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Manhua Spotlight The Four Constables Volumes 1 -4 Directed by Tony Wong Illustrated by Andy Seto Released by DrMaster
As far as North American exposure goes, wuxia is a genre that is more often seen by proxy than in its strict form. Parodies have been released (Kung Fu Hustle); works inspired by it (G Gundam/Giant Robo); Westernized spins (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), and more post modern examples (Hero). Four Constables seems truer to the pure form. The unironic chivalric mythology could be compared to a more operatic version of a super-hero story, in which men of larger than life virtue and abilities quest, duel and endure the tests of highly melodramatic situations. Four Constables sets a sweeping stage for its epic encounters, in which each aspect of its complex tapestry of personalities and factions is explained as it is introduced. Contrary to the character of their age, in which men of power are corrupt, ineffectual or withdrawn, the Four Constables are a rare beacon of justice. In their noble spirit, they regard each other truly as brothers, and their teacher/benefactor Zhuge Zhen-Wo, head bodyguard to the emperor, as an uncle. The heroic cadre is composed of Cold Blood Lingqi Len, an efficient fighter with one of the fastest swords in the land, Life Snatcher Lieshan Cui, a good natured drinker known for his amazing running abilities, born to a good natured low life and a martial artist with superb but narrow skills, Iron Hand Yuxia Tie, a calm warrior who uses his spiritual energy in unarmed combat and Emotionless Yayu Sheng, a paraplegic young man who has mastered analytic detective work and become a master in the use of hidden weapons. As the story opens, Zhuge Zhen-Wo has begun to unravel clues to the perpetrators who slaughtered Emotionless Yayu Sheng's family and crippled the boy as a child. The path leads an alliance of 13 martial arts masters, each recruited independently, with identities hidden even to each other, brought together to achieve an unknown end. Four Constables can relied upon to inspire thrill of discovery. With the abundances of personalities, histories and agendas, there is always some unknown quantity waiting to spring up. Rarely does the narrative fully reveal who everyone is or what they are capable of. It's not a work that settles down the way a shonen action work might. Adversaries and abilities are constantly cycled in and out Within a span of a few pages, the first volume introduced Cruel Scholar Shengdong Wu, his brother Murderous Erudite Shengxi Wu, the Iron Umbrella Scholar and best of all, the hulking, bearded hermit Black Death Palms Edler Guan. Few of these foes survive through the chapter, but all leave a mark before exiting. Historical incidents and past cases are referred to briefly, providing depth and scale, then left behind. Drama and action are both highly stylized. There is no attempt to mediate the characters and bring them to a human level. Ideals, crimes and motivations almost pass into conceptual territory. Though the heroes and a number of the villains are complex and multi-faceted, they still operate on a mythical plateau rather than an obtainable, pedestrian footing. What makes Four Constables fascinating, rather than over-fabricated is that, for a western audience at least, it's all very new. Compared to super-hero stories, or Campbell/Tolkein style quests, the catalogue of character types is unusual. Given this unfamiliar, alternative pantheon, the machinery of different characters types interacting in Four Constables is consistently interesting. Four Constables’ illustration is similarly a distinctive experience. The painted art has a vibrancy that highlights the colorful nature of the work. With idealized forms and bright outfits, there is vivid presence to the characters. There is a memorable showiness as these individuals engage in lethal dances, with the names of the attacks heralded in bold text. While martial artists exchanging glowing punches and brightly lit sword swipes invokes the aesthetic of video games, the illustrations attempt to make every motion memorable ensures that no panel looks routine. While the book is fully a work of sequential art it reads almost like illustrated prose. One factor promoting this impression is that dialog is exposition heavy, with far more explained than demonstrated. This histories and roles of all the characters moving in and out are revealed in dialog or caption text. Even in the case of the heroes, the text asserts qualities it would like the reader to be aware of. Emotionless Yayu Sheng, rarely deduces anything from clues that the reader would be notice, and with his history and current tragic love, seems more sulky or withdrawn than outright emotionless. Without the instance of the text, the reader would probably read different qualities into the character. Because of these frequent hits of information and sensory overload approach, despite the story's bombast, it is a slow, dense read. Even when action is illustrated with progressions of panels, rather than larger, single shots, it is a blocky comic to process. The reading experience enhances wuxia's distinctiveness compared to other genres.
