S.Q. Eries's Blog, page 67

Manga Review: Sakura Hime Vol. 7

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 7 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (Also, 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

Every time Asagiri uses her powers, she shortens her life span. In spite of this, she continues to use her powers to fight her former lover, Ukyo. Though Ukyo will not attack her, this is a fight Asagiri cannot win.

The RevieW

Volume 7 is a mixed bag. In addition to battle scenes, there’s drama and suspense. Most of the romantic anguish stems from the conclusion of the Ukyo/Asagiri fight, and those who prefer their love stories tragic will eat up the ultimate fate of the star-crossed lovers.

There’s also angst of a different sort between Sakura and her brother. After chapters and chapters of inner turmoil, she finally accepts the fact that he is no longer the gentle person she once knew. However, Tanemura-sensei plays this less as a rift between family members and more as a woman struggling to let go of her first love. Though it has been mentioned in this series that sibling marriages were acceptable in the Heian era, hearing Sakura refer to Enju this way does give off a squicky vibe.

Following the Ukyo/Asagiri duel, Aoba (not surprisingly) proceeds to battle Enju for Sakura. But Tanemura-sensei throws us for a loop by pitching Sakura in an unexpected fight against Rurijo and then heightens matters with an astonishing reveal about Enju’s ultimate goal. Unfortunately, the final conclusion to the Shura Yugenden isn’t quite satisfying (all that firepower and manpower and the bad guys still get away?), but it does ensure that Sakura will face Enju again – and this time with full knowledge of what’s at stake.

By the way, Volume 7 includes several extras including bonus funnies and closing remarks from Tanemura-sensei and her assistants.

In Summary

The Shura Yugenden arc reaches its conclusion. Though the ultimate outcome of the battle is predictable, what Sakura discovers in mid-battle should take you by surprise.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Ancient Olympic Fun Fact 21

2012 is significant in that it is a presidential election year, a leap year, and a summer Olympic year! The modern Olympics, of course, were inspired by the ancient Greek Olympics, a subject I’ve been researching for my work in progress. So in these months leading up to the 2012 London Games, I’ll be posting weekly tidbits about the original athletic festival that started it all.

This week’s installment is a list of ancient Olympic events (in order of appearance). It should be noted that, like the modern Games, some sports only lasted a few Olympiads before being dropped from the festival.

Stade-race (approximately 600 feet)
Diaulos footrace (two double laps on a 600-foot track)
Dolichos footrace (ten or twelve double laps on a 600-foot track)
Pentathlon (discus, long jump, javelin, running, wrestling)
Wrestling
Boxing
Four-horse chariot race
Pankration
Horserace
Footrace for boys
Wrestling for boys
Pentathlon for boys
Boxing for boys
Race in armor
Mule cart race
Race for mares
Two-horse chariot race
Trumpeter competition
Herald competition
Four-colt chariot race
Two-colt chariot race
Colt race
Pankration for boys

Tune in next week for more about the ancient Olympics!

Anime Review: Kids on the Slope

Kids on the Slope is part of  Crunchyroll‘s Spring 2012 simulcast lineup, and I love it. With anime, I have a weakness for musicians, romance, period pieces, and slice of life, and Kids on the Slope includes it all. So far, five episodes have aired, and I’ve watched each at least twice.

The anime is set in Kyushu during the early 1960s. Kaoru, the main character, has just moved there to live with his uncle’s family. He’s book smart and an excellent classical pianist, but he’s also an introvert and has moved so often that he’s resigned to being the outsider. He anticipates once again being marginalized in his new school, but instead meets Sentaro and Ritsuko. Through them, he discovers friendship and an unexpected passion for jazz.

Music is indeed front and center in this anime. Each episode is named after and features a particular jazz standard. The music, by the way, is produced by the amazing Yoko Kanno, who put the bebop in Cowboy Bebop and was composer for Escaflowne, my favorite anime of all time. In addition to an awesome soundtrack, the jam sessions are animated beautifully. Between me and my husband, we play six musical instruments, and it makes us cringe when the animation doesn’t match how an instrument’s played. The best I’ve seen before this was Nodame Cantible, but its instrumental animation had a CG look that clashed with the series’ overall style. With Kids on the Slope, hand placement, fingering, drum strokes, instruments – everything is accurate and blends  stylistically with the rest of the anime, making it a delight to watch.

Another thing I really appreciate is Kaoru’s transformation from classical to jazz pianist. Like him, I was also classically trained on piano, but when I hit high school, I joined the school jazz band. Same instrument, completely different ballgame. Watching his struggles reminds me of my own difficulties with improvisation and jazz chords, even though Kaoru picks it up much faster than I ever did.

In terms of romance, the main cast consists of two boys and one girl, which pretty much screams love triangle. As of Episode 4, circumstances develop such that the love triangle starts looking more like a love pentagon. While there are many funny bits (Sentaro’s efforts to ask Yurika out are laugh out loud funny), Kids on the Slope steers more in the direction of teen angst than comedy. Both boys come from troubled households which means they also bring a significant amount of baggage into any and all of their relationships.

