Nish's Notepad: Naruto 600 (Review + Spoilers!)

Naruto 600: How Come Until Now?

(なぜ今まで, Naze Ima Made)

Author: Masashi Kishimoto
Arc: Shinobi World War Arc
Volume: Uncategorised

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[RECAP]

#599 finally revealed Tobi's identity. Even if you missed it, Kishimoto is such a genius that just by reading the title of the chapter (Obito Uchiha), you'll get to know that >.<

Nish's Notepad: Naruto 599 (Review + Spoilers!)

Naruto 599: Obito Uchiha

(  うちはオビト, Uchiha Obito )

Author: Masashi Kishimoto
Arc: Shinobi World War Arc
Volume: Uncategorised

Nish's Notepad: Naruto 597 (Review + Spoilers!)

Naruto 597: The Secret of the Space–Time Ninjutsu

(時空間忍術の秘密, Jikūkan Ninjutsu no Himitsu)

Author: Masashi Kishimoto
Arc: Shinobi World War Arc
Volume: Uncategorised

Pages of Madness

Something wicked, this way comes.

Fair warning dear readers, this one is not for the faint of the heart. Content wise its really far out. And those of you who consider themselves Peter Pan fanboys might wanna give this a pass. But on the other hand, if you, like me, were drawn into the mythos of Peter Pan, yet could tell something was off in the story and are hooked to reading something twisted... Then boy do I have a story for you!
Wendy is an experimental manga from the get go. And it is for mature eyes only. Under-age readers you'd best wait a while.

Desert Punk, its Fallout for manga!

If you tear open this world, bleed it dry, and then let the remains out in the sun to be bleached for an eternity, you will have something resembling the world of Desert Punk. Welcome to the Apocalypse, nothing survived. Except for the humans of course. As resilient as the hardy cockroach humanity with its inexhaustible appetite and drive would definitely survive, no matter what the cataclysm. But the world left for them to inhabit is a harsh place indeed. The story takes place almost entirely in the Great Kanto Desert, a massive desert that stretches on in all directions. A dune sea where only the survival of the fittest counts and the weak die.

More to Shonen then meets the eye!! (or ear...)

Hello manga fans, old and new!!

Tired of people recommending the same old titles like One piece, Bleach or Naruto when you ask them about good Shonen to read? Sick of finding no good feedback on anything but books that have been out for ages and/or long over instead of something more current? Well have to fear - your friendly neighbourhood ComicAddicts are here! 

To remedy this reprehensible situation our team has debated and finally made a shortlist which we now present to you, of five currently ongoing shonen manga (in no particular order) that you might want to try out:

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Blue Exorcist

The Son of Satan takes the fight to Satan by deciding to become an exorcist. Of course in typical shonen fashion he isn’t a very good exorcist, but he has plenty of raw power that he would need to control and master to be able to beat Satan! Varies from good to awesome, but the awesome is definitely pure awesome.

Samurai Manga Madness!

Ah manga. The gift that keeps on giving. The inspiration that has now started inspiring. The original sin and also the original sinner.

Too dramatic?

Perhaps, but the mark of the mangaka is unmistakable and undeniable in our lives. Japan's mainstream comic book industry which started as the smallest of the small was an attempt to give the identity starved Japanese people heroes of their own, like the Americans had theirs. It was a humble attempt and was long ridiculed by the more powerful film companies of Japan who, at the time, ruled the entertainment industry. Serious directors/writers/artists kept their heads down and stayed away from manga/anime lest they incur the producer's wrath.

Today its impact cant be felt worldwide. 

Even in India we see kids gush over Naruto and collect a myriad of toys and collectibles while making "pika pika...pikachu" noises. It has in due course overtaken and overthrown the giant shadow of the American Comic book industry and today casts it's own shade upon the world. Being no stranger to manga (and by it's extension anime) I believe the stars to have sufficiently aligned and the time to be sort of right for new readers of comic books, namely you, to follow me into the great mysteries of the Orient.

Feasting on the "Fruits Basket"

Fruits Basket, also called Furuba, is a fantasy, slice of life manga by Natsuki Takaya. Now don’t be repelled by the fact that it’s just-another-shoujo-manga because it’s not. This one’s for those who love manga that tends to lean towards the philosophical side of life and is the best example of one of those life-lessons kind of manga that deals with some serious life issues in an intellectual way.

