PDI Bookstore Blog

Crimson Labyrinth

2006-12-26T11:32:00.000-08:00

by Yusuke Kishi

Some horror get their scares by making you forget you are reading horror, then sneak up behind you with the big scare. Movies like “Ringu” and “Audition” are good examples. A book like The Prestige is another. Other times we are dropped into the horror right from the get-go. For example, “Tomie” and “Ju-on” don’t give the viewers much time to get settled before the scares begin.

The Crimson Labyrinth succeeds in employing both these techniques. From the opening page we know unemployed businessman turned, Fujiki, has been transported to a faraway strange and unfriendly place as he awakes from a heavy sleep.

“He felt something hard against his spine and shoulder blades, and
realized he was lying on the bare ground…
Where am I?
It was a reasonable question, but no answer came to mind.”
(p5)

We soon learn that Fujiki, along with a woman he meets, Ai, are two of nine participants in an evil and deadly game. These nine Japanese participants, seemingly selected randomly, are trapped in a maze of red rock valleys. Initially they only have handheld game devices that give them instructions on how to proceed. Initially the idea is for everyone to work together, but this is a game and in a game there can be only one winner. The evil individual or group that put this game together did not have cooperation in mind…

The Crimson Labyrinth has been compared to a host of other stories – Battle Royale meets The Running Man meets “Lost” meets Lord of the Flies – and all of them do have factors recognizable. Like most of the stories it is compared to, the author seems to be making a statement about the state of society today. Within the manageable group of nine (easier to keep track of than Battle Royale’s forty combatants) we see different parts of society, and how decisions and promises are made and broken makes the reader think of what he or she would do if found in this seemingly impossible situation. Because of the Japanese nature to tend to create harmony rather than conflict, the game masters (and the author) have to come up with a few ingenious ways to put kinks in the already unstable trust the group builds. (Is it any wonder that the Japanese version of “Survivor" was a total bust, while the American series is still going strong? I understand there just wasn’t the fun-to-watch conflict in the Japanese version.)

The way the game plays out, through cryptic messages from the game machines keeps the story very mental and heady. But let us not forget that this is still a horror novel...

Difficult to put down, The Crimson Labrynth isn’t the deepest reading from Japan, but it is both thoughtful and frightening, a fun combination not to be missed.

Coffin: The Art of Vampire Hunter D

2006-11-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

Yoshitaka Amano

Before my vacation, I had to let you know about a recent release that will make a great present...for yourself!

There are reasons a title can stay on the lips of readers for decades without losing momentum, only to increase its growing legions of fans. In the case of Vampire Hunter D, it's because of it compelling writing and striking original artwork. Coffin: The Art of Vampire Hunter D gives us a definitive look into the second reason this series of manga, anime and fiction of has a vampire-like lifespan.

This book is massive. With almost 200 full page illustrations and paintings in a large format you can really get up close to, this will be a book that is treasured by longtime fans, and studied by students of Yoshitaka Amano. From pen and ink to full-on paintings, a range of styles can be seen.

Included among the opening pages is an original piece of short fiction by creator Hideyuki Kikuchi (presented in both Japanese and English). It sets a nice mood for the rest of the book, and it's easy to see what a great match Kikichi and Amano make.

There is a feeling of a dark warmth in characters depicted. The images are not always pretty, but are not revolting in any way. In fact, they are very inviting, drawing the viewer closer in. Amano's craft often tricks the reader at the turn of the page, making one initially think the image is of one thing, but after a second the truer form appears, giving this title a re-readability art books of this size don't always maintain. There is little doubt that 20 years down the road there will even more Vampire Hunter D fans exploring this unique treasure.

2006-11-21T16:05:00.000-08:00

I've gotten a little behind with this, but will be caught up soon. Off to Japan on Sunday for a few weeks, but I will try and keep you updated (with pics) about what's new in Japan.

And here is a piece of good news.

If you have ever been to Japan, one of the biggest differences you will notice is the lack of green grass in parks and school playgrounds. Many times when I saw places that did have green grass, like the city halls and such, there were signs saying "Stay off the grass!" posted all around.

Well it seems that Tokyo officials are making a change for the better.

The Tokyo metropolitan government has decided to turf the schoolyards of all the capital's primary and middle schools over the next 10 years, it was learned Friday.
This is the first time a prefectural government has made such a decision.
When the project--involving about 2,000 public primary and middle schools--is completed, the turfed area will be equivalent to twice the size of the Imperial Palace's grounds.
The metropolitan government hopes the move will moderate the so-called heat island phenomenon and provide children with an improved environment for outdoor
activities.
Tokyo's school playgrounds were mostly soil-based until the 1960s, when the trend of covering them with asphalt began--initially in urban areas. Recently, due to its drainage properties, crushed limestone has been used to surface playgrounds. Rubber chips, which are often used in all-weather tennis courts, are also popular. Currently, only 44 primary and middle schools have playgrounds that are totally covered with grass.

Here's a link to the whole story.

Ohikkoshi

2006-11-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

by Hiroaki Samura

A romance comedy by the writer of Blade of the Immortal with cover art based on a Thin Lizzy album cover…translated into English? Yes, yes, yes (the album “Fighting”) and an enthusiastic yes! After much anticipation by Hiroaki Samura fans, Ohikkoshi is now available in the US.

Don’t let the “romance comedy” distinction throw you. There is nothing sappy or sticky here... no fairy princesses with fuzzy side-kicks or poofy-haired heroes with 20-inch waistlines. This collection of stories is funny, frentic, and surprisingly moving.

“Ohikkoshi” is the story of a group of college friends, bumbling and stumbling through life. The most simple of decisions are made with the help of heaping amounts of alcohol, in an effort to avoid the real issues of finding love and starting adult life. The multi-branched story is honest and touching, while at the same time very entertaining.

“Luncheon of Tears Diary (Vagabond Shoujo Manga-ka” is the fantastic tale of a manga-ka (comic artist), Natsumi, who takes poor advice from her perverted editor, and ends up ruining her serial comic. Depressed and frustrated she quits the comic world and goes on a 14-year life adventure with so many unfortunates twists, losing her manga series is only a drop in the ink-well. From gambling with gangsters to fetishist boyfriends, Natumi’s luck always runs out at the most inopportune moments, leading her deeper into more dangerous and harrowing situations. Where the travel-worn and experienced manga-ka finds herself in the end wraps up this treacherous tale nicely.

The final short tale, “Bloodbath at Midorigaike (Kyoto Super Barhopping Journal)” is a funny little ditty about a visiting a supposedly haunted lake in Kyoto. Bonus pages include a afterward actually worth reading, and bonus drawings. Translator notes (with page and frame number references) give explanations to the dozens of pop culture references most non-native Japanese speakers wouldn’t catch or understand. How translator Kumar Sivasubramanian is able to assemble these tidbits and trivia is beyond me, but the non-Japanese reader can come very close to enjoying the same experience as the readers of the original Japanese.

Hiroaki Samura’s drawing style is on of the most attractive things about this Ohikkoshi. Unlike the very clean and sharp (and beautiful) titles we have seen recently (i.e. Reiko, The Zombie Shop), Samura’s style seems rough, yet calculated. It doesn’t feel rushed – quite the contrary –some of the pen strokes shading clearly took patience and time to complete. As a result his style exudes a certain warmth and personality which is very appropriate for how close we get to the characters we meet. He creates an intimacy that fits perfectly with the storyline.

As a reader, it’s easy to appreciate Dark Horse’s reverence for Samura's writing, and there is a real sense that they are attempting to create a complete and definitive document of his original work in English. Ohikkoshi is smart, smarmy and very hard to put down.

Line

2006-11-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

by Yua Kotegawa

On her way to school the beautiful and charming Chiko finds a cell phone someone has dropped. Before she has the chance to take it to the train station lost-and-found, the phone starts ringing. The voice on the other end tells her that a person will die in front of the train station at 3:50! Just as Chiko is about to drop off the phone, the phone rings again. This time the voice instructs Chiko, by name, to get to the roof. Naturally, Chiko hesitates at such a command from a stranger, but moments later the reason for the stranger’s command is clear, as a suicidal girl jumps from that very roof at the exact time predicted.

