Category Archives: Written Word

All written posts

Freesia

Posted on by

Freesia

Jiro Matsumoto’s tale of alternative history Japan where Retaliatory killings are legal law.

We talked about the series on a previous podcast but I reread this reprinted “Love” version. Matsumoto’s writing style is a no-holes-barred look at a almost dystopian society. He creates vile characters and doesn’t shy away from drawing brutal misogyny and excessive violence. There’s a strange appeal to his very adult stories but you have to be willing to stomach a lot of gross things on the way. This series may turn some away but I’m fascinated with the dream-like reality main character Hiroshi lives in. Read it for yourself to decide.

~dakazu

Tokyo Kariniku Teppoutai

Posted on by

Tokyo Kariniku Teppoutai

Single volume manga chronicling manga artist Kazutomo Korekawa’s experience hunting.

Korekawa’s art is way better than Sanzoku Diary’s Kentarou Okamoto but doesn’t get to cover a much because of it’s short length. I liked how Korekawa had to get approval from his wife to buy any hunting equipment. A fun read that did a great job explaining the basics of hunting.

~dakazu

Mad Chimera World

Posted on by

Mad Chimera World

Another manga by the lesser known Kishimoto. A post apocalyptic world filled with chimera monsters where females view males as objects of reproduction and food.

I thought Seishi Kishimoto’s 666 Satan was a decent Naruto clone but all his other manga have been pretty bad. Sukedachi 9 was a watered down version of Jiro Matsumoto’s Freesia and this one isn’t very good either. Filled with cheap fan service and grotesque creatures, I wasn’t a fan. 

Don’t recommend it.

~dakazu

Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid

Posted on by

Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid

Manga about a young aristocrat who is cursed to kill anything he touches. He lives in exile in a large mansion and is constantly teased and sexually harassed by his buxom maid.

I genuinely got wrapped up in the romance between the master who wants to love his maid but can’t because of his curse and the maid who loves to tease him but is secretly in love with him. I’m kind of a sucker for these bittersweet romances and even though there’s plenty of fan service it didn’t distract from the comedy and the thoughtful sad moments. The cute design of the characters help sell the tale. I hope the characters have a happy ending!

~dakazu

Are You Lost?

Posted on by

Are You Lost?

Manga about 4 high school girls stranded on an island having to survive.

Despite the potentially dangerous situation this is a comedy series written by Sanzoku Diary’s Kentarou Okamoto. 1 of the girls is a survival expert and gets the other 3 normal girl to survive(usually by making them eat gross things).

This manga feels like it was created by an editor who thought combining survival with panty shots would make for a popular manga. The amount of fan service is pretty gross but I thought the jokes were alright. I recommend Sanzoku Diary over this but I’m sure there are a lot of people who would prefer this as well.

~dakazu

DAYS

Posted on by

DAYS

Soccer manga by Over Drive manga artist Tsuyoshi Yasuda.

Maybe the most feel good sports manga I’ve read in a long while. Main character Tsukushi is the weakest of weak protagonists with an endless determination to keep trying. A 100% feel-good manga. It’s a little generic but I think DAYS is the best current serialized shonen sports manga right now. There was an anime a couple years ago which was also great.

Available from Kodansha Comics.

~dakazu

Antique Bakery

Posted on by

Antique Bakery

Found this older manga by Fumi Yoshinaga. I really enjoy her work and this is no exception. This one follows a bakery run by a genius playboy pastry chef, his high school crush with a dark past, and the former boxer who is his disciple.

While Yoshinaga often writes yaoi/BL manga, I appreciate that she doesn’t focus on sex but instead focuses on relationships and the emotional weight they carry. I want to track down the anime version and watch it as well.

~dakazu 

Uwabami Kanojo

Posted on by

Uwabami Kanojo

Food manga that focuses more on alcohol than food itself. The main character’s girlfriend loves drinking and each chapter focuses on different alcohol. Chapters are presented in 4-panel yonkoma style so it focuses more on comedy.

It’s a nice manga with a cute art style. I don’t drink a lot but I can appreciate the subject matter.

~dakazu

Go with the clouds, North-by-Northwest

Posted on by

Go with the clouds, North-by-Northwest

A manga about a young man living with his grandfather in Iceland who uses psychometric powers to do odd jobs.

The artwork is quite good and the character designs remind me of CLAMP: Lots of long limbs and pretty faces.

The manga initially focuses on the problems revolving around the protagonist’s younger brother but by the 2nd volume they drop the mystery in lieu of introducing Iceland’s scenic locations. It’s very strange and I wonder if they’ll get back to the mystery.

The setting of Iceland makes this manga unique so I’ll keep reading it.

Available from Vertical Comics.

~dakazu