A Letter To Yoshizawa-kun

A Letter To Yoshizawa-kun

Tuesday, January 5, 2016 / No Comments

Dear Yoshizawa-kun,

Ogenki desu ka? Without coming across as overly sympathetic, I just want to say that living a life in your shoes is without a doubt an ongoing adventure which commands a lot more than basic common sense. Honestly, I wouldn't have an issue with a face like yours. Sure, it does cause much unnecessary misunderstandings and such, but on a lighter note it is rather common these days in the world of manga. In other words, there has to be something appealing about that inflexibility which charms the socks off worshippers or simply another onlooker. While I understand the inconvenience that has plagued you for most of your life, I believe that be accepting of oneself stretches far beyond anything else.

Why do I say that? If you haven't noticed already, you have pretty effortlessly found a best friend in the class delinquent Souma. Yeah, Souma probably remains the one and only person who is able to see past your expressionless face and interacts with you depending on the circumstances. Well, even though the initial bits of your friendship were a little spicy. I can't imagine the consequences of having Tabasco seasoning smeared onto my face. But I have to say that the supposed impact is completely lost on you, no matter how painful the notion is. At least to the rest of us, it certainly seems that way. Thankfully, Souma can see through what we can't. The contrast however is what makes the irony wickledly hilarious.

The two of you make a splendid pair. I mean that in a good way despite the awfully timely backlashes which have somewhat branded you and Souma as the perfect combination for delinquency. I'm sure that the girl who you had tried to help along the hallway would have had been treated for trauma. But it isn't your fault, you hear? You were merely trying all that you possibly could. Souma may not be much of a conviction, but as a reader I would so vouch for your efforts. In fact, I wish that we were friends as well. I would love to hang out with you and Souma after school. Later, you would also find new friends in other people. I feel really happy for you.

Your creator has a really cute pseudonym: 310. I know that I shouldn't snicker at it, but frankly I wasn't expecting those numbers to be a person's name. Initially, I thought that 310 was the classroom number! What an amazing achievement your creator has unlocked. To have one's web manga picked up for a tankoubon is simply out of this world, considering how competitive the circle can be and such. I understand that the first volume was published last December. That is pretty recent. I saw the tankoubon while browsing around in Books Kinokuniya some time ago. Hmm. Do I hear the little voices in my head or something?

I'm glad that I have stumbled upon your story. Honestly, I'm a sucker for stuff like this. You know what? I think that I shouldn't have thought twice about buying the tankoubon. Even though I have been able to appreciate quite extensively your adventures through fan scanlations, I know that there is still something quite lacking. Hmm. Okay, I have decided. Thank you, Yoshizawa-kun! You have my admiration and respect in every way. I look forward to more exciting chapters to come. Meanwhile, stay cheerful! Not that I would be able to see it. Ogenki de.

Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪

Here is what success looks like in the manga industry

Here is what success looks like in the manga industry

Saturday, December 19, 2015 / No Comments

My last article was on manga poverty, how the creator of Umizaru criticized the terrible conditions that a budding mangaka has to start under. The article will not doubt shock many fans who have a rosy view of the industry. Today we will talk of what success looks like, featuring none other than the global hit title One Piece creator,  Oda Eiichiro, reportedly a millionaire.

 

Oda Eiichiro, perhaps the most average looking mangaka.

Oda was born in January 1st, 1975, in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Inspired by vikings from young, it was always his dream to be a mangaka. He even submitted his character, Pandaman, to the popular wrestling series Kinnikuman. Pandaman was featured in a chapter of Kinnikuman, and readers of One Piece will know that Pandaman has been the Where's Wally character in One Piece, where he is hidden in every other chapter for readers to find. He is also a fan of Dragonball and Dr Slump. Oda won several awards after submitted several yomikiri, and he finally dropped out of school in 1994 to work as an assistant to Kaitani Shinobu (Liar Game), Tokuhiro Masaya (Kyoshiro2030) and Watsuki Nobuhiro (Ronin Kenshin).

And then history was made. One Piece, developed from his earlier yomikiri, ROMANCE DAWN, became a hit in Japan right from the start of publication in 1997, selling millions of copies and was made into an anime in 1999. Currently into its 67th volume, One Piece sales have taken the number one position in the Guiness Book of Records, at an eye popping 320 million copies worldwide. Golgo 13 is a surprising 2nd at 280 million, and Dragonball is at 230 million.

And this excludes the royalties from the 700+ episodes of anime, 10 specials, 3 OVAs, 13 movies, and countless product endorsements. Add the standard merchandising and global distributions rights, and you can see how Oda made his fortune.