Anime Spotlight: Bleach Volume 1 Released by VIZ, Media
Success of works like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto are a strong argument for the appeal of long running action anime based on what could be called a Shonen Jump formula, in which a team of heroes improve their abilities to face ever more powerful foes. Given the draw of investing in a modern mythology, with a sense of reward through observing the characters' growth and advancement, the appeal/addiction is understandable. Within this mode of anime storytelling, even if the selection wasn't so slim (basically Naruto, Bleach and the abominably adapted One Piece, or to stretch things, lower episode count/non-Shone Jump works like Flame of Recca, Law of Ueki and Zatch Bell), Bleach would be a strong pick, thanks to its likable characters, current animation and attractive look. The 25 minute episode structure and character design shifts rob Bleach of some the spontaneity and quirkiness of Tite Kubo's original manga, but the anime version still manages to build a charge of excitement. Early phases of the Bleach manga were sufficiently character driven than they suggested a false impression that the manga would be going the traditional Shonen Jump route of putting the characters into a fight tournament structured story arc. Alternatively, the anime suggsts its place in the action tradition early on. The strongest impression lent by these early episodes are the build up to where its hero Ichigo, a teen who accidentally assumes the mantle of a spirit shepherding Soul Reaper, builds up the righteous zeal needed to break through boundaries and defeat his foes. The anime capably goes about establishing the characters to lay the foundation for this brand of action work: setting up what is to be expected from Ichigo's black-kimono-clad, sword wielding Soul Reaper, demonstrating the force of his will, revealing his moral underpinnings. Despite charmingly goofy interludes demonstrating a bit of a sense of humor, the anime is focused on building to its battle scenes. Episodes position the characters towards the confrontation, then, cap evens with the fights. Structured in this way, some of the drama seems imposed in these early, gelling episodes. In part this is to establish the emotional pitch. The arguments work to illustrate that the characters are upbeat people, who aren't just strong personalities, but built strength after having overcome tragedy. At the same time, these conflicts lack logic. The series opens with Ichigo altruistically helping the spirit of a young child, scuffling with a group of toughs who knocked over a memorial. While a bit saccharine, the early scene presents a distinct thumbnail for the character. When a later episode attempts to suggest that Ichigo is reculant to assume duties as a Soul Reaper because he isn't interested in helping people he never met, the objection never rings true for the character, who is more likely to go too far attempting to help others. The look of the series represents a close victory in the battle between budget and animation quality. Transitioned from the manga, character design are normalized and simplified. Figures are thicker and more regular, while the style and personality of the characters' clothing is toned down. Bleach still looks like Bleach and not an arbitrary anime adventure, but the teen individualistic zeal has been drained from the property a bit. Short cuts in the animation are offset by style. Mundane moments are kept interesting with their use of dynamic camera angles. Simple motion in the action scenes are masked with effects such as dust clouds and spurts of black spray, or by speed lines and motion blurs. Without producing stunning technical animation, with attention to scale and the reverberation of collisions, the approach does lend impact to its fights between the sword slicing hero and titanic bone-masked monster-spirits. The opening episodes of Bleach don't have the 'Wow' force of Naruto's first, but they do have a number of attributes that establish the characters and the series itself as worthy of attention. Dealing with mortality and having character who are more emotionally developed makes the tone of the work a bit more mature. While there are no amazing episodes in the first set, there are no slacking ones either. The anime seems paced for consistency, which could be a positive attribute for a long running series.
