S.Q. Eries's Blog, page 57

Manga Review: Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura Vol. 11

Arina Tanemura is a popular shojo mangaka, and one of her works currently being translated into English is Sakura Hime, a magical shojo story that puts a twist on a famous Japanese legend. Volume 11 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

Kohaku follows Hayate into the woods and finds him there with Rurijo. Enju also witnesses the clandestine meeting and confronts Rurijo about her betrayal. Rurijo, now abandoned by Enju, vows to kill Princess Sakura…

The Review

Tanemura-sensei mentions in her author’s notes that the series will conclude in the next volume with fifty chapters, and it does feel like things are winding to an end with Team Enju dwindling. Ukyo’s dead, Maimai’s run off, and now it’s Rurijo’s turn. Loyal as she is, she’s not the type to defy Enju, but to anyone looking from the outside, her interactions with Hayate smack of betrayal. I lose all respect for Kohaku and Hayate as ninjas when Enju catches Hayate and Rurijo together (of the three ninjas in the scene, only Shuri detects everyone’s presence). Still, the moment serves the purpose of landing Hayate and Rurijo in deep trouble with their respective comrades.

Interestingly, Enju doesn’t destroy Rurijo outright but abandons her for a slow demise. She, of course, snaps, and in her desperation vows to kill Sakura. Given her dramatic entrance into Oura’s house, I expected a massive, extended battle. Instead, the tension quickly drops, to an almost comic level, and you can see the ultimate outcome of the fight coming from a mile away.

What’s not so predictable is the Hayate/Rurijo/Kohaku (/Shuri?) love triangle. To me, this romantic mess is the most engaging part of the current arc. Unlike the Oura/Fujimurasaki/Sakura love triangle, it’s much easier to follow, yet it’s harder to tell how it will finally resolve itself. Hayate’s had it rough, being almost a joke in his frog form, so it’s nice to see him as an object of attraction.

With Team Enju taking so many hits, they’ve got to lash back somehow, and Enju gets Sakura where it really hurts – by going after Asagiri. Tanemura-sensei mentions that “Asagiri is a character who shines in tragic scenes,” and all I’ll say about Chapters 43 and 44 is that Asagiri fans should have their Kleenex ready.

Extras in Volume 11 include embedded author’s notes and a closing remark from one of Tanemura-sensei’s assistants.

In Summary

Sakura brings out Chizakura twice in this installment of Sakura Hime, but the action that follows isn’t the sort that gets your blood pumped up. What the volume does have in spades are romantic tension, juvenile comedy, and tragic final moments. With the ninja love triangle as yet unresolved and the possibility of a means to undo Oura’s curse, Tanemura-sensei’s certainly got my attention as we head into the manga’s finale.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Book Review: My Neighbor Totoro: the Novel

Totoro is one of the most recognizable characters in all anime. Though 25 years have passed since the release of My Neighbor Totoro, you can still find Totoro goods and fans everywhere. Totoro is the face of powerhouse Studio Ghibli, what Mickey Mouse is to Disney, and he’s still popular enough to claim a role in Toy Story 3.

True fact: I learned Totoro was in that film while cosplaying as Totoro at Anime Expo. (An excited stranger started pointing at me and yelling, “You’re in Toy Story 3!”)

For English-speaking fans who can’t get enough of the lovable fuzzy giant, Viz Media has recently released their translation of My Neighbor Totoro: the Novel.

back cover blurb

The beloved animation classic by legendary Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbor Totoro is now retold in novel form. This prestige, hardcover edition features original illustrations by Miyazaki himself, accompanying a story written by veteran children’s book author Tsugiko Kubo. Sure to delight both existing fans and new readers!

Eleven-year-old Satsuki and her sassy little sister Mei have moved to the country to be closer to their ailing mother. While their father is working, the girls explore their sprawling old house and the forest and fields that surround it. Soon, Satsuki and Mei discover Totoro, a magical forest spirit who takes them on fantastic adventures through the trees and the clouds–and teaches them a lesson about trusting one another.

