S.Q. Eries's Blog, page 41

Souvenirs from Asia: Sanrio Bonanza Part 3

If my husband’s November trip was the Haikyu!! bonanza, his December trip was the Sanrio bonanza. The variety of Hello Kitty goods never ceases to amaze me. Nor does my husband’s appetite for them. As with the Haikyu!! bonanza, I’ll be splitting this batch of souvenirs into a few posts.

These next items were a truly unusual find. For some products, combining it with Hello Kitty is a match made in heaven. Then there are others that leave you wondering who proposed the match and who was crazy enough to approve it. To me, the marriage of Kitty and Transformers is an absolutely bizarre one. I can’t think of anyone who would want a Kitty Optimus Prime. No, I take that back… My husband finds it irresistible, but the age 40-50 male Hello Kitty market is a really tiny one.

The improbability of this product aside, its packaging is pretty amusing. Kitty aficionados know that she weighs three apples, and they incorporated that fact into her technical specifications.

Next we have a toy a bit more in line with what I’d expect from a Hello Kitty toy: a Kitty penny racer. Or, more accurately, a 10 yen coin racer. (My husband bought these gems in Hong Kong International Airport, but they were made for the Japanese market.) It’s cute and actually reminds me of the Hello Kitty food truck that goes around California. And if the food truck people were able to add it to their merchandise I’m sure they’d make a killing.

So there you have it. Who says Hello Kitty can’t expand into traditionally boys toys?

Manga Review: Sword Art Online: Progressive Vol. 003

Sword Art Online was undoubtedly one of the most popular anime of 2012. Based upon a series of light novels by Reki Kawahara, SAO’s near-future characters, gorgeous fantasy setting, and life-or-death stakes drew an enthusiastic fan following. Yen Press has released Volume 3 of the Sword Art Online: Progressive manga adaption, and you can read on for the review. (For my review of  other Sword Art Online manga, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

Having reached the second floor of Aincrad, Asuna decides to have a player-controlled blacksmith upgrade her beloved sword, a rare Wind Fleuret – but when the unimaginable happens and the sword is shattered in the attempt, Kirito suspects foul play. Did the blacksmith really just happen to destroy an incredibly valuable item? And if not, is there any way to get it back? If there is a conspiracy of thieves, how can they be stopped before they spread too much mistrust? The game of death is bad enough already!

The Review

Progressive’s sister series Fairy Dance lays on the fanservice pretty thick, but with Asuna as the main character in Progressive I thought the mangaka would be more high-minded in those matters. Well, Volume 3 proved me wrong. Two tense scenes turn into panty-revealing moments for Asuna, and when Kirito has her materialize all her items, it’s practically a rain of lingerie. The series might as well be called Underwear Art Online. On top of that, the Rat spends as much time making lewd insinuations about Kirito’s intentions toward Asuna as she does providing game-relevant information. Perhaps this is to raise Asuna’s moe level for males, but as a female reader, I find it irritating to have those elements diminish Asuna’s dignity.

Moving on to the plot, both the SAO anime and the Aincrad manga painted Kirito as a lone wolf who, after the defeat of the Level 1 Boss, doesn’t really interact with Asuna until many levels later. However, the Progressive storyline depicts them as a kind of dynamic duo. They’re still only in Level 2, but they are widely perceived by the SAO community as an item. After Asuna’s Wind Fleuret shatters, they investigate the incident together, and they also continue teaming up in the dungeons.

Asuna is not your typical gamer, and thanks to flashbacks of her upbringing, we understand why she thinks and acts the way she does. At times, those differences give her an edge over Kirito, but for most of Volume 003, she’s the weaker partner. Kirito’s constantly helping and bailing her out and often winds up slapped for his efforts.

Volume 003 also brings recent cast addition Nezha to the forefront. When he first appeared in the middle of Volume 002, I considered him an insignificant extra. However, the mangaka very cleverly puts the blacksmith at the center of a mystery, and immediately thereafter involves him in an NPC quest with Asuna. Progressive takes a much closer look at the early trials of SAO than the other versions, and Nezha demonstrates the difficulties of a player handicapped by hardware issues, which is a compelling twist on the game of death.

