Manga a Day: xxxHolic Vol 10

Amazon.com: xxxHOLiC, Volume 10: Books: Clamp ISBN: 0345496833 ISBN-13: 9780345496836

Wow. Something happened! I love xxxHolic, but most of the story has just been hints and suggestion buried in the random stories made up of Yuko's customers and Watanuki's misfortunes. I think it might be time to go back and re-read the previous volumes. I think I caught most of the clues about Himawari, but I'd like to see if there are ones I missed. Plus I'm curious about something...

I think most people have read this already, but I figure it's only polite since it is a a rather recent book... so spoilers for vol 10 and random fanfic-type speculations below this space...

 

 

 

 

 

So I know that Himawari is a jinx. I'd suspected as much from volume two or so, but the main question was it intentional, accidental and was she even aware of it. I'm glad it wasn't intentional, but I don't know if I'd call it accidental. If Himawari knew that she caused these problems, dangerous problems, it seems to me she's still culpable in some way. It's like someone having an incurable infectious disease, easily caught, hanging about people. People are going to get sick. Even if most people recover easily from the illness, there are some who don't. Some who die. Do you have the right then to be around people?

At the same time, what is Himawari supposed to do, live in a bubble? Never talk to anyone but her parents? Besides which, how far does her "jinx" actually go? If she had an livejournal and you put her on your friends list, would your computer crash? Would LJ delete your journal in a mistaken fight against porn? Doesn't seem very fair to expect her to be alone because of something she can't control. (And I find it an interesting parallel to the lonely Kohane, who is alone so she doesn't decrease her powers.) It does seem to be a cumulative effect, the more you're around her the worse things get for you. So, should she never have a good friend or a relationship? Besides, I like her. I don't want her to be unhappy either.

Anyway, it also makes me more curious about Domeki too. He seems to have a need to protect Watanuki, like when he tries to keep Watanuki from seeing the dead body, and I wonder why. I know it's CLAMP, so the popular theory is that they're "in love," but that's rather boring. I don't like them as a couple. Another reason to re-read, because I feel like I've missed something. I'm also curious about Domeki's grandfather... and also why all the men have women's names. "Haruka?" "Shizuka?" For a moment in book nine I thought Domeki was going to turn out to be a horribly butch woman in disguise. First they reveal his name is Shizuka and then there's a picture of him in a kimono. Scary moment. As a random comment, I like that you can almost automatically tell Domeki and his grandfather apart merely by body language.

This book also gives me ideas for fanfiction... a story between Watanuki and Himawari. The revelation in this chapter makes it nearly impossible for them to be a traditional "couple," which makes it an interesting challenge. How do you portray intimacy when there can be no physical intimacy? Mmmm....

Technorati Tags: manga reviews, manga, CLAMP, xxxHolic

Manga A Day: The Embalmer Vol 02

Amazon.com: Mitsukazu Mihara: The Embalmer Volume 2 (Embalmer): Books: Mitsukazu Mihara ISBN: 1598166476 ISBN-13: 9781598166477

The first volume of The Embalmer was a collection of short stories just loosely connected through the main character Shinjyurou Mamiya. This volume still has mostly stand alone stories, but instead of focusing on the people Mamiya embalms most of the stories focus on him and the characters introduced in the first volume. Mihara has an interesting writing style. You could take just about any of these stories by itself and be satisfied. But when you mix them all up together you see slowly emerging history is revealed. There isn't much hint at a future yet, but the past is interesting enough to make me want a another volume.

The first story is about a cat. Or maybe it's about Azuki's feelings for Shinjyurou. Or it could be about one of Shinjyurou's first embalming jobs. Or maybe it's about finding home or what's important to you. This is why I'm liking this series, I can read it over a couple times and find new things in it every time.

The second story is a slice out of Shinjyurou's rough history as a half-American, half-Japanese son of an embalmer. It's also about his first love. It's probably the most straightforward story in the whole book. I still found that there was a lot being said in between the lines about Shinjyurou's personality as it is now and as it was then. It was interesting to see his mother too, and a lot was said about his father and he didn't even appear.

The third story is really creepy and neat. Most of the story made me wonder where it was going. When the catch is finally revealed you wonder how you couldn't have seen it before. I really can't say much about it without totally spoiling it. Chapters four and five fall back into the rhythm of the first volume with an "Embalmer's Christmas" tale, and a story of a boy searching for family. The last story is about Dr. Koyuki, the pretty woman doctor. I thought she was just a throw away character. But it seems that no character is just "there" in Mamiya's life.

Manga A Day: St. Lunatic High School Vol 01

Amazon.com: St. Lunatic High School (Yoru nimo Makezu!) Volume 1: Books: Majiko! ISBN: 1598169440 ISBN-13: 9781598169447

Oh god! The cute! The cute is so cute it's evil. The story is simple, Niko-chan and her older brother are poor and hardly making ends meet. They haven't even been able to afford to pay rent in the past six months. So when her brother spots and offer for a teaching job that comes with lodgings in house with a bath and garden, they sneak out in the middle of the night, no questions asked. When they get there they find the "house" is a shed, the "garden" is the school grounds, and the bath is shared with the school. But the school is rich, super exclusive and Niko-chan is excited to find out she'll be able to go. That is, unitl she finds she has to take night classes and the classes are full of demons and monsters!

The mangaka Majiko! (I think the ! is part of her name) has a really engaging art style. It borders on the super deformed, with everyone having rounded bodies and simplistic faces. The expressions tend to be exaggerated. Everything is just dripping with cute. But since the story is a silly gothic fantasy it really mixes well. Her monsters are inventive too. I love the Pumpkin-headed guy and the penguin-looking kid. (Easter Island Statue Head kid is fun too.) Genders are bit difficult to determine (not just among the skeletons and other monsters in her class). Until Niko addressed her older brother by "older brother" I assumed he was Niko's older sister. I'm still not certain if the school nurse is a woman or an effeminate male. 

Her layouts can get a bit cluttered too, and the panels a little jumbled. But I like her style. I can't think of a good word to describe it other than "chunky." She's fond of thick black outlines and bold black and whites. Since a lot of it takes place at night, there's quite a bit of screentone but she keeps it from getting muddy.

The story is just plain fun, and it's nicely all ages. Tokyopop has rated it T (Teen, for ages 13+) but I can't imagine why. There isn't any sexual humor, no swearing, and the only minor violence is no worse then you'd see in your typical after school cartoon. There may be monsters, but none are particularly scary. I can only wonder if it's because of something that happens in a later volume. I hope that Majiko! doesn't try to turn this into a serious book, it's really great as a gag manga.

Technorati Tags: manga reviews, manga, majiko!