Like the popular animated series Metalocalypse, Detroit Metal City lampoons the conventions of death metal, the obsessive adherence to “evil” images and “brutal” music. The language is coarse, really coarse, but there’s a purpose behind it. Continue reading about Detroit Metal City at L.A. Weekly

Liz Ohanesian is a Los Angeles-based journalist covering music, media and club culture. She is a staff writer for Club World and her work regularly appears in such publications as the L.A. Weekly, Razorcake and Outburn. She has written for such publications as Punk Planet, PopMatters, Santa Monica Mirror and others.

There are always “herds” of cosplay from popular anime (Naruto and Bleach come to mind), and the occasional “flock” of cosplays from less popular, but still fairly well-known, anime and games, and lastly there are the rarer, seldom seen cosplays from obscure anime and manga. Look! Over there! It’s that snake-guy thing seen on the left-hand corner of page hundred of Random Manga!! OMG! Get a picture before he gets spooked!

Each year offers new opportunities to finally check off the Cosplay-Watch List those cosplays we’ve longed to see, and see done right. Last year for me, it was Pip Bernadette from Hellsing at Anime Expo. That gal was dead on and looked fantastic, down to the tiniest detail. Then there was the absolutely adorable Schroedinger and the creepy Herr Doctor, also from Hellsing. Wow, three in one day! That’s good cosplay watching!

The one cosplay I’m still waiting to snap a photo of is a brilliantly done Alucard (another Hellsing, I know). It would be my greatest pleasure to see a perfect Alucard, cosplayed by a guy. Coming in close second on my wish list is a skillfully done L from Death Note. It’s an easy cosplay to do, but it’s hard to do right. I think it may be difficult to get perfect because people go visually verbatim with the hair. I’d also like to see a guy pull this one off successfully. I have many more minor cosplays I’d like to see, but I’m satisfied with the cosplays I’ve checked off so far.

What cosplays have made it onto your Cosplay-Watch List? Is it a rare character? Or is it a popular one, but one you want to see done perfectly? Is it a character from a video game, anime or manga? Does a group cosplay tickle your interest? Have you been crossing your fingers, hoping this will be the year to finally get a snapshot of that one elusive cosplay? Which cosplays are you hoping to spot at the cons?

But for manga which really get my attention, I put aside my fear of winding up in an endless loop of rereading. One of those series which not only caught my attention but tamed and domesticated it, is the ever popular Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. One volume was all it took to lure me into reading all twelve volumes as quickly as time and money would allow. And then rereading it. Again. And again.

Plot Summary

Boredom can be deadly, at least that’s how it turns out when a shinigami (death god) decides he needs a little excitement in his life. The shinigami in question, Ryuk, casually drops his death note into the human world, with instructions on its use scrawled in English on the inside cover:

* The human whose name is written in this note shall die.

* This note will not take effect unless the writer has the subject’s face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.

* If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the subject’s name, it will happen.

* If the cause of death is not specified, the subject will simply die of a heart attack.

* After writing the cause of death, the details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

The human who picks up Ryuk’s death note, Light Yagami, also happens to be bored. Light, a gifted student, sees the death note as his opportunity to change the world and make it a better place – and to rule it.

But just as Light is hitting his stride in reshaping the world by offing thousands of criminals, his efforts are confounded by the mysterious world renown detective, L.

L, who always solves his case, has taken on the challenge of uncovering the identity of the quasi-benevolent murder dubbed Kira (Killer) by the public. As the two go head to head, a dangerous game unfolds in which one misstep is a sentence of death.

Who will win this cat and mouse, or more appropriately, shinigami and human, game?

Review

The series is a fantastic essay on the meaning of good and evil, right and wrong, and how might may, or may not, make right. It’s scary too. Scary that a teen could do such things, scary that some people actually agree with his methods.

Death Note is one of the most compelling and riveting reads to ever hit manga. The convoluted reasonings, suspenseful moments, and heart pounding action provide enough mental exertion to wear a person out after just two volumes. And yet, the manga is so incredibly hard to put down, it’s easy to dive back into the series after the mind has taken a short breather.

Each chapter compels the reader to to uncover the answers to questions that snowball throughout the manga – Who was that guy? Will Light get caught this time? Has L finally got his man? What’s she got to do with anything? Are you serious?! Really?!! When and how will Light, if ever, get his comeuppance?!!!

