It's Sunday on a new day as we open up with the first Wednesday entry! I got some concerns from people due to the wording of my last entry and I apologize. Due to my work schedule shifting, I had to shift the day I do blog entries to Wednesday just so I'm not writing on this thing into the late hours, so expect Sunday goodness Wednesday mornings from now on, or really late Tuesdays if I feel like it. It's a day late but worth it!
On the cover this week is Manatsu Akimoto from Nogizaka 46 looking as cute as a pinup on a Japanese magazine meant for teenagers can be, as well as a few of the featured series. If you'll take a gander on the right there, you'll see that this is the last issue for May, but keep in mind these are always a week or two ahead! Also on the top is a blurb for the newest series joining the magazine --Meteor Girl by Ishiama Reach. (Yes I've found out that "Riichi" is "Reach". It's weird, but that's what they want to go by so who am I to question it?)
And now the table of contents that I will bring to you in glorious Engrish!
Meteor Girl by Reach Ishiyama (New series color pages)
Magic Kaito by Gosho Aoyama (Final chapter --for now?)
King of Idol (K.O.I) by Tamaki Wakaki
Tenshou no Quadrable by Takahiro Arai
Komi-san Komushou desu by Tomohito Oda
Daiku No Hatou by Michiteru Kusaba (Color pages)
Magi by Shinobu Ohtaka
Major 2nd by Takuya Mitsuda
Hoankan Evans no Uso ~Dead or Love~ by Midzuki Kuriyama (Color Pages)
Dagashikashi by KOTOYAMA
Tenshi to Akuto! By Aya Hirakawa
Maiko chi no Makanai-san by Aiko Koyama
Souboutei kowasubeshi by Kazuhiro Fujita
Maoujou de Oyasumi by Kagiji Kumanomata
Aozakura Bouei daigaku monogatari by Hikaru Nikaido
Amano Megumi Suki darake! By Nekoguchi
Hatsukoi Zombie by Ryou Minenami
Kyoukai no RINNE by Rumiko Takahashi
Be Blues by Motoyuki Tanaka
Hiiragi Sama wa Jibun wo sagashiteru by Hiroyuki Nishimori
Jojuu Senin!! Mushibugyo by Hiroshi Fukuda
Saike Matashitemo by Tsubasa Fukuchi
Tokiwa Kitareri by Shun Matsuena
DameTerasu-sama by Shun Fujiki
Youkai Giga by Satsuki Satou
Sunday Higaku kenkujyou by Yuuji Yokoyama
And not in this issue are the following:
Detective Conan
RYOKO
Zettai Karen Children
Well There's really not much to say here since it's almost exactly the same as last week just with subtle differences. It's interesting to note over these last few weeks that series like Saike, Youkai Giga and Higaku are all pretty much fixed? That and the series I like to call "Unwritten pillars" which would include Conan and Magi (Of course Conan's not around this week so.) which don't always sit at the top of the magazine but are in no danger of leaving it. Which means the center of the mag is a pretty competitive place --especially with new series dropping in. Granted after this issue there won't be any more for a while, so things will probably get a bit more interesting as impressions for the new series flow in and we see which ones make the cut, and which ones will be cut. This is where reading manga magazines gets really nerve wracking/exciting. Will your favorite survive?
Akmoto Manatsu is as cute as a button isn't she? I actually really don't understand that phrase, but I couldn't think of anything else, so.
Now to the final new series of the WSS spring/summer lineup, Meteor Girl! Things start off semi-normal ish with our main character --Tetto running late for school because he slept in.
It's after that however that things take a turn for the surreal when a mechanical(?) girl falls from the sky and lands right in front of him.
The tagline for the series seems to imply that the "billions of girls" falling from the sky is actually a sign of something greater --more sinister. The PR for this series has been pretty scant to say the least, which I'm beginning to think was on purpose. Like most of the other new series got a fair amount of info on what they'd be about but this one, well...
