Review: Saigami, Volume 1: Re(Birth) by Flame

By Seny (Andrea Otília Vörös)

Available now from Saturday AM

Review copy

Saigami comes from Saturday AM, which has been publishing webcomics online for ten years and recently moved into publishing physical copies of their most popular titles. I like Saturday AM's efforts to build up a diverse portfolio of artists from all over the world, but don't love their marketing of being the world's most diverse manga company. Yes, most manga isn't diverse because it is literally Japanese comics. But manga has been influencing creators around the world for decades now, so I think there is room for OEM (Original English-language Manga). However, I can't recommend Saturday AM as a publisher because there has been controversy about them paying artists.

Saigami starts in our world, where Ayami is a high-school girl with an absent father, a mother who is usually at work or drinking, and a house full of trash. She's struggling, and even her old refuge in books is starting to fail. Then, she gets a mysterious letter from her father, goes to meet him, and falls into a fantasy world where people called 'saigami' have elemental powers (and some even have dragons!). It's a pretty standard isekai setup delivered without much flair. There's a lot of exposition, both before and after Ayami ends up in another world, and certain things get brushed over without a thought. (If Ayami's father is a big mystery to her, why does she instantly know the letter is from him? Why isn't she curious about why her father's letter led her to a mysterious land?)

Once in another land, Ayami quickly meets two boys about her age: the friendly and well-connected Sean and the hostile outcast Reyji. They're both broad types with little sense of an inner life. Ayami gets to go on an important journey with them, even though she's utterly unqualified, as Reyji points out. Of course, as is obvious, Ayami turns out to be a saigami.

The story is fairly predictable and I wasn't drawn in my the characters. The art is okay. The backgrounds are quite nice, there is decent flow between panels, and I can understand what is happening easily. The character designs are consistent, but plain and somewhat amateur, with little variation in faces. Saigami reads like what it is: an OEM by someone who likes manga. Its inspirations are clear, but it doesn't really have a spark to make it stand out, despite its heroine's fiery powers.

Review: Cells at Work! Baby Volume 1

Written and illustrated by Yasuhiro FUKUDA

Based on Cells at Work! by Akane SHIMIZU

Translated by Dean Leininger

Available now from Kodansha Comics

Review copy

Cells at Work! Baby is one of many spinoffs from the original Cells at Work! In this manga by Yasuhiro FUKUDA, the main character is a red blood cell going about her work, when the body she resides in is born. From there, the cells have to learn how to do their jobs and keep the baby healthy now that it is no longer a fetus supported by the mother's body.

Fukuda's art is adorable. It is very in line with the established style for types of cells from Cells at Work!, but using a chibi style to suit the fact that these are all baby cells. The red blood cell and her best friend, a hemoglobin-F red blood cell, also have very sweet adventures as they look out for each other and their body. The stories are all based around biological fact, with extra informational asides to provide more in-depth facts. Pediatrician Naoyo HASHIMOTO did serve as a medical editor to ensure that the facts in Cells at Work! Baby are accurate to current medical knowledge.

If I have one complaint, it is that generally the female characters are less competent than the male characters. (With the large exception of the mother's grown-up cells, seen shortly before the baby is born.) It's such a small thing that would have been easy to fix.

But overall, Cells at Work! Baby is a charming read about the intricate biology behind a baby taking its first breath and  developing an immune response to antigens. There's plenty of action in a baby's first days!

I think this is an adorable spinoff that is sure to appeal to fans of the original.

Armchair BEA 2015: Visual Expressions

It is day two of Armchair BEA!  Participants will be posting about either or both of the following topics: Visual Expressions and Social Media.

I am going to stick to Visual Expressions.  I will be following Social Media conversations, because I know I could be working harder in that arena.

I love graphic novels and other formats that use illustrations to enhance and expand upon the text.  You can check out my tag for all graphic novel reviews and more.  (I also have a manga tag.)

