Naoki Urasawa’s 20th CENTURY BOYS vol. 12 (a J!-ENT Manga Review)

December 17, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Volume 12 is a gripping, exciting, pulse-pounding volume of Naoki Urasawa’s “20th CENTURY BOYS”. It just gets better and better!

MANGA TITLE: 20th CENTURY BOYS vol. 12

STORY AND ART BY: Naoki Urasawa (浦沢直樹)

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: Shogakukan, Inc.

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC

RATED: T for Older Teen

Available on December 21, 2010

Will 2015 bring an end to human history?! An urgent but mysterious messsage left by her mother Kiriko in 2002 finally reaches Kanna. But where is Kiriko, who developed the germ warfare weapons used on Bloody New Year’s Eve, and what is she doing now? Memories of New Years past flood the minds of Kenji’s friends and family. Will Yoshitsune’s clandestine actions eventually prove fruitful, or are they doomed to repeat the tragedies of the year 2000?

Meanwhile, Otcho and Kakuta are busily trying to track down Kiriko’s former colleague, Dr. Yamane. Unexpectedly, their search leads them to the very neighborhood that Otcho, Kenji, Maruo and the rest of their childhood pals grew up in. Can a visit to their old school shed new light on a bizarre incident that happened when they were all in the sixth grade?

For so long, readers of the Naoki Urasawa’s “20th Century Boys” have wondered about Kenji Endo’s sister Kiriko. Why she left her daughter behind? Why she went missing? But now we get some of those answers in the latest 11th volume!

Naoki Urasawa is well-known in the manga industry. Having created excellent titles such as “Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl”, “Pineapple ARMY”, “Master Keaton” and “Monster”, his manga series “20th CENTURY BOYS” was the winner of the 2001 Kodansha Manga Award, Winner of the 2003 Shogakukan Manga Award and Urasawa was the recipient of the “Excellence Price at the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival”.

The manga has been made into a live film, with the first film having been released as a part of a trilogy with a budget of 6 billion yen and will feature a cast of 300 people, it’s natural to say that the manga series “20th CENTURY BOYS” will definitely be a manga classic. And now the the seventh volume of the popular manga series has been released by Viz Media.

Naoki Urasawa’s “20th CENTURY BOYS” follows a group of friends when they were as children and the present time as adults. When these friends were children, they played a group of super heroes who would take down evildoers. But first, they needed to come up with their own storyline and scenarios of the bad things the evil side would do and how they, as superheroes would have to conquer the evil bad guys.

This plot of what the evil group would do was written down in a little guide which they called “The Prophecy”. As for the group, they devised a symbol of their group. But now many years later, this symbol has re-emerged as the symbol of a religious cult who may be behind terrorist activities.

Kenji and friends tried their best to stop the Friends but something happened on December 31, 2000 and fourteen years later, Kenji and friends are seen as the terrorists and the Friends have now further permeated into society worldwide.

What we know of December 31, 2000… Many lives were lost and although Kenji and his friends did what they can to stop the Friend’s giant robot from killing people in the city. They were blamed for it and since then have been reviled as the terrorists who massacred innocent people (when it was actually “the Friends” who were responsible). And 15 years later, the Friends have used the massacre to grow their cult and to take control of society, politics, law enforcement and have their foot in the door worldwide.

But for friends of Kenji who survived that fatal day, they will continue to do what they can to defeat their friends in the honor of their friend Kenji and save the world. The last volume featured Kanna, who is now a teenager who will never forget her uncle and is investigating any details or leads to her uncle Kenji but also her mother and possible father.

In Naoki Urasawa’s “20th CENTURY BOYS” volume 12, we learn what has become of Kenji’s friend Maruo who has been missing since New Year’s Eve. Maruo has now become an assistant to Japan’s most popular singer Haru Namio who appears to know much about Maruo’s pain and plight of wanting to get back at “The Friends”.

Meanwhile, Otcho and his manga-artist friend Kakuta go to Otcho’s old high school to investigate the details on the night their friend Donkey saw something suspicious (a ghost?) at their school a long time ago. Meanwhile, Yoshitsune and Kiriko are hoping to get more details from Koizumi Kyoko who is being pursued by “The Friends” but also because she saw the true identity of “The Friend” while under their virtual machine.

But the biggest revelation is the identity of “The Friend” (or is it him?).

“20th CENTURY BOYS” features the following characters:

Kanna Endo: The daughter of Kenji’s missing sister. She is now a 17-year-old teenager who tries to keep her missing uncle Kenji in her memories by listening to his music (rather loudly) and works at a restaurant and is very protective over her friends and her living area. Has street smarts and adopted her guardian, Yukiji’s fighting spirit and not afraid of anything.

Yukiji: The only member of Kenji’s group who wasn’t part of the New Year’s Eve devastation as Kenji left young Kanna with her to raise in case if something went bad. Yukiji is the guardian of Kanna.

Chono Shohei – A freshman detective following his grandfather’s footsteps of being a great detective and to have the name “Cho-san”. Is always interested in Kanna but she and him are like fire and water and as he tries to get along with her, he now believes in Kanna that there is corruption in the police.

Mariah – A transvestite friend of Kanna who is trying to help her.

Ujiko Ujio – Manga artists who are neighbors of Kanna.

Kakuta - A manga artist who was friends with Ujiko and Ujio who has been given prison time for his manga work which goes against the rules by “the Friends”.

Kamisama - The homeless man who had visions of what Kenji should be doing and would relay it to him but 14 years later, somehow he has become a millionaire.

Kyoko Koizumi - A high school student who selects Japan’s notorious terrorist Kenji Endo as the historic figure for her homework. She finds herself in Friend Land.

Otcho – One of Kenji’s friends who escaped from prison to reunite and help Kanna.

Yoshitsune – A friend of Kenji who used his position as a cleaner at Friend Land to spy on the Friends.

Mon-Chan - One of Kenji’s friends who died while trying to gather information on the Friend’s conspiracy.

Sadakiyo – A childhood acquaintance of Kenji who always wore a mask. At first he is thought of as the Friend but he is a guy who is the director of the Friend museum and works with them.

Manjome Inshu – Top cadre of the Friends organization and head of the Friendship and Democracy Party.

Director Takasu – A Dream Navigator at Friend Land.

Here is a brief summary of each chapter of volume 12 (spoiler-less summaries):

Chapter 1: New Year’s Eve - It’s another New Year’s Eve, 15 years since Kenji and friends tried to prevent the Friend’s Armageddon and a time for those who survived the massacre to salute their fallen friends.

Chapter 2: Shrine Visit - We learn of what Maruo has been doing in the last 15 years and that he has been an assistant to the very popular singer Haru Namio.

Chapter 3: Suicide Bomber - Otcho and Kakuta do some investigating on Dr. Yamane.

Chapter 4: Secret Message - Otcho remembers a special message given to him by Yamane when they were children.

Chapter 5: Library - Otcho tells Kakuta about the day Donkey discovered something scary and alarming at school.

