Merry Christmas from us and … Milton

Our housemate CL gave me and my husband our Christmas present before leaving for the East Coast, and it was so unique I had to share it. This is Milton, a fully functional Muppet, handmade by CL.

CL has been, as my husband puts it, undergoing a personal renaissance. Earlier this year, he chanced across the Puppet School in the San Fernando Valley and instantly got sucked into Muppetry. The funny thing is, I don’t think he’s ever touched a needle before this, and now he meets with fellow Muppet enthusiasts for sewing sessions.

He’s made so many Muppets I suspect they’ll eventually take over his room. And he’s spreading the wealth. In addition to Milton, he’s got four Muppets packed in his luggage, one for each member of his family. (They’re all adults and mostly medical doctors). My husband jokes that it’ll make for an interesting dynamic at their dinner table this year.

And may your Christmas also be filled with joy, wonder, and fun (though not necessarily with Muppets). Merry Christmas and happy new year all!

Manga Review: Sakura Hime Vol. 5

Arina Tanemura is a popular shojo mangaka, and one of her works currently being translated into English is Sakura Hime, a magical shojo story that puts a twist on a famous Japanese legend. Volume 5 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (Also, for those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

The story centers on Sakura, the granddaughter of the Moon princess Kaguya. As her descendent, Sakura wields the power to defeat Youko, monsters from the Moon, but Sakura’s Moon heritage also means she’s predisposed to becoming a Youko herself…

Back Cover Blurb

Aoba and the others storm Enju’s hidden palace to rescue Sakura. Byakuya must defeat Maimai for the key to the tower where Sakura is being held. Maimai is a ruthless killer, but Byakuya is about to unleash her secret powers…

The RevieW

At the end of the previous volume, Byakuya looked like she was in deep trouble, but given her abilities and wisdom, you’d suspect she’d be able to get out of it on her own. And she does – in a manner that’s surprising in more ways than one. Apparently, Sakura and Asagiri aren’t the only ones capable of transformation, and Byakuya’s triumph over Maimai unveils a previously unseen aspect that gives the hitherto mundane sage an air of mystery.

The story then moves on to the next fight between Kohaku and the deserter ninja Shuri. Those who are fans of the ninja characters will enjoy flashbacks of Kohaku, Shuri, and Hayate as children, but the focus is less on Enju’s minion Shuri and more on Kohaku.

With this arc, it feels like Tanemura-sensei’s trying to inject a bit of Naruto into the series with the ninja village and the child ninja who wants so badly to become the next leader. Kohaku, however, is not the underdog that Naruto is. As the current leader’s daughter, she’s hardly an outcast, and she’s beloved by her peers. So she doesn’t evoke the level of sympathy Naruto does and comes across instead as a klutzy crybaby, especially when she vows never to cry again and is bawling seven pages later. Given the mistakes Kohaku’s made thus far in the series, seeing her holding her own against Shuri is a bit of a stretch. It’s also rather strange that the Prince and the others don’t just leave Kohaku to dispatch Shuri and go rescue Sakura. Instead, everyone takes a seat to watch the fight, as if it’s a match in the ninja chunin exams, despite the fact that they’re very much in enemy territory.

By the way, Volume 5 includes several extras including bonus funnies, bonus illustrations, and the 50-page one-shot White Rose Academy: Vampire Rose.

In Summary

The Maimai/Byakuya battle ends with a surprising revelation. The story then moves on to ninjas Kohaku and Shuri. Through a series of flashbacks, Tanemura-sensei casts an air of tragedy over the fight between former friends, but from a battle standpoint, her depiction of the duel feels flawed.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Maoh: Juvenile Remix Vol. #08

I don’t usually review a whole lot of shonen manga, and I review even fewer violent shonen titles. Somehow, though, I wound up with the Maoh series, which has murder and mayhem in spades.(My reviews of earlier Maoh: Juvenile Remix volumes can be found here.) However, it’s more of a supernatural thriller than a gratuitous show of blood splattering and has some interesting heroes (if you can stomach all the casualties along the way).

The story takes place in Nekota City, which is not so much a dystopia as it is a community on the decline (think Gotham City from Batman). Inukai is the mysterious leader of a vigilante group called Grasshopper, which is at odds with the city’s redevelopment plan. Inukai is hailed as a hero among the common folk of Nekota, but is he really all that he seems?

Back Cover Blurb

Still trying to recover from the shock of his brother’s death, Junya decides to follow in Ando’s footsteps. First on the agenda is revenge on the ones who caused his brother’s death. Can Junya succeed where Ando failed…?

The Review

Having chosen to dive the underworld, Junya can’t seem to take two steps without running into assassins. He starts off by arranging a showdown with the Duce bartender, but their confrontation gets abruptly cut off when the Pusher, the greatest killer in the business, interferes. (The images for this scene are pretty intense. You can practically feel the rumble of the truck as it crashes through.) The Pusher’s meddling is a wholly unexpected twist and sends Junya on a journey that takes him to other supernaturally gifted individuals; a sadistic shadowy group known as Fraulein (you’ll be gripping your fingernails after meeting them); and ultimately, Inukai.

As angry and vengeful as Junya is, he’s still very much grieving for his brother. Every now and then, something triggers a memory, and he winds up in tears. It’s proof of his affection for his brother, and with a bond so close, it makes absolute sense that Junya’s the critical link to Ando’s dramatic reappearance when Junya confronts Inukai.

In the meantime, reform in Nekota City isn’t proceeding the way its good citizens would hope. The convenient demises of Grasshopper’s opponents is weighing on the new mayor, forcing him into the very tricky position of striking a deal with unsavory characters to try to gain an upper hand on the underworld. Whatever’s going to happen next, it feels like all involved are going to sink further into darkness.

