It's All About the Story

I've talked before about the importance of story, of everything bowing down to the importance of the story. Admittedly, I've given far more time and effort to characterization than storytelling, but that's because it's my favorite aspect, not that it's more important. For me, it's a crucial element to telling a story, because a story, without someone at the center, someone having events happen to them and reacting to them isn't a story. I say this because I was reminded yesterday, of what makes a great story.

I have read lots of things over the years, and learned from almost all of it, every genre, forms of prose and poetry. Movies, shows, drivel, classics, I devoured them all, leaching out experience, what I wanted to emulate, what I wanted to avoid and, once in a while, becoming inspired.

I can remember when I first really became interested in writing short stories, earnestly and fantasy in particular, reading a singular compelling story called "Spoils of War" by Jennifer Roberson in Sword and Sorceress V (edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley). The prose read almost like poetry with cadence and power, each word exactly right, almost like a musical composition, building to a crescendo and a surprise denouement. Great stuff.

And it doesn't matter the genre, a great story is a great story. It doesn't have to have action or magic or even humor. It's story is a recitation of some experience that changes one or more lives (real or fictional), which can include reactions from the characters or just how they change and grow as a result. And, growth, boys and girls, means the character(s) learn something.

But sometimes I get so caught up in doing something clever or complex or imaginative, make it entertaining but meaningful and original that I forget that there are lots of things that make a story great. And sometimes, what it is is simplicity, with no more words than required to tell the reader everything they need to get the maximum impact from the story.

It's no secret that, at least recently, I've really found myself fascinated, even obsessed, with manga and anime. It's not just "foreign" comics; it's storytelling and I think part of me is fascinated because so much of the story is pictured not said. And some of its very powerful.

Yesterday, I stumbled across this story, one of four from Garden Dreams by Yoshinaga Fumi and the only one of the chapters I found on-line. (Note, not yaoi or with any gay overtones, no overt sex or violence). Yet, it was perfectly complete standing on its own. Again, I was caught up in the cadence, the pacing, revealing and hiding things in perfect time like an excellent musical composition. For me, it was a masterpiece in storytelling, not only in the tiny pittance of words used and the expressive and powerful artwork, but in the wealth of concepts, emotions and power that were never expressed and yet clearly communicated.

Damn.

I'd forgotten how very powerful simplicity could be.

No bells whistles. No action. No fighting. No clever schemes. No sex. No world to save. No thigh-slapping humor. Just a man shaped by and shaping his fate. Set in a time theoretically like the Crusades, but easily identifiable here and now. At least for me.

And having found it, I'm pointing it out to others who might appreciate it (note that I bought the book quite inexpensively on amazon.com 'cause that's how I roll.).

Note: For those of you who feel like complaining because I mentioned a manga here and I have a blog just for that. I do have a blog for that and I intend to write at considerable length about the mangaka, Yoshinaga Fumi there. But this was about storytelling and very appropriate, in my opinion, right here.

And it's my blog so I get to decide.

Update: I did write about Yoshinaga Fumi on my otaku blog here  and here.

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Getting Physical

So, two people of whatever age have become romantically interested in each other, specifically two men have acknowledged this interest to each other. Now, as I'd mentioned in previous posts, if these two guys are already gay and know it, they will probably move on to the next steps with minimal fanfare. They might even have travel sized bottles of lube or condoms in one or more pockets. But that's not particularly interesting to my way of thinking or that different from a similarly armed heterosexual couple comfortable with sex. And yes, I will be talking about it.

I'm more interested in what goes through the mind of someone(s) who never thought he was gay facing up to what that means. I mean, if physicality wasn't any part of the issue, hanging out all day and all evening, every evening, probably wouldn't even raise an eyebrow. That's the up side to same gender friendships (and some heterosexual friendships, actually). In fact, that's one thing that surprised me when I first read yaoi. I've read a LOT of shoujo manga and I can count on one hand the number that have moved beyond kissing and hand-holding, maybe some light groping, to sex. I've now read a LOT of yaoi (written, ironically enough by women for women, remember, just like shoujo) and I can count on one hand the number of manga that have NOT overtly including sex.  Which argues physicality is a key element.

 (No, boys and girls, I won't be putting up any actual sex shots, I swear, just pictures that illustrate my points on how complex the topic is, like this one that's quite pertinent from a practical little one shot called [inexplicably] Wild and Strawberry [link has sexually explicit pictures] by Suzuki Tsuta. But, again, I will be talking about it.)

But, whereas reference is plentiful on what men and women do together, including most sex education courses, and the jigsaw fits neatly, that kind of information is not as readily available and/or things may not be so intuitive for men, even men who have experience with women. There are several key differences known to even the most reticent and I would guess that your young man who'd never really considered male-to-male coupling before would be a bit daunted, quite probably a whole lot embarrassed, and potentially scared out of his mind.

It's not without it's up side, of course, aside from pleasure. One of the reasons why sex with girls is a "big deal," particularly among the younger sets just getting their hormones revving, is that pregnancy is a very real concern. Disease is, too, but, let's face it, most people don't think it can happen to them (which is, sadly, how they get spread), else the pill would not be such a popular method. A girl's got to be (or at least ought to be) careful who she, eh, spreads her legs for because, even today, the bulk of the onus and responsibility for the end results she bears. That particular boogeyman, getting someone pregnant, does not apply in homosexual cases. Disease, however, still does.

Now, there are many that assume gay sex is "just" anal sex, but, according to [warning: link has sexual explicit pictures] Wikipedia, it is far from ubiquitous (~2/3 of gay men) with various alternatives I will not describe here but that are mentioned in passing on the link provided. You are free to do (or not do) your own research.

From Yajuu de Hatsukoi [warning: link has sexual explicit pictures]by Yamato Nase

But it's a non-trivial thing. Places on your own body you probably never thought of anyone but your wife touching (and places you never expected/wanted anyone to touch) will be handled, even licked by someone else, another man. Men can (and have) been overpowered by other men and that's a real fear, too. As someone on the receiving end of sex, it's frightening to give up so much for trust. I don't regret it, but I can tell you, even with everything fitting together and hormones raging, my first experiences (yes plural) were very painful. Technique matters. Fear and anticipation matter, too. Ditto for trust.

That's even more true with something as invasive as anal sex. Technique and lubrication are considered key elements in the comfort of this technique even it's not your first time. And, and I've had no luck finding an answer in the yaoi, I've never figured out how one decides who is going into whom the first time. Is there a special formula? Does someone call dibbs? Is this a source of consternation and friction early on for many new couples? I'm not being flippant; I'm honestly curious. I would think the experience far more daunting for the never-did-it-before receiver than it would for his partner who is largely doing a variation on what is done with women. But if the first time's botched royally, I would expect it would be challenging for either partner to continue, at least together.