Chapter 6: Science Lab - Yukiji and Yoshitsune try to help Kyoko with her memory of what she saw in the virtual machine.

Chapter 7: By the Light of the Alcohol Lamp - Otcho and Kakuta discover someone waiting for them inside the classroom. Who is this mysterious man?

Chapter 8: The Men Who… - The mysterious man turns out to be Yamane who tells Otcho that he has been trying to escape the Friend’s for a very long time and what type of job he was doing.

Chapter 9: Gunshot (1) - Haru was able to meet the Friend and see his true identity which alarms Maruo.

Chapter 10: Gunshot (2) – Yoshitsune and Yukiji remember important details surrounding their past.

Chapter 11: Gunshot Explained – Could it be?…The Friend has come to kill Yamane, Otcho and Kakuta? Meanwhile, Kanna arrives to the school and has a memory from the past.

Chapter 12: Friendly Face – It’s January 1, 2015 and Maruo has just arrived to see Kana but both hear gunshots? Who dies?

The suspense continues to build with the latest volume of Naoki Urasawa’s “20th CENTURY BOYS”.

For so long, many have wondered what happened to Maruo and finally, this latest volume shows us that despite meeting financial success, since the massacre, Maruo continues to mourn for Kenji and friends.

Also, this latest volume gets down to business as we learn of what Yamane has been doing with “The Friend”, more details on Kanna’s mother Kiriko (who had been missing) and also, a major revelation when the man, who may be “The Friend” is unmasked. I’ll just say that I was surprised when the mask came off and who the person ended up being. Wow!

As always, Naoki Urasawa knows how to grab the attention of the reader. His artwork and how he is able to capture the sense of action and emotion through the pages is magnificent and so far, this series has been engrossing and highly enjoyable thus far.

Needless to say, readers are being setup for something huge and I definitely can’t wait for the next volume. There was some major revelations but you can tell that things are going to continue to build and eventually leading us to hopefully the storyline that we all have been waiting for… what happened to Kenji?

Volume 12 is a gripping, exciting, pulse-pounding volume of Naoki Urasawa’s “20th CENTURY BOYS”. It just gets better and better!

If you haven’t started already and you are looking for a deep, well-drawn, well-written manga series, Naoki Urasawa’s “20th CENTURY BOYS” is highly recommended!

Filed Under: Manga News and Reviews

Kingyo Used Books Vol. 2 by Seimu Yoshizaki (a J!-ENT Manga review)

December 11, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Nostalgic, informative and delightful… “Kingyo Used Books” is a manga series features individual chapters that show how manga has influenced the lives of many people. Highly recommended!

MANGA TITLE: Kingyo Used Books Vol. 1 (金魚屋古書店)

STORY AND ART BY: Seimu Yoshizaki (芳崎せいむ)

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: SHOGAKUKAN, Inc.

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC/Viz Signature

RATED: T for Older Teen

RELEASE DATE: October 19, 2010

A war story about the lives of three men – passed along by a man with the same name. A mysterious little girl discovers the work of a children’s author through manga. A sentimental tale set in a working-class neighborhood of Osaka. Who loves the other more the mother or the father? Poetic manga released at the start of every summer. For women and children only? And a popular science fiction story inspires young boys to take a train ride.

Nostalgic, informative and delightful…”Kingyo Used Books” is a unique manga series that focuses on how manga has changed or influenced the lives of people.

I’m sure there are forms of entertainment that have inspired people, may they be movies, animated shows, books, etc. But when you think about the culture of Japan, manga (Japanese comic books) are a big part of their culture. Before I became interested in manga back in the early ’90s, I grew up reading Marvel, DC and other independent comics from other publishers but at the time, the stigma of American comic books are of titles that people grew up with as a child and read and discarded when they grew older.

Things have changed today as these comic books now target the same audience that grew up with them and reflect that demographic but because of today’s distribution and availability, it only attracts a niche audience who seek it.

While in Japan, there is manga for everyone. Men, women, children… featured in magazines, featured in newspapers and it’s a big part of the culture that people have grown up with them and unlike the US, it’s everywhere. Go into a store and you can see many people reading manga, walk down the street and you can find a used-manga store, pick up a newspaper or magazine, you will see manga featured. Manga is a big part of that culture in Japan and I can easily say that it’s been part of my life for over 20 years.

Recently I have read “Kingyo Used Books” (known in Japan as “Kingyoya Koshoten”) by mangaka Seimu Yoshizaki (creator of “Aka-chan to Tenshi”, “Tekekinesis Yamanote TV Cinema”, “Ugokashiya”, “Dekaguru”). She began “Kingyo Used Books” back in 2004 and with ten graphic novels currently published in Japan, two volumes of the English translated manga have now been released in the US courtesy of Viz Media as part of their Viz Signature line.

The main storyline of the manga series revolves around a used bookstore known as “Kingyo Used Books” and how manga has influenced the lives of those who visit the store. Each chapter is a different storyline featuring different characters but with the staff of the book store remaining the same, as they try to help their customers.

Here is a spoiler-free synopsis of each chapter:

CHAPTER 8: His View – A high school president is not so thrilled about his life but life changes for him when he finds a copy of Osamu Tezuka’s “Adolf ni Tsugu”.
CHAPTER 9: Yes or No – A story of how the Sedori named Okadome met Kingyo Books’ Naoki Shiba.
CHAPTER 10: The Other Side of the Window – A young girl who ran away from an adult watching over her, ends up at a woman’s home and wants the woman to read her Miyazawa Kenji’s “Mangakan”.
CHAPTER 11: A Bundle of Papers – Natsuki-san of Kingyo Books tries to find her way and a purpose of working at the book store and takes part in a Used Book Fair to sell manga.
CHAPTER 12: Dad Again - Natsuki-san’s father is visiting her and wants her to meet men who can be potential suitors and is introduced by Naoki a manga titled “Jarinko Chie”..
CHAPTER 13: One Percent Man – A story about men who like love stories from the manga “Chiisana Koi no Monogatari” but one guy is afraid to buy it because others may not perceive him as a man.
CHAPTER 14: Star Traveler – The song of the manga king lets his friend borrow a copy of the manga “Ginga Tetsudo 999″.
I Want To Be Happy (Bonus Manga) – Billy and his grandfather meet a girl who wants to know what the mark on Shogakukan manga means.
Kingyo Used Books Notebook – A section in which each manga that is featured in each chapter is further explained and how they are popular among manga collectors.

Last year, I was gushing about how “Oishinbo” was a manga series that made me so happy because it was so different, it was realistic in setting and dealt with how food influences people and the manga would even go further by letting people know more about the food and even give out recipes for people to try out at home.

So, to find another manga that definitely has a similar vibe of touching upon the nostalgia of manga, how it has influenced people but to also give information of these classic manga and its availability at used book stores and such, that was pretty awesome!

When it comes to entertainment…may it be books, animation, movies, video games or whatever, some people have a connection to these stories and some that really touch people more than they think. While the first volume seemed to be more dramatic and emotional, volume 2 tends to have stories in which the finale of the story may make the reader read the story all over again to see if they miss something. Some may feel the stories don’t make sense while those who delve deeper into the meaning may understand it. So, in someway, like an arthouse film with a non-traditional ending, you get some of that with a few of the chapters.

