361 – One Shot 43 – Captivated, by You
Morgana is out on vacation but she left the guys a reading list for some Yen Press books! We’re checking out Yama Wayama‘s pleasant collection of high school slice-of-life stories, Captivated, by You! Also, Seamus spoils Land of the Lustrous volume 11 and dakazu talks about humans turned into plants with Fool Night!!!
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Continue readingWelcome Back, Alice
A manga about three childhood friends who’s relationship changes when one of them suddenly leaves town and returns years later as a transperson.
Oof. Where do I even begin with this manga.
If anyone thinks this is going to be Shuzo Oshimi‘s well thought out transgender narrative I would check your expectations at the door. The entire reason we have the trans character Kei is to present them as a sexual object of desire for the other male childhood friend Yohei. Yohei is in love with the female friend Yui but when Kei comes and starts aggressively coming on to Yohei, he finds himself confused with his own desires.
Since this series is still fairly new it isn’t clear if this will lead to Yohei to question his sexuality or lead to a queer relationship between him and Kei. But just based on what Oshimi has presented so far I doubt we’ll get that. Yui ends up dating Yohei but this seems retaliatory against Kei, which makes her motivations almost seem homophobic. Also Kei is presented as almost a seductress leading Yohei away from a heterosexual relationship with Yui.
I get the feeling that Oshimi is far more interested in drawing a story about messy teenage feelings similar to The Flowers of Evil. I don’t get the feeling he’s considering how Kei represents a less than flattering portrayal of a transperson. Like I said, this series is still new and on going. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping I’m wrong.
This series will be available in English from Kodansha in Spring 2022.
~dakazu
My Broken Mariko
A manga about a woman who is blindsided by the death of her friend Mariko and ends up stealing her ashes to fulfill their promise of taking a trip together.
We’ve discussed this on a previous episode.
This is a powerful story about abuse, loss, friendship, and regret. Waka Hirako debut is so strong it’s almost surprising she hasn’t been discovered yet. The way she draws character expressions and emotions felt very reminiscent of Jiro Matsumoto. I really appreciated how the story didn’t moralize against Mariko’s suicide or her past actions. Everything is simply presented as such for you to experience and see. If anything, the ending is a bit dramatic and emotional but that’s barely a criticism for this series. I high recommend this if you’re looking for a serious dramatic adult story by a wonderful new manga artist. I’ll definitely be looking forward to more Waka Hirako‘s future work.
Available in English from Yen Press.
~dakazu
Isekai Yankee Hachiouji
A manga about a group of delinquents who’s vocational high school is teleported to a fantasy realm. Now they must use their construction skills to defeat the evil lord and fulfilling the prophecy of the eight legendary princes.
Here’s a fun isekai story I can get behind. I enjoy Hiromasa Okujima‘s other works like Itadaki! Nariagari Meshi and Nyuuyoku Yankees. Delinquents getting into delinquent hijinks while fighting monsters is great. I appreciate that Okujima keeps things silly and lighthearted.
~dakazu
Bakubaku! Bakuchi Gohan
A manga about a new idol who secretly loves enjoying B-tier foods found at different gambling locations.
Pretty decent food manga. I like the focus on more Japanese street food you find at various gambling places. I wasn’t that interested in the main character being an idol trying to hide her identity. She felt like a cheap gimmick to attract readers. Unfortunately this series didn’t last.
~dakazu
Children of Mu-Town
A manga about a small time hoodlum trying to balance his town’s renovation project with pressures from local crime boss alongside his unstable and violent best friend.
We’ve discussed this on a previous episode.
Fantastic manga. I’ve rarely seen themes of gentrification covered in manga but Masumura Jushichi makes it works so well here. This book takes total advantage of the fact that it isn’t a commercial manga release from a major publisher. There’s just something so unique to the mood of independent manga and you get it in spades with this work. Highly recommended for manga fans looking for something different than their usual series.
Pick up a copy from Glacier Bay Books.
~dakazu
Hi Score Girl DASH
Sequel to Hi Score Girl that follows Koharu Hidaka who is teaching at her old middle school.
We’ve discussed this on a previous episode.
The original Hi Score Girl was an early favorite for our podcast. Rensuke Oshikiri combined eccentric information about 1980-1990 Japanese arcade culture into a wacky romantic comedy. The original series had a miraculous return after a lawsuit and even went on to have a fun anime adaptation.
This sequel that focuses on Hidaka is such a slow burn. Hidaka hides her fighting game skills to her students for such a long time. There are some comedic bits with the character Doi, who is now also a teacher alongside Hidaka, but Oshikiri focuses on the next generation of characters and I just don’t find them interesting. This isn’t a bad manga by any standards but as a sequel to a series I really enjoy, I’m not fully convinced that this needed to exist. Hopefully it will get better soon.
~dakazu
360 – 7 Year Anniversary Guest Gaiden 9 – The Girl That Can’t Get a Girlfriend with Mieri Hiranishi
It’s time to celebrate 7 years of Manga Machinations with a super special guest! Manga artist Mieri Hiranishi joins us for a special interview about making manga while working on a full time job! She answers our questions about her viral hit The Girl That Can’t Get a Girlfriend, her YouTube videos, and more, all while only speaking Japanese!!!
Support Mieri Hiranishi on Patreon! Buy her merch!
Read her manga! Watch her YouTube!
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Continue reading2.5 Dimensional Seduction
A manga about Okumura, a die-hard “2 dimensional girls only” otaku and president and sole member of the school’s manga club. His world is turned upside down when an cosplay enthusiast underclassman Lilysa joins the club and cosplays as Okumura’s 2 dimensional crush Lilliel.
This manga is exactly what it looks like, which is a commercial entertainment that uses fan service to sell itself. For the first dozen of chapters I flipped through it on Jump+ but eventually the story shifts into storylines about friendship and love of cosplay. The fanservice doesn’t change but the added dramatic the characters get roped into made for some emotional beats that pull at your heartstrings. Now it’s a series that I enjoy as I’m invested in these girls who want to enjoy cosplay together. Good job Yu Hashimoto for making me find the feels behind all the under cleavage.
It’s been licensed by Seven Seas and will be release under their Ghost Ship label.
~dakazu
Ping Pong
A sports manga about two teenager athletes who interact with rivals and friends though competitive ping pong.
We’ve done a Retrospective on this series and covered the anime adaptation.
An absolute modern manga masterpiece. You have some of Taiyo Matsumoto‘s best work when it comes to dynamic paneling. The simple yet understandable nicknames of the characters and their relationships. The friendship, rivalry and trust between Smile and Peco is perfectly paced and a joy to read. I also highly recommend Masaaki Yuasa directed anime series as well.
Available in English from VIZ.
~dakazu