Flashback --Tetto and an older girl he once knew used to watch the skies for shooting stars until one day she passed away.
Without any warning, it started raining women, but they're of the mechanical sort. Not only that but this phenomenon isn't just limited to the borders of Japan. Many have tried to explain or at least understand what's going on, but to no avail.
I personally try not to get involved in any politics on or off this blog, but this page was too delicious to pass up. The American media dubs these falling ladies "Meteor Girls" and people began to live in fear of them.
This page was mostly linked for the sign on the bottom panel. The meteor girls have been falling from the sky for three years before the current timeline of the story.
And with a dual page spread, we're shown just how humanity has gotten used to this curious phenomenon. (Take note of how there are roofs over roads, and the conical structure of buildings. I really like that Ishiyama actually went as far as illustrating how people got used to falling girls after three years.) After all, normalcy is just the absurd that we've gotten used to right?
Tetto is on his way to school when he and a friend run into a strange girl who has an umbrella on a sunny day and a sullen expression --who looks very similar to the girl he once used to stargaze with, hmm...
Not pictured --Tetto and his buddy get to school late and have to clean up the meteor girls falling in the schoolyard as punishment. (Again it's great how this is illustrated to be a completely normal thing.) It's here that Tetto runs into an older girl taking a smoke out side of school who's surprised by a meteor girl falling right in front of her.
A guy named Yamada comes in and says that a Kawamoto is waiting for the girl --Yuka. Tetto isn't aware of this but Yuka is actually the leader of an idol unit and was ditching her duties to get a quick smoke break.
The continuation of Tetto's punishment for being late is helping the astronomy club out (which he had no idea that his buddy Yamada was a member of) It's there he runs into the girl from this morning who we find out is named "Hane". Tetto finds it weird that she managed to get to class on time for whatever reason, and when Hane tries to excuse herself he and she get into a altercation. He clams she was late and she says she wasn't.
Flashback again, Tetto is alone because his parents forced him to go stargazing with them despite his disinterest in it. It's there he meets the girl from before who manages to convince him that the starry skies might have some appeal after all, but before long she's the one off to a better place.
The whole sequence is a dream and Tetto awakens to a loud sound on his roof.
Urgh. I mean she's mechanical and stuff but this is still some grade A body horror. To avoid the nosy neighbors watchful eyes, Tetto heads up to pry the Meteor girl off the roof, while his mom goes inside to watch the news where...
We it's reported that 20 year old Yamashita Yuka has died in an apartment fire. --Yup, the very same Yuka that Tetto ran into the day before. A little bit of cut and paste here from Ishiyama, but I get it was supposed to make it clear this was the same girl from yesterday. Meanwhile Tetto with his struggles has managed to make some headway in prying the dead (albeit mechanical) girl from the roof.
Now this is where things get uncanny. The Meteor girl is Yuka (again the subtle zoom in on her mole solidifies this) and not only that but she seems to be...alive?! Ishiyama's art here takes a turn for the macabre, and it's clear this series is going to be something of an outlier in the magazine. Souboutei is billed as a "horror" series, but Meteor Girl might be more suited to that label. Honestly speaking I'm not sure where this is going yet, but I'm definitely interested in finding out. Ishiyama's oneshot before this (as I have mentioned) featured a love story that ended with the girl eating the guy after massacring a school, so if Ishiyama hasn't changed since then, we're in for one heck of a ride.
Magic Kaito's very short stay ends with this issue as well. Of course since the project is basically Aoyama's thing to do when he feels like it, who knows when we'll see him again? Well--on his own anyway, as I'm sure he'll pop up in Conan sooner or later. Speaking of which, Conan will be back in the issue after this one --so Issue #27.
Meteor Girl introduced and killed an idol in it's first chapter, while K.O.I has a gender bent one...I guess it's different strokes for different folks? Either way chapter two of King of Idol is here so let's check it out.
I've always had a fondness for architecture in manga, and Wakaki's is usually on point as this overhead view of NEMS shows.