If you check out those tags, you'll find some highlights.  To me, those include:

• My year as a panelist for the CYBILS graphic novels division
• Manga Primer, part one
• Manga Primer, part two

Currently, I'm fascinated by hybrid novels like Chasing Shadows by Swati Avasthi with graphic sections by Craig Phillips and In the Shadows by Kiersten White with graphic sections by Jim Di Bartolo.  These books are both regular prose novels and graphic novels, telling two stories that intertwine in two mediums.  (The word "shadows" in the title is optional.)

I also really dig the imprint TOON Books right now.  This imprint publishes books at three reading levels to help children increase their literacy proficiency using more and more sophisticated graphic novel techniques.  The layouts help them follow changes in setting (both time and place) and the pictures help give context and expression to characters and their actions.  Plus, they're just good kid's books.

I'm still reading manga, although I don't post about it much.  My favorite series currently being serialized is Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun (that is, Girls' Monthly Nozaki-kun).  It is a 4-koma comic about a girl, her crush Nozaki who writes a popular monthly manga, and their friends who help make and inspire the manga story.  It is absolutely hilarious.  The simple structure allows for a ridiculous density of jokes.

So why do you love graphic novels?  What new and innovative titles or imprints are catching your eye?

Blank Slate, Vols. 1-2

By Aya Kanno

Zen can't remember who he is or what he's done. The only thing he knows is he feels like he needs to destroy - a fairly clear sign that he wasn't a nice person before he lost his memory. The book begins not with the original first chapter, but with a side-story that replaced it when Kanno realized her story was going to be more than a oneshot.

I enjoyed the story, but feel it might not have been the best introduction. The series is only two volumes long, making the story fairly tight, but Zen is the only character set-up in the chapter. The secondary characters don't arrive until the next chapter. I wish I knew how the original opening went, but all the new one does is establish that Zen is wanted, doesn't know who he is, and dangerous. It also portrays him as a bit more capricious than he is in the rest of the story.

Things really begin when he kidnaps Rian, the blind and protected daughter of a general. She blossoms in her kidnapping because her small, sheltered life chafes her and someone is finally reacting to her without kid gloves. This misadventure leads Zen to the pacifist doctor Hakka, who might be able to help Zen discover the truth of his past.



Kanno's artwork is beautiful, very much shojo - full of bishonen and cool clothes. However, there's a bit more violence than your average shojo, not to say there aren't a number of violent shojo series. She's also an excellent plotter. Things that you might think are unimportant details in an episodic series just might be what ties the chapters together.

Zen's a good lead character - witty, attractive, and as dangerous as people say he is. He lacks motivation aside from discovering his past and he mostly lacks empathy. I think the second chapter does work better as an introduction because what connection to people who does have is revealed in his interaction with Rian. He'd kill her if he needed to, but sees no reason to be cruel. Rian's a good foil to him because she is emotional and girly, but discovering a strength she was never allowed to need. It's a strange relationship but feels true.

The only part of the manga that really bothers me is the ending. It requires all of one character's actions to be an act. It's a bit abrupt and didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story even if it does allow all the pieces to fall into place. Other than that misstep, BLANK SLATE is a well-told, if familiar, story of an assassin and military intrigue.

Both volumes of BLANK SLATE are available now through Viz's SHOJO BEAT imprint. You can also subscribe to SHOJO BEAT which serializes many manga, including the excellent CRIMSON HERO and SAND CHRONICLES. SHOJO BEAT has a MySpace, as does its mascot Moko.

Detective Jermain, volume 1

By Misako Rocks!

High school senior Jermain's father died when she was seven. She wants to follow in his footsteps and become a detective. Luckily, she's in a shojo-inspired ELO manga and can thus discover a case more interesting than, "Does James like Sarah?" Of course, since it is shojo inspired, she does have to deal with those pesky hormones.

When classmate Mike and the band teacher begin acting weird, Jermaine is instantly on the case. Their untimely deaths convince her there really is a case. Her only help comes from her friends Andy and Travis, both of whom harbor crushes on the budding detective. I must admit, I was 100% partial to Andy. First, the shallow reason: I like his character design better. He reminds me of the guys I hang out with. Second, he doesn't go behind a friend's back and make a move on someone he knows his friend likes without telling the friend first. Third, when he makes his move he doesn't go farther than Jermain is comfortable with. Travis is a bit of an unapologetic personal space invader.

