EVA is regarded as a good series and a definitive mecha series. However, if this is the definitive or a definitive mecha series, I feel sorry for the genre.

Plot: The plot evolves around a boy named shinji, who is called upon to pilot a giant robot called EVA. He meets his father, who ignores him and treats their relationship as purely business and tries to get shinji to stand on his own two feet, which is something shinji continually tries to avoid doing. Gendo, shinji’s father, prefers to spend time with ayanami rei, an emotionless 14 year old girl who spends a lot of time being naked. Fanservice that they attempt to justify through her emotionless character-she simply doesn’t care about being naked.

Of course, it is later revealed that she is some sort of science creation and there are many clone bodies of her (which a couple other characters destroy) so it stands to reason that the big boss of the blace (gendo) would spend more time with rei-given she is basically an artificial creation, they basically need to constantly moniter her. Given how much it costs to make a clone of a simple animal, and they have a giant fluid-filled tank full of rei clones, it would also to be to ensure nothing happens to what amounts to a really expensive body.

Either way, the series constantly pulls off slight sexual innuendo and suggestive themes, some of which are very subtle and very freudian.

I would try to explain the plot, but it is a jumbled mass of conspiracy theories and twisted judeo-christian ideas. But, it is something about these angels are tryng to come into contact with some giant thing nailed to a cross and cause something, but they stop it by fighting the angels with these gian trobots that are actually made from the crucified thing, but one of the robots turns into an angel…and something about a giant spear in space and a computer that is called the magii and…

If you can actually make sense of the plot that doesn’t consist of shinji whining about how he isn’t loved enough and how his dad doesn’t pay enough attention to him and how his mother died and how terrible his life is. Given how he either has incurable chronic depression, or is just a really whiny kid, by the second time he tries to run away, but lacks the balls TO GO THROUGH WITH ANYTHING, your opinion would be to prescribe the kid some heavy duty drugs, or a bullet through the skull. He is literally that hateful and annoying. Maybe they were trying to do the young teen confused about his life and unsure of what to do and trying to find his path in all this, but it was done in the same way EVA does everything else-overtly heavy-handed to the point of distaste.

Let’s pick on it some more. The EVAs are giant robots it seems, with control areas filled with fluid that allows them to breathe. Fair enough. It’s called Perflourocarbon, and it is an existing technology that can be used for oxygenation, drug delivery, and other applications, but it still quite experimental. It WORKS, but it has a lot of drawbacks, and is best used for medical treatments and, potentially, deep sea diving. Oh, and it isn’t a pleasant thing either-your body does not have enough strength to breathe the fluid, so mechanical pumps need to force the fluid through your lungs. SO, basically, he would have been hooked up to a tube running down his windpipe. Also, even without that, because of the density of the fluid and the difficulty that your body has moving it into and out of your lungs, speech is impossible. So all those scenes with them speaking inside the robots? Yeah, couldn’t happen. However, as it is only once that the fluid appears, it seems more like the author simply forgot about that.

Even more abuse is on the way. Okay, they wear these neural links and have this neural linkage to the EVAs, and yet they control them through hand controls, and presumably, foot controls, as well as what looks like laserdiscs mounted on the side of the chair (for if they can’t continue to control the EVA.) Okay, so basically, they control the EVA through a closed loop servo system. So why does it need a neural interface when they don’t use neural controls? It’s as if an R/C car also had you wear headphones, despite that the headphones simply have no use.

Right, let’s harp on the EVAs some more. Ignoring the square/cube law for simple rule of cool, the EVAs are powered by giant electrical cords. Fair enough. But, they have batteries that power the EVAs for 30 seconds, then the EVA shuts down if it hasn’t reconnected to the power supply by then. However, later on, shinji begs and pleads with the EVA to move, despite it being out of battery. Then it gets up and allows him to continue fighting. So, really, all the other faff about the power cords wasn’t really needed, was it? Oh, and then it is revealed that the EVAs are essentially biological organisms and the armor contains their power. SO, when the armor power runs out, then the biological should have immediately taken over. If the electricity powers it all, well, organics don’t respond well to electricity (organics respond to electricity powering them by dieing.) Okay, so the armor keeps the EVA from actually using all of its power, so when the battery runs out, the EVA should have emerged immediately. Not to mention, as organic lifeforms cannot be powered by electricity, the EVA would have required a constant intake of nutrients and a constant removal of waste products.