Extras include the title page and table of contents in color and bonus illustration.

In Summary

Progressive ratchets up the fanservice in Volume 003. Fortunately, the increase of panty shots doesn’t signal the end of good writing. Asuna’s shattered sword leads to an intriguing mystery followed by the introduction of a devastating hardware-related predicament that wasn’t included in the Aincrad arc. In addition, Kirito/Asuna fans will be gratified to see the pair together more often than not despite Kirito’s decision to go solo.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Souvenirs from Asia: Sanrio Bonanza Part 2

If my husband’s November trip was the Haikyu!! bonanza, his December trip was the Sanrio bonanza. The variety of Hello Kitty goods never ceases to amaze me. Nor does my husband’s appetite for them. As with the Haikyu!! bonanza, I’ll be splitting this batch of souvenirs into a few posts.

Our next items were purchased at the Shenzhen 85° Daily Cafe. 85°, for those unfamiliar with the establishment, is a Taiwanese chain specializing in coffee and baked goods. It’s spread to several countries, including the United States. However, merchandise varies by region, and I’m pretty sure there were limited to Asia.

It’s a series of Sanrio mugs. As you can see, they showcase various characters, but Hello Kitty’s trademark bow marks them all. Functionality-wise, the design’s a bit clunky. The mugs are awkwardly huge, and the covers are made of silicone, which makes me question their insulation effectiveness. Also the figurines inset into the mugs are plastic not porcelain (which is probably why they’re not microwave-safe).In short, it’s not really practical tableware.

As a decoration or collectors item, however, it’s cute. It could also serve pretty well as a holder for your Sanrio pens and pencils. And the nice thing for Sanrio fans is that the collection includes characters I’ve not seen in a while. In addition to Hello Kitty, my husband returned with the ones for Badz Maru, Purin, and Little Twin Stars.

I’m not sure what kind of deal 85° struck with Sanrio, but if they put out more character dishware, I hope they maintain the cuteness factor, but level up the practicality aspect.

 

Manga Review: Oresama Teacher Vol. #19

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 19 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

Hayasaka is losing his memories! It’s a stressful situation, but he doesn’t really remember his friends in the Public Morals Club, so he doesn’t have anyone to turn to for help. When he gets suspended for fighting, he decides there’s no reason to go back to Midorigaoka. But Mafuyu and Yui aren’t going to give up on their friend, even if they have to travel deep into the mountains to a house full of dark secrets to find him!

The Review

Just as Volume 17 was all about Yui, this volume is all about Hayasaka. Tsubaki-sensei has been dropping hints for some time that something isn’t exactly right with our plain and simple delinquent. Now we discover the depth of his dysfunction, and although Momochi is the catalyst that unravels everything, Hayasaka’s brokenness goes beyond anything Momochi’s meddling could inflict by itself.

Hayasaka hasn’t said much about his family life, and all this time Tsubaki-sensei has never revealed his given name. Now we learn why. I’ve been dying to know what was in the picture in Hayasaka’s wallet (the one that Yui stole during the “Art of The Echo”), and it took me completely by surprise. In fact, I doubt anyone will be able to guess what it shows. But that’s not the only shocker, and they keep piling one on top of the other. At one point, the other members of the Public Morals Club declare it “sounds like a soap opera,” and it does. Yet crazy as the new details are, they do jibe with what we know of Hayasaka so it does work.

In the midst of Hayasaka’s drama, we also get the scoop on Momochi’s “power” and the true purpose behind the Student Council. As Mafuyu suspected in the previous volume, the President’s bet is completely separate from his father’s bet with Takaomi. Although there are still unknowns about motives, these revelations put Momochi and the President in a different light. As Volume 19 closes, well-established battle lines look like they’re about to be redrawn, and I look forward to seeing who will side with whom.

Extras in this volume include Characters and Story Thus Far, 4-panel comics, End Notes, and a character relationship chart.

