S.Q. Eries's Blog, page 22

Manga Review: Saga of Tanya the Evil Vol. #07

The Saga of Tanya the Evil anime was a surprise favorite for me in 2017. With a title like that, I was almost too scared to give it a try, but conniving little Tanya turned out to be nothing like I anticipated. Yen Press has released Volume 07 of the manga adaption, and you can read on for the review. (For my reviews of other Tanya the Evil works, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

With undeniable wit and charisma, Tanya manages to charm her way into the warmth of the office…not. When an order for a military march launches the dumbfounded Degurechaff into the freezing depths of winter, fluffy pillows and five course meals are the last thing on her mind…That is, until the Major discovers another tempting course of action…

The Review

I commented in my review of Volume 6 that Being X has been absent a while. Well, apparently he doesn’t want us to forget him because he pops in at the opening of Volume 7. Although the chapter is titled “Norden VI,” nearly half of it is Tanya’s reflections on her previous world and the philosophies and events that formed her character. In the midst of this walk down memory lane, Being X interrupts with images of a life the Japanese salaryman could’ve had. The interaction between divine and mortal is brief, but in addition to the usual spite and venom that reaffirms our main character’s disgust toward his creator, we also see a rare instant of vulnerability.

Then it’s back to Norden and the winter offensive so hotly debated in the previous volume. Tanya calculated that such a push would only wear down the Empire’s already ragged resources, but General Staff is treating the Northern Army’s offense as part of a larger plan to subdue the Regadonia Alliance. Tanya piecing together the top-secret attack through her conversation with von Rudersdorf is covered in all three incarnations of this story, and as usual, the manga provides the clearest version. Whereas the anime breezes through the massive pincer plan too quickly and the novel’s narrative is a bit hard to comprehend, the manga’s depiction of the von Rudersdorf interchange followed by a cartoon outline spells out the operation in understandable terms. Granted, the outline is somewhat dense, but that’s only because so many elements are involved in the multipronged attack.

Having explained what the imperial forces are about to do, preparing to execute it is the next order of business. Thus far, we’ve only seen Army forces at work, and in “Norden VII” we get a first glimpse of the Navy. Despite the tension of the impending fight, these scenes are good for giggles. In addition to the usual contrast between Tanya’s train of thought and those of the adults around her, Tojo-sensei has fun with the character designs of the imperial sailors. (Battleship Yamato anyone?)

The volume concludes with the start of the strike on Os. While the illustrations deliver excitement with clarity per usual, they also included an artistic choice that made me really uncomfortable.  Not to say that getting one’s clothes shredded is an impossibility in combat, but it just seems wrong when Tanya’s the only one fighting naked in a zone filled almost entirely with adult men. I really wish Tojo-sensei had let her stay clothed or leveled the field by making everyone naked.

Extras include battle log thus far, character introductions and detailed glossary of terms between chapters.

In Summary

General Staff chooses to make a winter offensive on Norden! But before the fight begins, the narrative delves into the strategic nitty gritty of what the higher ups really have in mind for this seemingly foolish attack. While we don’t get any combat scenes till the very end of the volume, the lead-up to the fighting plus a glimpse into Tanya’s previous life keeps things engaging.

First published at the Fandom Post.

 

 

 

Manga Review: Dive!! Vol. 3

With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics around the corner, there’s bound to be an interest in sports manga about Olympic hopefuls. Dive!! is one such title, and you can read on for the review of Volume 3. (For reviews of other volumes, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

The Japanese delegates for the Tokyo Olympics have been selected…and Youichi’s gotten the ticket of his dreams! When the motives behind the JASF’s premature decision come to light, though, Youichi is completely thrown off his game. But that won’t stop him! Once he’s back on his feet, determined to take back the Olympics on his own terms, how might his actions turn the tides?! See what the future holds for the boys of MDC in this final volume of DIVE!!

The Review

The first volume mostly focused on Tomoki, and the second volume showed Okitsu’s struggles. Now the third volume delves into Youichi’s issues. Up till now, he’s been the unshakable champ, the elite paragon the others measure themselves against. So when the JASF decides to choose its Olympic team without holding a qualifying meet and Youichi gets selected, their choice seems more than reasonable. After all, he has a winning track record to justify his place on the team.

However, Youichi’s unhappy at how the decision was made. Even though it’s his dream to compete in the Olympics, he wants it on his terms. His frustration gets to the point of interfering with his diving, and he ultimately throws his Olympic spot back at the adults who handed it to him.

The Youichi arc is part rebellion against the machine controlling Olympic athletes, part rebellion against the father who treats him as a component of his coaching career. While Youichi’s resentment against the adults using him is definitely relatable, the way he self-destructs goes off the deep end. Much like Tomoki’s depression over Miu, it feels like drama for drama’s sake.