The charm and allure of the series is the way it draws a person in – Death Note is a black hole which sucks the reader into its universe and keeps them there. The characters are what drives this phenomena. They’re so interesting and so well developed, people can’t help but feel something towards or with them. It’s impossible to be a bystander in this series. Readers almost immediately “choose sides”: L or Light. For a manga to elicit such definite reactions is nothing short of amazing, and that, in part, can account for its incredible, demographic-spanning popularity.

Character Development

Death Note has fantastic character development, enough so you cheer or boo the characters. Light is portrayed as a smart, handsome, hard-working and honest teen who wants to better the world. The flipside to that are his egomaniacal posturing and highly questionable methods.

L comes across as a brilliant, frumpy, asocial genius who takes on tough, unsolvable cases. His personality is unpredictable and almost undecipherable, and it’s difficult to decide if what he says and does is natural or all part of his master plan. He’s adept at playing on people’s desires and emotions to get what he wants to solve a case, which in its way, is also highly questionable.

L and Light really aren’t so different underneath their veneers, but they’re more like mirror images then exact copies. While their intelligence, true personalties and goals (world peace and justice) are almost a match, it’s hard to imagine two people who are further apart in terms of good and evil. They seem to define the other, and give Death Note that “can’t put it down” appeal.

Character Design

Character designs and style for the series are a good mix of realism and traditional manga. Some scenes have a touch of over-exaggeration, but most are done in an unique style.

The world of Death Note reflects that style and mostly takes place in Japan, with a foray into the world of the Reapers thrown in. The shinigami are the most interesting looking characters in the series, albeit the most undeveloped and boring.

Everyone else that’s a major character is in league with the Beautiful People. Even the bleary-eyed and ruffled L manages to look good in this series. The bad guys and the good guys alike, who share the spotlight, are attractively inked for the reader’s viewing pleasure.

Art

Lines are crisp and details aplenty, making the art on par with the story. The shading is also a win in that it isn’t over done, but is placed effectively to impart the feel of inner darkness and evil thoughts.

Takeshi Obata, the artist responsible for the incredible style of Death Note, did a sublime job conveying all the twisted emotions running through the manga. Light is significantly creepy in his expressions, even though he’s drawn well enough to make fans swoon.

Panel layout is also a plus as the full pages are used only for impact in a dramatic scene. Layout is a language, just like the art, and the usage in Death Note needed no translation.

Amazingly, Obata kept the art strong throughout all twelve volumes of the manga. Some scenes in some chapters may have been a little below the quality line, but overall the art stayed as robust as the story.

Production

The paper quality for the manga is better than most series, and is offset by beautiful covers.

Conclusion

Death Note is a series so good, so dramatic and so fun, it’s the one series I recommend to people who don’t read manga. They too can’t resist reading as Light tries in his crazy, yet well-inked, way to “make the world a better place”. However, I advise all who consider reading Death Note to buy as many volumes at once as possible and to take time off to read them all. Trust me, you won’t want to come up for air.

Rating

Death Note, Full Series gets 5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher:Viz
• Release Date:October 10, 2005 to July 3, 2007
• Retail Price:$7.99
• Episodes: 1-5
• Language: English

In early June, Tokyopop announced that they would be restructuring their company. Publishing operations would still be handled by Tokyopop, Inc. However, a new company called Tokyopop Media LLC would be created. This company will take over the comics-to-film and digital units (including the Tokyopop.com website).

The “new” Tokyopop Inc. will be leaner than its predecessor.John Parker, Tokyopop Group President and COO, will take over as Publisher of Tokyopop Inc. and Marco Pavia, formerly the Director of Marketing will be the new Associate Publisher. The former Publisher of Tokyopop Inc., Mike Kiley, will move over to Tokyopop Media in a key senior (though as yet unnamed) position.

The “new” Tokyopop Inc. will be leaner than its predecessor. 39 positions, or about 35% – 40% of the US staff, have been cut. While all departments were affected, Mike Kiley said in an ICv2 (pop culture trade news/information site) interview:

I can tell you that the reduction in force was mainly a function of right-sizing our release schedule, that those people that were closest to the actual production of physical books were more heavily impacted than in more general support categories.

