Manga Blogosphere

Writing for The New York Times, Motoko Rich looks at “the new austerity in publishing”:

“Venerable houses including HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Penguin Group, Random House and Simon & Schuster have all announced salary freezes or layoffs, or both. Simon & Schuster canceled its annual holiday party, held for the last few years at Tavern on the Green and scheduled in 2008 for Guastavino’s, a splashy banquet hall in Manhattan. One division of Random House had pizza, beer and wine in a room off the cafeteria for its holiday lunch instead of going out for pricey cocktails. Across the city, editors with Four Seasons taste are being asked to scale back on their lunch tabs.”

It’s not all parties and perks, though, as Rich looks at some of the costlier aspects of book publishing, such as returns and creator advances. No mention of the graphic novel sector of the publishing industry, but lots of houses with significant graphic novel imprints or distribution deals go under Rich’s scrutiny.

      

First list of the year but this list is mainly carry over from the last week as most of the populous in Japan was taking the second half of the week off for the New Year break. Though MPD Psycho must be selling like crazy since it doesn’t officially go one sale until today…

1
鋼の錬金術師２１
Fullmetal Alchemist 21
by: 荒川　弘
(Arakawa Hiromu)
Publisher: SquareEnix/Viz Media
Price: 420
ISBN: 4-7575-2439-0
Release Date: 2008/12/22
Demo: Shounen

2
ひだまりスケッチ４
Sunshine Sketch 4
by: 蒼樹　うめ
(Aoki Ume)
Publisher: Houbunsha/Yen Press
Price: 860
ISBN: 4-8322-7762-6
Release Date: 2008/12/25
Demo: Seinen

3
頭文字Ｄ　３８
Initial D 38
by: しげの　秀一
(Shigeno Shuuichi)
Publisher: Kodansha/Tokyopop
Price: 550
ISBN: 4-06-361723-8
Release Date: 2008/12/26
Demo: Seinen

4
多重人格探偵サイコ　１３
MPD Pyscho 13
by: 田島　昭宇
(Tajima Show)
Publisher: Kadokawa/Dark Horse
Price: 609
ISBN: 4-04-715155-6
Release Date: 2008/12/29
Demo: Shounen

5
お嬢様はＨがお好き
OJou-sama ha H ga OSuki
by: ぼっしぃ
(Posshi)
Publisher: Wani Magazine Co.
Price: 1470
ISBN: 4-86269-077-7
Release Date: 2008/12/26
Demo: Adult

6
高校デビュー　１３
High School Debut 13
by: 河原　和音
(Kawahara Kazune)
Publisher: Shueisha/Viz Media
Price: 420
ISBN: 4-08-846367-6
Release Date: 2008/12/25
Demo: Shounen

7
医竜　１９
Team Medical Dragon 19
by: 乃木坂　太郎
(Nogihara Tarou)
Publisher: Shogakukan
Price: 540
ISBN: 4-09-182289-4
Release Date: 2008/12/26
Demo: 青年

8
隠の王　１０
Nabari no Oh 10
by: 鎌谷　悠希
(Kamatani Yuuki)
Publisher: SqaureEnix/Yen Press
Price: 600
ISBN: 4-7575-2453-6
Release Date: 2008/12/27
Demo: Seinen

9
もやしもん　　７
Moyashimon 7
by: 石川　雅之
(Ishikawa Masayuki)
Publisher: Kodansha/Del Rey
Price: 560
ISBN: 4-06-352244-X
Release Date: 2008/12/22
Demo: Seinen

10
機動戦士ガンダム THE ORIGIN　１８
Mobile Suit Gundam THE ORIGIN 18
by: 安彦　良和
(Yasuhiko Yoshikazu)
Publisher: Kadokawa/???
Price: 588
ISBN: 4-04-715145-9
Release Date: 2008/12/25
Demo: Shounen
リストの先頭へ
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A Coming-of-Age (Bohemian) Rhapsody

This autobiography is about how Mike Dawson loved the music of Freddie Mercury and moved from the United Kingdom to the United States as a child. As such, I expected it to address in some fashion these topics:

• Why Queen’s music was so appealing to him
• How the near-death revelation of Mercury’s homosexuality and his having AIDS affected him
• The culture clash between England and the U.S.

