On this page I will review more Japanese manga.
Note that the quality of the images, reproduced here for bona fide review purposes, has been affected by the scanning and compression processes, so if you want to see how the originals look, you'll have to buy the books!
| DNA^2 #1,p.9 | Dialogue (from top left) |
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[They are playing "make me eat the popcorn"] (Junta drops the popcorn) Tomoko: Ah. No good. Junta: Oh. I get to 'challenge' again.. (The popcorn has fallen between Tomoko's legs..) Tomoko: Don't waste food. Pick it up and try again. |
REVIEW
KIRARA by YUI Toshiki (Young Jump Comics Special, 210pp, Y500, 15x21cm)
Kirara is a nice girl with big knockers and a habit of slipping out of her clothes often, as though she forgets that she's under-dressed. It looks like fairly innocent stuff, and quite funny. The artwork is very good, with bold clear drawings. There's a storyline, no doubt, but you'd buy this to look at the pictures. I don't know of any translation.
| Kirara #2,p.97 | Dialogue (from top left) |
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Girl 1:Eimi! Eimi:If I was Kirara, I'd be brilliant, but in the matter of Konpe-kun, please.... Girl 1:In this matter I'm divided in what to say.. |
REVIEW
OMOHIDE POROPORO (Animage Comics,138pp,Y390,// cm)
Also known by the English sub-title of "Only Yesterday" this is a celebration of growing up in Japan in the sixties and of adult life somewhat later. (The animated version covers both the heroine's childhood and her return to the country.) The first several volumes of manga cover the childhood period and are a classic of everyday life and a girl's childhood in Japan. It covers everything; from family life, to sanitary education at school, to the music and magazines consumed at the time. There are even headings showing the year and month in which each part of the story occurs. I have the impression that the series is much loved in Japan and you may find that various reissues of the manga exist.
So much for the story. If you have already seen the movie, the style of the manga art may come as a surprise and disappointment, as it's in a simple and child-like style. That's how it is, so don't buy it expecting great art. Buy it for the story. If you could read it, you'd love it too.
Scripts: I have not checked this out, but there is a well-distributed movie script and I'd be surprised if no manga script can be found on Venice etc.
| Omohide Poroporo #2,p.98 | Dialogue (from top left) |
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(A ball has just hit the smaller girl.) Girl:What do you think you're doing? Boy: Clear off! Girl: We're not disturbing the practice! We're not going! Boy: Here's the winning hand. (Banner: Taeko's 100 faces.) |
REVIEW
SESAME STREET by IZUMI Matsumoto (Jump Comics Deluxe, 202pp, Y600, 15x21cm
This is a more grown up manga by the creator of ORANGE ROAD. The artwork is quite a lot more polished than the Orange Road and includes some very attractive panels. As for the story, the following appears on the jacket of vol.#2, and as it's there to encourage you to buy, why don't I just quote the whole thing:
"Hi! Maybe you've heard about the terrible accident my family suffered since I was with you last. There was an aircraft crash and my older brother Amemaru was aboard. His poor wife Chitose still believes he is alive somewhere and will be coming back soon. So the whole Fujiya family has rallied around to support her and embrace her in our love. In downtown Tokyo, we all try to pull together when something like that happens."
"With the tragedy still fresh in our minds, something else shocking happened. As you know, Tokyo is very, very crowded. It's so over populated that newcomers can find no place to live. That's why land prices have rocketed in the city. So many people desperately want land of their own, but there's none left. Then there are the evil men who try to cheat people out of their land, using all sort of nasty tricks. They're called Jiageya, which literally means 'land-snatcher'. They're pushing the price of land higher and higher, then make huge profits by selling at exorbitant prices. Now they're trying to take away our house! The company involved is Katusho Real Estate, and their agent is called Morinaga. They're trying not only to get our house, but that of Chitose, my brother's poor widow. Can you believe they could be so cruel?
What can we do? Of course, I cannot stand by and let it happen. I'm sure I can save the Fujiya family and Chitose. So watch closely, and see what Fujiya Keiki does next."
(Note: Manga published in Italy, in translation.)
| Sesame Street #2,p.43 | Dialogue (from top left) |
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Girl 1:Friends! The evening date is now taking place. Girl 2: Will xx-san become a man? Girl 1: No, a woman Girl 2: What!? Girl 3: Idiots! xx-san should be getting together with Aniki |
REVIEW
SEX by KAMIJO Atsushi (Young Sunday Comics Special, 194pp, Y850, 15x21 cm)
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Let's dispose first of the idea that there is anything titillating in the 2-volume SEX series; there isn't, and the title seems to be essentially an attention-grabber. Synopsis
This large-format series, printed on high-quality paper, chronicles the interactions of tall slim schoolgirl Kaho and various punks. A complete revelation after the throwaway read-on the-train manga, this is so vivid and detailed that one can look through it for hours with renewed pleasure. Kamijo draws remarkably detailed and vivid street scenes, and attractive character portraits. Though entirely modern, the lines of the clothes of his characters often carry an echo of the long flowing garments depicted in tradional Japanese prints. Many of the frames are full page size, with little or no dialogue, and there are double-page mood pieces (V1,28-28,48-49,188-189). A few pages have a single spot colour (red in V1, blue in V2) used for heightened effect.
Kamijo also created the TO-Y manga, about the lifestyle of a rock musician and his friends, but SEX is clearly a later and more accomplished work.
| Sex #1,p.12 | Dialogue (from top left) |
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(quite typically, there is no dialogue on this page) |
REVIEW
SILENT MOBIUS by ASAYAMA Kia (Comp Comics,270 pp, Y950, 15x21cm)
You should know what this looks like and what it's about if you found your way here! So I don't need to use up bandwidth with an illustration or review.The story of the Attacked Mystification Police is available in a colourised American edition but you may think that the crisp B&W art of the original, printed on high quality paper, looks a lot better, and that the cost per page is competitive.
If you're shopping in a Japanse store, ask for "sairento mobisu" or they'll just stare and say "wakarimasen".