The review

This book is beautifully produced. The canvas textured cover and Miyazaki’s watercolor sketch illustrations give it the feel of a classic, which it is, actually. Though Viz Media has only recently released the English translation, the original Japanese novel was published in 1988. A whimsical acorn design decorates the inside of the cover, and the book includes a handy color map of Matsugo Village, where the story takes place.

It’s called My Neighbor Totoro: the Novel, but it’s closer to My Neighbor Totoro, the Chapter Book. The story follows 11-year-old Satsuki for the most part and was clearly intended for readers her age. Still, though the plot and descriptions are written for a younger audience, aspects of the book may pose a challenge for English-speaking readers. Part of it is because of the Japanese names. For instance, the name of hospital where the girls’ mother is being treated, Shichikokuyama, may seem daunting and unpronounceable to a Western child. The other part is the various cultural references of 1950s rural Japan, where breakfast consists of rice and miso soup, people pay homage to various nature spirits, and, yes, families bathe together.

The book contains the same general arc as the Totoro movie. Two sisters and their father move to the countryside to be closer to the girls’ mother, who is hospitalized with tuberculosis. As they settle into their new home, a long-vacant and rumored to be haunted house, they encounter a number of magical creatures, including Totoro, the ruler of the forest. The major plot points are the same, but Kubo-sensei, who wrote the novel adaption, does change a few details, including the cat bus’ role when Mei goes missing. She also adds a few scenes that weren’t part of the movie, including a ten day trip to visit relatives in Tokyo. Interestingly, the famous scene of Totoro and the girls playing ocarinas in the camphor tree on the front cover never actually takes place in the book.

Charming as the Totoro movie is, it moves pretty slowly, and the novel moves even slower. While the totoros are mysterious and magical, most of the pages are taken up by descriptions of the mundane: landscapes, plants, chores, school. However, because these things are seen through the eyes of a girl new to the country, who’s struggling to keep house in a place without the conveniences she’s used to and take care of her younger sister on top of that, the narration is engaging despite its pace.

The book paints Satsuki as a very likable character–brave, responsible, and positive. Mei, on the other hand, comes across as a troublesome, difficult sibling while their father is loving but unreliable, a kind of absent-minded professor. So the ones Satsuki  depends on are her neighbors, Granny Ogaki and Kanta. A few times, the story briefly shifts to Kanta’s perspective, which is pretty interesting considering his fleeting appearances in the film, and readers get a better grasp of his crush on Satsuki that’s only hinted at in the movie.

As mentioned earlier, the story largely follows Satsuki’s perspective. What that means is our first introduction to Totoro is a secondhand account through Mei, and considering she’s only got a 4-year-old’s grasp of language, it’s pretty confusing. Totoro doesn’t actually appear in the flesh until the bus stop scene, and the other totoros, of which Kubo-sensei provides hardly any description, don’t get much mention at all. Also, the book includes no illustration of the medium-size totoro so readers unfamiliar with the film wouldn’t have any idea what it looks like. As such, even though My Neighbor Totoro can be read on its own, it functions better as a companion piece to the film.

In summary

While it doesn’t follow the film exactly, My Neighbor Totoro: the Novel is a delightful companion piece to the movie. It gives readers additional details on the characters and setting and provides a glimpse into Satsuki’s thoughts as events unfold. Although it was originally written for young readers, fans of all ages can enjoy rediscovering Totoro’s forest from a new perspective.

First published at The Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Are You Alice? Vol. 02

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 review for Volume 1, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

The Duke–a warped mass that collects the scraps of Wonderland–goes berserk in the town square, not far from where Alice and Hatter have traveled on an errand. In his frenzied state, the Duke wants nothing more than to have Alice all to himself. But when an overconfident Alice decides to ignore Hatter’s commands and give the Duke what he wants, little does Alice expect to wind up in the belly of the beast!