Oda's wife, in her modelling heyday. The lucky sod.

Most mangaka are single. The hectic schedule makes it almost impossible to socialise. Not in his case. Superman Oda apparently found time to court a model. The pair got married in 2004 when she became pregnant. 

But this success has a heavy price. The truth surfaced in a magazine special into his work environment, when it was revealed that Oda sleeps at 2am and wakes at 5am EVERYDAY! And other than meals, he spends every waking moment drawing. Young by veteran standards, it still is a punishing regiment for the 38 year old. 

Sleeping only 3 hours a day and working every day of the week. Even sweat shop conditions are more humane.

There are rumours of him working 3 weeks even during the 1 month hiatus he was given between part 1 and part 2! In 2013 Oda contracted Peritonsilar Abscess, usually a complication of tonsilitus, and was hospitalised. He continued working from his hospital bed, prompting many fans to plead with him to take care of his health. 

Online comments have been varied and interesting. From the hilarious "Is he trying to buy Disneyland or a TV station?" " How many generations is he trying to feed" to the encouraging " Don't die Oda!" to the sobering "I know now why so many mangaka die early" " I don't want him to kill himself, but at the same time I want to read as much One Piece as I can", it is quite clear than he is very popular. Not so for his fellow mangaka of HunterXHunter (and lazy bum) Togashi Yoshihiro. 

Why don't you go back to drawing Hunter instead? Wrote one angry fan

A post entitled "Togashi is still alive!" surfaced in 2014, with angry fans flaming him for slacking off consistently. Most common comments are "Why haven't you cured your illness yet?", "I have been waiting 3 years and 8 months for your next volume, get back to work".  I will be covering him and other notorious slackers next.

Let us all pray for the continued health of the most hardworking man in the industry, Oda Eiichiro. The man who has amassed a fortune, and a beautiful wife, but does not even seem to have the time to catch a breather. With his legacy already secured, let us hope he concentrates on his work-life balance next

Written by Don

Akame Ga Kill

Akame Ga Kill

Wednesday, December 16, 2015 / No Comments

From the get go, Akame Ga Kill looks like your typical shonen manga tale. Young male adventurer from the countryside tries to make it big by enlisting in the nation’s military and kills monsters plaguing villagers along the way. 

However, things aren’t that simple and the situation escalates from the very first chapter. The country is corrupt and a covert rebel team called Night Raid is attempting to overthrow the capital. It’s almost as if the author himself is screaming to you that this is no straightforward ‘hero saves the day’ tale.

Akame Ga Kill is a nice departure from your usual action-packed manga titles and akin to the popular TV serial, Game of Thrones, no one is safe from danger, even the protagonists. The setting is dark and gritty, with the mangaka displaying time and again how dire the situation is in the capital. 

Politicians and military officials are corrupt and the emperor is merely a figurehead, blindly following whatever his uncle, the Prime Minister says. Each protagonist from Night Raid has been affected by the corrupt government and their backstories are compelling, explaining why they chose to ally themselves with the rebels.

Fight scenes are intense and are never dull, with the mangaka managing to find the perfect length for each altercation. On top of that, you’ll never know whether your favourite character bites the dust or lives to fight another day. The reason behind is that most fights involve two or more Teigu users. 

Teigu refer to 48 treasures that were crafted centuries before the story began and they’re so powerful that when a fight between two Teigu users breaks out, one of them is bound to die. This mechanic drives most of the pivotal fights but the rule is broken on more than one occasion, due to unforeseen circumstances.

Although the story is bleak and grim for the most part, the mangaka tries to weave in humour, with varying degrees of effectiveness. A running joke and subplot that eventually escalates to dangerous levels, involves enemy general Esdeath falling in love with Tatsumi, the main character. 

How the members of Night Raid and the Jaegers (antagonist covert team) interact with each other provide the bulk of the humour. These conversations serve another purpose on top of creating a few chuckles, effectively fleshing out the characters and letting you grow attached to them.

If you’ve a short attention span or only have the time to check back on monthly manga series, Akame Ga Kill is right up your alley. It only has 65 chapters right now and is set to end in another 10-15.

Written by ET

Manga poverty: The real face of the manga industry

Manga poverty: The real face of the manga industry

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Mention the name  Sato Shuho to an otaku, and you will see a variety of reactions. Most will remember him as one of the prominent mangaka whose works are frequently made into TV drama.

