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Posts Tagged Otomen

On The Shelf: August 7, 2013

On The Shelf: August 7, 2013

Happy Birthday to me! Well, belated. Sort of. This week’s shipping day, August 7th, just so happened to be my birthday, and what a birthday it was! This week was a huge one for new manga – thanks predominantly to Viz Media –  and among the spoils were some of my favourite series still running.

Notables for me included Toriko (Vol. 17), the final volume of Bakuman, A Devil and Her Love Song (Vol. 10), Kamisama Kiss (Vol. 13) and the very long awaited Kaze Hikaru (Vol. 21), a title that only comes out once a year! Plenty to choose from. Seek, read and enjoy~

A Certain Scientific Railgun (Vol. 08) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
A Devil and Her Love Song (Vol. 10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Alice in the Country of Hearts: The Clockmaker’s Story [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Bakuman (Vol. 20) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Dance in the Vampire Bund Omnibus (Vol. 03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Happy Marriage!? (Vol. 01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kamisama Kiss (Vol. 13) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kaze Hikaru (Vol. 21) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kimi ni Todoke (Vol. 17) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Kitaro [Amazon CAN, Amazon US]
Knights of Sidonia (Vol. 04) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Library Wars: Love & War (Vol. 10) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Naruto (Vol. 62) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan (Vol. 16) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Otomen (Vol. 16) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Pokemon Adventures: Heart Gold and Soul Silver (Vol. 01) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Pokemon: Black and White (Vol. 11) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Rosario + Vampire Season II (Vol. 12) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Slam Dunk (Vol. 29) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Tegami Bachi (Vol. 14) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
The Sacred Blacksmith (Vol. 02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
The Wallflower (Vol. 31) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Toriko (Vol. 17) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
World War Blue (Vol. 02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]


Otaku USA: On The Shelf – May 8, 2013

Otaku USA: On The Shelf - May 8, 2013

Oops on my belated posting of last week’s On The Shelf! But I was at TCAF, so can you blame me? I’ll have some write-ups on my recent trip there later this week. You can read my thoughts on last week’s new manga by checking out On The Shelf  for May 8, 2013 with this week’s new manga coming soon!

Bakuman (Vol.19) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Black Bird (Vol.16) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Bleach 3-in-1 (Vol.05) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Claymore (Vol.22) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Dance in the Vampire Bund (Vol.14) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Dengeki Daisy (Vol.12) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Heroman (Vol.04) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Hunter x Hunter (Vol.30) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
La Corda Doro (Vol.17) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Naruto 3-in-1 (Vol.05) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Naruto (Vol.61) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Otomen (Vol.15) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Pokémon Adventures (Vol.16) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Psyren (Vol.10) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Strobe Edge (Vol.04) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Tegami Bachi (Vol.13) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Wandering Son (Vol.04) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
We Were There (Vol.16) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]
Zero’s Familiar Omnibus (Vol.01) [Amazon CANAmazon US, RightStuf]


Otaku USA: On The Shelf – January 2, 2013

Otaku USA: On The Shelf - January 2, 2013

It’s the first new manga of 2013! 2012 went out soft with no new volumes of manga released in its last week, but distributors and publishers worked to ensure that the new year was much more stacked to start. Get those gift cards ready!

You can read my thoughts on the new year’s first week of releases over at my On The Shelf article for Otaku USA.

Bleach (Vol.54) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Cage of Eden (Vol.08) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Caramel [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Dengeki Daisy (Vol.11) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Heroman (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Hunter x Hunter (Vol.29) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
I’ve Seen It All (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Jiu Jiu (Vol.03) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Love Makes Everything Right [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Message to Adolf (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Ninth Life Love [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Oresama Teacher (Vol.12) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Otomen (Vol.14) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Psyren (Vol.08) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Strobe Edge (Vol.02) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]
Ultimo (Vol.08) [Amazon CAN, Amazon US, RightStuf]


Review: Otomen (Vol. 13)

Otomen (Vol. 13)

Manga-ka: Aya Kanno
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: September 2012

Synopsis: “Ryo ends up coaching a high school judo team, but women aren’t allowed at that school! She finds a way around this obstacle, but the real challenge comes when she finds herself facing off against… Asuka?!”

Otomen is a series I’ve enjoyed since the beginning, but recent volumes have been a little lacklustre. The story’s been moving away from characters I like most and even Asuka was feeling a bit overshadowed by other secondary characters pushing their own agendas onto him. When I read the synopsis for volume thirteen however, I felt excited. Ryo and Asuka facing off against each other in judo? Cool! What I got was both what I expected and not at the same time. This volume has the longest focus on Ryo I recall since the series began. It provides a better look at her as a character and springs forward her relationship with Asuka more than I ever honestly thought would be possible.