Freddie & Me
Buy this book

I think those are basic questions most people would have when told a book was about those subjects. Unfortunately, none of them are addressed in any significant fashion. I wanted to known why Queen mattered so much to Dawson, so much so that he tracks what happens in his life by what he was listening to, but instead of insight, I got anecdotes. Some are funny — Dawson tries to sing Bohemian Rhapsody at a talent contest when he’s 10, only to be ushered off the stage early — but many are overly familiar, especially to anyone who’s read any other comic autobiographies about male geek artists. I feel like one of the people he writes about, who don’t understand his love for the music, because he never explains it to me.

I was left with the questions no autobiographical cartoonist wants to hear: what’s so special about your life? why should I bother reading about it? The most significant section of the book, in my opinion, is a between-chapters reflection on what memory is, what determines how we remember things, and how we change memories into stories. That was new and unusual. The rest, not so much.

The artwork is well-done and easy-to-read, populated with appealing blobby caricatures. The book is a rambling wander, although an impressive achievement at over 300 pages.

A preview chapter and podcast interview was posted at USA Today. This interview at the Comics Reporter reveals more about the author’s goals. Chris Dawson has posted background material at his blog, including deleted pages. (A complimentary copy for this review was provided by the publisher.)

Similar Posts: New York So Far § Ask Steven Butler About Archie Redesign § Archie Podcast Posted § RIP Leah Adezio § Image Publisher Change

Here’s my very late shopping list for December and my just-in-time list for January. Sadly, amazon just had to deliver my December orders after I left for my home town and by now the mail probably has been already sent back, because I didn’t fetch them within the 7-day period. Oh well, guess I’ll have to order them again. No money lost.

December

Carlsen Manga
- Black Lagoon Volume #7
Black Lagoon is a very action-heavy manga. Its strong point doesn’t necessarily lie in its plot, but rather in the intriguing characters and their interaction. It’s a perfect manga to read, when you don’t want to process heavy information.
- Syurayuki Hime - Fukkatsu No Shou – Single Volume
New material of this manga by Kazuo Koike & Kazuo Kamimura was discovered in 2006, published a year later and now it’ll be released in Germany! Awesome! I enjoyed Lady Snowblood and hope that the sequel can live up to its precursor.

Tokyopop.de
- Yotsuba&! Volume #6
Everyone adores Yotsuba&! I mean how can you not adore it?! It’s a hilarious spectacle! Has anyone asked where Kiyohiko Azuma gets his ideas from? I would be interested to know that.

Seven Seas Entertainment
- Dance with the Vampire Bund Volume #3
Hey, hey, hey! More Vampires! The series improved a fair bit in volume 2, but I hope it continues to do so in this volume. SSE does a fine job in the design and I can’t complain about the quality either. Of course I can’t scrutinize their translations, but so far I haven’t read anything bad them.

January

Egmont Manga
- Biomega Volume #1
The first manga by Tsutomu Nihei after Blame to be released in Germany! I loved Blame. It was different. It was confusing. It was mind-blowing.
- Eden: It’s an endless world Volume #17
Eden always manages to surprise me. This is the penultimate volume and I’m eager how Endo will finish his masterpiece. But at the same time I’m uneasy. To end a manga like Eden in a satisfying fashion shows the true quality of a mangaka. Hiroki Endo should belong to that category of mangaka.

UDON Entertainment
- ROBOT Volume #6
ROBOT opened up a new universe for me. The various artists allowed an art laymen, like myself, to experience different styles and broaden my simple “art horizon” exponentially. I owe ROBOT. Ed Chavez mentioned that UDON had/has troubles with its solicitation, but I hope that they’ll managed to solve problems and can release it ASAP.

VIZ Manga
- REAL Volume #3
Yes! What a month, Biomega, Eden and another REAL volume as well! I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I was never a big fan of basketball (or any American sport), but Inoue is always able to fascinate me with his works. REAL far transcends the simple sport genre and that’s why you don’t have to be a sports manga/basketball fan to like it.

Purchase Pending
Egmont
- Gunslinger Girl Volume #9
Uhh, I didn’t even know I was still collecting this manga. I don’t know, maybe I’ll buy this volume, catch up with the manga and then decide whether I’ll continue to buy it or not.