Chiko and her bookish friend, Bando, witness the suicide, and are the only ones who know about this mysterious phone caller. The adventure that follows, a night of rescue attempts and exploring the mystery of the mysterious caller, is intense and exhausting.

Chiko and Bando’s adventure is not only a race around Tokyo, but also an personal exploration for this odd couple. Chiko is outgoing and popular, and Bando is introverted and largely ignored at school (despite her athletic talents). Both girls learn about themselves and each other as they follow the directions of the strange voice in an effort to prevent suicides around the city.

Who is the mysterious caller? Is he predicting or causing the rash of suicides? The elusive answers to these questions take a back seat to the connection to Chiko and Bando make. This story is more about the ride than the destination, although the reader may be left with unanswered questions, there is a sense of closure at the end. This makes the reader wonder, what will the second volume be about?

Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man 1

2006-11-07T16:43:00.000-08:00

by Kim Young-Oh

Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man represents Dark Horse’s entry in the new world of Korean manhwa (comics), and what an explosive entry it is!

Banya is the story of barren, war-torn world littered with armies of ogres and massive man-eating monsters. Living within this chaos is Banya and his small band of delivery men, who make it a point of being “Fast. Precise. Secure.” Mei is the sassy young girl, whose mouth can get her into as many tough situations as it gets her out of. Kong is the dedicated side-kick, always trying to impress. There is no package they won’t take, no message that can’t be sent, as long as payment is made up front.

The first chapter introduces us to Banya, and it is one of the best intro to a comic we’ve seen in a while. As humans and the mutant-like Torren engage in an epic battle, (some great full-color pages of battle open the chapter), a single figure hops, skips, and hacks his way to the human leader. But he is not an assassin – this is Banya, delivering a properly paid-for message to the general, enemy axes and arrows be damned.

The heart of the story is about an exhausted messenger who chances upon the postal carriers. He is being followed, and the small group of messengers must figure out how to help the dying man and get his package delivered, and at the same time avoid be killed by the ruffians following him. Mei and Kong use their guile to distract the bad guys as Banya gets a head-start, but losing his camel to a gwichi (essentially an over-sized sarlaac) is going to make staying far ahead difficult…

Good story-telling is good story-telling, whether it’s from Japan, Korea, or anywhere. Banya is a dynamic tale where the world the delivery men live in is really the main character. From mountains to forests to deserts, we see a variety of terrain as well as a range of unusual creatures that inhabit this strange land. What is unique and interesting about this first volume of Banya is how the small group of postal workers don’t seem to be effected by the wars and danger so close to them. They seem to live only to deliver the packages of paying customers, and to be unable to do so would be the epitome of failure.

The dialogue in Banya is certainly written with a sly, and sometimes snide, sense of wit. In some places this sense of humor is successful, and in others a little more immature than the mood should allow. The members of the post office appear very young, and their comments reflect this a little too directly at times. The most memorable scenes, in fact, are dialogue-free.

The frames without word balloons allow you to really see the superb art and composition of Banya. The bonus color pages, rich details and epic full page shots make Banya a sandy feast for the eyes. Once you devour the story, you’ll want to go through again and soak in the rich details of the landscapes and creatures. Kim’s artwork is stunning.

Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man is an exciting new series that pulls the reader in, literally from page 1. The occasion groaners in the dialogue are quickly forgotten after the bloody swing of a sword or bizarre monster attack. Even for a fantasy-type title, Banya is very accessible. It is directed less at fantasy fans, and more at those that like intense action and a fierce story. Banya 2 is released on December 20.

WHO FIGHTER and Heart of Darkness

2006-10-30T16:43:00.000-08:00

by Seiho Takizawa

As a young boy, I remember the great pleasure I got out of reading U.F.O. comics of the day. Sold as true tales of alien invasions, the classic comics were as much about the “top-secret” government cover-ups as they were about the bizarre experiences of the military men who encountered the other-worldly visitors. I hadn’t been reminded of those fantastic tales in years until I read the first story in Seiho Takizawa’s first English title, WHO FIGHTER.

WHO FIGHTER is a WWII manga, with two complete stories and one short vignette. The title story tells the experience of a Japanese fighter pilot who shoots down a strange fireball over Japan during WWII. What follows is a strange and twisty tale, and the only thing more odd than the suspicious G-men investigating the incident is the fireball itself. Are the bizarre events that follow the result of this alien phenomenon, or are they all in the pilot’s head. There is strong evidence to suggest both, which makes WHO FIGHTER an exciting and unique story, right up through the final frame.

The second complete story is Takizawa’s version of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (which will also be recognizable to readers as the story Francis Ford Coppola’s film “Apocalypse Now” was based on.) A Special Ops soldier is sent on a secret mission to find and “remove from command” a Colonel who has deserted his post and taken his men into the jungles of Burma to build a utopian society. The story is as much about the journey into the jungle to find Colonel Kurutsu as it is about the struggle the Special Forces soldier has with the mission. “This time…my target is Japanese,” he reminds himself as he drinks sake with a geisha in an attempt to relax before the mission starts. This is a thinking person’s war story, and the tone and delivery make it a very worthy rendition of Conrad’s classic. In the Afterward Takizawa makes some interesting comments on adapting Heart of Darkness, and on the writing process in general.

One cannot get more than a few frames into WHO FIGHTER without being struck by the artwork they hold in their hands. The distinguished and precise drawings are very realistic when it comes to machinery, vehicles and buildings. Whether you are a World War II buff or not, the attention to detail is clear. The characters have a distinct look, and the thin-line shading is done to perfection.

Although almost all the characters are soldiers, and the stories are set during wars, these tales are hard to call simply “war stories”. These stories are on the edge of war, and the edge of reality. Now we can only hope and wait to see more of Takizawa’s work in the near future.

Scary Book 3: Faces

2006-10-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

By Kazuo Umezu

Each installment of the Scary Book series explores the horror in its title theme. The first book, Reflections, explored what happens on the other side of the looking glass, and what happens when a young girl’s reflection breaks into our world. The second book, Insects, dug into a girl’s irrational fear of butterflies, and revealed a twisted tale of abuse and murder. This is the third installment in the Scary Book series and the title theme is Faces.

Two full-length stories are included in this volume, and both explore society’s attitudes about physical beauty. “Fear” is the first story and opens with the tale of two sisters. Momoko is worshipped as a natural cutie by anyone who lays eyes on her. Her plainer younger sister, Aiko, is summarily ignored into almost non-existence as they grew up. (Though, in fact, it’s hard to distinguish much difference in the two, besides hair-styles, thanks to Umezu’s art work. All his female leads tend to look alike, which adds an interesting twist to this story.) Just as the sisters enter high school and Momoko starts a relationship with the dreamy Takaya, Momoko trips and falls down the stairs, scarring her perfect face to an unrecognizable state. How the story plays out is shocking and sad, and it shows a richer exploration of the societal pressures (both real and created in Momoko’s head) than we have seen in earlier volumes. The extremes the sisters go to fix Momoko’s mangled mug are horrifying, but the ending is the most unsettling.

The second story, which takes up about 2/3 of the volume, is titled “The Coincidental Letter”. This story opens with the story of another young girl, Yoko, waking up late to school. (Does Umezu ever have boys as the lead characters?) This leads to a downward spiral of a terrible day for Yoko, and she proceeds to air all her frustrations in a letter addressed to the target of frustration, her teacher. She writes things like “A woman like you will never get married…”, “Your legs are crippled…”, and “You’ll fall off a cliff…” among other comments of her ugliness and lack of popularity. But instead of sending the letter to the teacher, she makes up a random address in Hokkaido and tosses it in the mailbox. This leads to a series of coincidences, as the address was a real address, and the recipient, Suzuko Yamada, was actually crippled, but about to be married. The letter throws Yamada into a suicidal depression, and her sudden disappearance becomes a national news item. The country wants to know where Suzuko Yamada is, and who wrote that horrible letter. “The Coincidental Letter” has elements of horror, but isn’t a horror story in the same way as the earlier Umezu stories are. Like “Fear” it explores elements of the human condition we don’t often see in horror manga.

Umezu goes in a slightly different direction with Scary Book: Faces, and I think it is to the reader’s benefit. The artwork maintains Umezu’s distinctive style. He has a way of turning the cute into the grotesque with a few pen strokes, and the distinct faces of the main characters are kept under wraps for just the right amount of time, so that turn of the page will elicit a gasp as big as if each girl were standing right in front of you.