Right, I’m calling an end to that bit of well-deserved nitpicking. But I still have more. NGE is a definitive work, which gave us a lot to be thankful for in manga and anime. It gave us the Rei Ayanami character type, an emotionless young teen girl with pastel hair, and it gave us the depressed introvert hero who has to have a good cry before he maybe, just possibly, goes out to kick ass and take names.*

Or, in other words, it gave everyone character types who fit in well in NGE, but are horrible elsewhere. All manga and anime fans who read and watch other genres get to enjoy the aftertaste of a series that constantly complains about how everything is horrible, despite the actions of others are actually to help it or in its best interests. It’s that pre-teen who listens to depressing music and cuts themselves and complains about their parents, despite the fact their parents are trying to help them.

Score: 3/5 not bad

Pros: it is interesting. You will have more fun trying to figure out what exactly is going on than actually following the impossible story

Cons: characters are whiny to the extent even the most devout pacifist would want to kill them-and would enjoy killing them. EVERYTHING about the story is heavy handed to an extent that nothing needs to be. The judeo-christian antics are horribly convoluted and unfollowable (to the extent one wonders if the author even follows it or simply makes it up as they go along) and seem to be THE sole plot point. Not to mention plenty of INTENTIONAL high-octane nightmare fuel that seems to be there to shock (frequently in a rather freudian way) than as an integral part of the plot. Even worse, those complaints are NOWHERE NEAR then end of the complainable topics, and that ignores any potential nitpicking.

Afterthought: Did I mention I actually enjoy the series? I gave up trying to follow the plot as it makes the Gordian knot look like a straight line. The gainaxing is annoying, but ignoring the penguin love that has no plot relation solves that problem. Also, I generally just try to not think about things like the one girl trying to seduce the much older man…Squick.

Provided you don’t think deeply, or even shallowly about ANYTHING NGE throws at you, it is an enjoyable read.

Plug: I read NGE manga through my local library. Odds are, your local library has a manga section, and may even have anime to rent. Try reading some things there that you haven’t read before, as in doing so, you open your eyes to new genres and help support public libraries. So, yeah, support your local public library and such.

* This bit was mentioned in the very enjoyable book How NOT To Draw Manga. It isn’t very expensive, and will make you a far more educated consumer of Manga and Anime. I highly suggest you pick up a copy.

As such, I will try to make this review very short, so it will be an amusing contrast to the series as a whole.

Plot: Bleach is about a boy named Ichigo who gains the powers of a death god from a shinigami named Rukia. He then goes on to fight evil spirits called Hollows.

Spoiler plot: Rukia gets kidnapped, and the next 100 or so chapters are spent going to the shinigami realm and rescuing her. Turns out she was going to be executed, but it was in an attempt to gain some sort of super powerful weapon.

The next bit (still spoiler) of plot is where Ichigo goes to the hollow realm and attempts to kill Aizen, the defector from the previous arc, as Aizen wants to destroy the shinigami realm. Several hundred chapters of that (not a joke)  and Ichigo manages to defeat Aizen through the use of a power he learned just a couple chapters before that and loses his power as the effect of his attack/transformation.

Still spoiling the story here. Ichigo somehow regains some memory of his time as a shinigami and a bit of his powers, and some group of people take him in and train his powers back into him.

Bleach is really long, it drags out every fight, and even a fight scene consists of a lot of standing around talking, or explaining to an enemy precisely WHY they fell into a trap. Neither of those things is a good idea.

I actually liked Bleach a little bit. Yeah, it dragged out everything to the limit of human patience, which causes the story to have a VERY slow progression. But when it actually moves, it is interesting and it does engage the reader or viewer.

My beef with Bleach is it gets no respect. Ichigo has that ‘incident’, and it would have been perfect to end the story there as a tale of self sacrifice to save everything. Stories like that have been done a lot, but there was enough interest and attachment to the characters by that point that it would have been a better example of the altruistic story.

It was even written to seem like it was ending the story. I was sitting there thinking ‘It was a bit long, but the ending more than makes up for it. Wait a second, there are more chapters. Uh-oh.’

And that is the thing-it takes a lot of integrity as a creator to be able to give a story a dignified end. And if you do give it a dignified end, it rather ruins the effect of it to continue the story from exactly that point. All those lessons, all that character development, all gone. In the end, nothing was learned, and nothing lost stayed lost.