As the above statement implies, the number of releases have also been reduced. The output will now be around 200-225 titles per year, or roughly 50% of the original plan of releasing 500 titles per year.

Information about specific titles has started to become available. Lianne Sentar (freelance rewriter and editor) wrote in her blog that the series she has been working on (Fruits Basket, Saiyuki, Tactics, and Rave Master) have not been canceled. But, she also said that the news was bittersweet since most of the staff editors she worked with have been laid off.

Diamond Comic Distributors Cancels Orders

Diamond Comic Distributors have canceled the July solicitations of over 20 volumes. The list of titles may be found here.

World Manga Impacts

In the area of World Manga (manga produced outside of Japan), Graphic Novelist Rivkah has reported on her blog, that the third and final volume of her Steady Beat series will only be available on the web. There will not, at least for the foreseeable future, be a print version. She also writes that many of Tokyopop’s books will be web-only.

She does mention that she has concerns about how royalties will be calculated for web content. Bettina Marie Kurkoski has bad news. She wrote in her blog that My Cat Loki, Vol. 3 will not be released in web or print form.

Two other World Manga authors have good news. Christy Lijewski says her Re: Play, Vol. 3 will be released in print form. Likewise, Rikki Simons says that Shutterbox, Vol. 6 will be printed.

Why the sudden reduction? In another ICv2 interview, Tokyopop CEO, Stuart Levy said:

The time is now for us to focus our publishing business to overcome current market challenges. Few(er) releases will allow for less cannibalization at retail.

Some of these challenges were mentioned in an ICv2 report released in April. This was presented at their annual Graphic Novel Conference at New York Comic Con…specifically:

Manga sales, including both comics and periodicals, were
about 5% to $210 million in 2007, up from $200 million in 2006. This was the lowest growth rate for manga since ICv2 began tracking sales.

Overall Bookstore Sales

Sales through bookstores were up by a mid-single digit rate, but direct market sales declined 5-10%. The decline in direct sales of manga was due to a reduced emphasis on the category by comic stores, a significant percentage of whom reduced their manga floor space in response to the growing number of releases and the increased difficulty in choosing between them.

Over-all, top manga titles continue to do well, but titles in the lower ranks of releases are having difficulty finding breathing room.

Another factor in the slowing manga growth rate may have been increased competition from publishers of American graphic novel material for space in stores.

Manga Sales Drop In Japan

In Japan, manga sales have been declining for the past 5-6 years. According to a 2007 report from the Tokyo-based Research Institute for Publications (via USA Today), the reasons for the decline are the shrinking pool of potential readers due to falling birthrates, dissatisfaction with the quality of current manga (lack of originality and variety), the print media as a whole has a decline in readership, and the increasing popularity of using the electronic media (cellphones and PCs) as a way of getting manga.

Perhaps the latter influenced Tokyopop’s decision to split their print and digital arms into separate companies…allowing them to position themselves as a leading force in the new medium. Mike Kiley of Tokyopop Media explained the reorganization this way:

I think the most immediate and practical answer is that we wanted to set things up in ways that would very clearly and definitively allow those businesses (Tokyopop Inc. and Tokyopop Media) to focus on what they need to do to succeed. The goals in each company are different and the achievement of those goals is more realistic, more possible if everyone working in each of those companies is very clearly focused.

Tokyopop Japan Updates

On a side note, according to ICv2, Tokyopop’s Japan operation will also be splitting into two. One will be under Tokyopop Media and the other will be under the Tokyopop Group’s holding company. The European operations will be unaffected…at least structurally. After the US division announced their release reductions, Tokyopop UK is planning on cutting their releases by about 20%.

