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Manga Madness

by Various

10/18/07

Bob's Thoughts (Manga Edition)
by Bob Gay

Museum of Terror 3
by Junji Ito

After the previous two volumes in this series, both of which dealt with the character of Tomie (see the reviews farther down this page), the third volume arrives and proves that Junji Ito is indeed a master of the horror manga. This collection of stories, which originally appeared between 1987 and 1990, covers a range of themes. Demons inhabit the worlds that Ito creates, as do vampires, magic swords and ghosts, but there is also room for other types of stories as well.

A father possesses the bodies of his children and a head lives in an attic. A young man finds his body turning inside out as his "dream self" struggles to enter the world. A young girl has the ability to change her features to reflect those around her and a simple hike turns into a descent into a maze of mummies and worse. Of particular interest is the final tale, which involves a deserter during World War II and an ending I didn't see coming, but to say more would be to give away too much of a fine collection.

These are excellent stories that are told by a master of the manga genre and definitely deserve a place on your sagging bookshelf, right up there with the previous two volumes (and here's hoping there is a volume 4 in the works)!

Museum of Terror 3 is a manga-sized tradepaperback and has an SRP of $13.95.

Bob Gay writes the monthly column, Bob's Thoughts, for Pulp Fiction

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6/12/07

Costumes
by Amber Hemsath

It's that time of year again. Yes, the time for Costumes! It's true most of the hard core costume makers start sooner but this is the time when they come out to shine. I am one person who looks forward to this time of year. I like to see what ideas come out in people's work & learn how they may have done it. Most ideas are easy & some are complex. All will show you something new in the way of the Costume.

Have you ever wanted to make your own though? Had an idea you wanted to wear & show off to others? Most people have ideas but don't know how to go about it. It is true that most great Costumes means you have to have sort of skill but not all of them are built by one person. It takes alot of hours & materials to go into a costume but I'm here to tell you how to scale down on every thing you can. Kinda like a guide for the non-talented Costume maker, like myself.

First you need an Idea. Most people go with shows, games or books that they like. You pick a character that best fits your body type. This normally becomes a problem with the larger crowd. Not all characters should fit one persons type. Not all larger characters should be ruled out because you can't think of any. The best costume fits you, your body type, face & over all style. If these don't fit in any way, keep looking. There is always something out for you.

Ex: Say you're 6 foot, 230 pounds. You want to be Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist. Now this is a nice design, but you're not going to look the best in this outfit. However I suggest looking into being Alphonse (Al) Elric as he is a better model to work with or even a State Alchemist. With Al, your the right Height & better build for this costume then Edward. Also with the State Alchemist, you can make your own & still be in the realm of the story. The State Alchemist idea is great for people who like Fan Fiction as well because they can write their own back stories to their costume.

You can also be a Tauren from World of Warcraft, Hagrid from Harry Potter, or something random like a Character from D & D such as a Fighter/Knight & yes, even a Pirate.

Second you design out the Costume. List out every item that goes into the costume. Once you have done that, draw them out. It does help to draw them out, the best you can, on paper so you know what your looking for. Place the name of each one next to each drawing. Some things have a few names or other items that looks close to what you're looking for will come up in your search as a better buy. Try to list as a side note what those may be & also write any names you come across as they may be handy later.

Ex: Lets pick a Pirate for this idea. The list of the things you would need are rather easy.

Basic Items:
Pirate Shirt
Pirate Pants
Boots
Sash (Head/Waist)
Extra Items:
Spy Glass
Sword (A Sword Frog (holder) would be good to get with this)
Gun
Vest (Or Corset)
Coat (Also noted as a Frock Coat)
Snazzy Belt
Eye Patch
Hat

The Basic Items are things you will need for the Costume. Now the Extra Items are just that, Extra. Pick what you want. You don't have to have them all. Not all Costumes require you to have every thing. Some that are lacking in items look better then ones that have alot of items. Also factor in weight. Do you want to be carrying all this around?

Third is getting your sizes down. Gloves, Outfits & Shoes all have sizes & you'll need them handy. Have them listed so you can look them up quickly. If you don't know your sizes, do ask someone to help you get them. For girls you sometimes need a Chest size. Most department stores normally have a garment (Bra) department which can help you. If you ask they can see about helping you find out your size. Guys can also go to a suit department to find out suit sizes. This means pants, shirts (Like dress ones) and coat size. If you're a girl, you can also get help from them, if they allow it. Most sizes it's good to go try Gloves on & Shoes at stores to get a feel of the right size. Normally if you don't know & have no way to find out, take the next size up that you think you are. If it's too big you can always get it tailored.

