Aejuma-sama no Gakkou

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Aejuma-sama no Gakkou

A manga about a group of people who have been kidnapped to a remote village where they’re forced to join a school and become classmates with the horrible monster, Lord Aejuma.

This was a decent horror series. I liked the dual antagonists of the very horrific looking Lord Aejuma and the villagers who worship it. While the monster is dangerous and might devour you in an instant, the villagers who lead the classroom pitted the prisoners against each other. I liked how the main character had to try and appease the monster while obeying his human captors. Unfortunately the series ended on Jump+ after only 3 volumes. A shame because I enjoyed this work by Reiji Suzumaru while it lasted.

~dakazu

Mugen no Juunin – Bakumatsu no Shou

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Mugen no Juunin – Bakumatsu no Shou

A sequel series to Blade of the Immortal that places Manji into the Bakumatsu period of Japan.

I questioned this series when it was announced because I already condemned the original Blade of the Immortal manga for its grimdark themes. After reading it, I can say it’s strictly alright. I give huge props to Kenji Takigawa for mostly recreating Hiroaki Samura distinct art style but you can still tell this isn’t drawn by Samura himself. And while it’s moderately amusing to see Manji interact with famous revolutionaries like Ryoma Sakamoto and fight against the Shinsengumi, the story reads more like fan fiction by writer Ryu Suenobu then something that’s supposed to be cannon. I would only recommend this to die-hard Blade of the Immortal fans who also love Japanese history.

~dakazu

Battle Ground Workers

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Battle Ground Workers

A sci-fi manga about a man who joins the Humanity Union Japan Chapter where employees use remotely controlled humanoid weapons called “RIZE” to battle against invading alien forces called “Agaitai”.

When I started reading this manga I was impressed how Minoru Takeyoshi setup soldiers as just another job to pay the bills. The RIZE machines work by having human connect their consciousness to their unit and any damage it receives is felt by the pilot. If the communication device of the RIZE is destroyed, the pilot dies. However they can forcibly disconnect up to five times before the pilot’s brain will suffer critical damage. The concepts are nothing original but everything is executed well enough through both the artwork and story. I like how the protagonist and his squad are subject to performance reviews akin to those in any office job.

My main complaint about this series is that they made a big reveal in the story and it was completely obvious to anyone who’s seen a story similar to this one. And yes, it’s probably what you’re thinking as well. I’m still reading for now because I’m interested to see if Takeyoshi will do something different with this common twist.

~dakazu

303 – One Shot 28 – Same Cell Organism

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303 – One Shot 28 – Same Cell Organism

This week Darfox recommends the luxurious indie comics anthology Glaeoliawhile dakazu shares the horrifying true story of child abuse in Uchi no Yome wa Jidougyakutai Survivor. Then we discuss the days of early BL by talking about Same Cell Organism by Sumomo Yumeka for our newest One Shot review!

Continue reading →

Tono-sama to Stitch

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Tono-sama to Stitch

A manga where Stitch from Lilo & Stitch time travels to feudal Japan where a powerful warlord becomes obsessed with his cuteness.

We’ve discussed this on a older episode.

Seriously, how did this happen?

I’m far more interested in how this series came to be than the actual manga itself. Is this like how Kingdom Hearts was born because Square Enix was in the same building as Disney? Did an editor at Kodansha have an elevator ride with a Japanese Disney executive? It baffles the mind how this story of Stitch in Warring States Japan meets “not Nobunaga Oda”. Speaking of which, why is the warlord not factual? He’s clearly drawn as Nobunaga Oda but for whatever reason isn’t named as such. Did Disney have a problem with Stitch interacting with an actual Japanese warlord? This series raises so many questions! Also, why are some panels animated? Is it because it’s Disney? I’m so confused!

You can see this strange title on Comic-Days.

~dakazu

Moon Land

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Moon Land

A manga about a young gymnast who is more interested in reaching perfect control over his body than competing against others.

We’ve discussed this on Darfox Dabbles.