Also, making things a bit different compared to the last volume is the reappearance of characters. The Kingyo staff primarily Natsuki and Naoki appear more in this volume and also we get to see Okadome, the sedori making a re-appearance not once but twice. And one storyline about him. But I do like how the manga ends with the final chapter that deals with the Leiji Matsumoto manga “Ginga Tetsudo 999″.

Overall, “Kingyo Used Books” continues the storylines of how manga has helped or changed the lives of people. And for me, manga has had an influence in my life and to read this series was so delightful and enjoyable and I know it has influenced the life of many others, not just in Japan, but for people all over the world.

Nostalgic, informative and delightful… “Kingyo Used Books” is a manga series features individual chapters that show how manga has influenced the lives of many people. This first volume has won me over and I can’t wait for the third volume. Highly recommended!

Filed Under: Manga News and Reviews

House of Five Leaves: Volume 1 (a J!-ENT Manga Review)

November 12, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Entertaining but yet mysterious…”House of Five Leaves” is a manga series that shows a lot of promise!

MANGA TITLE: House of Five Leaves: Volume 1 (さらい屋五葉)

STORY AND ART BY: Natsume Ono (オノ・ナツメ)

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: SHOGAKUKAN, Inc.

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC/Viz Signature/Ikki Comix

RATED: T for Older Teen

RELEASE DATE: September 21, 2010

Masterless samurai Akitsu Masanosuke is a skilled and loyal swordsman, but his naive, diffident nature has more than once caused him to be let go by the lords who employ him. Hungry and desperate, he agrees to become a bodyguard for Yaichi, the charismatic leader of a group calling itself “Five Leaves.” Although disturbed by the gang’s sinister activities, Masa begins to suspect that Yaichi’s motivations are not what they seem. Despite his misgivings, the deeper he’s drawn into the world of the Five Leaves, the more he finds himself fascinated by these devious, mysterious outlaws.

In Spring 2010, the anime series “Sarai-ya Goyo” (House of Five Leaves) debuted on Fuji TV. Prior to the anime series, the eight and final volume of the House of Leaves was released in Japan.

The 8-volume manga was created by manga-ka Natsume Ono (creator of the manga “LA QUINTA CAMERA”, “Ristorante Paradiso”, “DANZA”, “COPPERS”) in 2006 and published in Shogakukuan’s Monthly Ikki.

“House of Five Leaves” is a an interesting manga series as it focuses on the character Masanosuke Akitsu , a samurai who is extremely shy and because he doesn’t look intimidating enough, he has been fired on all previous jobs he had worked.

Hungry, starving and needing money to send to his poor family back home, he takes a job offered to him by a man named Yaichi. And for Masanosuke, he is thrilled to find a job in which the employer is not to picky nor bothered by his shyness and seems to accept him no matter what.

But during the first job he that he takes for his Yaichi, he finds out that the man he is working for is a kidnapper who charges ransom money. For Masanosuke, he can’t believe that he is working for a kidnapper but due to his samurai code, he must obey his master no matter how conflicted he feels about the job.

And now, Yaichi wants him to join his group of kidnappers and become the fifth member of the “House of Five Leaves”.

“House of Five Leaves” features the following characters:

Masanosuke Akitsu – The main character. A very shy swordsman who is unable to keep a job because he lacks self-confidence and doesn’t look intimidating. Tries to find work to make money and send it to his poor family back home.
Yaichi – The mysterious leader of the “House of Five Leaves”. For some reason, to the surprise of the other members, he is allowing Masanosuke to hang out and be part of his group. Yaichi currently lives in a brothel.
Matsukichi – A spy for the Five Leaves, a thief and makes hair ornaments.
Umezou – Owner of a tavern where the Five Leaves meets. Loves making pickles and is head over heels for Otake and warns Masanosuke not to get too close to her.
Otake – One worked in a brothel but Yaichi saved her and joined the Five Leaves.

Here is a spoiler-free synopsis of each chapter of “House of Five Leaves”:

CHAPTER 1: BEGINNING – The introduction to Masanosuke Akitsu and how he got his job working for the mysterious Yaichi.
CHAPTER 2: CIRCUMSTANCE – Masanosuke is conflicted of his feelings of having to serve a kidnapper and upholding his samurai code to protect his master.
CHAPTER 3: TRUST – Masanosuke is introduced to the three other members of Yaichi’s group, and three wonder if Masanosuke is even capable of being one of them.
CHAPTER 4: COMFORT – Masanosuke starts to form new friendships with the people in Yaichi’s group who want him to join and become the fifth leaf in their “House of Five Leaves”…but will he?
CHAPTER 5: PURPOSE (PART ONE) – Masanosuke is introduced to a young boy named Yutaro and everyone is surprised to see how friendly Masanosuke is too him.
CHAPTER 6: PURPOSE (PART TWO) – Masanosuke spends time with the young boy Yutaro, not knowing that he is being used for a plan hatched by Yaichi.
CHAPTER 7: PURPOSE (PART THREE) – Masanosuke finds out that his friendship with the little boy Yutaro was part of Yaichi’s strategy for another kidnapping.
GLOSSARY – A section in which each manga that explains the Japanese terms used in the book.

Entertaining but yet mysterious…”House of Five Leaves” is a manga series that shows a lot of promise.

Rarely do you find a manga series that focuses on a shy and timid samurai. At first, you wonder if Masanosuke, the main character is a samurai because he is so shy, he is unlike any samurai ever depicted on a manga or anime series. How can this guy even defend his clients or protect their interests when he’s not very good socially with people and he lacks the self-confidence that samurai’s are known for. He’s too shy! But despite his weakness, he is incredibly talented with the sword.

What is also interesting is you see Masanosuke as a guy with a good heart. Willing to help people and in this case, thinking he is doing something good, while in fact, he is working for kidnappers. The boss of this group, “House of Five Leaves” reminds Masanosuke that his their goal is to kidnap from corrupt people.

But what is the motivation of Yaichi and the other members of the group? The first volume serves as an introduction to the characters and what the “House of Five Leaves” are responsible for.

So far, the manga series has been quite enjoyable and you’re really not sure where the storyline will go in the next volume. But so far, I enjoyed the first volume and enjoyed the unique illustrations by Natsume Ono as well.

“House of Five Leaves: Volume 1″ is a story-driven manga series and not as flashy in terms of detailed character and scenic illustrations but so far, I enjoyed this manga series a lot. Although no major violence is featured in this first volume, it’s easily accessible for everyone and will probably appeal for those wanting a more serious kind of storyline. Definitely worth checking out!

Filed Under: Manga News and Reviews

Kingyo Used Books Vol. 1 by Seimu Yoshizaki (a J!-ENT Manga review)

October 31, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

MANGA TITLE: Kingyo Used Books Vol. 1 (金魚屋古書店)

STORY AND ART BY: Seimu Yoshizaki (芳崎せいむ)

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: SHOGAKUKAN, Inc.