Bleach would have been better off if it had resumed the story at a later point in Ichigo’s life, say him as an adult, he dies, goes to shinigami realm. They remember him, train him as a shinigami, he slowly regains his abilities and fights hollows and such.

That would have been a more dignified way to resume the story of Bleach, but it wasn’t afforded any dignity. It was put to rest, then the body was immediately dug up and strings tied to its limbs to give it some semblance of life.

Score: 2/5 not good

Pros: cool weapons, cool fight scenes, cool plot, cool characters. It’s fun to read, fun to watch.

Cons: drags out the story a lot of the time. story can’t remain dead-it loses all dignity and respect for the characters it built up, and all those moral lessons (altruism) lose their impact as the story basically turns around and says ‘nevermind’ to teaching anything of potential value.

And here is the problem-I read it, and, well, it seems that the few glowing reviews got some sort of jewel encrusted gold book that printed money and gently massaged their back while supplying them with free concubines. I, on the other hand, got a poorly written, poorly executed book that tries to appeal to emotions and be a love drama and an action book at the same time.

Probably the reason I really dislike this is because I was so disappointed by it. People were loving these glowing great moments that simply weren’t there.

Well, I’d better start with the plot and characters, which is a technical term for saying I want to type lots of words without actually saying anything useful.

Plotwise, it’s about a boy by the name of… screw it, wikipedia, help me out here. Tomoki Sakurai is a young man whose motto is “Peace and quiet is the best”, but he finds it difficult when he has to put up with his next door neighbor with a killer karate chop, Sohara Mitsuki; Eishiro Sugata, an eccentric scientist bent on discovering the “New World”; and Mikako Satsukitane, a borderline sadist. One day, while he was witnessing a strange anomaly in the sky, a UMA (Unidentified Mysterious Animal) falls from it. What falls from the sky is an Angeloid named Ikaros, who soon becomes Tomoki’s servant. From then on, more Angeloids come to him, and with this, he finds himself struggling for his peace and quiet, but at the same time finds pleasant things the Angeloids bring him.

Ah, thank you.

Let’s delve into the issues. A good series will have a character change and mature as the series progresses. They learn new things and improve themselves. they may learn to fight, and then learn when it is acceptable to fight. The mature and grow as not just characters, but as people. Sora no Otoshimono wasn’t paying attention that day-characters actually regress to the complete opposite of what they were, and in mere pages.

Tomoki was the simple guy who kept trying to like a quiet life, with no sign that he was a perverted character. Ikaros fell from, well, Heaven, apparently, and he tried to help her, despite incredible danger to his own life. Right, so the guy who likes a quiet and simple life goes agead and rescues a girl while massive stone columns fall around him.

And then shortly after that, he turns into a massive pervert and the exact opposite of a ‘quiet life’ character. In one chapter. There isn’t even a transition-he just suddenly IS a perverted character.

Ikaros is emotionally dead at first, and stays that way pretty much all of the series, although they seem to be trying to make her fall in love with Tomoki. Actually, the only time Ikaros shows real emotions would be anger, when Tomoki broke the watermelon she always carries around. Additionally, she looks a bit like Chi, so if you want a cute persocom who can grant wishes through massive amounts of Applied Phlebotinum (in the form of her cards), then Ikaros, but not this series, is for you.

Heaven itself isn’t exactly heavenly either-the man running it keeps trying to kill Tomoki and Ikaros, and comes across as a bit mentally unstable, in constant war against those who oppose his opinions and beliefs. So that means he is more like a religion than an actual god. the difference is he surrounds himself with an angeloid harem, whom he forces to his will.

Heaven in this is also a floating, invisible city that can only be accessed through the characters’ dreams-in fact, later on, an angeloid escapes through some dream machine that the scientist guy uses to go to ‘Heaven.’

So, that begs the question-how exactly did Ikaros fall to earth? How did the other angeloids get there? Apart from the one who goes back through the dream thing that is. Why is it only Ikaros they want, seeing as the guy has apparently unlimited abilities to produce models betetr than Ikaros? WHy not just let her be and replace her with a dozen more? Instead of sending them to fight a main character (who will nealry always win, unless it is THAT kind of series) just keep around a dozen models that have better specs than Ikaros.

In fact, why is it only Ikaros they want back? They later introduce another angeloid called Chaos, who brings nothing but utter Chaos and it totally uncontrollable. Plus, she is psychotic.

Tomoki after a short while spends all his time as a deformed or super deformed (chibi) character, only rarely ever reverting to a normal character.