This is a decent sports series. I’ve read several manga about gymnastics and this one is alright but I think the gimmick of a non-competitive protagonist doesn’t work well for a sports manga. Creator Sai Yamagishi has set up main character Mitsuki as an gymnast who slowly starts to engage with opponents and grows into an athlete who can both be competitive and focus on their personal performance. However Mitsuki’s distant nature doesn’t work as well for a sport manga. Sports manga protagonists work best as characters who are filled with passion. They don’t have to be aggressive or assertive but they work best if they show off their effort. You can look at Yowamushi Pedal, Hajime no Ippo, or Haikyu!! as good examples. Unfortunately Mitsuki’s character is what Moon Land is all about so you immediately lose a bit of that passion. I will say that his teammates help make up for that a little.

It’s currently available to read on Manga PLUS.

~dakazu

Teigakusei Otto no Kozukai Banzai

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Teigakusei Otto no Kozukai Banzai

A chronicle of how manga artist Kouji Yoshimoto and others around him budget their monthly allowance.

We’ve discussed this on a previous episode.

I’ve talked about Kouji Yoshimoto‘s manga like Black Jack Sousaku Hiwa and Sabishii No Wa Anta Dake Ja Nai before. I’m happy to report that this new series is a big hit! Readers are really relating to Yoshimoto as he struggles to budget his allowance against his penny pinching wife. It’s hilarious to watch him seriously agonize if he can afford to blow 300 yen on snacks when there’s still a week left before his new allowance. Not only does Yoshimoto share his allowance but the rest of the series introduces other adults who manage their meager allowance by using coupons or point cards. It’s hilarious and resonates with anyone who’s had an allowance. I love it!

~dakazu

Denjin N

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Denjin N

A horror manga about a poor idol fanatic who becomes digitized and able to freely control all electric devices after suicide. He promises to get revenge on those who mistreated him and help his favorite idol become world famous.

This is the current series by the creative team behind Starving Anonymous and Fort of Apocalypse. Interesting enough there is also a draft credit to Kuu Tanaka, the artist behind The Vertical World.

As far as horror manga goes, Denjin N is very good. Our idol is horrified as rival idol groups and talent agencies fall to gruesome accidents caused by our digital stalker. The story even advances to a state where the digital stalker sheds his superego and his destructive id that forces all of Japan to worship the idol. While this doesn’t include the usual creative monster designs Kazu Inabe is known for, Yuu Kuraishi join him in creating a horrifying look at extreme stalkerism.

Currently serialized on Comic-Days.

~dakazu

Shiori Experience – Jimi na Watashi to Hen na Oji-san

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Shiori Experience – Jimi na Watashi to Hen na Oji-san

A manga about a boring school teacher who ends up meeting the ghost of Jimi Hendrix. Now she must become a musical legend before her 28th birthday or she will die!

We’ve discussed this on a recent episode.

It’s a shame I’ve never heard about this manga til now because it is extremely my jam. It’s a music manga, it’s about teachers inspiring students, and it’s about pursuing your dreams. All things I love reading about! I also think the gimmick that the members of the 27 Club are agents of the devil who grant talent is great. I’ve only read two volumes so far and those mostly focus on the teacher starting a rock music club at school and recruiting students as band members but I’m looking forward to other members of the 27 Club appearing.

Bravo to author Kazuya Machida and artist Yu-ko Osada! Definitely going to keep reading this one!

~dakazu

The Way of the HouseHusband

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The Way of the HouseHusband

A comedy manga about a former infamous yakuza who now lives as a househusband.

I’ve been enjoying this series since it started on Kurage Bunch. It’s absolutely hilarious to watch our househusband, Tatsu, bring intense yakuza energy into house chores and grocery shopping. One of my favorite jokes is Tatsu scaring shoppers at the supermarket when he goes off about that “premium white powder” known as flour. But the most surprising thing about this series is how creator Kousuke Oono has been able to keep this joke going for over fifty chapters! Oono continues to bring over-the-top moments full of big laughs. I fully recommend this comedy.

Available in English from VIZ.

~dakazu