Y'know what? Things are happening. It's still lots of expository, and now that the gears are moving I'm down for volume 38. I find that this is simil Y'know what? Things are happening. It's still lots of expository, and now that the gears are moving I'm down for volume 38. I find that this is similar to the auction in terms of build up and execution this one is just a lot more involved. Most of us are just excited about the Spiders and their hunt :3...more
What to do with Black Torch. Mixed feels, man, mixed feels. I love animals. Naturally I’m inclined to like a character that has a soft spot for our fuWhat to do with Black Torch. Mixed feels, man, mixed feels. I love animals. Naturally I’m inclined to like a character that has a soft spot for our fur balls, enter Jiro Azuma. Next, we have Mononoke which are, so far as I can tell, man-eating demons that are handled by an organization that has its roots in the oniwabanshu. It’s an enticing mix. Nothing has sealed the deal for me as an official fan. Tentative…
The art is good. It reminds me of the Marvel cinematic universe where visually everything is great, however it’s mundane because it's nothing daring. And so here we are. I feel this about a lot of manga and the current art direction, similar to meta in gaming, I feel as though this style is atypical of the art’s meta for now. The action is very reminiscent of Tokyo Ghoul as I have no idea what’s going on except that there was a big frame with stand stills so lots of impact, much wow.
I kinda` want to continue on to see what comes about. Black Torch has me curious. ...more
I wrote two reviews in two different places. Here they both are!
Review 1 It feels too ambitious and can come off a little bit arrogant at times. EliasI wrote two reviews in two different places. Here they both are!
Review 1 It feels too ambitious and can come off a little bit arrogant at times. Elias Ainsworth is a high-roller so it could just be the smell of cologne he wears...posh. Yet, it had a way of subverting my expectations rather pleasantly. Certainly it's not the charm of the series. Certainly not.
Ok, so Ancient Magus Bride isn't that bad. What Yamazaki did with the common idioms, dragons and cats has me feeling a bit bubbly. A well cultured person ushering in the ignorant down and dirty orphan. Time to raise them up proper, enter Chise! It's a little weird for a premise...but I'll bite for the sake of magic and bone-headed protagonists.
The pacing is handled nicely until the end. Maybe it's not the pacing? I don't like this series having a face for anyone that could be considered an antagonist. Part of the whimsy is the world we're being introduced to and I think it's too early for that.
Since I just came off praising the last manga for its artwork I will say that Magus is exactly the type of atypical safe BS that we have come to know and love. Sorry, but good artwork isn't the same as great artwork. In so facto, it’s not bad and so it’s not great.
Review 2 Let’s begin with the art. We are talking magic and fae creatures; in a world set like this the only thing truly unique is our protagonist Elias Ainsworth. I enjoyed the bit with the dragons and their chicks, the skies and beyond…That’s it. Nothing here is done to satisfy my urge for something different. I can open up twelve other manga on the book aisle and I’m sure half of them will sport the same artistic beauty that Ancient Magus’ Bride is drawn with. It’s not bad, it just doesn’t offer anything new.
Now for the plot. I enjoyed the pacing. In a manga where you would normally hear my scream as a banshee it ended up taking me slowly through and thus gave me a sense of peace that this series has more potential than Chise has blown up inside her. I imagine this first volume to be a series of stones emerging out of water for us to step on. Do I know where I’m being led? Not at all. I get to see what’s around me. It might be a small lake, nevertheless the water is deep.
There’s nothing remarkable about the characters except what’s inferred about Elias. If I had to guess here and now I would say that the man performed a magical act so dangerous - all in a bid to save a loved one – that his body morphed. It’s the type of play on emotions I expect from this series and I wouldn’t mind that, but I want to be proven wrong.
