The Manga Moveable Feast continued over the long weekend with Ed Sizemore’s look at Yotsuba&! and Aria at Manga Worth Reading. Jason Yadao examines the question of what, exactly, constitutes kids’ manga at Otaku Ohana. David Welsh writes about Yotsuba!& and Ultra Maniac, a manga he thinks Yotsuba would enjoy. Matt Blind comments on Yotsuba!& and other comics that aren’t only for kids, such as Calvin and Hobbes. And at host site Good Comics for Kids, the bloggers discuss Graphic Novel Reporter’s core list of manga for kids.
Lori Henderson looks back at the past week’s manga news at Manga Xanadu. Melinda Beasi looks forward to September’s manhwa releases in her latest Manhwa Monday post at Manhwa Bookshelf. And at Okazu, Erica Friedman updates us with another edition of Yuri Network News.
Helen McCarthy has an interesting article about early manga-ka Ippei Okamoto. At Masters of Manga, Marc Bernabe has a just-the-facts-ma’am profile of manga-ka Hideki Ohwada, the creator of The Legend of Koizumi.
Manga editor Daniella Orihuela-Gruber takes a busman’s holiday and reads some older manga, wincing as she notices the errors. (As an editor myself, I sympathize.) Also, best definition of censorship ever:
(and by censorship, I mean someone has a pair of pants on that they didn’t have before)
Hey, it happened to Michelangelo!
ANN launches a weeklong tribute to the late anime director Satoshi Kon with a look at his work as a manga creator.
Here’s some free online manga, and it’s legal: The Japanese web provider NEC Biglobe has launched Manga Boshi, a free online manga magazine featuring new works by young creators in Japanese and English—with French and Italian versions to follow soon.
Donten Prism Solar Car
News from Japan: Some new projects are in the works: Yasuo Ohtagaki (Moonlight Mile) and Yuusuke Murata (Eyeshield 21) are collaborating on a new series, Donten Prism Solar Car, for Jump Square. Hit the link for more Jump Square series news. Banri Hidaka (V.B. Rose) is also launching a new series, Tenshi 1/2 Hōteishiki (Angel 1/2 Equation), in Hana to Yume. Again, check the link for more sudsy shoujo news. And Alice in the Country of Hearts and pPoi! are both coming to an end. At Okazu, Erica Friedman looks at some yuri-ish stories in the shoujo/josei magazine The Margaret.
Reviews: At A Feminist Otaku, Caddy C. explains why she was disappointed by Blood +:
Blood+ has some interesting elements, and I wanted to like the idea of a schoolgirl fighting vampires with a sword. That sounds awesome, right? How could you go wrong? Unfortunately, Blood+ has potential, but just squanders it by introducing needless fanservice, themes that go nowhere, and having its heroine be so helpless and dependent on others that she ceases to be badass in any way.
Other reviews of note:
Andrew on vol. 2 of Dorohedoro (Kuriousity)
Daniel BT on A Drunken Dream and Other Stories (Sunday Comics Debt)
Kristin on La Esperanca (Comic Attack)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 4 of Happy Cafe (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
James Fleenor on vol. 1 of Hyde & Closer (Anime Sentinel)
Christopher Butcher on vol. 1 of Kingyo Used Books (About.com)
Sesho on vol. 12 of The Prince of Tennis (Sesho’s Anime and Manga Blog)
Zack Davisson on vol. 4 of Ooku: The Inner Chamber (Japan Reviewed)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 3 of Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee (The Comic Book Bin)
Michelle Smith on When the Heavens Smile (Soliloquy in Blue)