Heaven here isn’t heavenly, Ikaros seems more like she escaped than is lost, and she seems to choose to belong to Tomoki. So the title is basically not very accurate on every count.

I tried to like this, both personally and professionally. Sadly, it just doesn’t do it-the series is nothing but a collection of tropes, most of which try to appeal to your crotch (specifiably, the angeloid outfits, gender changing, and perversion of some characters to name a small amount). Sadly, even the tropes are heavy handed and overtly obvious. You can literally see it grind gears into a new trope and you will wince as it tries something else out. It also changes focus rapidly-at more than one point, it tries to surprise the reader with something, such as an attack by other angeloids, a parent appearing, or something else. Given how the series changes focus like a car changes from 5th gear to reverse, the tree hitting change to an attempt at surprise is not even worth caring. In fact, you become thankful they are just pulling a minor sudden change instead of a major one. Most of the things would be surprising, at leats if the series didn’t feel the need to pull a surprise nearly every chapter, to the point you simply wonder what new thing will appear this time.

Score: 2/5 not good

Pros: It’s funny in the way a clown trying to tell a depressing joke is funny-you laugh more at the attempt than the actual jokes

Cons: heavy-handed in everything would be putting it mildly. It doesn’t just use tropes to tell a story, it abuses them in ways that would make even the most masochistic person think they went overboard.

Recommendation: Don’t read it. Maybe the anime will fix everything, but that is doubtful. There are things similar to this that are far better in quality and in enjoyability.

Super-Dreadnought Girl 4946:

Well, here you go, a picture of the volume 1 cover. Don’t fall for the girl like some otaku do, she is 50 meters tall. It won’t work. Well, almost 50 meters, a point she is insistent on. Some girls are really sensitive about their height. Last time I checked, 48 or 49 meters was close enough to 50 that if somebody said “nearly 50 meters tall” the general impression would be had.

Well, the plot. The giant girl is some sort of…alien? youkai? and she fights other monsters that try to attack…something in the city for some reason. Well, she starts by living in a giant tent on a school campus, where she fights something at the school, and some boy from that school sees her. Then, later on, when the media are pestering her, he says something along the lines of ‘leave my girlfriend alone!’

Well, a rather absurd beginning, but what else can be expected from a series with a 50 meter tall girl?

Of course, there is some romantic tension to try to spice up the fights and such, sadly, it fails to build much depth in the characters. But, those extra scenes somewhat play up the differences and characters into a rather amusing light, such as the amusement park date that all mangas seem required by law to have if there is any romance in it. So they go to the generic amusement park that every other manga or anime couple go to, and ride the generic ferris wheel. Or, at least, he rides it while she stands alongside.

Genre, it is somewhat of a blend of sci-fi and fantasy. I wasn’t expecting any hardness of sci-fi, and most assuredly not the hardness being brought in and violating the rules that the series works by.

Let me explain further: A giant girl violates the square/cube law. Simply put, it is impossible. Okay, the viewers can suspend their disbelief for the sake of a story-that is what story is for. But, a giant sword would also violate the same law. You can’t have a giant sword, first, the weight would be immense, second, it would simply break if you hit anything, a point that the series makes.

Look, I’ll accept that the square/cube law doesn’t apply in your world, series. However, if you are going to make up things about how the laws of physics behave, all I ask is that you not then go back over your own laws with a contradiction. Choose one and be done with it.

Oh, and did I mention that she gains some sort of super strong magical power if she eats the guy? Of course, if she doesn’t spit him back out soon enough, she will absorb his soul permanently. It isn’t played in a fetishy way, which is a big plus, but it is fetish inspired. Any reader of the comedy website Cracked will be able to identify the fetishes that inspired this.

In the end though, it is an amusing read. Just do realize that they do break their own rules they set forth, and they do so quite obviously. It still is, well, just fun.

Too bad it is a scan, this series would be a worthwhile one to release in the U.S.

score: 4/5 ‘Good’

Pros: It is silly and fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and simply takes a concept and rolls with it. Worth reading for the amusement factor

Cons: can’t even consistently follow its own universe laws, utter lack of depth, utter lack of character interest or story interest. If it wasn’t for the fact it is somewhat fun to read, there would be no reason to continue reading it-the only thing that keeps the reader even slightly immersed is the humor.

And the promised mini-review of a current series. In keeping with the theme of the seires, my review will be proportional the the length of the episodes (available on Crunchyroll.)