Scary Book Volume 2 Insects By Kazuo Umezu Released by Dark Horse Manga
The volume length Insects seems to be one of the longer works in Umezu's Scary Book anthology. The supernatural gothic manor house mystery contrasts sharply with his post-apocalyptic scream-fest Drifting Classroom, but again what makes the work worth reading is Umezu being Umezu. Insects concerns the daughter of a hard working outcast who escaped her harsh conditions when she married a rich, caring man. Shortly after the birth of Megumi, mother and daughter were found, fallen from a ledge with the dead mother protectively clutching her infant daughter. Too young to later remember the incident, Megumi grew up happy and carefree, except for a mortal phobia of butterflies. Given the length, it is evident that the story structure did hold Umezu's interest. It is coherent, well paced, and complete; more thorough than some of Scary Story's entries. Yet, the story relies on a telegraphed twist that is obvious and unintriguing. As with his other domestically released gothic horror Orochi: Blood, the maudlin plot is a dish that is both over and under cooked. While the nature of the story makes for a detached reading experience in which it is difficult to get emotionally or intellectually invested in the work, Umezu's vision remains enthralling. Unlike Drifting Classroom's constant state of agitation, Insects concerns itself with a shadow cast over natural order. Umezu's illustration takes this up by twisting scenes and characters into frightened chaos. Scary Book Umezu seems enamored with patterns, especially grid flooring and wood paneling. Fear spun vision or the swirling patterns of butterfly flight twists these regular forms into giallo like phantasmagoria. Umezu builds on this will amazingly gonzo cinematic effects such a giant butterfly resting in a bed or a photograph diffusing and reshaping into the image of a butterfly. Even mundane-for-horror sights such as bloodied faces or a deformed man are given significance with Umezu's imaginative illustration. While Insects' depicted material doesn't have the weight offered by the subjects of other horror manga, Umezu's method of presentation remains breathtaking work to observe and study.
Manga Spolight: Twin Signal Volume By Sachi Oshimizu Released by Media Blasters' Anime Work
Especially packaged as Lone Wolf and Cub sized 360+ page release for $10, Twin Signal is a fun time capsule release. Its high concept and look bear the inescapable imprint of the early 90's, and even then some of the design sense might have been a bit dated back then. The action comedy follows a young boy named Nobuhiko who goes to live with his eccentric inventor grandfather. Upon arriving, Nobuhiko finds that his grandfather has created a powerful fighting robot (which he hopes to enter into the robot pro-wrestling circuit). Nobuhiko's grandfather allows the child to pick a personality for the machine-man, but, due to a mishap, Nobuhiko's dreams of an ideal older brother don't exactly come true. Half the time Signal is a dashing, strong older brother, but whenever Nobuhiko sneezes, Signal transforms into a stubby "chibi"/cute younger brother. Oshimizu is quick to carve out a landscape of strange neighbors for her characters. While not quite as bizarro has Akira Toriyama's famous Stump Village, Twin Signal's locale features enough vampires, robot police officers, surly squirrels, minotaur run casinos and would-be mad inventors to keep the attitude quite fanciful. Like the recently mentioned Dr Slump, most of the comparable works are from anime's back catalogue. There's a bit of All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku, a bit of Tenchi Muyo and a bit of Ranma 1/2. The sight comedy and levity works well enough that the series will mildly win over both fans of the those older titles as well as newer fans. Those with a taste for light hearted anime/manga comedy will appreciate the free fluidity that yields rooms full munchkin chibi'Signals and the like.
Death Note Creator Follow-up Confirmed
ComiPress confirms Weekly Jump now lists that new manga from Death Note co-creator Takeshi Obata, titled "Blue Dragon: RalOGrado", will begin serialization Weekly Shonen Jump issue 1, on sale in Japan on December 4th. A preview is online at here.
Live Action Movies Trailers
From Twitch A trailer for the manga based Gegege No Kitarô can be seen on the official site. The horror manga was previously adapted into an anime series. It follows Kitaro, who protects people from mythical monsters with he help of his father's spirit, which resides in one of Kitaro's eyes. A "promo reel" from the second movie adaptation of hit shoujo Nana can be seen online here. Previous trailers can be seen here.
Vertical to Release More Tezuka
MangaCast points out that Amazon lists that Vertical will be releasing Apollo's Song by Osamu Tezuka. Vertical recently released Tezuka's Ode to Kirihito.
