At first glance, Shirley looks like a practice run for Emma, a collection of pleasant, straightforward maid stories featuring prototype versions of William, Eleanor, and Emma. A closer examination, however, reveals that Shirley is, in fact, a series of detailed character sketches exploring the relationships between three different maids and their employers. And while some of these sketches aren’t entirely successful — Kaoru Mori cheerfully describes one as “an extremely cheap story about a boy and an animal” — the five chapters focusing on thirteen-year-old Shirley Madison and her independent, headstrong employer are as good as any passage in Emma.
Read the full story »
New Yuu Watase; the first volume of My Darling! Miss Bancho.
Three new titles from DMP.
The last volume of Love*Com… *sniff.*
Dressed to Kill meets The Manchurian Candidate.
Call it Law & Order: Special Hemophagic Monsters Unit.
A die-hard Marvel fan’s take on Ultimo.
Reflections on writing and reviewing; reactions to news stories and industry trends.
Among certain parts of manga fandom, global manga (or OEL manga) is viewed as the comic-book equivalent of New Coke: the packaging might be similar, but the taste is different and, as these fans would have it, not as good …
Read the full story »
There are two things to know about Bride of the Water God before you begin reading: first, the artwork is stunningly beautiful, and second, the story takes frequent, confusing detours that are almost impossible to explain, given what we know …
Read the full story »
Call me a cynic, but I’ve never been big on Valentine’s Day. In theory, I’m not opposed to the idea; I’m a sucker for chocolates, and relish an excuse to bake red velvet cupcakes and watch The Philadelphia Story or …
Read the full story »
First published in 1964, Harriet the Spy featured a radically different kind of heroine than the sweet, obedient girls found in most mid-century juvenile lit; Harriet was bossy, self-centered, and confident, with a flair for self-dramatization and a foul mouth. …
Read the full story »
This week’s column examines two recent releases: Yana Taboso’s cosplay-friendly, fan-favorite Black Butler (Yen Press), currently the bestselling manga in the US, and Yun Kouga’s pop soap opera Crown of Love (VIZ). Though I can’t say either were high on …
Read the full story »
A few weeks ago, Salon columnist Laura Miller offered a radical suggestion for bookworms: make a New Year’s resolution to read outside your comfort zone. Though I like to think my manga-reading habits are broad and adventurous, I cheerfully acknowledge …
Read the full story »
The scene: a country road in twelfth-century Japan. The players: Yamato, a bandit with a Robin Hood streak; Dr. Dunstan, a Westerner in sunglasses and a flashy yukata; and Yamato’s gang. The robbers surround Dunstan to search his cart for …
Read the full story »