Moritasan wa Mukuchi

Yeah, it’s alright.

There are many space anime and manga out there in the world. However, not all of them have to do with racially insensitive fighting robots (yes, I’m looking at you G Gundam!). Sometimes, a story about the wonders of space and the people who are passionate about it can be just as engaging and endearing. Don’t believe me? Then let me introduce you to Twin Spica.

Twin Spica is about a group of teenage boys and girls who are attending a space school, with the eventual goal of going into space and exploring whatever may lie there. Specifically, the story centers around a young girl named Asumi. Even though her mother was killed years ago in the aftermath of a botched space mission, it hasn’t dampened her desire to see what lies beyond the planet Earth. However, the people who run the space academy know more about Asumi than perhaps even she knows, and she will need to rely on the friends she makes in school and the mysterious Mr. Lion, a man in a lion suit that only she can seem to see, to help her fulfill her dream of going into space.

The plot is well done and does a great job of giving us background without shoving it down our throats while also holding back enough to make us feel as if there are several important things we don’t know, and driving us to continue reading to find out what those things are. It also gives us a beautiful balance of comedy, drama, and even action and thrills as we watch the characters go through various tests to see if they have what it takes to become astronauts.

The art in this manga is beautiful and tailored very well to the overall feeling of the story. The shots of space are breathtaking, and the facial expressions that are used are heart-warming and hilarious. The characters are well-designed, and their features fit their personalities, making this manga a visual joy.

Speaking of characters, all of them are fairly memorable and endearing in their own ways. Every reader will find at least one or two characters in the story they can identify with, and even though I only read the first two volumes, I found myself rather attached to them and caring about their fates. It’s also very exciting to watch each character slowly reveal what truly drives them to want to go into space. Even in the span of the first two volumes, you can see signs of them growing and slowly becoming more solid and vivid characters. You can feel their passion for their goals come right off the page in a way I have rarely seen in a manga.

If you’re looking for a quality space story that differs from what you normally see come out of Japan, then Twin Spica is definitely something you should check out. This manga also spawned and anime and a live-action adaptation, so no matter how you like your content, there’s a way you can enjoy this fantastic story.

ENJOYMENT
I absolutely loved reading this story, and it was easy to get into!
5/5

RECOMMENDATION VALUE
I think just about everybody can find something they love about this story
4/5

REREAD VALUE
Although I enjoyed what I read, I’m not sure how much I’d enjoy reading it over again
3/5

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For Higurashi Month here at JanaiBlog, I have been charged with delving into the manga version of this masterpiece. We’ve already romped through the first two arcs in this incredible story. So, let’s move on to the third arc, the Curse Killing Arc.

Like the second arc, this one seems to start the story over, with everyone alive and getting along. The story of Oyashiro-sama’s curse still holds power in this arc just as in the previous two, but rather than focusing on Rena and Mion like the first and second arcs did respectively, this arc focuses on Satoko and her tragic past.

We know at this point that Satoko’s parents fell to Oyashiro-sama’s curse years ago, but now her abusive uncle has come back into the picture. He begins to abuse her physically and mentally, and Keiichi is shocked to hear that this has happened before, and Satoko’s friends and teacher have been unable to do anything about it. When Satoko begins to look up to Keiichi as her surrogate brother, he decides to take matters into his own hands to protect Satoko, with deadly consequences.

This is one of my favorite arcs, mostly because the story of Satoko is heart-wrenching and really pulls you in. We also get to learn a bit more about Satoko’s brother Satoshi, whose story will continue to be pieced together in future arcs, which leaves you dying to read more. We also get some insight as to why Satako lives with Rika at the shrine, and this is an important plot point for the rest of the series, which is another reason why I highly recommend not skipping over this arc. In addition to that, we are introduced to a gory and tragic event concerning Rika that will continue to pop up in later arcs and will become very central to the overall plot, so this is certainly an arc you cannot miss!

This is also by far the bloodiest and most violent arc yet. As Keiichi goes madder and madder with rage at Satoko’s abuse, this leads to a shocking and very satisfying ending that you will not expect, but will love. It also sets a great tone for the rest of the series, as it progresses into darker and more depraved stories from this point on; if you didn’t believe that Higurashi was a horror manga yet, you will now.