Okay, there's another shallow reason. When Andy confesses his feelings there's a full page of him hugging Jermain from behind, surrounded by flowers. It's got to be true love! (Me, a sucker for the pretty? Why yes, yes I am.)

As for the mystery, it involves extremely sketchy chemistry and people who are strangely apathetic that a classmate and teacher died. Jermain can't study the night it happens because she's preoccupied with the case, not because of grief. No one else seems to care much at all. However, the story moves along at a fast pace and Misako Rocks!'s artwork is a good vehicle. She has a strong grasp of layout. I never had trouble figuring out which panel came next.

The art is well done. The character design's are distinctive, the action easy to follow, and the tones well applied. In my opinion, Misako's art is very accessible. Everything's a little round, more cartoony than stylized. Aside for Travis's hair, which I find oddly flat, I cannot think of any bothersome quirks.

While the story features high school seniors, it seems to be pitched at younger teens or tweens. (Seniors will appreciate the characters' worrying about which colleges to apply to.) There's room for character growth, but as this is the first volume I'm not to concerned about that. I did love a panel where the brother is complaining about his mother and sister always ignoring him; I'd forgotten he existed! It was a clever way to be reminded.

DETECTIVE JERMAIN hit shelves in September. I have not found a release date for the second volume. Misako Rocks! also wrote and illustrated BIKER GIRL and ROCK AND ROLL LOVE. Her illustrations accompany Dan Savage's weekly column Savage Love, printed in the Onion. If you're under eighteen, I'm not responsible for making you aware of Savage Love. You can find out more about Misako on her webpage, MySpace, or blog.

Manga Primer Part II: CLAMP

On the manga primer, Oliver suggested CLAMP titles:

For new readers, they must get educated as to what a CLAMP book is like (since there are many CLAMP series and it's better to found out earlier that you're a fan than later). I suggest "Chobits" is a good starting point. From there, decide if you like apocalyptic manga, or light and cute manga because CLAMP's got a lot of both. For apocalyptic manga, choose X/1999 (before it goes out of print), and for light and cute, choose Wish and Cardcaptor Sakura.

I agree completely that being educated on CLAMP is important. CLAMP, a group of four manga-ka, is popular and have been in the biz for 20 or so years. Now, there is a reason I didn't suggest any CLAMP titles in the first post: CLAMP is evil and quite possibly insane. Expect homoeroticism, eye gouging, and horrible things happening to good people. On the other hand, one of my first titles was by CLAMP. It was, of course, Cardcaptor Sakura, made available by Tokyopop through their now defunct Chix Comics imprint.



The series is twelve volumes long; the second six volumes are titled Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow in the English release. (I've been sticking to things I know are available in English.) Adorable Kinimoto Sakura must capture the Clow cards, a plot anyone with the slightest familiarity with anime can recognize. Of course, in most of those stories the main character and her love interest don't have a rivalry over the affections of another guy. Oh, CLAMP. Of course, while this story has the tangled webs of love and gets progressively darker, it's still basically a fluff series that has nothing on CLAMP's darkest moments. In addition, there's no eye-gouging.

For those interested in the anime, find a subtitled version. The English dub chopped it up, changed the episode order, and generally sucked.

Chobits is a shonen series, heavy on the philosophy and slight on the SF (despite featuring an android) . . . and also heavy on the adult humor. But hey, I read it in middle school.



Filled with adorable loli-style art and adorable moments of unbearable cuteness between the pervy stuff, I love CHOBITS. It's a well-plotted series that sets up and establishes a relationship in seven volumes even with all kinds of crazy conspiracies going on. The fanservice does decline toward the end, as the characters try to discover whether a human and a persecom can truly love each other. It's classic CLAMP and yet half as crazy as their usual fare. (No eye gouging, for one.) I adore the anime, despite the filler episode about shopping for underwear, if only because it has a fabulous opening theme.

For the final one Oliver suggested that I've read, is one of my favorites: X/1999.