Ex: Say for your Pirate Costume you need the sizes down....

Basic Items:
Pirate Shirt: Size XXXL
Pirate Pants: 38/30
Boots: 13
Sash (Head/Waist): A Long/Large one(s).

*Note: If you can test them out before you buy, this is always good, but try to get ones larger then you think you may need.

This should help you on your search. If you find the boots you want but there in a size 10, keep looking till you find your size. Sometimes you will have to get things made in your size or have to look longer for what you will need.

Fourth is how much money your willing to spend on the Costume. Normally this should be at the start but if you really want this Costume, your going to be willing to spend some money on it. Look at what you need & then what you want. This should help you figure out what your willing to spend. Get the basics first, then the extras. The more money you have, the better look you can get. Some items will be more then others so make sure you make a list so you can see how much in the long run it will cost you.

Ex: The total is $130. This is a basic list price if you get things new.

Basic Items:
$20 Pirate Shirt: Size XXXL
$ 30 Pirate Pants: 38/30
$70 Boots: 13
$10 Sash (Head/Waist): A Long/Large one(s).

Now if you Thrift shop, the price can be less, maybe even $35.

Basic Items:
$10 Pirate Shirt: Size XXXL
$10 Pirate Pants: 38/30
$10 Boots: 13
$5 Sash (Head/Waist): A Long/Large one(s).

What's best is this, look at what you have handy. Is there anything you can use you own now as part of this Costume? If yes, you just saved yourself some money. The more items you find, the more the cost goes down. Do this first before you buy anything on your list. You can always upgrade a Costume. If you get boots that look ok to you one year & you want to upgrade the next, you can do that. Sometimes that is best if you don't have a lot of money at first.

Last but not least is looking for a place to buy. Thrift stores, Yard sales, Swap meets & other places like these are great places to get some deals on items for a costume. Once you cannot find anything at one of these places or have little time to look, on-line stores are great places to look. Here is a list of places that can help. There are alot of sites out there you just have to look.

General Web sites
How To:
Events:
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3/01/07

Bob's Thoughts (Manga Edition)
by Bob Gay

Museum of Terror 2
by Junji Ito

Museum of Terror 2 (subtitled "Tomie 2") continues the story of Tomi, the girl that men find so desireable that they must kill her, assumedly so no one else can have her. This is not just a slasher book, however, and the depths that Ito explores are psychological, as well as stories that go for the gross out.

Ito is a gifted Manga creator and manages to avoid repeating himself in this volume, which is a continuation of the previous book. Tomie is more aware of her abilities this time around and, as a result, is even more demanding and manipulating of those around her, which serves to make her even more evil, than before. It is also firmly established here that any part of Tomie will grow into a new Tomie and that left to her own devices, Tomie will regenerate herself in order to continue to attract, and taunt, any male she can. Whether stabbed, burned, or ground into a paste and turned into saké (!), Tomie find a way to return.

The last 3 stories deserve a quick mention, as they are inter-connected, and tell of a town where 3 Tomies exist (to tell more would ruin the story). Suffice to say, they offer the perfect close to the book since, Ito not only explores the grisly side of horror in these stories, but delves into the psychological as well. Revenge, obsession and insanity are explored in this sequence and they are probably the strongest Tomie tales of the entire series.

I would recommend this book very highly to you and, while you're at it, would also suggest that you pick up the first volume too. Both will give you a good dose of the frights at the hands of a master storyteller.

Museum of Terror 2 is a manga-sized tradepaperback and has an SRP of $13.95.

Bob Gay writes the monthly column, Bob's Thoughts, for Pulp Fiction

11/06/06

Bob's Thoughts (Manga Edition)
by Bob Gay

Museum of Terror 1
by Junji Ito

I'm a relative stranger when it comes to manga. Of the many series out there, I've only read in their entirety Mai, Psychic Girl and Lone Wolf and Cub. There are a couple of others I have dabbled with, but, by and large, I know little or nothing about this fascinating genre.