      

Hope everyone had a Happy New Year! I’m sad that the holidays are over and the work grind is starting all over again. The Diet Resolution begins tomorrow, too, so I’m enjoying one last ice cream while I write this.   Holidays and ice cream, I will miss you!

仄かな恋の断片を by: : DOU BRAND

Shards of Affection by: Duo Brand

Rated:  18+

Price:  $12.95

Junè - BL/Romance/Drama

May Contain Spoilers

This collection of short stories seemed a little uneven, and the some of the chapters were more than a little confusing.  I liked the chapters that dealt with the swords the best, and thought that “Dangerous Hazy Moon” was totally out of place in this anthology.  It also featured one of my least favorite BL plot devices, and yes, I’m referring to a rape scene.  At least it wasn’t one of the leads committing the crime; a despicable co-worker had that honor.  I didn’t care for the story at all, but the end had an amusing twist.

“Wholeheartedly Frozen Moon” is about an exorcist.  He’s a little weak, and he relies on his lover, Tachibana, to help get him out of tight situations.  This was interesting because Asagi can see the spirits he’s trying to banish, but Tachibana can’t.  Asagi is often taken aback by how terrifying his opponents look, but Tachibana can only lend him support – he can’t really understand what’s so horrifying.  Things go awry when Asagi tries to do things on his own and things don’t go as smoothly as he would have liked. I enjoyed this one and was disappointed that it was so short.

In “Midday Linchpin,” Toranosuke seeks revenge against Shenjing, the demon responsible for his brother’s coma.  It’s one of those stories where the bad guy is really just misunderstood, and he’s not the monster everyone thinks he is.  Despite believing that Shenjing has left his brother in a coma, Toranosuke can’t help but be drawn to the handsome demon.  The heroes have an additional obstacle to conquer, because Shenjing’s touch kills humans.  Oh, drat!

“Chance Encounter Crescent Moon” is a two-parter, and this one, though a little confusing and tough to follow, was my favorite. Nanaki and Ninomiya are goshintou, sword incarnations given the likeness of men.  They assist exorcists in defeating evil spirits.  When Nanaki loses his sword blade, he is in danger of vanishing.  He must find it quickly, before he disappears forever.  Ninomiya wants to help him, but Nanaki keeps pushing him away.  I enjoyed the quiet desperation of the two men – Nanaki races to recover his blade, and Ninomiya searches for a way to save Nanaki. Nanaki’s lack of self worth is a constant source of conflict, and he just can’t trust Ninomiya.  Lots of great ansty moments as Nanaki’s time quickly ticks down.

To wrap things up, we get another look at Toranosuke and Shenjing, with a special guest appearances by Nanaki and Ninomiya.  One thing that I did enjoy about the book was how all of the chapters intertwined with each other.  There’s just so much story potential here that it gets a little short-changed with the short chapters.  Things felt very rushed and compressed.  I would have liked to see the stories expanded a little more.

Grade: C+

Review copy provided by Junè

This review was written by Julie for the MangaCast. Please drop by the Manga Maniac Cafe and check out the menu.  There’s always tasty reviews on display!

Happy New Year!! In case you are wondering the New Year’s card on the left is from our friends at Kodansha BOX. Little known fact, I did a little work for them last year. Nice times.

I wanted to make a New Year’s resolution to not flake on this weekly column this year but I didn’t went to bed at 9:00p on the 31st and never got around to making resolutions before the year started… Oh pooh! So no guarantees but I like this format so we’ll see how long I can keep it up.

Oh and if you have news send it in to the email (mangacast#gmail.com… remember to replace the # with a @).

-Japanese pubs commemorated the new year with a series of full page ads in many of Japan’s major newspapers over the holiday break. Here are a few gathered by Nishio Nishio’s Nuru Ota ga Kiru blog:

Shogakukan: Big Comics line of manga (left) and Shogakukan Books (right)

Shogakukan  had a solid year in 2008. There was a little bit of controversy especially with a couple of their best selling artists (Raiku Makoto and Shinjo Mayu. Shinjo left in 2007 but rekindled issues around the Raiku vs Shogakukan case). The pub also shut down two magazines Judy (josei) and Young Sunday (young seinen) as they were the only one of the Big Three to reduce their magazine production in 2008.

