underloved manga part 1
Or at least, they seem underloved. Then again, I think Kekkaishi gets a lot of love (right?), but pretty much no fandom. So maybe everybody already loves these and I haven't noticed.
(It's secretly just an excuse to babble about them anyway.) :D
( Kieli )
i'm not sure about two, because I just really, really can't get behind the korean art style...just don't like the way its looks, but maybe I'll try again^^
I will definitively check out three like right now (i also stopped reading mpd psycho, but I managed till volume 9! it doesn't really ever stop being creepy i have to say...)
it sounds hilarious^^ and what you say about the critcism...I'm suprised and not suprised (my standard reaction here in Japan...its like at first you think "what the hell?" and then you think about it more and it just makes a weird kind of sense) Yes there is a big debate going about schoolbooks and history, but in general its not as bad as it gets made to be. History in schools in Japan is just normally not a very interactive subject(which is horrible, I think)
its lots of dates and not a lot of reflection. But manga and schoolbooks/official publication are just something different and Japan tends to draw that line a lot. While we may think, well if one thing gets censored the other with the same content will be censored as well, that doesn't necessarily need to be the case.
Schoolbooks are offical buisness that goes through a ministry and they take that Very Seriously. Manga are entertainment - regardless how serious they are.
In general, censor laws are very murky in Japan. I mean look at all the basically child porn in manga form or violence etc. That is all allowable...
So I think its just a very Japanese thing^^
I mean think of the fact that gambling for money isn't allowed. Well what they do is, they don't gamble for money, but if you win a lot of stuff in Pachinko or Slot you get a little price like a teddy or woodblocks(which isn't money so its ok). Attached to that price you get a piece of paper with directions. You go there and there will be a little office in a side street. You give your price to these people and you get money for it.
Everyone knows it, lots of people do it and its totally ok, because you are not technically winning any money.
Welcome to Japan^^
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Every single thing I learn about Japan makes it seem more fantastically wtf.
So in the case of both censorship and gambling for money, it sounds like the point isn't what's really happening; the point is what APPEARS to be happening. Yes? So long as it looks good, it's okay.
Looks good for whose benefit, though? o_O
Thank you for telling me about the gambling. That is my happy thought for the day, possibly for life. And it makes me want to go back to Japan and gamble so as to have a random prize to remember it by. :D
You don't like the Korean art style? I...I kind of love it. It's got these nice, clean lines. It is different, though. Maybe you'll get used to it. I often get to like art styles I initially hated if I like the story enough.
...Then again, maybe not. :) Worth a try!
But you'll have to tell me what you think of Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service. :D It's a lot of fun. Strangely.
(You are so brave. 9 volumes of MPD Psycho. WOW. I keep meaning to pick it up again, but...yikes.)
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well japan is very often wtf...(I study the country and I've been here for 6 months and nothing really suprises me anymore.^^)
the looking good thing, can be explained the easiest by the concepts of "honne" and "tatemae" that are vital in the Japanese society. "honne" are a persons real feelings/thoughts/actions, while tatemae is that what stands in front of it, because its polite/appropriate/allowed and/or considerate. To protect harmony in human interactions/actions Japanese would always prefer tatemae. So its really not about what you really feel/think/do; as long as your "tatemae", so your outward actions hold, nobody will try to obstruct you (*always important: while I may be more knowledgeable about this, because I am a Japan studies major, this is of course only a short explanation for an abstract thought construct, that is in this form and shape mainly found in Japan but shouldn't be taken as a value judgement and/or a generalization*....)
yeah ehem, my essay voice got away from me *looks up*...oh well^^
so the reason for this late reply....started reading kurosagi.. and I freaking love it
love, love, love the space alien!! he is so great ("no officer, I'm not saying corpses are walking, I'm just saying they are crawling a little" *chortle*) and I just generally dig the underhanded humour (*sleep, the corpse isn't going anywhere." "what do you know, I was wrong!" XXDDD)
so yeah great tip!!