This is the third book in the Scary Book series, and, at this point, there are no future volumes scheduled to publish. We do enjoy this series, and hope Dark Horse continues bring us Umezu in English, even if just as a yearly Halloween treat.

Plastic Culture: How Japanese Toys Conquered the World

2006-10-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

by Woodrow Phoenix

Why does growing up mean you have to grow out of your favorite toys? According to author Woodrow Phoenix, you don’t have to. Plastic Culture: How Japanese Toys Conquered the World is a colorful exploration in the world of plastic toys in both the US and in Japan.

Now that those lovers of the very first plastic toys are all grown-up there is a new breed of designers, artists, and fans on both sides of the Pacific. Plastic Culture opens with a brief history of American and Japanese plastic playthings from post-WWII to the present day. How both toy cultures influenced each other through cartoons, movies, and comic books is reflected on the toys created. For example, we can see how not only Godzilla had an impact on the west, but how American army shows, like “Combat!” influenced the modeling business in Japan.

Plastic Culture is divided into short chapters, each featuring an influential force on the culture of toys. Godzilla, Fast-Food Toys, Event Promotions…all these cultural influences lead to the meat of the book – the modern phenomenon of Urban Vinyl Toys.

Urban vinyl is the natural evolution of toys, as the adults who played with plastic toys in their youth want to recreate the experience, but from a grown-up angle. Several influences and artists are featured. More modern roots are explored, like the explosion of the toy industry with the introduction of Kenner’s Star Wars line in 1978, and Pee-Wee Herman in the mid-80s. We meet artists from the US, Japan and other parts of Asia and can see how this history of trans-Pacific borrowing and expanding hasn’t stopped.

As interesting as Phoenix’s introductions are, the real excitement of Plastic Culture comes from the large, beautiful pictures he has assembled. Urban vinyl is the fusing with toys and art, and it comes through clearly in the photographs. However, putting the older toys under the same lens we can see the classic Godzilla, Hello Kitty! and Planet of the Apes figures as more than just toys, but also as pieces of art. This is the real intention of the urban vinyl artists, and it also seems to be the intention of Plastic Culture author, Woodrow Phoenix.

YouTube dumping Japanese clips in droves

2006-10-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

This is from is CNN:

YouTube deletes clips on Japanese
media demands

The online
video site removed 29,549 video files after receiving a demand from a group of
Japanese media companies over copyright infringement.

October 20 2006: 6:48 AM EDT

TOKYO (Reuters) -- Google Inc.'s YouTube.com removed
29,549 video files from its popular Web site after receiving a demand from a
group of Japanese media companies over copyright infringement, an industry group
said Friday.

Complete article here

I know a lot of Japanese in the US that use YouTube as a source of news and entertainment to keep up with what's going on the the Japanese media. Naturally copyright infringement is copyright infringement, but I wonder what the damages are? Is there not a benefit to having bands and comedians from Japan exposed to a world market? Can people not see an artist on YouTube, then make the effort to track down a CD or higher quality video? It's a philosophical question I won't try to answer here, but I am not sure what the TV studios in Japan are trying to protect. It isn't like the variety shows are released on DVD, (I can understand the issue with the "home dramas").

School Zone 1

2006-10-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

by Kanako Inuki

More than in the US, in Japan, schools are often the source of a variety of ghost stories and horrific tales. Japanese public schools tend to be large concrete prison-like structures, with lots of wood doors and creaky windows that seem to squeak and rattle from the moment they are installed. Because of clubs, sports, and other after-school activities students are often in the industrial-type buildings after most teachers and other students have gone home. Older kids tell younger kids ghost stories about their school as a light form of hazing, and stories grow from rumors to legend quickly. It isn’t so hard to see how the Japanese school can be the home to as many demons as the American graveyard or abandoned house.

In the first volume of this elementary school horror series, School Zone, writer Kanako Inuki takes advantage of all these factors to create a multi-layered, progressively spooky story. The School Zone itself is the safety zone around the school before the start and after the end of classes each day. This is for kids to walk together to and from school (Japanese schools generally don’t use school buses). Ironically this safe area for the elementary school students is almost as scary as the school itself.

The book is broken into five parts, yet the stories involving a handful of different students overlap and intertwine with each other. The foundation of the story begins with the lore of 13 ghost stories about the school. Supposedly, once you learn all 13 stories, you will begin to see ghosts in the school. A girl named Kimi has supposedly learned all 13 stories, and is now afraid of going to school (and has also been singled-out by her classmates). Kimi is one member of the School Zone group, (a group of neighboring kids who walk together to school), led by the 6th grader, Nanka. The stories in Volume 1 revolve mostly about the members of this small group, and each story sounds like the typical ghost stories young Japanese students might pass along to each other: Nanka finds himself trapped inside a giant mirror (which might remind the reader of Scary Book 1), a young boy is chased by a confiscated doll, a shadow lures a young student away from her School Zone group, a ghost roams the halls, creepy twin girls play kokkuri-san (Japanese Ouija board), and the like.

The stories in School Zone zig-zag from place and theme, with familiar characters (like Nanka, Kami and the twin girls) popping in here and there. It’s not always clear if time is linear and the frantic nature of the story-telling seems to be told from the perspective of an elementary school student. What does advance logically is the level of spookiness as the reader progresses deeper in. What begins as rumors and finger-pointing leads to “Did I just see what I thought I saw?” There is a terrific “Where’s Waldo?”-type display of the ghost of Reiko, who may be a dead teacher looking for her class. By the end we can be well assured that these ghost stories are not simply figments of the students’ collective imaginations.

One interesting touch about School Zone is that because this is an elementary school, the students still have faith in the adults. Some still think that as long as an adult is around, nothing can go wrong. This is the case for a while, but eventually the adults succumb to the spirits in the school as well, in some fantastic and frightening ways, but the addition of this child-like tendency added a tender, if not sad touch to the story.

School Zone falls somewhere between the Scary Book series and Hino’s Lullabies from Hell in terms of style, scares and gore. Any fan of the recent horror manga coming to us from Dark Horse will want to make room on their shelf for School Zone. Volumes 2 and 3 are available now.

Train Man 電車男

2006-10-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

This is in Portland this week. I haven't seen it, but it seems to be less about trains, and more about an introverted internet junkie who falls in love. More information here...

Reiko the Zombie Shop: 3

2006-10-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

by Rie Mikamoto

One thing we can't say about Rei Mikamoto is that he is a predictable writer. Volume 1 was a series of short stories centering on Reiko, a “Zombie Shop” who can reanimate dead bodies, for brief periods, so that any lingering revenge can be executed. Volume 2 was the first part of an epic tale between Reiko and her evil twin sister, Riruka. Alliances are forged on both sides with other necromancers, and both human and zombie blood spills in buckets. In Volume 3 the war between the sisters is concluded in the first half of the book, and then we are treated to a series of short stories.

The first 100 pages or so of Volume 3 bring us the final battles between Reiko and her allies versus Riruka and her cohorts. The body count is high, and in the end there are few left standing. Mikamoto continues to excite the reader with both epic-sized and face-to-face battles scattered with flying limbs and translated with its wry sense of humor intact. The conclusion of this 300 page story (beginning in Volume 2) is both exhausting and satisfying, and made me want to light up a Mild Seven in celebration.

After this battle we are treated to a short story of Reiko visiting an isolated boarding school in Hungary after a series of bloody animal attacks have left the student body in a panic. Reiko is hired as an undercover gumshoe to try to find out what really happened to the slaughtered students. Some nice twists give this short story a sound balance between detective thriller and dormitory horror.

What follows in this volume is a trilogy of Reiko-free short stories written by Rei Mikamoto. According to the Afterward by Mikamoto, at least one of these, “The Hair-Check Massacre”, was written while he was still had a day job in his early 20’s (but in no way does the style or quality suffer).

The opening frame of "The Hair-Check Massacre” is a little like a M.C. Escher drawing, but once the reader gets the angle in focus, it’s quite a frightening scene. Three female high-school students fail their school’s hair check, and their psychopathic teacher tries to teach them the ultimate lesson about respect and fear. (Some schools in Japan have rules about hair-length and dye which elicits the occasional all-school hair check.) The “Tales from the Crypt”-like twist at the end sets the stage for the last two stories.

