257 – One Shot 22 – not simple
On this episode dakazu talks about Kimi ga Bokura wo Akuma to Yonda Koro, Shigeru Mizuki’s Hitler, and Ichigeki! Then we dive into the tragic tale of Ian in Natsume Ono’s not simple!!!
Continue readingClaymore Memorabilia
An art book of illustrations from Claymore.
One of the best parts of Claymore was the striking artwork by Norihiro Yagi. This book is filled with some really gorgeous pieces that capture the haunting world of the manga. My only complaint is that I wish it was bigger and contained more extras like BLAME! and so on.
~dakazu
Razor
A manga about a former Japanese policeman who ends up in New York city where he lives and does how he pleases during the turn of the 20th century.
It’s really, really, really fortunate that I didn’t find this manga before we did our Creator Cross Section on Kazuo Koike because everything in this series is awful.
The protagonists rapes every woman he comes across and that causes them to fall madly in love with him…
He somehow escapes death JUST BECAUSE…
The mob boss he fights against is a literal copy of Vito Corleone from The Godfather…
That mob boss is killed and returns to life at the end of the series to fight him…
A female assassin claims to be Maria Okulani, daughter of the last sovereign queen of Hawaii Liliʻuokalani, despite the fact that Okulani was NOT her last name…
This is so bad and clearly ripping off the settings of Gangs of New York. There’s no excuse for why Koike didn’t do any research into any of the historical context of the story.
This is probably the worst thing I’ve read in recent memory and I READ A LOT OF BAD THINGS.
~dakazu
Mousou Telepathy
A manga about a girl with telepathy who constantly hears the lewd thoughts of her classmate.
We discussed this on a recent episode.
This was a cute read. NOBEL uses a very simple art style that works well with all the characters. The one page chapters reminded me a lot of Tomo-chan is a Girl!.
Gotta thank CrossXhunteR for this recommendation. I’ll keep reading this one.
~dakazu
Koumon-sama: Suke-san no Yuuutsu
A manga about a rounin who is hired to become the 4th Suke-san to accompany Mitsukuni Tokugawa on his adventures across Japan.
I remember watching old reruns of the famous Mito Kōmon television show, where Mitsukuni Tokugawa would dress as a commoner and correct injustices across Edo Japan. Masaya Tokuhiro has taken this beloved story and turned it on it’s head. Here, Mitsukuni Tokugawa is a selfish old lord who seeks thrills and excitement at the cost of his expendable traveling companions. Our protagonist must somehow appease Mitsuhide’s bloodthirsty desires while keeping to his own code of bushido, as well as his life.
It’s a fun read filled with Tokuhiro’s low brow and 4th wall breaking humor. I’d love to read the rest of it some day.
~dakazu
Gintama
So Gintama finally ended after 77 volumes.
It’s both hilarious and appropriate that the series had to move to Jump GIGA and then to an app to conclude it’s final arc. Gintama will always hold a special place in my heart for it’s amazing blend of 4th wall breaking comedy and heartfelt storylines.
Yorozuya forever!
~dakazu
Saeism
A manga about a bullied girl saved by the school idol Sae, only to become the target Sae’s obsessive and controlling love.
We discussed this on a previous episode.
This one is pretty interesting. My only complaint is that the story sets Sae up to be this omnipotent character that is impossible to beat. She counters any obstacle put in her way with ease and it makes her way overpowered.
I’ll keep reading it for now mostly to see if Sae will ever get her comeuppance and hopefully it won’t feel like it’s dragging on.
~dakazu
256 – Triple Dip 37 – Gunjou, Area 51, No. 6
On this episode Darfox and dakazu spend a ridiculously long time discussing Garth Ennis’ The Boys. Then we dive into another round of Triple Dip with Gunjou, Area 51, and No. 6!!!
Continue readingBeet the Vandel Buster
A manga about a boy warrior who inherits the weapons of his idolized heroes and begins his journey to rid the world of demonic Vandels who plague the lands.
Riku Sanjo and Koji Inada worked together on Dragon Quest – Dai no Daibouken, which is one of my favorite manga I read growing up. Beet the Vandel Buster is very similar but allows these two to create an original adventure without the trappings of Dragon Quest that’s just as good.
I was really saddened when the series went on hiatus in 2006 after Inada became ill. Miraculously it’s been revived a decade later and I’m super happy I get to keep reading this great shonen series.
I also loved the anime and it’s opening themes by the now defunct music duo sunbrain. Our podcast outro will always be wishmen from the 2nd opening!
~dakazu
given
A manga about a teenage boy who reluctantly teaches another boy how to play his inherited guitar.
I watched the anime and ended up reading the manga. The art by Natsuki Kizu is good but I was disappointed with the generic way the romance between Ritsuka and Mafuyu. Mafuyu’s tragic backstory seemed really rote and ultimately uninteresting. It’s a bit unfortunate because the manga has turned me off of watching any more of the anime and I enjoyed the actual music from the show. I just don’t want to bother with the story.
Anime is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
~dakazu