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC/Viz Signature

RATED: T for Older Teen

RELEASE DATE: April 20, 2010

Every bookstore has a thousand stories to tell. An art student finds inspiration. An archer hits a bull’s-eye. A homemaker rediscovers romance. A teenager discovers his true self in the pages of a manga magazine. All this and more at Kingyo Used Books, a place that helps people find their dreams.

Nostalgic, informative and delightful…”Kingyo Used Books” is a unique manga series that focuses on how manga has changed or influenced the lives of people.

Recently I have read “Kingyo Used Books” (known in Japan as “Kingyoya Koshoten”) by mangaka Seimu Yoshizaki (creator of “Aka-chan to Tenshi”, “Tekekinesis Yamanote TV Cinema”, “Ugokashiya”, “Dekaguru”). She began “Kingyo Used Books” back in 2004 and with ten graphic novels currently published in Japan, the first English translated manga has been released in the US courtesy of Viz Media as part of their Viz Signature line.

Here is a spoiler-free synopsis of each chapter:

CHAPTER 1: The Components of Memory – A young adult feels he needs to get rid of his manga but when he attends his reunion with his classmates, he realizes that manga was a big part of their lives.
CHAPTER 2: Hokusai Manga – A young painter wants to become better and a fellow classmate lends her a manga.
CHAPTER 3: Far Away – A teen is preparing for an archery contest and although he is great at practice, he chokes up in competitions but one day, he runs into the folks of the Kingyo Used Book Store.
CHAPTER 4: The Boy Detective Arrives – The staff at Kingyo Used Book Store prepare for the arrival of a boy named Billy (a Japanese who studied in America) who was inspired by a manga series.
CHAPTER 5: A Country Without Manga – Shiba discovers a French comic known as “Blueberry”.
CHAPTER 6: Fujiomi-kun – A woman named Sasaki takes on the role as school leader of the Yearly Parent Association Bazaar but feels she has no one to help her.
CHAPTER 7: The Sedori Business – A story of two people who worked in a Sedori business (purchasing used manga and reselling it at a higher cost).
BILLY & GRANDPA’s CURIOUS TRAVELOGUE, EPISODE 1 – Billy and his grandfather visit a Hamabi Festival and take part in a manga contest.
Kingyo Used Books Notebook – A section in which each manga that is featured in each chapter is further explained and how they are popular among manga collectors.

When it comes to entertainment…may it be books, animation, movies, video games or whatever, some people have a connection to these stories and some that really touch people more than they think. In the first chapter, the young man who wants to rid of his manga because he is growing older, this is a feeling that anyone who is a collector have felt many times before. I grew up reading a lot of comic books and manga since grade school and I have a closet-full of books that I have contemplated selling or keeping but once in awhile, you meet people who have read the same stories that you have and were touched by them, inspired by them. I know one friend who was inspired by the art and went to art school, for me, I was inspired by the manga “Asunaro Hakusho” and it inspired me to start up an off-campus Japanese pop culture club during my college years and sure enough, manga was one of the major driving forces that has began my early years as an online journalist (during the old BBS years) as I was among the few in media covering anime and manga and writing about it during the birth of anime conventions and anime/manga distribution. Manga was very helpful in me learning the Japanese language and helping me learn to read kana and kanji and to familiarize myself with the characters.

So, manga has had an influence in my life and to read this series was so delightful and enjoyable and I know it has influenced the life of many others, not just in Japan, as well.

Filed Under: Manga News and Reviews

BEAUTIFUL WORKS OF ART ARE HAUNTED IN NEW MANGA SERIES MARCH STORY FROM VIZ MEDIA

October 13, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

Evil Lurks Beneath The Surface of Great Masterworks And Only One Demon Hunter Can Vanquish The Fiendish Spirits In A Dark New Tale From The VIZ Signature Imprint

San Francisco, CA, October 13, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will release the supernatural manga (graphic novel) series MARCH STORY on October 19th. The latest addition to the VIZ Signature imprint, by Hyung Min Kim with artwork by Kyung Il Yang, is rated ‘M’ for Mature readers and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

Among the quiet villages and towns of 18th century Europe, demons known as the Ill hide within the most beautiful works of art and are sparked to life by the torment of their creators. Attracted by their jewel-like allure, unwary viewers can find themselves possessed by the Ill and will be driven to horrific acts of violence. Only the hunters of the Ciste Vihad can dispel the Ill. March is one such hunter, tracking the Ill from town to town to find the antiques that contain the demons before they can possess anyone. If the worst has come to pass, March’s full powers are unleashed to battle the fiendish Ill.

“Great works of art are not what they appear in this intriguing new series,” says Mike Montesa, Senior Editor for VIZ Signature. “Each haunted masterpiece has a dark tale to tell, as do their creators and untimely victims. And March’s own past is filled with similar tragedy. With its elaborate artwork and quick-paced action, MARCH STORY arrives just in time for Halloween and we look forward to adventure fans never viewing pieces of art quite the same way again.”

Writer Hyung Min Kim was born in Jinju, Korea. In 2002 he entered the manga world, and in 2007 he debuted as a storywriter with MARCH STORY, originally published in Japan in Sunday GX. Artist Kyung Il Yang was born March 26, 1970. His debut work, Soma Shinhwa Jeongi, appeared in Weekly Shonen Champ in Korea. Notable works include Zombie Hunter (original story by Kazumasa Hirai) and Shin Angyo Onshi (Blade of the Phantom Master, original story by In Wan Youn). Yang also works on Defense Devil, currently serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday.

For more information on this title, or others from VIZ Media, please visit www.viz.com.

Filed Under: Manga News and Reviews

Oishinbo A la Carte – Izakaya: Pub Food by Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki (a J!-ENT Manga Review)

March 19, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

All things come to an end and the seventh and final volume of “Oishinbo A la Carte” has been released. The final volume collecting stories that deal with Izakaya: Pub Food is another entertaining and enjoyable volume from the series. If you have an interest in Japanese cuisine, every volume of “Oishinbo” has been quite delightful, worth reading and definitely recommended!

MANGA TITLE: OISHINBO A la Carte – Izakaya: Pub Food

STORY AND ART BY: Story by Tetsu Kariya, Art by Akihara Hanasaki

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: Shogakukan, Inc.

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC

RATED: T for Teen

Released: January 2010

Izakaya occupy the same vital space in the Japanese culinary landscape as tapas bars in Spain or tavernas in Greece. Unpretentious, frequently boisterous, they’re places to meet with friends or business partners to unwind over drinks and small dishes that range from hearty standards to refined innovations.

In this volume of Oishinbo, Yamaoka and Kurita investigate classic izakaya foods such as edamame and yakitori, devise new dishes to add to the menu of an old shop, and discover how the concept of “play” is essential to the enjoyment of food.

Story by Tetsu Kariya and Art by Akira Hanasaki.

