Have you ever thought of something so different when you see a landscape drawn in manga?

Say for example, you saw this river from this page in Cross Game.

Would you honestly think of what happened next just by seeing this river?

Last December, I attended an academic conference and crossed a presentation of a Japanese scholar who discussed the living landscapes in manga. I’m no literature major nor am I an art critic so I apologize for not using the exact term she used in her lecture. As a manga reader though, I understood what she meant of meaningful landscapes and how these landscapes come alive in Japanese manga.

According to her, these landscapes are more than just metaphors. While those trained in Western comics would ignore the scenery as simple “eye rests” or metaphors, the Japanese think these landscapes are alive and filled with meaning and agency. She claims that it takes a deep immersion in Japanese culture to “see” these landscapes come “alive.” I raised a question whether this reality was due to Shintoism (as this is how we are taught about the Japanese and their knack for nature, right?) However, the scholar said that it’s closer to animism than Shintoism as this was something larger than Shintoism. Not all Japanese believe in Shinto rituals but almost all Japanese believe that nature is alive. And while some people would anthromorphize landscapes (countries even), there are mangaka who simply draw things as is and let the picture speak for themselves. She then showed an image of the Koushien stadium from an Adachi Mitsuru manga and somehow I knew where she was getting at.

Adachi Mitsuru is a master in what this scholar considered living landscapes. In Cross Game, he dedicates panels with nothing but sceneries. An empty sky. An open lot. A grassy riverbank. A sunset. A flowing river.

Static as they may appear, these panels are actually moving, taking the readers towards a visible space, an atmosphere that moves not only around the characters but also around us. It’s as if by showing these landscapes Adachi hopes that we are drawn towards a real space, a sky that can tell us that it’ll be a great day, or a busy street that speaks of its rigid and difficult day.

And it’s a strange experience, isn’t it? I’ve heard friends get bored with this style, telling me how lazy Adachi can get as a story teller since he relied so much on putting empty clouds behind dialogues and countless silent backdrops. However, to me, when I see images like those perimeter fences, I know that I can hear the wind gush through the steel links, as if inviting the soft sound of a child’s bat as he gets ready to swing for the next pitch. Like the landscape, we are watching Aoba, Kou, and Wakaba grow. We listen to their dreams come alive in that living space.

These living landscapes are one of the things I love about Adachi Mitsuru.  Having read a good number of his works since Touch, I’ve come to understand the purpose of these landscapes and why he insists on making them a part of his story.

Hence, by the time I read Cross Game, seeing this same river in the first volume broke my heart and left me in tears. If you guys have read past the first volume, then I’m quite sure you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, then I invite you to start reading Cross Game and try to understand how these landscapes come to life.

This entry is a contribution for this month’s Manga Moveable Feast for Cross Game, hosted by Derik Badman in The Panelists.

Oricon posts news about the top 10 Anisons (Anime songs) sang in karaoke. I’m quite amused with the list and was surprised with what people have been singing in karaoke. So let me give you guys a run down if you are as guilty of singing these songs in karaoke just as much as the Japanese do

For the general category, here’s the top 10 songs sung in anime.
1. Touch from Touch
2. Zankoku na Tenshi no Thesis (Cruel Angel’s Thesis) from Neon Genesis Evangelion
3. Cutie Honey from Cutie Honey
4. Sousei no Aquarion from Sousei no Aquarion
5. Moonlight Densetsu from Sailormoon
6. Get Wild from City Hunter
7. Hare hare yukai from The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi
8. CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA from Dragon Ball Z
Motteke! Sailor Fuku from Lucky Star
9. Bouken Desho Desho? from The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi

If it’s gender specific, guys love singing the eva theme and touch. On the other hand, the girls love singing Touch and then the eva theme. Regardless of age group, all of them love singing the opening song of touch!

Now isn’t that amazing? What is it with this song that people really love that they keep on singing it in karaoke? Is it the memories evoked when they sing the song? That bitter feeling of love so close yet you cannot grasp? Or is it because of the song’s fun nature? Either way, a great song is a great song. To those who know the series, singing this song will definitely remind them of Miyuki’s love for Tacchan. For those who just love to sing karaoke, the song’s got great rhythm and is quite a challenge to sing for those who easily get tongue tied.

When I saw Touch, this was one of the songs that I wanted to sing so badly in karaoke, so much so that I believe I made Yue sing most of the song but she gave up by the second half. It was such a challenge that I try each and every time to sing this song this Karaoke until I finally nailed it. And it was such a nice and fun song to sing. I kind of feel like Miyuki when singing it. lol.

As a gift to fans of the series (and for those who are curious why this song is at the top of the anison list), listen to Touch and then sing to the song!

On the side though, the last four songs are quite amazing since those songs really were a hit because of their otaku following. I guess it followed through with the common folks.

