S.Q. Eries's Blog, page 54

Manga Review: Summer Wars Vol. #02

Summer Wars is an award-winning 2009 science fiction anime directed by Mamoru Hosoda. At the same time as the film’s release, a serialized version of Summer Wars came out in the manga magazine, Young Ace. Now, Vertical has released an English translation of the manga compilation, and you can read on for the review of Volume 2. (For the review of Volume 1, go here.)

The Review

Since my review of Volume 1, I’ve had the chance to watch the Summer Wars film. While the scenes of OZ, especially the fights between King Kazma and Love Machine, pack a greater wallop in anime form, my preference is for the manga. In addition to being better paced, the manga includes a number of details which, though small, add up to make a better story. For instance, we see more individual actions of the Jinnouchi relatives on the OZ front. We also get a deeper sense of Wabisuke’s regret, his desire to make things right, and the relief of the family when he finally returns.

As in Volume 1, Sugimoto-sensei does an excellent job of depicting the dynamics of a large extended family. Following Granny Sakae’s death, the Jinnouchi family splits, almost completely along gender lines, as to what to do next. But everyone quickly forms a united front with real trouble strikes.

Real trouble being Love Machine taking over an asteroid probe with the intent to crash it into a nuclear power plant. This quickly elevates the situation with the rogue AI from “a game” (as the Jinnouchi womenfolk call it) to a worldwide threat. This twist is standard stuff for sci-fi anime, but what adds color to this particular battle is how the Jinnouchis’ random personalities come into play. Between the resources of a member of the SDF, a fisherman, an electronics supplier, a gaming champion, an engineering professor, a skilled hanafuda player, and her two physics club friends, they find a means to face off against the ever-growing Love Machine. The way commentary for Ryohei’s tournament game mirrors the OZ battle adds an additional layer of tension and drama to the story.

One difficult part of the story for Western readers is Natsuki’s hanafuda match. The King Kazma/Love Machine battles are easy to follow because martial arts showdowns are the stuff manga was made for. Hanafuda not so much. I’d never heard of the game, and it was a bit like reading Hikaru No Go, where I really depended on characters’ reactions to figure out what was happening. So I had to raise an eyebrow at the illustration of people around the world watching Natsuki’s match and yelling, “Koi! Koi!”

Extras include the first page and table of contents printed in color, four pages of chapter 9 printed in color and a four-page bonus manga.

In Summary

Summer Wars roars to a strong finish! Amid the excitement of averting a nuclear disaster using martial arts, a traditional card game, and math geek power, our previously isolated main character experiences the power of family even as an outcast returns for a long overdue reconciliation. This manga might have sci-fi elements, but it’s really about human relationships, the blood ties binding the Jinnouchi and the budding one between Natsuki and Kenji. It’s a title I’d recommend to long time manga readers and newcomers alike.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Research Ramblings: Spartan Women Part 9

As noted in my January 9, 2014 post, the lives of Spartan women were completely unlike those of their Greek sisters, and I’m continuing my series on these differences with today’s fact:

Spartan women were considered exceedingly beautiful among Greek women.

Part of this reputation came from the fact that Helen of Troy, the face that set sail a thousand ships, was born Princess Helen of Sparta. Exercise and a better diet probably also helped. Aristophanes’ play Lysistrata has a scene in which a Spartan woman meets with a group of Athenian women, and the Athenians make a big to do about how ample her bust is. If, as mentioned in last week’s post, a girl grows up not having enough eat, chances are she won’t build enough body mass to have a big chest.

Tune in next week for more about the Spartan women!

Manga Review: Otomen Vol. 17

There are many stories about tomboys, girls with boyish tendencies, but what about the opposite? In fact, what would you call a boy with girly interests? The manga answer is: Otomen!

For those unfamiliar with this series by Aya Kanno, “otomen” is a play on the Japanese word otome (乙女), meaning “young lady” or “mistress,” and the English word “men.” The plot centers around Asuka Masamune, the manliest guy in his high school.  However, he has a secret: the things he really loves are sweets, shojo manga, and sewing. He hides this part of his life from everyone until he meets Ryo Miyakozuka, the least feminine girl in school. Volume 17 of the series has just come out and you can read on for the review! (For those interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

Back Cover Blurb

In her quest to get Asuka to turn away from his otomen ways, Asuka’s mom, Kiyomi, cancels his favorite shojo manga, Love Chick! What’s worse, she plans to break up Asuka and Ryo! Will Asuka succumb to his mother’s anti-otomen schemes?!

