“Dizzy Girl” My goodness, if ever a chapter was screaming out for game-changing interpretation, it was this one. That’s a dangerous road to go down, of course, but there was some awfully interesting stuff in there that demands analysis. First off, what I loved about this chapters is that it […] Read more
“A Day in the Life” It says something about what a skilled writer Kaoru Mori is that she could write a chapter like this one, and have it be one of the best of the series. I doubt many authors would have even tried. To call this chapter a simple […] Read more
Some significant news from the world of manga this week… Adachi Mitsuru is doing a sequel to Touch set 26 years later, and Bakuman is apparently ending its run in two weeks. Edit: It’s official – the 4/23 chapter is the last one for Bakuman. There’s just a hint of […] Read more
The 2012 Eisner nominations for manga have been announced. Interestingly, the two manga I’m currently blogging – Hourou Musuko (Wandering Son) and Otoyomegatari (Brides Story) – were both nominated. Good job, Eisner Committee! Read more
“Bridal Boot Camp!” There’s not a whole lot to be said about this very straightforward half-length of Otoyomegatari, because it pretty much speaks for itself. While things didn’t end up going in the direction I thought they might when Layla and Leyli’s mother announced her intentions (Mori-sensei, it seems, plans […] Read more
“Positive Dance” Hourou Musuko has always been about growing up, but rarely have we seen it expressed more literally than it was here. In a nice change from recent trends, we get some real focus on Takatsuki. To be blunt (because there’s no other way to say it) she’s turning […] Read more
There’s really not all that much to say about chapter 21, except that it was pretty much over the top kawaii overload for 47 pages. The two brothers drafted into being the future husbands on the twins from hell, Layla and Leyli, actually have names – Sahman and Farsahmi. Sahm […] Read more
As much as I love Otoyomegatari, I think it represents one of the real problems of a monthly manga. I enjoy the new characters Mori Kaoru continues to introduce to this story, and Laila and Leyli are certainly a hoot. But when we get to see these characters so rarely, […] Read more
“Whispered Words” Whoa – now things are definitely heating up. I don’t know if you can technically call Hourou Musuko a “slice-of-life” – and no, I don’t want to open that can of worms – but one of the most magical things about Shimura Takako’s writing is the ability to […] Read more