Manga Review: Descending Stories Volume 1 by Haruko Kumota Rakugo is a traditional Japanese form of storytelling in which a single performer sits on a stage and tells a comedic or sentimental story with only a fan and small cloth for props and never moving from the seiza position. It has its roots in sermons preached… Continue reading Manga Review: Descending Stories Volume 1
Category: manga
Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump (2018)
Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump (2018) by various Here we are at another anniversary for SKJAM! Reviews, and thus my annual review of the state of Shonen Jump. This may, however, be the last in this format–more on that anon. A quick recap for those who haven’t been here before: Shounen Jump Weekly is the top-selling manga anthology in… Continue reading Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump (2018)
Manga Review: Vinland Saga Book Nine
Manga Review: Vinland Saga Book Nine by Makoto Yukimura Warning: This review will have SPOILERS for previous volumes of the series; you may want to read earlier reviews first. Previously: Thorfinn Thorsson and his ragtag band are taking a load of narwhal horns to Greece, where they hope to sell them to get funding for… Continue reading Manga Review: Vinland Saga Book Nine
Manga Review: Princess Jellyfish Volume 02
Manga Review: Princess Jellyfish Volume 02 by Akiko Higashimura Quick recap: Amamizu-kan is a women-only apartment building inhabited by the Amars, a group of socially awkward women who fear socially-skilled people, who they call “the stylish.” Jellyfish-obsessed artist Tsukimi accidentally befriends the “princess” Kuranosuke, who turns out to be a young man with a penchant… Continue reading Manga Review: Princess Jellyfish Volume 02
Manga Review: Bakuman. Volume 11
Manga Review: Bakuman. Volume 11 story by Tsugumi Ohba, art by Takeshi Obata Moritaka Mashiro’s uncle was a one-hit manga creator whose work appeared in Weekly Shounen Jump back in the day. After the end of that series, he worked himself to death trying to come up with a new hit. Warned by this example,… Continue reading Manga Review: Bakuman. Volume 11
Manga Review: Kenka Bancho Otome #1
Manga Review: Kenka Bancho Otome #1 by Chie Shimada Hinako is looking forward to high school. She grew up in an orphanage, constantly harassed by bullies until she learned to fight back, only to get a reputation as a violent tomboy. Ever since, the rumors about her fighting skills have kept her from having any… Continue reading Manga Review: Kenka Bancho Otome #1
Manga Review: Hayate the Combat Butler Vol. 2
Manga Review: Hayate the Combat Butler Vol. 2 by Kenjiro Hata Nagi Sanzenin, for all her wealth, is a lonely 13-year-old girl who must constantly be on guard against those who would harm her to gain some of her money, even her own relatives. On Christmas Eve, Nagi is saved from kidnappers by an outstandingly athletic… Continue reading Manga Review: Hayate the Combat Butler Vol. 2
Manga Review: Yowamushi Pedal 1
Manga Review: Yowamushi Pedal 1 by Wataru Watanabe The Sohoku High School Bicycle Racing Club has several interesting freshman members this year. There’s Imaizumi, a serious competitor whose family is wealthy, so he can afford the finest bicycle racing equipment and training. There’s the fiery Naruko from Osaka, who’s a fine sprinter despite his flashy… Continue reading Manga Review: Yowamushi Pedal 1
Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 21, 24 & 26
Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 21, 24 & 26by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a shinigami, a psychopomp who helps lost spirits find their way to the afterlife. He’s part-human, and must use expensive tools to make up for his weak powers. Between these expenses and debts saddled on Rinne by his deadbeat father Sabato,… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 21, 24 & 26
Book Review: Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics
Book Review: Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics by Frederik L. Schodt Back in the early 1980s, manga and anime fandom was tiny, with almost no material being available in English save dubs heavily edited for American children’s television and expunged as much as possible of their Japanese roots. It required a certain amount… Continue reading Book Review: Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics