I know that I promised reviews of Gundam: The Origin (manga) and Welcome to the NHK: Conspiracy (anime)....but I'm too tired to write 'em! I'll just give you a teaser and say that Welcome to the NHK is one of the best programs I've seen this year - a funny and likeable series about the life and loves of a paranoid shut-in (it's better than it sounds, honest). I'll be out of town for the next week or so for the holidays, so don't expect any new updates until after Christmas.
Anyway, for all you Arlington Anime/Manga Club folks out there, I'm still in the process of choosing the 2 anime episodes for December 28th's meeting; I've been reading a lot online about Samurai Champloo and will probably at least be showing that. In terms of booktalks, I'll be covering Gundam Seed, Kindaichi Case Files, and Maison Ikkoku.
Have a pleasant holiday, y'all.....
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
What to show on the 28th?
Arrgh....I just realized that I really need to decide on what I'm showing at Arlington's Anime/Manga Club meeting on December 28th. I've narrowed it down to:
Cowboy BeBop Remix (hard-boiled Sci Fi)
Samurai Champloo (funky samurai adventure)
Black Cat (bounty hunter on a mission of revenge)
or
Eureka Seven (boy finds himself in a web of intrigue and Mechas)
any preferences?
Cowboy BeBop Remix (hard-boiled Sci Fi)
Samurai Champloo (funky samurai adventure)
Black Cat (bounty hunter on a mission of revenge)
or
Eureka Seven (boy finds himself in a web of intrigue and Mechas)
any preferences?
MANGA REVIEW: "Project X: Challengers: Seven Eleven"
Today, we're looking at......Project X : challengers : Seven Eleven : The Miraculous Xuccess of Japan's 7-Eleven Stores, written by Tadashi Ikuta ; illustrated by Naomi Kimura ; translation, Sachiko Sato.
*****
I must admit was somewhat confounded by this book when I first picked it up. I know that the graphic novel format is an increasingly popular format for non-fiction publishing (witness Andrew Helfer’s Ronald Reagan: A Graphic Biography)…but a graphic novel about the founding of the 7-11 franchise in Japan is something I never thought I’d see. It appears that Project X is a “business manga” series, devoted to telling the stories (in “sequential art” form) of various Japanese business ventures, ala Cup Noodle or the Datsun 240z.
As I was reading this, I couldn’t help but remember the 1980s, when America began to really take notice of Japan’s (then) increasingly competitive economy. This book is a quaint throwback to those days, as two Japanese businessmen (Hideo Shimazu and Toshimifu Suzuki), desperate for a new business idea in the conservative Japanese marketplace of the 1970s come across an idea from the West – the convenience store, embodied in the iconic 7-11 chain. Although the odds are against them, with a lot of hard work and a more than a little bit of that never-give-up “Yamato Damashii” (Japanese spirit), they eventually succeed in establishing the 7-11 franchise in Japan, even outpacing and out-earning their American forbearers.
The art is unremarkable and relies on screentoned photos (which is understandable in this reality-based work), but the joy of reading this book goes beyond the novelty of the subject – what’s remarkable is the enthusiasm, sacrifice, and collaborative effort put into establishing the company. Likewise, a lot of basic economic theory is illustrated throughout the book (branding, supply and demand, etc), so this might be a useful resource those seeking a fun and entertaining way to illustrate those principles.
*****
I must admit was somewhat confounded by this book when I first picked it up. I know that the graphic novel format is an increasingly popular format for non-fiction publishing (witness Andrew Helfer’s Ronald Reagan: A Graphic Biography)…but a graphic novel about the founding of the 7-11 franchise in Japan is something I never thought I’d see. It appears that Project X is a “business manga” series, devoted to telling the stories (in “sequential art” form) of various Japanese business ventures, ala Cup Noodle or the Datsun 240z.
As I was reading this, I couldn’t help but remember the 1980s, when America began to really take notice of Japan’s (then) increasingly competitive economy. This book is a quaint throwback to those days, as two Japanese businessmen (Hideo Shimazu and Toshimifu Suzuki), desperate for a new business idea in the conservative Japanese marketplace of the 1970s come across an idea from the West – the convenience store, embodied in the iconic 7-11 chain. Although the odds are against them, with a lot of hard work and a more than a little bit of that never-give-up “Yamato Damashii” (Japanese spirit), they eventually succeed in establishing the 7-11 franchise in Japan, even outpacing and out-earning their American forbearers.
The art is unremarkable and relies on screentoned photos (which is understandable in this reality-based work), but the joy of reading this book goes beyond the novelty of the subject – what’s remarkable is the enthusiasm, sacrifice, and collaborative effort put into establishing the company. Likewise, a lot of basic economic theory is illustrated throughout the book (branding, supply and demand, etc), so this might be a useful resource those seeking a fun and entertaining way to illustrate those principles.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Coming Next Week.....
Manga Reviews:
Gundam: The Origin by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, and
Project X : Challengers : Seven Eleven : The Miraculous Success of Japan's 7-Eleven Stores by Tadashi Ikuta and Naomi Kimura
Anime Review:
Welcome to the NHK: Conspiracy!
and for your viewing pleasure, may I give you....Manga Peanuts!