You know, that's a lot of pressure. More so than premature ejaculation or not getting your girl off, though perhaps on kilter with not making her first experience painful (though, from what I've heard from friends, most girls don't remember anyone being particularly considerate). The partners involved have to have an extraordinary level of trust and commitment (however physical that is) if they want the pairing to be successful over the longer hall. Talk about performance pressure!

Why talk about this? Because this is something I really haven't addressed before. Physicality is important for male-female romances, too, but it's different and distinct with different requirements, different hangups and different challenges. What's the same is almost as fascinating as what's different.

From a character interaction standpoint, the prospect, anticipation, and follow-through on something like this is outside anything I've written about or thought about. It seems earth-shattering to me, making me very grateful to be a girl, and gives me all kinds of ideas on how to bring intensity of feeling forward in my own writing. The stakes. The responsibilities. The impact.

Damn, I love to learn.

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MangaMania Contest Concluded

So, my first ever contest is over with at least five of my thirteen entries showing up before I officially announced the contest. So, here are the books again:

Rasetsu 1
Night of the Beasts 1
Kimi ni todoke 1
Otomen 1
Bride of the Water God 1
Vampire Knight 1
Fruits Basket 20

(Rating Loved, Liked, Didn't Like, Been Taken) Note that Rasetsu and particularly Night of the Beasts are both in used (but decent) condition thanks to my toddler. The rest are in pristine like new condition (since I only read them once or not at all if they're a duplicate). All except Fruits Basket are the first in the series. Remember, just because I didn't like them didn't mean they were bad.

Winners (in order of drawing):

Jeff King
Jeff King
Jeff King
Jeff King
Relax Max
The Mother
flit

Choosing which book(s) you want is a matter of whoever comes and asks first. Send me an email stephanieebarr at gmail dot com and let me know your preferences which include:

(a) which book(s) you want [or "surprise me"]
(b) your address/name if you want the book(s) OR you can say "send it to Jeff" since I think he was the only one trying to win OR you can say "Donate it to the library"

If you really want a particular book, email sooner rather than later because I will be choosing who gets what book based on who tells me first. First come, first serve. You might want to include alternates.

I will go to your blogs and let you know you all won. Thanks for those of you who bore with my Manga Mania. Believe it or not, it's still not out of my system. In fact, I seem obsessed with Dengeki Daisy, having read the entire series now three times in the past two weeks - and starting it again. Clearly, I'm wanting to get something specific out of it. I wonder what...

But I'll try to keep it out of the blog for a while.

Update: Jeff is taking Rasetsu, Night of the Beasts, Vampire Knight, and Kimi ni todoke. RM opted to send Otomen to Jeff, too. Flit's taking Bride of the Water God.

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Mangamania: Ick

Contest!

First, something I never ever do, I'm going to do. That's right, a contest! And it's a retroactive contest. See, during my manga mania, I picked up several books that I either already had or turned out didn't work out for me, including several first in a series: Otomen, Kimi ni todoke, Ratsetsu, Bride of the Water God, and Vampire Knight. I also have volume 20 (don't ask me why) of Fruits Basket over and above the whole set and volume 1 of Night of the Beasts, which I let my manga-obsessed toddler play with so I can't vouch for the condition. I figured I'd make a drawing of all those who took the effort to make a comment throughout the whole manga mania series (including those to come) and draw names out of the hat for each commenter. Then they get to pick which book they want (first come, first serve) and I'll send it to them. Five books, five winners (6-7 winners if anyone wants to take a chance on the state of Night of the Beasts or wants Vol 20 of FB). I'll include anyone who's already commented, though you can bow out if you'd like. Most are in good enough condition for regifting if you want to do that. If no one's interested, hey, I'll donate them to the local library.

And that leaves us just manga I despise. Now wait, you might be thinking, what's the difference between not liking a manga and despising it? Some manga leave me cold and uninterested, even if I could recognize how someone else could appreciate it. These manga leave me nauseous and disgusted. I don't want to know someone who could appreciate them. (My daughter recommended one of these to me - I can't tell you how much that disturbed me).

What's the line between indifferent and hatred? Sexual coercion/rape. Now don't get me wrong. These manga aren't the only ones that include blatant sexual references (though none of these here as overt as say, Butterflies, Flowers). I am not a prude and sex doesn't bother me, even in media intended for younger audiences (like older teens). Heck, I like sex. But, as soon as we introduce unwilling partners or sexual aggression in the name of "romance," I'm out of there (as I've mentioned before). Package it for young impressionable teenage girls, and I need an airsick bag.

I should also note that I couldn't care less about a number of perversions. I know a number of people who like to play sex games, including BDSM, but, even there, the word is always-- always--willing partners and it's a rule that the submissive is the one in control. (I have a relative that ran a forum on this topic for a while - you're better off not asking). This is something else entirely.

There are few things I find more destructive to women as a whole than the tendency (often by female authors) to promote the idea that women are happiest when used against their wills, that an aggressive, even abusive, boyfriend is just showing how much he loves you. In my opinion, this is a crime women commit against themselves and, though not illegal, I will not hesitate to rail against it.

Among the things I found disturbing particularly for manga intended for teenage girls:

• Physically and sexually aggressive scenes between romantic leads where every scene includes (but doesn't end with), "Please! Stop!"
• Kissing a girl painfully and "uncontrollably" because he was pissed (at someone else)
• Using rape of someone else's girlfriend as a revenge against that someone else
• Having "romantic" rivals of a girl (who covet the boyfriend) set a girl up to be beaten and/or raped
• Offering sexual favors to a man to get him to rape another girl for revenge (perhaps more disturbing given the one offering is also male)
• Girls being kissed against their will explaining to their boyfriends that it was "their fault" for not being diligent enough - and having said boyfriends agree.
• Extorting a girl into effective slavery and threatening to ruin her family is she doesn't obey. This slavery involves sexual aggression. (Note that these were the "romantic" leads)

I have to stop now. I'm getting a headache. And this is far from a comprehensive list. I need to add that these at least two of these titles are very successful. If you read out a fan's description of the story for Honey x Honey Drops in Wikipedia, perhaps you'll understand why I find these sorts of things so dangerous, as the fan who describes the story rationalizes away Renge's oppression. Ick.

I also have to say, I don't think it's a coincidence that the girls in these manga come across as abysmally stupid and weak. Or that my fondness for a manga is often inversely proportional to the character of the female protagonist. I'll include a brief premise but I don't think I'll need much to explain why these didn't work for me.

Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu by Kanan Minami

Anime? Yes Volumes of manga: 10 Status: Ongoing

My rating: Ick

Premise: Old-fashioned girl is targeted by popular playboy for aggressive sexual teasing with the intent to drop her like a hot potato when she falls for him. Instead, she becomes fascinated with him and convinces him to come back to her, so she can be nearly raped by rivals and revenge-seekers, not to mention our "protagonist" repeatedly. She is pressured by friends to throw away her virginity or risk losing her boyfriend. Do I have to explain why I hate this?