If you’ve read along with these reviews, then you will know by now that Higurashi: When They Cry is an incredibly powerful, entertaining, and disturbing manga series that is perfect to read during the spooky month of October! If you like what you’ve read so far, I encourage you to read the rest of the series, and I can assure you that you will fall in love with it as much as the rest of us here at JanaiBlog have.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this review series! Happy Halloween to all of you lovely readers, and whatever you do, stay out of Hinamizawa this Halloween! May Oyashiro-sama look down upon you all with his good graces, because if he doesn’t, you’re in trouble!!

Higurashi: When They Cry manga is licensed by Yen Press

ENJOYMENT
My favorite Higurashi arc yet!

RECOMMENDATION VALUE
This is an extremely important arc in the story, so you HAVE to pick it up!

REREAD VALUE
I could read this a thousand times over, and it still wouldn’t be enough

Purchase Higurashi Volume 5 at RightStuf

Purchase Higurashi Volume 6 at RightStuf

For Higurashi Month here at JanaiBlog, I have been charged with delving into the manga version of this masterpiece. We’ve already romped through the first arc of the story. Now we shall embark on the next piece of the puzzle, the Cotton Drifting Arc.

The first thing you will notice is that everyone who died in the first arc is alive with seemingly no memory of the chilling events of the first arc. Get used to this; every arc of Higurashi starts the story over fresh, although it does keep many of the main plot points.

Rather than focusing on the curse of Oyashiro-sama right off the bat, we start with a bit of lighthearted comedy. Keiichi runs into a waitress at a restaurant who looks exactly like Mion, but claims to be her twin sister Shion. Eventually, Keiichi realizes that she is telling the truth, and Mion does in fact have an identical twin sister. Shion begins to fill Keiichi in on more of the history of Hinamizawa, which eventually leads him tumbling into the temptation Shion offers him on the night of the Cotton Drifting Festival. She drags him into an act forbidden by Oyashiro-sama.

Keiichi fully expects to be the next victim of the curse, however this year the curse does not play out as it had in the past few years. His only solace lies in Shion, who is the only one who knows the truth of what they did that night, but Keiichi must question if he can even trust Shion as more truths are revealed.

The art is just as lovely in this arc as in the previous arc; in fact, the visuals are the same throughout all of the arcs. The only big difference between them is the storylines, and boy, does this arc deliver! It starts in much the way the first arc does, as an innocent story with plenty of hilarious comedy. Soon enough however, the horror aspects come into play.

The big importance of this arc is the introduction of Shion, Mion’s twin sister. She will be popping up in later arcs from this point on. While Mion is wild, impulsive, and rather tomboyish, Shion is sweet and feminine, almost the polar opposite of her sister. However, she is still part of the Sonozaki family, and once the importance of the Sonozaki family to Hinamizawa is explained in this arc, you will quickly realize that even Shion has her personal demons to contend with. Not only is this story incredible, but Shion is one of my favorite characters in the entire series!

This arc also goes more into the mind of Mion, specifically focusing on her thoughts and feelings towards Keiichi. Many of Rena’s feelings towards Keiichi were explored in the first arc, and Mion’s are just as thoroughly developed here. We will also get to learn a bit about Mion and Shion’s relationship with each other, but that is even more thoroughly explored in later arcs.

Because of some important plot points and the introduction of one of the best characters the series has to offer, the Cotton Drifting Arc of Higurashi is one of the most exciting entries into the series, and it only gets better from here!

Higurashi: When They Cry manga is licensed by Yen Press

ENJOYMENT
This arc is always a pleasure to read!

RECOMMENDATION VALUE
Horror fans will love this, and it is a must for those who read the first arc

REREAD VALUE
Gripping and fantastic; read it several times just for kicks!

Purchase Higurashi Volume 3 at RightStuf

Purchase Higurashi Volume 4 at RightStuf

For Higurashi Month here at JanaiBlog, I have been charged with delving into the manga version of this masterpiece. So, let’s dive in, shall we?

The story of Higurashi takes place in a small village called Hinamizawa and centers around Keiichi Maebara, a boy who just moved there with his parents. He befriends a group of girls at school, and as the days wane on he finds himself fitting in and finding happiness. However, this village has a traditional festival every year called the Watanagashi Festival, to celebrate Oyashiro-sama, a god that the villagers worship. Keiichi finds out about a strange “curse” where every year, during the festival, one person disappears and another turns up dead. He normally wouldn’t think much of it, but the odd behavior of his friends and their refusal to answer his questions make him more and more suspicious and determined to find out the truth behind the curse of Oyashiro-sama.