Shueisha: Shueisha manga (left) and their line of magazines for women (right)

Shueisha continued to expand their brand globally and domestically their Shounen Jump line dominated sales charts every month, always placing their books at the top of the heap on the first or second week of each month. Their josei lines also made considerable gains even though they reduced the number of magazines in 2008. SQ magazine has been a success since its debut and fans on both sides of the Pacific will have more opportunities to enjoy the titles from that mag in the future.

Please click on the first Shueisha image to check out the magazines featured in that Naruto collage. Oh and the message on that ad… “Manga is the Face of Japan.” Hmm, and if Naruto is Shueisha’s face, then…

Kodansha: Books, we want to read them.

Simple message from Kodansha as they go into their 100th Anniversary. Kodansha’s success has come from their “sophisticated” lines - seinen and josei. A large number of their seinen titles ranked high on annual “Best of” lists. Josei titles found great sales led by Nodame and Hotaru no Hikari. In the US the pub has become something of a mystery. Rumors of an American subsidary begat rumors of pulled licenses, begat concerns of the future of Del Rey’s manga line… Nothing has developed since but even now seven months later KoUSA is still news.

Kodansha dropped one magazine in 2008 - Magazine Z (their media mix magazine). And they added three new mags - Morning 2, good! Afternoon and Shounen Rival. The three new magazines, along with Afternoon, Kiss and BeLove, have been Kodansha’s strong points, as they have a number of best sellers and properties which have inspired movies, TV dramas and anime.

Del Rey has announced new Kodansha licenses through December conforming that licences are still being optioned. Knowing that a potentially strong title like Moyashimon was announced recently gives me confidence that Del Rey should be fine in 2009. But there are a number of other Kodansha books that fans want to read, Saint Onii-san being one, but which pub will release them might be the question of the year.

-Oh bishojo, you kill me! No really! The concept is often confused with moe out here, but bishojo is what most western otaku get to experience. Moe… Well I haven’t seen train comics, military comics or many titles like Yotsuba or Strawberry Marshmallow around (though, Hibiki’s Magic definitely fit that bill). And while moe is about purity and nurturing the youth and energy of both the parential figure and the little bud fans are watching over with joy.

Bishojo is definitely about sexuality. As the characters are slightly older and more conscious of their sexuality mangaka can then take advantage of loli themes to tease readers over and over. Lately teasing hasn’t been enough for this genre. Pushing the limits has been seen since this genre gained acceptance around the start of this decade. And in the title we are going to focus on today our heroine must express herself sexually for a whole world to experience… A world of erotic game freaks. (shudders)

Koe de OShigoto (Working with Voices) is a whacky seinen title featuring a high school student working as a part-time eroge voice actress… Wani Books, the publisher for this series, calls the series “a female high school student doing a blushing character voice story.” Outside of the potential sexual harassment that statement pretty much covers it.

Poor Kanna blushes her way through work on a regular basis reading lines she understands but not really given the context. If that wasn’t enough many of the themes in these games she works on have caused her mind to go wild when she relives the settings (many of these games are set in high schools). Now how does a 16-year-old get a job like this in the first place? Maybe the same way a high school girl gets a job as a producer in the AV industry… Oh bishojo-

Check out a raw preview of chapter 8 here (courtesy of Wani Books)

-Golgo 13 does not care for bishojo. Actually he might not really care for the josei he has relations with either… In the first of a series of mooks focusing on Duke Togo, Shogakukan takes a look at the women of G13. 40 years of Golgo means hundreds of encounters, some sexual, some criminal, all pretty intense if Golgo is involved. However instead of taking on the 120 volumes of Golgo 13, the Golgo 13 Anime Selection 1 ~Women~ points its viewfinder on to the 50 episode anime series which aired on Tokyo TV. This series (volume #2 covers rivals) is almost like an extended collection of Carl Horn’s FILE 13 omake from the Viz Media books. Part data files, part ani-manga and part manga anthology, these secret files go into almost disturbing detail about the assassins sex life and how women have influenced his life. To further explain the women of the anime Shogakukan has gone back to break down the chapters of manga that inspired the animated versions G13.