Honey x Honey Drops by Kanan Minami

Anime? Yes Volumes of manga: 8 Status: Complete

My rating: Ick

Premise: High school is forcibly made the servant of a rich student who sexually and physically harasses and uses her (but is presumably her romantic lead). In return, her tuition is paid. If she quits, she's expelled. Ah, young love. Again, if I don't see why I would have to explain why I hate this.

Ai wo Utau Yori Oreni Oborero by Mayu Shinjo

Anime? No Volumes of manga: ? Status: Complete

My rating: Ick

Premise: A feminine-looking boy, "princess" of his all boy school, joins a girl band where he aggressively pursues the tall masculine-looking lead guitarist (the "prince" of her all-girl school). Both are additionally pursued by members of their own school sexually. The prince not only uses the admiration of the boys in his school to manipulate them to do whatever he wants, he is also somewhat brutally pursuing the innocent and ineffectual female lead who is apparently weak as a daisy. (I'm fine with role reversals, but girly-looking sexual predator is not less creepy than a masculine-looking one. Seriously.).

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MangaMania: Those I Didn't Like

Contest!

First, something I never ever do, I'm going to do. That's right, a contest! And it's a retroactive contest. See, during my manga mania, I picked up several books that I either already had or turned out didn't work out for me, including several first in a series: Otomen, Kimi ni todoke, Ratsetsu, Bride of the Water God, and Vampire Knight. I also have volume 20 (don't ask me why) of Fruits Basket over and above the whole set and volume 1 of Night of the Beasts, which I let my manga-obsessed toddler play with so I can't vouch for the condition. I figured I'd make a drawing of all those who took the effort to make a comment throughout the whole manga mania series (including those to come) and draw names out of the hat for each commenter. Then they get to pick which book they want (first come, first serve) and I'll send it to them. Five books, five winners (6-7 winners if anyone wants to take a chance on the state of Night of the Beasts or wants Vol 20 of FB). I'll include anyone who's already commented, though you can bow out if you'd like. Most are in good enough condition for regifting if you want to do that. If no one's interested, hey, I'll donate them to the local library.

Well, I've moved down the list from things I loved and have reread repeatedly, to those that appealed to me (even if I didn't understand why) to those that turned out to be less than I'd hoped. Now, we're on to those items I just didn't like. Not, burn them in the fireplace dislike, just have no interest in reading really past the first book. Note that my interest (or lack of it) has nothing to do with a books popularity. Kimi ni todoke (From Me to You), for instance, has won prestigious manga awards and is very successful. I just don't like it.

Kimi ni Todoke (From Me To You) by Karuho Shiina

Anime? Yes Volumes of manga: 13 (7 Eng) Status: Ongoing

My rating: Didn't like it.
Age: Teenager is fine. Kinda squeaky.

Premise: Painfully shy girl looks like someone scary from a movie and is treated like a pariah. When a popular boy makes friends with her, more people start to warm up to her and find out she's really a nice person.

Why I Didn't Like It: She's too nice. No matter what horrible thing is done to her, she looks for the kindness in it (and yet is suspicious at the other times inexplicably). She shows no obvious sign of smarts, but it scholarly successful and an excellent teacher. (I found there's a distinct trend between how smart the female protagonist is and how much I liked the manga). Still, I could see this appealing to someone who knew what it was like to be painfully shy--I'm not and never have been. However, the pacing on this story is so horribly slow it was frustrating. And there's no conflict in this manga besides our heroine overcoming her shyness and the ridiculously stilted romance. That's thirteen volumes and counting, folks. The manga spent like four chapters with our romantic leads "confessing" their feelings with neither of them recognizing what the other was saying and both feeling rejected. Four chapters. I just don't have enough free time to put up with that. The artwork is also just not my style.

Night of the Beasts by Chika Shiomi

Anime? No Volumes of manga: 6
Status: Ongoing?

My rating: Didn't like it. Age: Older teen for violence.

Premise: High school badass girl can take out guys hustling girls, but isn't prepared for the demon possessed that are now wandering the streets, including the strange guy, also possessed, who can only be calmed in a rampage with her touch.

Why I Didn't Like It: It sounds like the kind of premise I'd like, seriously. 'Cept I didn't. The artwork is okay, too. So, why didn't I like it? I can't actually put my finger on it except I couldn't have cared less about either character and had no interest, whatsoever, in reading more. In fact, I tried to read it again today and stopped halfway, unwilling to invest another twenty minutes. Which just goes to show that, like a novel, a good idea isn't enough. I couldn't dredge up interest in either character (neither of which seemed to act in ways that made sense to me) and no humor that appealed to me, I was left bored.


Otomen by Aya Kanno

Anime? Yes Volumes of manga: 12 (9 Eng) Status: Ongoing

My rating: Didn't like it. Age: Teenager - it's squeaky clean.

Premise: Manly highschooler, who excels in martial arts, also loves to cook and sew and do many girly things. He keeps this part of him hidden until he falls for a girl.

Why I Didn't Like It: I wanted to like this. There was comic potential. I like twisting traditional roles. There's a side character who almost appeals. The premise appeals. The artwork's not bad. Our leading man even is quite attractive. Unfortunately, he had all the charm of the terminator in the first Terminator movie. No charm, no depth, no humor. He's as cleancut as Superman without the twinkle in his eye, more like Superman in a frilly apron prone to moralizing. If the girl in question had been loaded with personality, I might have pushed past it, but, sadly, she was like a standard "school friend" side character, not a romantic lead. I tried to like it. I failed.

Rasetsu by Chika Shiomi

Anime? No Volumes of manga: 8
Status: Complete

My rating: Didn't like it. Age: Older teen, probably for violence and sexual innuendo.

Premise: Youthful hypoglocemic performs exorcisms using her spiritual skills while knowing she is doomed to become demon-fodder if she doesn't fall in love (and get loved in return) by eighteen. But no one wants her, I can't even remember why. Someone else is dragged into the ghost-busting business almost involuntarily who, I presume, is the proposed love interest.

Why I Didn't Like It: I literally could cut and paste the reason for Night of the Beasts (by the same author) in here. In fact, I will: It sounds like the kind of premise I'd like. The artwork is nice, too. So, why didn't I like it? I can't actually put my finger on it except I couldn't have cared less about either character and had no interest, whatsoever, in reading more. Which just goes to show that, like a novel, a good idea isn't enough. I couldn't dredge up interest in either character (neither of which seemed to act in ways that made sense to me) and no humor that appealed to me, I was left bored.

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Manga Mania: Just Okay

Contest!