The Review

Are You Alice? continues with its mix of mysterious characters, violence, and bizarre rules. Having decided to kill the White Rabbit, the 89th Alice gets to work, but his efforts to locate him through the Dormouse are interrupted by the Duke going berserk. This time, his Duchess isn’t enough to calm him, and what follows is a hint of the disaster Wonderland residents are desperate to forestall. In the midst of the mayhem, we get more visions (though it’s impossible to tell if they are flashbacks, foreshadowing, or part of the trash cluttering up Wonderland) as well as shining moments of heroism on the part of the Duchess and Alice. Ultimately though, rescue comes from an entirely unexpected source in a most surprising manner.

Once the Duke gets stopped, tragedy appears to be averted, but it’s not. The arc’s conclusion is quite sad, and a testament to how cheap life is in Wonderland. Consequences are heavy for those who don’t fulfill their roles, and as quickly as they’re discarded, newcomers take their place.

In addition to character replacements, we get other new faces in the story, one of whom is the 88th Alice, now a Regret. Up to now, Regrets seemed like fragments of people, somewhat like zombies. This Alice, though, is quite lucid and self-controlled enough to speak calmly to her murderer. Of course, she’s out to get the 89th Alice, and the fact that she’s in control of her faculties hints that she’ll be much more dangerous than the Regrets the current Alice has encountered so far.

A story with so much a gloom and doom can get depressing quick, but this volume balances the darker elements with well-timed and well-crafted humor. Katagiri-sensei’s artwork skillfully conveys physical humor, like Alice’s hilarious efforts to get into Caterpillar Alley, and she uses exaggerated expressions to good comic effect. And for those who believe a dress and pinafore are an absolute must for anyone claiming to be Alice in Wonderland, well, that requirement will be satisfied in this volume.

Manga extras include a five page lighthearted short, an afterword by Ninomiya-sensei, and the title page and table of contents printed in color.

In Summary

Tragedy and heroism play out on the streets of Wonderland! Alice gets no closer to killing the White Rabbit, nor do readers gain any solid insight into his past despite a disturbing new vision. Yet the one thing that is clear is the characters’ pain as they struggle with Wonderland’s rules. If you’ve grown fond of the cast, these chapters will make you sympathize with them even more.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Voice Over! Seiyu Academy Vol. #01

For hard core manga and anime fans, the voice acting world has the same kind of glamor and mystique as Hollywood. So it’s no surprise that the world of Maki Minami’s manga Voice Over! Seiyu Academy portrays it as such.

Back Cover Blurb

Hime Kino’s dream is to one day do voice acting like her hero Sakura Aoyama from the Lovely Blazer anime, and getting accepted to the prestigious Holly Academy’s voice actor department is the first step in the right direction! But Hime’s gruff voice has earned her the scorn of teachers and students alike. Hime will not let that stand unchallenged. She’ll show everyone that she is too a voice acting princess, whether they like it or not!!

The Review

Considering the number of manga titles available about mangaka, idols, and actors, it’s not surprising that one about anime voice actors has hit the market. These types of stories seem to fall into two camps: those rooted in reality like Bakuman and those that are pretty much fantasy like Skip Beat!. Voice Over! Seiyu Academy falls firmly in the fantasy camp.

That fantasy feel is due in large part to the setting, Holly Academy. It has an exclusive voice acting department (only 25 students per class), students who are idols, and industry professionals frequenting its halls. The other reason for its fantasy feel is the main character, Hime Kino. Her dream is to become a leading voice actor for the popular anime Lovely Blazers, which requires a cute voice. Unfortunately, her vocalization skills aren’t just bad, they’re downright dismal. Throughout Volume 1, she gets compared to a broken radio, an old man, an old woman, and animal grunts, and she earns the unfortunate but appropriate nickname Gorilla Princess. Yet she remains a Holly Academy student, and by the end of the volume, she manages to get scouted, get called in for an anime part, attract the interest of a famous idol, and catch the attention of the son of her favorite voice actor.