In Summary

Momochi’s machinations result in Hayasaka getting into a brawl. He goes home for the duration of his suspension from school, and Mafuyu and company get a hitherto unseen look at his family life. Tsubaki-sensei lays the dysfunction pretty thick, but a strong “power-of-friendship” thread carries the story through Hayasaka’s over-the-top past to a feel-good conclusion.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Souvenirs from Asia: Sanrio Bonanza Part 1

If my husband’s November trip was the Haikyu!! bonanza, his December trip was the Sanrio bonanza. The variety of Hello Kitty goods never ceases to amaze me. Nor does my husband’s appetite for them. As with the Haikyu!! bonanza, I’ll be splitting this batch of souvenirs into a few posts.

To start we have a box of “Hello Kitty no Ebisenbei.” Translation: Hello Kitty’s shrimp flavored rice crisps. Hello Kitty snack items are fairly common even in the United States, but few package designs have this level of refined cuteness. It’s a nice blend of traditional Japanese themes plus the adorableness that can only come from having Kitty-san in crustacean costume.

The other unusual thing about this particular product is that the senbei pretty much looks like the rice crisp Kitty’s holding in the picture. Most Hello Kitty branded foods incorporate some aspect of her into their appearance. For example, brandishing a stamp with her outline. The senbei is just a regular senbei with a small shrimp in it. If I didn’t see the box, I’d have never guessed they were specifically Hello Kitty’s.

And like the Haikyu!! manju, the senbei were average in terms of taste. However, the box is so cute I might just have to keep it!

Manga Review: Master Keaton Vol. #4

I became an instant fan of Naoki Urasawa in 2004 when I saw the Monster anime. Psychological thrillers are definitely NOT my cup of tea, but he had me hooked with his combination of realistic artwork and gripping plot. As such, I was thrilled when Viz Media decided to release a translation of an earlier Urasawa action/adventure: Master Keaton. Read on for the review of Volume 4. (For my reviews of previous volumes, click here.)

The Review

Volume 4 begins with the three-part “Hamelin” tale, unusually long for this series. It brings together several of the elements that drive Master Keaton’s appeal: mystery, action, and justice with history and legend interwoven throughout. While it is thrilling to watch Keaton outmaneuver his Eastern European adversaries and unravel the riddles from a gypsy concentration camp, the actual basis for all the codes and hidden messages is rather weak. Given the situation the gypsies were in, it seems more plausible for their leader to spread the name of their betrayer rather than keep it under wraps.

That weakness also shows up in the two-part “Fake Tricolor Flag.” This arc has the Northern Ireland conflict as a backdrop, and Keaton faces off against another former SAS. The creators do an excellent job depicting the IRA/SAS tension and showing the humanity of both sides. Yet when Keaton finally unravels the secret of the murdered IRA bomb specialist’s “detonator,” it feels contrived and a bit of a letdown.

For the most part, Keaton is insurance investigator in this volume. Only in “The Thistle Coat” is he fully an archeologist and historian. That arc is delightful in how Keaton retraces a cross-cultural journey starting with only a couple of clues. But despite his desire for a university position, he’s ever on the outside of academia looking in. As such, his character development remains stagnant. The stories themselves are engaging, but in half of these chapters, Keaton’s more of a supporting character than the main player. In “The Missing Blue Bird” (which has definite similarities to Urasawa’s subsequent Monster), Keaton barely has a part at all. The lack of character development also extends to daughter Yuriko and dad Taihei. They get their usual cameo chapters, but much like Keaton, those stories are less about them and more about the people they encounter.

Extras include the first pages of Chapter 5 in color and a sound effects glossary.

In Summary

Political conflicts fuel most of the tension in this installment of Master Keaton. From Nazi atrocities to unrest in Ireland to South African apartheid, these elements make for a vibrant backdrop, especially for modern history enthusiasts. As in previous volumes, if you’re more interested in action than character development, Master Keaton shouldn’t have any trouble holding your attention. However, the underlying premise for some of the intrigue is weak, and Keaton himself often seems a secondary character rather than the main driver of the action.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Souvenirs from Asia: Haikyu!! Akihabara Bonanza Part 5

During my husband’s latest business trip to Japan, he managed to spend some free time at that mecca of anime known as Akihabara. And because Haikyu!! is our favorite ongoing series, he returned with a bunch of Haikyu!! souvenirs that ranged from cute to odd. He also went a bit overboard with his purchases so I’m splitting this installment into five parts.

