Apr
9
Jump History and Fujoshi (4): Move aside Son Goku, it’s all about Rukawa x Hiei x Kenshin. TOTALLY!
Filed Under Features | 5 Comments
1990 to 1994 can be considered by many as one of the strongest periods of Jump. The title that carried this period was an epic intergalactic superhuman masterpiece named Dragon Ball Z. It was so popular that no one in this world could not have encountered this anime. However, despite its popularity, the fujoshis focused their attention towards the other titles that were also great but somehow fell under the cloud of Dragon Ball Z.
For the Fujoshi, Goku and his dragon balls did not spark a fire to their fragile fangirl hearts. Instead, they looked at the bishounens from other Jump titles. The era of androgynous men have come to an end. In this era, it was all about the handsome boys of Jump.
Apr
8
Getting the manga scene with Manga no Genba
Filed Under Features | 3 Comments
Another 3 day weekend meant time to reconnect with some discs lying around. My good friend Yue occasionally shares with me some video files she gets from friends online or from Nico Nico. This time, her disc contained something called Manga No Genba1, an NHK BS2 show that reviews manga and introduces viewers to the people and the inspiration behind some manga. The show’s hosted by a Amano Hiroyuki and just recently, Ooshima Mai of AKB48. The show’s got a laidback feel of featuring interesting manga that perhaps the whole family can read. Perhaps.
The show’s got three sections. First is the feature section, Yomite no Genba. They get to feature a manga that’s liked by a guest. In the screen cap here, it’s Yotsuba&!. This part is cute because they talk about the manga and they give a glimpse on what the manga is all about. While going through the manga, there are scenes that would even be voice acted just to put more life into the panels. It’s really nice because it’s like listening to a drama CD and then reading the manga together. After the summary, the guest and the hosts would talk about what they like about the manga and what makes it particularly interesting.
Then the next part is the production of a particular manga, Sakusha no Genba. They will feature a particular manga, show again a summary of the story (with voices!), and then how the manga was made. This time you’ll have a chance to see the mangaka at work. This is really a feature on the mangaka and the manga they’re currently doing. How they find inspiration for their characters and their story. It’s amazing! I had a chance to look at Agi Tadashi (writers of Kami no Shizuku!) and how they basically find a wine every damn week! IT’S AMAZING! They had like huge wine cellars in their home! And they’re wine drinkers too. It’s amazing! I also had a shot in seeing Liar Game in the works. It’s amazing how he meticulously plots out every round (and even had the editors’s help in the re-entry round). This is perhaps the section I treasure the most because it shows the hard life that some mangas live just to come up with the pages to write for this week. It makes you appreciate their hard work as well.
The last part is called M’s Cafe which is the recommendation of the readers2. This is short and gives only a brief idea on what the manga is all about and what to expect from it.
The show’s very informative and the hosts are not dumb and all about manga. Amano-san is an avid manga reader and is fond of the shounen genre so he too gives a word or two about some mangas. And really, in a show like this, it’s the mangas that do the talking. The mangas they choose are rarely mainstream and are often mangas about different topics like the clothing retail industry and wines. If you’ve got access to Nico Nico and understand Japanese, try to get a glimpse of Manga no Genba. Alternately if you have sattelite access to NHK-BS2, its shown from 12:00a.m.-12:30 a.m. on Wednesdays and 6 to 6:30p.m. on NHK-BSHi.
Mar
21
#12 Saint Young Men by Hikaru Nakamura
Filed Under Comedy, Reviews, Seinen, Slice of Life | 3 Comments
Saint Young Men (聖☆おにいさん) by Nakamura Hikaru
Serialized in Morning Two
Published by Kodansha
Lent is the perfect time to reflect over our past sins and contemplate on how THE MAN sacrificed his life for our salvation. In the modern world, this religious ritual becomes a chore, often forgotten, maybe even neglected. In my country, Lent’s a holiday, a 5 day weekend where you can relax from the nitty gritty of work, ideally to reflect, but more often spent on frolicking in beaches and family picnics. But somehow, The Lord finds his way to sneak up on you, in ways you can’t even imagine. And in this case, he even partnered himself with Buddha to create a light-hearted comedy about two deities living a life in the modern world.