At any rate, Youichi’s rejection of the JASF’s grand plan allows for a final competition among the divers in this series and opens the door for a major shakeup in rankings. The MDC boys, including side character Reiji, get to show how they’ve progressed with their skills even as their stories get wrapped up. While I’m not averse to underdogs, I didn’t find this sports manga’s ultimate conclusion particularly satisfying, though that’s probably due to a lack of empathy with the cast.

As with the previous volume, this volume covers the same territory of the corresponding Dive!! anime episodes. However, unlike the anime, the manga carries the qualifying meet till the very end. In addition, it includes details the anime glossed over as well as a post-competition celebration with Tomo, Reiji, and Ryou. So if you’re a fan of the anime, this volume might be worth picking up for those extras.

Extras include the first four pages in color and afterword.

In Summary

Tomo and Okitsu have had problems, and now Youichi has them, too. While his resentment toward his father is easy to relate to, the dilemma of having an Olympic spot fall in his lap is less so. At any rate, this last volume has a final barrage of dynamic diving scenes set in the grand competition of Olympic qualifiers. But even though a place on the Olympic team is at stake, the meet is less about the fight for the top and more about the MDC boys overcoming their individual challenges.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Oresama Teacher Vol. #26

Mafuyu is a high school delinquent who wants to turn over a new leaf. So when she transfers schools, she thinks she’ll finally be able to live the life of a normal girl. There’s just one problem: her teacher  Mr. Saeki is a bigger delinquent than she is!

Oresama Teacher is a shojo manga that offers humor of the silly variety. Volume 26 has  been released, and you can read on for the review. (For those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

Back Cover Blurb

Mafuyu’s homeroom teacher Mr. Maki isn’t just a conundrum, he’s also a kidnapper! Right when Mafuyu thought she was getting to the bottom of her missing memories, Mr. Maki spirited her away to an amazing mansion. While Mafuyu is a sucker for mansions, she does have a school to save. But she can’t escape on her own, and all her friends think she’s just home with a cold. Now her only choice is to rely on her enemy!

The Review

Mr. Maki’s exhibited some fairly odd behavior, and now he tops it all by kidnapping Mafuyu. Normally, a high school teacher abducting a student would be really creepy (not to mention illegal!). However, Tsubaki-sensei averts the creepy vibe, partly by making it a place from which Mafuyu could easily escape, partly by using the circumstances to progress her investigation of Mr. Maki, and partly by having Toko stumble upon the kidnapped Mafuyu.

As it turns out, Mr. Maki is a servant to Toko, and the place Mafuyu is held captive is the Hanabusa mansion. Interestingly, Mafuyu was not abducted at Toko’s orders, but that doesn’t mean Toko’s unhappy with the kidnapping. Rather, she seems amused to have someone in the house to mock (I guess rich people in this world don’t worry about legal implications) and goes to taunt Mafuyu whenever Mr. Maki isn’t around. But instead of being disheartened, Mafuyu is actually thrilled. She’s always wanted female friends, and her favorite female type is “an elegant, dignified rich girl.” As a result, no matter how demeaning Toko’s treatment, Mafuyu receives it joyfully, and the kidnapping turns into a bizarre situation where Mafuyu is pampered by Mr. Maki in posh surroundings and ingratiates herself to Toko.

It is through this turn of events that we get a major revelation on Mr. Maki’s past. Although Mafuyu spends much of her imprisonment letting Toko treat her like a dog, she does have a moment of bancho brilliance when she gets Toko to explain how Mr. Maki wound up in the Hanabusa household. And through Toko’s explanation, we also learn how she became the warped person she is.

Although this fills in a lot of blanks about Mr. Maki’s past, the one while he was at West High remains, and thanks to a convoluted pigeon letter exchange, this investigation falls to Takaomi. He returns to his old stomping grounds in Saitama, and it looks like there will be a fateful mingling of past and present as current and former Saitama delinquents cross paths.

Extras include Characters and The Story Thus Far, 4-panel comics, and a bonus chapter.

In Summary

Mafuyu gets kidnapped by Mr. Maki and winds up captive in the Hanabusa mansion! It’s kind of bizarre, but we’ve seen weird goings on in a rich family’s house before so it’s not out of character for this series. At any rate, an entire chapter gets devoted to Mr. Maki, the Hanabusa family, and the circumstances under which Toko grew up. Not all the details have been revealed, but we certainly get a lot in this volume.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Novel Review: Spin the Dawn

Fantasies often have wizards as central characters, but how about a tailor with a magical touch? Elizabeth Lim presents the tale of a girl tasked to create three mythical gowns in her debut novel Spin the Dawn.

