This Month's Afterschool Charisma

is a real 'wham chapter' Who is a clone, and who isn't? And there's the whole view that clones are replaceable, which always bothers me. I mean, no matter how genetically similar the clones are to the historically personages..their different environments would certainly make them different people. The manga itself makes this point subtly- notice that Napoleon is much taller than his original, probably due to better nutrition.

Sadly, the mystery of why Pandora is so large is not explained. Marie Curie disappeared in volume 1- less than a year ago, but Pandora looks 3 or 4. I really like Freud in this chapter, and Mozart's interaction with Joan of Arc is beautifully delineated.

I'll certainly see them next month.

To Terra and D Grey Man

Today I'm covering manga I borrowed from the library.

I am addicted to the 70s style art of To Terra [I notice that A Distant Soil seems to have been inspired by it at least in the art department.]

I read Andromeda Stories before this, and the same theme I loved- the relationship of man and machine is very ascendant here. I found the longing for earth poetic and beautiful, like Saturn Apartments, it makes me nostalgic for the home I already have. And the theme of human connection despite differences[although by 'differences' here, we mean 'cool telepathic powers'] was also beautiful. And how could I forget the longing for family and place and belonging? Anyway, maybe you should just read it, and see how science fiction can show emotional issues beautifully.

Now, I turn to D Grey Man, which even though I have read through volume 16 using only the library, I think I'm going to drop it. It just seems like it's getting ridiculous. D Grey Man was more successful when it focused on the human drama, but we're getting huge fights where I can barely follow the action everything is so outsized, shonen power ups[ALLEN WALKER LEVELS UP! CLOWN CROWN!], and loads and loads of characters. I just think this was a good idea that needed a whole lot of tightening up and restraint.

As an asshole...

really...I don't need 'art' to tell me that 'girl gamers' are appropriately feminine, and shit. You know why women[really, to me a girl gamer is a five year old girl playing with a DS] game? Because games are awesome fun. We don't play games so that you can have eye candy to look at while playing Halo or to make sure you have a hawt girlfriend who loves games too.

Even if all girl gamers were the most stone butch women ever, you know what? Our looks are none of your beeswax. We're not in it to please your eyes. We're in it to crush Rome, destroy the zombies, and harvest the most tomatoes.

A Placeholder

I wanted to show everyone this post filled with Suppli art.

I also wanted to tell everyone that I wished that The Name of Flower was 5 volumes, because I thought the end was a bit rushed.

I can't stop crying

I read Nana vol 21. I cried not just for Ren, not just for everything that had happened, but because this is the last. Yazawa's health is more important than manga, so I thank her for her great effort. I'm really grateful from the bottom of my heart.

An important lesson was learned

Don't buy American comics like they are manga. I got some Spiderman for my cousin. List prices? 35$ and $25 I bought Crimson Hero vol 13 for myself, and it was a smooth 9.99

Manga is so much cheaper, but I'm not sure why.

Suppli 4 + 5 Omnibus

I read this recently, and I have to say I enjoy the lyricism of the art work, the way the text is set out, the general feel of this comic. My favorite part was when Watanabe finally yells at a newbie who is looking down at her for doing clerical work. That newcomer at the officer judges her for because her work isn't high paying or high status, but Watanabe pushes back- noting that she makes her way in the world, and does her best. I also think that maybe our characters will realize in a broader way that judging someone on whether they are married or dating is just as limiting. I think Fuji realizes that on some level- she thought back on how at first she thought she didn't want to be like this single older woman at this office, but when she saw the look on the newcomer's face when she said she wasn't seeing anyone, she thought that she didn't want to be judged that way.

I admire Fuji's spark and desire to be on the top workwise, and don't really see romance as as important as the characters here consider it to be. Of course, I'm always tripped by the working women theme. Aren't we all working? What's the reasonable alternative, I think. But then again, different worlds. The chance of me becoming a stay at home mom is about the same as winning the lottery, but I guess for some it is a viable option.

Note: to see some of the panel design, this review shows some of the art work. I really wish they'd put out the rest of this.

2d rules

I love 2d. I remember when Zelda made the leap to 3d- I got motion sickness, so I couldn't really enjoy the game. I also got motion sickness from Doom back in the day, so I don't play FPSes. I think the resurgence in 2d can reach both new gamers and old gamers who remember the simple fun of 2d.

Speaking of old memories, Funi is reliscencing classics like Lain and Haibane Renmei. and Rightstuf is reliscencing Utena. This is good because newer fans can see some of the best of the medium.

BTW: I'm geeking out over Welcome to the NHK. I love how the show doesn't shy away from showing that these are unpleasant, broken people. Misaki's strong interest isn't just the random love of a beautiful woman for a loser you often see, but is shown to be unhealthy- "I finally found a hunk of refuse worse than me!" I like that Misaki is her own character- she's not just a collection of traits- "let's make her a tsundere with twin tails and oh! freckles! freckles are hot this year!" but she actually has reasons for her actions. Just very twisted reasons.

And Sato and Yamazaki aren't basically nice guys who are rejected by girls for no good reason. Sato occasionally forgets to even bathe, and has a nasty habit of getting really obsessed with almost anything, and Yamazaki is an asshole with a fixtation on 2d chicks that strikes even me- someone with a blog about obsessing about this sort of thing- as creepy.

This Month's Afterschool Charisma

After skipping a whole month[Viiiiz!], July's chapter of Afterschool Charisma is finally posted! Freud especially shines with his humor and his canny intelligence, the mercenary nature of the whole clone enterprise becomes clearer, and Pandora's true identity is revealed! [and she is adorable.]

DC Keeps Shutting Stuff Down

They shut down Zuda, which I have never heard of. I wonder why DC doesn't really use any marketing muscle for stuff besides its capes and tights. We heard all about how Wonder Woman now wears pants, but not a word about something that might grow their audience beyond the capes and tights crowd.