Manga Review: Vinland Saga Book One by Makoto Yukimura It is the Eleventh Century C.E., and Europe trembles in fear of the raiders from the north, who we would call Vikings. This is the story of one such Viking, the youth Thorfinn Thorssen. This thick volume opens with a battle in the Frankish Kingdoms (later… Continue reading Manga Review: Vinland Saga Book One
Category: manga
Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump (USA)
Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump (USA) It’s the first anniversary of my blog! To celebrate, I thought it would be nice to update the very first review that appeared here. http://www.skjam.com/2012/12/09/manga-review-shonen-jump-alpha/ Shounen Jump is still Japan’s number one best-selling manga anthology title. Although the primary market is still middle-school through high school boys, people of… Continue reading Manga Review: Weekly Shonen Jump (USA)
Manga Review: Voice Over! Seiyu Academy #1
Manga Review: Voice Over! Seiyu Academy #1 by Maki Minami Hime Kino isn’t much like her name would imply (“Hime” means “Princess.”) She’s clumsy and tomboyish, and none too bright. Plus, she’s got a voice like a gravel pit, that only gets worse when she tries to sound cute. But she’s a huge fan of… Continue reading Manga Review: Voice Over! Seiyu Academy #1
Manga Review: Puella Magi Kazumi Magica Volume 1
Manga Review: Puella Magi Kazumi Magica Volume 1 by Masaki Hiramatsu & Takashi Tensugi A couple of years back, there was a surprise hit anime titled Puella Magi Madoka Magica. While many magical girl stories have dark undertones beneath their fluffy, candy-colored exteriors, Madoka went full on into very dark places by twisting some of the standard… Continue reading Manga Review: Puella Magi Kazumi Magica Volume 1
Manga Review: Triage X
Manga Review: Triage X by Shouji Sato This is an entry in the ever popular “vigilante justice” sub-genre. Mochizuki General Hospital is the secret headquarters of Black Label, a small group of assassins that target “seats of disease” that spread the cancer of crime. All but one of the field agents are well-endowed young women,… Continue reading Manga Review: Triage X
Manga Review: Ayako
Manga Review: Ayako by Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka is best known in the United States for his early children’s manga and their subsequent animated adaptations like “Astro Boy” and “Kimba the White Lion.” But later in his prolific career, he also produced quite a few works for more mature readers, such as “MW” and “Ode… Continue reading Manga Review: Ayako
Manga Review: A*Tomcat
Manga Review: A*Tomcat by Osamu Tezuka A perennial comic book idea is animal versions of previously created superheroes, such as Hoppy, the Marvel Bunny for Captain Marvel. It turns out that manga creators can do it too. Back in the 1950s, Osamu Tezuka created Tetsuwan Atom (“Mighty Atom”), the story of a super-powered robot that looked… Continue reading Manga Review: A*Tomcat
Manga Review: Vagabond Volume 1
Manga Review: Vagabond Volume 1 by Takehiko Inoue Miyamoto Musashi, author of A Book of Five Rings, was one of the greatest swordsmen of his time (the 1600s) and something of a warrior-philosopher. He’s become a legendary figure, and there have been many fictional accounts of his life in Japanese media. The most influential of these… Continue reading Manga Review: Vagabond Volume 1
Interview: Arijan Clark
Interview: Arijan Clark Welcome to a new feature here at SKJAM! Reviews, interviews with the people behind the media. Today, we’re talking to Arijan Clark, the translator of Volume Three of “Anesthesiologist Hana“, previously reviewed on this blog. S. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? A. My name is Arijan Clark, and… Continue reading Interview: Arijan Clark
Manga Review: HeroMan Volume 1
Manga Review: HeroMan Volume 1 by Tamon Ohta and BONES, from a concept by Stan Lee. Joey Jones is a young orphan living with his grandmother in Center City, California. He’s a sweet kid in a bad situation, who has to hold down a part-time job to help with the bills and can’t afford nice… Continue reading Manga Review: HeroMan Volume 1