“Elder Sister’s Face” tells the cringe-inducing tale of a twin sister relationship too horrific, thankfully, ever actually come true. The next short, “God Town”, could have just as easily have been written by Rod Serling. This final vignette is not as gory as the others, but is still a simple and satisfying tale.

One can only wonder what direction the next volume of Reiko the Zombie Shop will go. With its diverse style of (INSERT GENRE HERE)/Horror, it seems like this manga can really go anywhere. Mikamoto seems to have a geyser’s supply of ideas, and being able to mix and match 10-page stories with 300-page stories keeps the readers on their toes. Volume 4 is available now, and Volume 5 is released on December 6.

Twinkle Twinkle

2006-10-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

by Kaori Ekuni

Twinkle Twinkle is the charming first book by the award-winning novelist Kaori Ekuni. Between its covers are both a very modern Japanese tale and a story that crosses cultural boundaries with issues that are human, not exclusively Japanese.

Shoko and Mutsuki were victims of ambitious parents looking to make an arranged marriage for their respective children. Neither Shoko nor Mutsuki had an interest in marriage, and once they realized that, they realized they would be perfect for each other. Or so it would seem. Mutsuki is a gay doctor and Shoko is emotionally unstable and has a fancy for the liquid pleasures in life. By satisfying their parents’ desire to see them married they can “get them off their backs” and live their lives how they desire.

The fact is that the respective parents knew of their own child’s hurdles to marriage, but not of the other child's. This leads to more instability in the virtual fort Shoko and Mutsuki have built for themselves. Another source of both pleasure and strife in is Mutsuki’s lifetime lover, Kon. Although Shoko and Mutsuki live a “sexless" marriage (a popular English term in Japan), the only one without sexual desires is Shoko. Their “business relationship” grows into one of mutual dependence as Shoko and Mutsuki’s secrets start to leak out. More is complicated as Shoko develops a friendship with her husband’s lover at the same time her own father learns of his existence. Keeping the parents happy, a desire for children, alcohol, love, and a husband who tries to set up his wife… all enough to drive anyone over the edge.

Twinkle Twinkle is written from both the husband’s and the wife’s perspectives, alternating voices each chapter. What is revealed is less differing views, and more a mutual desire to support their struggling partners, however they can. The book is written with a real sense of honesty and realism. Some aspects of the story are very obviously Japanese, as in the idea of an arranged marriage, but there are also some more deep rooted Japanese themes. The idea of modern Tokyoites having to create elaborate lies just to fulfill their own personal desires, when honesty is obviously the faster, but more embarrassing path, has a certain Japanese charm to it.
Certain other aspects have more internationally recognizable themes. Themes of honesty and betrayal run throughout. Being gay, and fitting into society is certainly an issue people deal with all around the world. Also, where there is alcohol there is alcoholism. However, Ekuni gives us her characters without judgment or opinion. In one scene Shoko thinks to herself, "Before I got married I used to often soak in the tub with a glass of whiskey. It’s a great feeling. The alcohol goes straight to your head…I could feel all the blood in my body fizzing like soda water…” (p60). Ekuni never tries to lead the reader’s opinion, and, in turn, the idea of judgment never calls into play for the audience.

Twinkle Twinkle is a quick read and a satisfying book. It shows the struggles of two unique individuals, but the themes addressed apply to all of us. It’s hard not to feel like you are a close part of Shoko and Mutuski’s lives, maybe even sleeping between them on their steam-ironed sheets.

Welcome the the N.H.K. 1

2006-10-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

by Tatsuhiko Takimoto and Kendi Oiwa

There is a small, odd media subgenre of self-reflective/self-deprecating media which allows a heavy metal mockumentary like “This is...Spinal Tap” to lead to actual album sales, rock videos and tour dates. This same phenomenon can be seen in the Japanese release “Otaku no Video”. This was movie by anime makers about anime superfans (or “otaku”) which both celebrated and made fun of their fanaticism. It was a huge hit among otaku, and at nearly 25 years old is still popular today.

On a similar scale is the TOKYOPOP manga release, Welcome to the N.H.K.: 01. This book tells the tale of Satou, a college drop-out and “hikikomori”. A hikikomori is someone who drops out of society and has little or no social contact with other people. Modern technology has made it possible for more of these people to exist in Japan (text messaging, online ordering, staffless video/DVD rental stores, etc.). Of course Satou doesn’t want to admit to himself, or the cute girl he likes, Misaki, that he is a hikikomori, but all signs point to “DEFINITELY”. All efforts to prove otherwise only force him to look worse and worse. He employs help from his kohai (younger in school) neighbor. His neighbor is an anime and loli-con addict, and thinks the two of them should make a hentai PC game together. At the same time Misaki wants Satou to join her “project” (for hikikomori and otaku). Satou wants to get to know Misaki, but can’t admit he is the weirdo that he clearly is.

What follows is an odd adventure jumping from here to there deeper and more far-out into otaku heaven. From hentai shops to Akihabara maid cafes, this comedic mish-mash of misunderstandings and panty shots is vibrant, energized and very weird.

If all the above italicized terms are a mystery to you, and you don’t know where (or what) Akihabara is, then Welcome to the N.H.K. probably won’t be for you. It is essentially an otaku subculture inside joke. Japan has no shortage of otaku, and there are gigantic manga, cos-play, game shops all over the country. This is a sub-culture with many branches of sub-sub-cultures. As more and more aspects of Japanese youth culture travel west and are picked up by American fans, we are going so see more books like Welcome to the N.H.K. It would be hard to imagine just a few years ago manga translated into English which talked about doujinshi (Japanese for fan-fic and art) and manga cafés even being comprehensible to an American audience. But, thanks to the increased internet usage (on both sides of the Pacific), greater interest in Japanese language study, and just the natural progression of pop-culture evolution, these same sub-cultures are spawning from natural blondes and brunettes over here, and the American manga publishers are responding, as should be expected.

A non-manga or anime fan will probably be a little confused and shocked by the images between these covers, and it wouldn’t be fair not to mention that although the erotic images aren’t particularly titillating (nor are they meant to be), some are more extreme than American audiences might be used to. Attitudes about pornography are different between the two countries. In the US pornography viewing is a more shameful act than it is in Japan, especially some of the fetish types that show up here. The reality is that Welcome to the N.H.K. is laughing at, and laughing with, a very real slice of Japanese society.

This is what makes Welcome to the N.H.K. such an interesting cultural phenomenon. It is otaku material about otaku, which shows us the reality of the hikikomori, but at the same time is a fantasy (the love interest, Misaki), which will keep the otaku reading. One nice feature of this title is the glossary which gives explanations to all the bizarre references which appear in the book. Whether you are an American otaku looking for a story about your Japanese heritage or a curious newcomer who wants to know what the buzz is about, or simply interested in Japanese sub-cultures such as this, then Welcome to the N.H.K. may be what you are looking for. Be warned, it’s not always PC and not always pretty. Volume 2 is released in February, 2007. There is also an animated series broadcast in Japan.

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service 1

2006-10-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

by Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki

Every so often a new book comes around that is so different and unique that it really makes you excited about the whole genre again. Our most recent addition, Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service is that book for us, and we are happy to introduce this new title to you.

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service is a series of short stories about a small group of students attending a Buddhist university in Tokyo. What these students discover is that their skills (both the learned and the extraordinary) don’t translate well into the modern business world, but as a team, they can create a unique, and possibly lucrative, business opportunity. This is the Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service.

One member of the student team is a girl who studied embalming in the West. Another has the ability to dowse for corpses, their leader is also a computer hacker, another can hear messages left by the dead, and then there is the guy with the puppet possessed by aliens. Together they can find corpses, sometimes murdered, sometimes dumped, sometimes suicides, and deliver them to their proper resting places. The real trick is figuring out how to get paid by the dead.

Some have compared Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service to “Scooby-Doo”, but this is a rather inaccurate comparison. It is more like “Scooby-Doo” meets “Zombie Holocaust”, or maybe an even closer comparison would be “Ghostbusters” meets Reiko the Zombie Shop. In reality there is no good comparison, as Kurosagi delivers uniquely entertaining and funny elements with genuinely gory scenes in a bizarrely perfect balance. Kurosagi isn't as “scary” as some of the horror titles we have read recently, mostly because the main characters approach the corpses (who sometimes are reanimated through a yet-to-be-explained power), as a source of income, not fear.

