The first volume of Crying Freeman is entirely about sex, and that’s no mistake on the part of creative teammates Ikegami Ryoichi and Koike Kazuo (like another buff brunette with tears in his eyes—Kenshiro, son of Hara Tetsuo and Buronson—Freeman is the product of two men working together. Uncommon for manga production, it’s almost as…
Ninjas, Smooches, and Jumping the Shark: All Your Questions About Naruto Answered!
It’s an exciting time for Naruto fans. Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of the popular manga, is coming to New York Comic Con in October, the same month that the final volume of the series comes out in English. But never fear, dedicated fans! You don’t have to say goodbye to our favorite ninja world just…
Music and a Muse: Your Lie in April
Your Lie in April Naoshi Arakawa (mangaka); Alethea and Athena Nibley (translation); Scott Brown (lettering) Cover Design by Phil Balsman Kodansha Comics April 21, 2015 There’s something fascinating about the depiction of an auditory experience in visual form. What does it look like to play music? How do those feelings manifest? Can a story about music be…
Take Your Dragon Balls And Go: Chi Chi’s Life was Hard and No One Respected Her
The news of Dragon Ball Super has us jumping. In my initial write up, I mentioned how much of a bone I have to pick with Goku. Desiree came asking—is if because of Chi Chi? Hell yes, it’s because of Chi Chi! So we got to talking. A wife’s life in shonen anime—a wife’s life…
Sequential Sartorial: Superhero Beat! Off the Rack, On the Highstreet
A lot of the recent conversations surrounding what could be considered fashion in comics has been in reference to superhero uniforms. Now, we know that everyone’s new uniforms are rad. But what’s even radder is that some of the components that make up these costumes, as well as our favourite heroes’ civilian clothes, are based…
Oh Super: How Many Episodes Of Dragon Ball? Over–
Friends, Shenlong has been summoned. The balls are back together. The monkey is returning. Animated Dragon Ball… is coming back. It’s like the fuckers knew I just finished a run through “the entire series.” Even GT? Yeah. Even GT. People are pretty excited, of course, because this new anime will begin directly following Goku’s final battle…
Stars, Soulmates, and Shoujo: Meteor Prince Volume 1
Meteor Prince Meca Tanaka Viz Media January 6, 2015 Disclaimer: I received this copy from Viz Media for an honest review. Like many a shoujo manga heroine, Hako Natsuno just wants to get through high school. It’s bad enough that she seems to be the unluckiest person on the planet, without having to deal with…
Attack on Titan’s Gargantuan (Sales) Impact
Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人, Shingeki no Kyojin) is a force to be reckoned with. And no, I’m not talking about the monstrous, human-eating, gigantic Titans that represent chaos and xenophobia for the series’ protagonists. I’m talking about pure, cold, hard capitalism here. Numbers, numbers, numbers, money, money, money.
Barakamon: A Slice of Japanese Island Life
Barakamon, Vols. 1 – 4 Satsuki Yoshino Translation/Adaptation: Krista Shipley, Karie Shipley Lettering: Lys Blakeslee Yen Press Take one hotshot young calligrapher from Tokyo and put him in a fishing village with a bunch of quirky locals and what do you get? It’s called Barakamon, and it’s great.
One Piece and Its Dead Mother Cemetery
If you read shounen manga, you’ve probably heard of One Piece. If you read manga, period, you probably know about this series featuring a guy with a rubber body who wants to become the Pirate King. Between the merchandising, pop-up restaurants, and amusement park, it’s difficult to overlook.
Sweep Me Off My Feet! Next Gen Romance Comics, We Need Better
You’ll hear me say it again and again until I feel I’ve reached a comfort zone, but I am very new to the world of comics. I’m still shamefully Wikipedia-ing my way through definitions and origin stories, and I can honestly say after a couple of years of building a relationship with my local comic…
Secret Doesn’t Hold Too Many Secrets: Manga Review
Secret, Vol. 1 Yoshiki Tonogai (W/A) Yen Press Secret tells the story of six high school students who are the only survivors of a terrible bus accident that killed the rest of their classmates, their homeroom teacher, and the bus driver. In the worst counseling session ever conducted by a health professional, their teacher, Mitomo,…