Sources

ICv2 Sources:

• Tokyopop Splits into Two Companies
• Inside the Tokyopop Restructuring
• Graphic Novels Hit $375 Million

ANN Sources:

• Different Fates for Tokyopop’s World Manga Titles
• Tokyopop Manga Volumes Pulled from July Solicitations (Updated)
• Tokyopop to Cut Manga Output in United Kingdom

USA Today Source:

• Manga comics losing longtime hold on Japan

TokyoPop

• Avatar, Vol. 7
• Battle Vixens, Vol. 13
• Dragon Knights, Vol. 26
• Faeries’ Landing, Vol. 19
• Rising Stars of Manga – UK & Ireland Edition, Vol. 3
• Utopia’s Avenger, Vol. 5

June 3

Del Rey

• Negima! 18

Viz Media

• Baby & Me, Vol. 8
• Beauty Pop, Vol. 8
• Bleach, Vol. 23
• Dragon Ball Z, Vol. 1 (VIZBIG Edition)
• Dragon Ball, Vol. 1 (VIZBIG Edition)
• Dragon Drive , Vol. 8
• Eyeshield 21, Vol. 20
• Honey and Clover, Vol. 2
• Hoshin Engi, Vol. 7
• Knights of the Zodiac (Saint Seiya), Vol. 23
• Monkey High! , Vol. 2
• Muhyo & Roji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation, Vol. 5
• One Piece, Vol. 18
• Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai
• Pretty Face, Vol. 6
• Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 1
• Tail of the Moon, Vol. 11
• The Gentlemen’s Alliance †, Vol. 6
• Wild Ones, Vol. 3
• Yurara, Vol. 5

June4

CMX

• Key to the Kingdom, Vol.4
• Orfina, Vol. 3

Dark Horse

• MPD-Psycho, Vol. 5

June 8

TokyoPop

• Roadsong, Vol. 3
• Strawberry Marshmallow, Vol. 5

June 9

Tokyo Pop

• Bad Kitty, Vol. 1
• King of Hell, Vol. 19

June 10

Digital Manga Publishing

• New Beginnings
• Eternal Love
• Golden Prince and Argent King
• Restart
• Hard Rock
• Red Angel, Vol. 1
• Hero Heel, Vol.

Tokyo Pop

• +Anima, Vol. 8
• .hack//G.U.+, Vol. 2
• .hack//XXXX, Vol. 1
• Avalon High: Coronation, Vol. 2
• Battle Royale Ultimate Edition, Vol. 3
• BECK:Mongolian Chop Squad, Vol. 12
• Blood Sucker, Vol. 7
• Dragon Hunter, Vol. 18
• Forget About Love, Vol. 1
• Fruits Basket Ultimate Edition, Vol. 3
• Gakuen Alice, Vol. 3
• Gothic & Lolita Bible, Vol. 2
• I Wish…, Vol. 2
• Junjo Romantica, Vol. 6
• Life, Vol. 9
• Manga School With Selena Lin, Vol. 1
• Me & My Brothers, Vol. 4
• Missle Happy!, Vol. 3
• Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo, Vol. 2
• Recast, Vol. 6
• Rure, Vol. 3
• Shin Megami Tensei (KAHN), Vol. 2
• Tactics, Vol. 5
• The Tarot Cafe, Vol. 7

Viz Media

• Boys Over Flowers, Vol. 30
• Gimmick!, Vol. 1
• Inuyasha Ani-Manga, Vol. 27
• Nightmare Inspector: Yumekui Kenbun , Vol. 2
• O-Parts Hunter, Vol. 10
• One Pound Gospel , Vol. 1 (2nd Edition)
• Shakugan no Shana , Vol. 3
• The Law of Ueki, Vol. 12
• Zatch Bell!, Vol. 19

June 11

CMX

• Teru Teru X Shonen, Vol. 2

Dark Horse

• Blade of the Immortal: Badger Hole, Vol. 19

Tokyo Pop

• Welcome to the NHK, Vol.7

June 12

Tokyo Pop

• Trinity Blood – Rage Against the Moons, Vol. 3

June 13

Tokyo Pop

• Full Metal Panic (Novel), Vol. 3

June 14

Tokyo Pop

• Saiyuki Reload, Vol. 8

June 17

Del Rey

• Suzuka, Vol. 8
• Le Chevalier d’Eon, Vol. 5
• Nodame Cantabile, Vol. 14
• Pumpkin Scissors, Vol. 3
• xxxHOLiC, Vol. 12

Viz Media

• Cat Eyed Boy , Vol. 1
• Cat Eyed Boy , Vol. 2
• Inubaka: Crazy for Dogs, Vol. 9
• Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, Vol. 15