The first thing you will notice about this manga is that while the art may be cute and almost reminiscent of the shoujo style, the story is bloody and twisted, and that quickly changes your perspective. The story is dark, intense, and suspenseful, leaving you guessing about the truth up until the very last moment. However, the story is also filled with its silly moments and its own delightful brand of comedy, and it is mixed in with the darker parts of the story just right so that you can get a laugh and still feel the drama of the more serious scenes.

The characters are brilliant as well, as is their development. As we watch each of Keiichi’s friends start to act oddly, we see him slowly descent into a mixture of madness and paranoia that leaves you wondering if his suspicions are justified or if it’s really just all in his head. Regardless of what you think, I can assure you that the ending will surprise you.

Another great thing about this series is we also get a bit of back-story of the town, where the people of Hinamizawa tried to stop their town from being flooded out to make room for a dam. However, some people were content to take the money offered to them by the government and leave, and this divided the town. These events are also the center of some suspicious stories and clues Keiichi happens upon that will play an important part in the later arcs; so reading this first installment is not only enjoyable, it is highly recommended to get the most out of the rest of the story.

However, if you’re not happy with the way the story turns out (which I doubt would happen because the story is so good), do not have fear; each arc of Higurashi starts the story’s events over, taking the basic story of the dam building and Oyashiro-sama and twisting it in different ways to weave very different tales. If you’re left confused, you don’t have to worry about that either; Higurashi also has “answer arcs” that provide answers to many of the questions posed in each different story. This makes this manga series truly unique.

As the starting point of a series of chilling tales of a deeply woven and deadly conspiracy in a quiet and unassuming village, the Abducted by Demons Arc of Higurashi: When They Cry is an unforgettable ride that is both chilling and hilarious. It is NOT to be missed!

Higurashi: When They Cry manga is licensed by Yen Press

ENJOYMENT
This is one fun and unforgettable ride!

5/5

RECOMMENDATION VALUE
Anyone who loves horror or is looking for something new to read should pick this up

5/5

REREAD VALUE
Maiming and slaughtering never gets old!

5/5

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Each one of us has read that one manga that just went on for too damned long. The longer a story drags on, the more opportunity it has to falter and develop weak spots, and many people are too busy or just don’t have the attention span to keep up. So, could there possibly be a manga that defies this unfortunate pattern? Well, if you’re willing to buckle down for a long haul, then the answer is “yes,” and it comes to us in the form of Samurai Deeper Kyo.

Four years after the famous Battle of Sekigahara, a simple medicine man named Kyoshiro Mibu is wandering the land trying to find someone to heal so he can make enough money to eat. He comes upon a woman named Yuya Shiina, a bounty hunter who intends on turning Kyoshiro in for skipping out on a restaurant bill. When the two are attacked by a demon, Yuya discovers that within Kyoshiro lies the soul of a man famous for the slaughter of a thousand men, Demon Eyes Kyo. Kyo has lost his original body and blames Kyoshiro for hiding it away from him, and decides to take over Kyoshiro’s body until he finds his original one. Yuya insists on tagging along so she can turn Kyo in since he has the highest bounty in the area, but that will be the least of their problems as their journey delves into their pasts and into shocking events that threaten to tailspin the country into war once again.

The story of Samurai Deeper Kyo is grand and full of lush settings, characters, and incredible dialogue. It never falters or gets boring, which will come as a shock when you learn that this story clocks in at a hefty 38 volumes. Despite its size, it manages to stick to what’s necessary and create enough suspense and reveal enough secrets that you’ll constantly find yourself wanting to go back and read certain volumes over again.

The story takes place during the Tokugawa regime, and the story takes that fairly seriously. Many famous historical figures such as Yukimura Sanada (the head of a famous clan) and Izumo no Okuni (the inventor of Kabuki style entertainment) are main characters, but the manga puts a fun twist on them, making Yukimura an over-the-top ladies man and Okuni desperate to see Kyo shed blood wherever he goes. If you research the history behind these people you will find the story pulled a good amount from the history books, but still made everything unique. This mixed with the series’ original characters makes for one incredible cast, and despite its length, I can honestly say I remember a good deal about every single character because they are just that memorable.

As for the art, it’s fantastic. In addition to the attractiveness of the characters (and the fun and wackiness of some of their designs) and the splendor of the backgrounds, the fight scenes are presented in a fast-paced and exciting manner, featuring many two-page spreads for some of the more awe-inspiring techniques.