So here’s what I think of the manga, along with a brief description of the story.

Plot: The story revolves around a young high school girl Tohru Honda (Don’t worry, this is where the cliché ends.) who, after losing her parents, lived in a little tent on the outskirts on the city and tried her hardest to support herself without anyone’s help. Her life, which was already out of ordinary, takes another turn when she finds out that her classmate, Yuki Sohma, is actually a part of a strange family that is possessed by the spirit of the 12 zodiacal animals; and every time they are hugged by the opposite gender, they transform into their zodiacal animal. 

Shugo chara – Manga Review

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Shugo-Chara seems, at first glance, like a cross between Cardcaptor Sakura and Gakuen Alice, with the main Tsundere heroine Amu Hinamori being quite similar to Sakura with her job of cleansing the "bad eggs" - much like how Sakura cleansed the cards in Cardcaptor Sakura; and her main rival Ikuto Tsukiyomi being a perfect rip-off of Natsume Hyuuga. Really, there’s absolutely no difference! 

And yet, there’s something about it that draws you in – be it the goth-punk-tsundere lead girl or the emo and flirty Ikuto. The manga has a nice blend of comedy, action and fantasy without anything blindingly ‘shojo’ in it.

Plot

The story of Shugo-Chara revolves around Amu Hinamori who is, as earlier described, a perfect tsundere goth-punk character who has a reputation of being ‘cool and spicy’ in the middle school she studies in. However, this is not her true character. Her true self happens to be an extremely shy girl with absolutely no talent in socializing which she covers up perfectly with a cold exterior demeanor. Tiring of this duel personality, one night she makes a wish to give her enough courage to be her true self. 

A Quick look at "Level-E" The Anime Series

Level-E, the series delivers a highly entertaining mix of comedy and storytelling with an original, creative story and a lot of witty, loveable characters - a perfect package.
The series is adapted from the original manga series released back in 1995 by Yoshihiro Togashi – the same Mangaka who also wrote Hunter × Hunter and YuYu Hakusho.  It can best be described as a Sci-fi-Alien-Comedy split into several small story arcs spanning a total of 13 episodes. The concept behind the show has some similarities with the Men In Black movies/series in which several species of extra-terrestrial (E.T) aliens live amongst us and we are not aware of their presence.

Every story arc has its own unique story and they are all very different from each other. However in each one the story always revolves around the main character that everyone calls “Baka Ouji” (Idiot Prince) – a blond haired extraterrestrial being from planet Dogura whose ship crash lands on earth.  The best way to describe Baka Ouji’s character is an intelligently-lazy arrogant person who enjoys playing gags on people around him; the other supporting characters are as good and have an amazing chemistry between them, especially the prince’s bodyguard named Captain Kraft whose job is to keep track of the Idiot Prince.

La Mangafique presents: "Anime Species 2"

Hello darlings, remember me? I wouldn’t blame you for having forgotten, but even drama queens like me need a vacation now and then. Though I don’t know if checking up on one’s minions really counts as a vacation. Have you all been well? Entertained by everything on offer during my absence? Ready for fresh doses of my insanity?

Then let’s start with part two of our feature on major anime categories. While the earlier edition dealt with, for lack of a better word, tamer genres within the animeverse, this time we delve into the darker, edgier sides of anime!

Shoujo: Easily one of the more popular categories, Shoujo is a heavyweight in the animeverse and tends to dominate both manga and anime alike. Heavily characterized by multiple bishounen heroes and villains (all of whom fall for the heroine); ugly ducklings turned into maidens fair (usually but not unhappily in distress); romantic settings; obstacles to the lead pair in the form of disapproving parents/grandparents/uncles/aunts; and the couple's best friends who just about lay down their lives to help in the name of true love. The term Shoujo itself translates to ‘young woman/girl’ and denotes the 10 to 18 year age-group this genre caters to. Popular examples include Kaichou Wa Maid Sama, Vampire Knight and Skip Beat. One of the latest to join the genre, Uta no Prince-sama ~Maji Love 1000% is still airing, and has all the girls swooning. Did I mention rabid fan-girls are a special, free part of the package? Be prepared to fight for your favourite guy. Sometimes I wonder what it would take to buy my way into one of these series.

With so many cute guys to choose from, of course there’s going to be a 1000% love!