(about MPD...well can I just say, that even though it doesn't get better, frightening wise, it doesn't get a lot worse...so if you made it to volume 2 you will probably make it through volume 9^^)
now to a little rec of my own (even though it probably belongs in the kekkaishi corner, appreciated, but virtually no fandom)
Soul Eater
It takes place in a universe where they are people who can turn into weapons and others who can match their soul-wavelenghts to match and subsequently wield those individual weapons, Meister. Those who can, hunt the souls of humans who have strayed off the human path an absorb those souls, growing stronger in the hope of turning the weapons into a Death Scythe for Shinigami to use.
I got into it over the anime and that hasn't happened like ever, because I tend to like the mangas more, but the anime is just so absolutely awesome that I got swept away!
The animation is great, the fight scenes are fluid and to die for (and considering I like shounen the best and want to watch anime of things I enjoy, precisely because i want to see fight scenes in motion, I was absolutely overjoyed) and the soundtrack is super kick-ass!
But what always counts is the story and the characters so here we go It centers around three fighter teams:
Maka and Soul Eater
Black Star and Tsubaki
Death the Kid (I laughed so hard the first time) with Liz and Patty
well I don't want to give too much away, so just some humorous facts
Maka is a bookworm in a harry potter-esque outfit who has a big problem with her skirt-chasing overreacting father, who is the most powerful weapon in that particular universe
her partner Soul is obsessed with being cool and has the most wonderful voice(anime) looks way too good in a suit and rides a motorbike
Black Star and Tsubaki are supposed to be a ninja assasin team and they are really good...except that Black Star is a huge show-off...of the standing on top of a building and screaming he is better than god type ^^
Death the Kid is Shinigamis son and more powerful naturally....but he is so obsessed with perfection, that he associates with symmetry, that he literally doesn't go join the fighting because he obsesses over the fact that he may not have folded the edges of the toilet-paper right!
its absolutely hilarious and wonderful and go watch it!
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I actually started reading it because of that Gangan cover that had Ed and Maka on the front, and was hilarious. The best thing about it must be the way all the meister/weapon pairs really work. Somehow. Each in their own strange, strange way.
"Well, but Black Star is always stupid. I like him that way. It's kind of our style." YAY, TSUBAKI. And Black Star. I never thought I would love him as much as I do. <3
Soul! So young to be so bitter! And Maka, so normal right up until BOOK ATTACK. Or:
Maka: My plan is to charge recklessly ahead.
Soul: ...And you're meant to be the smart one.
Maka: But it'll be fun! And cool, right?
Soul: *laughs* Okay, see, this is why you're awesome. LET'S CHARGE RECKLESSLY.
And oh God, Kid and Liz and Patty. *loves* Kid! Poor Kid and his poor brain! Poor Liz having to deal with him! Patty, so sweet right up until she tries to kill somebody! HARTS.
To say nothing of Dr. Frank N. Stein, YAY. That guy. And Marie. And Sid. And even Medusa, in her OMG sort of way.
...I could go on, but I will restrain self. But yes, I agree with the Soul Eater love. I even have a Soul Eater WIP. ^_^ Although I haven't seen the anime, and clearly need to remedy this.
Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service! I'm so glad you're liking it! And it gets better. :D The cop-turned-social-worker, he's slowly becoming my favorite, and I don't think he even gets introduced until...volume 3? YAY.
And finally...it's really interesting to get your take on Japan. I've only been briefly, so it's cool to hear the voice of experience. :D
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its so great to find somebody else who is there! i have just finished reading the available manga chapters to swing back to the anime (I can say till at least episode 30 its very, very faithful to the manga) and just wanted to share my joy
my liking of black star was a little abated in the middle, but his come-back was super cool...the only thing is he steals screen-time away from Soul!!! Even if I enjoy the story a part of my subconciousness still always thinks "well thats all nice and good, but can I see more soul now?"
He is super great (I wanna see more of his childhood! i wanna see how maka met up with him!) I love that even though he technically stars as the male lead in a shonen manga, he is absolutely supportive and understanding towards maka (he is, in many ways, more adult) who is kickass and physically stronger than him, which he totally acknowledges!! That is so much balm for more battered feminist soul. Like, yes she is not as strong as Black Star, but while her strenghts is gentleness, friendliness and acceptance (typically "female" attributes in this genre) its also reaction time, intuition, special talent and most of all courage!!