Whatever divine crack you sniffed Hikaru Nakamura, YOU ARE A GENIUS! JESUS AND BUDDHA FTW!
Mar
13
First, I want to thank Bangin-chan for making this letter get to me. Else. I wouldn’t have known Tomokazu Sugita’s true feelings. <3
最愛なるKristine Michelleちゃんへ
To my beloved Kristine Michelle-chan,
会いたい。
I want to see you
今日会ったばかりなのにもう一度Kristine Michelleちゃんに会って伝えたいことがあるんだ・・・。
Although I’ve seen you today, but if I see you once more, I have something to tell you…
俺はKristine Michelleちゃんのこと・・・・・・
I…
どうしても言えなかった言葉、今度はちゃんと伝えたいんだ。
For whatever words I have not said, this time, I’ll tell it to you
Kristine Michelleちゃんと一緒に行った大阪
We went to Osaka together
Kristine Michelleちゃんと一緒に行ったライブ
We went to a concert together
Kristine Michelleちゃんと一緒に行った公園
We went to a park together
そして・・・
And…
Kristine Michelleちゃんと一緒に買った指輪
We bought rings together
Kristine Michelleちゃんと一緒に買ったドラマＣＤ
We bought drama CDs together
Kristine Michelleちゃんと一緒に買ったマフラー
We bought mufflers together
手をつないで一緒に歩きたい。
While holding hands, I want to walk with you
もう一度、Kristine Michelleちゃんの温もりを感じたいんだ・・・。
Just one more time, I want to feel your warmth…
俺の未来にはKristine Michelleちゃんが必要なんだ。
You’re important to me.
お願いだ、鈴村建一と別れて俺と付き合ってくれ。
Please, break up with Suzumura Kenichi and date me instead.
杉田智和 Sugita Tomokazu
Now, how can I turn down such an affectionate letter! ;w; I want to… but it’s even harder to break up with SuzuKen! lolol.
Okay, before other Tomokazu Sugita fans kill me, it’s actually a net meme that randomly creates a love letter from a male seiyuu based on your name. It took me some while to finally get Sugita Tomokazu (who I love dearly!), but thankfully, he’s even with the range of choices for my name! It took my full name to get it! I also got Sakurai Takahiro for another combi, but I love Sugita Tomokazu the best. You can say that it starts and ends with him. <3 <3 Unless… I get Yuuichi Nakamura’s or Koyasu Takehito. I don’t mind keeping them all as a harem.
Some of my friends got Miki Shin and Mamoru Miyano (kewl!)! Well, I know a couple of others who got cool seiyuus like FukuJun. Well, we’re all oggling at bangin-san’s blog! lol. He always comes up with something interesting!
Feb
29
Animated Antique Bakery! Wai!
Filed Under News, Series Updates | Leave a Comment
Two weeks ago, I was in a Antique Bakery high. I got hold of some yummy Yoshinaga Fumi doujins of her work and I was thinking… why wasn’t this thing ever animated? I was thinking “Oh, maybe this should get animated someday… but could it be too late since a lot of time has passed?”
Gods of manga may have heard my perusings because now Antique Bakery will be animated and it will be in the noitamina slot (which means, it’s bound to be GREAT!). Based on the article, it will also stick to the original story, so Ohno will be our seductive homosexual pattisiere as well. Yes! I’m happy that it will because the drama was quite disappointing in that aspect. Of course the doujins made up for whatever was not said in the manga but this is really exciting.
The anime starts July in the Noitamina slot after Toshokan wars. Wow… Noitamina really has a strong set of animes this year. How exciting!
p.s. ANN has the english version of the news. lolz.
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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. -
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