Jump Games
The Magic Box points out that screen shots of One Piece Unlimited Adventure for the Wii can be seen here The recently released Jump Ultimate Stars, a brawling game with a collection of character from Shonen Jump, can be seen here
Paprika Material
Twitch points out that a two track preview of Susumu Hirasawa's soundtrack of Satoshi Kon's Paprika is available for free online here. An interview with Kon can be read here
Upcoming in Japan
From AnimeNation and Ikimashou The homepage for the upcoming Naruto Shippuuden (Hurricane Legend), which looks to resume adaptation of the Naruto manga is online here (features spoilers). The series is scheduled for early 2007 Trailers for Production IG's Reideen 70's mecha anime remake are online with 30 second and a 120 second streaming Windows Media versions. The anime is scheduled for March 2007. A new series will re-adapted the modern update of Chinese mythology/curvy girl fight series Ikkitousen/Battle Vixens. The site for the series called Ikkitousen DragonDestiny can be seen online here. The original Ikkitousen was released by Geneon. Kitou Mohiro's mech/horror Bokurano will be adapted by GONZO. The first episode of Bee Train's 5 episode OVA adaptation of Murder Princess is scheduled for April 25th. The prequel to the adult game that spawned Fate/Stay Night, called called Fate / Zero is scheduled for the December Comiket December. Ga-nime is working with Toei Animation on serveral upcoming anime projects, including: Eko Eko Azarak, based on the horror manga serial by Shinichi Koga, will be released on Japanese DVD on January 30, 2007. Tori no Uta from Yoshitaka Amano will be released in Japan January 30, 2007. Amano's Fantascope ~tylostoma~ OAV was released on Japanese DVD on August 1, 2006.
Fruits Basket Ending
ComiPress reports Natsuki Takaya's Fruits Basket manga will be ending as of issue 24 of Hakusensha's manga anthology Hana to Yume.
Sales Shakeup at TOKYOPOP
ICV2 reports Alan Payne has left TOKYOPOP sales to join IDW as Vice President of Sales. Payne spent over six years at TOKYOPOP, were he was recently National Accounts Manager.
Pop Japan Travel Site Relaunch/Upcoming Trips
Pop Japan Travel, established by Digital Manga, Inc. in 2003 to offer pop culture themed tours of Japan, has announced that they have updated their site layout at www.popjapantravel.com Upcoming tours have been expanded from an anime and manga focus to include the Yaoi Bishonen & Boys Love Tour, the Gothic & Lolita Tour, and the Ultimate Ninja Tour. Stops include anime production studios, traditional sightseeing, and shopping at areas like Akihabara, Harajuku, and Shibuya.
Seven Seas Announces He Is My Master & Sota-Kun
Seven Seas Entertainment, in cooperation with Square Enix of Japan has announced the acquisition of the manga series He is My Master and Sota-Kun no Akihabara Funtouki.. He is My Master follows Yoshitaka, a 14-year-old pervert with a major superiority complex and a uniform fetish who recently inherited the family fortune after his parents died in an accident. He decides to hire live-in maids to help look after his estate, but gets more than he bargained for when three hot girls, along with a pet alligator named Pochi, show up to fill the positions. In Sota-kun no Akihabara Funtoki (English title not yet decided), we meet closest “otaku” Sota, a seemingly normal high school student with a secret obsession for the dog-eared anime character Papico. During one fateful trip to Akihabara, Sota’s life takes an unexpected turn when the crazed owner of a collectibles shop forces Sota to “come out” in all his fanboy glory. The two series will hit stores in mid 2007.