Yamazaki’s art is very clean and meticulous. Whether it is a garbage dump, a wheat field, or a city street, the details are not glossed over, yet the look is never too busy. Much time is also spent on the title corpses. From a mummified old woman to a fresh suicide, the bodies are detailed and appropriately set the mood. This is a business, but these are still dead bodies we are dealing with here, and Yamazaki’s art doesn’t let us forget it. This is a mature title, mostly because of the elements of gore, and rare is the clothed female corpse.

A unique addition to this title is also the post-script “Disjecta Membra”, (or “scattered fragments”). Instead of overwriting translations on the SFX, the translator, Toshifumi Yoshida, and editor, Carl Gustav Horn, added this section to not only translate the SFX, but also explain them, along with other culturally unique situations. Although the information is useful and thorough, the R to L orientation in English takes a little getting used to. (The rest of the book is oriented as the original Japanese, R to L, which thankfully has become the standard.) A concise explanation of Japanese writing makes this addition a real treat for those interested in more than just manga, but Japanese language and culture as well.

This book is very competently translated, not only giving each character its own voice and personality, but also the humor remains mature and not dumbed down for the easy laugh, or show up at inappropriate times.

Overall, Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service 1 is a terrific read for those who like their bodies with a pinch of humor. Otsuka and Yamazaki paint the broad horror genre in a brand-new color. Volume 2 is released on November 29, 2006, and Volume 3 is released in 2007.

Arm of Kannon: Volume 1

2006-10-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

by Masakazu Yamaguchi

Arm of Kannon is a horror/sci-fi title from TOKYOPOP, and our first TOKYOPOP title at PDI's bookstore. And what a title to begin with! Arm of Kannon opens with a two-punch bang of erotica and horror, and sets the stage for the surprising and mature story to follow.

The series starts out as the tale of a high school-aged brother and sister whose father has gone missing while searching for a historical artifact, The Arm of Kannon. An attempted mugging of the siblings leads the arrival of a mysterious sword-wielding bodyguard who deters the attack, but then talks to Mao and Mayo in an odd vernacular, talking about human obligations and little brother Mao’s taste for violence. The mystery man’s musings make more sense when we see the return of Mao and Mayo’s father -- or at least what seems to be their father. Would their real father really cut their mother into pieces and stick her into the refrigerator?

Arm of Kannon is a multi-layered mystery with elements of a military conspiracy (the government wants to use the artifact to make genetically mutated super-soldiers), as well as the classic battle of good vs. evil (in this case, literally, light vs. shadows). Full of bloody battles and humans transforming into monsters, Arm of Kannon has been compared to Legends of the Overfiend, but Arm of Kannon doesn't have nearly as much gratuitous sex scenes, and is overall a more mature and intelligent story.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t some very electric battle scenes. Yamaguchi’s art really grabs the reader's attention, and some surprising full-page frames make for shocking page turns which really add to the horror element of the story.

Arm of Kannon will not appeal to all readers. It is directed towards a mature reader who enjoys the dark-side of manga with elements of horror and sci-fi. Volumes 1 through 8 are available now. Check here for more reviews of the Arm of Kannon series.

Kozyndan

2006-10-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a site we've been enjoying exploring recently. And the prices for the prints are INCREDIBLY reasonable.

Juror 13

2006-10-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

by D.J. Milky
Art by Makoto Nakatsuka
This is our first exploration of a manga not translated from Japanese, but written in English for an English speaking audience. Published by TokyoPop, Juror 13 is a stand-alone book, a complete story in one volume. Writer D.J. Milky has authored several manga-style books for TokyoPop from his homebase in Tokyo.

In the story a struggling insurance claims investigator, Jeremy, finds himself called for jury duty. It doesn't help that his boss is giving him rough time at work, and he can't quite accept that his girlfriend is really through with him. The easy-going guys at the office try to keep Jeremy's spirits up, but they also seem more concerned with their own needs, especially the office playboy, Jake. Jeremy's problems escalate, and it appears his friend Jake may be more than he appears... and does this have anything to do with the unusual look on the courthouse receptionist's face when he showed up for jury-duty?

Juror 13 is rated for OT (Older Teens) mostly because of intense language, and the depth of the story is directed to that level as well. As Jeremy's paranoia mirrors the size of his growing problems, the reader feels the tension that Jeremey does. The unexpected twist at the reveals all, and it is a very satisfying finish.

Reading an American manga was a different experience. In some ways it was nice to have the sound-FX and building names in English, and a Western orientation (L to R), but those interested in Japanese culture and language might feel something is missing.

Juror 13 is a fast read, and is coupled with a 20+ page preview of another American manga coming out, Riding Shotgun. The artwork isn't particularly unique for this genre, though there are some nice intense scenes near the end. The story relies a lot on a sense of danger and impending doom, and although Nakatsuka's art is very clean, it does deliver in unpredictable layouts that are visually pleasing.

Overall Juror 13 is a good read, but not as deep as some of the titles we have looked at recently. For those just getting into manga, it may be a good place to start. Juror 13 would also be a worthy recommendation for a mature teen interested in manga or comics.

Reiko the Zombie Shop: Volume 2

2006-09-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

by Rei Mikamoto

Things take an interesting turn in Reiko 2. Where Volume 1 was mostly a series of short stories revolving around the resurrection of recently killed corpses, Volume 2 tells one long tale, actually the first half of a single story about the battle between Reiko and "The Master”, an evil summoner who wants to rule the world with an army of zombies.

This transformation in story structure also leads to a transformation in the mood of the book. The crisp look of Rei Mikamoto’s style is unique for a horror manga, and it made for a somewhat jarring, but refreshing contrast. Reiko 2 definitely has some scenes of horror, but employs more of an action feel. Reiko isn’t the only necromancer in the land, and in this volume we are introduced to several of her allies and enemies as the stage is set for a battle royale between the mysterious “Master” and Reiko and her friends.

Reiko takes a big turn in Volume 2, but it isn’t a change for the worst. Many new characters are introduced, and the more intricate storyline requires a little more attention from the readers. (One cannot help but think the sheer volume of new speaking roles might not be a little bit of a joke on the reader, because… well… we aren’t going to be the ones to ruin the surprise!)

Along with the brethren of new summoners we meet, we learn that every necromancer has his or her own zombie to call for battle. This is one of the most unique aspects of this book. Each summoned zombie was usually some kind of killer in life, whether it is a World War II Nazi, a crazy cowboy from the Wild West, or a mummified Egyptian king. Others were'nt even human. Some summoned take orders better than others, and the interaction between the zombies and their masters makes for some very clever and original fight scenes.

The dialog is still very fresh and the art is crisp. It’s easy to get spoiled by Mikamoto’s truly dynamic drawings. Although this first half of two-part story is more straight-forward than the twisted vine-like vignettes of Volume 1, it is still a gripping page-turner, compelling the reader to pick up Volume 3 before Volume 2 hits the shelf.

R.I.P. Testuro Tamba

2006-09-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

Testuro Tamba, who may be better known as Tiger Tanaka, passed away at the age of 84 of pneumonia on September 24.

Tamba was an film actor who appeared in the 007 film "You Only Live Twice" in 1967.

More recently he appreared in the (PDI favorite) "Gozu" and "Happiness of the Katakuris", both directed by (PDI favorite) Takeshi Miike, and appeared in over 200 films during his long career.

Museum of Terror: Tomie 1

2006-09-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

by Junji Ito

It is difficult to discuss horror manga without discussing the work of Junji Ito. Museum of Terror: Tomie 1 is the first in a series of Ito’s work brought to us by Dark Horse.

"Tomie" tells the story of a beautiful schoolgirl whose only fatal flaw is her vanity. This leads to her accidental murder and viscous dismemberment by her suitors, and just as the school is in the middle of grieving for its lost classmate, Tomie suddenly shows up again, wondering what everyone is so upset about. How could this be? We discover throughout the separate stories that keeping Tomie from what she wants can be a very difficult thing to do, and this horrible beauty has a hard time staying dead.