The long running manga “Oishinbo” (which means “The Gourmet”) is a popular best-selling manga series published by Shogakukan which has been ongoing since 1983. The series have sold 1.2 million copies per volume annually and have sold more than 100 million volumes as of Jan. 2009.

Written by Tetsu Kariya and art by Akira Hanasaki, the series has won multiple awards and has had a successful anime TV series run from 1988 through 1992. And now the series is being released in the United States from Viz Media through their Viz Signature. Because there have been so many volumes, Viz has selected chapters from the popular manga and will separate each volume release by cuisine topic. This latest volume of “Oishinbo: A la Carte” is the final volume to be released in the US and what a delightful series this has become.

So, far the following manga been released:

Oishinbo A la Carte – The making of food, beverages and utensils
Oishinbo – Sake
Oishinbo A la Carte – Ramen & Gyoza
Oishinbo A la Carte – Fish, Sushi and Sashimi
Oishinbo A la Carte – Vegetables
Oishinbo A la Carte – The Joy of Rice

“Oishinbo” revolves around the employees of the newspaper Tozai News with its employees commissioned to create the “Ultimate Menu”, a model meal that embodies the pinnacle of Japanese cuisine. Both Shiro Yamaoka and Yuko Kurita are in charge of the project and throughout each chapter, the series is broken down to several types of dishes or food related items and how each dish is created. Meanwhile, his father, who Shiro has had an estranged relationship for years after his mother’s death, the world renown founder and director of prestigious Gourmet Club and Japanese pottery creator, Kaibara Yuzan heads the “Supreme Menu” for a rival newspaper. So, both Shiro and his father are known to butt heads many times. With Kaibara looking at his son as a person with a lacking knowledge of cuisine but Shiro, never to stand down against his father, proving that he knows more than his father thinks.

Readers can literally learn about Japanese cuisine but also a little history and even recipes on cooking the dishes.

The characters featured in “OISHINBO” are:

Shiro Yamaoka – A journalist for Tozai News who knows his food and how things are created but he is estranged from his father, a prominent artist and founder and director of the Gourmet Club. He despises his father because of the death of his mother. Yamaoka was trained from a young age by his father, Kaibara.

Kaibara Yuzan – The father of Shiro Yamaoka is a prominent artist and founder and director of the Gourmet Club. Because of his prominent stature, all restaurants fear him and thus feel the need to create perfect food for him. Estranged from his son Shiro and despises him for destroying all of his paintings and pottery worth tens or hundreds of million yen. A man widely revered for his sense of taste and feared for his ferocious temper. He heads the “Supreme Menu” project for Teito Times, rival paper to the Tozai News that his son works for.

Yuko Kurita – Knowledgeable about food and partner of Shiro. She learns a lot from him.

Daizo Ohara – Publisher of Tozai News

Hideo Tanimura – Director of Tozai News Art & Culture Department

Tomio Tomii - Deputy Director working under Tanimura

Tojin Toyama - A legendary ceramicist and gourmet

Mantaro Kyogoku – A wealthy businessman and gourmet

Seiiichi Okaboshi – Chef/owner of a sushi shop and Shiro’s local hangout

Tokuo Nakugawa – The head chef for Gourmet Club

For this latest volume of “OISHINBO A la Carte”, the stories are broken up in chapters that relate to Izakaya: Pub Food. Here is a spoiler-less summary of each chapter:

Recipe: Fried Sardine Fish
FIRST COURSE – Beer and Edamame - A chef is fired because he served black edamame. Now, Shiro must show the owner of the restaurant of why black edamame is tasty and not spoiled.
SECOND COURSE – The Spirit of the Sardine - An entrepreneur wants the Tozai news to run a restaurant and Shiro is selected to head the project. But for the choice of menu, Shiro chooses sardines?
THIRD COURSE – An Honest Taste - The Arakawas get into a heated argument after Mrs. Arakawa makes sashimi out of Chiba fish-monger instead of tsuboyaki.
Audio Commentary: Oishinbo Day-by-Day - Tetsuya Kariya writes about the joys of izakaya.
FOURTH COURSE – The Ultimate Wedding Outfit – Tozai News wants to do a spread on Shiro and Yuko’s wedding with Yuko sporting a dress by a world renown fashion designer. But the wedding dress designer is depressed about his son’s attitude towards the business. Because the dress is needed and they need to impress the designer, Shiro and Yuko try to help the young man out.
FIFTH COURSE – A New Dish for the Izakaya?! (Part One) – Shiro and Yuko must come up with dishes for the Pink Hippo Izakaya business.
FIFTH COURSE – A New Dish for the Izakaya?! (Part Two) – After angering the president of Pink Hippo, Shiro and Yuko must do their best to come up with better dishes for the Izakaya.
SIXTH COURSE – Potato Hater!! - Shiro and Yuko visit their friend Nakamatsu-san. Nakamatsu is depressed because of a bet where he and the other person must eat something they dislike and for Nakamatsu, he dislikes potatoes. Can Shiro convince Nakamatsu that potatoes can be tasty?
SEVENTH COURSE – Naming Problem?! (Part One) – Yuko gives birth to twins and both she and Shiro decide that she will name the boy and he will name the girl. But what name should Shiro name her?
SEVENTH COURSE - Naming Problem?! (Part Two) – A continuation of Shiro trying to come up with the name of his daughter.
EIGHTH COURSE – A Surprising Taste of Japan! – The chairman of the American Media and Communication Association is coming to Japan and one of Shiro’s associates is being considered to run the main branch in Asia. But the problem is the man introduced the chairman to yakitori under Shiro’s recommendation which angers the chairman. Now Shiro must fix the problem.
NINTH COURSE – A Delicious Face – A popular young actor is having problems with his sake scenes in a film. With the director being fed up after four days of trying to shoot the scene, Shiro decides to help out his friend who is producing the film.

Also, included at the end of the main chapters is a “Notes on the Text” which explains certain panels and meaning of certain Japanese words.

I absolutely love “OISHINBO A la Carte”. Any fans of Japanese cuisine can also read this manga and just be amazed of how enjoyable, how witty, how smart each story is written. Not only are the readers engrossed by the characters, especially the rivalry between Shiro and his father Kaibara Yuzan, you really learn about the Japanese perspective of cuisine and also preparation.

With “OISHINBO A la Carte – Izakaya: Pub Food”, this latest volume is the final collected volume from Viz. As much as I would I have loved to read the entire manga series of “Oishinbo”, the fact the series has been ongoing since 1983 makes it a bit difficult. But I have to say I’m quite grateful to Viz for releasing such a wonderful and delightful manga series based on Japanese cuisine.

In this latest volume, it’s probably the first volume that doesn’t have one story featuring Shiro vs. his father, Kaibara. If anything, the majority of the stories feature Shiro trying to assist those who are in trouble through pub food. Also, this volume has stories that deal with Shiro and Yuko with Yuko giving birth to twins and the two getting married. This is important because throughout the seven volumes, we have many stories of seeing these two characters grow with each other and although each story is focused on food, you kind of wish you can read more stories based on their relationship. So, fortunately you do get several stories that deal with that for this volume.

