The spirit of giving hasn’t disappeared in Japan and now Nakamura Hikaru’s is putting up five St. Oniisan (Saint Young Men) postcards for auction.
She’s giving away postcards of Buddha, Jesus, Brahma, Lucifer, the Archangels, and the first disciples. I find this offer rather nice and the artwork are quite encouraging. I do wonder if Nakamura Hikaru will be placing the earthquake in her manga although I’m not exactly sure if it’s appropriate to mention it in manga.
What I do know is that her Buddha, Jesus, and the rest of the crew mean well. I wish I can purchase these auctions and help more but unfortunately I’m strapped for cash and I can only imagine how expensive these postcards can get. If you are interested in buying the postcards, head towards the auction page at 18:00 p.m., Japan time.
Edit: I just checked the auctions again and now the Buddha and Jesus postcards you see illustrated below has been raised to 93,000 yen individually(around $930)! The Lucifer and Archangel illustrations are now up to 81,000 yen! One wouldn’t think miracles could happen, but I suppose if it means helping those who were brought down by the quake, these postcards are worth every yen.
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I believe I’ve been told by one of my advisers that I shouldn’t write something that I’m obsessed about. Bias, after all, is one of the greatest sins in historical writing. It’s like a painted picture where everything is all right or all wrong and it’s hard to tell whether it’s the truth or not because of all the biases people have on it. Is it pretty? Is it ugly? Does the picture really translate the heart of what it’s trying to represent? Or are we simply translating what the painter wishes to portray and nothing more?
It’s hard to get rid of biases but when images sway you to the point of obsession then maybe, just maybe, that picture has more truth that it should hold.
It is in this obsession that I cannot forget Nakamura Asumiko. She draws a gaze that convinces me more than ever that she deserves this spotlight.
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It’s my birthday today.
And I was hoping to write down an awesome post about the exciting new wave in BL only to find it inappropriate after last weekend’s disaster. While Japan is a good sea away from my country, the past few years have brought me closer and closer to Japan. What was once just a geographical existence, Japan eventually turned into a home for friends, colleagues, and inspirations. I was there last year and it felt like a surreal home hence my heart was crushed when I saw the waves flush out homes along the coast.
It had been difficult for the past few days but I’m quite surprised that the Japanese are resilient and are moving forward. Our Japan office is up and kicking and so are our favorite mangaka and other entertainment folks. Last night, and still to this morning, some of my favorite artists like Naoki Urasawa, Natsume Ono, and other artists in Morning started drawing images of hope.
We just called our Japanese office and it seems that the tremors have not stopped. They said that they have been given a three day warning for the next big earthquake which might be at 7.0 magnitude. Even as they told us this story, they still sounded like a cheery lot and is waiting for better days to come ahead. I’m really astounded and inspired by their courage hence, like the mangakas from morning, がんばって日本！
If you wish to donate for the calamity victims in Japan, feel free to donate at The Nippon Foundation’s CanPan Tsunami fund.
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I write this spotlight today with a mildly sore leg as March started with a big bump… in more ways than one.
I wonder if living life past a quarter of a century meant seeing your life in still panels with soft lines and endearing faces. Surely, my face was far from endearing, nor was the experience of being hit by a car in any way graceful. But strangely, all worries, anxieties, and fears disappeared as soon as I shared a meal with the lady who hit me with her car. And I can visibly remember the joy of eating food with someone, even if she kind of messed up my legs a little.
At that time, I felt that moment reminded me of a Yoshinaga Fumi panel, two people eating, healing pains and worries with a quiet but hearty meal and smiles on their faces.
Hence, in commemoration of being thankful for life, I put a spotlight on Fumi Yoshinaga.
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Having consumed manga for years, I’ve grown to like some authors a little more than the others. When this happens I go into a mad frenzy, reading as much as I could about the author and try to see if he has grown as an author, if he has stagnated, or if my relationship with him as a fan would be tumultuous – loving, hating, agonizing, enjoying every single work he has released.
I thought I’d give myself a monthly special to put this habit of mine into good use, besides; it will at least give me the discipline of having to write something special every month. This will also allow me to do something I had wanted to do but never had the chance to – write about remarkable manga artists and writers. Perhaps this will encourage readers to explore more of that author’s work.
For my first spotlight, there’s no other author that comes to mind but the Tezuka of today: Naoki Urasawa.
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Goran Markovic on 
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