We're introduced to the other finalists of the idol competition held in the first chapter, as well as the structure of the idol training/ranking seminar. It would seem that if all goes to plan they'll be full fledged idols in about three years. I wonder if that holds true in real life or not?
They're introduced to another Freshmen..er, well the term used here is "Freshmeits" named Kisara Shibuya, as well as the room they'll be in during their stay.
The roomie that Mahoro will be boarding with comments that she goes to the bathroom to change rather than her own room but doesn't think anything of it, but she does start to get weirded out by how Mahoro isn't used to wearing dresses...the plot thickens! After getting changed, they're given a talk by the headmaster(?) who says that becoming an idol --and what kind of idol they will become is completely up to them. I gotta say while I'm not sure of the premise so far, I like that Wakaki has applied battle manga narrative to idol manga aesthetics.
To give them an idea of what's expected, the representative of the Junior class --Gemini Hagurivs is introduced. (I'm really not sure of the reading of her last name, so if I ruined it, I'm sorry.)
And now some really cool panel and camera work on the first page as Gemini sings her song, What's interesting is Wakaki drops the furigana for the lyrics (which makes me glad I'm not translating the series) so I wonder if they're actual songs or ones he wrote himself? In any case, Mahoro is so captivated by her song that she can't help but join in to the shock of the others in the audience.
A wonderful dual page spread showing Mahoro's song from two different angles.
Mahoro realizes that this isn't the right place to make a stand and almost drops character by using a boy's pronoun --"Boku" when apologizing. Leaving no choice but for a hasty exit which leaves the girls both amazed and surprised. Also they comment on being able to see that object in the air during Mahoro's song which seems like quite the development this early on in the story. Sena --Mahoro's roommate decides to head back and check up on Mahoro but...
Speaking of early developments --two chapters in and we've got a scandal on our hands. It'll be interesting to see how this spins out as the side text makes it very clear that men are not allowed in this world. The next chapter is the last of the "obligated" coverage of the series, and I'll admit I'm still not quite sold on it, but I don't revile it like I thought i would originally so that's a step in the right direction.
I'm covering so much this week that I can't stop and give Komi the attention I'd like, but 90's delinquent Komi-san deserved a mention at least. Ahh, she's just a joy to look at.
Chapter 4 of aquatic silver spoon-- Daiku no Hatou makes a splash upon us with a color page! The text says that these developments are where the real story begins, which is what I figured from the pace of the first three chapters.
Some facts about Japan are presented to us from the very start --I didn't know that Japan was the 4th deep ocean water nation in the world! Did you? All that much better when presented with a double page spread like this one.
Meanwhile Minato has broke the news to his mom that he's not going to the university she thought he was, and is instead going to Nakasaki. You don't need to know Japanese to see she's not thrilled with this prospect. You might need Japanese to know that she thinks it'll be impossible for her child who's a city slicker to live out in the boonies of Nagasaki on his own.
However it's a done deal, as Minato has already accepted a position and filled the vacancy. Mom's a little torn up that her son is leaving the nest, of which leads to her nagging him for three days after words, ending with her admitting she didn't think going to Nagasaki for his father's death anniversary would end like this. On the opposing black bordered page she comments on how ironic this is.
Minato on the other hand talks a big game, but has a small goal. He just wants to meet up with the girl he did before and have a rosy campus life. I guess at least he has his priorities straight to some extent.
Looking cute in her dress is Natsu who was introduced in the last chapter, and while you can take the city boy out of the city, you can't take the city out of the city boy. --Minato immediately compliments her fashion, breaking down exactly why it works on her. Natsu is there to pursue her teaching amitions, and Minato informs her he's going to Aquatics school which results in the opposing page where she immediately realizes he's only here to go after Nagiko --the girl he met at the beach. --Natsu oddly calls her horrible before leaving and wishing Minato luck.
Minato's thinking this'll be fun and games, until he gets to class and a bunch of burly bros walk in, immediately informing him that playtime is over.