Okay, the art is a little dated and people tend to look like triangles (broad shoulders, tiny waist). The sound effects in English are ridiculous. Until you reach far enough in the series to learn the characters' motives almost all of them seem like unsympathetic jerks. That is, except for poor, doomed Kotori, who just wanted to become an indigo dye expert. Anyway, what happens when you throw together Buddhist, Shinto, and various other mythologies with stylistic use of Christian symbolism to depict the battle over the fate of the world? Pure, crazy awesome. There's a schoolgirl in love with a middle-aged man that's possibly the sweetest romance in the entire thing. And yes, there is eye gouging. Romantically significant eye gouging, at that.

The series went on hiatus (at eighteen volumes, at a CLIFFHANGER, basically) after 9/11, as the violence and wanton destruction of major landmarks kept increasing and CLAMP refused to censor themselves. However, two endings are available in the anime (simply known as X - X/1999 is an English-only title) and the OVA (ie, movie). The movie just makes everything 30x more incomprehensible. The TV series is pretty good and even manages to make the characters more sympathetic. Episode 9, which introduces Subaru, is a work of art. It's even more beautiful if you understand the Buddhist symbolism, but it's incredible without it.

Of course, to get the lowdown of the relationship between the characters of Subaru and Seishirou, you have to read Tokyo Babylon.



This is the story of a Bet. It's also the story of a 25-year-old veternarian romancing a 16-year-old boy while the boy's twin eggs it on. It begins fairly episodic, with Subaru going about various onmiyoji jobs. (An onmiyoji is something like a medium/exorcist . . . in short, he's got awesome supernatural powers.) Now this one starts rather adorably but slowly crumbles that veneer until the tragic ending. It's seven volumes of superb storytelling. This one contains eye gouging.

The OVA is only two episodes long and skippable.

Another series that gives some background for X/1999 is Clamp School Detectives, which I have not read. (I'm fairly sure there is not eye gouging.) It was adapted into an anime that fans generally hate.

To continue the steam of interconnected series, I'll next talk about CLAMP's two current projects.

First is xxxHolic.



CLAMP's artwork started out lovely, but I think this series features the most beautiful art. Watanuki can see ghosts and can only not see them in the company of Domeki, the rival for his crush's affections. Pretty soon he's indebted to the Time Witch . . . and things just keep getting worse for him. This one also starts off episodic with "be careful what you wish for" type parables. Then the overarching plot begins to become evident, although it might make no sense if you don't read TSUBASA as well. If you do read TSUBASA, the plot makes sense if you make an effort not to think about it. Eye gouging that's practically Disney by CLAMP's standards.

The anime is a decent adaptation, but due to copyright issues avoids referencing TSUBASA. This might make trouble as it continues and the plotlines become increasingly interwoven.

This brings be to Tsubasa: RESERvoir CHRoNiCLE, the epitome of begin fluffy and become completely dark.



Knowledge of Cardcaptor Sakura will aid in reading this one, as will knowledge of xxxHolic. Alternate-universe versions of characters from all of their other series will make appearances, but they're more like bonuses if you recognize the series. Sakura loses her memory and falls into a coma and her childhood friend Syaoran wants to save her. The price? Her memories of their relationship. Soon Syaoran is on a roadtrip through universes with warrior Kurogane, magician Fai, and Mokona. Then the Acid Tokyo arc happens. CLAMP has never had this much fun with eye gouging before. And as those of you who read the scantilations before the official translations, it just gets weirder and weirder. I'm pretty sure they've violated their own canon. Also, the art is purposefully a little rough and generally excellent, though action scenes can be a little hard to follow.

The anime started speculating too much during the filler, so CLAMP back their rights (or whatever) and a new adaptation will be out soon.

One of their titles that might be good for a beginning reader is Magic Knight Rayearth.



This one combines schoolgirls falling into another universe, Magical Girls, and mecha. The first series plays fairly straight with the typical trappings of those genres, but the second series explores the consequences of their actions. Generally a very good series that is much more straightforward than most of what CLAMP does. It's been awhile since I've read it, but I don't remember eye gouging. The TV series (two seasons) changes some elements from the manga, leading to plot holes. The three episode OVA barely resembles the source.