The Review

Kiyomi continues with her plan to remove unmanly influences by pulling the plug on Juta’s Love Chick manga. Interestingly, out of Asuka’s friends, Juta’s the only one confronted by Kiyomi. While the arc is ultimately about Mama Masamune manipulating her son, Kanno-sensei takes the opportunity to show some back story on Juta’s career. Despite his carefree personality, he’s surprisingly serious about his fans and manga career. When he acquiesces to Kiyomi’s demands, you can feel his agony about his decision.

A couple of lighter scenes follow. Asuka asks Amakashi-sensei the very thing I’ve been wondering about him and Hiromi, and then Ryo and Asuka play detective together. But the mood darkens again with the moment this entire series has been working toward: Asuka’s confession to his mother. Surprisingly, Mama Masamune doesn’t take the hard-line approach, preferring instead to deceive her son. Her method is hardly original, but it does the job of forcing Asuka to give up Ryo and all things otomen.

After that, it’s not surprising to see pre-Ryo Asuka return. What’s really unexpected is how losing Asuka pushes Ryo to her own extremes. Kanno-sensei’s illustrations of the separated pair really tug on the heartstrings, which makes me all the more eager for Volume 18, the series’ final volume. With Asuka being put forth as class valedictorian, I have a feeling we’re in store for something similar to his festival play confession.

Extras include embedded author’s notes featuring the original character designs for Otomen and translation notes.

In Summary

With her cunning, determination, and massive resources, it’s inevitable that Kiyomi would force Asuka’s hand. However, Kanno-sensei does such an excellent job of depicting the angst of Asuka (and Ryo and Juta) you almost don’t mind the predictability of the plot. It’s almost a certainty that Ryo and Asuka’s love will prevail in the next and final volume, but it will be interesting to see if and how Asuka wins his mother’s acceptance.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Research Ramblings: Spartan Women Part 8

As noted in my January 9, 2014 post, the lives of Spartan women were completely unlike those of their Greek sisters, and I’m continuing my series on these differences with today’s fact:

Spartan girls were fed the same amount of Spartan boys.

This was might sound weird, but most Greeks allotted their daughters smaller portions than their sons. The fact that the Spartans fed their children equally struck their contemporaries as odd enough for commentary. As an aside, some historians believe that this kind of systematic malnutrition plus early marriage/childbirth, contributed to the high mortality rate of young women in Athens.

Tune in next week for more about the Spartan women!

Manga Review: Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura Vol. 12

Arina Tanemura is a popular shojo mangaka, and one of her works is Sakura Hime, a magical shojo story that puts a twist on a famous Japanese legend. The final volume (Volume 12) has recently 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).

The story centers on Sakura, the granddaughter of the Moon princess Kaguya. As her descendent, Sakura wields the power to defeat Youko, monsters from the Moon, but Sakura’s Moon heritage also means she’s predisposed to becoming a Youko herself…

Back Cover Blurb

Sakura, grieving for all her friends who have died, returns to Aoba’s estate. Enju attacks, and Sakura loses two more people she loves. And just when she believes the battle to finally be over, Princess Kaguya appears!

The Review

Enju’s down to just one minion who happens to be a double agent. As if to even out the odds, Tanemura-sensei gradually whittles down Team Sakura, which is already reeling from Asagiri’s death. I was surprised at Rurijo’s abrupt end. I’d thought the Rurijo/Hayate/Kohaku triangle would get prolonged further. Not to mention, the way Enju coldly doomed Rurijo in Volume 11 was inconsistent with his reaction to Rurijo’s demise as well as his own last words. The scene leading up to the attack on Oura is much better, however, and certain to please the romantics in the crowd.

Having reduced the fight to a one-on-one between Sakura and Enju, Tanemura-sensei just as quickly returns all of Sakura’s allies for the final brawl against the resurrected Princess Kaguya. It’s ridiculously convenient how everyone shows up at once, especially Yuri and Maimai, who pop up out of nowhere. (Perhaps Tanemura-sensei felt everyone needed a cameo?). That battle, however, is less about action and more about tying up loose ends. Enju’s turnaround from ruthless enemy to gentle brother is too abrupt for my liking. In addition, the undoing of Oura’s curse and the supposed deal struck between Enju and Asagiri are rather confusing. However, Tanemura-sensei makes up for it with an intriguing revelation about Byakuya and the purpose behind Chizakura. Apparently, the old priestess was more deeply involved in the situation than anyone could have guessed.