Gintama - A 2nd Movie Announced!

 There is no shortage of Samurai Themed anime’s out there, but one in particular stands out from the crowd for being bold and different: Gintama.
Gintama has grown in the past few years from a manga to a prime-time weekly show with over 220 episodes and counting (no fillers !). If you are in a mood for a Samurai-related-comedy-themed anime with many parodies and pop culture references, Gintama is your best bet! There is no other show like it... Seriously!!

Anime’s Impact on Modern Entertainment

Looking at the headline, I can’t help but marvel at the oxymoron overshadowing this piece. 

It’s not simply because "modern" entertainment is a forever changing reality. 

Forget what new terrible reality shows TV will cough up next - what I refer to exists especially within the confines of anime. 

Do you break out your imagination and create a macabre yet emotionally murderous cult classic like Elfen Lied? Do you cater to your built-in audience of adult-rated graphic novel games? The cute 'moe girls' from static screens of the past (see Clannad, Kanon, etc) can do all the work. Would you turn a long running manga series into an anime and provide fans their weekly dose of debates on which medium fits the property better like One Piece, Naruto, Bleach and more? The questions are as endless as they are insignificant - because as far as Japanese media outlets are concerned, anime is a dying industry.

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However, anime as a culture, an idea never really created a huge impact at first. It didn’t suddenly decide that it would crash into the Earth from out of nowhere and kill everyone because, Bruce Willis be damned, Japan had had enough. Rather, several small servings arrived in various countries and corners of the global entertainment scene. It wasn’t a sudden and immediate change, as much as it was a small yet rapidly expanding influence. A lot of us around the world had our first real taste of anime with Akira Toriyama’s iconic Dragon Ball Z, brought to English-speaking audiences by FUNimation in the 90's. Despite the almost universal effect it had on creating new anime fans, people weren’t jumping on the bandwagon en masse. The animated Pokemon series became extremely popular as well. Compared to the success of the video games, however, it simply pales in terms of success. However, they’re contributions paid a humongous part in cultivating a base of loyal anime fanatics (maybe a little too loyal to Pikachu).

La Mangafique: Anime species: Part I

Anime species: Part I

Yep. This Kind of species.

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So last time was a tentative toe dip into the anime world, and today I’m going to keep myself from shoving you right in. I’ll allow you to test the waters. In a different spot though. Today I will point you newcomers to this fascinating land in the direction of the different genres found within anime.

In addition to the traditional categories found in media: Romance, Historical, Sci-fi, Adventure, comedy etc. there are genres that are unique to anime. Detailing on those genres, I will be educating you all on a few anime that fall into those categories. Hopefully you will learn something. Keep in mind, anime always fall into more than one category. For instance, an anime may fall into the romance, historical, and comedy genres simultaneously.

La Mangafique

Anime: The who, the what, and the where (and other nitty-gritty’s)

It's out there and it's coming to get you.

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So, sometime in the past 10 years or so, you must have noticed this craze going about infecting young and old people alike, called “Pokemon”, which seems to consist of absurd fantastic creatures, a parallel reality and the ability to capture said creatures and battle with them. (If you really still don’t know what I’m talking about, you’ve been living under a rock). Ever scratched your head and wondered just what it is and why people are crazy about it? Some if not all of those questions, can be answered if you delve into the world of anime.

Out of pets to collect? Start collecting these.

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Monday Manga Madness Redux: Aishiteruze Baby

- A review by Seema Kakade

Genre: Shojo Manga

Aishiteruze Baby, a.k.a. I love you, baby is one of those rare manga you come across that manages to portray the beauty of the father and child relationship perfectly. As misleading as the title maybe, which, I believe, is the reason why half of the shonen manga lovers might have shunned away from it, the manga isn’t much about what it appears from the title.

Monday Manga Madness: Tower of God

A review by Seema Kakade



It’s not always I come across a story that is something different from a 16 year old high school teen doing everything to find a boyfriend for herself and when she does, the guy turns out to be a vamp or a monster etc. OR a 16 year old high school teen that is suddenly bestowed with a supernatural power and now has to save the world. So, well, you get the idea how cliché most stories are getting lately. But, Tower of God, here, blows the mountain of cliché stories up in the land of cliché-ness to win itself the title of the King of Originality hands down!