Back Cover Blurb

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise. And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.

The Review

This fantasy is a delightful change of pace. Unlike most English language novels in this genre, which tend to have European-style settings, this story takes place in A’landi, an East Asian inspired empire. And instead of having a royal or adventurer protagonist, the main character Maia Tamarin is a tailor.

Not to say there aren’t royals or a dangerous quest in the plot. Following a five year civil war between the emperor and a powerful warlord, the master tailor Kalsang Tamarin is summoned to the emperor’s court. However, the recent war, which claimed two of his sons and maimed the third son, has left him so broken he cannot sew. Unfortunately, the summons cannot be ignored, so his daughter Maia disguises herself, taking her remaining brother’s identity, to go in his place. Soon thereafter, Maia discovers she’s merely one of twelve tailors that will vie to become the emperor’s master tailor, and the judge is none other than the warlord’s daughter Sarnai, whose impending marriage to the emperor is critical to A’landi’s newfound peace.

The primary thread of this book is Maia rising up to each of Sarnai’s challenges. The demands of those challenges changes drastically as the story progresses, and the novel winds up in three distinct acts. The first is the competition between the twelve tailors at the Summer Palace. It resembles a TV elimination-type competition with plenty of girls-are-capable-as-boys gumption and a thick layer of court intrigue. The second part is the quest for the mythical components of Sarnai’s three wedding dresses. These chapters are reminiscent of impossible task folktales where heroes venture into forbidden territories with the aid of magical helpers. In Maia’s case, her magical helper is the emperor’s enchanter Edan, and in addition to being an adventure-style quest, this section also ends up a romance between the two. In the final section, Maia must reckon with the costs and gains of her efforts and determine whether she can return to normalcy.

It’s a lot of territory for one book, but despite roaming over a bunch of genres, it forms a solid, cohesive, and engaging story. The strength of Maia’s character has a lot to do with it. The novel gets off to a slower start than some, but the family history in the initial chapter forms the core of what makes Maia compelling and relatable.

Actually, the multifaceted nature of the cast is among its greatest strengths. Edan carries centuries of baggage behind his teasing, and although Sarnai doesn’t hesitate to torment others, she’s to be pitied as a woman forced into an arranged marriage. Most characters fall into shades of gray, which makes Maia’s dilemma of whom to believe and trust as pressing as the sewing challenges she must win.

Regarding the love that blossoms between Maia and Edan, I’m happy to say that it is not a case of insta-romance. Maia meets him amid the intrigue of the Summer Palace, where Edan is only one of a number of enigmatic figures she’s trying to figure out. Although the connection between Edan and the palace’s black hawk is kind of obvious, it’s not obvious from the get-go how their relationship will progress, which makes it fun to watch. However, it is odd she refers to him as a “boy.” His actual age aside, Edan has the appearance of a young man of about twenty.

Another interesting facet of this story is the descriptions of the materials, tools, and techniques the tailors use. If you like fashion, this may be a selling point for you. However, I found some aspects of Maia’s abilities jarringly unbelievable. Not only does Maia work so fast that she knits two complete sweaters during her five-day ride to the Summer Palace, she sews the silk portions of Sarnai’s three gowns while she journeying to the desert and a frozen mountaintop. I’ve sewn dresses and shirts myself, and I can’t imagine keeping all those pieces clean and in order while camping, let alone through the sand and rain she supposedly traveled through.

The journey’s pace was also puzzling at times. Maia has a mere three months to travel to the three corners of the continent to gather the magical materials for Sarnai’s gowns. As such, Maia’s constantly under the pressure of this looming deadline. However, there are parts, such as their encounter with Orksan’s caravan and their visit to the monastery, where they stop a couple days as if time is of no consequence.

Those are minor nitpicks though. Overall, I enjoyed this story and its cast, and unlike most recent novel series I’ve read, I’m actually eager to see what happens in the second book of this duology.

In Summary

Spin the Dawn is one girl’s journey from obscurity to fame, from the mundane to the magical, and from loss to love and back again. Combined with a complex cast, an intricate Asian-inspired setting, and plenty of unexpected twists and turns, this novel is a delightful read with wide appeal.

First published at The Fandom Post.

 

Novel Review: Eve of Man

A recurring theme in sci-fi is humanity’s existence pushed to the brink by everything from monsters to global catastrophes. Now Giovanna and Tom Fletcher adds a worldwide dearth of baby girls as a species-ending dilemma in their novel Eve of Man.

Back Cover Blurb

On the first day, no one really noticed. All those babies wrapped in blue blankets–not a pink one in sight. On the third day, people were scared–a statistic-defying abundance of blue. Not just entire hospitals, not only entire countries, but the entire world. Boys. Only boys.

