Author Archives: dakazu

Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san

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Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san

A manga based around the real life adventures of Honda-san, who works in the manga section of a book store.

Love this series and the current anime adaptation. I was surprised how it wasn’t just funny but very informative about what happens behind the scenes in a book store. I somehow never thought that the bookstore themselves would be responsible for putting plastic wrappers on each individual copies.

The full series is available for free in Japanese on pixiv.and will be available in English from Yen Press soon. I highly suggest you check out the anime as well.

~dakazu

Kyukyoku Chojin R

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Kyukyoku Chojin R

A manga about a new high school transfer student who ends up being an android who is supposed to take over the world.

A early work by Patlabor creator Masami Yuki that’s one of the silliest comedies I read while growing up. Chock full of 4th wall breaking jokes and 80′s Japanese pop culture references, it reminds me a lot of something like Gintama.

I was thrilled to learn that after 31 years, they’ve released a new volume! Yuki has revisited this series recently to commemorate his 30 years of drawing manga. Loved how it still takes place in the 80′s.

A hidden gem of Yuki’s. Recommended if you like silly comedies and the 80′s.

~dakazu

213 – Guest Gaiden 2 – Representation with Amelia Cook

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213 – Guest Gaiden 2 – Representation with Amelia Cook

This week we launch our first special guest themed Gaiden series with Amelia Cook, creator of the Anime Feminist website! Get ready for a mega-sized episode as we interview Amelia about her manga/anime origins and how she started Anime Feminist. Then she joins us for a in-depth discussion about representation in manga/anime as we analyze our own positive and negative examples of female characters in shonen battle manga!

Support Anime Feminist on patreon!

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AV Retsuden

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AV Retsuden

A manga that interviews famous directors, performers and other members of Japan’s adult film industry.

A super fascinating documentary series that covers a wide variety of origin stories. I liked Hideo Iura’s cute cartoony faces that gave a lighter tone considering the sometimes heavier subject matter.

Getting a behind the scenes look at the adult industry was also interesting.

One of the people interviewed was Taeko Uzuki and I highly suggest you read her fantastic memoir Ningen Karimenchu.

Overall an entertaining series exploring the world of pornography. I recommend it.

~dakazu

Tokumei no Kanojotachi

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Tokumei no Kanojotachi

A manga about a working salary man who frequents the red light districts of Japan.

This series acts both as a guide to Japan’s various red light districts and a story about various women who work there. The manga breaks down how to navigate different types of brothels, even explaining payment or things to be wary of.

It feels a little weird to have the ins and outs of legal Japanese prostitution explained thoroughly while presenting many of the working women as people who have no other way to earn money. It makes every chapter both informative and melancholy. 

One thing I really liked was the title as it translates to “Women who go by a Pseudonym” which is perfect.

One of the stranger manga I’ve ever come across. Personally I would recommend Fruits Takuhaibin over this.

~dakazu

Hoshikuzu no Prince

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Hoshikuzu no Prince

A manga about a young man who begins working as an idol singer while looking for his childhood love in 1970′s Tokyo.

I’m a huge fan of Yumio Kobayashi’s other series Nigakute Amai so I naturally picked this up. The story of two star-crossed lovers is nothing new but I immediately loved both the characters and became invested in their quest to find each other. Actually, now that I think about it it this will be nothing but a tease until the happy ending. Also Kobayashi is a master of creating truly evil adversaries who will no doubt torture these two relentlessly.

I’m probably going to be endlessly frustrated reading this…

~dakazu

Land of the Lustrous

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Land of the Lustrous

A manga about humanoid gem beings who inhabit Earth in the far future where the youngest gem Phosphophyllite is looking to find their purpose in life.

I always skimmed through this series in the issues of Afternoon I would pick up and I’d think it looked unique but I never bothered to read it until the anime adaptation. I loved the anime and I actually prefer it to the manga.

My main complaint with the manga is the same complaint I have for books like Trigun Maximum and Tokyo Ghoul:re. Sometimes you can’t understand what’s happening because their paneling and layouts can be too confusing.

Now that I’m a fan of the series I read the newest chapters but I still think it looks confusing from time to time.

~dakazu

Shin Kazoku Keikaku

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Shin Kazoku Keikaku

A manga about a single mother working as an escort who starts a relationship with a porn director.

I talked about Taeko Uzuki at length on a recent episode. Although this series is fiction, it’s shocking to think that the majority of the events that take place are based on real life accounts that Uzuki went through. And there are some rough things that happen to the mother in this series.

The most impressive thing about this manga is the honesty and realism to the story. You can easily believe what the characters are going through, even though some of their reactions are over the top for the sake of comedy. It gives more agency to the plights and struggles of the mom in particular.

I highly recommend Uzuki’s Ningen Karimenchu to learn about her life and her triumphs.

~dakazu

212 – Anime Interlude 8 – Mr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues

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212 – Anime Interlude 8 – Mr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues

On this episode Miki’s Stopwatch is here to talk about anime, again! We pick our favorites from both summer and fall of 2018!

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Ningen Karimenchu

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Ningen Karimenchu

A manga memoir about Taeko Uzuki’s life.

This is the most powerful and raw autobiographical manga I’ve ever read. I actually put this above My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. Uzuki has had a life full of hardship but also full of love. Her struggles with schizophrenia and suicide only make her story stronger and full of hope. I was moved after finishing this series and will now forever be a fan of hers.

100% recommended.

~dakazu