With Halloween looming on the horizon, I wanted to read some horror in comic format, so, with American comics stuck in a zombie rut, I looked through some of the vast selection of manga that Mike has in stock at Pulp Fiction; mainly due to my interest in recent movie adaptions that have been made from manga. I finally settled on a nice, thick volume called Museum of Terror and, to my surprise, not only scared me, but left me an unsettled feeling that only good horror can give.

Museum of Terror 1 (subtitled "Tomie 1") is a 375 page collection of short vignettes all featuring the character of Tomie. As she is first introduced, Tomie is a high school age girl who is extremely beautiful. If fact she is the most beautiful girl anyone has ever seen. She uses this beauty to manipulate men, but there is a slight problem. Seems that Tomie is so desireable that when a man falls in love with her, he is forced to kill her to keep anyone else from posessing her. To add to the fun, however, is that Tomie always comes back and back and back...

The horror of this collection is presented in a number of ways. The ways that Tomie's lovers find to off her range from sudden to calculating and the calculated way that the first murder is carried out is very horrifying. Tomie's resurrections are also a bit stomach churning, in that they occur in different ways and are quite gruesomely portrayed. Of course, no story of murder and resurection would be complete without revenge and Tomie's revenge on her lovers is also varied-and quite final.

What I find so fascinating, and horrifying, about this book comes mainly from the tone that Ito is able to establish. According to the table of contents, these stories were originally published over a period of 8 years, yet there is not a sense of stopping and starting: they read as a whole. Each story has a feeling of mood that makes it different from all the others and I never got the feeling that I was reading the same story over and over. Rather, I could guess where each story was going, but there was always a twist in getting to the end.

I think the main difference here is in the American approach to horror as opposed to that as portrayed in Japan. In the US, most horror is based around Stephen King, where, basically, "shit happens" and it can happen to you or me, simply because we are alive. We don't have to go looking for trouble, it will find us, often with an explanation of what happened. In Japan, it seems that there is a belief that something, or someone can be inherently evil with no explanation and it is this type of horror that makes Museum of Terror work. We aren't told who or what Tomie is, but, by her actions, we can surmise that she is evil, and her actions are simply what she IS. And this type of horror is all the more troubling because there is no explanation.

Of course, I could go on at length about the psychology of the stories (young girl seduces a man and then he kills her...), but that would involve giving too much away. I would recommend Museum of Terror 1 to you very highly if you enjoy horror. I also understand that #2 is already out (a continuation of Tomie) and that a third volume should come out later this month. Ito is a master of horror and this series is one that you should add to your sagging bookshelf.

Museum of Terror 1 is a manga-sized tradepaperback and has an SRP of $13.95.

Bob Gay writes the monthly column, Bob's Thoughts, for Pulp Fiction

10/12/06

Mini-Reviews by Chanmary Soeur

MONSTER Vol. 3

This compelling thriller's suspenseful storyline just keeps getting more complicated and addictive with each volume. Monster follows the story of Dr. Kenzo, a compassionate doctor who fervently hunts down the Monster, a mass murderer who the doctor has brought back to life. This volume introduces a new character to the tale; a character whose innocence may help the good doctor to remember his compassion and desire to save lives, not end them. I highly recommend this book to readers of Death Note; I think you will find Monster unique but similarly entertaining.

NANA Vol. 3

This manga, created by the prestige manga creator Ai Yazawa, is a phenomenon in Japan. Up till this volume, Nana has struck me as pretty mellow and average for a shoujo manga, and I was steadily loosing interest. With volume three, however, I have been won over. No more boring fluffy romance; this particular book is filled with conflict and ends with a dramatic moment of angst that leaves me eagerly anticipating the next volume.

BASILIK Vol. 1

This manga is one of the most anticipated new titles of the summer and has been heavily promoted in anime magazines such as Anime Insider and Newtype. Basilik is definitely created for the mature, older manga audience. It is a Samurai storyline set in feudal Japan which ultimately means extreme violence and adult situations.

BABY AND ME Vol. 2

This is my new favorite title. In-between reading books like Death Note and Monster and other action-packed, drama-filled mangas, I pick up Baby and Me and it is like a beautiful moment of silence. This story is extremely poignant, touching the heart of every reader I have talked to. I will definitely devote a whole column to this wonderful manga in the near future, so keep a look out for it.