Overall, each volume of “OISHINBO A la Carte” has been magnificent and just an enjoyable manga series to read. Because it’s so different from any series that is released in the US and deals with more of a realistic storyline and Japanese cuisine, reading a manga series such as “Oishinbo” was quite refreshing. I don’t think there have been one chapter in any of the volumes that I found boring or not worth reading.

I definitely recommend this final volume and you don’t need to purchase previous volumes to understand what’s going on. But if you really want to enjoy this manga series, I recommend all seven volumes of “Oishinbo A la Carte”. Definitely recommended!

Filed Under: Manga News and Reviews

Naoki Urasawa’s 20th CENTURY BOYS vol. 06 (a J!-ENT Manga Review)

February 25, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Gripping, addictive and a wonderful manga series thus far! Vol. 6 takes place 14 years in the future with a 17-year-old Kanna and some surprises to show how much the world has changed since that tragic New Year’s Eve day. Highly recommended!

MANGA TITLE: 20th CENTURY BOYS vol. 06

STORY AND ART BY: Naoki Urasawa (浦沢直樹)

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: Shogakukan, Inc.

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC

RATED: T for Older Teen

Fourteen years after “Bloody New Year’s Eve” brought the world to the brink of extinction, Neo Tokyo in the year 2014 has fully recovered and become a thriving, multi-ethnic metropolis. Kanna has survived the chaos and is now 17 years old – and has just stumbled upon a terrible truth that may change her destiny.

Meanwhile, at a maximum security prison ten kilometers out in the middle of Tokyo Bay, a young manga artist learns firsthand the chilling downsides of the world he now inhabits. Things go from bad to almost unbearable when he’s thrown into solitary confinement right near one of the prison’s most notorious inmates. Has all hope been lost, or will this mysterious prisoner offer the frightened artist his only true shot at escape?

The manga has been made into a live film, with the first film having been released as a part of a trilogy with a budget of 6 billion yen and will feature a cast of 300 people, it’s natural to say that the manga series “20th CENTURY BOYS” will definitely be a bonafide classic. And now the the sixth volume of the popular manga series has been released by Viz Media.

Naoki Urasawa’s “20th CENTURY BOYS” follows a group of friends when they were as children and the present time as adults. When these friends were children, they played a group of super heroes who would take down evildoers. But first, they needed to come up with their own storylines of the bad things the evil side would do and how they, as superheroes would have to conquer evil.

Volume 6 takes place 14 years later after the New Year’s Eve incident. Not much is known of what happened to Kenji Endo and his friends but 14 years later, the future indicates that things did not go well. Kanna, Kenji’s niece is now a teenager who has lived with Yukiji but has kept the flame ongoing for her missing uncle. Working at a restaurant and has developed street smarts, she is very weary of the police, especially knowing that the influence of the religious cult known as “The Friends” has permeated into major society from politics to the police and has changed the world.

People who go against the rules made by “The Friends” have been given prison time and there are stories about a monster that lives in solitary confinement. Who is this “monster” and does it have anything to do with Kanna?

“20th CENTURY BOYS” Vol. 6 features the following characters:

Ujiko Ujio – Manga artists who are neighbors of Kanna.

Kakuta - A manga artist who was friends with Ujiko and Ujio who has been given prison time for his manga work which goes against the rules by “the Friends”.

“20th Century Boys” takes a different path as the story progresses 14 years into the future. The whereabouts of Kenji and friends and who survived and who died are unknown but for 17-year-old Kanna, she wonders what has happened to her uncle and everyone. But for now, life is different in a world dominated by the Friends and finding people she can trust has become difficult.

Here is a brief summary of each chapter of volume 6 (spoiler-less summaries):

Chapter 1: Witness- Police are looking for a drag queen named Britney for some reason.

Chapter 2: The Killer - Chono goes to investigate murders but Kanna gives him some surprising news of who was the killer.

Chapter 3: Umihotaru - Manga artist Kakuta is being put in jail and hears stories of a monster in solitary confinement.

Chapter 4: The Monster - Kakuta is caught with a pencil and put in solitary confinement and starts a conversation with whoever can hear him.

Chapter 5: Tunnels - The so-called “monster” is revealed.

Chapter 6: On the Run - With Kanna helping out Britney, now she may be targeted by the police.

Chapter 7: Big Shot - With Chono receiving detail from the witness about possible assassination, he goes to a man, a higher up in the police force that he considers a friend of his grandfather.

Chapter 8: Amulets- Chono tells Kanna that he has helped Britney by going to his friend with the information.

Chapter 9: Final Hope - Kanna knew police can not be trusted and Chono now learns first hand that the police force is corrupted.

Chapter 10: The Great Escape – With Shogun (Otcho) now learning that something bad may happen to Kanna, he and Kakuta try to plan their escape from the prison.

Chapter 11: Test of Courage – Kakuta knows the longer he stays in prison, he will be killed.

Volume 6 definitely takes the storyline of “20th Century Boys” to a different direction. For the last five volumes, we have watched Kenji and friends try to find out who is the Friend and then grow their force to fight them. But with the New Year’s massacre evidently not going their way, 14 years later, the storyline focuses on Kanna.

We know that Kanna is the daughter of the Friend and Kenji’s sister and since the earlier volumes, The Friends have attempted to kidnap her when she was a child. But now that she has become so street savvy, she has managed to avoid being caught by them and using her street smarts to fight her way out. But obviously, trouble is growing and it appears that the Friends cult are up to something sinister, once again.

Although not an action driven volume, there is good character driven storylines featuring Kanna and Detective Chono who appears to have a bigger role in this storyline. Nothing is revealed to what happened to Kenji and friends but we do see Otcho (Shogun) and how he has been mistreated, chained and possibly tortured within these last 14 years. If anything, I enjoyed this volume as it shows how much the Friends have permeated into regular society and are now so powerful that they would be difficult to stop.

I have no idea where Urasawa is going to take the seventh volume of the series but from reading vol. 6, I can’t wait. Another excellent volume of “Naoki Ursawa’s 20th Century boys”! All six volumes thus far are highly recommended!

Filed Under: Manga News and Reviews

Naoki Urasawa’s Monster – Boxset 1 (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

January 21, 2010 by Dennis Amith · 1 Comment

Thrilling, addictive and highly entertaining! Naoki Urasawa’s “Monster” is a series that should be on your must-see and must-own anime on DVD list! Highly recommended.

