Author Archives: dakazu

My Home Hero

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My Home Hero

A manga about a father who murders his daughter’s criminal boyfriend when he plans to kill her. He must then work with his wife to dispose of the body while evading the yakuza who investigate the whereabouts of the boyfriend.

This is the current series by vetern manga artist Masashi Asaki. I’ve read a few of Asaki’s works like Psychometer Eiji, Kunimitsu no Matsuri and Shibatora. Those series took place in the same world and were all related but this one is done by a different writer, Naoki Yamakawa, and seems separated from Araki’s other works.

Asaki is no stranger to mystery stories but this manga is unique as the protagonist is the murderer, albeit it’s to save his daughter and protect his family. The father, Tetsuo, is a mystery writer. A talent that comes in handy when disposing corpses and out thinking the yakuza goons who suspect him and his family of some wrong doing. His wife is surprisingly understanding of his predicament but the current story arc dives into her troubling background that helps give context about that.

I really liked the tense narrative about a man trying to conceal a murder and outwit the yakuza. They wrap up most of his problems in Act 1 but the ongoing Act 2 seems to suggest that Tetsuo won’t be able to escape his crimes. I’m looking forward to seeing what his fate is.

~dakazu

273 – Morgana’s Manga Makeup 1 – Vinland Saga, Golden Kamuy, Shojo FIGHT!

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273 – Morgana’s Manga Makeup 1 – Vinland Saga, Golden Kamuy, Shojo FIGHT!

We’re launching a new episode where our new host Morgana will read her way through some of Manga Machinations favorites! It’ll be Morgana’s first time reading through these manga and we’re excited to hear what she thinks! She’ll be checking out Vinland Saga, Golden Kamuy, and Shojo FIGHT!!!!

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Matorism

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Matorism

A manga about 2 narcotics officers and the people they arrest who abuse illegal drugs.

We’ve discussed this on a recent episode.

This series is done by Masakazu Suzuki. I thought his series “Kodomo wo Koroshite kudasai” to iu Oyatachi, about adults with mental issues, was really well done. I’m slightly less enthusiastic about this manga because I feel the message about drug abuse is outdated.

The series follows different people as they either get involved with drugs or are in proximity to some kind of drug addiction and/or abuse. Some of the stories were very good but others were more than a little absurd. One story follows a teacher who confiscates marijuana from a student, only to later partake it himself. By the end of the story he was using cocaine and heroin and it’s hard not to roll your eyes when you’re saying that smoking a joint is a gateway to hardcore substance abuse. It seems like a narrative straight out of the 50’s.

I wonder if Suzuki is either ignorant of different drugs and their effects or he’s simply propagating a narrative that’s in line with Japanese policy. In any case it’s a shame because I think he’s a talented storyteller who’s been misinformed about certain drugs. Also I don’t think you can just mail order drugs like in this manga.

~dakazu

Senshi ni Ai wo

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Senshi ni Ai wo

A manga where artificial humans wage war for their human creators in hopes of having their lifespan extended.

We’ve discussed this on a recent episode.

This might be the most political manga I’ve read in while, and it seems much more in tune with politics of USA than Japan. I couldn’t help but feel like the artificial humans were a stand in for lower class minorities as they are discriminated against and unable to find employment outside of military service.

Because the artificial humans were created specifically to clean up after the toxic wasteland and have their lifespan capped at 40 years, there’s upheaval and protest among them. When some of them resort to terrorism, the police force sent to take them out is also only comprised of artificial humans. Even on the battlefront you see artificial humans who were specifically created for fighting battle against the other counties artificial humans. It’s tragic and very fucked up.

I give the creator Hideo Miura a lot of credit because his art is pretty mediocre and at times ill equipped to handle war battles and large action scenes. But you can’t deny his excellent storytelling and scarily realistic portrayal of a possible future for humanity.

~dakazu

Kojinsa Arimasu

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Kojinsa Arimasu

A manga about a married man who suddenly changes genders and becomes a woman.

When this series started in Morning magazine I was really unsure about what to expect. Gender swap narratives are pretty common in manga and they’re not really done well because they’re rarely representative of any transgender issues. And honestly, it’s kinda hard to parse if this manga isn’t just that.

The man’s relationship with his wife wasn’t great but once he becomes a woman she shares her more blunt personality with ‘her’. But is this saying a woman can only be open about themselves when their with another girl? After the man becomes a woman, she becomes attracted to her co-worker and even ends up sleeping with them. But just because you change gender, does that mean it changes who you’re attracted to? A possibly maybe? But why does it have to be just from a change of gender? After this affair she transforms her back into a man and he’s no longer attracted to the co-worker. That just comes off as a really close minded take on gender and how it relates to sexuality.

