Pulp Special Manga Page 7G

PULP Special: Manga Page 7G

On this page I will review some translated Japanese manga featured in PULP.
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 magazine!

Reviewed:

STRAIN
DANCE TILL TOMORROW
HEARTBROKEN ANGELS
BLACK & WHITE
BANANA FISH

REVIEW

PULP vol.2,no.2, Feb. 1998 (Viz Comics), 128pp, $5.95, 18x26cm.
This is Viz's 'R'-rated manga for grownups, nervously marked "For Mature Readers Only". In fact the contents shouldn't shock anyone who has read a tabloid newspaper, or thumbed through one of those telephone-book sized Japanese manga weeklies. Interestingly, Viz's name does not appear on the covers. In case anyone is confused, I should explain that vol. 1 contained only the "Premiere" issue, vol.1 no.1, making Vol.2 no. 2 the third issue to appear. The large pages display the artwork to advantage. The only advertising is on the front inner and back covers. Inner pages are B&W on newsprint type paper.
For more info, contact Viz or J-Pop. (GC).

To Index

REVIEW

STRAIN by Buronson, art by Ryochi IKEGAMI, 28 page episode.
The artwork style and the general tone of the story will be very familiar to readers of Crying Freeman, Sanctuary, etc, etc. The story opens in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and features a too-young girl working as a ripoff hooker, and an assassin who kills for a nominal fee of five dollars. But hiring such a cheap assassin can be dangerous! The title refers to 'strain' as in 'lineage' or 'breeding'. Also features the inevitable powerful semi-criminal organisations. Good on atmosphere. (GC).

Strain, Pulp V2#2, p.11.	(Tr.by Yuji Oniki)
	. Get original scan (higher resolution, 128K)

To Index

REVIEW
DANCE TILL TOMORROW by Naoki YAMAMOTO, 36 page episode
For most Japanese university students, University provides a fairly relaxed interlude between cram school and Work, in which they can make time for various hobbies. Young Suekichi is a member of a theatre troupe. He attends his great-grandad's funeral, and doesn't remember anything about it, except that his relatives kept filling his glass with drink. He wakes with a huge hangover, to find a sexy girl in his room, and very soon gets a visit from a lawyer who reminds him about their 'discussion' of the previous day. The attorney acquaints him with the contents of the will, under which Suekichi inherits a stamp collection worth 450 million yen ($4.5 million), on condition that he finishes college, gets married, and establishes a career.
But just who is the sexy Aya, who keeps hanging around Suekichi, and whose identity is such a mystery, and who refuses to go away? It's not hard to guess what she is after!
(GC).

Dance Till Tomorrow,Pulp v2#2, p.35 Dialogue, from top left

Boy & Girl In refreshing contrast to manga like Video Girl Ai and Fushigi Yuugi, where the characters often seem about to do 'It' but never do, in this manga they do! This is very pleasantly drawn and is the freshest and most interesting story in Pulp.

Get original scan (higher resolution, 153K)

To Index REVIEW
HEARTBROKEN ANGELS by Masahiko KIKUNI, 4 page section
(GC).

V1,#1, p.72 (Tr. by Ben Joe Wadoko.

Girl & boy with mag.
This is a short section of 4-panel gags, most of which are rather rude. Sometimes the joke is rather obvious, but with other strips one has to read carefully and think about it a bit. Each 4- panel is complete in itself, but the characters, like the teenagers 'Tomoko' and 'Kenji' sometimes make repeat appearances. Here is a typical example. (The vending machine sells S&M magazines. This is not unusual in Japan.)

Get original scan (higher resolution, 81K)

REVIEW
BLACK & WHITE by Taiyo MATSUMOTO, 24 page episode.

V2,#2, p.67	(Tr. by Lillian Olsen.)
	A violent and rather surreal looking tale about two juvenile delinquents, Black and White, who take on the world. Strange dialogue, strange goings on. It's different. (GC). Get original scan (higher resolution, 122K)

To Index REVIEW
BANANA FISH by Akimi YOSHIDA, 28 page episode.

v2,#2, p.97	(Tr. by Matt Thorn)
	The well-known shoujo manga, set in the USA. See my notes on the Japanese version. here. Get original scan (higher resolution, 122K)

To Index [G. Cowie, 1.3.98]

Dance Till Tomorrow,Pulp v2#2, p.35	Dialogue, from top left
	In refreshing contrast to manga like Video Girl Ai and Fushigi Yuugi, where the characters often seem about to do 'It' but never do, in this manga they do! This is very pleasantly drawn and is the freshest and most interesting story in Pulp. Get original scan (higher resolution, 153K)