Notable black and white Golgo women include Cold Blooded Catherine, Lady Bitch, Shoujo Sarah and Ebony Eye… Now that’s what I call moe!  (Mainichi Online)

In-coming titles:

After more than 10 years Koyama Yuu’s Azumi came to an end in Big Comics SUPERIOR… And it only took a matter of weeks before the sequel AZUMI debuted!! YESS!! To be honest the live action movies do not do this series justice. In my opinion this has been one of the better historical series in the last 20 years and it continues to be at the top of my most wanted list. Cannot wait to see in which direction this new chapter of Azumi’s life takes her… Shogakukan

-Fans of Mashima Hiro’s Fairy Tail might want to pick up the latest issue of Shonen Magazine Special as it will feature a rare Fairy Tail side-story. This ten page story revolves around a special lesson Natsu receives from Mira-sensei… Natsu learns the sexy no jitsu (here called Henshin Mahou/transformation magic) where he tranforms into Lucy (bonkabon and all!!). In the bottom right panel Natsu (now in Lucy form) wonders if this training could be called sexual harassment… I don’t know if that exists in manga law. (Ike-san FRo.NEO RE)

-Lolicon master Asari Yoshitoo will debut a new series Astroid Minus through Tokuma Shoten’s Comic Ryu next month. Asai who is currently working on RukuRuku for Kodansha’s Afternoon hopes to inspire love and tears with this space themed SF comedy.

With the United States about to inaugurate its first African-American President, what better time to check out a political satire from three leading African-American creators? Birth of a Nation is written by Aaron McGruder (The Boondocks) and Reginald Hudlin (Black Panther) with art by Kyle Baker (Why I Hate Saturn).

Birth of a Nation
Buy this book

When black voters in East St. Louis go to the polls, they discover that they’ve all been tagged felons and aren’t allowed to vote. The shenanigans result in an idiot Texas governor illegitimately becoming President. Although the Supreme Court says injustice was done, they refuse to correct it, leading the Mayor to secede his city from the union. The government has failed them, whether on the huge scale of disenfranchisement or with small things, like not picking up the garbage.

Starting a new nation comes with all kind of questions, big and tiny. There’s funding to be figured out, plus things like a country name, a flag, and an anthem. People love the idea of a scrappy underdog, but when it comes to day-to-day living, they still have to eat. Looking at how decisions get made shows the reader why we have the kind of bread-and-circus political system we do. Along the way, other targets of satire include consumerism, cultural appropriation, and ultimately, whether to do what’s right or what’s comfortable.

As events escalate — the baby nation risks actually becoming a threat to the US because of electronic money transfers, and a native East St. Louis Air Force officer, tired of military racism, steals a fighter jet and defects — battles are fought both in the media and literally, with a planned invasion. Unfortunately, the blockbuster special effects ending doesn’t really address all the questions raised by the premise, but it certainly ends things with a bang.

Hudlin’s introduction, about growing up in East St. Louis, provides important context. His list of events that are outrageous but true in the city’s history put this comic about political corruption in a new light. Baker’s caricature-like illustrations, heavy on character closeups in vibrant colors, are accompanied by dialogue underneath the rectangular panels. The storyboard-like presentation both speaks to the project’s original gestation as a movie script and makes for easy reading for those put off by word balloons. It’s not very good comics, but the thought-provoking comedy speaks to some of our biggest hopes and fears.

Similar Posts: Recommend Good African-American Comics § Tough Question: Black Women Creators § America Jr. § African-American Comics Show in MS § Bluewater’s Next Female Politico Comic: Sarah Palin

Comiket came and went in the cold of Tokyo Bay last month. And it didn’t take long for those books to make their way to doujin specialty shops like Toranoana and Melon Books across the country. Actually according to some online reports some DJs were seen on shelves in Akihabara within hours of Comiket wrapping up on the 28th (with appearances in Osaka’s Otaku Road by late on the 30th). Now if these can only get to San Francisco in any amount of time..9

As usual the list is provided by Comics Toranoana.