Museum of Terror is made up of nine stories, all chapters in the "Tomie" saga. Stretching over eight years of story writing, we can see not only the enrichments in the story and character, but also a steady growth in the drawing style of the manga. The first chapter has little shading, and has a sketchbook feel to it, which creates a creepy atmosphere all it’s own. The first story almost feels like you are peeking into someone’s morbid diary. As the drawing style develops and becomes more detailed in later chapters, Ito's true horrific genius can be seen, crystal clear.

Each chapter is a stand-alone story, but gives us a few more pieces of the puzzles to what Tomie truly is. For some reason, Tomie’s unquestionable beauty has led to her murder by the boys in her class, who, along with the teacher, proceed to slice her up and hide the body. Somehow Tomie returns, and this cycle of murder and reincarnation will repeat itself over and over, but also morph and change like a genetic experiment gone terribly bad. No matter what form Tomie takes, she seems bent on one thing: revenge, and the bloodier and more painful the better.

We have been looking at quite a bit of Japanese horror in recent weeks, but make no mistake, Museum of Terror really lives up to its name. It’s hard to imagine a truly nightmare-inducing comic book, but Museum of Terror comes as close as we have experienced, and is likely only to be topped by the second volume, Museum of Terror: Tomie 2, which is also available now. Museum of Terror: The Long Hair in the Attic, which is a collection of short horror stories by Junji Ito, is released on October 25.

The first two images are from Chapter 1. The last two pictures are from the last chapter, "Painter". Click images for more detail.

Death Note, the animated series

2006-09-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

I guess we shouldn't be too surprised. Looks like this starts on October 3 in Japan. Death Note 2: The Last Name is released in theaters November 3.

Link to Japanese site

Reiko the Zombie Shop: Volume 1

2006-09-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

by Rei Mikamoto

Although all the comics we bring to your attention are new to English-speaking audiences, Reiko the Zombie Shop is also relatively new to Japanese audiences as well, with the 11 volume series finishing up last year. Reiko the Zombie Shop: Volume 1 introduces us to Reiko, a high school girl with the unique and special power to raise the dead – at least partially – as the short life of the reanimated corpse will be that of a zombie. During this awakening the zombie can tell whoever is around how she died. And if she died at the hands of another, she might take her brief breath of life to inflict a zombie-riffic revenge.

Reiko doesn’t use her power simply for the benefit of her fellow man. She makes no bones about it; she is in it for the money. The people that hire her are usually trying to find out how a loved one or friend passed away. Reiko recommends chaining down the body before bringing it back from the dead, as if the guilty party is in the room – the person that had a hand in the untimely demise – there is no telling what might happen. Of course, just because a person is a zombie, doesn’t mean they are brainless, and sometimes they have a wily way of getting out of those chains during their short stay in the land of the living…

Reiko the Zombie Shop is cleverly arranged as a group of short episodes combined with a longer story about a serial murderer who kills little girls in a small town. The stories combine elements of humor with horror, which keep the reader always guessing. You don’t know if you will be turning the page to a cute little scene, or a blood-soaked zombie attack!

The style of Reiko is more modern than some of the manga we have looked at recently. This works both to its advantage and disadvantage. Many of the characters, including Reiko, have a bit of the “standardized” manga character look – the well-known oversized eyes and Barbie doll measurements. On the other hand, this makes the scenes of violence that much more shocking when they happen. The clean look of much of a story is suddenly invaded, and although horror isn’t as graphic as some manga we have seen, the contrast is very sharp and very sudden. This style fits well with the pace and mood of the book.

The translation is handled very competently by Michael Gombos. (You may remember Michael helped us with our article on Dark Horse and manga translation earlier this year.) The English is smooth and appropriate for the story, (it is rated for older teens).

Reiko the Zombie Shop: Volume 1 bursts out of the gates, and sets the mood for the series right from the start. As the stories progress, they get more intense, and the end of the first volume explodes off the pages. It seems to be setting up for more in-depth stories in future volumes. Check here for future reviews of Reiko the Zombie Shop…(Volumes 1~4 are available now. Volume 5 is released December 6, 2006).

Japan wins another silly contest...

2006-09-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

In a continuing effort to win every contest which requires little in the way of talent worldwide, we are proud to present to you Ochi "Dainoji" Yosuke...

Octopus Girl: Volume 1

2006-09-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

by Toru Yamazaki Originally released in the mid 90s, Octopus girl is a different kind of J-horror manga. Combining horror and gore with comedy, the end result is something like Betty and Veronica meet Night of the Living Dead on the ocean floor. It is sometimes scary, sometimes silly, and always original.

Toru Yamazaki has made a splash in the Japanese media as a talk-show guest and singer. His art would lead one to envision a Rob Zombie type character, but his soft-spoken demeanor, and ambisexual fashion reveals more about the catty behavior of his female characters than about the buckets of blood and ooze that cover the pages of work. Unlike more traditional horror manga, Octopus girl is unique and more than a little weird. It’s hard to compare with other manga, as there truly is nothing like it.

The “hero” of our collection of stories is Takako. Harassed by her classmates, she is forced to eat octopus, despite her allergy to them. Somehow, (a word you will use a lot when describing Octopus Girl stories), this turns Takako into Octopus Girl, basically a head attached to eight octopus tentacles. How she gets revenge on her classmates is funny as well as disgusting, and the even funnier part is the entire story is contained in only 15 pages. Most of the stories are about this length, and Octopus finds herself in many bizarre situations usually within a page or two of each chapter’s beginning. The pace is fast and furious and Yamazaki introduces us to other far-out and freaky characters like Eel Girl and Granny Vamp. From singing contests to airplane crashes, Octopus Girl is all over the place. And when things go a little too far, the fourth wall is torn down as we see the reader’s own hands going in to strangle the offending Takako. At times the stories do get a bit dippy, and the attempted strangulation is justified. Although Octopus Girl is technically horror, its very nature forces jumps to other genres as well. And even though Octopus Girl acts like a typical teenager, the language and imagery is definitely not for kids.

If you are looking for standard scares or ghost stories, Octopus Girl will not be what you are looking for. However, if you are fishing for some devilish fun and some kooky, oozy stories then Octopus Girl just may be the girl for you…just watch your back, and cover your nose and mouth!

But he isn't done writing Death Note...

2006-09-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

From Mainichi Daily News:

'Death Note' cartoonist arrested for possessing knife
Cartoonist Takeshi Obata, author of the famous "Death Note" manga series, has been arrested for illegal possession of a knife, police said.
An officer questioned Obata, 37, in Tokyo's Nerima-ku after he was driving his car with the headlights off shortly before 1 a.m. on Wednesday.
Obata, from Musashino, was arrested on the spot for possessing a knife.
Obata made his debut as a cartoonist in 1989. He won a prize for his work, "Hikaru no Go," in 2003. (Mainichi)

In the Pool

2006-09-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

byHideo Okuda

In the Pool was a huge success upon its original Japanese release in 2002. The stories here have gone on to appear in movies and on TV since its release. In the Pool is a collection of episodes about one eccentric psychiatrist, Dr. Ichiro Irabu, the sole doctor in the lonely Neurology Dept. located in the basement of the Irabu Hospital (say, that's the same name as the doctor…). This is clever and rather hilarious collection is by former magazine editor Hideo Okuda, who credits manga as a major influence.

Five tales are told here, each one about a patient with a condition that cannot be treated by conventional methods, and each one a line on a laundry list of “ailments” that plague not only Japan, but human beings in general. Among the poor souls that find themselves consulting Dr. Irabu are a magazine editor who becomes obsessed with swimming, sacrificing work and family time to get in a few more laps; a just-over-the-hill car-show model who starts to believe every man she sees is stalking her; and high-school student so obsessed with text messaging on his cell phone, even a few moments of separation create panic and cold sweats.

Although each character begins as almost a caricature of him or herself, they develop into people we may recognize in our own lives, or even aspects of our own personality. The fun and humor of each story comes from not the ailment, but Dr. Irabu's unorthodox and unexpected avenues of treatment. Often the reader wonders if what Dr. Irabu is doing is even intended for the patients benefit, and simply his own. (The dubious injections given to each patient on each visit by Dr. Irabu’s sexy female nurse give us a clue.) Though in the end of each tale some sort of resolution or recovery path is reached, whether this is by accident or by design becomes clearer as the reader finishes each story. Although each tale is written from the perspective of the patient, we get more and more hints as to what kind of person Dr. Irabu really is.