Not surprisingly, everything resolves to a happy end. Everyone, living and dead, ends up with their love (with the exception of the three ninjas – I guess Tanemura-sensei’s leaving that triangle up to readers’ imaginations.) Certain details (such as how Asagiri and company could help Sakura escape Chizakura when they couldn’t leave themselves) are glossed over, but if all you care about is Oura/Sakura mushiness, you should be content with the conclusion.

Extras in Volume 12 include embedded author’s notes and a closing remark from Tanemura-sensei.

In Summary

Enju succeeds in resurrecting Princess Kaguya, and Sakura takes her on with all her allies. (And when I mean all her allies, I mean all.) The Sakura/Enju conflict and Oura’s curse both get resolved too easily, but the final battle includes some big surprises before working its way to a fluffy happy ending.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Research Ramblings: Spartan Women Part 7

As noted in my January 9, 2014 post, the lives of Spartan women were completely unlike those of their Greek sisters, and I’m continuing my series on these differences with today’s fact:

Spartan women exercised nude.

As mentioned in a previous post, Greek athletes competed in the nude. Actually, exercise was generally done in their gymnasiums sans clothing. So in Sparta, the women followed the same regimen as the men. They would also oil their bodies before races like the men.

Suffice to say, gymnasiums were an all-male environment in Athens. And unless she was a slave or a prostitute, a Greek woman walking around naked anywhere other than Sparta would be in big, big trouble.

Tune in next week for more about the Spartan women!

Light Novel Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #10

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has  a unique bent. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has recently released the tenth volume of this series, and you can read on for the review. (You can also click here for my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases).

Back Cover Blurb

After the turmoil in Kerube, Lawrence and his companions make for the Kingdom of Winfiel across the sea. Their destination is the great abbey of Brondel, said to hold the wolf bones they seek. Arriving in the kingdom, they hear tell that the abbey, normally prosperous due to its great wool trade, has fallen into a financial crisis. Worse, the most powerful economic force in the world-the Ruvik Alliance-is entering the kingdom with its eye upon the abbey’s land holdings…

The Review

Lawrence and Holo have made some detours on their journey to Yoitsu, but now they head entirely in the opposite direction, leaving the mainland to journey west across the sea to Winfiel. However, they’ve reason enough to go so far out of their way; according to Eve, the wolf bones they’ve heard rumors of are at the island kingdom’s great Abbey of Brondel. They go hoping to forge a way into the abbey using letters from Eve and Kieman. What they find is a stalemate between the local church authorities and the Ruvik Alliance, an economic force so powerful it makes the players in Kerube look like gnats.

Although the Rubik Alliance is larger than anything yet encountered in the series (with the exception of the Church), the source of tension is much easier to understand than the Kerube crisis. The root of the problem is a national trade imbalance. Simply put, the kingdom of Winfiel has been importing more than it is exporting, and Hasekura-sensei injects a bit of the economic bent that has been lacking from the series as of late. But after a brief lesson on the effects of a devalued currency, we launch into the consequences: a religious institution on the brink of financial ruin and a foreign conglomerate itching to gobble up the assets. Unlike the crises in Kerube and Lenos, this is a dilemma that truly has nothing to do with Holo and Lawrence, one they can easily walk away from. The only reason they get involved has nothing to do with money and everything to do with sentiment.

It’s been a while since Lawrence and Holo encountered another creature akin to Holo. What makes the great sheep of Brondel really interesting is that he is senior to Holo. Generally speaking, Holo’s the oldest and wisest person around, thus she always gets the last word. So it’s fun to see someone talking down to her. In addition, he is in a sense a glimpse into Holo’s future. While she is unsure whether her homeland still exists, the sheep lost his home centuries ago to the Moon-Hunting Bear and has had to create a new home and means of survival. It hasn’t been an easy path, and readers will hardly blame Holo for losing control when she learns how the sheep’s altered his diet.

The great sheep also calls out Lawrence and Holo’s relationship for what it is, which is nice because Holo is always so quick to belittle her traveling companion. Lawrence, for his part, is unusually candid about his feelings in this volume. Once it’s because of alcohol, and the second time is because conversing with the much younger Col forces him to be more direct with his speech than he normally is. In any case, these scenes are likely to delight Holo/Lawrence fans.