The chapte rends with Nagiko's older brother making a very scary face and stating that self introductions begin here. I feel sort of bad that I'm not going to give this weekly coverage due to me finding Evans more interesting, --especially since it seems like the series is only now really getting started, but I'll defs check in from time to time to see how Minato stacks up and whether he gets the girl.
And now for a bit of a surprise! This wasn't at all reported in the last issue of WSS (if it had been I would have mentioned it!) And even the text at the bottom of the page mentions that this was a "sudden serialization". The series runs on Shogakukan's online senen magazine, and apparently the first chapter has been re-tweeted 27000 times! In any case, the series title is "Ningyohime no Gomen ne gohan" or "Princess Mermaid's apologetic meal." --It follows the princess of mermaids Era who goes to the surface world after finding out humans fished up her royal subjects, just to find...
That they're friggin delicious. Yes, it's a sort of black/dark humor piece about a mermaid who likes eating other fish, and while this sounds horrible --presentation is key. Heck, it could also even be sort of considered a gourmet manga as the way fish is prepared is also depicted in detail. This short preview is just to get people's attention though, as here the princess admits to herself guiltily that she's eating yet another one of her friends.
Era realizes she's eaten up one of her friends, and that she enjoyed every minute of it, and this begins her double life as mermaid princess/ human office lady. You'll have to get volume one to see more of the story, but I can tell you after reading a bit of it online that it manages to stay pretty fresh (seafood) each chapter. If you're super interested, check out a scanslation of the first two chapters here. I haven't read them to know how the TL is, but they should whet your appetite for now!
It would seem that Shogakukan --or to be specific the editor of WSS really wants Evans to succeed as this is the third color page it's had in five chapters. Not that this is a bad thing as the series is definitely my favorite out of the new batch, but it's interesting that they'd choose this one to really push hard. Anyway the chapter opens up with the lawman's assistant pointing out that Evans is going to be late for his train, and while he cooly plays this off as an effort to do things "his way", in truth he's only trying to seem cooler by acting like being late doesn't bother him when in fact it does. Oh Evans, what are we going to do with you?
So Evans finally makes it out to wait for the train when a fetching lass appears and asks him for the time. She was supposed to meet a friend for dinner, but it appears the friend had urgent matters to attend to, leaving her without a dinner date. Evan's expression says it all --a misunderstanding is about to occur.
To his credit, she does say that he looks like splendid company, so he's not all the way wrong, but poor Evans is thinking way too deeply about this, and to make matters worse he's in the middle of transporting a dangerous criminal to the clink. Of course Criminal-san would love to see Evans get his date on so he can make a break for it --and while Evans wants to do the right thing, when will an opportunity like this --a girl asking him out happen again?
Dad flashback occurs (not pictured) and Dad mentions there will be times where a man will have to choose between work and women. Evans figures the lady is clearly the better choice, but his Dad says it's actually dudes who do the right thing that are popular. Criminal-san even offers to ride the train on his own to make things easier for Evans, but Evans shoots him down (metaphorically) --he's a man of the law and that means not letting criminals on trains on their own!
He decides to choose work over a lunch date but begs the girl to hang around as he'll be back tomorrow for sure. Sadly, she has to tell Ted that she's got to take the next train out, and Evans misses his chance for love. Talk about a Sophie's choice, but at least criminal-san didn't get away. Next week's blurb mentions Oakley's return and the need to hide something...
It's been a while, but Tenshi and Akuto is back on the blog, and it's here we see all of the magical girls in the show he--Akuto is VAing in, along with their respective voice actresses. I wonder if Hirakawa has ever considered doing a normal magical girl manga? These designs almost seem to be a a waste here..
After a stint in Rakugo, Akuto is back to previewing his work for the anime he's in. It's been a few chapters since they've actually done some voice acting work, so this is a return to form as everyone gathers.
However a new face joins them for this session, Subaru Susunome!