As a main character, Hime falls into the category of determined, super-positive idiot. Not only does she have no control over her voice, she’s dumb, clumsy, and so-so in the looks department. Minami-sensei attempts to present Hime as an underdog heroine we can root for, but I can’t get myself to cheer for her. She has a lack of self-awareness reminiscent of the truly horrible singers who think they actually have a chance at American Idol. The other thing is Hime actually has a hidden ability, but it’s completely inconsistent. She can’t control it, but it conveniently surfaces when she’s really in a pinch. As such, her successes aren’t due to diligent effort or a normal kind of talent, and  that comes across as a cheap way of getting “super amateur” to rub shoulders with the best of the best.

Hime aside, the supporting cast does make this manga somewhat entertaining. Some of the best laughs come from the motley crew who make up the Stragglers group: a delinquent who can barely read; a soft-spoken girl with a penchant for hexing; and a half-Japanese, half-French figurine pervert who cracks under pressure. Other characters are more stereotyped. The idol duo Aqua is a borderline BL pair, and Senri Kudo, who’s the likeliest candidate for Hime’s romantic interest, is a mostly cold but occasionally considerate tsundere type.

By the way, this is a manga about voice acting so sound is critical to the plot, but readers obviously can’t hear what characters are hearing. To convey sound impressions, the manga uses different types of fonts, the spoken and facial reactions of listeners, and visual images depicting the bizarre voice types coming out of Hime’s mouth.

In Summary

If you’re looking for a title that delves into the realities of the voice acting world the way Bakuman did for manga making, keep looking. Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy is not it. Minami-sensei attempts to create an inspiring underdog heroine, but Hime’s personality is closer to the annoyingly bad singers that try out for American Idol. But if you like high school manga where an ordinary girl can do anything, even break into the highly competitive world of entertainment, give Voice Over! Seiyu Academy a try.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: A Bride’s Story Vol. 5

Kaoru Mori is best known for her work, Emma, an exquisite romance/slice-of-life set in Victorian England. Her latest work to be released in the United States, A Bride’s Story, is also a historical/slice-of-life but is vastly different than Emma. Set in Central Asia in a rural town near the Caspian Sea during the early 19th century, A Bride’s Tale revolves around a young woman, Amir, who arrives from a distant village across the mountains to marry Karluk, a boy 8 years her junior. Volume 5 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (For reviews of other volumes, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

Acclaimed creator Kaoru Mori’s tale of life on the nineteenth-century Silk Road takes on an air of celebration as, at long last, Laila and Leily’s wedding day arrives! But the marriage ceremony may be even more taxing for the girls than their search for a pair of grooms. Sitting still and silent as their guests celebrate and eat is a trial that will push the girls’ patience to its limit, not to mention that of Sami and Sarm! As the twins finally make their vows and commit themselves to their husbands, the gravity of the moment finally sets in. Though they have dreamed of marriage for years, only now do they realize that everything in their lives is about to change…

The Review

Although this manga is entitled A Bride’s Story, the only actual wedding scenes thus far are brief glimpses of Amir’s and Talas’ weddings. Now Mori-sensei makes up for it with the community extravaganza that is the twins’ wedding.

And it is a massive family effort. While we have scenes of the girls getting decked out in their bridal finery, Mori-sensei devotes even more panels to the preparations for the nuptial celebration. Clothes, food, decorations, ornaments, musical instruments – all are showcased in Mori-sensei’s usual meticulous detail. Probably the most unexpected segment is the butchering of the sheep. Mori-sensei takes great pains to show how the animals are slaughtered and quartered for cooking. Western readers will likely sympathize with poor Mr. Smith when he sees the blood and guts preceding the feast.

The village’s wedding customs are, of course, steeped in tradition, and many of these are entirely foreign to Western readers. However, as mentioned in my review of Volume 4, Laila and Leily, have very modern sensibilities. Despite their desire to be admired as perfect brides, they have little patience for the restraint required of them, and readers will be able to relate when they complain.

And boy, do they complain. Mori-sensei uses the girls’ restlessness and lack of self-control as the main thrust of the comedy for the wedding chapters. The twins not only drive their mother crazy, they try the patience of their grooms. In contrast to the girls’ gluttony and whining, the boys show remarkable maturity as they do their best to please their brides. Even so, they have their limits. The revenge they exact upon the girls is not only laugh out loud funny but a reminder of how young the two couples are.