03/27/06

Tips for Cheap and Fast Costumes
"Salvage Costumes"
by Julia Nolan

Many fans of anime, science fiction, or fantasy want to costume. Who wouldn't? It's fun to get to dress up, particularly as a character you love, and even more fun to get to act as the character and feel like you're "a part of the con" by participating. But with costumes costing as much as $2,000 in materials and sometimes taking hundreds of hours of time, who has the time or money for it? The answer is... you do.

You can make a great costume for very little money and only a little bit of time by being creative and using some of these tips. Both the easiest and generally the cheapest costumes are the scavenged ones. These costumes look like, or almost like, actual clothing. That means that these costumes tend to be easy to make-walk into a store or a thrift store, buy the clothing, and put it on. What could be simpler?

The problem is that these costumes don't tend to look like costumes-they look like street clothes. This can be great if your character wears street clothes that you can find at a store, but generally isn't as helpful as most cosplayers would like. Although normal stores are a great place to find the parts of a costume that do look like street clothes, most cosplayers want to (and have to) go farther to get the costume of their dreams. Still, with a little creativity, stores can often provide most of the costume and can provide clothing to turn into costumes. How you may ask...?

Often simple pieces can be transformed with a bit of thought. For instance, one of my friends cut open a slinky black dress, sewed red ribbons on it, and turned it into a lovely Song Mina (from Street Fighter) costume (complete with a headband and staff). Another friend cut open a red coat, added new buttons, put a slit up the side, and added a red wig to have a killer Karen (from X) costume. But what if you need a costume that's even less like normal clothing, or want to make it completely yourself?

In this example, working with pre-existing wardrobe piece is often the best way to go. For example, I built a top for a Yui (from Fushigi Yuugi) out of an old shirt pattern, a collar, a bow, and a normal bra. Why the bra? The bra both gave the shirt shape and gave me built in support and a "size" to work with. This was much easier than trying to build in something similar or to buy all of the parts for it. Another very simple and inexpensive costume was tacking fake fur onto a normal bikini, making ears out of wire, a headband, and pink satin, a tail out of wire, cotton batting, and fake fur, and covering shoes with fake fur. The "fur bikini" both ended up being very cute, but also cost almost nothing-a mere $30 for all of the parts. Why waste your time making a white shirt with red patches when you could just buy a white shirt and add red fabric? Or cut up an old shirt, add eyelets, and string it up the back to make a corset? The more of the costume that is pre-made, the easier and cheaper it is.

Admittedly, using "conventional" items to work from often does leave the costume looking less professional than one that is made entirely from scratch. But it does not have to be this way. The reason that most costumes look "amateurish" when they are made from normal, every day items is that the makers do not necessarily follow all of the rules of good sewing. They don't measure out what they're planning on doing before cutting the fabric. They often don't hem. And sometimes they don't match fabrics. However, if you keep a careful watch on your alterations, altered "ordinary" items can make costumes that are not only much easier and cheaper than costumes made from scratch, but that also are sturdier and every bit as appealing.

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12/24/05

Off the Beaten Path (Manga edition)
by Anthony Dominguez

Welcome to my Column of Death, inspired by two Manga books which deal solely with...wait for it, wait for it… DEATH! I do not normally review or read Manga. However my newfound relationship with my little sister’s has inspired me to venture into the Manga world. I still like books from a different vein, and alas I have found two with enough Death to hold me over for a little while. Only for a little while.

Title-Death Trance
Publisher-Tokyo Shock
Script-Kana Takeuchi
Artist- Kana Takeuchi
Format- 3 books
Shipping- excellent
Age- 13 & older

The Basics- A three book series published as a prequel to Death Trance the movie (It was due out in November, not sure when the U.S. release date will be). The story centers on Grave, Zen, Shirayuki and The Monk. Grave, Zen and Shirayuki are childhood friends thrown together through circumstance. Grave is…a warrior, who defends the village, sometimes too well. Zen is his best friend and fellow warrior, Shirayuki is the Village leader, she holds a complete command of the village as a respected leader, despite her age and sex. The Monk...well I can't give too much away. Let's just say there is a love story, a love triangle, mysterious demons, magic and all kinds of delicious violence. There is no definitive finale...if you want the complete ending, you have to see the movie. The story and character development are quick and concise, you’re given what you need early on to decide who you love and hate, and then everything is turned upside down

.

