Otaku Champloo

Tag: kaoru mori

  • A Sneak Peek of The 2014 Manga Taisho Nominees

    sevendeadlysins

    It’s another year for Manga Taisho (Manga Award) where some of manga’s most influential critics select a number of titles to choose the best of manga released last year. It’s been a yearly tradition of sorts for me to check this award out since I’m a lazy fart and I really don’t have the time (or money) to take risks on titles I’m not exactly sure I’m ready to read. So looking at these lists always leave an impression that they’re good since they’ve been listed by judges of this award. And they compose of critics, manga artists, and editors who have the experience and the knowledge on what makes an amazing manga. And that’s always a good, isn’t it?

    This year didn’t have as much nominations as the previous year but it’s a good list nonetheless. Here’s a little rundown on these manga nominated for the award.

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  • History MMF: Manga and Memories

    Whenever I submit proposals to my old university, professors will always ask me “Why historical manga?”

    The whole world believes that comics are just comics. They are a shallow form of entertainment that exists to amuse us and that in itself is not bad but what I look at is to what degree are we amused and how does our amusement affect us.

    It’s a little harder when tracing the effects of a particular manga to a particular population however, I realize, that as long as a manga exists, its values, mores, style, and art remains timeless and continues to be influential.

    All the more when it’s historical manga.

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  • Peeking into 2013 Manga Taishou Nominees

    I think I’m going to make a habit of this feature given this award has actually given me fruitful readings from last year. I personally have no regrets reading some of these titles and the likes of Aku no Hana (Flowers of Evil) and I am a Hero have become my favorite reads from last year. Of course, Silver Spoon is always a welcome casual read (but I really prefer Hyakusho Kizoku!) but all in all the Manga Taisho list is always interesting.

    I’ve been on standby since last week for any announcements knowing it’s the “season” where the nominees are out. So I’m grateful that I was advised last night that the Manga Taishou list is out and now it’s a good time to figure out who might win it. I do wonder if any of you guys have read some of these. Hopefully, a good number of these titles will get licensed as well.

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  • Anything and Something by Kaoru Mori looks awesome

    Anything and Something by Kaoru Mori looks awesome

    I… really just posted this for the cover. I am Mori shameless.

    I thought I’d place this in tumblr but you know what, the whole world should know that a special collection of shorts and illustrations written by Kaoru Mori was released last Feb. 15 in Japan. Called Kaoru Mori’s Shuuishu, it contains tales she wrote that was used for Fellows’ Promotion such as “Megane Fellows,” “Maid Fellows,” and “Bunny Fellows.” I think some of her comic natalie interviews are in it as well.

    That girl in a playboy bunny has been teasing me to order this over at Amazon. After all, Anything and Something by Kaoru Mori is awesome.

    The big question is if Viz or Yen Press will license this. I hope they do (as well as the Emma Victorian Guide). This is definitely a must have for Kaoru Mori Fans.

    Source: Comic Natalie

  • Spotlight: Kaoru Mori

    Spotlight: Kaoru Mori

    Whenever I think of maids in terms of manga, I first think of Kaoru Mori’s Emma.

    It is unavoidable to associate Kaoru Mori with the maid fetish. Shirley and Emma were created at a time when maid cafes were emerging in Japan. Her popularity was at its peak when the maid phenomenon hit its boom. I could assume that Emma became influential in establishing (in the most informal manner) a standard of maid aesthetics and behavior in terms of the maid fetish that was prevalent in Japanese society.

    Despite this, I cannot say that Kaoru Mori is the kind who builds her story on a fetish alone. Unlike the thousands of maids that emerged in manga, Emma and Shirley felt like the real deal. In reading the manga, I realize that Kaoru Mori’s not the kind who cares for fanfare. She’s a lady who loves the world of her characters enough to make them alive as she draws every single detail with her nib. After all, she did write A Bride’s Story as well.