With the twins happily married, the story eases back to Amir’s village, and when I say “eases back,” that’s exactly what I mean. Chapter 26 “The Daylong Song,” isn’t so much a narrative as it is a string of images depicting Amir’s daily routine. No panels or dialogue bubbles, just beautifully drawn illustrations of her in the house, about town, and on the plains. That is followed by a side-story about the family matriarch. (I didn’t know people could ride goats!) It isn’t until the final chapter that the narrative resumes in earnest with a standalone story about an injured hawk.

Extras include Mori-sensei’s manga style afterword and selections from her sketch collection Scribbles (also available from Yen Press).

In Summary

The first half of Volume 5 concludes the bridal sitcom of twins Laila and Leily with their wedding. Mori-sensei does her usual meticulous presentation of Aral Sea traditions, but the antics of our sassy brides give these chapters a lively feel. The story then shifts back to Amir’s village. The plot doesn’t progress much in these chapters, but the illustrations are still a feast for the eyes.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Whispering Minds Release and Goodreads Book Giveaway

It’s always exciting when someone you know gets published. So I’m thrilled to share that an old critique partner, A.T. O’Connor, is making her debut on November 1 with Whispering Minds, a YA thriller. Here’s the cover blurb:

By day, a terrifying blackness eats at Gemini Baker’s memories. Her nights are filled with unsettling dreams.

After the death of her beloved granny, seventeen-year-old Gemi is left with parents more interested in gambling than paying the bills, a best guy friend who’s looking for love at a time when she has none to give and a dark childhood secret that just might be the key to her sucky life.

During her search for answers, Gemi turns to her cyber friends for support and quickly learns that nobody is who they seem. Not her granny, her friends or even herself. As her blackouts increase in frequency, a threat on her life has Gemi on the run…if only she can remember long enough to keep herself alive.

The book will be available on Amazon, and she’s also hosting giveaways on her blog and Goodreads, so check it out!

Manga Review: Otomen Vol. 16

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 16 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

At a school play, Asuka competes against his friends for the hand of Princess Kaguya— played by Ryo! While on stage, Asuka inevitably displays his otomen qualities while his anti-otomen mother is watching… Is Asuka about to face the biggest crisis of his life?

The Review

Otomen continues with its focus on Yamato and his crush on Ryo. The prevailing theme is “Love is a battle!” and it comes to a head at Ginyuri’s school festival. No Ideal Woman Contest this year (“… cut because of last year’s issues.” –Juta), but in its place is the Drama Club’s unscripted version of the folktale Princess Kaguya.

For those who enjoy zany theatrical fairytale productions so prevalent in shojo manga, Princess Kaguya: Big Proposal Plan will be a treat. Thanks to the ridiculous director (Kanno-sensei admits in the author’s notes that the story becomes absurd because of him), Yamato, Asuka, and their friends wind up as the suitors battling for the hand of Kaguya, played by Ryo. Most of it is silly jokes, but Ryo/Asuka fans will be gratified when Asuka expresses his true feelings for Ryo on stage. (Plus, they look fantastic in period costume!)

After the play, the story immediately transitions to what appears to be the final arc of the series: the wrath of the biggest anti-otomen of all – Asuka’s mom! I’m actually surprised she didn’t catch on sooner (I expected that to happen after Asuka reconciled with his dad). But now that Mama Masamune knows what her son has been doing behind her back, be prepared for a lot of crazy eyes. Interestingly, she doesn’t go for the direct approach. Instead, she stealthily picks apart Asuka’s world in a way only a woman of her wealth and power can. (As they say in manga, rich people are scary.) Things are heading toward an inevitable mother/son confrontation, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next volume.

Extras include five pages introducing Kanno-sensei’s assistants, embedded author’s notes, and translation notes.