June 18

CMX

• From Eroica With Love, Vol. 13
• Go Go Heaven!!, Vol. 6
• Musashi #9, Vol. 15

Dark Horse

• Oh My Goddess!, Vol. 9 TPB

June 24

Del Rey

• Alive, Vol. 5
• Fairy Tail, Vol. 3
• In Odd We Trust
• Kamichama Karin Chu, Vol. 1

Digital Manga Publishing

• Like a Love Comedy
• Love Recipe, Vol. 2
• Sleeping with Money
• Don’t Blame Me, Vol. 2

June 25

CMX

• Moon Child, Vol. 11
• Tower of the Future, Vol. 11
• The Young Magician, Vol. 12

Dark Horse

• Gantz, Vol. 1
• Path of the Assassin: Three Foot Battle, Vol. 12

June 27

DrMaster

• Junk, Vol. 7
• Mamoru the Shadow Protector, Vol. 1
• The King of Fighters 2003, Vol. 5

Releasing throughout the month of June

801 Media

• Love is Like a Hurricane, Vol.

Aurora Publishing, Inc.

• Flock of Angels, Vol. 3

Go! Comi

• Cy-Believers, Vol. 2
• Her Majesty’s Dog, Vol. 9
• Kanna, Vol. 4
• Ultimate Venus, Vol. 1
• Kamisama Kazoku, Vol. 1
• Kurogane Communication, Vol. 1

Seven Seas Entertainment

• Aoi House In Love!, Vol. 2 – “Happy Endings”
• Venus Versus Virus, Vol. 4

Yen Press

• Zombie-Loan, Vol. 3
• Black God, Vol. 3
• Sunshine Sketch, Vol. 1
• You’re So Cool, Vol. 1
• Croquis Pop, Vol. 1
• Bring It On, Vol. 5
• Chocolat, Vol. 5
• Cynical Orange, Vol. 4
• Freak, Vol. 3
• One Thousand And One Nights, Vol. 4

Releases for 2008 (no monthly breakdown):

Broccoli Books

• Di Gi Charat Theater – Leave it to Piyoko, Vol. 2
• Di Gi Charat Theater – Dejiko’s Adventure, Vols. 2-3
• Disgaea 2, Vol. 3
• E’S, Vols. 6 – 14
• Galaxy Angel Party, Vol. 3
• Galaxy Angel II, Vols. 4 – 6
• KAMUI, Vol. 11
• Kon Kon Kokon, Vol. 2
• Devil Princess, Vols. 3-6

NYT is having a giveaway of Uniqlo t-shirts featuring characters from Case Closed, Urusei Yatsura and Touch.

To Enter

• Read the fine print.
• Mosey on over to the site and answer a few easy questions.

Deadline

You guys are a step ahead in knowing the answers to these questions so get going and good luck!

801 Media

Aurora Publishing

Aurora Publishing

May

• Walkin’ Butterfly, Vol. 3

Broccoli Books

Broccoli Books

CMX

CMX

May 7

• Crayon Shinchan, Vol. 2

Dark Horse

Dark Horse

May 7

• Eden: It’s an Endless World, Vol. 10

May 14

• Appleseed, Vol. 2
• Blood +, Vol. 2
• Red String, Vol. 3

May 28

• Berserk, Vol. 28
• Path of the Assassin, Vol. 11

Del Rey

Del Rey

May 6

• Hell Girl, Vol. 2
• Kitchen Princess, Vol. 6
• Nodame Cantabile, Vol. 13

May 13

• Parasyte, Vol. 3
• Toto!:The Wonderful Adventure, Vol. 1
• Tsubasa, Vol.17
• The Yagyu Ninja Scrolls, Vol. 3

May 20

• Haridama: Magic Cram School, Vol. 1
• Maid Machinegun Vol. 1
• Mamotte! Lollipop, Vol. 6
• Mushishi, Vol. 4
• Psycho Busters, Vol. 3
• Shugo Chara!, Vol. 4
• Yozakura Quartet, Vol. 2

May 27

• Metal Gear Solid, Vol. 1
• Minima!, Vol. 2
• My Heavenly Hockey Club, Vol.5
• The Reformed, Vol. 1

Digital Manga Publishing

DMP

May 13

• Endless Rain
• Enchanter, Vol. 8
• Happiness Recommended
• Better Than a Dream
• Loving Gaze

May 27

• A Love Song for the Miserable
• S, Vol. 1
• A Strange and Mystifying Story, Vol. 1
• Red
• A Promise of Romance

DrMaster Publications

DrMaster Publications

May

• Chinese Hero, Vol. 6
• Magic Lover’s Tower, Vol. 1
• Magic Lover’s Tower, Vol. 2
• Metro Survive, Vol. 2

Go! Comi!