1
BetsuJIN

by: Ishi Kei
Circle: Nise MIDI Doro no Kai
Category: manga - Ichijinsha/Shounen - Kannagi
Price: 525円
Age Rating: 18+
Release date: December 30, 2008 Comiket 75 Day 3

2
ぼたん鍋
Botan Nabe
by: Taka Tony
Circle: T2 Works
Category: PC Game - - CLANNAD
Price: 1050円
Age Rating: 18+
Release date: December 30, 2008 Comiket 75 Day 3

3
リス輪 〜完全版〜
RisuRin ~Complete Collection~
by: Seura Isago
Circle: Isago Inn
Category: Tabletop RPG - Hobby Japan - Queen’s Blade
Price：840円
Age Rating: 18+
Release date: December 30, 2008 Comiket 75 Day 3

4
水蜜少女1
Suimitsu Shoujo 1
by: Kahlua Suzuki
Circle: YAKIYAMA LINE
Category: Original - Gakuen
Price：630円
Age rating: 18+
Release Date: December 30, 2008 Comiket 75 Day 3

5
春夏さんといっしょ
Haruna-san to Issho
by: Mitarashi Kousei
Circle: Mitarashi Club
Category: PC Game - - To Heart2
Price: 735円
Age Rating: 18+
Release date: December 30, 2008 Comiket 75 Day 3

6
D.L. action45

by: Nakajima Yuka
Circle: Digital Lover
Category: Light Novel - MediaWorks - ToAru Majitsu no INDEX
Price：420円
Age Rating: 18+
Release date: December 30, 2008 Comiket 75 Day 3

7
LOVE VACATION

by: Tsukino Sadanori
Circle: Moon Ruler
Category: manga - Akita Shoten/Shounen - Iron LineBarrels
Price: 525円
Age Rating: 18+
Release date: PREORDER - December 30, 2008 Comiket 75 Day 3

8
制服楽園26
Uniform Heaven 26
by: Nakajima Yuka
Circle: Digital Lover
Category: Original - Uniforms
Price: 735円
Age Rating: 18+
Release date: December 30, 2008 - Comiket Day 3

9
ONE DAY -ARUHI-

by: Okazaki Takeshi
Circle: Hapoi’s Room
Category: Light Novel - MediaWorks - ToraDora!
Price：751円
Age rating: 18+
Release Date: December 30, 2008 Comiket 75 Day 3

10
Confession Girl

by: Haritama Hiroki
Circle: Studio N’BALL
Category: manga - Ichijinsha - Kannagi
Price：630円
Age Rating: 18+
Release date: December 30, 2008 - Comiket 75 Day 3

PopCultureShock has launched Comixup, featuring “reviews, previews, news, features & commentary from the web’s best comic sites & blogs”. I’m honored to be included.

No offense to the already-running Update-a-Tron, but Comixup includes a bit of article summary as well as the title and site name, and a smaller, selective listing may be of use to some.

Similar Posts: Archie Creates 18 Blogs § Blog Recommendations? § Maze Agency Plans? § Colbert Question: Comic Plug? § Thoughts on the New Year

The former Blog@Newsarama posters have set up shop at Comic Book Resources as Robot 6. Welcome back!

Similar Posts: Blogs Joining News Sites § Newsarama’s Acquisition Anniversary § Harvey Awards Change Coming § Loners Covers Part 2 § Crisis at Newsarama

Review by Ed Sizemore

Let’s just get to the point. Genshiken Official Book is Del Rey’s attempt to get one more sale from Genshiken fans now that the series has ended. The book also claims to be an introduction and guide for those who haven’t read the series yet. However, there is isn’t much to recommend the book to either fan or newcomer.

Genshiken Official Book
Buy this book

The first four chapters are meant to serve as a series introduction. The first chapter does a good job of summing up the philosophy, history, and most memorable events of the Genshiken club, but the second chapter is the worst chapter in the book. We’re introduced to each character through panels from the original manga featuring that particular character. Each panel has an accompanying caption. The problem is that the captions usually just restate, sometimes verbatim, what is said in the panel. For example, on page 38, in the Madarame section, there is a panel showing Madarame saying, “There’s no way that you could really have a little sister.” The caption under the panel says, “No way you could have a little sister: When Madarame learned that Sasahara had a younger sister, he insisted that it was impossible.” The repetition is maddening. I found myself ignoring the panels completely and just skimming the captions. Occasionally, there is a caption that actually conveys a needed explanation not available in the panel or has a joke about the personality of the featured character. If you’ve read the manga, it’s best to just skip this chapter all together.