Translating humor from Japanese to English is one of the most difficult undertakings a translator can expect to take. Comedy is so different culture to culture, and having it make sense and seem natural in the translated language requires real talent, and that talent shows here is the seamless English creation by Giles Murray.

In the Pool is a fun and interesting splash, just slightly deeper than the surface suggests. Dr. Irabu's techniques and ideas collide with not only his profession, but his national culture, and although this isn’t always comfortable for his patients, it makes for pure entertainment for his readers.

STRANGECO

2006-09-01T17:06:00.000-07:00

Urban vinyl, underground toys are popping up here and there. What's cool is the absolute limitless nature of what designers can do. Forget the bobble-heads. Freak out the boss and scare your dog with some of cool numbers at Strangeco.com.

Old Boy Volume 1

2006-08-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi

Rarely does a first volume explode out of the gates like Old Boy. From the opening pages we are sucked into the cool and mysterious story of ... what IS his name?

Our story opens as Old Boy, as we'll call him, is broken out of a mysterious apartment/prison where is has been held for ten years. But who are the Mafioso looking guys who broke him out?... and more importantly, why? Old Boy soon discovers that keeping himself in shape while incarcerated was a good idea, as he handles a group of young punks who try to rob him with relative ease. Taking enough money from them for a decent meal, he meets the beautiful young Eri, who is kind enough to give him shelter for the night. Old Boy needs to get his life back together, but there is something about revenge that can keep a man so preoccupied.

Any attempt to put down Old Boy Volume 1 mid-read should be made at your own risk. This is a fast-paced and fascinating story, told partially in flashbacks, revealing bits and pieces one juicy morsel at a time. Some things the reader finds out that Old Boy doesn't know, and Old Boy certainly hasn't revealed all his cards yet, too.

The style of Old Boy is very crisp and new. Unlike some manga where every character looks the same, where the hero is the tall handsome blonde guy, and the villain is the tall handsome dark-haired guy, Old Boy's look is more unique and ambiguous. Every character has a distinct look, (the title character, especially), yet looks don't tell us immediately who is a bad gu, and who is a good guy, which makes sense for this twisted story. Old Boy himself is cool, but not too handsome, and definitely rough around the edges. Nobuaki Minegishi's art is detailed yet smooth. The drawings are angular and tense. The several scenes of cityscapes are incredibly intricate, and give a real sense of the size of Tokyo, how big the buildings are, and how far the sprawl goes. This is a nice contrast to the claustrophobic nature of the little room Old Boy was stuck in for those ten long years.

This manga was the inspiration for the awesome Chan-wook Park movie of the same name released in 2003, but read the manga first, before watching the movie...the twists are worth the wait.

This manga is intended for mature readers. Old Boy is an intense and breathtaking debut, and should make out to be a sensational series. Old Boy Volume 2 is released on September 27, 2006. Look here for more reviews on future releases of Old Boy.

A McD's toy worth picking up...(but now you gotta find it!)...and UPDATE!

2006-08-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

You may have remembered seeing the Happy Meal toys linked to the Pirates of the Carribean II movie release a month or so ago at McDonald's. (Now don't try and tell us you don't keep an eye on Happy Meal toys!)

Most of the toys are plastic pirate related toys, but two are plush dolls, one of Jack Sparrow, and the other of a skeleton pirate.

These two dolls seemed a little...different...from the rest, and for good reason. According to the latest issue of Giant Robot, they were designed by UGLYDOLL designers, David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim. we thought we recognized them from somewhere.

UPDATE!

We just confirmed with Uglydoll that this was NOT designed byDavid Horvath and Sun-Min Kim! (Thanks for the tip, TommyGreen.) Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it's nice to get paid, too.

Lullabies from Hell: Retribution Part 1

2006-08-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

by Hideshi Hino

What evil lurks in the hearts of men? Hideshi Hino knows, and it seems this evil has leaked from his heart to his brain and fingertips, as this first English release by Dark Horse is dripping with the hideous heebie-jeebies. Where Scary Book is a bit more fun, Lullabies from Hell feels like getting strapped into a Disneyland ride where every cute animatronic robot is spurting blood out its eyes and is trying to kill you. The ride ends when the rickety cart carrying you spills into a gaping hole to Hell.
If Hideshi Hino wasn’t a successful horror manga writer, he surely would be a successful mental institution patient. His imagery is uniquely cute and creepy at the same time. Many of the realities he creates feel like a parallel world, just on the other side of this one (like in the story “Train of Terror”), but very dark and very wicked.

The opening story, “Lullaby from Hell” is the real test of whether or not you are ready to enter Hino’s heinous world. In this story a horror manga writer (Hino himself?) tells his sad life story. As can be expected, as a poor young lad, the writer gets little love and support from his delirious mother and his violent father. What he receives is mostly abuse and punches. As the writer gets older he finds he isn’t as well-adjusted as he initially thought, but he has something better than a stable disposition… The ending of Lullaby from Hell comes from out of nowhere, and will take any and all readers by surprise.

The remaining three stories are also extreme tales of horror. Hino understands the limitless nature of the manga genre, and in takes advantage of this in the oddly green-themed tale “Unusual Fetus – My Baby”. What starts as a traditional told-around-the-campfire tale turns into a frantic story of survival in “Train of Terror”. The regrettable and repulsive tale “Zoroku’s Strange Disease” tugs at your heart-strings while sticking a finger down your throat.

Lullabies from Hell is definitely not for everyone (especially younger readers), and if you are not familiar with J-horror, it might be a little much as a jumping-off point, (The Scary Book series might be a better introduction). But for those who like to laugh at children when they fall down and car accidents, Lullabies from Hell will be a perfect macabre match.

Japanese Graphics Now!

2006-08-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

Taschen is know for their high-end art books covering just about every aspect of art, especially, but also travel, pop culture and other visually stimulating topics.

They have a handful of Japan related books, including books about living in Japan and making manga. Definately worth a look...

Furigana Machine

2006-08-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

You can't always trust a machine...and if there were good machine translations of Japanese to English, we'd be living under a bridge.

That being said, this is kinda cool.

Furigana maker

It doesn't look beautiful, but it adds furigana (hiragana pronunciation) above all the kanji on a website. It isn't always accurate, but gives you a reading.

Scary Book Volume 1: Reflections

2006-08-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

Kazuo Umezo, the “Stephen King” of Japanese manga has a unique and engaging style unlike the “traditional modern” look we associate with Japanese manga and anime. These books are rereleases from original classic Japanese horror books, now for the first time in English. The cherub-cheeked characters reminded me of children from old Chinese public health posters. They seem to hark from a more innocent time, which makes the sinister images that much more unsettling. (It turns out these stories were originally published in 2003.) Umezu’s drawing style is unique, and like some traditional Japanese dolls, it is disarming in its seemingly innocent surface.

Scary Book Volume I contains two complete stories, but the title story, "Reflections” takes up over 3/4 of the whole book. “Reflections” tells the tale of Emi, a doll-faced beauty of a young girl who grows up in a house known as the “Mirror Mansion”, named for its giant mirror, a mirror Emi has been gazing into for years. But as time goes on Emi starts getting the paranoid feeling that she is being watched. One night Emi searches for the source of the paranoia, and finds it staring back at her in the reflection in the mirror. And her reflection is not happy with her…
Emi’s reflection has built up resentment for her vanity, and a crack in the mirror seems to allow the reflection to escape from the mirror, and into the real world. Her reflection takes over Emi’s life, and is always one step ahead of Emi while she attempts to replace the real girl, leaving Emi without a home, friends, or family.

It is at this time we are introduced to Emi’s love-stricken classmate, Wakatano, and his younger sister, Mitsuko. The brother and sister are constantly bickering for Emi’s attention, and they seem to be the only people that acknowledge the real Emi’s existence. Their competitive nature escalates to violent levels as they try to help and distract Emi. Wakatano and Mitsuko are a kind of comic relief, and their gestures and actions recall the humorous violence of comics and cartoons of previous generations. This brother and sister are probably the most bizarre pair of characters seen in comics, and their introduction in this story gives the reader an insight to Umezu’s way-out way of thinking.