Sadly, there’s one moment between our odd couple that Hasekura-sensei makes as maddeningly vague as Lawrence’s parting scene with Eve in the previous volume. Perhaps he is leaving those details up to his readers’ imagination, but there are several other scenes, such as Lawrence’s conversation with Piasky, where dialogue tags and descriptions are sorely lacking. It’s unclear whether that failing is inherent in the original text or a translation shortcoming, but I also caught a number of typos including a misspelling of Lag Piasky’s name in an illustration caption.

This light novel includes the title page, three two-page spreads, and the table of contents printed in color as well as eight black-and-white illustrations, and a world map.

In Summary

The economics aspect has been lacking in this series’ last few volumes, but it returns with our trio’s journey to Winfiel, a kingdom whose trade policies have caused the value of its currency to plummet. Add in a medieval-type conglomerate, a couple of uncharacteristically vulnerable moments on the part of both Holo and Lawrence, and an encounter with a supernatural sheep, and we have a truly engaging installment of Spice and Wolf.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Research Ramblings: Spartan Women Part 6

As noted in my January 9, 2014 post, the lives of Spartan women were completely unlike those of their Greek sisters, and I’m continuing my series on these differences with today’s fact:

Spartan girls received an education similar (but separate) to Spartan boys.

Keep in mind, Spartan schooling is a bit different than what we think of as education today. Remember, their goal was to produce good soldiers. While all Spartan children probably learned to read and write, there was a lot more emphasis on physical training, and girls competed in events such as wrestling, running, and horsemanship.  Girls also performed in choirs so we know their education included music.

In contrast, Athenian girls, unlike their brothers, received no formal education. Their primary role in life was to keep house and weave/spin, and those tasks they learned from their mothers. That’s not to say there weren’t girls that might have learned how to read and write at home, but a woman certainly wasn’t expected to have such knowledge.

Tune in next week for more about the Spartan women!

Winter’s Regret anthology cover release!

As I mentioned in December, my fourth short story, One Hundred Nights, will be published in Elephant’s Bookshelf Press‘s Winter’s Regret anthology. The book is on track to be published at the end of this month. Until then, please enjoy this glimpse of the cover designed by Charlee Hoffman!

Manga Review: Are You Alice? Vol. 03

Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland has inspired all sorts of spinoff works, from visual art to movies to manga. However, Ai Ninomiya may have conjured up the most unusual Alice yet.  Are You Alice?, which originally began as a CD series, features a gun-toting male as its Alice! Yen Press has recently released the second volume, and you can read on for the review. (If you’re interested in my reviews for previous volumes, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

Hoping to prove his loyalty and thereby gain entrance to Caterpillar Alley so as to continue his quest to kill the White Rabbit, Alice submits to accompanying the Queen of Hearts as the monarch of Wonderland tours the realm and keeps the peace. But when the Queen turns his scythe on three young children who are guilty of disobeying royal orders, Alice instinctively steps in. By defying the Queen, will Alice lose his chance to become the real Alice in Wonderland…and lose his head as well?!

The Review

This volume provides quite a bit of back story, which is handy given the baggage the characters are carrying. Several flashbacks provide insight into the past and motivations of the White Rabbit, the 88th Alice, and, surprisingly, the Queen of Hearts. I’d pinned the Queen of Hearts as a flat stock character. As it turns out, he’s got more depth than I gave him credit for, with secrets and threats to his existence, too.

Another surprise is how the Duchess figures into the flashbacks. Although she has been removed from the story and replaced, her presence dominates in the volume’s first half. Katagiri-sensei had mentioned her fondness for this character in the previous volume, and it feels like she sets up the encounter between the Queen and the Duchess’ kiddie pals to have an excuse to draw the Duchess again. But though the Duchess’ friends are adorable-looking ragamuffins doesn’t mean they have it easy. In fact, Wonderland seems harshest on its cutest, youngest inhabitants, and they don’t fare much better than the Duchess did.

After all the flashbacks, the story moves forward in earnest with the introduction of Katagiri-sensei’s take on another Wonderland personality: the Caterpillar. She’s no disgusting bug. Far from it, she is a sexy, flirty hottie. However, she no less bewildering than the rest of the cast and saddles Alice with yet another bizarre task to accomplish in order to become Wonderland’s Alice.

Manga extras include a twelve-page short, translation notes, and the title page and table of contents printed in color.

In Summary

Katagiri-sensei provides some much-needed information about the past in this volume. No, not Alice’s past; his still remains largely shrouded in mystery. However, these chapters provide back story and a better understanding of the inhabitants of Wonderland while raising some tantalizing new questions about the disaster looming over them.

First published at the Fandom Post.