G.C's Japanese-language Manga Page 4G

Manga Page 4G

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!

Reviewed:

TOKYO UNIV. STORY
WINDOW-PAKU
GO-KAIDO NO KIBA
TO-Y
ONE ROOM STORY

REVIEW

TOKYO UNIV. STORY(Tokyo Daigaku Monogatari) by Tatsuya EGAWA (Big Spirits Comics), 214pp, Y500, 13x18cm.
This is a fairly well-known manga. I can't tell you much about the story, which concerns the lives of students, but the artwork looks interesting. At first thumb through it looks well-drawn and normal, but the more one looks at it the odder and more distinctive it appears. The effect could be described as like manga on mild recreational drugs. (don't try it at home, kids!)
It's worth pointing out that whereas this particular volume, #4,"First Kiss, but above the village", is fairly innocuous, the imagery in some others is, shall one say, rather startling and frank in a Japanese sort of way. (GC).

#4, p.76	Dialogue, from top left
	Girl :Me too... are you alone? ... . (Tr. by G.C.)

To Index

REVIEW

WINDOW-PAKU by various (Ace Five Comics/Shobunkan Comics), vol.2,146pp, Y830, 15x21 cm., no ISBN
This is an anthology of short manga by various artists, collected into tankoubon form. How many of you knew that such volumes existed?! But what exactly is it? And who is responsible? The cover has a clutter of names: "Special Volume, Ace Five Comics" in small katakana, then "Window-paku 2" in katakana, something about "auntie's mole" and the names of the various artists featured inside. At the bottom is a string of kanji that translates as "super-shiny other" and seems to be the name of the "packager" as the same kanji also appear in the copyright statement on page 143. As if that wasn't enough, SHOBUNKAN COMICS appears on the spine.

Inside are more curious things; half page ads for more SHOBUNKAN anthologies, and, in a separate section, forty fannish-looking thumbnail drawings with descriptions. The format will be instantly recognisable to those who have ever had one of those bulky Harumi Comic Market calalogues in their hands. Most intriguing.

That's enough about the volume. The story I have featured is called DRAGON's SEAL and it's by HIKASA Yuuki (pp. 89-112). It seems to be about a girl and her dragon. The artwork is rather good, (probably why I bought this second-hand volume in the first place), and evokes a period Middle-Eastern type background in some detail. It looks like the heroine befriends the dragon and/or frees it from captivity. (GC).

Dragon's Seal, p.111	Dialogue, from top left
	To Archer :Shoot! (evening-wanderer ...sandman..sand spirit..An evil command; if hit in the eye (the dragon) will die.. Die, evil god-spirit . (Tr.by G.C)

To Index

REVIEW
GO-KAIDOU NO KIBA(=Highway's Fang) by S.Kanoh & Sho? (Gekiga King Series 141), 280pp, Y480, 13x18 cm.
A typical Gekiga or Adult Manga, set in the samurai period, beautifully drawn and vividly evoking the look and feel of the period. It includes very adult levels of brutality, occasional nudity, and sexual abuse. NOT SUITABLE FOR JUVENILES. (GC).

Go-kaido no Kiba, p.76 Dialogue, from top left

Captive 1 :This is stupid
Captive 2: Bi..
Captive 3: But..
Chief: As for what the paper says, there's no chance of you being rescued. A group of 3 to be tied hand and foot.
Captive 2: But..
Chief: What do you have to say?

To Index REVIEW
TO-Y by Atsushi KAMIJO (Shonen Sunday Comics), vol.1,192pp, Y360, 13x18 cm.
A story about a punk rock band, the lead singer, To-y, and a tomboy who follows them around. The band are as much into fighting as into music, and To-y attracts the attention of a powerful music producer by punching out her protege, who is being groomed for idol status. To-y's cousin, Sonoko, also a singer, looks completely feminine in the manga (and is pursued by her lecherous manager), but is in fact a male... There is also an excellent OVA version with a splendid soundtrack performed by various Tokyo rock bands. The drawing by Kamijo (who showed what he could really do in the later SEX) is good even if you can't access a translation. (GC).

#1, p.124 Text, from top left

About To-y
The latest was not as good as they want to see; uneasiness remains.
At last some good rocking!
The spotlight wll be on To-y.
(Tr. by G.C.)

REVIEW
ONE-ROOM STORY by Hitomi SAKI (Business Jump Comics), vol.3, 126pp, Y410, 21x13 cm. ISBN 4-08-863183-8
Subtitled "Urban Life Style" this is a series of short stories about young adults and their relationships in a modern urban setting. The art style is distinctive and the stories are relatively easy to follow. The stories are mostly amusing, revealing something of Japanese life, and there are a couple of comic self-portraits and comments from the mangaka. (GC).

#3, p.57 Text, from top left

Girl:
Please (he removes head)
Youth:Two years ago Grandfather became ill.
Since three years ago I was studying pantomime, so I got a part-time job here. Grandfather asked about you.
(shows photo) This is you

(Tr. by G.C.)

Get original scan (higher resolution, 86K)

To Index[G. Cowie, 10.8.97]

Go-kaido no Kiba, p.76	Dialogue, from top left
	Captive 1 :This is stupid Captive 2: Bi.. Captive 3: But.. Chief: As for what the paper says, there's no chance of you being rescued. A group of 3 to be tied hand and foot. Captive 2: But.. Chief: What do you have to say?

#1, p.124	Text, from top left
	About To-y The latest was not as good as they want to see; uneasiness remains. At last some good rocking! The spotlight wll be on To-y. (Tr. by G.C.)