A great two page spread for the gathering of all five of the magical girls. I'd imagine to the uninitiated this looks like a harem manga, lol, when in fact they're about to do battle using their voices!
Susunome who's not been seen up until now gives a performance that knocks everyone off kilter. Even Akuto who had dismissed her (though really he's arrogant enough to dismiss everyone) is floored by how this newcomer's not only got an amazing voice, but acting as well. Look at the right page! It's almost as if it's a completely different manga!
Probably the best thing about characters like Akuto is watching them get hoisted up and dropped into their place, and this is no exception. Akuto is once again painfully aware that he's a not a big fish in a little pond, but a guppy who's not aware of just what kind of ocean he's in. The view of Nari --the heroine of this manga at the bottom of this panel is interesting too. I hadn't been paying too much attention to this manga until I started the blog, so I have no idea where she is, but I'm curious now. She hasn't appeared in a single chapter I've covered (or read) so far, so what could have happened to her? It's clear she's important to Akuto as he thinks of her when he realizes he's out of his depth, but what is she doing now?
We cut into chapter 54 of Souboutei with Frol speaking to Seiichi via telepathy. Seiichi is confident in his ability to take down the monster house, but Frol tells him he may already be too little too late, as the house is doing it's darnedest to destroy them using it's slaves. I like this quasi two page spread in that it guides us in through the title-piece straight to the action and Fujita's spell binding effects.
Takoha's still trying to protect Frol as she conveys the situation in the house --she knows that they've got Nitrogen to destroy the house stored away, but to do this job they'll need quite a bit of it and there's no way they can carry it all. Frol says with her ability she can bring it all up, but they'll need to leave it as close to the Souboutei as possible.
Of course the house isn't going to just sit there and let the Nitrogen bombing happen --or well, since it is a house it's going to sit...eh, just look at another quasi dual page spread here as Seiichi says that he's not going to let the house stand...er, house in his way.
The press is here and they're getting the scoop of the two kids who have suddenly shown up at this house that the military has taken major interest in. Meanwhile Rokuro remembers how the house ate his father, and is ready to throw down too. Fujita's expressions are some of the best in the biz, and I can't get enough of them.
He also has a thing for these quasi two page panels this chapter, but I get why. They do a whole lot storywise while also having a whole lot of impact. Seiichi says he will fulfill his promise to Rokuro and crush the house.
And doing his best giga drill breaker impression, Seiichi busts his way into the Souboutei's front gate. Who needs a doorbell when you have a drill arm? The ink splotches on the top page are an amazing effect that adds even more intensity to the page. However that's it for souboutei this week, so we'll have to find out if the Nitrogen makes it in next week.
Picking up from last week, the hero has finally managed to reach the princess in Maoujo! Is this a sign of the series ending? Not sure, but the monsters aren't about to take this lying down. They have intel that the hero Akatsuki has been loitering around the area and are arming themselves to take him down. Meanwhile Akatsuki has a magician on his side that'll make it easy for him to sneak into the castle...seems like a confrontation is bound to happen at this rate.
Due to Akatsuki reaching out and tapping her head, the princess awakens and inserts herself into the monster's conversation in regard to dealing with Akatsuki the hero. Or well, that's what she says, but in reality she's simply hijacking the proceedings to talk about a nightmare she had, which the demon king decides to approve for whatever reason to the others chagrin.
The princess says her nightmare is about a boy she knew as a child (wait, how old is she?) who looks shockingly similar to Akatuski, but since she can barely remember him, he ends up becoming "Anantoka-kun". (Something-or-other-kun.) Existence with "Something or other" was terrible, as he would do things like bring her roses with thorns and flowers with bees in them. (Mostly by mistake, poor kid.)
"Something-or-other" would often play with the princess and race up a hill that had plenty of tricks and traps on it, and while the princess would be relatively unharmed by these, Something-or-other wouldn't be quite as lucky. It's even implied he fell off the top of the hill at some point, but even with that the princess barely remembers him, lol. She then drops the pertinent info that her father may have said she's engaged to marry him when they're older, in the most casual way possible which the monsters freak out at. "Was that part of the dream or...."