(ps -more here: http://www.stage6.com/Refuse-Life/blog/8825/)
Gundam: The Origin by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, and
Project X : Challengers : Seven Eleven : The Miraculous Success of Japan's 7-Eleven Stores by Tadashi Ikuta and Naomi Kimura
Anime Review:
Welcome to the NHK: Conspiracy!
and for your viewing pleasure, may I give you....Manga Peanuts!
(ps -more here: http://www.stage6.com/Refuse-Life/blog/8825/)
Thursday, December 13, 2007
2 REVIEWS: Densha Otoko: The Story of the Train Man Who Fell in Love With A Girl, Vol 1 + TRAIN_MAN:Densha Otaku, Vol 1
Today's victims are:
Densha Otoko: The Story of the Train Man Who Fell in Love With A Girl, Vol 1
-Hitorio Nakano and Wataru Watanabe
and:
Train_Man: Densha Ototko, Vol 1
- Hidenori Hoti
Those “in the know” (or those “without a life”) are probably familiar with the “train man” story that’s been popular in Japan for the last few years. For those of you who are not, the (apparently true) story is thus: while riding a Tokyo train, an introverted comic book fanboy finds the courage to stand up to a rowdy drunk that’s been bothering the female passengers – one very pretty young woman in particular, who sends him a pair of teacups as a token of thanks. Thinking that this is the end of their connection, he mentions this to some dudes on a chatboard for lonely single guys – but when they find out the teacups are actually high-end Hermes china, it’s clear that she’s romantically interested in him! Totally confused and social inept, “Train Man” must turn to his online buddies for advice on how to woo “Hermes-san” without letting his awkwardness scare her away.
This story has apparently struck a chord with the Japanese, who’ve turned it into a movie, TV show, and several different mangas – thus the comparison between the two titles. Nakano and Wantanabe’s version is a little more cartoonish and “slap-sticky” than Hoti, who favored a more mature and laid back approach, which I even found reflected in their art – Nakano and Wantanabe rely on the crisp, youthful modern style, whereas Hoti’s art has a more classic manga feel (think of Love Hina versus Maison Ikkoku) Likewise, Nakano and Wantanabe spend a lot of time focusing on the reactions and thoughts of Train_Man’s online peers/fans; Hori streamlines the narrative somewhat by not emphasizing Train-Man’s online conversations as much.
I could easily say that N + W’s work is meant for teens, and H’s for more casual/adult readers, but I’m just gonna say that the obvious choice is to read them both – not just to see what style works for you, but as an exercise in comparing art and narrative styles in Manga.
For those of you interested in learning more about the "real" story behind these works, I've included the link to a Wikipedia article:
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
REVIEW: Mobile Suit Gundam Seed – Vols 2 and 3
With a wayward starship, a reluctant young hero, and hardcore Mech-on-Mech action up the wazoo, MSGS seems built on the sturdy Robotech-style (or Macross for you purists) Space Opera foundation. Actually, MSGS has more political intrigue, as it continues the “classic” Gundam story of the earth-dwelling humans (Earth Alliance) against vaguely fascist space station dwelling humans (The Zaft), with neutral nations being drawn into the escalating conflict, and less romance (or at least, overt romance), so that’s refreshing at least.
What’s not refreshing is the character design – the Protagonist (Kira Yamoto, the afore-mentioned Reluctant Young Hero fighting for the Earth Alliance) and the Antagonist (Athrun, his childhood best friend now conveniently the top ace for the Zaft) look bloody identical – I had to rely on looking for the part in Athrun’s hair for me to tell who’s who! And to make it worse, their Mechs are nearly identical as well, making battle scene increasing hard to follow. Still, the artwork is excellent, and the sharp, crisp lines, excellent depiction of action, and detailed Mechs make up for the goofy character design.
Anyhoo….in these 2 volumes, the Earth Alliance’s Archangel starship picks up a valuable political hostage while scavenging for supplies. On orders to return to Earth, they find themselves struggling with the Zaft in the N. African desert, and only a rag-tag group of desert-dwelling rebels can help them win. Surviving with heavy damage, they find themselves at the mercy of the neutral nation of Aube – who demand the technical data for the Archangel and all it’s Mechs!
What’s not refreshing is the character design – the Protagonist (Kira Yamoto, the afore-mentioned Reluctant Young Hero fighting for the Earth Alliance) and the Antagonist (Athrun, his childhood best friend now conveniently the top ace for the Zaft) look bloody identical – I had to rely on looking for the part in Athrun’s hair for me to tell who’s who! And to make it worse, their Mechs are nearly identical as well, making battle scene increasing hard to follow. Still, the artwork is excellent, and the sharp, crisp lines, excellent depiction of action, and detailed Mechs make up for the goofy character design.
Anyhoo….in these 2 volumes, the Earth Alliance’s Archangel starship picks up a valuable political hostage while scavenging for supplies. On orders to return to Earth, they find themselves struggling with the Zaft in the N. African desert, and only a rag-tag group of desert-dwelling rebels can help them win. Surviving with heavy damage, they find themselves at the mercy of the neutral nation of Aube – who demand the technical data for the Archangel and all it’s Mechs!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
