Otaku Champloo

Year: 2013

  • History MMF: #24 – Ooku no Ko by Bikke

    Tudors England is quite tricky — especially when you have a king who’s been hacking off his wives’ heads. One can only imagine the level of distrust in a royal court filled with intrigue and political turmoil. Ooku no K0, Child of the Kingdom, by Bikke rides on this atmosphere as Henry faces his last few days. Many were counting the days until his death while others were already plotting on who they should support next.

    Mindful of of this political game is a young William Cecil who crosses a young actor on stage. He drags the young man to court and shows him to a young Elizabeth. He suggests that this young man be Elizabeth’s political decoy, a body double. And while Elizabeth finds it hard to believe, the young man proves to be as regal as her.

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  • History MMF: Chapter 2

    This chapter’s quite interesting as I’m receiving diverse reviews for the MMF! So here’s a recap on some of the things written this week!

    First! Ash has reviewed Vagabond, by Inoue Takahiko, a retelling of Miyamoto Musashi’s life.  He dwells on the themes found in the 3rd Omnibus of Vagabond. He is also giving away Shigeru Mizuki’s Onwards Towards Our Noble Deaths. You better tell him what’s your favorite historical manga!

    Terry Hong also felt the need to look into Vagabond. And in the spirit of samurais, he also looked into House of Five Leaves by Natsume Ono.

    In The Beautiful World, Neko reviews MW with a historical perspective. He takes into context the tension of post-war Japan and the taboo sexualities that Tezuka explored. It’s interesting because I rarely see Tezuka contextualized so it’s a good read. I wonder why no one is looking at Buddha? Oh wait, Terry did. Anime Diet also has a look into samurais with Path of the Assassins by Kazuo Koike. 

    Jocelyn Allen from Brain vs. Book looks at Naoto Yamakawa’s Chokodoshujin, a manga about the life of Ryunosuke Akutagawa. I too have no knowledge about his life. And for a while I was thinking if he wrote mysteries and then I realize that it was Edogawa Ranpo. lol. But it looks like an interesting book and hopefully I get to read about it.

    Speaking of authors’ lives, Terry Hong himself discovered Jiro Taniguchi’s book Times of Botchan, a look into the life of Natsume Soseki, a famous author who I sadly remember most for “I am a cat.”

     

    Right here in Otaku Champloo, I talk about manga and memories, particularly why historical manga is relevant to us.

  • 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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  • History MMF: Chapter 1

    Day 1 has come and gone and I think it some parts of the world (at least in mine) it’s already inching towards the 3rd day.

    Nonetheless, I’m happy to receive some contributions with regards to the MMF. Hopefully, it’ll give us a glimpse on the titles that we can explore about histories most loved in Manga.

    For these days, we’re looking at the women. Women have been long overlooked in history and still struggle as a voice still waiting to be found under piles and volumes of men’s history. The most fervent of women historians long for a change of history to ‘herstory’ but I think that women are

    Matt Cycyk shared his thoughts on Ooku: The Inner Chambers by Yoshinaga Fumi, a powerful retelling of Tokugawa Japan had the men been powerless and the women take reign of the shogunate. Matt’s article focuses on the historical legacies incorporated in the story which enriches the authenticity of Ooku’s alternate history.

    In Manga Xanadu, Lori Henderson looks at A Bride’s Story, Kaoru Mori’s epic tale about a new Mongolian bride living along the Silk Road. She speaks about Kaoru Mori’s attention to detail as well as the treatment of women as illustrated by Mori. Terry Hong of Book Dragon from the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American center has also taken a look at a good number of volumes of A Bride’s Story.

    Kaoru Mori’s quite fascinating and her love for history bleeds on to her pages, making it alive and real to us. She’s one of my favorite authors and I’ve lovingly dedicated a spotlight for her and her works, analyzing how her art historicizes the lives of her subjects. I’ve also written an in-depth for a previous MMF on Emma’s historical worth.

    Of course, we’re not letting Shigeru Mizuki’s “granny” go unnoticed. Terry also looks into Nononba, Mizuki’s biography on his experiences as he listens to the old ladies’ stories about ghosts and such. I believe it was in Susan Napier’s The Fantastic in Japanese modern literature that she mentioned that women in Japanese literature were often associated with evil thus they are often written as ghosts in old tales. It’s rather interesting because Nononba is anything but ghost but her stories have left a great impression unto a young boy who eventually gave birth to some of Japan’s most treasured monsters.

    For a first day, it ain’t that bad! I’ve got a few more links to put up but stay tuned for the rest of the MMF! Again, if you have any contributions, send an e-mail with HISTORY MMF as a title or tweet or tumble with #historymmf as a subject.

  • History MMF: Hajimari

    Hajimari. Beginning. The start. The foundation. The cause.