Courage, the male domain. Think of the narutos and digimon lead males of the world! And she as a woman is the most courageous, more than her male partner, who in many ways takes the "female" part of interaction between those two (being the voice of reason, artistic, supportive, open ear etc.)
And it shows again how this seeming role reversal doesn't detract anything from makas feminity and souls masculinity. They are both very much their genders without having a total traditional gender-specific character structure (which you see very much with the Black Star/Tsubaki combo)
Which is why I want to marry soul and think its the best thing ever that he wears a suit in his soulroom (he looks so hot in that!!! more soul in his room scenes!) also musicians are sexy^^
also kidd *wail*...don't be shut away too long in that book! i miss you already! (but the shibusen people seemed oddly...relaxed about that..) you can achieve total symetry! just get stronger and connect your stripes!^^
uhh Franken Stein is so cool in the recent chapter, mhm empowered men!!
(i know what you mean about medusa....shes really kind of wicked in an evil never-wanna-meet-her way^^)
i know what you mean about the team though, they all just fit in their own disfuntional wayXD
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XD
Black Star and Tsubaki are really growing on me, though. Because, as you say, they originally SEEMED to be very traditional, male/female, strong/meek, whatever. Boring. And then suddenly there was:
Tsubaki: I'm going to kill him.
Shinigami: You really don't have to. Someone else can--
Tsubaki: He's MY brother and I'M going to kill him.
Shinigami: Ah. Okay?
Black Star: And I will be moral support! Tsubaki is a star! Tsubaki rocks the brother-killing! Go-go Tsubaki!!!
And that was very interesting. Because there's never a point at which Black Star seems to feel that Tsubaki can't handle it, or needs protection, or is in any way incapable of kicking ass and taking names if she wants to. It's just that she normally wants to leave that to Black Star. He understood that, even if nobody else did.
I loved that chapter. It explains so much about both of them.
Black Star is a guy who expects to have people randomly hate him, and to be able to do nothing about it.
Meanwhile, Tsubaki just gets stressed out when people ask her what she wants to do. She doesn't want to do what she wants to do; she wants to do what YOU want to do. Which is actually kind of creepy, when you think about it. I'm not sure anyone but Black Star could put up with that. Clearly her brother couldn't.
NO WONDER. Tsubaki/Black Star YAY. One day they will be the evil overlords of the world! And Soul will find it hilarious.
The WIP. I actually have high hopes of posting it by, like, Friday? Before the next chapter comes out and undermines everything. It is Soul POV. Have a quote:
Oh, hell, I just swooned into Maka’s arms because I caught a cold. How utterly uncool.
So. Yes. I hope you'll like it! ^_^
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just who will kid end up with....probably always going to remain a threesome^^
uhh now you have me checking your journal compulsively because time-zones confuse me....and I never know when friday evening comes for you even though I know logically that it will be saturday afternoon by that time probably...bleh
im sure I'll love it you haven't written anything I was disappointed till now^^
(but what about that finder fic? ever going to see the light of day?^^)
i know flashbacks are uncool (totally hearted that scene in the manga when black star says that nobody is interested in stupid flashbacks...you go!) but i wanna see~~ how they all met and how the whole teamsorting actually works...*grumble*
i thought soul eater is serilazed monthly...or is it weekly (i would be absolutely down with that!)
oh and i totally understand what you mean with the cop-turned-social-worker in kurosagi! he is awesome! dressed like a thug and I second the whole "thank god I'm not dependend on them" thought of Numata, but he is wickedly cool^^
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...*dazed with exhaustion*...
The Finder fic will see the light of day! Um, when my beta is done with it. And, to be fair, she is sick. Also I made her learn all of Soul Eater canon to beta that fic. ...Soon, though. Soonish. ^_^
Soul Eater is monthly--in Gangan. Which comes out on...eh...the middle of the month some time. I think. :D
Okay! Bed, yay.
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