So dark and so good. Every time I read one of these I have to grab another. It's my crack cocaine. This is just good.So dark and so good. Every time I read one of these I have to grab another. It's my crack cocaine. This is just good....more
Less mystery in the mix which means a bit of reveal. Not sure if that is to the detriment of the series. I sometime enjoy the silence, it's in the samLess mystery in the mix which means a bit of reveal. Not sure if that is to the detriment of the series. I sometime enjoy the silence, it's in the same vein as Ico and Shadow of the Colossus for me, where it can tell a more beautiful story woven by the reader's imagination. Part of that is taken away and it was inevitable. This happens in every story ever, but there was something special I felt at the beginning of this series.
That's not to say the quality has dropped tremendously, I'm still going to continue reading Blame!. A little magic lost that's all....more
**spoiler alert** Killy really does have the Halo one pistol...So do others. I'm at a loss here. The synthetic ones are pretty badass, but they've tak**spoiler alert** Killy really does have the Halo one pistol...So do others. I'm at a loss here. The synthetic ones are pretty badass, but they've taken a backseat and have the least explanation (which might not be a bad thing). There is a grudge with Killy, but I always felt that some of the synthetic ones were helping him. He also destroyed that transport which contained those bodies once he discovered that they weren't trying to loot the transport. That's the type of story I enjoy.
We're getting into something much broader that goes beyond mere survival in this crazy plate-world. The different factions add variety. I don't wish to sound like I complaining, I'm simply weary of where the plot is headed. I should just shut my mouth and enjoy the ride. On to the next!...more
RUN! HE’S GOT A GRAVITON BEAM EMITTER! = RUN! HE’S GOT THE HALO ONE PISTOL!
The narrative is formulating. I’ll miss being enraptured by the mystery ofRUN! HE’S GOT A GRAVITON BEAM EMITTER! = RUN! HE’S GOT THE HALO ONE PISTOL!
The narrative is formulating. I’ll miss being enraptured by the mystery of this place. It’s still not completely cohesive. This is a world where I’m not even sure the inhabitants know what’s going on. There’s a life in the city, the life of the vagabond and the life of whatever the synthetic looking beings are. Our main toon is just doing what he needs and doesn’t give a flying flip about the rest of it.
We’ve glimpsed a deeper importance into Killy’s goal of finding a human with net terminal genes. I wonder what started him on this path and why it’s of the utmost importance, even before his own life. The architecture and design melt conceptual understanding of what’s what. These plates are gargantuan. A lot of these panoramic views can only be compared with the nearest window seat on an airplane. Not only the scenic views, but the rest of what’s happening is so gooooood. It’s a lot of show and not a lot of telling and I’m eating it all up.
A buddy o` mine let me borrow this. First thing he says is, "The guy's an architect so the scenery is beautiful. Just check it out." So I've checked iA buddy o` mine let me borrow this. First thing he says is, "The guy's an architect so the scenery is beautiful. Just check it out." So I've checked it out and the scenery AS WELL AS the atmosphere is beautiful. The thin lines and dark nature were edging me towards a 90s/80s style manga, but this is from 2005!? Holy cow.
I feel like it hearkens back and considering that 2005 is 14 years ago...I guess it does. That's a little over a decade. Decade. Deeecccaaadddeeee. Weird how that rolls off the tongue and fits a time frame in one's life. Enough of that.
Killy is quite the badass of our dystopian novel set in...A giant wall? Think of those shifting labyrinths that seem infinite and replace it with machinery and robots. The stage is not so simple as Killy has a run in with three different factions, if you will. He's a man of few words so that art and interactions do a lot of the talking. Definitely looking forward to the next volume....more
I'm torn. Hellsing is one of those works I know about and I'm pretty sure I saw some of the anime, so it's been sleeping in my subconscious until now.I'm torn. Hellsing is one of those works I know about and I'm pretty sure I saw some of the anime, so it's been sleeping in my subconscious until now. Now it sits in the spotlight. Reminds me of Priest. The two are TOTALLY different. They each have their own style. I like using the word style when talking about manga and that's because it's definitely a thing that works can have and it usually means the artwork is working super suave for the story.
Good art doesn't cut it. Bad art can cut it if it has a good story and can compliment said story in ways that enhance a work. Good art can enhance a bad story. Then there's good art with good plot and bad drawings with nonsensical shenanigans. And everything between all of this can make for all the craziness we have in the published world. Why the rant? Because Hellsing has style and I think I was more in love with looking at it than I was with what was going on.