In Summary

Junya’s out for revenge, and not even the threat of death or violence can stop him. It’s one gripping encounter after another as Junya gets to the bottom of what happened to his brother. He’s gone through a dramatic transformation in the last few chapters, but that’s nothing compared to what happens when he discovers the truth from Inukai himself!

This title is rated Older Teen for lotsa blood and violence and an intense plot.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Dengeki Daisy Vol. 7

Bad boy/good girl love stories are popular in shojo manga, and for those who enjoy a dash of cyber intrigue in their romances, Kyousuke Motomi’s Dengeki Daisy is worth checking out. Volume 7 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (Also, for those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

The story centers on orphan Teru Kurebayashi, who, after the death of her beloved older brother, finds solace in the messages she exchanges with Daisy, an enigmatic figure who can only be reached through the cell phone her brother left her. One day, she accidentally breaks a window at school, and as  a result winds up becoming a servant for Kurosaki, the delinquent school custodian. Although brusque and rude, he somehow always shows up in her time of need, and Teru finds herself increasingly drawn to him.

Back Cover Blurb

Kurosaki decides that he needs to tell Teru the truth, but little does he know that an unsettling fellow called Akira has other ideas. What is Akira scheming, and how will his actions irrevocably affect Teru’s relationship with Kurosaki?

The RevieW

The way Teru bumps into the weird hoodie guy in the last volume it’s pretty much a given he’s going to return, and he does, in a big way. The shadowy Akira adds on to the cast of bad guys, and though he’s in cahoots with Mori, he is a bit of a loose cannon. He seems less interested in the intrigue surrounding Daisy and more interested in messing with Teru’s mind, which he’s quite effective at, especially since he physically resembles her brother. It’s still not quite clear what he and Mori are after, but we do get more hints about Daisy’s less than upstanding past.

At any rate, Akira’s mischief does the trick of pushing Teru and Kurosaki’s relationship along. When Teru gets her first kiss stolen, her reaction is standard shojo stuff. Kurosaki’s, however, is adorably hilarious, and what follows is an entire chapter of Kurosaki agonizing over the convoluted situation between him and Teru. Despite all the guilt and angst Kurosaki struggles through, Motomi-sensei does a good job of injecting just enough humor so that the plot doesn’t get completely bogged down.

Kurosaki’s ultimate decision to confess to Teru will probably draw a collective “Finally!” from Motomi-sensei’s readers. Of course, such confessions never go as planned, and it’s little surprise when Akira and Mori show up to ruin things. It’s almost too easy how Kurosaki takes down Mori, but with Teru in Akira’s clutches at the end of the volume, the story seems headed toward another big rescue/confrontation in Volume 8.

In Summary

Teru and Kurosaki have been doing the dance of Kurosaki holding back and Teru pretending she doesn’t know Kurosaki’s secret for a while now, but the time has come for the truth to be revealed. As that moment approaches, there’s more than enough emotional angst to satisfy the shojo reader as well as a helping of intrigue as Mori and her shadowy accomplice Akira seek to turn Kurosaki’s confession into an opportunity for themselves.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Bakuman Vol. 8

Bakuman is the latest collaboration of Ohba and Obata, the creators of the wildly popular Death Note series. Unlike Death Note, Bakuman is more or less grounded in reality, but it is no less entertaining as it follows the ups and downs of a mangaka duo as they strive to make it big in the publishing world!

This series is a personal favorite of mine, and Viz Media has just released Volume 8. (My reviews of earlier Bakuman volumes can be found here.)

Back Cover Blurb

Drama swirls around the manga creators as they try to move forward after being canceled from Shonen Jump. Moritaka and Akito work hard on a new comedy story pitch while Aoki and Nakai struggle with some personal issues. But when Kaya uncovers Akito’s meetings with Aoki and Iwase, things might never be the same.

The Review

Certain volumes of this series have really come across as battle manga – and this is not one of them. While Team Ashirogi is still struggling hard for a breakthrough that will allow them to return to the pages of Jump, the overall feel of Volume 8 is romantic dramedy. And it’s not just the boys and their girlfriends. To varying degrees, Iwase, Aoki, Nakai, and the assistant Kato all wind up embroiled in affairs of the heart, and the situations that result have a very high school shojo feel to it. (Not that I’m complaining; I actually enjoy this sort of thing.)

In the midst of all this who’s-attracted-to-whom turmoil, the female characters get a rare opportunity to take the spotlight. The cast is male-heavy to start off with, and with the exception of Miho’s promise to Moritaka at the very beginning, the females haven’t driven the story. In this volume, you really get a sense of their personalities as they react to what appears to be a case of two timing. Kaya, who is often the subject of boob remarks and panty shots, goes beyond simple comic relief. Meanwhile, Miho shows a tough side as she and Moritaka have their first major fight. And Aoki, who started off as a one-dimensional character, goes through a slew of emotions, ranging from embarrassment to anger to despair, that makes her much more relatable. She’s definitely no longer the snob character she started as, but it’s looking like that ice princess role will go to Iwase.

Regarding Iwase, I didn’t think I’d see her again after Akito chose Kaya, but it looks like she’s back for a long haul. The way she gets into the world of manga is a bit of a stretch; for Editor Hattori to use her to re-energize three mangaka he’s not in charge of seems unrealistic. But with Iwase turning into a rival for Akito, things have the potential to get very interesting.

In Summary

Team Ashirogi hits more choppy waters – this time on the romantic front. Akito’s innocent meetings lead to trouble with Kaya and ultimately results in a rift between Masahiro and Miho! The relationships in Bakuman take on a high school shojo feel as the boys struggle to win their girlfriends back and make their return to Jump!

This title is highly recommended for young teens and up.

First published at the Fandom Post.