Naruto Shippuuden Manga Update

I'm not going to spoil anything here in terms of plot. But something that you probably predicted would happen again in Naruto Shippuuden took place recently in manga chapters 484 - 487. For only the second time since Sasuke left the village, Naruto and Sasuke met up again.

The only thing I'm going to say is - I'm really pleased with how Kishimoto handled that scene. Especially compared with the first time they met in Shippuuden, when Orochimaru was still alive and Sasuke seemed so confident and Naruto was kind of... pathetic... Now we see Naruto's development, and his confidence, and most importantly - his humanity, which is even more evident in contrast to what Sasuke has become. The difference between the path that Naruto chose and the path that Sasuke chose couldn't be more stark. This is truly the story of a hero's journey; and I think the ending of Naruto Shippuuden, whenever it comes, will be something that the fans will never forget. I love this story.

I Can't Stop Listening to This

Why do so many seiyuu have such beautiful singing voices?

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised - after all, they make their living with their voices. But that alone doesn't explain all of the great opening and ending theme songs, "character songs" and other vocal performances we fans regularly get treated to. It's just more of the bizarrely wonderful cornucopia of stuff we get from the world of Japanese anime. ;)

By the way, the soundtrack for the above video is a character song from The Prince of Tennis, with Ryoma Echizen and Kunimitsu Tezuka singing - or rather, their seiyuu Junko Minagawa and Ryotaro Okiayu.

In other words, this is not only Ryoma from The Prince of Tennis:



... but also Ritsuka from Loveless:



... and Cornelia from Code Geass.




And not just Tezuka from The Prince of Tennis:



... but Scar from the original Fullmetal Alchemist:



... and Byakuya Kuchiki from Bleach.




I think Minagawa sounds more like a girl when she sings, evocative and lovely. She's very husky-sounding in the series as twelve-year-old Ryoma. Ryoma is also deadpan and monotone most of the time when he speaks, so it's nice to hear her being this expressive.

As for Ryotaro Okiayu, his voice is so deep you could fall down into it like a well and never escape. ;)

Anime is a universe that keeps giving. We get not only anime from it, but music as well. Lucky us!

Anime Off-the-Wall Awards

The Academy Awards were held last Sunday, so I thought I'd belatedly present my own awards - the Anime Off-the-Wall Awards. ;)

Most Beautiful Anime




Voices of a Distant Star is the anime that you recommend to your friends who don't understand why you think anime is wonderful. After they see it - they'll understand.

Most Nightmarish Anime




It was close between Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni and this one, but Cat Soup ultimately won out. Don't let the cute cat designs fool you - this anime is too frightening for children and probably most adults. Do not watch this anime just before going to bed (as I did, to my regret). Very disturbing.

Kleenex Award



Air TV

The final episode requires an entire family-size box of tissues to mop up the viewer's tears.

Best Anime Creature




Totoro is still the best. :)

Anime Interruptus Award




From Kazuya Minekura, the creator of the successful, long-running Saiyuki manga and anime, Bus Gamer is about three young men who get caught up in a "business game" illegal competition. It has an intriguing premise and quirky, engaging main characters. It also had a run of three episodes.

That's three episodes.

The manga is also in a similar unfinished state (one volume total). Basically, the story and characters of Bus Gamer were introduced in the manga and the anime, and then... set aside as Minekura worked on other projects. She claims to still be interested in continuing the Bus Gamer story, but it's been years without any updates.

Konnichi-wa and sayonara, Bus Gamer - we hardly knew ye.

Most Forgettable Anime




I rented Ninja Scroll when I was a new anime fan. I literally cannot remember anything about it - seriously, not a single thing. I'm assuming it was about ninjas, and probably a scroll as well. ;)

Cutest Anime Cat







Karupin from The Prince of Tennis. In episode 27, Karupin follows his owner Ryoma to school and has a few adventures. Adorable!

Most Beautiful Bishojo





Rei from Evangelion. She has an aura to her that makes her unforgettable.