The Art- Here is the meat and potatoes of this book - the art is what caught my eye to begin with. It is done with white and purple pencil instead of black and white ink. Very original, and striking. The art is detailed, flowing and intricate; some pages take longer to view than to read. The fight scenes feel vibrant and chaotic; as you read you almost feel the wind from the blades and hear the screams…

The Verdict- A worthy opponent, it's all any of us really want in love, life and war. Read it for the original story, then carefully study the artwork. You will not be disappointed.

< Get Death Trance Vol 1 for 50% off cover price if you mention this column >
Title-Death Note
Publisher-Viz Media
Script-Tsugumi Ohba
Artist- Takeshi Obata
Format- Ongoing
Shipping- good
Age- 13 & older

The Basics- This is quite possibly the most intriguing Manga title out. The hype surrounding this title is enormous…and with good reason. This unique story keeps you guessing from the first page till the last. It is difficult to keep a story like this fresh from beginning to end, yet the creators manage to accomplish this task with ease. So what is the story about you may ask...it centers around three characters: Ryuk, Light Yagami and L.- an extremely bored death god, a highly intelligent high school student with a detectives mind, and an eccentric super detective with a penchant for solving unsolvable crimes. They all have a common connection, the Death Note; a book in which any name written leads to death. Ryuk ‘loses’ his Death Note in the human realm, or so he says, and must retrieve it before a human finds it. If the note is found by anyone other than Ryuk, the two are bound together until death. When Ryuk arrives on earth, he learns that Light Yagami has found the Death Note…Here's the question, if you had the power to kill without repercussion, how would you use it? Would it corrupt you? If you chose to use it, would it be for good or evil? Personal gain or the good of humanity? These are the questions which make this story so compelling.

The Art- The art is straight forward and very detailed, lifelike in some cases - none of the usual manga styling, such as the big eyes and humorous asides. While certain scenes stand out and certain pages are impressive, the overall driving force of this book is the story. The art is a welcome bonus.

The Verdict- Intriguing, thrilling, entertaining and addicting. Like heroin you just can’t get enough of this book.

That's it.

Anthony Dominguez
www.anthonydominguez.com
myspace.com/anthonydominguez

(editors's note: check out Anthony's regular column in the comics/GN section) <TOP>

12/12/05

MANGA-NIA-GAMI by Chanmary Soeur

Hi everyone it’s me, Chanmary, your Pulp Fiction employee of the year. ^_~ I really love reading manga; nothing makes me happier than to completely loose myself in a story. Sometimes reality can be disappointing and rather mundane, but with manga I find real life suspended as I enter the exciting world of magic, action, romance etc. My hope for this column is that others find and enjoy manga as much as I do.

It is quite overwhelming and rather frustrating for a new reader to pick out one manga series from hundred of titles available. However I’ve noticed that manga readers typically follow a genre; thus, once you are able to distinguish the common genre of your favorite titles it is much easier to discover newer manga series that you will enjoy.

Here are some general Manga genres: SHONEN- ‘boy’; manga targeted for male audience. These mangas are usually is driven by action.
SHOUJO- ‘girl’; manga targeted to the female market. This genre is generally romance based.
SHONEN AI- ‘boy love’; this genre involves boy on boy affection, thus both protagonists are male and are romantically involved.

Each update I will try to recommend titles from a different genre in hopes that everyone will be able to find manga they can become enthralled with. Today’s review is one of my favorite titles of all-time, Tramps Like Us.

TRAMPS LIKE US
Story and Art by Yayoi Ogawa
Genre: Shoujo (romance-comedy, drama)
Audience: For older teens due to mature language and sexual content
Appeal to fans of: Hot Gimmick, Boys over Flower, and Mars

Tramps like us or Kimi wa pet, which translates to ‘you are my pet’ is a popular series in Japan; it is also an inspired hit live action drama.

I absolutely adore this story. One of the qualities that makes Tramps like Us stand out from other shoujo (female-fan base) manga is its mature contents and adult situations. The storyline is an allusion to social culture. Sumire, the story’s protagonist, intimidates men with her size, intelligence and income. Women who harbor a traditional mindset scorn Sumire’s success and consequently her lack of ‘a man’. Sumire has worked extremely hard to earn the respect of people by becoming a successful career woman. Yet it seems the harder she tries the unhappier she becomes. Her only sincere and unconditional companion she is Momoi, her pet…. boy.