Until Eve. The only girl born in fifty years. The savior of mankind. Kept protected, towering above a ruined world under a glass dome of safety until she is ready to renew the human race.

But when the time comes to find a suitor, Eve and Bram–a young man whose job is to prepare Eve for this moment–begin to question the plan they’ve known all along. Eve doesn’t only want safety, and she doesn’t only want protection. She wants the truth. She wants freedom.

The Review

What would happen to humankind if the gender balance tipped completely toward males? This book’s premise is an interesting one, especially since societies like China’s are dealing with the fallout from sex-selective abortions. Unfortunately, Eve of Man doesn’t so much delve into social change as it uses the scenario as the basis for a futuristic princess-locked-in-a-tower tale.

And main character Eve is literally confined at the top of Extinction Prevention Organization’s 2.5-mile high tower. Because the youngest women other than her are in their mid-sixties, Eve is the one hot commodity, and the EPO has made it their business to shield her from the opposite sex until she’s mature enough to take a shot at another generation. But now that Eve is sixteen she gets to choose her future mate from three potential males. As you might guess, Eve ends up falling for someone outside of this preselected pool.

The cover flap blurb teases, “But how do you choose between love and the future of the human race?” The question insinuates that Eve’s choice (Bram) is lacking somehow, like he has a genetic disorder or is infertile. That would make for interesting drama. However, the story boils down to revealing EPO as the big bad out to maintain worldwide domination by controlling Eve’s reproductive bits while Bram is the rebel in the organization trying to break her out.

The world-building in this novel is weak, which makes for confusing storytelling. Perhaps this is because it was written by two authors, but important elements don’t get clarified as soon as they should for a sci-fi title. For instance, Bram mentions that the EPO tower is located in a place called Central in Chapter 3, but it isn’t until Chapter 37 that we learn Central was once called London. Chapter 3 also talks about an apocalyptic combination of pollution clouds, global warming sea rise, and extreme weather, which gives the impression that the outside environment is borderline uninhabitable. Two-thirds of the story later, Bram is watching all sorts of mundane activity take place out of doors. The most confusing moment for me was the introduction of Holly in Chapter 1. The prologue had already hammered home the point that Eve is the ONLY! girl on the planet, so when another “girl” shows up in Eve’s penthouse quarters, I was stuck wondering what she was. After a couple of pages without an explanation, I assumed she was a kind of AI. Then in Chapter 2 (after 11 pages of Eve /Holly chatting) they FINALLY reveal that Holly is a hologram.

And not just any hologram. She’s controlled by “pilots,” young men close to Eve’s age, and Bram is one of these pilots. While it is an interesting way for the characters to meet and fall in love, the rationale behind “Holly” is shaky. She’s an extremely expensive technology whose only purpose is to manipulate Eve. However, manipulating Eve is only valuable if Eve has any real power, and she doesn’t. Whenever she shows a hint of disagreeing, the EPO tosses out Holly and reverts to force. So if they don’t really need her permission, why waste the effort and resources to persuade her? Not to mention, their pilot standards are pretty shoddy. Bram and his cohorts are supposed to act the role of a best girlfriend, but when the jerk character pilots Holly, his jerk personality bleeds through. And when the boring guy pilots her, the boringness comes out loud and clear.

The story’s one-dimensional characters, unfortunately, are not limited to these two. The primary villains Vivian Silva and Dr. Wells are especially egregious in their respective roles of unscrupulous, arrogant corporation head and evil scientist/abusive father, but it expands to include the entire male gender. Without the kindler, gentler sex, men apparently unleashed World War III and devastated the environment. Moreover, the book asserts that men possess zero self-control and, if they see a woman, are helpless to stop themselves from raping her. It’s a narrative I find appalling and rather shocking, considering a man co-authored it.

Regarding cast diversity, the main couple is white (and gorgeous), and the other key players are also white. There are side characters who might possibly be non-white, but the physical descriptions on them are so sparse that it’s difficult to tell for certain. The single character who is definitively non-white is Diego, one of Eve’s potential mates. However, he is described in unflattering terms. (“In appearance Diego is small and uninteresting…” “His skin is rough and dark, his eyes small and beady.”) Oh, and within fifteen minutes of meeting Eve, he murders someone and gets blasted to pieces. End Diego.

I suppose it’s up to the authors to decide how to design their characters, but given that they’re depicting a worldwide problem and the setting is London, a city with a diverse population, it would’ve been nice to reflect that in their cast. For instance, the narrative mentions at least three times that Eve is struggling to learn Mandarin, so why not include a Chinese person among her attendants?

The novel isn’t without its strong points. The action and escape scenes are fast-paced and have unexpected twists. However, most of those don’t show up till the second half of the book, and by then I’m already disinterested in the fate of this couple and their world.