Read more…


Review: Otomen (Vol. 11)

Otomen (Vol. 11)

Manga-ka: Aya Kanno
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: August 2011

Synopsis: “Asuka engages in a battle with Suzuki Oji to see who will get the most Valentine’s Day chocolates! As Oji seduces girls left and right into giving him chocolates, Asuka wonders one thing – who will Ryo give her chocolates to?”

The opening chapter in this volume of Otomen finishes off the plot started in the previous, allowing us a fun second look at the cast dressed up as geisha and samurai. Seeing Asuka given a chance to really show off his decorative and cooking skills in front of his peers is refreshing, though it does feel a little sudden despite the fact he’s been revealing this side of himself more and more for eleven volumes. Changes are happening though and there’s only one more volume left to wrap it all up.

Read more…


Review: Otomen (Vol. 10)

Otomen (Vol. 10)

Manga-ka: Aya Kanno
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Older Teen (13+)
Release Date: May 2011

Synopsis: “A potion at school causes all the guys to act manly and all the girls to act feminine! Suddenly, Asuka loses interest in all the girly hobbies he loves, and Ryo is working at a bakery?! Can anything break the spell they’re under and turn them back to normal?”

Otomen isn’t a series known for its restraint. The series has never shied away from off-the-wall characters and contrived situations, but for the most part they all stayed believable (if more than a little extreme). While the series has always existed in a world of cartoonish hyper reality, it never relied on anything supernatural to move the plot forward. So when a major plot point in the book revolved around a potion (seriously, a potion?) I was just about ready to give up on this series. But something surprising happened as I kept reading. Kanno take this bizarre situation and uses it to really get at the heart of the series, going deeper into its themes than it ever has before.

Read more…


ANN Review: Otomen (Vol. 06)

ANN Review: Otomen (Vol. 06)

Continuing with some more Viz Media shoujo-goodness, I reviewed Otomen (Vol. 06) for AnimeNewsNetwork over the weekend.

Otomen continues to be a really fun series. It is getting a little repetitive though and the number of Otomen (men who indulge in stereotypically girlish hobbies) is getting to be a little larger than one would expect in a series that’s still trying to thrive off it being quirky. At least all said-Otomen are really entertaining characters. While there was still lots to laugh at (in the good way) in this sixth volume, it was a little disappointing not having the lead female, Ryo, make much of an appearance. Her tomboyish personality, and dense overall sense of awareness, always makes her an enjoyable addition to the story, especially when it triggers all of Asuka’s adorable romantic ‘advances’. Hopefully all that extra good stuff will return in volume seven!


Review: Otomen (Vol. 06)

Reviewer: Shannon Fay
Otomen (Vol. 06)

Manga-ka: Aya Kanno
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: May 2010

Synopsis: “Having Girly Hobbies Doesn’t Make You Less Manly! Asuka’s protégé Yamato has fallen in love with a girl and needs help winning her over. He pleads with Asuka to go on a practice date with him–and play the role of the girl! Practice makes perfect, but will that be the case for Yamato?”

I like it when a series has a consistent theme. I don’t like it when they run those themes into the ground. At its core, Otomen’s message is a good one: don’t let gender stereotypes get you down. But some of the characters just seem a little extreme, weakening the manga’s moral with their outlandishness. For example, it’s easy to believe that a guy like Asuka could exist in real life: a seemingly manly man who actually adores cute things. But it’s harder to believe that there’s a guy like Kitora who loves flowers to an obsessive level. Unfortunately this volume spends much of its time with those out-there side characters rather than with the more down-to-earth (but also more interesting) leads.

Read more…


Manga About Manga: Learning Process Via Plot

Bakuman

Viz Media’s recent press release about the manga series Bakuman got me thinking – there are a bunch of manga series out there about making manga. What a fun concept! I know I always love it, it’s such a neat experience – both the slight irony of it and the educational factor too.

I’ve learned a lot about making comics in general from manga – neat little so-thats-how-they-do-its – and while ideas and inspiration are always a given when reading something, having someone else’s trials, experiences and knowledge laid out for you in the very format they’re in relation to is just a good combination.

So I got to thinking about the different series that are about making manga – so I compiled a list. Have another licensed title to add? By all means let me know in the comments so I can check it out!

Read more…


Review: Otomen (Vol. 05)

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Aya Kanno
Publisher: Viz Media
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: February 2010

Synopsis: “Ryo is chosen to participate in a contest where flower arrangement and tea ceremony skills are tested – but she sucks at those things! To top things off, the previous champion wants Asuka for herself! Does Ryo have a fighting chance?”

The way the characters act in Otomen is always good for a laugh, in the good well intended way mind you. They all feel like they intentionally overact at times, as if they know they’re being watched and are acting just that slightest bit over the top to entertain. Their personalities are just exaggerated enough to be distinct and memorable while not enough to suffocate their ability to grow.

Read more…


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