DVD TITLE: Naoki Urasawa’s Monster – Boxset 1

DURATION: 330 Minutes (15 episodes)

DVD INFORMATION: Language: Japanese 2.0 and English 2.0 Stereo, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Viz Signature/Viz Media

RATED: M for Mature

Release Date: December 8, 2009

Based on the manga series “Monster” by Naoki Urasawa

Directed by Masayuki Kojima

Series Composition by Tatsuhiko Urahata

Script by Kazuo Watanabe, Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, Kurasumi Sunayama, Masahiro Hayashi, Masatoshi Hakada, Namiko Abe, Ryosuke Nakamura, Ryū Nakamura, Tatsuhiko Urahata, Tomomi Yoshino, Tomonori Saitō

Music by Kuniaki Haishima

Character Design by Shigeru Fujita

Art Director: Yuji Ikeda

Character Conceptual Design by Kitaro Kousaka

Sound Director by Yasunori Honda

Director of Photography: Ryu Takizawa

Producer: Hiroshi Yamashita, Manabu Tamura, Masao Maruyama, Takuya Yui

Anime Production by Madhouse Studios

Featuring the following voice talent:

Hidenobu Kiuchi/Liam O’Brien as Kenzou Tenma

Mamiko Noto/Karen Strassman as Nina Fortner/Anna Lieert

Nozomu Sasaki/Keith Silverstein as Johan Liebert

Hideyuki Tanaka as Mr. Wolfgang Grimmer

Ichiro Nagai/Paul St. Peter as Dr. Reichwein

Junko Takeuchi/Laura Bailey as Dieter

Mami Koyama/Tara Platt as Eva Heinemann

Tsutomu Isobe/Richard Epcar as Inspector Runge (Lunge)

What would you do if a child you saved grew up to be a monster?

An ice-cold killer is on the loose, and Dr. Kenzo Tenma is the only one who can stop him! Tenma, a brilliant neurosurgeon with a promising future, risks his career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy named Johan. When the boy, now a coldhearted and charismatic young man, reappears nine years later in the midst of a string of unusual serial murders, Tenma must go on the run from the police, who suspect him to be the killer, to find Johan and stop the monster he set loose upon the world.

In 1994, mangaka Naoki Urasawa (known for his works “Pineapple Army”, “Master Keaton”, “Yawara” and later for “Pluto” and “20th Century Boys”) began the series “Monster” which would be featured in Shogakukan’s “Big Comic Original” from 1994 through 2001 (later reprinted in 18 tankobon volumes). The series has won several awards including the “Excellence Prize” at the 1997 Japan Media Arts Festival and the “Shogakukan Manga Award” in 2001.

And in 2004, the manga series received an anime adaptation courtesy of Madhouse Studios (“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”, “Summer Wars”, “Death Note”, etc.) and was directed by Masayuki Kojima (who worked on the series “Samurai Champloo”, “Trinity Blood”, “Master Keaton”, “Gunslinger Girl”) and series composition by Tatsuhiko Urahata (“Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino”, “Vampire Hunter”, “Saki” “Mermaid’s scar”, etc.). The series was 74-episodes long and lasted until Sept. 2005.

Because Kojima wanted to capture Urasawa’s character designs and the fact that the series was quite long and longer television series may have quality differences, it was important for him to have a number of people working on the artwork and getting familiar with Urasawa’s work and thus there were two directors responsible for the look of the series: character designer and chief animation director Shigeru Fujita (“Nana”, “Summer Wars”, etc.) and character conceptual design by Kitaro Kousaka (“Spirited Away”, “Ponyo on the Cliff”, “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind”, “Howl’s Moving Castle”, etc.).

The story of “Monster” is about a talented neurosurgeon from Japan named Kenzou Tenma. Dr. Tenma works at the Eisler Memorial Hospital in Dusseldorf, Germany and he was given that chance to work in the country by Director Heinemann. Kenzou happens to be engaged to Heinemann’s daughter Eva and with Tenma doing so well at the hospital, he has a chance to become the department director which makes Eva happy.

But Dr. Tenma is shocked when one emergency patient who came in to the hospital, a patient he would have worked on, until he was called in by the Director to work on a more important patient. We learn that the Director Heinemann values Dr. Tenma’s work but the priority is the hospital and its business. So, saving those that are beneficial to the hospital comes first. This shocks Dr. Tenma because he looks at all patients and values them all the same, he wants to help them.

One day while working, two young twins are rushed into the hospital. Their parents have been murdered and the girl is in shock, while the boy has a bullet lodged into his head. Dr. Tenma is prepared to work on the boy but immediately, the director gives him an order to not work on him but on the mayor. Dr. Tenma is angered by this and talks to the director and learns that the Mayor is very helpful to the hospital and its the hospital’s best interest to have him alive, so Dr. Tenma is the best surgeon and he must do it. But Dr. Tenma doesn’t.

Tenma let’s other doctors work on the mayor while he works on the child, disobeying the director’s orders. Afterwards, he manages to save the boy but the mayor dies and there are repercussions. Tenma is no longer considered for director of the department and Eva dumps him for the man who does become director. For Dr. Tenma, he doesn’t understand why these band things are happening and all he wanted to do is save lives and while sitting next to the boy he saved (who is sleeping), out of anger, Dr. Tenma screams that he wishes they were dead.

The following day, the director is found dead by his daughter. As well as a few others. And the twins that were rushed into the hospital, have disappeared.

Fast forward nine years later and Dr. Tenma is the director of the hospital, investigators are working hard on a case as more people are being found dead. For Inspector Runge, he suspects Dr. Tenma maybe involved. As for Dr. Tenma, he has no idea what’s going on until he meets a patient who reveals to him that he and his partners have killed people but they were instructed to and now the person who has hired them is out to kill them. Dr. Tenma is shocked and confused and then he learns the truth.

The boy he saved nine years ago, Johan Liebert is not only the mastermind of the deaths that are happening around the area. Johan is a cold, intelligent, methodica, manipulative individual and is responsible for so many deaths.

This includes the deaths of Tenma’s director and colleagues. Johan tells Tenma that he made his wish come true on the day he was complaining about his colleagues and said “they were better off dead”, he made it happen. Shocked about his reunion with the boy, now a man, Tenma realizes that the boy who inspired him as a doctor has turned out to be a monster.

Now Dr. Tenma leaves his job and his life in order to find this monster and also to find out what has happened to his twin sister Anna. Anna is now living with the name Nina Fortner, a teenage college student living with her step-parents and has forgotten everything about her past including her brother. Thinking that she has been living this normal life but for some reason, has memories of something dark from her past which she can’t yet figure out and is seeing a psychiatrist to help her understand what is going on in her head.

Dr. Tenma now knows that she may be in danger and must do what he can to find her and try to stop Johan.

“Monster – Boxset 1″ comes with a total of 15 episodes, five episodes on each of the three discs. Here is a basic, spoilerless summary of each episode:

DISC 1:

CHAPTER 1: Herr Dr. Tenma – Dr. Tenma works on an opera singer but a mother and her child blames him for not working on her husband who came into the emergency room much earlier.
CHAPTER 2: Downfall – Dr. Tenma decides to disobey the director’s order by working on Johan Liebert’s life instead of the mayor.
CHAPTER 3: A Murder – The director and several doctors have been poisoned and killed. The storyline then shifts to nine years later.
CHAPTER 4: A Night of the Execution – A man named Junkers is being held in police custody for homicides in the area. The mastermind is revealed
CHAPTER 5: The Girl of Heidelberg – The storyline then showcases Nina Fortner (Anna Liebert) who is studying law in Heidelberg.