First, something I never ever do, I'm going to do. That's right, a contest! And it's a retroactive contest. See, during my manga mania, I picked up several books that I either already had or turned out didn't work out for me, including several first in a series: Otomen, Kimi ni todoke, Ratsetsu, Bride of the Water God, and Vampire Knight. I also have volume 20 (don't ask me why) of Fruits Basket over and above the whole set and volume 1 of Night of the Beasts, which I let my manga-obsessed toddler play with so I can't vouch for the condition. I figured I'd make a drawing of all those who took the effort to make a comment throughout the whole manga mania series (including those to come) and draw names out of the hat for each commenter. Then they get to pick which book they want (first come, first serve) and I'll send it to them. Five books, five winners (6-7 winners if anyone wants to take a chance on the state of Night of the Beasts or wants Vol 20 of FB). I'll include anyone who's already commented, though you can bow out if you'd like. Most are in good enough condition for regifting if you want to do that. If no one's interested, hey, I'll donate them to the local library.

So, having finished off my "current" list of mangas that "have a certain appeal" to me, we move down to the list to mangas that were just "okay," in other words, mangas I read through but walked away feeling disappointed without a compelling urge to read them again.

Flowers in a Storm by Shigeyoshi Takagi

Anime? No Volumes of manga: 2
Status: Complete

My rating: Okay

Age range/taboos: Sexual innuendo, some violence, most of it silly. It's probably safe for a teenager who is most likely to be more tolerant of this level of nonsense than I am.

Premise: Our heroine is a high school student with extraordinary physical abilities who tries to pretend she's normal because she thinks her differences preclude her getting a boyfriend. Ironically, she attracts the interest of someone foolishly rich who becomes determined to marry her, using any means necessary and proud as hell of her physical capabilities.

Why It's Just Okay: This could have been very funny, despite the basic stupidity of the notion. Or one of the characters could have been appealing in some way. Instead, our rich suitor is mostly a flaky moron who makes no sense and the heroine's incentive to resist the flaky moron (since she's not exactly a rocket scientist herself) seems weak from the get go. She wants a boyfriend and romance, seems protective of the one guy who is clearly comfortable with her weirdnesses. Since she's not thrown really by his weirdnesses, I don't get the conflict. I read the first one thinking it was stupid but had a couple cute moments. Rereading it when I had the second one changed my mind. My stupid meter was pegged. Also, the artwork didn't appeal to me.

Tail of the Moon by Rinko Ueda

Anime? No Volumes of manga: 15
Status: Complete

My rating: Okay

Age range/taboos: Nudity (but not detailed nudity), near rape, plenty of sexual references, plenty of violence. I think it's rated for older teens. That's probably right, though much of it has a cutesy look and feel.

Premise: Set in the Tensho Era of Japan, Usagi is a failure at becoming a ninja largely because she's lazy. As a last ditch effort, she's sent to a neighboring ninja village to marry the highly competent but uninterested Hanzo. His village is desperate for him to find a bride, but he won't wed anyone and, even when Usagi somehow worms her way into his heart, won't marry her until she becomes a real ninja.

Why It Was Just Okay: Okay, it's a period of history that interests me and there are real events covered in this. And shinobi lore is an interest of mine. There's definitely some good humor in this and some nice moments. However, the things that were wrong were painful in the extreme (noisiest ninjas ever, for instance). Usagi has the mentality of a nine-year-old, even if she has a developed body and looks like a black-haired cherub. The artwork is fine, with particularly the male characters being ridiculously good-looking. They were also, without exception, attracted to Usagi which I just didn't get. Hanzo's focus on appearances is whacked, but not as whacked as Usagi's nominal foolishness which manages to screw up nearly everything she's involved in. But it's all good because she can make a medicine that will cure anything, from nerve damage to blindness with any handy herbs. (The Mother should not read this.) Usagi's immaturity, more than her nominal age, make this seem somewhat creepy. Yes, she's a brave kid who works hard when she has to, but the inexhaustible ingenue-ness wore me down.


Wild Ones (aka Arakure) by Kiyo Fujiwara

Anime? No Volumes of manga: 10
Status: Complete

My rating: Okay

Age range/taboos: Cross dressing, some very minimal sexual innuendo. More threat of violence than actual violence. Really, it's pretty safe for teenagers, too, the title notwithstanding.

Premise: Orphan (Sachie) is adopted by her grandfather who happens to be the head of a yakuza organization (gangsters) who are effectively harmless. A teenager just a year older is assigned as her bodyguard/caretaker, whose job is complicated by his love for her and her reckless disregard for anything resembling judgement.

Why It Was Just Okay: There's some comic potential in a group of shy good-hearted yakuza (so common in reality) taking care of a single teenaged girl no matter what wrong-headed thing she decides to do. There is something actually charming about the bodyguard's devotion to her. She's certainly good-natured, just heedless. Problem is, this notion would have worked for a few books at most, not dragged out to ten with the two leads (obviously in love in first few chapters) still not understanding the situation in volume 8. Oy! Ten volume romance with one kiss. Pacing was a problem and the same old tired unnecessary adventures started to get old long before I reached the end of them. You'd think Sachie would learn something over time. The artwork was okay, somewhat standard, but there was something freaky about the mirror-like eyes everyone had. The end was both frustrating and lame, in my opinion.

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MangaMania: Special A/Vampire Game

Contest!

First, something I never ever do, I'm going to do. That's right, a contest! And it's a retroactive contest. See, during my manga mania, I picked up several books that I either already had or turned out didn't work out for me, including several first in a series: Otomen, Kimi ni todoke, Ratsetsu, Bride of the Water God, and Vampire Knight. I also have volume 20 (don't ask me why) of Fruits Basket over and above the whole set and volume 1 of Night of the Beasts, which I let my manga-obsessed toddler play with so I can't vouch for the condition. I figured I'd make a drawing of all those who took the effort to make a comment throughout the whole manga mania series (including those to come) and draw names out of the hat for each commenter. Then they get to pick which book they want (first come, first serve) and I'll send it to them. Five books, five winners (6-7 winners if anyone wants to take a chance on the state of Night of the Beasts or wants Vol 20 of FB). I'll include anyone who's already commented, though you can bow out if you'd like. Most are in good enough condition for regifting if you want to do that. If no one's interested, hey, I'll donate them to the local library.

Special A by Minami Maki

Anime? Yes Volumes of manga: 17
Status: Complete

My rating: Has a certain appeal

Age range/taboos: Some cross-dressing. Pervasive but non-lethal violence. Pretty safe for teens in my opinion.

Premise: Hikari, the commoner, is rivals with Takashima Kei who is rich, mind-bogglingly brilliant and exceptionally athletic. She isn't the same kind of natural but manages to come up second place through absolute willpower and hard work. Consumed with finally beating him, she's oblivious to the fact he's been desperately in love with her since they were kids. Special A refers to a special class for the most exceptional students in a high end private high school, which is where our protagonists are.

What works: Aside from the ridiculous exaggerations in wealth and abilities, Takashima Kei has my complete sympathy. Having everything easy just means the expectations are ridiculous and the only thing in the world that gives him joy is his interaction with the enthusiastic and well-meaning Hikari. Rather than feeling superior, he's absolutely in awe of her hard work and what she accomplishes without his natural gifts. Since she completely doesn't see romance on the horizon, Kei needs the patience of a saint as he works around her endless misunderstandings and awkward attempts to embrace her feelings.

