker with a strangely laissez-faire attitude about his daughter's activities (like he knows she is going to be safe no matter what - it's rather hard to explain). Unlike Twin Spica (but similar to Chi's Sweet Home) there is no overall story arch. Instead, each of the stories is simply about Yotsuba learning something about everyday life - she is strangely naive about things that most children are well acquainted with - like how to use a swing or what door bells are for. The title comes from how the chapters are named "Yotsuba & something," where something is the new thing or concept she encounters that day (the first chapter is called Yotsuba & Moving), and the exclamation mark comes from her way of throwing herself enthusiastically into everything she does.

Apparently the stories were originally written for a more mature audience (it was originally published in Dengeki Daioh, a magazine intended for teen boys or adult men - there are conflicting descriptions of this - suffice it to say that American parents would be rather put off by the source) so there are a few occasional surprises in the language or behavior of the adult characters - nothing too bad and stuff that will sail right of the heads of children - just briefly off-putting for any adults reading the stories with their younger children. Definitely nothing that has struck me as totally inappropriate.

The interesting thing about Yotsuba, and Chi, is that the stories manage to capture the perspectives of both the innocent (like Chi and Yotsuba) and the adults around them. 'Slice of life is really' a good way to describe them.

This is the description from the back of the first volume: 
Hello! This is Koiwai Yotsuba, Yotsuba Koiwai…um, YOTSUBA! Yotsuba moved with Daddy to a new house from our old house waaaaaaay over there! And moving’s fun ’cos people wave! (Ohhhh!!) And Yotsuba met these nice people next door and made friends to play with (one of ’em acted like one of those bad strangers Daddy told Yotsuba not to go with, but it was okay in the end). I hope we get to play a lot. And eat ice cream! And-and-and…oh yeah! You should come play with Yotsuba too!

Finally - Sandland is a standalone (unfortunately) by Akira Toriyama (more familiar as the author of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z - which no, we haven't read). This one was my son's favorite - he has already read it three times. I really liked it too, and am seriously disappointed that it wasn't a longer series.

From the back: 
In the far future, war has destroyed the entire Earth, leaving only a barren wasteland where the supply of water is controlled by the greedy king. In search of a long-lost lake, Sheriff Rao asked the king of the demons for help ... and got the king's son, Beelzebub, and his assistant, Thief. Together the unlikely trio sets off across the desert, facing dragons, bandits and the deadliest foe of all ... the King's Army itself! It's travel adventure and tank action in this new story from Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball Z! 

Twin Spica by Kou Yaginuma - mini gush

Twin Spica - volumes 1 - 3
by Kou Yaginuma

Published in English by Vertical 

Format: paperback - my daughter has us calling these backwards books

Published: 2010
Pages: 192 pages (vol 1 & 2), 190 pages (vol 3)

Genre: Manga SciFi/Fantasy

Source: own book


Summary from Amazon:
In a Tokyo in the not too distant future a young girl studies deligently with ambitions of soon attending space academy. If things work out just right, her future may very well be among the stars as well. And yet, every time she looks up to the stars there is a sense of melancholy in her heart. A sadness surrounds Asumi, as space exploration itself has profoundly impacted her life for as long as she can remember.

But she is not alone...A young man wearing a lion's mask is always beside her. He speaks of the constellations and galaxies as if he they were like home. He knows what it is like to love the stars--slightly bitter and yet always so warm and inviting. Truth is he has gone through much of Asumi is just experiencing. And now in spirit he will forever be with Asumi guiding her on her path to space.

So, due my son's interest in learning Japanese and reading manga I have been on an epic (well - with a little "e" but still) quest to find age appropriate stories for both of my children. I picked up Twin Spica because a) my daughter loves space and b) the idea of going to school to study to be an astronaut would be of interest to both of my kids. 

I pre-read the story to see what I thought and OMG! - it was complex, deeply melancholy and absolutely fascinating.  I was blown away and immediately set about trying to get the rest of the series. 

The main character is 13-year old Asumi, a quiet and self-contained dreamer.  The "sadness" that surrounds not only Asumi, but pretty much all of the characters is due to the fact that ten years earlier the launch of the first Japanese built space ship was a catastrophic failure. Not only was the ship destroyed, it crashed into a city, resulting in death and destruction from which the country is only just starting to recover. (This isn't a spoiler since it it pretty much spelled out in the first pages of the book). 

Despite the fact that Asumi's mother was one of the casualties, she still dreams of flying to the stars.  

And I am not even going to try to explain Mr. Lion - that would be a spoiler. 

The isn't much in the way of action, but the stories are emotionally gripping. My son grabbed the first book - read it in one gulp, and looked at me with tears in his eyes asking for the next volume.  Just wow!  

We are on volume three and I have used copies of the next couple on the way.  

At the moment, I am totally invested in this story and want to know how it is resolved. I just hope that the emotional ride has a solid, and uplifting, finish.  My son is fairly heartbroken for Asumi right now and is also waiting to see what happens next.