DISC 2:

CHAPTER 6: The Missing – Dr. Tenma works with a journalist to track down Nina Fortner.
CHAPTER 7: House of Tragedy – Dr. Tenma finds Nina (Anna) but when they arrive back to her home, they discover only tragedy.
CHAPTER 8: Pursued – Dr. Tenma returns to Dusseldorf and we see how his ex-fiance, Eva’s life has changed for the worst.
CHAPTER 9: The Girl and the Seasoned Soldier – Dr. Tenma learns how to use firearms.
CHAPTER 10: A Past Erased – Dr. Tenma starts working with a criminal named Otto.

DISC 3:

CHAPTER 11: 511 Kinderheim – While Tenma investigates Johan’s past, he learns about the atrocities created on the children of 511 Kinderheim.
CHAPTER 12: A Little Experiment – Tenma goes to learn more about 511 Kinderheim and meets a boy named Dieter.
CHAPTER 13: Petra and Schumann – Tenma and Dieter are in a village and help out a doctor in town.
CHAPTER 14: Left Behind – We learn how Eva has tried to move on with her personal life until something happens.
CHAPTER 15: Be My Baby – Nina goes undercover as a prostitute in order to find Johan.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Monster” is an anime series that features a lot of talent trying to capture Naoki Urasawa’s work. Urasawa has a distinct character design and for the most part, Madhouse Studios did a wonderful job in recreating his designs for the anime series. It is important to note that the anime series came out back in 2004 and it is a television series. For those not familiar with anime, need to know that in Japan, anime studios work on these series one week at a time and are working on other series within the same time frame. So, because of deadlines, an anime series must be prepared and ready to the network for airing on television. With that being said, “Monster” is a series that looks absolutely beautiful when it comes to its artistic background and character designs. This is a series that both Masayuki Kojima and Tatsuhiko Urahata knew would be long and thus prepared themselves by aligning with talented staff.

But at the same time, although capturing the essence of Urasawa, there is mild compression and aliasing that can be seen. But granted, this is more visible with those with a larger viewing area. Also, various areas of Germany are captured quite well in the series and for the most part, the staff did a great job of adapting the manga series for anime and keeping Urasawa’s look but also capturing that feel of Germany.

Audio is featured in Japanese and English 2.0 stereo. Dialogue is clear and understandable, music was also clear and I must say that I enjoyed both audio soundtracks. The English dub work was very well done and well-cast. Japanese dialogue was also solid.

Optional English subtitles are included.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Monster Boxset 1” comes with the following special features:

Creators Special Interview - A 16-page text interview with director Masayuki Kojima and what he wanted to accomplish with the series.
World Report - Text information about Germany and the areas where the story of “Monster” takes place thus far.
Characters - Text information on the characters who have appeared from episodes 1-15.
Story of Monster – A text summary of each episode from 1-15.
Trailers - Trailers for Naoki Urasawa’s “PLUTO”.
Manga - Promotional screen of Naoki Urasawa’s “MONSTER” manga series.

As for packaging, “Monster – Box Set 1″ comes in three DVD cases which fits into a box. There is no artwork on the spine itself, so there is no image connect each box together when the future volumes are released.

“Monster” is a fantastic anime series that is thrilling, suspenseful and very addicting!

Naoki Urasawa has literally become one my top mangaka’s in Japan. His stories and his character designs are so captivating, thrilling and he literally knows how to capture your attention through the storyline’s pacing and makes you want even more after its done.

The character Tenma is a good-hearted individual and his top priority as a doctor is saving lives. So, it’s very interesting to see his character being put through so much and having to harbor this guilt that the decision to save a boy’s life has ended with so many people being killed. The boy that he saved was and is a monster and now with so much weight on his shoulders, Tenma feels he must kill the monster he helped revive.

What Urasawa is exceptional at is developing his characters (definitely give his other manga series such as “Master Keaton”, “20th Century Boys” and “Pluto” a chance) and in this case, although the series focuses on Dr. Tenma, we get to see these other characters coming to play in the storyline. May it be the twins Johan and Anna, Inspector Runge, the boy Dieter or his ex-fiance Eva, he knows when to utilize the other characters so well that you wonder how these characters will fare in the end. Will they survive? Will they die?

It’s one thing to capture it in the manga series but definitely exciting to see how director Masayuki Kojima and Tatsuhiko Urahata was able to bring the manga to animation. Urasawa’s character designs are well-captured, voice acting for both Japanese and English are very well done and each episode is just captivating one after the other.

The series is rated M for mature because there is killing, their is blood and their are people being shot and executed. It’s not visually violent, as we don’t necessarily see it happening but more of it taking place before and then seeing the aftermath. So, this is not a series parents should buy for their children. It’s a dark series but definitely a smart, serious, fun anime series that I have seen thus far. I definitely look forward to volume 2!

“Monster Boxset 1″ is highly recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on DVD

VIZ MEDIA OFFERS AN EMOTIONAL MIX OF THE REAL AND IMAGINARY IN THE DEBUT OF TAIYO MATSUMOTO’S GOGO MONSTER

November 11, 2009 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

New Manga Release Blends Bold Art And A Clever Story Of A Young Boy Who Tries To Balance His Own Lonely World With a Fantastic Supernatural Realm Only He Can See

San Francisco, CA, November 10, 2009 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the upcoming release of Taiyo Matsumoto’s celebrated manga GOGO MONSTER on November 17th. GOGO MONSTER will be published by the company’s VIZ Signature imprint, rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $27.99 U.S. / $36.00 CAN.

Third grader Yuki Tachibana lives in two worlds. In one world, he is a loner ridiculed by his classmates and reprimanded by his teachers for telling stories of supernatural beings that only he can see. In the other world, the supernatural beings vie for power with malevolent spirits who bring chaos into the school, the students’ lives, and even nature itself.

“Taiyo Matsumoto’s clever stories and striking art have placed him among the best of a new generation of influential manga artists and we are privileged to present GOGO MONSTER to U.S. audiences,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Marketing, VIZ Media. “This story continues to show Matsumoto’s fascination with youth as he seamlessly blends themes of alienation with the paranormal. For anyone with an overactive imagination or has even just daydreamed during class, GOGO MONSTER offers an emotional tale that shows how what we see and imagine, whether real or imaginary, shapes our personality in profound ways.”

Taiyo Matsumoto made his manga debut in the Japanese magazine Comic Afternoon with the short story STRAIGHT. He went on to travel throughout France and became heavily influenced by the French comics he studied there including those created by pioneering European artists like Moebius and Enki Bilal. Matsumoto has become internationally acclaimed for stories that capture the essence of disaffected youth and adolescent alienation. His other notable works include BLUE SPRING, NO. 5 and TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE, which are all published in North America by VIZ Media. TEKKONKINKREET won a prestigious Will Eisner Award in 2008 and was also adapted for an animated feature film. Another Matsumoto manga story, PING PONG, was turned into an award-winning live action film that is available from VIZ Pictures.

For more information on other VIZ Signature titles please visit www.VizSignature.com and www.Sigikki.com.

Filed Under: Manga News and Reviews

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