Hikari is completely innocent, honorable and trusting. She is also quite capable of kicking serious butt, which is always charming in a manga female. It's even pretty easy to see why she's so important to Kei, who would work himself to death if it weren't for her involvement. If she wasn't so unbelievably clueless, she might be quite likable. It is also, quite frequently very humorous, mostly because the richy-rich scenarios and plot-lines are so desperately absurd.

Note: The anime has a certain charm, but it's dubbed (at least what I saw) and sometimes the Japanese originals are a bit grating. But I liked it anyway and watched the whole thing.

What I didn't like: Unfortunately, Hikari is dumb as a post, no matter how well she powers through tests. I admire Kei's patience because she frustrates the ever living hell out of me. The other members of Special A are, in my opinion, relatively hollow characters despite the stories the author's tried to weave around them. The absurdity is frequently humorous, but sometimes it's as wearying as Hikari's immature idiocy.

The artwork doesn't impress me much. I don't find it particularly compelling or polished.

Vampire Game

Anime? No Volumes of manga: 15 Status: Complete

My rating: Has a certain appeal

Age range/taboos: Some sexual (including homosexual) innuendo and violence. Some pretty benign sort of nudity. Cross dressing, too. Still, it's all pretty harmless. I wouldn't be worried if I had a teenager read it.

Premise: Vampire killed in mortal combat with a great hero is reincarnated as a cat set on killing the hero in his reincarnated mode. Instead, he gets mixed up in the convoluted shenanigans surrounding, Ishtar the young and headstrong princess (and descendant of the original hero) and her many suitors.

What works: It's hard not to like both the reincarnated vampire and Ishtar. Although she starts out looking sort of like a care-for-nobody, one soon sees past that and, although the adventures spawned are (surprise!) absurd, they are original and creative. Darres, who Ishtar loves, is somewhat oblivious, but he is devoted and capable (mostly). If wrong-headed and heedless, Ishtar is somewhat capable as well, which is nice. The vampire (whose powers increase and include shapeshifting) is amazingly useful and grows to be very appealing.

There are a host of side characters that end up being quite compelling with little fanfare. I think part of that is that the artwork is appealing and pretty consistent. My daughter loves this one more than I do, but I have to say it was a fun read. And, sometimes, that's all you need.
What I didn't like: I wish Darres wasn't quite so clueless. I would have liked him to be a bit more involved in Ishtar's obvious romance.

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MangaMania: Millenium Snow/Phantom Dream

Contest!
First, something I never ever do, I'm going to do. That's right, a contest! And it's a retroactive contest. See, during my manga mania, I picked up several books that I either already had or turned out didn't work out for me, including several first in a series: Otomen, Kimi ni todoke, Ratsetsu, Bride of the Water God, and Vampire Knight. I also have volume 20 (don't ask me why) of Fruits Basket over and above the whole set and volume 1 of Night of the Beasts, which I let my manga-obsessed toddler play with so I can't vouch for the condition. I figured I'd make a drawing of all those who took the effort to make a comment throughout the whole manga mania series (including those to come) and draw names out of the hat for each commenter. Then they get to pick which book they want (first come, first serve) and I'll send it to them. Five books, five winners (6-7 winners if anyone wants to take a chance on the state of Night of the Beasts or wants Vol 20 of FB). I'll include anyone who's already commented, though you can bow out if you'd like. Most are in good enough condition for regifting if you want to do that. If no one's interested, hey, I'll donate them to the local library.

Millenium Snow

Millenium Snow, a two volume manga written by Bisco Hatori (of OHSHC fame).

Anime? No Volumes of manga: 2 Status: Complete

My rating: Has a certain appeal

Age range/taboos: Mostly your normal blood-drinking taboos inherent to anything involving vampires. Really, nothing else comes to mind. I can't see a teenager taking harm from reading this.

Premise: Our heroine, Chiyuki, whose full name means "thousand snows" has a medical condition that has largely kept her in the hospital her whole life and is expected to kill her soon, if not any moment. She sees someone leap from a roof and leaves her hospital bed to find Toya, a vampire with the power to keep a human alive for a thousand years but no inclination to do so or live that long himself. He won't drink blood and so lives on excessive amounts of food instead.

What works: The premise largely works because she wants to live and he, he really has no interest in living. It is his belief that drinking her blood (lifelong) to prolong her life (and apparently it's a step that cannot be undone) would make her miserable and that she would blame him for living too damn long. Apparently, finding a single companion is standard practice for vampires, which works symbiotically for both and precludes that standard blood-drinking rampages. I think that's kind of clever and, at least, a little off the beaten track. It's just twisted enough to appeal.

I actually like both characters even if they are somewhat stiltingly portrayed and Toya spends the first half of the first book largely unlikeable. Toya's minion, the bat, however is quite likeable and the largely selfless and life-loving Chiyuki is appealing. I like that he ends up prolonging her life (and curing her) with a little of his own blood. There is some worthwhile humor as well, though the characters are often quite dense as well. Chiyuki is probably the most appealing of the protagonists because she knows what she wants and she's perfectly patient about getting it. Personality-wise, she's the strongest, which is a nice change. I like that he worries that he loves her too much to be trusted to stay with her.

What I didn't like: I don't like the artwork at all. It's busy, confusing and the characters are drawn in a very unappealing way, despite the descriptions of being "handsome" and the like. Too much shouting going on and the wedge between the two, Toya's reluctance to solve both their problems at once, seems contrived and lasts too long. But the biggest thing I disliked was that the author obviously intended to carry it further and was stopped so it ends feeling very unfinished with no resolution. Irritating in the extreme to me.

Phantom Dream by Natsuki Takaya (who did Fruits Basket)

Anime? No Volumes of manga: 5 Status: Complete

My rating: Has a certain appeal

Age range/taboos: Nudity, teenage sex (though implied more than shown), violence. Older teen is probably most appropriate.

Premise: Summoner who protects humankind from demons intent on turning the world to chaos and eradicating humankind (heavy, I know) is in love with a "normal" girl who turns out to be pivotal to the whole thing.

What works: I've mentioned that mythological stuff appeals to me so this does too. This is also some of my favorite artwork by Takaya which isn't as emotionally impactful as Fruits Basket but is more elaborate and expansive than Tsubasa.

In this case, although I like the main male protagonist well enough, it's the girl I like best, Asahi, who is considered too normal to be a real bride. Her devotion and self-sacrifice for Tamaki is compelling and absolute. That there's more than meets the eye adds something to it all. It's interesting and has dark elements that many manga don't have. I like that. It had a satisfying ending.

What I didn't like: I don't really get Tamaki so much. He doesn't seem terribly bright. Much of the mystique and notions behind the fight between good and bad is confusing and we spend a long time wondering what side Asahi is on. Some of the translation seems stilted and the motivations are confusing.