Sexiest Bishonen

I've divided this into more reasonably close to my ageolder and truly robbing the cradleyounger. ;)





Nobutsuna Naoe from Mirage of Blaze, and...





Kunimitsu Tezuka from The Prince of Tennis.

Well, those are all the awards I can think of for now. ;) If more off-the-wall inspiration strikes, I may post more in future...

The Wild Art of Mononoke

This past weekend I entered a world of color and light...




Mononoke is a twelve-episode anime series set mainly in samurai-era Japan. The art in this series is unlike any you've seen before.

The series consists of several standalone stories connected by a protagonist: an unnamed wanderer known only as "the Medicine Seller."




The Medicine Seller is a mysterious shaman figure who brings crimes and dark happenings to light. Unflappable and opaque, he shows up when a mononoke, or evil spirit, is haunting someone and exorcises it - but for a price. The price paid is that an unpleasant truth is always revealed - the reason why the person is being haunted in the first place. Until that truth is brought to light, the Medicine Seller cannot exorcise the spirit.

The art simply takes your breath away.




Drawing on Japanese ukiyo-e "floating world" woodblock print art, Gustav Klimt, and Pablo Picasso in combination with art director Takashi Kurahashi's own style and an absolute ravishment of colors, Mononoke simply refuses to let your eye look anywhere else.







The wild style of Mononoke goes beyond the art alone. Often there are extremely static shots, with the characters standing still against a dazzlingly colorful interior of a room in a house; and then, with no warning, suddenly a rapid succession of images will catapult you into a different perspective.

There's only one other anime I've come across that utilized an art style that was as visually arresting: Gankutsuou, a yaoi-ish retelling of "The Count of Monte Cristo."




I watched the first few episodes of Gankutsuou but never continued with it. Something about the characters or the way the story was told didn't pull me in. There's an emotional distance with the Medicine Seller in Mononoke as well, but the stories themselves are sufficiently compelling that they hold your attention.

Mononoke is actually a spin-off of Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales, an anime series that was also comprised of short stories. The final story, Bakeneko, introduced the Medicine Seller character as he exorcised a demon cat from a rich family's house.




The final episodes of Mononoke retell the Bakeneko story as a Taisho-era murder mystery, with the characters trapped in a train car on its way to nowhere... as the demon cat lurks outside.

Although Mononoke is classified as horror, it's more about human weakness and cruelty and the sadness it leaves behind in the victim - and sometimes the perpetrator as well. It's more psychological suspense than physical blood-and-guts horror. Mononoke is actually filled with quirky, droll humor. The final few stories in the series end with a sense of hope and redemption, interestingly enough; a nice conclusion to some well-told tales and a sumptuous visual feast.

The Chilling Effect of the Christopher Handley Case

The following is a link to an Anime News Network article about the Christopher Handley obscenity case:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/editorial/2010-03-02/7

The article contains a statement from Eric Chase, Handley's defense attorney, about his client's plea bargain, the legal definition of obscenity (and its lack of clear parameters with regard to imported manga, including yaoi manga), and the resulting chilling effect on American anime and manga fans.

I'll be posting more about this in future. This case and the fallout therefrom may affect anyone who watches anime or collects manga and illustrations that feature teenage characters in sexual situations (even consensual or primarily romantic relationship stories). As the adaptation writer on works like Selfish Demon King, pictured above, I have a direct stake in this - but all of us who are anime and manga fans and believers in the First Amendment right to free speech have a stake in this.

In addition, please consider supporting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund:

http://www.cbldf.org/

The CBLDF was involved in Christopher Handley's defense and stands ready to defend First Amendment free speech rights for all creators and readers of comic books, graphic novels, anime and manga. I've been a member since 2007.

I am considering additional ways to become involved and support the anti-censorship effort. As a writer of original work myself, I understand that the writing I save may be my own someday. The rights of free speech and expression are the foundation that allows all of us fans to watch the anime we love and read the manga we love - and it looks as though these rights may no longer be a given as they once were.