Tower of God

London Anime Con cometh...

London Anime Con, the home for all British and European anime and gaming fans is being hosted in... er...  London (D'oh!) taking place on Saturday 30th July and Sunday 31st July!



Manga Mondays: The Master of all Spirits

This week why not take something from the traditional, Shonen slice of the pie. Nurarihyon No Mago, reads like the typical shonen manga. Initially I almost wrote it off as a cheap knockoff Naruto. But this manga surprises you, if only by the sheer depth of its storyline. This comic draws from a lot of folk sources, Nurarihyon is indeed the Master of all Spirits in Japanese folklore. The popular figure of the demon as a bent misshapen man who has the ability to deceive your senses upon his will is cleverly shown as the protagonist's aging grandfather.

An Introduction to Manga - Part 3

(Continuing from Part 2)

The Genre Conundrum

Manga has the widest variety of genre you can ever find in any media and not to mention the convenient categorization of each genre in a way that gives you an idea of the contents of the story before beginning to read it. The categorization depends on various factors too. Sometimes it depends on the target audience, at other times themes that our now considered tropes for the industry mark out the genre. Sexual orientation of the mangaka's target audience matters. As does the type of story itself.



Based on the theme of the story, manga is categorized as

• Shojo (Themes that appeal to girls like romance, fantasy, school life etc.)
• Shonen (Themes that appeal to boys like action, mecha, robots etc.)
• Seinen (Extreme gore and violence)
• Hentai (Adult themes, usually for boys)
• Children (Themes that appeal to little children, usually revolving around fantasy and simple action themes)
• Josei (Drama and slice of life manga made for older or working women)

Based on Sexual orientation,

• Straight
• Yaoi or Shonen Ai (Gay themes)
• Yuri or Shoujo Ai (Lesbian themes)

Based on story type

• Drama
• Tragedy
• School life
• Supernatural
• Psychological
• Martial Arts
• Sports
• Slice of Life
• Sci fi
• Comedy
• Historical

One could go on forever. Keep in mind, that this listing is only a broad classification of the genres manga can touch. It is estimated that there are around 3000 professional manga artists in Japan. All of these individuals have published at least one volume of manga, but most of them make their living as assistants to famous manga artists or have some other supplementary source of income.

Only 300 of these, or ten percent of the total, are able to make an above-average living from manga alone. In addition, there are also a great number of amateur manga artists who produce small magazines intended for private circulation, called dojinshi. Ever artist strives to make his manga as unique as possible, for individual traits are what make a manga great and memorable. Thus what you have is a comic book style that ultimately defies genres outright.

I firmly believe that manga should simply be made a genre in itself and all this clutter should be done away with it. This is not a fool's myopic viewpoint that I ask for, rather the farsight of seeing the whole picture with all its colorful details intact. Genres are after all essentially classifications. And a you can quite honestly ignore them completely if you want to. Just go from cover to cover and read the brief to see which storyline actually attracts you. Or flip through the pages until something catches your eye.

Eye is caught.

Impact.

The three largest publishing houses producing manga are Kodansha, Shogakkan, and Shueisha. In addition there are some ten odd publishing firms which come in at a close second, including Akita Shoten, Futabasha, Shonen Gahosha, Hakusensha, Nihon Bungeisha, and Kobunsha. This does not take into account the countless other small-scale publishing firms. As we can clearly see Manga is a force to be reckoned with. Its a massive industry with solid roots reaching well back into time and with each passing year it only grows.

In India, a country as far away as could be possible from the conventions and norms of Japan, a following is now slowly yet surely developing for manga. That in itself is a triumph for everyone involved. Fans come together across the globe in Comic Conventions dressed up as their favorite character. Such is its reach in the world. And the beauty of it all is, manga has nowhere near realized its full potential for growth yet.

The impact if global and the entertainment moguls of the civilized world no longer ignore this comic book juggernaut from Japan. They simply cannot afford to.

So step right up... into the world of manga, you know of it enough. Pick a series, any series you like and read it a chapter or two.

If you dont like it, pick another one,
eventually you shall find one that will surely click.

A story will be found, a story so familiar and attuned to your tastes.
A story that you will instantly love, and then you will for a moment begin to doubt,

If the author knew you, knew what you were all about.

And that is how it begins.
After all, no introduction to manga ever ends.