In Summary

Kanno-sensei wraps up the spotlight on Yamato with a school play turned battleground for Ryo’s affections! In the midst of the usual comic silliness is a moving and surprisingly candid declaration of Asuka’s feelings for Ryo. Unfortunately for Asuka, it also blows his uber-masculine cover. The horrified look on his mom’s face is priceless, and the way her anti-otomen wrath unleashes makes me eager to see how it will all end.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Light Novel Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #09

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 ninth 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

The capture of a narwhal and the ensuing power struggle between the northern and southern districts of Kerube has Lawrence caught in the middle! Backed into a corner by his own trade guild, can the merchant find a way to extricate himself from this delicate situation? And what of the wolf bone from Holo’s pack? Can the Wisewolf of Yoitsu manage to keep her rage and frustration in check?

The Review

Volume 9 is billed as the second part of a two-part story, but it is actually the culmination of events laid out in Volumes 5, 6, and 8. So if you aren’t familiar with those previous three installments, you’ll get lost in Volume 9 fast. Even if you have read them, the content of this volume is rather daunting. Volume 8 laid the groundwork for a massive conflict over a rare narwhal, and in Volume 9, that battle plays out with schemers wheeling and dealing in the shadows, plotting double-, triple-, and quadruple-crossings.

While the conflict is interesting, it is so complex that it bogs the pace of the story. Hasekura-sensei sets Lawrence up as a small fry trying to maneuver among the sharks of Eve and his guild leader Kieman. The plot requires an understanding of the power struggle over the narwhal, then the backroom deal Eve and Kieman are trying to broker, then the different ways everyone’s trying to swindle one another, and finally, the great ploy that upsets everything. Because the story unfolds through Lawrence’s eyes, the information we get is limited and mixed up with Lawrence’s conjecture and confusion. There were several passages I had to reread to understand what was going on. Hasekura-sensei’s underuse of dialogue tags in group scenes didn’t help. (Interestingly, one of the color illustrations attributes a quote to Col that actually belongs to Lawrence.)

However, if you’re willing to stick through the story’s sometimes tedious twists and turns, you’ll be rewarded by a brilliant and very clearly explained conclusion that also solves the mystery of the coin puzzle introduced in Volume 6. On top of that, poor Lawrence, who’s tossed around like a pawn throughout the majority of this arc, gets his hero moment.

Though Eve, Kieman, and the narwhal dominate in the battle within Kerube, we do get a couple character building moments with Holo and Col. As it turns out, Holo’s not unfamiliar with the narwhal, and her connection to the creature reputed to bring immortality sheds light on how she regards her traveling companions. And a conversation away from Holo shows how a child raised in the pagan mountains views a journey with a wisewolf.

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, a summary of Town of Strife I, and a world map.

In Summary

Hasekura-sensei brings the Kerube’s power struggle to its dramatic conclusion. The search for the ancient wolf bones fades to the background as Lawrence finds himself caught between the schemes of Eve and Kieman. Unfortunately, these masterminds are so crafty that their plans are difficult to follow. Spice and Wolf Volume 9 is a dense read for a light novel, but if you make it to the end, you’ll be gratified by a conclusion that sheds light on the events of three earlier volumes.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Writing Historical Fiction and Adjusting History

Research is an important part of writing historical fiction. This is because getting the details correct makes settings authentic. Things like tomatoes in ancient Egypt or European units of measurement in ancient China drive me nuts, and I do my best to keep things accurate as possible. But I’ve learned since writing in this genre that sometimes accuracy must be sacrificed in the name of clarity. Because in the end, the goal is to write a compelling story, not a textbook.

I don’t like making that kind of compromise. Still, I found myself tweaking a historical fact last month due to a pacing issue.

Basically, my manuscript’s problem was that the conflict that sets everything into motion was not only complicated, it didn’t directly involve my main character. The conflict in question was the dispute over the Spartan throne after King Agis’ death. The two possible contenders were his half-brother Agesilaus and his son Latychides. Latychides, though, was rumored to be a bastard, and not just any bastard. He was supposedly the product of an affair Agis’ wife had with an Athenian defector. As for Agesilaus, no one questioned his bloodlines, but he was short and congenitally lame – not the type of guy the military minded Spartans were eager to see in charge.