In Summary

The book has an interesting premise but doesn’t quite deliver. Problematic storytelling aside, the story takes what could have been an interesting commentary on gender balance, power, and traditional roles and simplifies it into a hero-must rescue-princess-from-the-evil-totalitarian-power tale. Add to that some convoluted world-building and flat characters, and it makes for a less than engaging read.

First published at The Fandom Post.

 

Manga Review: Behind the Scenes Vol. #7

There are a LOT of anime and manga centered around glamorous idols and movie/TV stars, but what about the humble folk that do the grungy, tedious work behind the camera? The unseen teams charged with creating film sets, costumes, and props are the subject of Bisco Hatori’s Behind the Scenes!! Viz Media has released Volume 7, and you can read on for the review. (Reviews of previous volumes can be found here.)

Back Cover Blurb

The Art Squad has always felt like home to its members, but as their chief’s final year winds down, doubts begin to assail them all. Tomu worries he has no talent, Ruka decides to quit the club early to live up to family expectations, Izumi’s amnesia finally starts to get to him, and Maasa plans to give up zombies in order to find a man. Now it’s up to Ranmaru, the newest and most neurotic club member, to save the spirit of Art Squad!

The Review

This is the final volume of the series, and it’s a whirlwind rush to conclude the story’s various character arcs. First it starts with Tomu. Unlike the others in the Art Squad, he doesn’t have artistic talent, and his main contribution has been his dad’s garage space and his boundless energy. As it turns out, that boundless energy is a talent of its own in front of the camera, and he discovers his true calling when he gets scouted as a costume actor for an action film.

Next is Soh’s crush on Izumi. Although chit chat abounds about stage work, these chapters take place against the backdrop of an outdoor barbeque and a fireworks festival. Ultimately, Soh resolves to get over Izumi by agreeing to a date with another boy, an event which has both her and Ranmaru freaking out. While it’s fun to watch the squad keep Soh’s outing from turning into a disaster, her resulting interest in Ranmaru feels forced and somewhat squicky. (They are cousins, after all.)

Then the focus turns to Ruka when she tells the squad she’s quitting after the school festival. No sooner has she made the announcement than she gets slammed with costume and hair requests. This two-chapter arc is part Ruka resolving her family issues, part Art Squad team effort, and part Goda fessing up to his feelings for Ruka. Of those three elements, the third is the most subtle (a bit too subtle, IMO) but delivers the biggest payoff in the end.

The last chapter is a final tying off of loose ends with Goda finishing his script at last and directing his film. The film’s production winds up the catalyst for good things for everyone in the Art Squad, and to eliminate any doubt about their happy futures, Hatori-sensei concludes with a five-page glimpse six years into the future.

Extras include mini-profiles on the mangaka’s assistants, embedded notes from the creator, glossary, and author bio.

In Summary

It’s a wrap for Behind the Scenes!! Rather than focus on the production of any one film project, these chapters are mainly geared toward providing closure to romantic elements. The one exception is the final chapter which relates the making of Goda’s film, and mixed up in the backstage chaos are key moments that set the trajectory of the squad members’ varied futures. Parts feel rushed, especially Soh’s abrupt change in love interest. Otherwise, there’s plenty of success and happily-ever-afters to go around in this conclusion.

First published at The Fandom Post.

Light Novel Review: The Reprise of the Spear Hero Vol. #01

Originally published as a web novel,  The Rising of the Shield Hero has spawned a light novel, anime, and manga. And a sure sign of its continuing success is the fact that it’s generated a spin off series: The Reprise of the Spear Hero! Read on for my review of Volume 1.

Back Cover Blurb

Summoned to another world to serve as the Spear Hero, Motoyasu Kitamura is a pitiful young man who eventually finds himself only able to love filolials. But after being fatally injured in battle, Motoyasu wakes up yet again in the exact circumstances of when he was first summoned. It turns out that his spear possesses an ability known as Time Reversal! With his stats unaffected by the reset, Motoyasu decides to fight once more. His motivation: to once again see the smile of Filo, the filolial that he loves more than any other! Could this be considered the start of a new game in god mode?! The long-awaited otherworldly redemption fantasy begins!

The Review

The Reprise of the Spear Hero is a spin off of the The Rising of the Shield Hero. If you are not familiar with The Rising of the Shield Hero light novel, anime, or manga, this series will be nothing short of confusing. However, as long as you’ve been exposed to one version of the Shield Hero and don’t mind possible spoilers, The Rising of the Shield Hero can be a humorous take on the biggest idiot of the cast. For my part, I’ve only watched Season 1 of the Shield Hero anime, and even though Reprise makes reference to characters and events beyond that arc, the numerous summary pages and side commentaries allowed me to follow the narrative without any trouble.