Feeling better after ranting about "Something-or-other", the princess rests well, and the monsters never figure out if she's really engaged or not. The priest monster thinks about it for a second .."A childhood friend with a name that starts with "A"...and it occurs to him that perhaps the hero on his way to the castle and the annoying childhood friend might just be the same person.....looks like this confrontation with Akatsuki just got more personal. The series seems to be doing pretty well so I doubt it's ending, but it certainly feels that way.
A wonderful distance shot and dual page spread in Aozakura this week. The series is on break for issue #26, but in 27, summer vacation starts for the crew!
Megumi also returns after a long time off with a girls night in. The one blond girl --Kaede speaks like a dude for some reason (Uses Ore and everything!) Sadly her info isn't on WSS's page so I don't have the means to find out more, but this is her first sleepover apparently.
It wouldn't be a sleepover without a trip to the hotsprings would it? Mami --short girl with a camera, is all about trying to get good shots of the female form, and is disappointed when Kaede shows up with two towels. Gender be damned, she knows what she wants!
After a bit of girls talk, the gang gets ready for bed, and Kaede thanks Megumi for inviting her as she had a really good time, but the festivities stop for a sec as...
Ma-kun comes with a delivery for Megumi. We don't get pages that are just one panel like this much in Shounen, and so I treasure this one.
Of course with friends like these, it wouldn't be any fun with out them messing with Megumi in regard to relationship to Ma-kun. When Megumi says he's just a friend who's bringing over dog food, Kaede seems overjoyed, --and it's implied because she might like Megumi...but she didn't know who Ma-kun was before this so...huh. Anyway she's unable to sleep for the rest of the night upon this revelation which implies there might be a romantic triangle brewing...
Be blues with two dual page spreads filled with celebration. In any other manga this might be a faux pas, but the closeups, focal points being in odd spots, and just the pure emotion dripping from these pages more than makes up for it. The protagonist's team won and you'd be lying to yourself if these illustrations didn't make you happy too.
Saike is up next with his 81st installment. To my surprise this arc is ending next week, so this is essentially the penultimate chapter. How does it stack up to the really good development this arc has had? Let's investigate.
Hirayasu is getting the snot beaten out of him in a continuation from last week, he still doesn't believe that he's part of the "M" that have special powers, but as each blow lands he begins to consider the possibility of having an ability that would make this pain stop which begins to cause him to transform...
That is until Saike steps in and demands that the bully take his words back about the weak being subservient to the strong.
"All the weak need is not a reason or the right to stand against the opressive, but merely a spoonful of courage...!!" Fukuchi doesn't use dual page spreads much, and as far as this one goes, it's nothing all that impressive, but Saike's words really drive the point home here. Fukuchi's also got this thing with inconsistent charcter depictions, but man, I don't even care I love this page(s) so much. Saike looking quite a bit different than usual only drives the point further. He's matured so much since chapter one, and his eyes show it.
Hirayasu is inspired by Saike to take matters into his own hands, and what's interesting here is that Hizu says to the bully that his "role" is done here. The implication is a little strange, even though I get what Fukuchi meant by it. Still, one shouldn't have to be bulled to grow stronger --even though it is often the case in real life. Fukuchi does another dual page spread in this chapter, and even takes a little from Fujita's quasi dual page spread format. Ahh that punch is so satisfying to see.
Saike then talks to Hirayasu and tells him that he doesn't need power but heart to be brave. Admittedly after the train ride we've been on for the last few weeks, this ending is anticlimactic, and let's face it --saccharine, but it makes sense in the scheme of things, and it has the added bonus of resolving an issue without relying the abilities of the series, and while it was a bit "Saturday morning TV" ish, Fukuchi's point still stands....that it does only take a little bravery to make a difference. There's one more chapter in this arc left for next week, and it'll be interesting to see what Saike sets up before it possibly goes on hiatus for a bit.