Go! Comi!

No May releases

Netcomics

Netcomics

May 1

• Do Whatever You Want, Vol.2
• Honey Senior, Darling Junior, Vol.2
• Romance Papa, Vol.2
• Operation Liberate Men, Vol.3
• The Great Catsby, Vol.6

Seven Seas Entertainment

Seven Seas Entertainment

May

• Amazing Agent Luna Omnibus I (Contains AALuna Vol. 1-3)
• Dance in the Vampire Bund, Vol. 1
• Hollow Fields, Vol. 2
• I, Otaku: Struggle in Akihabara, Vol. 2

Tokyopop

TokyoPop

May 1

• Archlord, Vol. 5
• Battle Club, Vol. 6
• Clam No Kiseki, Vol.11
• The Good Witch of the West, Vol. 6
• Kedamono Damono, Vol. 3
• Rozen Maiden, Vol. 8
• Sakura Taisen, Vol. 7

May 6

• Gatcha Gacha, Vol. 7

May 8

• Getbackers, Vol. 24

May 9

• Kingdom Hearts II, Vol. 2

May 10

• Brave Story, Vol. 4
• GTO: The Early Years – Shonan Junai Gumi, Vol.7
• The Queen’s Knight, Vol. 11
• Rave Master, Vol. 28
• Sgt. Frog, Vol. 15
• Trinity Blood, Vol. 6

May 11

• The Good Witch of the West, (Novel) Vol. 2

May 12

• Initial D Volume 30
• Warriors, Vol. 3

May 13

• The Adventures of Duan Surk, Vol. 4
• Aria, Vol. 2
• Cherry Juice, Vol. 3
• Chibi Vampire, Vol. 8
• Chronicles of the Cursed Sword, Vol. 21
• Demon Flowers: Kuruizaki No Hana, Vol. 3
• Fantamir, Vol. 3
• Foxy Lady, Vol. 1
• Good Luck, Vol.5
• Harukaze Bitter Bop, Vol. 2
• Heavenshield, Vol. 1
• Kannazuki No Miko: Destiny of Shrine Maiden, Vol. 1
• The Kindaichi Case Files, Vol. 17
• King of Thorn, Vol. 4
• The Knockout Mode, Vol. 9
• Love Pistols, Vol. 5
• Manga Sutra–Futari H, Vol. 2
• Monochrome Factor, Vol. 2
• Rhysmyth, Vol. 2
• Samurai Deeper Kyo, Vol. 28
• Satisfaction Guaranteed, Vol. 7
• Short Sunzen!, Vol. 2
• V.B. Rose, Vol. 2
• White Night Melody, Vol. 1
• Wild Adapter, Vol. 5

Viz Media

Viz Media

May 6

• Absolute Boyfriend, Vol. 6
• Black Cat, Vol. 14
• B.O.D.Y., Vol. 1
• Crimson Hero, Vol. 8
• Dr. Slump, Vol. 15
• Fairy Cube, Vol. 1
• Gin Tama, Vol. 6
• High School Debut , Vol. 3
• Hikaru no Go, Vol. 12
• Hunter x Hunter, Vol. 20
• Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 9
• Kurohime, Vol. 5
• Love Com, Vol. 6
• Nana, Vol. 10
• Naruto, Vol. 29
• S.A, Vol. 4
• Sand Chronicles, Vol. 2
• Shaman King, Vol. 16
• Skip Beat!, Vol. 12
• The Prince of Tennis, Vol. 25
• Whistle!, Vol. 19

May 13

• Basara, Vol. 27
• Flame of Recca, Vol. 27
• Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 7
• Project Arms, Vol. 19
• Switch, Vol. 2
• The Record of a Fallen Vampire, Vol. 1
• Togari, Vol. 6
• Yakitate!! Japan, Vol. 11

May 20

• Case Closed, Vol. 23
• Kekkaishi, Vol. 13

May 27

• Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 2 (VIZBIG Edition)

Yen Press

Yen Press

May

• 11th Cat, Vol. 5
• Heavenly Execution Chiwoo, Vol. 4
• Legend, Vol. 2
• One Thousand and One Nights, Vol. 4
• Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro, Vol. 1
• Sundome, Vol. 2
• You’re So Cool, Vol. 1

Light ups the creepy factor and L gets directly involved in Volume Two of the Death Note manga!

plot summary

Light has hit his stride in offing his opponents, and he’s become more coldblooded in the ways he deals with his enemies. He strikes a huge blow to L’s investigation and has positioned himself so he’s more fearsome than ever.