I’m not sure what the rating for this series is, but I’d peg it as 13 and up. Sentaro’s afterschool brawls are the extent of its violence, and there’s no nudity thus far. However, the boys’ complicated family circumstances and a graphic death scene push it into the realm of non-kiddie fare. Actually, despite the youth of the main characters, I’d guess the target audience is adult females given the series’ particular pacing and introspection. It certainly got me hooked. Still, I’d invite anyone in the 13 and over crowd to give Kids on the Slope a try, if only to check out its awesome instrumental sequences.

Ancient Olympic Fun Fact 20

2012 is significant in that it is a presidential election year, a leap year, and a summer Olympic year! The modern Olympics, of course, were inspired by the ancient Greek Olympics, a subject I’ve been researching for my work in progress. So in these months leading up to the 2012 London Games, I’ll be posting weekly tidbits about the original athletic festival that started it all.

Here’s this week’s fun fact:

The marathon was not an ancient Olympic event.

The marathon is actually a modern sport. Although the ancients honored Phidippides, the messenger who made the memorable run between Marathon and Athens before dropping dead, they didn’t actually re-create his feat. The longest race at the ancient games was the dolichos, which consisted of ten or twelve double laps on a 600-foot track.

Still, that didn’t deter my runner husband from running his own personal marathon when we visited Olympia. He spent a day racing around the Olympic archaeological site (to the cheers of German tourists) until he’d racked up 26.2 miles (as measured by his GPS distance logger).

Tune in next week for more about the ancient Olympics!

Spring Fevers–now in hard copy format!

Two months ago I mentioned the release of Spring Fevers, an anthology that includes my short story Resolution. It’s still out there–and FREE in downloadable format on Smashwords. But Elephant’s Bookshelf Press has now made a hard copy version available on Createspace for $7.99!

So for those of you who prefer their books with paper pages and a cover (and I know you’re out there), here’s your chance to pick it up. And yes, the proceeds are all still going to charity.

Ancient Olympic Fun Fact 19

2012 is significant in that it is a presidential election year, a leap year, and a summer Olympic year! The modern Olympics, of course, were inspired by the ancient Greek Olympics, a subject I’ve been researching for my work in progress. So in these months leading up to the 2012 London Games, I’ll be posting weekly tidbits about the original athletic festival that started it all.

Here’s this week’s fun fact:

The ancient Olympics had no team competitions.

Some might be surprised by this considering how many team events there are in the modern Olympics. Even individual sports, such as gymnastics, often have a team version. But in ancient Greece, people glorified the physical excellence of the individual, and the festival at Olympia was a celebration of that gift in honor of the gods that bestowed it.

Tune in next week for more about the ancient Olympics!

Manga Review: Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 27

Fullmetal Alchemist is a wildly popular manga that has spawned, among other things, two anime series, a movie, light novels, and video games. Although technically a shonen manga, it has a huge female following, thanks to mangaka Arakawa’s brilliant cast of characters and the heart and complexity she weaves into the plot. The American translation of Volume 27 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (For those interested in my reviews of earlier volumes, you can find them here).

The story centers on Edward and Alphonse Elric, two brothers who  attempted to bring their dead mother back to life through a forbidden alchemical ritual.  However, the ritual went wrong, taking Ed’s leg and Al’s entire body. At the cost of his arm, Ed manages to graft Al’s soul onto a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical “auto-mail” to replace his missing limbs, Ed becomes a state alchemist in hopes of finding the one thing that can restore their bodies…the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.

Back Cover Blurb

With the help of Hohenheim and their allies, the Elric brothers launch a desperate final attack against the homunculus “father.” But to claim victory, some may have to make the ultimate sacrifice. And when the dust clears, will a happy ending await our favorite characters in the final volume of Fullmetal Alchemist?

The Review

(Spoiler Alert!!!)

Considering the many events of the Day of Reckoning, they seem to span several days instead of one. The conclusion to the battle against the homunculus Father is no different. The actual duration of the fight is just minutes, but so much happens so quickly, Arakawa-sensei burns through panels to convey everything. Action fans will get their fill with missiles, bullets, alchemy, and old-fashioned fisticuffs all aimed toward the former Dwarf in the Flask. At times, the images do get kind of grotesque. Part of it is due to the ferocity of the battle, but part of it is because of the homunculus’ monstrous nature. He, as an Amestrian soldier notes, is a dead ringer for Edward, but when his opponents’ firepower starts taking its toll, the distortions that result in the homunculus’ body are pretty scary.

During the course of the fight, both brothers wind up back at the portal of Truth. The way Al goes back is heartrending, and Ed’s reaction to it kicks up the emotion several levels. In contrast, the scene in which Ed returns evokes a different type of tension, coming across more like a showdown of wits. He has an intriguing philosophical interchange with the shadowy figure of the portal, and though the cynical part of me wonders whether their bargain actually is an exchange of “equivalents” (the item Ed offers is used, after all), Ed’s solution is one that took me by surprise.

