Manga Review: Showa 1944 1953 a History of Japan by Shigeru Mizuki Shigeru Mizuki was one of the oldest (born 1922, died 2015) still-working and most respected manga creators in Japan. Though he is best known for children’s horror comics such as GeGeGe no Kitaro, Mizuki also has written extensively for adults. This is the third… Continue reading Manga Review: Showa 1944 1953 a History of Japan
Category: manga
Manga Review: Ranma 1/2
Manga Review: Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi Soun Tendou, a widowed martial arts instructor in the Nerima suburb of Tokyo, has three daughters: gentle Kasumi, cunning Nabiki and fiery Akane. They are surprised to learn one day that their father made an agreement with his old friend Genma Saotome to marry one of them to… Continue reading Manga Review: Ranma 1/2
Manga Review: UQ Holder! Vol. 1
Manga Review: UQ Holder! Vol. 1 by Ken Akamatsu It is a couple of generations into the future, and both reasonably-priced space travel and techno-magic have come into existence. Large swaths of Earth’s population has gone to space, with the remaining people either enjoying life in small country villages or struggling in the remaining big… Continue reading Manga Review: UQ Holder! Vol. 1
Anime for Speculative Fiction Fans (2015)
Once again this year I participated in the “Anime and Manga for Speculative Fiction Fans” panel at Minicon. As promised at the panel, here’s a list of the items mentioned–I make no representations regarding the quality of the ones I have not seen. .hack: A series of interlocking video games, anime, manga and light novels… Continue reading Anime for Speculative Fiction Fans (2015)
Manga Review: Master Keaton, Volume 1
Manga Review: Master Keaton, Volume 1 art by Naoki Urasawa, story by Hokusei Katsushika & Takashi Nagasaki Taichi Hiraga Keaton is a mild-looking fellow with a bumbling exterior personality. You’d never guess that he’s a brilliant archaeologist, ex-SAS soldier and freelance insurance investigator. He often takes leave of his day job as a poorly paid… Continue reading Manga Review: Master Keaton, Volume 1
Manga Review: Vinland Saga, Book Five
Manga Review: Vinland Saga, Book Five by Makoto Yukimura Warning: This review contains spoilers for the first four volumes of this series, so you may want to read the reviews for those if you are new to Vinland Saga. It has been a few years since the end of Thorfinn’s quest for vengeance on the man who… Continue reading Manga Review: Vinland Saga, Book Five
Manga Review: Yukarism
Manga Review: Yukarism by Chika Shiomi Teen author Yukari Kobayakawa was born with a birthmark that resembles a sword wound. His books set in the Edo period of Japan are best-sellers; but curiously he never does any research for them. It’s as though that knowledge is his birthright. Yukari’s life goes from odd but… Continue reading Manga Review: Yukarism
Manga Review: Batman: the Jiro Kuwata Batmanga
Manga Review: Batman: the Jiro Kuwata Batmanga by Jiro Kuwata In the mid-1960s, the Batman TV show was a huge hit not just in America, but also in Japan. As a tie-in, 8-Man creator Jiro Kuwata was hired to create a manga version of Batman for the local market. While the television show was more based on… Continue reading Manga Review: Batman: the Jiro Kuwata Batmanga
Manga Review: Bokurano (Ours)
Manga Review: Bokurano (Ours) by Mohiro Kitoh Fifteen middle-schoolers are at summer camp when they discover a seaside cave and decide to investigate. Inside, they find a man called Kokopelli, who is surrounded by electronic gear. He claims to be developing a new game where you pilot a giant robot to defend the Earth against… Continue reading Manga Review: Bokurano (Ours)
Manga Review: Assassination Classroom
Manga Review: Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui Things are tough for the students of Class 3-E at Kunugigaoka Junior High School. 3-E’s where the elite school sticks all the losers and freaks, the bottom 5% of the student body. Their classes are held in a decrepit outbuilding, they aren’t allowed any extracurricular activities, and the… Continue reading Manga Review: Assassination Classroom