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MangaMania: Bride of the Water God/Butterflies, Flowers

Contest!
First, something I never ever do, I'm going to do. That's right, a contest! And it's a retroactive contest. See, during my manga mania, I picked up several books that I either already had or turned out didn't work out for me, including several first in a series: Otomen, Kimi ni todoke, Ratsetsu, Bride of the Water God, and Vampire Knight. I also have volume 20 (don't ask me why) of Fruits Basket over and above the whole set and volume 1 of Night of the Beasts, which I let my manga-obsessed toddler play with so I can't vouch for the condition. I figured I'd make a drawing of all those who took the effort to make a comment throughout the whole manga mania series (including those to come) and draw names out of the hat for each commenter. Then they get to pick which book they want (first come, first serve) and I'll send it to them. Five books, five winners (6-7 winners if anyone wants to take a chance on the state of Night of the Beasts or wants Vol 20 of FB). I'll include anyone who's already commented, though you can bow out if you'd like. Most are in good enough condition for regifting if you want to do that. If no one's interested, hey, I'll donate them to the local library.

Bride of the Water God

Bride of the Water God is technically a manwha from Korea, written by Yun Mi-kyung. It's also unique in all these series I describe in that it reads front to back and left to right like a "normal" comic.

Anime? No Volumes of manga: 11 (7 Eng) Status: Ongoing

My rating: Has a certain appeal

Age range/taboos: Some limited sexual innuendo and violence, though more the description of violence than actual. Again, I don't see teenagers coming to grief reading this, though I'm not sure how much it would appeal to them either (though my daughter likes it).

Premise: Based on myths about the water god Habaek, it largely follows the intrigue of the gods' realm with everyone wanting to control Habaek who is hung up, first on his memories of his lost human bride (Nakbin) and then on his new human bride Soah (sacrificed by the village to end a drought). Soah is who we follow. Soah is confused since Habaek is cursed to be a child during during the day and a man by night since the man (who "isn't" Habaek) romances her.

What works: Of all the manga-ish books I have, this is the series where artwork was the biggest driver. It's beautiful, detailed, powerful, filled with decorative intricacies and convoluted costumes. I'm not lying when I say it's stunning and the colored cover art is gorgeous, too.

I also like mythology and like learning more about it, so it's somewhat interesting to me from that point. I have some fondness for Mui, even if I don't understand his motivations frequently, I understand those moments when he is trying to be protective, even if it comes across more like callous given that his interest in Soah makes her attractive as a pawn in the gods' power struggle.

What I didn't like: It's frustrating to me that Soah doesn't get most of what's going on. She seems to have a very limited understanding. Pretty, clearly attached to Habaek (in both forms) and jealous of the many Nakbin spinoffs that show up, but still largely clueless and easily used. She's not particularly strong.

Also the story is confusing, partially because of the large pantheon of characters I, personally, have a hard time keeping up with (especially the Emporer and his tendency for disguise), partially because many characters have multiple names, and partially because I find the story itself hard to follow. My lack of understanding of the actual myths behind the story probably don't help much. It also seems to drag on a bit so pacing's slow, possibly because the artist behind this takes up so many pages with dramatic art. So it's not all bad.

Butterflies, Flowers

Talk about a contrast to Bride of the Water God, Butterflies, Flowers is a mature-rated manga written by Yuki Yoshihara, with adults in a "office" setting and a great deal of melodrama.

Anime? No Volumes of manga: 8 (6 Eng) Status: Complete

My rating: Has a certain appeal

Age range/taboos: It's rated mature which might be a misnomer, not because I recommend it for teenagers (I don't) but because it's not exactly designed to appeal to the mature. Adults only, but it's more fraternity-type maturity. There are few sexual taboos that aren't crossed here, with plenty of innuendo, nudity and sex, some measure of violence. Cross-dressing is included.

Premise: Working girl whose wealthy family has fallen on hard times find she's working for a man who was once her special servant growing up. His adoration of her as a child becomes something more adult but not without confounding them both. He's also very very weird.

What works: I'm struggling a bit with this one. The characters, for once, are not the draw. I don't really like either one, though I like Suwo a bit. In fact, a number of side characters are a good bit of fun. Perhaps I like the fact that nothing is sacred, that a good bit of this is making fun of the manga excesses only a good bit more crudely than OHSHC did. Domoto, our male lead, is one of the most melodramatic characters ever, possibly schizophrenic. He is both calm and cool and hot-tempered, a sexual harasser of the highest order and abjectly correct in preserving his girlfriend's virtue, emotionally emotive to the nth degree (he cries frequently). The action and plotlines are consistently absurd.

And that, boys and girls, might be why I've read this raunchy silly thing more than once, why it still makes me laugh. You can't take the damn thing too seriously and it's so stupid it's funny. True, that can backfire and I know a number of things that peg out my stupid meter so that my laughter reflex is squashed. Apparently this just wiggles under that for me. When we go off on "otaku" tangents (otaku means fans of manga/anime/video games) where our characters can drive a mechanized suit a la gundam, it's ridiculous. And, I guess, that it's charm.

What I didn't like: Well, it's stupid. The characters aren't particularly likeable or do anything that makes a lick of sense. The artwork is not good, in my opinion, nor our main players good looking.

Some of the sexual harassment, sexual aggression, etc. is off-putting. I find that's true of most sophomoric romps like this, though. One could argue a serious level of misogyny here, but I don't think that's entirely accurate. The girl is often in charge of the situation and still, largely, calls the shots. And Domoto swings from workplace aggressor to happy housewife.

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MangaMania: Backstage Prince/Beast Master

Contest!
First, something I never ever do, I'm going to do. That's right, a contest! And it's a retroactive contest. See, during my manga mania, I picked up several books that I either already had or turned out didn't work out for me, including several first in a series: Otomen, Kimi ni todoke, Ratsetsu, Bride of the Water God, and Vampire Knight. I also have volume 20 (don't ask me why) of Fruits Basket over and above the whole set and volume 1 of Night of the Beasts, which I let my manga-obsessed toddler play with so I can't vouch for the condition. I figured I'd make a drawing of all those who took the effort to make a comment throughout the whole manga mania series (including those to come) and draw names out of the hat for each commenter. Then they get to pick which book they want (first come, first serve) and I'll send it to them. Five books, five winners (6-7 winners if anyone wants to take a chance on the state of Night of the Beasts or wants Vol 20 of FB). I'll include anyone who's already commented, though you can bow out if you'd like. Most are in good enough condition for regifting if you want to do that. If no one's interested, hey, I'll donate them to the local library.

Alright, moving on to series I liked but don't necessarily get down and reread over and over and over and over again. Ones that appealed to me for some reason or another, enough that I own all of them, too (or am getting all of them), but can't necessarily overlook their flaws. They often have either partially developed characters or only one character I really like. Four of them are earlier works by mangaku (manga authors) whose later works made my "gotta have 'em all" list.

