Aug
26
#08 - Ode to Kirihito by Osamu Tezuka
Filed Under Drama, Reviews, Seinen, Suspense | 8 Comments
Ode to Kirihito by Osamu Tezuka
Published by Shogakukan
Translated by Vertical
I knew that if I read this book, I would be swept in a heartbeat. But not in the same romantic tale that Tezuka presented to me in Ribon no Kishi. This was way different from what we knew of him. Consider my review a bit dumb and light hearted, but I honestly did not see this in Tezuka. Sure, we’ve seen Kimba, Atom, and Sapphire. In my head, I felt that Tezuka was Disney. Many books on manga said he was Japan’s answer to Disney. So when I grabbed Ode to Kirihito on the shelf the other day, I knew I would have an entire paradigm shift on that old man with a beret. Indeed, I felt like Tezuka struck me with a bat saying “Wake up kid, I’m just as cruel as the other guy.” The man is no Disney, and he will never be one.
My friend Takk was right. This was grim. Far beyond the fairy tales of Ribon no Kishi and the wonder of Atom. Tezuka created a greedy and vengeful world for Kirihito Osanai. And I’m just in awe of his genius.
Read more
Jul
25
#06 - Touch by Adachi Mitsuru
Filed Under Comedy, Drama, Reviews, Romance, Shounen, Sports | 10 Comments
Touch by Adachi Mitsuru
Published by Shogakukan
Serialized in Shounen Sunday
Touch. I got into Touch one afternoon where there was nothing I could do but watch some free videos online. It was considered as the highest rated anime ever. It is so popular that it’s an institution. It is, as some have noted, a classic among all manga stories. According to my friend’s mother, it was so popular in Japan that TV stations looked for girls like Minami. Koushien became the most popular sports event over the summer. And the manga turned Adachi Mitsuru as the premier mangaka of the 80s. In short, it was the series of the decade.
Years later, a stale lunch, natsu anison, a visit to Manga Kissa 10, and a random curiosity caused me to grab the series from the shelf. So what was it in Touch that touched the hearts of many Japanese? Well… Koko de touch. lol. ^^;;
Jun
20
Lying and Cooking…
Filed Under By Genre, Drama, Features, Gastronomic, Reviews, Seinen, Slice of Life | 4 Comments
Last spring was a breath of fresh air after the stark dry season that is post-Nodame. Yes, Nodame’s drama and anime was such a blast that nothing came close to compare the fun and energy that Nodame had. Until of course, spring came. Now, there are many series to keep note of during the season. There were many GREAT animes that came out, but what really sparked my curiosity was the line of dramas that came out during spring. Particularly, Liar Game and Bambino.
If lying and cooking is your turf, I recommend that you watch these two series. While you’re at it, read the mangas as well.
Liar Game is brilliant, and Death Note would have been this brilliant if Ooba Tsugumi only knew where to stop and control herself. LG’s story revolves around Nao and Akiyama, two people caught in a conniving game that encourages its players to lie in order to fulfill the task of the game. Nao is one extra-gullible girl, not because she was stupid (although this is really the impression you get when you read her), but because she has an infallible faith in humanity’s honesty. She’s too trusting that you just want to bop her in the head. On the other hand, Akiyama is an ex-con who swindled a big company in his youth. It turns out that it was this very company that drove his mother insane in turn killing herself. Upon the advice of a local ‘policeman’, Nao sought for the help of Akiyama. Akiyama, finding a lot of his mom’s qualities in Nao, helped her to get out of the game. Little do they know that the game is more complex than it appears. Winners have the chance to leave only after they have swindled others of their money. And this could be a little difficult when you have someone like Nao around.
Liar Game is flawless, in my opinion. The manga was well paced and although the art is something to get used to, it was apt for series. It was dark and piercing. And the drama adapted these images really well. Despite how much annoying Nao is, her presence has value unlike Misa-misa. One might wonder why I compare DN to LG, well it’s because it revolves around the same aura of mystery and psychological warfare. Liar Game had a great avenue to present a battle of wits and so did Death Note. However, unlike DN, Liar Game managed to explore the capacity of man’s greed. DN only managed to set a holier than thou setting. Almost there, but not quite complete.
On the other hand, there is Bambino, a story about a boy who discovered the world of Italian cooking during his internship in a big Tokyo Italian restaurant named Baccanale. To begin things, the premise of Bambino is not close to Oishinbo and Yakitate! Japan where you come up with all the weird breads, pastas, and all that what’s not. Instead, it’s closer to Antique Bakery and Cafe Kichijouji De: its about learning how to be a part of the restaurant and how to love its food and customers. Ban, the series’ main character, had to learn these lessons the hard way. There are times where I just wished that I could bop him personally but yeah, thank god everyone around him gave a beating.
Fans of Matsumoto Jun will love this drama, but since I’m not a big fan of his, I can’t say that this is worth a watch because of MatsuJun. I swear, I had to hate his character before I found him acceptable (which was towards the 9th eps. And it’s already ending this week!). The major thrill about Bambino are the different things that Ban had to learn to finally get things right. The lectures from his colleagues and their motivation to pursue what they love were truly passionate. Might I add that the food featured in the series was major fun! They all looked yummy and I made sure that I watched the series after dinner or with a bowl of pasta already at hand. It can make you hungry. God. Hungry is an understatement. If you didn’t crave for a risotto or a ravioli afterwards, you must have an eating problem (or at least full!).
Nov
13
#03 - Tokyo Boys and Girls by Miki Aihara
Filed Under Drama, Reviews, Shoujo | 6 Comments
Tokyo Boys and Girls by Miki Aihara
Published by Shogakukan
Serialized in Betsucomi
It’s your first day in High School. You chose the school with the best school uniform so you could round up more boys. Everything looks great so far until a guy you can’t remember suddenly tells you that he’s going to get his revenge at you. And you try to remember all the things that you have done in your life, but you just can’t. What starts out as a beginning of a funny comedy, turns into a sappy high school romance. Miki Aihara takes the usual shoujo formula and expands it to a 5 volume teenage drama. God, if it took her four volumes to figure out what she has done to the guy, you wouldn’t wonder why the publishers considered pulling the plug.
Read more
Oct
24
#02 - Planetes by Makoto Yukimura
Filed Under By Audience, By Genre, Drama, Reviews, Seinen, Slice of Life | 2 Comments
Planetes by Makoto Yukimura
Published by Kodansha
Serialized in Weekly Morning
When you look outside your window, what do you dream? For Hachirota Hoshino, he dreamt of reaching the deep ends of the dark void with a big spaceship of his own. I believe it’s universal to be enchanted by space’s beauty. However, we discover that space isn’t merely a painting for us to adore. It is a reality that we all live in. Makoto Yukimura beautifully drafts the life of DS-12 “Toybox” as they encounter space. From what is commonly seen as just another space odessey, Yukimura takes it a step further to offer to us not just a tale, but a reflection on the importance of life, love, humanity, and space. Planetes explores the being in Being as the crew of DS-12 struggles in space. Sounds a bit complex, but hey, that’s life.
-
Otaku Champloo is...
a small serving of bittersweet manga bits by a manga addict named Khursten.
She currently digs mangas about boys who live to be men. -
Feeds are Good!