Youkai giga is next up on the hit parade, and this week's Youkai is the Momokuren which are spirits that live in sliding paper walls. If one looks at these eyes too long they may go blind.
These Momokuren have got their eyes on a pretty girl victim --and they hope to steal her eyes, however what stands between them and their goal are cats who find the eyes most interesting and gather to poke holes in their defenses.
The Momokuren try to call out to the girl to wake up and deal with her cats, but she's in the middle of having a perverse dream. The cats have a field day poking holes in the sliding wall basically destroying the Momokuren, inadvertently saving the girl who mumbles in her sleep that "all's well that ends well". A cute and funny short for the first half, but that's followed up by...
The next story about the Jorougumo which is a golden orb weaving spider. The box there says they're a female youkai race that uses their bewitching charms to entrap men, however...
The Jourougumo in this case is being pursued by humans --recalling a time when she was close with a young human named Heita, who expressed dismay at her habits of killing woodland creatures and generally disrespecting the gift of life. Heita tries to explain that all creatures should live together in harmony, which the young spider youkai scoffs at, but when Heita points out that they're friends she realizes he may be onto something.
Another instance where kids wandering into the wrong part of the forest ends with them keeping their lives, and Heita being injured by the spider girl seems to cement in her memory his wish for all species to live happily. However the humans pursuing her catch up and they don't intend to let her go as monsters like her are a blight upon their land.
Even if she were to promise to live quietly away from mankind, her very existence is a problem to them. She begins to transform to fight, but can't bring herself to as it would make her the very monster who cannot live with humans that Heita decried --but then she sees something that causes her blood to run cold --a familiar injury.
We're not treated to her end explicitly, but the soldiers comment that the woman calls Heita's name in her final moments. Heita waves this off and they persist mentioning he lived in this area so it wouldn't be weird if he happened to know her. Heita --ordered by the higher ups prepares to take her head, all while saying "I don't remember anything about stuff that happened when I was a kid." All while making a demonic face of his own. The splash text on the side asks which one is purer? Monsters or Humans, and which one are you (the reader?) Didn't think we'd get something like this out of Youkai Giga, but...wow. I think I might stick with this series if it can keep handling tragedy and comedy this well.
And another rare face on the blog, the Unscientific Laboratory featuring Fukuchi himself! It's becoming apparent to me that Yokoyama's short series at the back of the magazine each week is actually more like illustrated interviews he has with authors. Fukuchi has mentioned on twitter that he has many cats, and they do tend to get in his way when he's trying to work as pictured here.
On these pages, Yokoyama's avatar asks Fukuchi (after wondering if he's actually an ability user who can control cats) about his first serial --the Law of Ueki. Fukuchi says the idea for that series came from him wondering what he'd do if he were to suddenly be blessed with special abilities --a question he asks himself even as an adult. Yokoyama mentions that Fukuchi's specialty seems to be in abilities that aren't necessarily very cool, and Fukuchi confirms that he doesn't care much for "cool" powers, and it's much more interesting to revel in the mundane as that comes up with more interesting battles --he uses a kotatsu as a an example --it could be a kotatsu user who saps the energy out of his opponents and can do so for up to four people who's weak to summer. --Sounds like Fukuchi to me. There will be more of this next issue, and I'll bring it to you because I have a mighty Fukuchi bias, lol.
And that's it for this week's Sunday on Wednesday! In the next issue we'll have a lead color page for King of Idol, color pages for RINNE and Tenshi to Akuto, the second chapter of Meteor Girl, and the final chapter of part 9 for Saike --all with Mizuki Yamashita, Ririka Itou and Momoko Ozono on the cover. I hope the later day on Wednesday didn't throw you guys off, and you enjoyed this week's entry! Until the next Sunday on Wednesday everyone!
Comments
Post a Comment