With the final battle over, Arakawa-sensei wraps things up for her characters. Considering how large the cast is, there is a lot of wrapping up to do. (If you look at the splash page for Chapter 107, you get a feel for how big that task is). She does an excellent job though, covering everything from the Xing travelers to the Ishbalan refugees to Hohenheim’s return to Resembool. Fullmetal Alchemist comes to a wonderfully satisfying conclusion, and I salute Arakawa-sensei for a compelling story, consistently delightful artwork, and unforgettable characters in this series which, in my opinion, is bound to become a classic.

In Summary

It’s a wild final showdown against the homunculus Father, ultimately leading both Elric boys back to the portal of Truth. Arakawa-sensei does an amazing job bringing the series’ multiple journeys and quests to an end in the concluding volume of Fullmetal Alchemist.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Ancient Olympic Fun Fact 18

2012 is significant in that it is a presidential election year, a leap year, and a summer Olympic year! The modern Olympics, of course, were inspired by the ancient Greek Olympics, a subject I’ve been researching for my work in progress. So in these months leading up to the 2012 London Games, I’ll be posting weekly tidbits about the original athletic festival that started it all.

Here’s this week’s fun fact:

Foul = Flogging

No red flags or verbal warnings. If an athlete committed a foul, he faced a group called the Whip-Bearers. Using switches from the lycos bush (a kind of willow), these men publicly flogged violators. Not only did the punishment produce painful welts, it was humiliating. All competitors were free men, but that kind of flogging was usually reserved for slaves.

Tune in next week for more about the ancient Olympics!

Manga Review: A Bride’s Story Vol. 3

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.

Back Cover Blurb

A young widow, Talas opens her home to the researcher Mr. Smith, who has ventured to her town to continue his studies. However, when Talas’s uncle begins to see Smith as an impediment to his plans to wed his son to Talas, the old man’s schemes land the Englishman in prison! Far from friends and even farther from home, Smith’s outlook seems grim…

The RevieW

Fans of Emma will really enjoy Volume 3 of A Bride’s Story, the main focus of which is Mr. Smith. Mori-sensei seems to have a penchant for Englishmen falling for women that come from completely different backgrounds. In Emma, it was a young man of the gentry and a maid; here we have Mr. Smith and the widow Talas.

There are actually quite a few parallels between Talas and Emma. Talas’s household consists of her and her mother-in-law, and the affection the two have for one another is akin to that between Emma and her mistress Kelly. Talas’ mother-in-law worries about what will happen to Talas once she passes on, but Talas is reluctant to remarry and leave her mother-in-law behind. Talas even looks similar to Emma, though Mr. Smith is the one wearing the glasses.

The wonderful thing about the attraction that grows between Talas and Mr. Smith is that it comes about gradually and is rooted in mutual respect. The other nice thing about their relationship is that, unlike Amir and Karluk, there’s no awkward age gap. Both are adults and approximately the same age so modern Western readers can enjoy their interaction without any squick factor. But just as in Emma, a patriarch in power disapproves of the couple’s relationship so the volume closes with Mr. Smith and Talas forcibly separated. I really hope though that that’s not the last we see of her.

This being a slice-of-life, it includes several scenes of Talas doing chores as well as an entire chapter about Amir, Karluk, and Pariya scrounging up a meal at the market. “Eating at the Market” doesn’t advance the plot, but it’s a fun and fascinating glimpse into the foods of Amir’s world.

One final note: I absolutely adore this book’s packaging. The brown hardback binding and gold lettering are an elegant touch, and the colorful dust jacket is a treat for the eyes. It’s almost double the price of its paperback counterparts, but Yen Press presents A Bride’s Story as one would a classic piece of literature, a nice match for Mori-sensei’s beautiful artwork.

In Summary

The series title is A Bride’s Story, but Volume 3 could be called “A Nearly Engaged Englishman’s Story.” Mori-sensei introduces a romantic interest for Mr. Smith in the form of the young widow Talas, and those who enjoyed Emma will likely enjoy the interactions between these lovers from vastly different worlds.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Ancient Olympic Fun Fact 17

2012 is significant in that it is a presidential election year, a leap year, and a summer Olympic year! The modern Olympics, of course, were inspired by the ancient Greek Olympics, a subject I’ve been researching for my work in progress. So in these months leading up to the 2012 London Games, I’ll be posting weekly tidbits about the original athletic festival that started it all.

Here’s this week’s fun fact:

The torch relay was not part of the original Olympics

As iconic as the Olympic torch is, there was no equivalent in the ancient athletic festival. Relay races weren’t even part of the events, and the closest thing the Greeks had to an Olympic flame was the sacred fire of Hestia, which was used to light all the other altars at Olympia.

Olympic Torchholders. The owners of our hotel in Olympia had a couple of medalists in their family.

Tune in next week for more about the ancient Olympics!