And finally we have this. When I got my first glimpse of it, I thought, “Oh, what a cute little shirt.” Then I flipped the package over.

They’re socks.

Or I suppose you can think of them as shirts for your feet, which is the look the makers seem to be going for. However, I can’t say they hold much appeal for me. Weird is a better descriptor although they are definitely not on the level of weird that the Nekoma torso water bottle was on. In terms of functionality, they’re a bit tricky. They’re made of a slick polyester fabric. As a person who usually walks in cotton socks, I find them a bit of a trip/slip hazard on my hardwood floors.

Like the Nekoma water bottle, this product’s target audience is a mystery to me. Its visual impact is definitely diminished if worn with shoes so it’s probably meant for home use only. Maybe it’s kind of a strange home cosplay? At any rate, I think I’ll try to find an alternate use for these uber slippery, uber unique socks.

Happy New Year!

Manga Review: Kiss of the Rose Princess Vol. 6

Magical girls and reverse harems are standard fare in shoujo manga, and you can find both in Aya Shouoto’s Kiss of the Rose Princess. Read on for Volume 6 of the series! (For my review of previous volumes, click here.)

Back cover Blurb

High school student Anise Yamamoto is the “Rose Princess” of four handsome Rose Knights. The Gray Rose has revealed himself to be Mutsuki’s older brother, whom Mutsuki killed in the past. Mutsuki is slowly regaining his memories, but what do two Dark Stalkers want with Anise, the Rose Princess?

The Review

The narrative seems to have gotten overly complicated, what with knight “awakenings,” Arcana card gathering, extraneous Rose Knights, and a Fake Princess. Also, Ella enters the hunt for Arcana cards, and the fact that she collects so many she can afford to give one to Anise makes the real Rose Princess look awfully pathetic in comparison. However, Shouoto-sensei does manage to keep a grip on her readers by wrapping up the Gray Rose arc with a glimpse into Mutsuki’s origins.

Half of Anise’s Knights are not human, but while Seiran is an artificial creation of the present, Mutsuki was around long before his fellow companions. Shouoto-sensei’s been teasing readers about his locked memories, and we finally get a look at them as well as a glimpse of the legacy of the Rose Knights. While the history between the Black and Gray Roses is interesting and tragic, the connection of the Dark Stalkers with the Demon Lord is seemingly at odds with their alliance to the Rose Princess. At any rate, Mutsuki has his first Awakening, leaving the Red and Blue Roses yet to “level up.”

After an interlude chapter that’s mostly silly high school reverse harem squabbling for Anise’s attention, the focus shifts to Seiran. As far as the Knights go, he’s the most insecure. Wanting to change himself, he resolves to accomplish something on his own and goes in search of an Arcana card with Ninufa. His determination to improve is actually quite admirable, but then Shouoto-sensei has to turn his card quest into something of a farce. However, it does end with an action-packet battle against a Counterfeit Knight that gives the Blue Rose the opportunity to display some heroics.

The volume ends with the potential for the story to go in a number of directions. Shouoto-sensei’s been hinting at something between Schwarz and Itsushi-sensei, the Counterfeit Rose Knights are having problems, and Ella’s out to get the Arcana cards and Kaede. Plus, the Rose Knights have a few awakenings to get through before they can get “engaged” to Anise. At least for now, Shouoto-sensei has enough elements to keep things interesting although the plot feels like it going all over the place.

Extras include the opening splash illustration and table of contents printed in color; character profiles for the Black and White Knights; two mini-manga; and bonus illustrations.