As Light grows increasingly more confident in his abilities to dodge the police and turn them against L, L must try to regain the confidence of the NPA. He puts himself at grave risk to to gather their trust back and to keep the NPA moving forward in capturing Kira.

But Light has much more than L to worry about now. Light’s maneuvering has put into motion the involvement of an unlikely but highly talented detective; that of a bereaved fiancée of one of Light’s victims!

review

Death Note is an intelligent read, showcasing the fuzzy nature of good and evil, yet still has an exciting edge. Light’s sinister use of logic in getting what he needs, is frightening to watch. Instead of figuring out ways to curb world hunger or stop poverty, the kid’s using his brilliance to kill good people who are in his way of world domination. Some people may side with Light and his methods of achieving world peace, but peace brought by the sword will usually end the same way.

The pacing for Volume Two was slower than the first volume of the manga. The time Light spent dealing with one of the characters who opposed him felt too drawn out. Yes, it’s a dangerous situation, yes this person can unravel all of Light’s designs, but please, can we get this manga moving?

Aside from the lingering nature of one of Light’s dealings, the manga still entertained and elicited emotions. Right now, I despise Light. Not many manga can claim they draw such strong feelings from me. Light’s gotta go down, and I’m waiting for L to take that scary kid out.

Character Development

Light is growing ever more creepy. His viscous joy in killing those who oppose him is beyond the satisfaction of one trying to make the world a better place. It’s quickly escalated into a sick game he plays for his own sense of empowerment. Any sympathy I felt for Light’s cause went out the window after page 30.

L also is playing a game, but at least he doesn’t delude himself the way Light does. That honesty, as opposed to the sociopathic lies Light tells himself and Ryuuk, makes L an approachable character.

Ryuuk, the ultimate bystander in all of this, is the only one who seems to have any neutrality, but Light’s manipulations will undoubtedly draw the shinagami into the mix sooner or later, and my bet is sooner.

Conclusion

Light is a frightening character, the kind too subtle to be suspect, but the kind we hear about after they’re caught and the bodies accounted for. Just because he kills with a pen and a desire to do good, doesn’t make him a tainted hero, but a cowardly sicko. Any manga which engages people on a level like this and makes us rethink the boundaries of what’s right and wrong isn’t bad at all.

Rating

Death Note, Volume Two gets 3 outta 4 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Viz Media
• Release Date:November 1, 2005
• Retail Price:$7.99
• Paperback: 200 pages
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421501694
• ISBN-13:978-1421501697

Todo Academy isn’t your typical Tokyo high school. It’s ruled by fighting, and The Executive Council (and the teachers) intend to keep it that way. Intimidating and dangerous, they practically rule the academy. But there’s another group – The Juken Club – whose members aren’t so focused on fighting…at least compared to everyone else. Throw a few supernatural elements into the mix, add some family drama, and you’ve got a recipe for ‘Tenjho Tenge’.

Some of the things to watch out for are: crazy brawls, near-death battles, relationship drama, ripped teachers (?), special fighting moves and supernatural swords.

After reading the first six volumes, I asked myself: “Is an entire manga series dedicated to fighting worth it?” My answer was “Yes…and no”.

Basically, Tenjho Tenge is one big fight, with some unique characters thrown into the mix. If you can follow panel after panel of devastating bouts of violence, you’ll probably enjoy it. Personally, I think the artwork is really strong and there are some interesting stories that are revealed between battles. But overall, I found it difficult to relate to any of the characters and found the violence a little repetitive after a while.

On a side note, there has been some controversy regarding editing that was done for the English release of the manga. I will admit – there are quite a few edits that were made to the artwork. The original Japanese version features much more ‘naughtiness’ (i.e. nudity and stuff) than the English one. I will say that the edits are seamless – even if you’ve seen the original.