I can tell what is going on just by looking at it. That's a plus. Glasses you can't see through because the light reflects off the lenses? Super cool - 2 pluses. Weird, crazy anatomically/logically incorrect stuff going on? Not enough of it - That's a plus. Here begins part two of my rant.
One of my peeves with the art we are producing today is much the problem that video games are approaching and/or have already approached. Good graphics in games can be had everywhere...but what's the point? Artists need something to strive for that can really set themselves apart. The guns in Hellsing don't exist and the artist mentioned that, "they are all cosmoguns that hold a million rounds". HELL YES. We give them artistic license to let loose and what I admire about Hellsing is that it does just that and is bat shit crazy sometimes.
The plot is not bad. In fact, to start in the way this volume does allows for the springboard of possibility. I enjoyed a lot this volume had to offer. It does what a lot of volumes try to do but often fail - it sets the tone.perhaps it is because our main protagonist is not a conventional hero...
Get Backers has charm. Women are handled in a single dimension. Meh. It’s still published material that got the green light...somehow.
I’m digging thGet Backers has charm. Women are handled in a single dimension. Meh. It’s still published material that got the green light...somehow.
I’m digging the pop culture references here, Utada Hikaru, Final Fantasy and much more!? The transition scene for the chapters had a swift summary. Some of the best recap, it should serve as the standard, y’know the small things. I also laughed hysterically at the last mission for retrieving the cat. I have not laughed like that in a while…
The two main goofballs, Ginji and Ban, have good chemistry with each other and they are fun. Now for the flip, they are womanizers and Roshi-style flatterers. I think that’s where the creators come in. There’s either revealing underwear, gigantic, unreasonable cleavage, or some sort of perverted squeezing involved for any of the women or girls. Usually I can give it a pass, but it’s rife and out of place. Could it tone down in the next few volumes? Sure. I probably won’t find out.
I think there’s an anime for this and as I tear off the stickers on this volume I realize that it had a 16+ older teen rating on it. I had a friend who told me that the anime was worth watching. I might give that a try. One of the reasons I started reading manga was to see if there are any stark differences between manga an anime. This might be one of the rare cases where the anime can surpass the manga....more
Confidential Confessions contains two stand-alone stories. The first is called "The Door" and the second is "Mistakes". They are fictional stories witConfidential Confessions contains two stand-alone stories. The first is called "The Door" and the second is "Mistakes". They are fictional stories with a reverberating effect because it deals with some of the grittier, real-world stuff via the manga format. By stuff we’re talking abuse, depression, suicide, prostitution, and likely more in later volumes. Now I realize that all fictional work has its hands in the real world, what I’m trying to say is there is nothing in these stories except for the shit these characters wade through and how they end up at the very end.
That’s all you get.
If you’re in a good spot this manga might tilt you towards a bad day or depressing thoughts. If you’re in a bad spot this might be a manga that burns brightly in the darkness like a lighthouse for wayward ships. If you’re somewhere in the middle between good and bad, how I like to fancy myself, these stories offer some interesting insights and perhaps a different perspective.
I can’t deny that I travelled a little through time, some warped memories resurfaced that I have not bothered with in quite a while. Sometimes you forget that you’ve been through the ringer. In another way, this can serve as a memento for all the crap you’re going through or have been through as a teenager. Many adults never cease being teenagers so this is still quite relevant to any age group. At the end of the day the world does not discriminate against age (I’m looking at you "Mistakes"). Not sure I’d recommend it to children, though. ...more
Confidential Confessions volume 2 just has a single story, “Tears”. I imagine the depression/suicide stories hit a large crowd and I imagine that thisConfidential Confessions volume 2 just has a single story, “Tears”. I imagine the depression/suicide stories hit a large crowd and I imagine that this second volume, which deals with sexual abuse, tackles another huge wave. Checking the date I found this was published in 2001. Incredibly relevant today as it was when it was needed probably…well, I don’t know years ago? Decades? There are movements now that I hope capture the attention of people contained in the “Tears” story.