In Summary

Our Dark Stalker’s past is revealed! Or at least enough to justify Mutsuki’s broodiness. Then things get complicated in the quest to seal the Dark Lord when the Fake Rose Princess shows up with Arcana cards in hand. The real Rose Princess and her Knights are coming up against a lot of challenges, but it’s difficult to take them seriously when the boys keep devolving back to high school reverse harem squabbling over Anise.

First published at The Fandom Post.

Souvenirs from Asia: Haikyu!! Akihabara Bonanza Part 4

During my husband’s latest business trip to Japan, he managed to spend some free time at that mecca of anime known as Akihabara. And because Haikyu!! is our favorite ongoing series, he returned with a bunch of Haikyu!! souvenirs that ranged from cute to odd. He also went a bit overboard with his purchases so I’m splitting this installment into five parts.

More Haikyu!! chibi characters! This time they’re on a box of manju. The funny thing is that the manju they’re eating looks an awful lot like the nikuman (pork buns) they get from their coach’s convenience store. The characters are super cute and very much in character as they munch on their treat. And inside the box is a bonus sticker! I got Asahi and a very naughty looking Noya.

Manju and bonus sticker!

As for the manju, it was… okay. Standard red bean filling inside a thin skin. Not something I’d go out of my way to eat again.

However, I would go out of my way for another one of those stickers.

Merry Christmas!

Manga Review: My Love Story!! Vol. 5

Takeo Goda, the male lead for Viz Media’s  My Love Story!!  is quite unusual. Bishonen tend to dominate the cast of shojo manga, but Takeo’s looks are about as far from a stereotypical pretty boy as you can get. Still, he possesses tremendous appeal in this hilarious romantic comedy. I had the opportunity to take a look at Volume 5 of the series, and you can read on for the review. (For my review of other volumes, click here.)

Back cover blurb

Takeo and Mariya are chosen to participate in the relay race for the athletic meet. While practicing together, Mariya ends up falling in love with him… Yamato is unsure of what to do about her new rival! Will Takeo and Yamato be able to overcome this crisis?

The Review

After finishing Volume 4, I felt that the conclusion of the Saijo arc lacked closure. Her “I like you as a person” confession left it unclear whether she really felt that way or said that out of consideration for Takeo’s girlfriend. As it turns out, that wasn’t the actual end of the arc, and Saijo’s story continues on to its real end in Volume 5.

Takeo, dense as he is, just takes everything Saijo says at face value, so it’s up to Suna (as usual) to pick up on the emotional nuances of what’s really going on. For those familiar with the anime, the corresponding TV episode lacks a few scenes that are in the manga so the manga actually provides a more complete depiction of Suna observing Saijo’s infatuation with Takeo in the classroom. One-sided teenage angst abounds, but it’s cool to see another girl recognize how awesome Takeo is. When the truth does come out, however, it pushes Takeo to a revelation that has a surprisingly positive impact on his relationship with Yamato.

Then it’s the end of the year, and as they say in anime, Christmas is for lovers. However, Yamato turns their first Christmas into a group event. They’ve organized a few of these mixers with their friends now so the time is right for a pairing to come out of it. The result is that Yamato and Takeo get to play Cupid together, which is fun to watch.

The Christmas chapter gets followed by New Year’s, which is also Takeo’s birthday. Yamato wants to make it special, and it’s hilarious when she asks Suna and Ai for advice about kissing Takeo and inadvertently causes Suna to have a horrific flashback. At any rate, Yamato and Takeo’s first kiss starts off like a stereotypical scene, but then things don’t go as intended. In fact, I can’t think of another first kiss moment that gets derailed in such a fashion. However, it only works because Takeo is the type of character he is, and he does manage to work things out a warm and fuzzy end.

Extras include story thus far, notes from the creators, and a four-page bonus manga.

In Summary

Lots of heartache and laughter in this volume. The heartache, however, comes not from our main couple but Takeo’s classmate Saijo, who has zero chance of separating the two. Then the laughter comes when Yamato and Takeo play Cupid on Christmas Eve and again when Yamato takes the initiative to kiss Takeo on his birthday. All in all, another entertaining chapter from Kawahara-sensei and Aruko-sensei.

First published at The Fandom Post.