The story becomes even more complex as the another gender swapped character demands to know how the married man switched back. When she finds out she blackmails him into having sex so she might change back into a man. Meanwhile the married man is now terrified to have sex with his wife because if he swaps again he’ll change back and reveal the truth about why he changed back. It’s a hot mess on all accounts.

This narrative is interesting to read but I can’t help but feel the themes of attraction being based on gender to come off as really naive or just obtuse. That being said this series is still on going so maybe thing won’t end up being one step removed from a She’s the Man or Just One of the Guys. Though I’d bet it won’t.

~dakazu

Kunihachibu

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Kunihachibu

A manga where a middle school girl is randomly picked to be the next “kunihachi” and must spend a year being ignored by everyone in Japan.

I’ve ranted about this on a recent episode.

This is the worst manga I have ever read in recent memory.

I cannot being to explain this premise because IT MAKES NO SENSE!

There is no logic behind this law that gets enforced by the Japanese prime minister. It’s supposed to end bullying in Japan by making everyone experience what it’s like to be a bully or something? But how the hell are you ending bullying when you arrest anyone who acknowledges the “kunihachi”? IT MAKES NO SENSE!

After this girl is chosen, she must be ignored by her classmates, teachers, random strangers, etc. Her family has to act like she doesn’t exist and locks her out of her home. She can’t buy anything because she must be ignored. When a man refuses to run her over with his car he’s arrested and jailed. She even gets bullied by her former classmates for trying to attend school. Yes, you read that right. THE LAW THAT’S SUPPOSED TO END BULLYING CREATES BULLIES!

This manga seems like it only exists to make a masochistic narrative about putting a girl through terrible atrocities like some kind of torture porn. That shit makes my skin crawl and makes me sick to my stomach. And remember, IT STILL MAKES NO SENSE!!!

Absolute trash.

~dakazu

Khan -Kusa to Tetsu to Hitsuji-

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Khan -Kusa to Tetsu to Hitsuji-

A manga that explores the possibility that Minamoto no Yoshitsune escaped his fate in Japan to travel to Mongolia and become Genghis Khan.

Really interesting historical fiction. I wasn’t aware that there were actual Japanese theories about this. The manga begins where Yoshitsune was supposed to die and follows him escaping on a boat to Mongolia. There we follow him as he slowly integrates himself into a village. After the village is attacked by bandits he meets Jamukha, who proposes the idea of conquering and uniting the great plains. Eventually the two become rivals as they each establish their own clans and battle it out.

I love this type of alternate history manga. Takeshi Seshimo‘s art work is very good and I particularly liked the battle scenes. It’s a shame this isn’t translated because it would be right at home with works like Vagabond.

~dakazu

Chikyu Hyokai Jiki

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Chikyu Hyokai Jiki

A manga about an accident at a space mining facility that forces a group of survivors to risk travel across the frozen surface in search of help.

We’ve discussed this on a recent podcast.

I ended up picking up this book because while I’ve read Jiro Taniguchi‘s manga, I wasn’t aware that he’d written outside the genre of slice of life. And I was pleasantly surprised that his realistic art style worked well with this science fiction story. I will say that I got huge Alien vibes as the miners reminded me of space truckers. They were blue-collar workers that seemed like a perfect cast for men trapped on a facility that was losing power and supplies. When the group of survivors venture to the surface they meet an indigenous tribe and learn of a prophecy that foretells the resurrection of an alien race. All of this lore really makes it close to Prometheus or something of the sort. I enjoyed this.

~dakazu

272 – Darfox Dabbles 6 – MANGA Plus 2

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272 – Darfox Dabbles 6 – MANGA Plus 2

On this episode dakazu has gone back to watch everything Psycho-Pass and talks about the brilliant job Psycho-Pass 3 does to reboot the series. Then it’s time for Darfox to revisits MANGA Plus and check out the new titles! Get his impressions on The Vertical World, SPY x FAMILY, East, Into The Night, and more!!!

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Million Joe

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Million Joe

A manga about a manga editor who decides to hides the death of a genius manga artist to keep his mega hit series “Million Joe” ongoing.

Super interesting premise and execution. This manga has the feel of a heist movie as the editor, his shady friend, and the chief assistant all work together to pull off this challenging con job on the editor-in-chief and hardcore fans of Million Joe. There’s lots of tension between the 3 of them as they each question if they can trust each other. The editor feels guilt for not monitoring the genius manga artist’s health and doesn’t want to disappoint all the fans. The assistant needs money to cover his large debt but is stressing out about becoming the ghost artist. And the friend idolizes the editor for his bold plan but keeps a secret insurance in case everything goes south. Author Ryoji Toguchi did a great job setting up these tense relationships and the realistic challenges they have to face. Also Iroha Ichimaru‘s art work is very distinct. The characters all have very cartoony designs but it works well to contrast the tense tone of the series.

I won’t spoil have everything turns out but I will say I enjoyed all 3 volumes of this manga!

~dakazu