Manga Review: Lone Wolf & Cub Omnibus 1 written by Kazuo Koike, art by Goseki Kojima Ogami Itto was once a samurai warrior of high rank, the official executioner for the shogunate. He had a lovely wife and new son; life was good. But another clan was ambitious, and framed Ogami for treason. Under sentence of… Continue reading Manga Review: Lone Wolf & Cub Omnibus 1
Tag: Japan
Manga Review: Noragami: Stray God #1
Manga Review: Noragami: Stray God #1 by Adachitoka Mutsumi is in a bad way. Not only is she under stress studying for the high school entrance exams, but her classmates have turned against her, bullying Mutsumi and encouraging her to self-harm. She’s locked herself in a toilet stall for a good cry when suddenly… Continue reading Manga Review: Noragami: Stray God #1
Book Review: Behind the Forgotten Front, a WWII Novel
Book Review: Behind the Forgotten Front, a WWII Novel by Barbara Hawkins Like many red-blooded American men after Pearl Harbor, Lieutenant Harry Flynn joined the Army to fight the enemy directly. But the Army has a lot of jobs to fill, and his excellent handwriting gets Harry posted as a supply officer in a backwater… Continue reading Book Review: Behind the Forgotten Front, a WWII Novel
Manga Review: Showa 1926 1939 a History of Japan
Manga Review: Showa 1926 1939 a History of Japan by Shigeru Mizuki This is the first volume of Shigeru Mizuki’s massive history of Japan during the reign of Emperor Hirohito, the “Showa Era,” It was a long reign, covering most of the Twentieth Century, from 1926-1989. In addition to the larger story of Japan, it… Continue reading Manga Review: Showa 1926 1939 a History of Japan
Book Review: Kaiju: Lords of the Earth
Book Review: Kaiju: Lords of the Earth edited by Essel Pratt Kaiju (“strange beast”) is primarily a subgenre of the monster movie that became codified in Japan. They’re mostly gigantic monsters that are nigh-unstoppable by conventional armaments, and run around destroying cities or fighting other giant monsters. The seeds of the story type were sown… Continue reading Book Review: Kaiju: Lords of the Earth
Anime Review: Space Patrol Luluco
Anime Review: Space Patrol Luluco Luluco is a normal middle-school student who is trying to live a normal middle-school life in the decidedly abnormal town of Ogikubo. It’s the one place on Earth where aliens are allowed to mix freely with humans. Luluco’s father Keiji is a Space Patrol officer who helps dispense justice in… Continue reading Anime Review: Space Patrol Luluco
Manga Review: Samurai Executioner Omnibus 2
Manga Review: Samurai Executioner Omnibus 2 written by Kazuo Koike, art by Goseki Kojima Yamada “Decapitator” Asaemon is the o-tameshiyaku, sword-tester for the shogun and official executioner of criminals. It’s not a pretty job, but at least he has one in Edo-era Japan, during a time of peace. Without wars to fight, many of the samurai… Continue reading Manga Review: Samurai Executioner Omnibus 2
Manga Review: Princess Jellyfish Volume 1
Manga Review: Princess Jellyfish Volume 1 by Akiko Higashimura Amamizukan is not your average apartment building. For one thing, it’s a small, old-fashioned building of the type rarely seen these days. More importantly, all the residents are fujoshi (“rotten women”) who for one reason or another have fallen outside the society-approved get job/get husband/have kids way… Continue reading Manga Review: Princess Jellyfish Volume 1
Anime Review: Hataraki Man
Anime Review: Hataraki Man Hiroko Matsukada is an “editor” at Jidai, a weekly magazine. What this means in practice is that she researches and writes articles, as well as working with at least one outside author who submits a serialized novel for the magazine. At 28 and still single, Hiroko sometimes worries that she’s missing… Continue reading Anime Review: Hataraki Man
Manga Review: Mysterious Girlfriend X #1
Manga Review: Mysterious Girlfriend X #1 by Riichi Ueshiba Akira Tsubaki is a normal 17-year-old high school student. New student Mikoto Urabe appears to be anything but normal. Her bangs cover her eyes, she sleeps during lunch and class breaks, bursts out laughing in the middle of class for no apparent reason and carries scissors… Continue reading Manga Review: Mysterious Girlfriend X #1