Backstage Prince

First, here's Backstage Prince, a two volume to completion manga written by Kanako Sakurakoji (who also wrote Black Bird), in which we see the author favors a particular look for her protagonists, quite similar to those in Black Bird. We also discover that she's in love with a kabuki actor. Wikipedia has a really interesting article on Kubuki for those interested. But I digress.

Anime? No Volumes of manga: 2
Status: Complete

My rating: Has a certain appeal

Age range/taboos: I don't see an issue with any teenager reading this. No nudity, minimal lewdness. Cross-dressing is limited to the actual Kabuki.

Premise: "Normal" high school student, Akari, signs up to assist a talented up and coming kabuki actor after she accidentally hurts him. Although handsome and talented, the actor is a misanthrope and generally hates people, but she (and his cat) become exceptions to the world he mostly scorns. Her influence and support enable him to largely overcome his bad attitude sufficiently that it doesn't undermine his success.

What works: The cat is charming. I actually like our misanthrope who doesn't hate people so much as he is somewhat painfully shy and has been unwillingly in the spotlight since birth. He's been under the control of others entirely and his relationship with Akari is one of the first things he takes a stand on. He's not a people person and he, as a person, is unable or unwilling to compete with the image others have of him. Akari, who cares nothing about his image and sees him for himself, is the first person he sees as seeing him as he is. His ego is confined to his kabuki skills which are, apparently, prodigious.

His whole-hearted and unwavering devotion to the two things he cares about: the cat and Akari, is touching and sweet, even if he's not the best at expressing it. So, yeah, I liked him, even though we only saw him through Akari's eyes. I also liked their relationship, how she brought out the best in him just by being there.

To be honest, I thought the insight into Kabuki was also interesting, since I knew nothing about it. Cool beans. It's also a nice short read, but ending tidily.

What I didn't like: The characters aren't entirely fleshed out and it's a bit heavy on the teenage angst, given the assistant is a teenager. She's supportive but really doesn't do much of anything. She's sort of reactive, so she's not as strong as I would have liked. Still, she ends up as stalwart as her two-years senior boyfriend. The artwork is not particularly refined or notable.

Beast Master

I know, right? Some of the names . . . oh well, part of it is likely translation. Beast Master is another earlier work by a mangaku I like, this time Kyousuke Motomi (author of Dengeki Daisy). I might have actually bumped this into gotta have 'em all except I just finished writing those up when I read this one. It's still too new for me to be objective. So, be warned, it might move up the ladder (or conceivably, down).

Anime? No Volumes of manga: 2
Status: Complete

My rating: Has a certain appeal

Age range/taboos: Our hero here, spent much of his life "in the wild" and will go on a violent berserk rampage if put at risk and/or bloodied (or, apparently, if his girlfriend is). So, yeah, bloody violence happens but no corpses except for a leopard. Still, I don't think many teenagers would be adversely affected by this.

Premise: Girl who loves animals but sends them running with her smothery ways befriends a boy who comes off as scary while being exceptionally good with animals. Turns out, he's lived in the wild most of his life. She discovers quickly that he will go berserk to protect himself, but that she can get him to calm down when no one else can.

What works: Both protagonists are appealing, "Leo" (the "wild boy") is unaffected and unstintingly affectionate with his own backward charm that I like. She is selfless and strong, without being overpowering or nasty. If she's a little slow to catch on to Leo's devotion to her, that's hardly anything new in manga. I like that she refuses to treat him like an animal and that both of them are focused on the well-being of the other. This manga could have been longer and still appealing, but it shortness kept it from bogging down, so that's nice, too. Tidy.

I like the emphasis on animals (the girl's father is a veterinarian) and find Leo's gentleness (when not in berserk mode) completely in character. I like his unfamiliarity with modern technology and processed foods fun, too. The artwork, like Backstage Prince was, is less refined than the author's later works, but still capable of being quite moving. This is more dramatic and emotionally pulling than Backstage Prince. I also have to admit I liked both of the short mini-manga stories included with the books.

What I didn't like: Side characters pretty much sucked (except for Banchou, the friendly neighborhood thug). Either they were shallow and uninteresting, or too wacked to take seriously. The back story behind Leo's unconventional upbringing was also pretty weak, even by manga standards. Fortunately, it wasn't really key except toward the end.

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MangaMania Observations 2

Last time, I talked about observations and trends I saw in artwork, idiosyncrasies and stylistic choices that might throw off a new reader but also, in my opinion, could enhance humor and add creative depth.

But there are either cultural or other idiosyncrasies that might be difficult for many of us US folks to work around. Some obviously stem from cultural differences between Japan and here (which is far less repressed in some ways and more repressed in others). Some stem from the differences in the way education is run, the emphasis on education and even the relative lack of widespread crime in Japan. For instance, apparently Japanese school children routinely make their way to their schools alone, taking trains or buses as required without fanfare. I would presume you could do the same thing in European cities where mass transit is pervasive and crime is a much lower level than it is here, where here is seems callous or dangerous. Also, apparently, children pay tuition for (at least) high school with tuition varying widely and, sometimes, scholarships offered to excellent students.

Some have to do with how characters are portrayed and what, in Japanese culture, is most admired. Given that I haven't lived in Japan, I have to speculate what are aspects particularly to manga (as opposed to Japanese life) and what are reflections on actuality. Still here are some trends I've noticed in the manga with no intimated assertion on how it is in reality.

• Student council is a much bigger deal in Shojo high schools than it ever was in my high school, with student councils expected to help police the school and support clubs and activities. Regular students are supposed to help clean up classrooms and take out recycling, etc. as well. High schools are three year institutions. Taking exams to get into university is a huge deal and is the focal point for anyone wanting to move forward academically.
  
• Being academically advanced has considerable cache, with popularity often going with it, particularly for male characters (not sure why it's different for women, but, hell, here in the US being bright isn't really popular for either gender so it could be worse). Those that also excel in sports have to just about beat off women with sticks. As always, being rich doesn't hurt either, but smart still wins. Girls are rarely at the top academically and, if girls are struggling with one or more subjects, it's likely math and/or English.
  
• Fever is the ultimate default illness. Skull fracture, separated shoulder - you'll recover readily. You aren't really incapacitated until you get a fever, but a fever alone (whether brought on by an aggravated cold or stress or overwork or exhaustion) will cause collapse and can only really be treated with bedrest (often just overnight).
  
• Girls are expected to be more romantically aggressive, with Valentines all about giving boys you admire chocolate and girls unlikely to receive any but friendship chocolate from other female friends. In shojo manga, girls are frequently confessing their feelings to boys who may or may not have paid them the slightest attention (though, for some reason, it is a rarity for a central female protagonist to do so). Girl fandom, as noted in these manga, is almost frightening, with popular boys seen as nearly rock stars.
• Costume play (cosplay) seems to be quite popular with little or no stigma attached to cross-dressing, especially for guys. This openmindedness often is extended outward to homosexuality as well, with for some reason male homosexuality being generally accepted with perhaps more ease (if not titillation particularly among girls) than lesbianism. Not sure I entirely get that.
  