We’re living in the times that have seen the USA Gymnastics Sex Abuse Scandal. Larry Nassar is largely the face of the scandal. Here it is coach Todo. While there will be sexual abuse that cannot be caught, validated, or substantiated, this volume goes to show that the environment can’t be sustained by one person and awareness goes a long way. In fact, this is probably one of the best examples of sexual harassment represented in media. What it deals with covers a lot of bases so I’m not going to try to expound on that further. RAFO.
This review is going to get a little personal because I am, in a skewed fashion, part of the audience for this one. No details - I have walked this walk and while it had nothing to do with the sports I played (I was a male athlete) I can definitely understand where this stuff comes from. Your own silence is the hardest to beat, ESPECIALLY when it feels like no one has your corner and EVEN FURTHER when it contradicts everyone’s interest. It’s as if you know you have a winning hand in poker and no one acknowledges it up to the point where they blatantly ignore the rules and would defend against it. It’s madness.
The endings to these volumes try to end positively, however it leaves one a little hollow. It’s too real. On the flip side, it’s inspiring. I will say this; Reiko Momochi does not pull any punches. The next volume deals with drug addiction and I imagine it’s going to go all the way. I’ve been borrowing these volumes from a friend, so I’m not sure if I can continue this series which is a shame. I might have to scourge some online…resources to get at em`. Hopefully we’re on to the next! ...more
Second volume is not quite as good as the first. A lot of crazy stuff is happening. I prefer the slow contagion. I absolutely loved that short story aSecond volume is not quite as good as the first. A lot of crazy stuff is happening. I prefer the slow contagion. I absolutely loved that short story at the end. It's my kind of dark. Some people like to watch a coin flip land in the sewers...Heh...Heh...Heh....more
I'm liking this a lot more than I should. The premise sounds dark, and it is, but the reality of the story still revolves around drama. It's just a daI'm liking this a lot more than I should. The premise sounds dark, and it is, but the reality of the story still revolves around drama. It's just a dark pact was made, and like everything else that you don't want to happen in this world it creeps in regardless. That's not to say that because there's drama that it is a happy-go-lucky high school extravaganza. These kids are depressed. And as I've heard before; you can't quantify suffering.
Four anonymous users meet up with a dark purpose. Friendship, or more closely, kinship blooms and it's entertaining to watch. However, I'd be wary...it sounds like good music until someone strikes the wrong chord purposefully to chaotic effect....more
Well that was fun! I’m in love with the art. The lines are thick and sharp creating a geometrical pattern. There are almost no curves on the characterWell that was fun! I’m in love with the art. The lines are thick and sharp creating a geometrical pattern. There are almost no curves on the characters and when there is it’s to splendid effect (usually it’s the hats). The symbolism and style is so up my alley as well as the story’s theme being rooted in Christian elements. It’s like Hellsing and Castlevania in the Wild West. If that isn’t the highest compliment I can give I don’t know what is, haha!
In another way this also reminds me of Gungrave. I keep making comparisons. I find this original, if nowhere else; the drawing style is a rare one. Dark themes suffused with some Christian symbolism, even the texts ‘T’ looks like a cross. There’s no doubt in my mind we are going to see some absurd gothic scenery whenever we make it to a city, the towns will be very much like towns in the west, especially the ghost towns...
I borrowed this from my friend and it turns out he has the next two volumes. Looks like you’ll be hearing from me soon :3 ...more
My nostalgia high has worn off a bit. At its heart it is still a simple, elegant story with some cringe. I’d compare this to DBZ because I can alreadyMy nostalgia high has worn off a bit. At its heart it is still a simple, elegant story with some cringe. I’d compare this to DBZ because I can already see that it might turn into ‘power levels’ skyrocketing and becoming 1v1s between people of equal strength. I’ll see if I can find the rest at the library or something. The series looks to be about 15 volumes long according to Goodreads….I can do that....more
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