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  • Sneak Peek at 2011 Manga Taishou List

    Sneak Peek at 2011 Manga Taishou List

    It’s Manga Taishou season again and I haven’t even started reading Therma Romae (once… I find my copy somewhere). Out of all the award ceremonies, I tend to enjoy the selection in Manga Taishou because these manga do not disappoint at all. Some awards tend to let some title win awards in order to boost its popularity. I honestly don’t know how some of these awards go behind the scenes, but yeah, so far, some winners are rather questionable. I cannot say the same for Manga Taisho though. When I look at their list, it all boils down to which manga were most amazing in the past year.

    The list of the nominees is out and here’s my two cents on who have a shot of bringing home the Manga Taisho… well, at least those that I have read…

    Otoyomegatari. The Bride Stories by Kaoru Mori. A very strong contender and quite popular to both critics and fans. I have full faith that there’s a high chance that Mori-san might bag this one. Can’t say much about the committee but if they gave it to Therma Romae last year, they might give this eclectic beautiful title a chance. I mean for chrissakes, she’s holding a kind of antelope on her shoulders. I’m quite sure the expectations will be high on this one.

    Sangatsu no Lion. March Comes in Like a Lion by Chica Umino. This is quite an interesting tale and it’s one of those heartwarming stories that you can’t stop reading. The shougi is a nice extra but it ain’t anything like Hikaru no Go. This might have a good chance and I’m trying to think if there was something amazing that happened since its last nomination. This is Chica Umino and if you’ve read Honey and Clover, you can imagine the pace of this story. Between this and Otoyomegatari… my bet’s on the latter.

    Omo ni Naitemasu by Akiko Higashimura. Filling in the loss of the amusing Himawari in Morning is her new work Omo ni Naitemasu. My friend and I have been fans of Himawari and we were hoping that this title would follow. While the humor is there, the plot in itself is a little difficult to swallow. The female lead is a mistress/muse to an artist and sometimes you just want to whack her head for longing such a horrible man. It’s a cohesive story but not exactly the best of the lot.

    I think what I love more about looking at the list is the number of titles I have yet to read. So far, these are the ones that caught my eye.

    Don’t Cry Girl by Tomoko Yamashita. This girl’s a BL artist and I enjoy her work immensely. I’m not exactly sure what this title is – if it’s a seinen or a josei. Either way, it looks interesting.

    I am a Hero by Kengo Hanazawa. I’ve been trying to find this comic but it often escapes my mind. Maybe I should give it a shot next time.

    Un chocolatier de l’amour perdu by Setona Mizushiro. It has macarons on the cover. While it’s quite josei-ish in art… it looks yummy.

    Hana no Zubora Meshi by Masayuki Kusumi & Etsuko Mizusawa. I doubt this manga is about food but that girl on the cover looks like she’s enjoying what she’s doing (with those morsels of rice all over her face.) It looks yummier and maybe… just maybe… I might get to enjoy this one.

    I wish all of the nominees good luck and I can’t wait to hear the results of this one!

  • The Odds and Ends with Emma

    The Odds and Ends with Emma

    Warning: This article is a reflection after having read the entire series. A lot of spoilers are mentioned. This review is also a part of the Manga Moveable Feast hosted by Matt Blind. See the other reviews and hopefully you’ll be encouraged to read Emma as well

    Years ago, a friend asked me of my opinion of Emma. I had to correct her and asked if she was referring to Jane Austen’s Emma or the Kaoru Mori’s manga. Of course, she was referring to the latter (although she had to think twice since in a way, both are similar) and she felt that as a history major and a manga enthusiast, I had a lot of things to say about the manga and she thought I could give a word on its historical accuracy. It honestly surprised me because as much as the entire manga is lined with images of Victorian England, at that time, I was really more caught by the story of Emma and William. Of course, back then, I was fresh from following the monthlies and like a sparkly-eyed teenager, I was rooting for the romance to work. My mind was full of William and Emma’s love affair that I answered, “There’s really more to Emma than its history.”

    But as time passed and after having read it again in full, this time for this Manga Moveable Feast, I realized that while Emma’s romance was beyond history, it was because the story was steeped in its history that made the romance beautiful. Emma was not just a manga about romance but a true Victorian story of love and more.

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