As the title suggests, the spinoff’s main character is the Spear Hero Motoyasu Kitamura, whose most distinguishing characteristic is his stupidity. In fact, the prologue relates how his thoughtlessness resulted in his untimely death in Japan. In the original series, Motoyasu was so easily manipulated by Princess Malty that he became the most obnoxious of the Four Heroes and caused Shield Hero Naofumi no end of trouble. However, as the story progressed, Motoyasu’s disdain for Naofumi turned to pure devotion while his adoration for Malty and other females soured into a disgust so intense he views all women as oinking pigs.

The spinoff begins with that somewhat enlightened Motoyasu dying in battle. There aren’t details on what killed him, but that’s okay because they’re not actually important. What is important is that upon dying, he finds himself in the magic circle that first summoned the Four Heroes to Melromarc. In other words, his life has been restarted. However, while the other three heroes are as they were when they initially arrived, Motoyasu retains the stats he attained prior to dying as well as certain memories of his previous life. Those memories include the truth about Malty’s scheme to frame Naofumi. Thrilled with the chance to correct the mistakes of his previous life, he uses his overwhelming powers to protect Naofumi. Unfortunately, keeping Naofumi from getting killed turns into a greater challenge than Motoyasu ever expected.

Thus, Reprise winds up as an alternate version of The Rising of the Shield Hero. Instead of beginning his journey with no allies, Naofumi starts with one very powerful, very enthusiastic, and extremely peculiar ally. Motoyasu is telling the story so it can get confusing, especially when women enter the scene. Because he perceives them as pigs, it’s only through other male characters that we learn who their identities are and what they’re saying. Also, Motoyasu takes every opportunity to wax poetic about filofials. Filo, the filofial he’s most obsessed with, doesn’t actually show up in person, but he talks about her constantly. So to keep the narration from getting too crazy, the Naofumi from the original series occasionally pops in with explanation blurbs to guide the reader.

As mentioned above, Motoyasu’s memories and god mode powers prevent a repeat of the false charges that turned the kingdom against Naofumi. The good news is that Naofumi doesn’t turn into an embittered outcast, and he’s not forced to buy a slave to survive. The bad news is that his enemies add Motoyasu to the hit list and resort to more drastic measures to eliminate them both. After a couple false starts, Motoyasu realizes the best plan of action is to help Naofumi escape hostile Melromarc for friendlier Siltvelt. They are joined by Eclair, a swordswoman whose father governed Raphtalia’s home region before the waves. Eclair’s also a notable exception to Motoyasu’s pig-vision, and she takes the role of protector and potential love interest that Raphtalia held in the original series.

As for Naofumi’s other companion Filo, Motoyasu holds out hope that he’ll encounter her again. He even goes so far as to purchase filofial eggs at every opportunity. Sadly for him, Filo hasn’t emerged yet. However, a whole lot of other chicks do, and these filofial queens and kings provide the fun and feathered chaos that Filo did.

Extras include the first four pages printed in color, summary of The Rising of the Shield Hero, embedded character profiles, six black-and-white illustrations, and commentary from the Raphtalia and Naofumi of the original series.

In Summary

The Rising of the Shield Hero meets Groundhog Day! This is definitely a series best left to existing fans of The Rising of the Shield Hero. If you’ve ever wanted the Spear Hero to redeem himself or to see a kindler, gentler version of the Shield Hero, you’ll find it here. Be warned, however. The perspective of the filofial-infatuated Spear Hero makes for a unique narrative style.

First published at the Fandom Post.

 

 

 

Graphic Novel Review: Cheshire Crossing

Before Andy Weir became the bestselling author of The Martian, he dabbled in fanfiction and webcomics. One of these early works has been revamped and released as a graphic novel, and you can read on for the review.

Back Cover Blurb

Years after their respective returns from Wonderland, Neverland, and Oz, the trio meet here, at Cheshire Crossing—a boarding school where girls like them learn how to cope with their supernatural experiences and harness their magical world-crossing powers.

But Alice, Wendy, and Dorothy—now teenagers, who’ve had their fill of meddling authority figures—aren’t content to sit still in a classroom. Soon they’re dashing from one universe to the next, leaving havoc in their wake—and, inadvertently, bringing the Wicked Witch and Hook together in a deadly supervillain love match.

To stop them, the girls will have to draw on all of their powers . . . and marshal a team of unlikely allies from across the magical multiverse.

The Review

The cover blurb describes Cheshire Crossing as a boarding school where students “learn how to cope with their supernatural experiences and harness their magical world-crossing powers.” This might lead you to believe it is a Hogwarts-like institution complete with magical curriculum. Well, it’s not. The premise is a bit darker than that.