New CPM Re-Priced Re-Releases
Central Park Media announced will re-release and re-priced of Black Jack DVD Collection 1 - the chilling medical series from the creator of Metropolis and Astroboy; Ichi The Killer: Episode Zero - the anime prequel to the hit cult film Ichi The Killer; Time Bokan - the slapstick masterpiece from the studio behind Battle of the Planets and Speed Racer; and Hammerboy - the collector’s series release of the animated feature film on January 30, 2007. The 3-disc Black Jack DVD Collection 1 will be re-priced at $29.95 SRP, Ichi The Killer: Episode Zero will be re-priced at $14.95 SRP, and Time Bokan and Hammerboy will be re-priced at just $9.95 SRP each. The order date will be January 2, 2007 and the street date will be January 30, 2007. All of these releases will contain English and Japanese language tracks with English subtitles except for Hammerboy which will only contain English language tracks. Black Jack DVD Collection 1 A 3-disc, 6 episode The renegade doctor is in and bizarre medical mysteries are his specialty. A genius, a mercenary, and a madman, his name is Black Jack, and if the situation is terminal, he will help the victim cheat death…for a terrrible price! DVD Features: Director's Commentary by Osamu Dezaki (episode 3), Art Gallery, Previews, Trailers, English & Japanese with English Subtitles Ichi The Killer: Episode Zero A masochistic mobster meets his match in the dark streets of Tokyo. His nemesis, Ichi, is a psychopathic killer with an unrelenting thirst for bloodshed. A horrifying secret burns in his mind, and his hands deal death without mercy. At last, the shrouds of mystery are parted to reveal the origin of the monster. The city will know its greatest fear at the unveiling of Ichi the Killer! Time Bokan Guest starring Ken from Gatchaman, with cameo appearances from some of anime's legendary characters! Who has what it takes to be the baddest of the bad- It's evil versus evil as teams of bad guys compete to be the meanest villains ever! Watch and laugh as the Dorombo Gang takes on the worst of the worst in a wacky race to be the greatest villains in anime history! The only force that stands in their way are the superheroes of anime. Will the Gatchaman ninja arrive in time to save the day- Hammerboy Collector's Series Edition In the wake of a worldwide ecological disaster, the inhabitants of Candlestick Island struggle to rebuild their civilization. Here a boy named Mangchi roams the island with his trusty hammer in search of adventure. Excitement arrives when a spunky girl name Poplar, a fugitive princess from the outside world asks for Mangchi's help against power hungry traitors. DVD Features: Art Gallery, Music Videos, Anamorphic Widescreen Format, Previews, Trailers, English
TOKYOPOP Announces New Manga Creation Software
Planetwide Media and TOKYOPOP anounced t upcoming release of TOKYOPOP Manga Creator self-publishing software and TOKYOPOP packs of digital content. TOKYOPOP and Planetwide Media have signed a joint licensing agreement to create, market and sell the TOKYOPOP Manga Creator and TOKYOPOP Packsonline through http://www.TOKYOPOP.com, http://www.mycomicbookcreator.com/ and at selected retailers worldwide. TOKYOPOP Manga Creator software will provide manga and anime fans the opportunity to create, share and interact with TOKYOPOP characters, backgrounds, logos, icons and screen shots, while creating their very own TOKYOPOP manga. The TOKYOPOP Manga Creator is described as an innovative, interactive self-publishing media platform that enables manga and anime fans to freely use their creative imagination and officially licensed TOKYOPOP digital content to create personalized manga, anime and comic books. Fans will now have the ability to post their personalized TOKYOPOP manga to a blog or social network, email their creations to friends or print out their works in manga format. For more information, please visit here
Manga Resuming
MangaNews reports that the final story of Naoki Urasawa's (Monster) 20th Century Boys will be resumed in Big Comic Spirit No. 5 (on sale December 25). Gantz Second Phrase has resumed on this week Young Jump on No. 52 (on sell 11/22) after 2 months of hiatus. Tsubasa Fukuchi's will return in Weekly Shonen Sunday on December 6th.
Noien Volume 2 Release Info
Manga Entertainment will release Noein volume 2, with the second set of five episodes for $19.98 on January 16th 2007. Noein Volume Two picks up the action without time to breathe. After Haruka’s mysterious disappearance with Karasu into the La’cryma dimension, Yuu frantically scours the city in search of his friend. The terrifying war-scarred world of La’cryma, where humans live underground, portends a future of despair…but can it be prevented? Haruka’s remarkable adventures not only raises many questions about her future world, but also examines the important role she and her friends play in the inter-dimensional quest for the elusive Dragon’s Torque – an object of magnificent powers. Bonus featues include • Widescreen presentation (1.78:1), enhanced for 16x9 TVs • Behind-The-Scenes: On Location with Japanese Voice Actors and Director • Outtakes and Bloopers on Noein Volumes 1 and 2
Pirates of Coney Island #2
Previews of the comics Pirates of Coney Island #2 are online at Comic Book Resources and Wizard.