Umizaru (海猿)

But others will remember him as a lowlife husband whose wife divorced him after he confessed that he has gotten another woman pregnant. Yet others cannot forget his spats with his publisher, TBS and Fuji TV, which were made rather public, even causing the Umizaru movies to be cancelled.  At the same time, he is creating waves in the industry by allowing free use of his works. He placed great emphasis on the fact that he is not making his copyright free, but rather pledging to not enforce it. He has also started his own web publishing site, MangaonWeb, offering budding mangakas an alternative to being exploited by big publishers, organising events and contests.

Recuperating after a stroke, he says it's the curse of the publisher and tv station 

In short, the man is a very complex person to judge. But all these pale in comparison with his short autobiography, titled Manga Poverty. If people find it crazy difficult to start a business, after seeing these figures a budding mangaka faces, nothing seems impossible.

Sato refers to a term called "serialization poverty". Essentially, its when a mangaka gets his first serialization, runs into a huge pile of debt after the title gets cancelled, and that ends his career. This is the biggest stumbling block facing rookies that isn't even very much discussed among either fans or media. Most people do not even know the issues at all, The manga Bakuman, for example, paints a very rosy view of the industry. In the end it might be doing the industry an even bigger disservice by sugarcoating the problems instead of forcing publishers to stop the exploitation of mangakas.

Bakuman, while admitting that it is a gamble, doesn't even come close to discussing the issues.

According to the book, after the serialization of Umizaru, Sato was given a lump sum payment of 10000 yen for each manuscript page, amounting to 800,000 yen a month for 20 pages. Straight away the government moves in and taxes 10%. So it becomes 720,000 yen.

Newbies do not have their own companies, so he has to contract out for assistants. That wipes 470,000 yen. 250,000 yen is left. And he has to pay for meals staff meals too, for apparently it is a industry custom,  so takes away 100,000 yen. 150,000 yen remains. It is already looking scary expensive. Half of his money is gone by simply hiring people.  We then come to art material and data from research. Those cost about 100,000 yen every month. That big fat cheque is now down to 50,000 yen.

And then we come to rental. Sato was in an apartment/office. Rental alone is 70,000 yen monthly. Add utilities and he is running in the red of -70,000 yen EVERY MONTH. The only chance he had of recuperating losses is when volume one gets published. Then there is tankoubon royalties, which are modest in the beginning at best. But before that, most will be crawling through broken glass. Sato had 2 million yen in savings. He was down to 70,000 yen when the first volume was published. If it got cancelled, he probably would have quit. And no one will blame him for doing so. Anyone still feels it is glamourous being a mangaka?

In short, fellow readers, please do not support piracy and buy original volumes of manga. Because for every successful Jump mangaka out there, there are hundreds who are just buried under a mountain of debt. Most are simply normal people with modest salaries trying to pursue their dreams. The industry is already perilous enough without readers trying to rip them off.

Manga Poverty is available on paperback both in English and Japanese, and digitally on Amazon, Kindle, and itunes.

 

Written by Don

When a smile means death

When a smile means death

Tuesday, December 15, 2015 / No Comments

Ah St Gotthard Pass. Connecting north to south Switzerland, it is a mountain pass in the Alps, and is crossed by three major traffic tunnels. Smell the crisp mountain air as you drive from Zurich, Lugano, Germany or Italy.


                                            The devil’s bridge at Gotthard Pass

Wait a minute, what does any of this have to do with manga? Only that this is the backdrop for one of the darkest fantasy series ever written, Wolfsmund, fast becoming one of the cult manga hits in Japan. 

Wolfsmund, (Wolf’s mouth) is a fictitious 13th century dark masterpiece set in a fictitious fortress with its fictitious evil gatekeeper, Bailiff Wolfram from the house Habsburg. Wolfram has been charged by Duke Leopold I, with oppression of Austria well on the way, to crush any, and all efforts, to mount a revolution against him by any means. Always with a sadistic smile plastered on his face, the “hero” of this twisted tale has never allowed anyone who attempts to cross the dark pass illegally to leave the place alive. Cunning and devious, a tiny slip of the tongue will get any foolish trespasser executed on the spot. From direct assaults to assassinations, espionage to forgery of permits, all have tried. And all have died.

Strangulations, torture, hangings. It’s all sport in Wolfsmund

Did I forget to mention that Wolfram also has his own small army of heavily armed guards?

The mountain fortress does indeed resemble the mouth of a ravenous wolf. It doesn’t help that Wolfram always seem to delight in the fall, and the subsequent execution, of anyone caught.