When teenagers Alice Liddell, Wendy Darling, and Dorothy Gale first arrive at Cheshire Crossing, they think the place is an asylum. Because that’s all they’ve known the last several years. Apparently, after each of them returned home from their cross-dimensional adventures, their families interpreted their stories as the ravings of the insane.

However, Cheshire Crossing isn’t simply the latest sanitarium attempting to cure them. As its head Ernest Rutherford (yes, the Nobel Prize winner) explains, it’s a research facility. The only “patients”are the three girls, and they were specifically brought because Rutherford (somehow) knows they can actually travel to other worlds. While Dorothy and Wendy are glad to be in a place people finally believe them, Alice doesn’t want any part of it. She steals Dorothy’s silver shoes in a bid for freedom, and her rash actions initiate a chain of events that pits the three against the Wicked Witch of the West and Captain Hook.

As the preface explains, Cheshire Crossing was originally a fanfiction crossover webcomic that Andy Weir wrote prior to The Martian. Sarah Andersen redrew the art, and the result is the Ten Speed Press graphic novel.  Certain aspects of the story hold to the original; for example, Dorothy’s shoes are silver as they were in Baum’s novel. Other parts are updated; although Cheshire Crossing is set in 1904, Wendy wears a crop top and combat pants. Andersen’s character designs are also a departure from the traditional. With the exception of Neverland’s Indians, the cast in these stories have generally been depicted as white. However, Andersen’s skin tones run the gamut from the Wicked Witch’s fair complexion to Captain Hook’s dark one.

As mentioned before, it’s essentially fanfiction so it assumes readers have a rudimentary grasp of Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, and Mary Poppins (yes, there’s also a magical nanny in the line up) and doesn’t bother providing that background. It doesn’t even introduce Rutherford as a Nobel prize winner; his scientific accomplishments are only ever referenced in a roundabout manner.

The story itself starts off slow. There’s a lot of the characters figuring out who the others are and what Cheshire Crossing is in the opening pages. But after Alice steals Dorothy’s shoes, it’s nonstop action interspersed with the occasional brief flashback.

Even though the book’s titled Cheshire Crossing, most of the story takes place in Wonderland, Neverland, and Oz. The plot abounds with twists and turns as the inhabitants, rules, and powers of the three worlds intermingle. But though its swashbuckling duels and magical showdowns are engaging, the fights always boil down to the simple conflict of good guys versus bad, and there’s little character development to speak of. Alice and Wendy are especially one-dimensional as the ever-scowling grouch and knife-throwing tomboy, respectively. The villains aren’t much better with their evil insta-romance. However, if you’re more interested in external confrontations than internal development, this book may hold appeal for you.

One last note: the book is a self-contained story, but the epilogue does leave the door open for a sequel.

In summary

The promotional flyer for Cheshire Crossing touts it as perfect for middle-grade readers, young adults, and fans of the three classics it was based upon. I agree that fans of the original stories will find the graphic novel entertaining, as it essentially amounts to a fanfiction crossover. Its action-packed narrative and visuals are also fine for MG readers so long as you’re okay with mild cussing. However, it lacks the level of complexity (especially in the character arc department) that I normally associate with YA works.

First published in The Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Hatsu*Haru Vol. 7

Ah…high school romance. It is a staple of shojo manga, and Shizuki Fujisawa adds another title to this list with Hatsu*Haru. Read on for the review of Volume 7! (For reviews of previous volumes, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

After an uneasy start to their relationship, Kai and Riko are officially dating! But now Kai has a new ocean of relationship questions to cross — first up: what kind of lunch do you bring your girlfriend?!

The Review

As mentioned in my previous review, now that Riko/Kai are (finally!) an official couple, the trajectory of the plot is somewhat up in the air. The cover art might lead you to believe that Fujisawa-sensei’s going to start something between clerics Tarou and Kagura, especially since they’re the only ones in the main cast who haven’t been mingling. However, the pair only get a brief interaction that just gives Kagura one more reason to gripe at Tarou.

Instead, the narrative continues on the subject of playboy Kai blundering through his dating relationship with Riko as classes resume. Interestingly, Riko doesn’t get targeted by Kai fans like she did before; the reaction amongst the student body is relatively subdued. Perhaps the other girls learned their lesson in Volume 3? But even though Riko has no trouble defending herself, she can’t cook to save her life, so Kai resolves to make a bento lunch for her. The lunch-making arc is very cute visually, but it did have me concerned about Kai’s masculinity because he was acting out what’s generally the girly role in shojo manga.