• Girls are not restricted to typical girl roles/professions; nor are men. In half of the manga I've read, girls are excellent cooks, for instance, while in the other half either they've been pampered and never learned or they are inherently unable to cook no matter how hard they try (including the potential for explosions). In the latter cases, where girls can't cook, the men invariably are quite adept at cooking if not exceptionally gifted chefs. I guess there's something to be said that a lasting relationship requires that at least one of the members can cook. It is endearing that men attracted to even the worst cooks will still willingly eat what's cooked for them. Gitls in these manga strive to be everything from restaurateurs to teachers to lawyers to what have you. Boys also seem to be willing to pursue teaching and nursing careers rather than just glamorous or flashy professions.
• Physical aggression is portrayed quite differently, with physical attacks being quite frequent (and even friendly), particularly between boys, between girls and from girls to boys (not, except for bad guys, generally from males toward girls). Girls, in shojo manga, are frequently physically capable and aggressive, generally well able to defend themselves. This capability does not, however, preclude their love interests from rushing to their defense or otherwise trying to protect them with or without their permission. Some girls take that better than others. Some will do the same right back, often to the boy's consternation. Girls unable to do their own defending will often have other skills that still enable them to hold their own (like Misao's ability to heal demons and her willingness to use venom).
• The moral high ground is more likely to be the girl's thing. Girls are routinely jumping into danger in the interest of protecting others or standing up for some principle or the other, whereas the males are more likely just to jump in if someone specific they care about is involved. The vast majority of shojo manga girls are intrepid, sometimes even frighteningly so, even if they get panicked when things spiral away. Still, they almost all have their moments where they are doing the rescuing.
• Kissing is a bigger deal than it is here, I think. High school students can be in relationships for months without kissing apparently. Kissing is generally described something you only do with someone you love (which is apparently not necessarily true with sex). And that goes to something else that is almost always true: even the most passionate male protagonist backs off and takes his cues from the girl. That includes stepping aside gracefully if the girl chooses someone else (as happens in a number of the love triangles). It is undoubtedly one reason I like these mangas.
• Shojo manga romance is almost always the kind of romance I like, where the interests and happiness of who you love takes precedence over oneself, including one's own passion. I wish western romance would embrace that kind of thinking again.
  

Well, that was fun. I'm sure I missed some but, hey, you get the idea.

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MangaMania Observations 1

Well, an interesting experiment. Somehow, talking about manga seems to have driven off my few remaining readers. Odd. Well, that's hardly surprising. Ever since I was young, I devoured books, good and bad, picking them apart so I understood why I liked them, what moved me, what left me cold so I could emulate the one and avoid the other.

Truthfully, I was as surprised as you all appear to be that I have so thoroughly enjoyed manga, since I think I had a rather dismissive attitude in the beginning. Please, comic books? Ah, but now I'm so grateful I really tried to accept and understand. If I hadn't, I would have missed out on a whole new world of experiences, clarifications and variations on character types I love, a sizable amount of laughter. And, if it's bothered you all that I've "wasted my time" waxing on and on about manga, it hasn't been a waste to me. Expressing what I loved and even didn't love helped me understand it better, just like analyzing a novel. And I've enjoyed reliving piences of the manga.

So–insert groans here–I'll be doing more of the same, this time describing manga that didn't make my top rating and even, eventually, those I actively disliked and why. Before I do, however, I'd like to go over a few observations from manga that I thought were interesting and perhaps even challenging for someone unfamiliar with the world of manga.

Mechanics and appearance:

• First, a large percentage of Japanese origin manga read differently than we US folks are used to. They read "back to front", generally right to left and top to bottom. I say generally because manga don't always keep their drawings in tidy rectangular boxes and almost never in uniform sizes. Angled, even curved areas, whole page and even two page presentations, tiny boxes focusing on a small aspect of a bigger picture might be superimposed on another panel. Thoughts and discussion also might go from one box to the other, making following the "action" and thought/dialogues can take a bit of practice. The inconvenience of learning a new way to read "comics" is more than made up for in the creativity that results, where the shape and configuration of the drawings enhance the impact of the drawings. Way cool.

• Secondly, the caliber and style of drawings vary widely, not only manga to manga, but within a manga. Lush detailed drawings with textures and shading and elaborate costumes and backdrops might be juxtaposed to line drawings to show emotion next to simplified drawings (even stick figures) that emphasize mood, attitude or position. Some use many gradations between these levels, like Minami (Special A). This also can take some getting used to. Some authors, Hino (Vampire Knight) have very limited reliance on the simplified drawings but do considerable work with the line vs detailed drawings. Manhwa artist Mi-kyung (Bride of the Water God) tends to keep everything at a high level. Hatori (Ouran High School Host Club) runs the full gamut, often mixing the stylized/simplified with the detailed almost willy nilly, including stick figures. Some mangaku make the absolute most of their simplified drawings, making them the punchline or adding visual hilarity with manga exaggerations for a slapstick element.

• Manga tends to incorporate a great many exaggerated mannerisms. Olympic level weeping, excessive shock, rage, befuddlement, embarrassment and even violence (and reaction to violence, such as overblown bumps on the head) abound. This symbol, ╬, for instance, is frequently used to indicate irritation, even rage (like a vein throbbing). Bigger and bolder (or more of them) indicate the level. Blushing/fever might be full faced and physically sizzling. Tears can leap out from the face, flow in unending rivulets down the face or even form pools of water. A new reader, unused to such stylistic eccentricities, could readily be confounded by them, but, with patience, one can see that they only serve to communicate something simply and easily without slowing things down. They can also be hilarious.

• Dialog can be confusing, with different shapes for shouting (pointing) or happy things (cloudlike) mixed with thoughts and internal dialogue and talk bubbles, often ambiguously attributed, especially if the conversation involves a large group (as happens in Fruits Basket and OHSHC). In many cases, differentiation might include a symbol within that box to denote speaker (like one of the zodiac animals or a ricecake for Tohru in Fruits Basket or the glasses for Kyoya in OHSHC). Or a particular font or style might be used, like Huninozuka's flowers all over his comments. Like most manga tendencies, following dialog and various trains of thought over diverse panels and through complex relationships gets easier with practice.

• Sound effects and action effects. Yeah, I know, sound effects? Well, some I can see: crash, bam, clatter, zap, etc. And I can understand some actions that aren't quite obvious ("moves hair," "fingersnap," and the like), but they often include the sounds of footsteps and heartbeats. The words used to describe them often change; for heartbeat, I've seen: b-bump, b-dump, dokin, thathump. And why do I need to have footsteps? These special effects are often part of the drawing in kanji, which is sometimes translated in the English versions and sometimes left as is without explanation. (Ironically, with the volunteer translations, they seem to translate the effects the official versions don't - and vice versa.)

Wow, that was more than I expected. I guess I'll have to go over the stereotypes and other weirdnesses next time.

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