A smile seals your fate

Wolfsmund has ran in Fellows/Harta magazine (Enterbrain) since 2008. It won rave reviews by professionals in the Japanese manga industry at the time, with Shogakukan editor calling it ,”the craziest manga I have ever read” . Wolfsmund, together with another dark horse new mangaka from also a small magazine, Comic Beam, were touted as the titles that will resurrect the public’s interest in fantasy manga. That title is the now world-renowned Attack on Titan. But mention the mangaka Kuji Mitsuhisa, and probably most people will scratch their head and say, “Who again??”

That is hardly a surprise. Since 2004, Kuji has only drawn a few one-shot stories, or yomikiri, as is known in the industry. A yomikiri is essentially a pilot for a manga. They have to hit a certain level of readership before approval is given for serialisation. And Wolfsmund is his serialisation debut work. So what gave Kuji the confidence to start with such a diffciult piece? It turns out that he was actually an assistant of Mori Kaoru, of the historical romance series Ema, and, more importantly, Miura Kentarou, the creator of the acclaimed long-running dark fantasy masterpiece, Berserk.

Wolfsmund, with its scene of torture, carnage and executions, and the dark theme of the relentless stories, is hard to swallow. Nevertheless I found it difficult to put the book down. Kuji’s artwork is not the greatest in the world, but that would be nitpicking, as it will be forgotten once you are absorbed in the gruesome tale. For better or worse, Kuji has declared that Wolfsmund will end by volume seven, and, given the formulaic script, perhaps it is a good thing to finish on a high note and not suffer the same fate as the notorious 3x3 eyes, by dragging a decent storyline beyond the point of oblivion.

The seven volumes of the manga Wolfsmund are available in Japanese under Enterbrain, in English under Vertical, and in French under Ki-oon.

Sensei no Otoriyose

Sensei no Otoriyose

Thursday, December 10, 2015 / No Comments

Haruka, why is there a pair of eyes ogling at us from above?
Wait, I thought that you knew those eyes, Miruku.
They look hungry. Should I share my Baumkuchen?
I believe that they are now staring at my Black Label Premium Tomato Juice.
Haruka, I can see a tongue sticking out.
You are imagining things, Miruku. Let's just return to our meal.

From the refreshing collaboration of Nakamura Asumiko and Eda Yuuri comes Sensei no Otoriyose, a gastronomic offering that is relayed through a half-manga, half-novel narrative. Otoriyose is basically ordering food through the Internet; many shops in Japan offer this platform where a wide variety of possibilities gets packaged and delivered to the customers' doorsteps in the utmost freshness, all at the convenience of the mouse button. I'm not sure about smartphones though; as incredulous as this may sound, mine is used only for calls and messages.

The first chapter opens with a peek into the musings of Enomura Haruka, a bestselling author of erotic literature. He begins by pondering what life as a writer entails; a living thing whose preferred mode of communication with the outside world is electronics: work-related matters are effortlessly settled over the phone or email (with the occasional pen and paper for writing), documents are received either via Takkyubin or online, and shopping is conveniently done on the computer. Order. Pay. Receive. In other words, a writer doesn't step out of the house.

The musings then shift towards the story proper, which brings Nakata Miruku, a bishoujo manga artist into the picture. Miruku makes the second half of a proposed collaboration by the publisher. A few months prior, Haruka was approached by his editor about a special project which would tap on his vivid style of writing for a manga. When he wondered who the artist would be, Miruku's name almost instantaneously sent Haruka into a closeted trance. Turned out that Haruka is a loyal yet secret fan of Miruku's work: the visually stimulating, unnaturally voluptuous female anatomy which warrants nosebleeds enough to assist the blood bank. However, Haruka's perception of its author would suffer a huge blow at their first meeting.

After a wave of rants, insults and delicious Wagashi, Haruka and Miruku impulsively agree to take on the project, all because of a last-minute intrusion by the panting, perspiring female chief editor. In other words, a pair of rhythmically heaving breasts. Nonetheless, the duo's gloomy future would gradually see the light of day cushioned by their mutual love for Otoriyose.

Gosh, does anybody believe that staring at food illustrations, black and white even, could actually add extra pounds to their frame? I'm rather interested in the Morioka Onmen featured in Order 5. Hmm, I wonder if Meidi-ya Supermarket sells any...

Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪

Karada Sagashi

Karada Sagashi

Sunday, November 22, 2015 / 1 Comment

It was midnight. A panicking voice woke me from my unsatisfactory sleep. I recognised my classmate's fearful expression as I opened my eyes. I became wide awake the moment I discovered that in fact a bunch of us was mysteriously stranded outside the school building. Yeah, none of us could make our way out of the gates, as if there were invisible walls around. Even the more composed of the group were displaying signs of vulnerability. Who wouldn't, considering the unbelievable situation which we had been caught in. Yet I couldn't figure out the reason for it. My mind refused to provide anything. That classmate who had called me earlier was on the verge of losing it. Suddenly, the front door of the school building opened on its own.