    Many of us often neglect the beginning because we’re so caught up in the present and the future. We often assess today — with hopes to move forward — and yet we tend to forget and reflect on why we are even here and the purpose of our existence.

    The beginning is as crucial as our present. But where do we begin? From our birth? From the time we became conscious? Or is it even further? How do we identify ourselves from the start?

    History is an important, if not a convenient player, on helping us identify who we are. If your local historian is good, he or she gives you a nationality to identify with. However, if your historian is great, then not only do historical people shape your perceptions of nationality, but it even pushes you to question and shape your own emotions, thoughts, and the character you consider your identity.

    History has the power to shape us. And it shapes us in the most conventional ways such as through textbooks, museums, classrooms, and heritage sites. And then there are unconventional ways, through stories both real and imagined, of which some are written as novels while some are drawn in pages of comics.

    This month’s Manga Moveable Feast is a celebration of the great histories in manga that has moved and shaped our lives. We are looking at the grand romances of the French Revolution and Victorian England. We will be moved by the heroism of soldiers, shocked by the horrors of war, and weep at the sorrows that come after.

    This MMF will be looking at great historical stories that help us not only recognize the differences in people’s culture but also the similarities in our human experience and how their history is our history as well.

    I’m happy to welcome you to this beginning — history’s beginning in manga.

    —

    The History MMF will be running from 24 March – 1 April 2014. If you’ve tackled historical manga one way or the other, please feel free to check this MMF’s guidelines. Send a tweet, a tumble, or an email with the hashtag #historymmf or the subject [historymmf]. I’ll be posting an article hopefully by tonight and as well as a round of people’s historicity.

  • MMF: A call for history

    I’ve spent the last two months immersed in history not only because it’s my job, but because how the crap should I host a history MMF?

    I must confess that I am the overenthusiastic historian who waves the historical flag shouting “LIEK DIS GAIZ! HISTORY IS GONNA BE AWESOME!”

    But what makes it awesome?

    How can we like it?

    How does manga help us access histories?

    Why does a historical MMF matter?

    Why does history even matter?

    I have my reasons and I’m quite sure you have to. So if you have your two cents about manga and its relationship with history, thoughts about some historical manga, and perhaps reviews on historical manga that made you appreciate history, then this is a call for us to recognize the historicity of manga.

    I’ve placed the call for contributions at my MMF:History page and laid down some guidelines to help you sort out what can be considered as historical manga.

    Hopefully I’ll hear from you when the history MMF begins on March 24!

  • #23: 87Clockers by Tomoko Ninomiya

    When I heard that Shueisha’s Jump would start a josei magazine, I was skeptical. Jump may have a following that spans a large age range and influences both sexes but I never felt they had the “josei” touch. Jump rode on a formula and given that their josei magazine bears Shueisha’s most famous franchise, I doubted if they had what it takes to catch up with the new wave of poignant josei stories with their magazine Jump X (pronounced as Kai and not X).

    Ninomiya Tomoko was Jump X‘s darling poster child, the banner girl that they will be doing things “right” with Jump X. At that time Ninomiya just finished the first run of Nodame Cantabile. Other authors were sound among Josei fans (I believe Est Em joined them later on) but none were particularly worthy of public attention apart from Ninomiya.

    So when they finally announced the title, 87clockers, I was hoping for something spectacular. Instead, and not disappointingly, I met the same Ninomiya that has the same quirkiness, intelligence, obsession and humor as I did in Nodame. Which was all right… I think.

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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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  • Sneak Peak: Nakamura Asumiko’s Utsubora

    When I first read Utsubora, it was in Kansai airport, waiting for my trip back home. The somber cover was telling that this wasn’t a cheery Asumiko title, but as soon as I inspected past the cover flap, I wondered what I was just reading into.

    It was mysterious, seductive, and beautifully desperate.

    As a celebration of Vertical’s licensing of Utsubora, here’s a visual sneak peek on what you might expect (and not expect). Some Utusbora images featured here are from the inside cover design and a special postcard from the Japanese edition. Still, pretty little things to lure you in.

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  • #23: Sukitte Ii Na Yo by Kanae Hazuki

    Sukitte Ii na yo (Say “I Love you”) by Kanae Hazuki
    Serialized in Dessert
    Published by Kodansha

    We’ve read this story before. The girl who can’t trust anyone and the guy who tries to bring her faith back in humanity. Kanae Hazuki’s Sukitte Ii Na Yo‘s heroine, Mei Tachibana, is a girl who has been betrayed by many leaving her without friends or boyfriends for the past 16 years. And while she tries to get by with things on her own, our hero, Yamato Kurosawa, tries to convince her that there are people she can rely on and the most real of kisses can taste like karaage (fried chicken).

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