Volumes 1-6

I decided to break up my review into multiple volumes, since the series is basically one big ‘fighting manga™’.

• Volume One, Fights 1-6 – We find out that Todo Academy is basically one big fighting school. This volumes focuses on the conflict between The Executive Committe (the villains) and The Juken Club (the heroes).
• Volume Two, Fights 7-12 – Juken Club members Nagi and Bob attend Natsume’s training sessions so they can learn how to fight. The Executive Committee declares war on the Juken Club…and chaos ensues.
• Volume Three, Fights 13-19 – The Juken Club versus Executive Committee! Bob has a chance to get out of the fight if he joins the committee…
• Volume Four, Fights 20-26 – Nagi and Bob become small-time celebrities at school…cause they survived a fight with Mitsuomi!
• Volume Five, Fights 27-33 – Aya now has possession of the mystical sword, and we find out how dangerous she really is.
• Volume Six, Fights 34-39 – After some problems with the Katana Club, Shin creates the Juken Club. Unfortunately, nobody wants to join it! Maya and Mistuomi finally join, but things quickly get complicated!

Characters

Goodies – the ‘heroes’

• Souichiro Nagi – He’s a considered a reject…maybe because he’s a member of the Demon Exorcist family. His ’special move’ is the Dragon’s Fist, which lets him use other people’s powers against them.
• Bob Makihara – Bob is Souichiro’s best friend. His ’special move’ is the martial art of Capoeira.
• Maya Natsume – Maya is the leader of the Juken Club. She’s busty and is very skilled in various martial arts. Her siblings each possess the power of the Dragon’s Eye, but she doesn’t. However, she does have Reiki – a super-all-powerful cursed sword. At first, she appears as a little kid to help save her energy.
• Aya Natsume – Aya is Maya’s younger sister. She’s a little more clueless with her powers though…
• Shin Natsume – Maya and Aya’s dead brother who was driven insane and died. He was the original leader of the Executive Council. He also founded Team KATANA and the Juken Club.
• Masataka Takayanagi – Mitsuomi’s younger brother. He’s shy and low-key, but he’s a crazy-mad opponent in the heat of battle.
• Kagesada Sugano – He prefers to hide instead of fight and is a big wuss.

Baddies – the ‘villains’

• Mitsuomi Takayanagi – President of the Executive Council. His ’special moves’ only last three minutes or so at a time.
• Emi Isuzu – She’s vice president of the Executive Council. Her superpower is kinda unusual…she can manipulate fat to make her look skinny. You don’t want to know where she hides her fighting knives…
• Bunshichi Tawara – He was once a top-tier fighter, but not anymore. He’s now the Executive Council’s adviser (i.e. slimeball). His goal in life seems to be avoiding fights. When he does fight, he’s dangerous though, so watch out!
• Shirō Tagami – He’s a follower of Bushidō. His ’special move’ is Bōjutsu, which uses a hybrid bō that turns into a sansetsukon.

Character Design

There are a lot of uniquely-designed characters in Tenjho Tenge. Oh! great has taken great care (ha ha) to make the Juken Club members and Executive Club gang unique.

Art

The art is tight-tight-tight! Linework is crisp, clean and sharp…with just the right amount of screen tones. I especially like the use of ’special effects’ during the fight scenes, which help create a sense of motion.

Rating

Tenjho Tenge, Volumes One – Six gets 2 outta 4 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: CMX
• Retail Price: $9.99 each volume
• Language: English

Additional Reading

Official Tenjho Tenge Manga Site

All you need to do is create your own music video using either the Bizenghast or Riding Shotgun manga or both. Here’s an example of one of the manga music episodes:

To enter:

• Read all the fine print before entering.
• Create your music video and submit it to the contest page.

Deadline:

• Sunday, March 23, 2008, before 11:59 pm.

Prizes:

• The creator of the winning video will earn an Apple Video Ipod jam packed with TOKYOPOP music and ALL of the imanga webisodes! And that’s not all…
• The winning video will also be featured on TOKYOPOP TV’s Youtube page!

If you’re interested in mixing your own manga music video, get to it; the deadline is 11:59 March 23!