It was stuff worthy of modern tabloids. It even involved an ominous oracle. In the end, Agesilaus came out on top, but the controversy didn’t die down (well, at least it didn’t in my story). And opposition to the lame king’s reign was what spurred his sister Cynisca (my main character) to action.

Unfortunately, up until her brother becomes king, she’s largely an observer. It’s not until Chapter 4 that she’s really making things happen.

So I was struggling for a way to shorten that backstory and get Cynisca into the action sooner when a new critique partner made a suggestion: cut out the bastard son and focus on the lame king controversy. After all, given what we know of them, Spartans probably would have objected to Agesilaus even without a rival.

I didn’t like the idea of cutting out Latychides, especially since he was such a juicy detail. But it had the potential to solve my problem so I gave it a try.

It worked.

Without having to explain the queen’s affair, I got from King Agis’ death to Agesilaus’s inauguration sooner. I also managed to repurpose the ominous prophecy in a way that gave Cynisca a part to play even before Agesilaus is crowned. And there was an additional benefit.

Something that I’ve learned in my critique groups is that unless a name is an American standard or something super famous like Cleopatra, it’s not going to stick quickly or easily. And the more unfamiliar names you throw out, the harder it is for people to keep track. My previous draft introduced six characters with Greek names in the first chapter, which turned out to be a stumbling block for my critique partners. After the change, I cut four characters, and the number of characters introduced in the first chapter went down to a much more manageable three.

So far everyone in my critique group approves of the changes, and I, too, think it makes for a more streamlined story. Still, the stickler inside me wishes Latychides could have stayed, and if this novel gets published, I’m fully prepared to get that email that says, “You left out the part about the bastard prince…”

GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class Vol. #05 Manga Review

While most manga are written in chapter format, that does not mean the comic strip is unknown to Japanese artists. Known as 4-Koma manga, four-panel comic strips aren’t nearly as widespread as their long-format counterparts, but they are no less entertaining.

One of the few 4-Koma titles translated to English is GA: Geijutsuka Art Design, a lighthearted series centered around five art students. Yen Press has recently released Volume 5 and you can read on for the review.

Back Cover Blurb

C’mon, GA students-sketchbooks at the ready! Kisaragi and friends are all set for some fun in the sun! “Inspired” by their summer housework assignments, the friends enjoy their vacation by going to a baseball game, the beach, and a summer festival. But as their time off draws to a close, will the gang be able to adjust once again to school life?!

The Review

As you can guess from the cover, this is the GA summer volume. We only get one art lesson type arc on animal caricatures, and then the girls are off on their first high school summer vacation. While art assignments show up as part of the girls’ homework, most stories center around generic Japanese summer events and activities. So we see the girls attending a Koshien baseball playoff game, having fun with fireworks, making summer greeting cards, capturing beetles, and going to a festival dressed in yukatas. Kiyuduki-sensei inserts a little of the fantastic with Noda’s mischievous foxy look-alike at the festival and the Professor getting super intense right before a hurricane, but mostly it’s the antics of kids enjoying school vacation.

In the midst of their summer play are some interesting character building episodes. The funniest is Noda’s bad luck day. The little prankster is always causing trouble for others so it’s fun to see all her tricks backfire on her. Big sister and former Art Club president Fujiko Nozaki is a larger-than-life character, and her visit home from college shows both the Art Club members and Namiko in a different light. And though brief, the closet episode provides an unexpected glimpse into the Professor’s personality. There’s also an encounter Noda and Kisaragi have with a girl under a bridge that attempts to be a character building arc, but it comes off as more weird than anything else.

In keeping with the summer theme, this volume includes four sets of color pages focusing on the different seasons. They include commentary from the GA characters, lists of season-themed works, and design and art image words.

In Summary

It’s the GA summer edition! While the students do some drawing here and there, they’re mostly having fun and goofing off. So there aren’t too many lessons on art history or techniques, but we get to see the girls in summer clothes, enjoying the treats, activities, and scenery of the season.

First published at the Fandom Post.