There are only two more CLAMP series which I've read. The first is the three volume Legal Drug, which is currently on hiatus.



Rikuo discovers Kazahaya passed out in the snow and takes him to the shop where he lives and works. Soon the two are running odd errands together. It's an interesting series with fabulous art, but I don't recommending getting into it since it currently stops just as the plot is picking up speed. However, anyone who can explain to me what the marijuana leaf motif has to do with anything gets a cookie. No eye gouging. Yet.

The 10-volume RG Veda draws heavily on Buddhist and Hindu myth.



It's pretty, but it is an early work and CLAMP didn't quite have the chops to pull the complicated story off. It's still good reading and features a number of sympathetic, complex characters. I don't recommend it for manga beginners. At this point CLAMP had yet to develop a penchant for eye gouging. There's an OVA that doesn't fit into the storyline.

Other CLAMP works currently available in English include Angelic Layer, Legend of Chun Hyang, Miyuki-Chan in Wonderland, Suki: A Like Story, and Wish. Clover is out-of-print, but it's rumored Tokyopop will print a new edition soon. Let's keep our fingers crossed, because what I've read of it was minimalist and beautiful.

Manga Primer

I've been reading manga since elementary, so it's hard for me to come up with introductory works. On the other hand, I know a number of people who are interested in manga but intimidated by the large number of titles as well as the different format.

On the whole, I am going to suggest right-to-left titles. It may seem easier to start with a flipped work, but it's about the same learning curve. Manga, especially shojo manga, uses 'indefinite' panels rather than the strict rectangles of western graphic novels.



For those confused by 'indefinite' panels, see the above page from Aishiteruze Baby** (Yoko Maki). It might be a hard page to start with because there are a number of people speaking in the background in addition to the main action. You can still follow the flow of the art. The top right corner ends the previous scene, then the large art beneath it begins the new one. The next panel is the top left corner, followed by the bottom right, and ending with the bottom left. Though it's right-to-left instead of left-to-right, the panels and bubbles are still oriented top-to-bottom.

For those confused by the term 'shojo manga,' it simply refers to girls' comics. The other common division used in the US is 'shonen,' or boys' comics. There are other genres, but many of them blend into each other. The final determination is the genre of the magazine it was originally published in.

The other restriction I put on my selections is I limited myself to mostly happy titles. Saikano (Shin Takahashi) is a beautiful work, with spare art that seems to minimal at first, until you realize how well it fits the story. Of course, if you don't cry about once per volume of Saikano you have no heart. It's a bit to deep for a starting point.

Instead, I'm going to open my primer with a comedy: Haunted House by Mitsukazu Mihara.



Sabato Obiga just once a girlfriend, but every time he brings one home his family manages to scare her off. Both the humor and the moral translate well. Sometimes research into Japanese culture is needed to properly appreciate a tale, but no one could argue with the family's motivation. Mitsukazu Mihara has beautiful, stylized art well-showcased in a variety of series and one-shot volumes. I chose one of her one-shots because it allows for a lack of monetary committment. Her other volumes are more heavily influenced by Gothic Lolita fashion and sensibility and might be less immediately accessible.

My second recommendation is the bildungsroman (of a sort) Paradise Kiss by Ai Yazawa.



This series is contained within a mere five volumes, much shorter than Ai Yazawa's more popular NANA. Personally, I prefer it to that work. On the art side, Yazawa is top notch. Detailed, distinctive, and clear. She's also fabulous at characterization, need in this tale of first love and growing independence. Yukari just wanted to do what her parents wanted her to do, until she met a group of art students helmed by the charismatic and attractive George. She agrees to become the model for their "Paradise Kiss" label and soon begins to learn what she really wants from her life. I have yet to see the anime adaptation, but it's been reviewed favorably.

Next, I'm going to change gears with the much darker Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata.



Genius teenager Light finds the Death Note and decides to use it to create a utopia by killing criminals. Soon he's playing a game of cat-and-mouse with the world's best detective, known only as 'L.' This one is a bit more of a committment - twelve volumes total. The story is compelling psycologically and Obata's artwork is as beautiful as always. I used this one to start my dad on manga. Once you've finished the manga, there's an excellent anime adaptation, live action movies, and a light novel.