This is where the title is misleading; the human pet is a metaphor for Sumire’s loneliness and her desire for a companion who has no expectation from her. Yayoi brilliantly develops Momo’s character to perfectly compliment Sumire. For the first time in her life, Sumire’s success and prominence are not being ridiculed by others, but rather are a necessity to someone’s (Momo’s) survival. Momo intuitively knows that Sumire is no “ice princess”, her nickname at work, and his state of passiveness lets Sumire drop her image and be comfortable showing her weaknesses.

Yayoi’s writing is extremely poignant; she has a way to just bring the emotions out of the pages. When I recently reread this series, I experienced the gamut of feelings ranging from anger to sadness to genuine happiness, as if I were Sumire herself. However it is not just the writing that stands out with this title. Yayoi artwork is like nothing I have seen before. Her style is dominated by sharp, clean lines and her lack of shading gives the title a crisp and polished effect. In short, the artwork is lovely, and a perfect compliment to the writing.

I highly recommend this title to anyone looking for an adult story with a slice of reality. As you progress through the series, it get more and more emotionally stimulating and thought provoking, as Sumire tries to differentiate between love and companionship. The highest compliment I can give Tramps Like Us is that I as soon as I finish reading a volume, I can’t wait for the next one. Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.

If you were wondering what Manganiagami means, well, I made it up. Here’s the key. Shin-ni-gami = God-of-death ----------------? Manga-nia-gami = God-of-Manga

< Get Tramps Like Us Vol 1 for 50% off cover price if your mention this column > <TOP>

11/2/05

Michishirube (The Guidepost) by jennlynnfs

I love stories. A good story is like a breath of fresh air. Good stories draw you in and take you to a different place.

I discovered manga in the Summer of 2005, after watching Inu Yasha. Since then I have found so many great titles including (but certainly not limited to) Inu Yasha, Kare Kano, Fruits Basket, Bleach, Psychic Acedemy and DNAngel.

I hope to share my love of reading and manga with you in this column, which I have dubbed Michishirube (The Guidepost). If there’s a title you’d like reviewed, by all means, please recommend it. I’m always game to try a new manga.

And now for my first review, a title that has become one of my favorites, The Wallflower....

The Wallflower
by Tomoko Hayakawa
Publisher: Del Rey

Summary: Sunako Nakahara is not your typical manga heroine. She could care less about the four young, attractive guys living with her in her aunt’s house. Sunako would be happy staying in her darkly lit room watching horror movies and enjoying the company of her ‘friends’ which includes a human anatomy doll with organ parts showing. So what’s the hook, you ask? - If the four guys living at Sunako’s aunt’s house help turn her into a lady, they do not have to pay any rent.

Series Info: Wallflower is currently up to five volumes. Volume 6 will be coming out in December 2005. The rating is for +16 years old and up. I’d say that’s about right. The rating is for language and some mild sexual content.

Review: Wallflower is quite a departure from popular manga. The art style has a dark quality compared to the cartoon/traditional style of popular manga. This perhaps is due in large part to the manga artist Tomoko Hayakawa’s fondness for goth and punk. Sunako is the anti-heroine. She does not have a sparkling outlook on life, like Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket, nor the confidence of Kagome Higurashi from Inu Yasha.

Somehow, you can’t help rooting for Sunako. Her lack of motivation to function in the real world stems from a traumatizing event when she confessed her feelings to a boy and he insulted her by calling her ugly. Because of this incident, Sunako cut herself off from the world to avoid any chances of getting hurt again. Unfortunately this has caused her to have the social skills of a potato. Hence, the enlistment of Ranmaru Morii-a true ladies’ man, Yuki Toyama-a gentle, cheerful, and very emotional guy, Takenaga Oda- a caring “creature of the light”. The ensuing attempts of this band of high school students to help Sunako become a lady, along with artist Tomoko Hayakawa’s effective use of extremes in situations, bring humor to the tale.

Wallflower is one of those “smaller” titles that is slowly picking up in popularity. I would highly recommend it to those of you looking for an amusing read that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

<< Get Wallflower Vol 1 for 50% off cover price when you mention this column >>

In my next column, I’ll be reviewing the titles Aquarian Age: Juvenile Orion by Sakurako Gokurakuin and Immortal Rain by Kaori Ozaki.