The third chapter talks about a few of the relationships within the group. I found the explanations a little overdramatic and simplistic. Odder still is the lack of any mention of Sasahara’s romantic relationship in the last two volumes or so of the series. I got the impression that this official book originally was published in Japan before the series concluded, and so the author didn’t want to spoil the upcoming events.

The final introductory chapter is Madarame’s Ten Commandments for Otaku. The first couple are actually funny, but the rest are too specific to situations within the manga to be of any general use. This specificity caused the humor to fail for most of the chapter.

I’m going to skip ahead to the last chapter for a moment. Here, Shimoku explains all the references found in the character sheets spread throughout the original manga. Only the most diehard Genshiken fan will find this chapter interesting, or even readable. For everyone else, it’s too much minutia to wade through. It’s best to skip this chapter also.

Chapters five through eight are original material and the best part of the book. As fun as these chapters are, they don’t justify the need for an entire book. Instead, it would have been better to include this material as bonus content at the end of the manga volumes.

Chapter five is a brief introduction to the fictional anime Kujibiki Unbalance. The chapter contains a short description of the series’ main characters as well as a script for the first half of episode one. It’s nice to have this information organized and to get a better peek at the anime that all the Genshiken members love deeply. Shimoku is smart enough to keep this chapter just as vague as the original manga. This allows the reader to create their own version of what this anime must be like. Since most, if not all readers, will imagine a series that incorporates their own favorite anime elements, this allows them to feel like they have a common bond with the Genshiken members.

Chapter six is a reproduction of the first issue of the Genshiken club’s fanzine from 1987. The chapter also includes an interview with Ken Akamatsu (A.I. Love You, Love Hina, Negi!). The fanzine is a fun, nostalgic trip for those knowledgeable about 80s anime. The Akamatsu interview is the real highlight of the chapter. He talks about his own involvement in his college’s anime, manga, and movie clubs. This leads to a discussion of his participation in the biannual Comiket convention and his becoming a professional manga artist. The interview really focuses on the economics of selling books at Comiket and the kind of money a successful manga group can make. Akamatsu claims that it’s possible to sell 20,000 books in one day. If you do the math, a successful group can make a good living just from Comiket book sales. It was amazing to find out Akamatsu still participates in Comiket to this day. Currently, he just sells storyboards or character portfolios for about a dollar.

The seventh chapter contains two short stories, each by a different novelist, featuring members of the Genshiken shopping. The stories are quick, light reads.

The eighth chapter breaks down the basics of the otaku life. There are brief explanations of Akihabara, fanzines, fight games, porn games, anime, etc. The chapter ends with a story of Sasahara and Madarame buying porn games. The story, and accompanying footnotes, will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the porn game industry in Japan. The chapter as a whole contains a lot of interesting information about otaku culture in Japan. The Akihabara section is especially useful to first-time visitors.

At its heart, Genshiken was a series about learning to accept yourself and a group of people who accept and support each other, even after knowing each other’s dark secrets. It’s not surprising that fans of the series would like one last chance to visit this lovable rogues’ gallery of otaku. Genshiken Official Book won’t scratch anybody’s itch. The book is focused on dispensing information, and you don’t get to spend any real time with the characters themselves. As I said earlier, I just don’t see the need for this book, and I certainly can’t justify paying almost $15 for it. Fans would best spend their money finding a new series to follow or buying a new volume of a series they’re currently reading.

(A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher for this review.)

Similar Posts: Genshiken Book 4 § Anime & Manga Conference Panelists § Genshiken Book 9 § Genshiken Book 1 § Otaku Unite!

First of all, happy new year everyone!
I hope all your goals are reached and your favorite manga survives...

Anyway first of all 2009 seems to be a great year for Takei fans, Ultimo will begin publication in february 2009 in Jump SQ, but that´s not really what I am here to say, its about Takei´s most popular work, Shaman King.
For more info check mankin-trad.net or shamanking-nation.comI

Seems like Takei has been working his ass off, he has done over 380 new pages to complete Shaman King.
http://shamanking-nation.com/english/shaman-king/jump-festa-flyer-contains-more-kzb-news/

In other news the next manga to get a kanzen release is "Hikaru No Go"... I hope Shueisha stops publishing manga that is so new, I want to see old manga getting republished with all the color pages, since odl manga has more color pages...

And yeah, I know no one will post here so... Basically just wanted to post the info.