How about you guys? What anime songs do you sing in Karaoke? Do you sing these songs too? In my list, I have Touch, Ai wo Torimodose (Hokuto no Ken), Kinnikuman Go Fight! (Kinnikuman), Gachaman no Uta (Gatchaman), Love Tropicana (Hale nochi Guu), Chichi wo moge (Gash Bell), Soramimi Cake (Azumanga Daioh), Pray (Gintama), and Bara wa utsukushikuchiru (Rose of Versailles). I’m still studying some songs for Karaoke like Odoru Aka-chan Ningen (NHK ni Yokoso). We’re kind of fortunate that in Manila, we have a karaoke bar that uses the Cyber!DAM karaoke system which has a lot of anime songs and Japanese songs. The best part is they’re quite updated too.

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. ^^;;

The Basics
“Our family, the Uesugis, and our next door neighbors, the Asakuras, had three kids born in the same year. the cute kid is Uesugi Tatsuya. That’s me. This is my younger brother Kazuya. We’re twins. And this is our neighbor, Minami. We’ve always been good friends but one day, we noticed that one of the three of us was a girl.”

This was how we are introduced with the story of Touch. You have a love triangle between these three friends. One could easily think that this will be an easy plot of the girl being indecisive on which of the brothers she will pick. However, the genius of Adachi-sensei stems out of the usual formula and breaks all the conventions of what was usually followed. In this case, our hero is not the charismatic Kacchan. In fact he’s more of a plot device for the true hero of series, the reluctant ace Tacchan. Minami herself was not in love with the more appealing Kacchan, instead she loved the kinder Tacchan. Tacchan himself was not the perfect hero. He may have some innate talent but he still needed to work hard to hone it.

In short, it was not the conventional tale of the kid who has it all and gets it all. It was a story much closer to the hearts of every Japanese boy out there… the guy who doesn’t have it all and has to do so much to be the ace that everyone admires. With that basic rule Adachi spun a great baseball drama that has swept the hearts of entire Japan. Most of the time I found myself rooting for Tacchan to do his best. He was too kind much too kind that it’s unbearable how he tortures himself in order to make the people around him happier. But I’m so happy that he grew out of this phase and finally became the man worthy of Minami. Oh Minami. Minami.

Minami and Tacchan
I finally understand why many Japanese boys love Minami. She’s amazing in all aspects but she’s not entirely perfect. She’s sweet but not helpless. She is spunky but not tsundere. As much as everyone thinks that she’s already perfect, Tacchan will still point out something that will always takes her back home. I guess what keeps Minami grounded is Tacchan’s existence. In the end, what makes you anticipate the next chapter is the sweet exchanges between Minami and Tacchan.

I had the chance to watch the live action movie of Touch and it turned out to be overdramatic for me. On the other hand, the anime which was faithfully based on the manga was more pleasant in terms of presenting the relationship between Minami and Tacchan. I can go at length on why it is pleasant but to wrap it in a nutshell, Minami and Tacchan’s relationship is like that of a warm blanket wrapped around you on a rainy day. It is comforting and it gets warmer the longer you stay in it. Their relationship is nurturing. Despite all the banter that they throw at each other they know that they always say this within the best interest of the other. And for me, that’s really nice to read.

As you go through Touch, you realize that part of Touch’s joy is the funny supporting cast who just keep on pushing Minami and Tacchan to finally get their act together. Kacchan is prolly the first and most important person. The next one would be Harada (which was just dead funny despite his scary face!) among many others who would make this series more colorful.

Extra Innings
Honestly, I feel I can go a mile just to tell you how fun and fantastic this series is. If wangsty shounen drama isn’t your fit, then this one is for you. It was simple in terms of art and story line but the characters are so colorful that you can’t help but grab the next volume in the shelf.

Oh god, I remember not being able to watch some episodes of the anime that when I visited Manga Kissa the next day, I just had to read the rest of Touch. 13 volumes in 3 hours is no joke (I wish I had the luxury of reading a little slower, but I just want to get to that part when Tacchan goes “Minami, I love you and I wish I’ve become the man that is truly worthy of you.” KYAAA~~! >w<), but it was a worth it ride. It was very easy to read and pleasant to the eyes.

Reading Touch has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in terms of manga. It was a love story tastefully done without the frills and rose-colored add ons. It is strange that one of my favorite love stories so far were actually written by men. I do wonder why but there is a sense of honesty in men telling love stories. And it in this case, we have a story that truly touches all the bases. It has a sense of purpose, love, determination, and challenge. It may not be the usual formula, but it is something that all of us can certainly understand.

On a side note… the anime also has these really really nice songs. If you have the luxury of time and bandwidth, try to catch Touch and hear the songs in the series! :3 Soooo nice! ;w;