(Yes, that is from the anime - the dubbed anime - while this is about manga. However, it is just that epic.)

My next choice is again a longer series, but one worth the investment. Of course, I also encourage investment in the anime which goes in a much different direction. (Even as good as the anime is, the manga is better.) Primer choice #4 is Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa.



Two brothers try to resurrect their mother using alchemy, but it goes awry. They want to restore their bodies using the Philosopher's Stone. The elder, Edward, joins the military to fund their quest. Unfortunately, things aren't very straightforward. This series will appeal to fans of science fiction and fantasy. Arakawa is an excellent storyteller and his art is a bit rough but flows nicely and is well-suited to the story. This one and Death Note are popular for a reason.

I think four is a good number, but I'll offer a few more suggestions:

Trigun by Yasuhiro Nightow: Great art, great story, western, sci-fi, and awesome. (Anime availabe and worth watching.)

Excel Saga by Rikdo Koshi: Possibly the wordiest manga ever. Utterly insane and requiring some knowledge of Japanese culture, but there's a handy glossary in the back. Once you're familiar with anime, manga, and have done some cultural research, watch the anime adaptation. It's absolutely hilarious, but the more you know the more jokes you'll get.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki: Beautiful, detailed art and a complicated by wonderful story about environmental protection in a post-apocolyptic world. The anime movie is one of my favorites, but it's compressing quite a bit into two hours.

Mushishi by Yuki Urushibara: Not sure how to describe this, except there's a reason it's won several awards. There's no overarching plotline, just a series of episodes, but they capture human emotion beautifully. There's also an anime and live action movie.

Okay, so Excel Saga might not be the best for beginners, but I had to pimp it. Feel free to disagree with my selections, suggest your own, or ask me for more!

Pretty Face, Vols. 1-6

By Yasahiro Kano

It's hard to describe Pretty Face. Masashi Rando was once a typical shonen (boys) manga hero. But the brash karate club leader suffered horrific burns in a bus crash and fell into a coma. He wakes a year later with everyone thinking he died, including his family. And the doctor who reconstructed his face worked from the photo in his pocket - a photo of his crush Rina.



When he stumbles into Rina, he's shocked to find she isn't surprised by her doppelganger. Her twin sister Yuna ran away two years ago to become a beautician and she thinks Rando is Yuna returned. Rando does not particularly like his new role, but if pretending to be Yuna makes Rina happy, he will do it. Now he just has to find the real Yuna so he can regain his identity.



There are the expected hijinks: Rando must keep his male identity secret despite the fact he's walking around in a miniskirt. But his failure to act like a nice, sweet girl creates the best comic moments. He understands the power of cuteness but just cannot resist using his feet and fists on jerks. There's also a great deal of fanservice and ecchi moments some readers might be uncomfortable with. I am just curious as to why the girls always manage to flash their panties when they kick someone but Rando manages to keep the family jewels covered despite the fact he beats people up multiple times a chapter. (Okay, he doesn't always manage, but he does more often than not.)



One main problem with the manga is the real Yuna. She leaves without a word and never writes or visits. But all evidence in the story shows that she cares deeply for her twin as well as the rest of the family. It doesn't really add up. However, it's that sisterly relationship that allows PRETTY FACE to work. Rando truly cares for Rina, and in his disguise he does his best to be a good older sister. He doesn't take advantage of the fact they live together. (He just beats anyone who looks at Rina the wrong way.)



I like gender bending comedy. I think PRETTY FACE does it well, with a good blend of violence and sweetness. I do not think people new to manga should start with this title. There are less absurd titles that might be a better place to start. (For girls, the reigning gender bender comedy is probably Hana Kimi.) For those who don't mind a crazy plot and a little fan service, PRETTY FACE is a pretty good title to relax with.



All six volumes are currently available from VIZ Media. Check out the official page. It's not a very popular series, so you might need to order it from your local bookstore. If you want to see if you'll like PRETTY FACE before buying, try One Manga.