The school was indeed ours, yet the atmosphere reflected that of an abandoned one. The air was unbearably stiff, filled with the sickly familiarity of blood and such. A distant but still piercing sound echoed down the hallway. I could sense a curdling thrill throughout my strained body. What happened next was the beginning of a full-blown nightmare. The speakers blared the appearance of the girl in red. A few of the other classmates shouted vulgarities, demanding that the prank to be stopped. However, the sound of footsteps rang through our ears. It was at that moment when we saw our untimely fight for survival. But having just that wasn't enough. All of us had to die multiple times, just like what gamers would go through during their adventures. Well, this particular game didn't sit well with us.

The girl in red reminded us of the classic horror movie with scary children. Nothing was spared from this torturing experience repeatedly playing out in our lives. We didn't think of the girl in red as an actual presence. Wasn't she supposed to be an urban legend? People in school loved to joke around with scary stories from time to time. Long hair, creepy eyes, anything which resembled those characters in the stories. However, a classmate called Haruka would later send us down into the loop. Look for my body, she said. There was no way to escape from this terrible nightmare. Day after day. The same old request. The same old consequences. Ironically, no other occasion in our lives had made a more memorable anniversary.

Naturally, things had changed drastically since that first encounter. The roller-coaster ride that kept us right on our feet and minds. The supernatural abilities of the girl in red which would prematurely end our efforts and send us back to the starting point. Over time, as we grudgingly became accustomed to our plight, we developed a set of strategies, shared findings and such, hoping to avoid more blunders and as much as possible the girl in red. Yeah, there was an actual body to be found, though the connection between Haruka and the girl in red was strange to us. There were also jaw-dropping revelations along the way that challenged the boundaries of our sanity.

Nobody could predict much what would fall upon us, since a part of us had long been numb to this harrowing experience. If only Haruka hadn't been there. If only.

Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪  

Inuyashiki

Inuyashiki

Wednesday, November 18, 2015 / No Comments

The little neighbourhood where I live has recently experienced a surreal, out-of-this-world phenomenon. One night, a massive glare of light followed by a shattering wave into the ground shook up the park where my house is pretty near to. However, the reality of such has been conveniently forgotten by everybody else, despite the hard presence of a gigantic hole right in the middle of the park. I could never forget what happened. I suppose that I have a somewhat turbulent connection with the unexplained. While certain memories have long become fragmented, the feelings are still strangely intact. Some of which I wish could be wiped out for good.

A middle-aged salaryman and a high-school student were playing an extended game of cat and mouse. Nobody could quite grasp the terrifying, underlying truths that had powered their adrenaline rushes to keep chasing. Whether they saw their own and each other's situations as a blessing or a curse, unfortunately the prevalent forces could no longer be suppressed. Survival had redefined its rules. So had the rest. The game had to be played for as long as it was deemed playable. Gradually shrouded by fear and confusion, disintegration came paving its way through the society.

I know both of them, though not much on a personal level. I used to see the salaryman during his regular walks with his pet dog Hanako. The man's name is Inuyashiki Ichirou, and he was already 58 when I first saw him. Inuyashiki looks every bit like the socially awkward person, all timid and reserved. His unappreciative and unloving family makes everyday communication difficult, and it could be somewhat due to the fact that Inuyashiki married late. His daughter is in high school, and his son is in middle school. His wife works part-time at the supermarket where I used to patronise. Basically, the entire family is much on the verge of crumbling.

On the other side, there is Shishigami Hiro. Behind his seemingly composed and friendly personality lies the face of Death. While his life before that fateful incident remains largely unknown, his newfound abilities since then have become a national threat. Hiro has a childhood friend and classmate Andou Naoyuki, who is a frequent target for bullies. Naoyuki becomes fearful after learning what Hiro has actually turned into. Meanwhile, the community is facing a series of bizarre, frightening events including grisly murders, awful pranks and accidents. There is also information of terminally-ill patients miraculously recovering from their conditions overnight.

I suppose that the world we live in isn't a stranger to the unexplained. Worse, even in the midst of chaos and such, new wars keep raging from all corners. Inuyashiki has realised a newfound purpose despite he is no longer the living. He has the assistance of Naoyuki after the latter had stumbled upon those hospital miracles. Both are determined to nail down Hiro who is at large and just as invincible. I wonder when would all this madness end?

Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