So we’ve got great visuals and memorable characters, but what about the story? It’s a downright perfect mix of action, suspense, horror, comedy, and a touch of romance, spiced with some incredible reveals of characters’ pasts, secret identities, hidden feelings, and so much more. The comedy in particular is enjoyable, and guys who like their serious adventures spiked with some fanservice will definitely get a kick out of this manga. In addition to all that, the story goes on for a little over 300 chapters and manages to never waver in quality, leave characters in the dust, or get off track.

If you’re worried about losing track yourself of where the story has gone however, each volume starts off with a summary, character relationship map, and a brief overview of where each character is at the moment, which can be extremely useful. There are also a HUGE amount of joke comic strips in the back of each volume that are hilarious, and each volume is also packed with fanart from both America and Japan, as well as notes and musings from Akimine Kamijyo, the creator of the manga. There is even a small mini-series in the later batch of books that feature the main characters in a modern-day high school setting, which also gives a lot of laughs.

The only gripe I have with this manga is a gripe you see me talk about a lot; the tiny text when people have flashbacks or when characters are speaking in the background of a scene. Kyo is very guilty of this; towards the end of the manga they have a few instances where an entire page is turned into a collage of past moments, and the more they jam into the page, the harder it becomes to read all of the text.

Despite that one qualm that I harp on oh-so often with manga, Samurai Deeper Kyo is an incredible masterpiece that will leave you breathless and begging for more. It may be long, but every bit of it is good, solid, quality stuff jam-packed with extras from the creator, who truly loves his creation and his fans. No matter what kind of manga fan you are, this is one title you should not miss out on!

ENJOYMENT
My favorite manga of all time, by far!

RECOMMENDATION VALUE
Yes. Just go and read it, right now!

REREAD VALUE
You’ll never get bored reading it over again, although it IS pretty long

The story starts with a girl named Lucy, a celestial wizard who has the power to summon powerful beasts using her collection of keys. Her biggest dream is to join a magic guild and go on exciting adventures (while earning a pretty penny in the process), and she has her eyes specifically set on Fairy Tail, one of the most powerful and rowdy guilds around. While traveling she runs into Natsu, a fire wizard, and Happy, his animal companion. After they go through a brief adventure together, he reveals that he is a member of Fairy Tail and takes her to their headquarters where she joins and starts on her journey as a guild wizard.

The first thing that I (and many others) thought when I saw Fairy Tail is that the art and feel of the story is very reminiscent of One Piece. It quickly sets itself apart though with a quirky and action-packed storyline filled with plenty of comedy and lovable characters. Lucy is a genuine, believable heroine, and the antics of Natsu, Happy, and the rest of the Fairy Tail crew are nothing short of unforgettable.

Each crew member has their own quirks, but deep down they’re all good-hearted people, which lead them on many adventures that quickly start involving the Dark Guilds – magic guilds that have defected from or been kicked out of the alliance of official guilds so that they can partake in some of the more morally questionable sides of magic, ranging from stealing to assassinations. These villains are also memorable and charismatic, and seeing them pitted against our heroes is always enjoyable and exciting.

I have very few qualms with this manga, but one of them is a problem that I complain about again and again: the obscene amount of text. This is another story that is plagued by tiny little bubbles filled with inside jokes and funny little quips that you’ll have to pause and strain your eyes to read. They’re worth reading and aren’t nearly as plentiful as some other manga, but it is still a pet peeve of mine.

This is also another manga that has a borderline-ridiculous amount of fanservice and perversion, but refreshingly so, because the fanservice is for the women just as much as it is for the men. While Lucy is very curvaceous and many characters like to point it out in a regular basis, we are also given characters like Gray, who has a habit of taking off all of his clothes without realizing it and running around in just his boxers. Truly, both sexes will find quite a bit of eye candy in this story, just don’t be surprised if you find it ruining a particularly poignant moment.

Besides those slight qualms, Fairy Tail is just a good, solid adventure story that was clearly made to appeal to all audiences, and in my opinion it very much succeeds. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a series like this poised for such success, and I personally can’t wait to see how far this title can go, and I guarantee that if you pick it up, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

Fairy Tail is licensed by Del Rey

ENJOYMENT
This is one fun and jam-packed adventure!

RECOMMENDATION VALUE
The little bits of text and memorable battle scenes would make this a joy to revisit

REREAD VALUE
Anyone who loves a good story will love this manga