However, in the next chapter, he reasserts himself as a hot-blooded young man as he agonizes over how to romance Riko into a kiss. If you liked the analogy of Riko as a black hole, you’ll enjoy Kai’s rants to Einstein as well as Ayumi’s pseudo-physics unified theory of love. Unfortunately for Kai, the only kind of physical contact Riko’s accustomed to involves her fists, thus he continues to be subjected to the punching bag treatment.

About the same time, Kiyo and Miki hit a rough patch, and it causes things to sour between Kiyo and Riko, too. Most of Riko’s flashbacks have been about Suwa-sensei, and now that he’s out of the picture (he doesn’t appear at all in this volume) we instead get backstory about Kiyo and Riko’s longtime friendship. Intervening between estranged friends is generally the purview of girls, but Kai takes it upon himself to act as a mediator in a reconciliation session. Again, not something you’d expect from the male lead in a shojo manga, but if you enjoy Kai’s sensitive side, there’s plenty for you to like in this volume.

Extras include story-thus-far, embedded author’s notes, bonus comic, and translation notes.

In Summary

The struggle continues for Kai in this romantic comedy. He’s won Riko’s heart, but nothing in their relationship is coming easy for him. If you thought this series was done making fun of Riko’s cluelessness or knocking the snot out of Kai, guess again. For now, it’s still entertaining, but I hope their relationship develops a new vibe before it gets stale.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Beastars Vol. 01

Animal tales are often considered the purview of kids and fun fantasy. However, sometimes you’ll get one like Orwell’s Animal Farm, which is more a commentary about human society. Beastars also falls into that category, and you can read on for my review of Volume 1.

Back Cover Blurb

One night at Cherryton Academy, an herbivore student is brutally murdered. Among the members of the Drama Club, the herbivores’ suspicions naturally turn to their carnivore classmates… The prime suspect? Wolf Legoshi. But he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Or would he? Will dwarf rabbit Haru bring out the beast in him? Or are his feelings for her something else?

The Review

Cherrystone Academy is a school where herbivore and carnivore animals attend class side-by-side in peace. At least, until alpaca student and drama club star Tem is found murdered on campus. Herbivores immediately suspect their carnivore classmates, and the one who draws the most suspicion is drama club stagehand Legoshi the wolf. But even though Legoshi’s big, he’s far from bad; he’s a law-abiding citizen if there ever was one. Unfortunately, as the drama club struggles to prepare their next performance in the wake of Tem’s death, Legoshi gets dragged into one conflict after another, causing a savage bloodlust to stir in the mild-mannered wolf’s veins.

The mangaka mentions in the afterword, “This is a animal manga that is a human drama.” And it is. The cast are animals who get categorized by and retain key traits of their species, but they all walk on two legs, have hands with opposable thumbs, speak a common language, and wear school uniforms. Within the student body, you can identify the school bullies, elitist machinator, jealous wannabe, and social outcast. Our main character Legoshi is the epitome the scary-looking guy who’s completely misunderstood. After all, he literally is a big wolf, and classmates assume he’s bad to boot.

The story begins with Tem’s murder, and Chapter 1 is dedicated to an herbivore’s perspective of Legoshi’s suspicious actions the next day. However, rather than turning into a murder mystery, the plot focus shifts to the impact on Tem’s club. The drama club kids aren’t playing detective; they’re trying to put on a theater production, and they have to find a replacement for Tem. Thus we have an engaging mix of school and club politics on top of the carnivore/herbivore tension, and unfortunately for Legoshi, he gets unwillingly dragged into it all.

Cherrystone Academy is essentially an allegory for a heterogeneous community, and the rules that maintain peace between the animals represent the social standards that maintain order between varied people groups. As in our world, individuals at Cherrystone must keep their personal urges in check for the greater good. And just as circumstances in this world can drive some to give way to their baser urges, the antagonism of Legoshi’s classmates causes a predatory instinct to erupt within the young wolf, and his struggle to master that hitherto unknown bloodthirst looks like it’ll be an intriguing one.

The artwork, I should mention, is not this series’ strong suit. In the spectrum of manga art, this definitely falls in the ”rough” range. The style is scribbly and includes a lot of hatch marks. The animals are cartoony rather than cute or elegant, and certain species, especially smaller mammals, are difficult to tell apart.

Extras include character design notes, bonus comics, and the creator’s afterword.

In Summary

Beastars begins with a murder but winds up relating the internal conflict that results when an individual must suppress his innate nature to be accepted by society. Legoshi is a likable main character, and it is surprisingly easy to sympathize with the misunderstood wolf as he deals with distrustful classmates and a manipulative club officer. The premise of carnivores wanting to live in peace with herbivore comrades and choosing to subsist on bean-based burgers is a little farfetched though.

First published at The Fandom Post.