Here’s a site Michael told me about and it’s a really awesome theme search engine for manga and anime. If you’re looking for a new series, this search engine is a great source: http://otakuworld.com/guide/

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11/01/05

Hello everyone, my name is DoubleBubble (DB for short). I will occasionally be writing a manga column here at Pulp Fiction, focusing on shorter series (i.e. not more than eight books in length) and new titles. I will typically stay away from the "well known" or super popular titles (you are already reading these or have decided not to); instead I will try to direct you to some "smaller" titles I think are good that you may not know as much about. I am 18 years old and tend to read books that I, personally, find not suitable for the little ones. This is not to say that I never read mangas intended for all ages, but mostly, my columns will be about books more appropriate for the older folks, like me *sigh*.

In this column I will be discussing three mangas that differ in both genre and art style: Doll, Legal Drug and .Hack// Legend of the Twilight.

DOLL
by Mitsukazu Mihara

This series is definitely not for young eyes, i.e. people under 16 years of age. Understand that I have a certain bias here, being that this is my favorite book, but there is no other manga like DOLL; I can only compare it to a perfectly written novel. In a nutshell, this manga has many different tales within its pages, but there is a “soul” story that is written throughout the whole book. Within the six volumes currently out, you will find 36 different tales of terror and human suffering. Dolls are human-like androids that will follow a human’s command ‘til the death, like Chobits’ persocom, but there is nothing cute about these terrible terrors. There are love stories and stories that will make you cry (believe me, I cried), stories that will hurt you and stories that will make you smile. Ms. Mitsukazu Mihara, in DOLL, took the human emotion of hate, rage, love, fear and brought it to the extreme. The art is very adult and mature in style, completely different from Chobits. This series is not for anyone with a soft stomach. The genre of this series is stated as science-fiction and I would definitely recommend it to any older teens that are fans of horror movies. I believe that this manga was worth every smile and every tear; I hold my DOLL dearly, and hope you will as well.

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Legal Drug Planning and presented by Clamp

If you have ever read or seen any of Clamp’s more popular books you quickly realize that the art is similar from book to book; it’s very kid-ish and small in proportion, making the manga more appealing to young teens and girls. Legal Drug is different; the art is very long and mature. This title is rated for older teens, but I feel that any teenage who has watched an hour of TV can withstand this. There is a homosexual couple inside the story, so if you find that offensive, this is not the Clamp story for you. The story focuses on two very handsome males (not the homosexual couple) and their “day” jobs. It seems as if the characters are very normal, but of course, there is a twist; one of them is a psychic. (I didn’t ruin the story for you, it tells you in book one if you read the book’s summary.) The genre of the series is action/fantasy, but I would describe it as a psychic detective story with a lot sexual tension. I think that this series can be entertaining to both males and females, but I’m sure that females would like it more. There are currently three volumes out for this ongoing series. If you are ill-ing for a read that naughty Clamp fans would love, I prescribed Legal Drug.

.Hack// Legend of the Twilight
Art by Rei Izumi
Story by Tatsuya Hamazaki

Okay, let’s finish with a book that I find to be suitable for all ages. Even though the manga states 13+, how many times have we’ve seen a 10 year old in a PG-13 movie? The story is set about 4 years after the original .Hack. If you’re looking for the original before you read this one, it doesn’t exist in manga; it’s really a video game. The story itself focuses on an online game called The World. Brother and sister, Shugo and Rena, have journeyed into the world of online games after Rena won a mysterious contest where the prize was a mystical male (Kite) and female (Black Rose) character to be used in the game. Don’t be worry about the story being confusing, it is an easy read and the plot is understandable even if you’ve never touched the video game, like me. The genre of the book can be a fantasy/I-fic (Internet fiction) (I made up a new genre). The art is adorable, almost chibi-like; if I would have to relate it to another manga, I feel that it’s a lot like Clamp’s Chobits. And I think that if you enjoyed Chobits then you would like this short series as well. There is a cuteness in art style as well as a cuteness in plot. Very similar to Miss Chi where she is clueless to society, Shugo is clueless to the online society. There are only three books in this series, so it is surely a great set to pick up if you’re in the mood for some “twi-light” reading suitable for all ages.

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