The creepiness in “Reflections” comes from extreme contrasts of beautiful versus ugly, and vanity versus humility, in a world that is more than a bit off-center. Its frantic nature keeps the reader’s blood pumping and the story’s pages turning.

“Demon of Vengeance” is also a story of conflict, a good versus evil tale. However, the story is a more of a fast-paced downward spiral. Just when you think things can’t get worse for our hero, Muso Kondo, another gate to Hell seems to open up and a whole new world of pain it introduced.
Like some of the other Dark Horse manga we have looked at (ex. Lone Wolf and Cub and Samurai Executioner), “Demon of Vengeance” is a revenge tale set in the days of the samurai. A vassal of shogun Uda is assigned to protect the shogun’s son, Mitsutada, during a raid on Uda Castle. Muso's son, Shogo, accompanies him on the mission. Food is scarce and tempers short as the spoiled Mitsutada harasses the young, but stoic, Shogo (who might remind the reader of another quiet but steel-eyed youngster, Daigoro from Lone Wolf and Cub). Muso tries to be patient with Mitsutada, but a father can watch only so much abuse of his son, and one day he snaps...

This is actually a tale of double revenge, as the shogun dedicates his life to making Muso’s and Shogo's lives a living hell, after what happened to his son. In turn, Muso does everything he can to destroy the shogun and free his son. Powerful Uda makes things harder and harder for Muso in some rather gruesome scenes, and although usually in samurai stories good defeats evil, we must remember this isn’t a samurai story, it’s a horror story, and the surprising ending is sure to shock and satisfy.

If Volume I is any indication of the rest of the Scary Books, then this will certainly be an exciting series.

American Reporter Discovers the Ge-Sen.

2006-08-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

We usually just post about Japanese books, movies and other media. Yet, couldn't resist taking a page from Anne Ishii's blog at Vertical, and learn about modern Japanese culture from a reporter who sounds like he still probably has jet-lag.

From Newsweek...an unfortunately titled article "Zeon Attack"

"Japan's game arcades are far more extravagant and addictive than those in America. Is that a good thing for a country with a youth employment problem?"

Extravagant? Sure, compared to American ones, but hardly all that big a deal. I haven't seen a new arcade in Japan for over 10 years. The lack of youth motivation I fear has little to do with the lure of the game center.

"You may have seen "Gundam Wing" during a failed run a few years ago on the Cartoon Network. In Japan, it practically passes for religion, with conventions, extensive toy lines and libraries of manga comic books. Now it's spawned a popular, networked, multiplayer arcade game."

Those otaku sure are funny! They pray to Mobile Suit Gundam!

"Welcome to the arcades of Tokyo. In Asia and particularly Japan, video game rooms not only live, but thrive."

Is that why the popular Sega Worlds and other arcades that had admission charges in the early 90s now have free admission, and still are mostly empty?

"The modern arcade is an exotic, sensory-overload, nearly impenetrable to foreigners. "

If he can't get in an arcade, imagine him trying to find his way into a pachinko parlor.

"It is not just a palace of entertainment, but a collection of obsessive subcultures."

starting to see a pattern here....

"Kazuki and Mizuki, two high school sophomores at a Shibuya arcade, told us they play purikura about once a week to capture "memories." "

I wonder what their high score is.

"Dancing games popular in the United States, like Dance Dance Revolution, appear passé."

DDR came from the USA? Did he read the NAME of the game? It's called Dance Dance Revolution! And it's the ONLY game I see people still playing regularly in Japan.

"Players compete against each other on networked terminals in virtual baseball, soccer, tennis, mah-jong and horseracing, each with their own fanatical followings."

...yes....definately seeing a pattern....

"We talked to one college-age player, Maseki, who had an iPod stuffed in his shirt pocket and a Kirin beer in his hand. He said he plays about twice a month at about $3 a game, though the stack of character cards in his hand betrays a deeper addiction."

...there it is again. This poor young man is so addicted, he LIES about it!

"Adults want Japanese kids to leave the arcades, go to work and save the country. But they're too busy saving the world, one Gundam battle at a time."

So often I hear Japanese adults bemoan "If only it wasn't for those arcades! Our children would be working and saving our country!"

The real question is, why do reputable magazines rely on people who know very little to do reports from other countries, when there are thousands of talented and able-bodied writers who live in these countries, and can give an educated perspective? It's one thing to want to report on the sensations of a first-timer, and there certainly is a place for that, but a story on game arcades done after a walk down the street in Shibuya is borderline irresponsible, especially when the reporters wants to peg every player as "obsessive" or "fanatical".

UPDATE: Brad Stone's next article on Japan: "Robot Love:
Japan is obsessed with machines that have arms, legs and head and say 'hello.'"
Opening line: "Robots are everywhere in Japan. " and then a little later, "...the Japanese are obsessed with bipedal humanoids..." oh brother...

Outlet

2006-08-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

Like some of the best Japanese movies, Randy Taguchi’s Outlet dances around several different literary genres, without committing itself to any one. It starts out like a mystery novel, as our protagonist, Yuki Asakura, learns that her estranged brother was found dead and rotting in his apartment. Was it murder, suicide, or natural causes? Or was it something else? As the only anchor in her unstable family, Yuki has to deal with taking care of the clean up and making arrangements for her brother’s funeral. The stress of the situation coupled with some bizarre statements made by the funeral director and corpse clean-up service man (in a scene that reads like something out of a Chuck Palahniuk novel), cause Yuki to have a break with reality. She starts hallucinating scenes with her brother, and it is here our detective mystery starts to flow into spiritual fantasy and psychological horror.

Yuki is forced to start seeing her old psychology professor for counseling, despite the fact their relationship ten years prior wasn’t strictly student/teacher. The two return to their old habits almost immediately, and Yuki begins to wonder if there isn’t more meaning to her sexual appetite and power over men. And why does she suddenly start to smell "death” on people she meets? Could her brother’s death and her animal attraction somehow be related? Do hallucinations always seem this real?

Outlet is unlike anything out there today. Though it is set in Japan, the ideas and themes are very universal. Outlet was translated by Glynne Walley, and it is one of the best translations of a Japanese novel this reviewer has read. Sometimes in translated fiction the dialogue can sound awkward if the translator tries to do too direct a translation. That issue never comes up in what ends up as a very smooth and fluid read. Even with some of the ethereal and metaphysical themes, the language is clear and the images easy to create in the reader’s mind.

Though, not every image is one that one might want to imagine again. In places Outlet can be stimulating and revolting at the same time. The nature of the journey Yuki finds herself on requires her to mentally hit rock bottom before she can complete it. This leads to a series of dream-like sequences, where both the reader and Yuki are not sure if the experiences are real, hallucinations or dreams. Sometimes these experiences are pleasant, but often there are horrific elements involved. It isn’t hard to see why Randy Taguchi’s first novel was a best seller in her native Japan (Randy is a nickname). It also no mystery why PDI favorite Ryu Murakami, author of Coin Locker Babies, called Outlet, “ the most stunning novel I’ve read in the last decade.” The story is unique, the approaches to sexuality and spirituality are new, and the writing is spellbinding.

August is the time for ghosts...chilling tales relieve summer heat

2006-08-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

From Pink Tentacle

Every August, Zenshoan temple in Tokyo opens the doors to its Yurei-ga Gallery, a private collection of Edo-period ghost scrolls. The 50 silk paintings, most of which date back 150 to 200 years, depict a variety of apparitions from the forlorn to the ghastly.

You can read the rest of the English article here, and a gallery of the scrolls is here.

Death Note (漫画)

2006-07-31T15:04:00.000-07:00

We talked earlier about the "Death Note" movie that came out in Japanese movie theaters in June. In a continuing effort to find the coolest and most interesting Japanese media, I have read the first two issues of the Viz English manga, Death Note, from which the movie is based. So far 6 of the 11 Japanese volumes have been translated into English, and hopefully we will see a theatrical if not simply a DVD release of the movie (actually two movies...Part II reaches Japanese theaters later this year).

Simply put, I have never read anything quite like this. The title and covers imply some kind of horror story, but Death Note is much more challenging than simple horror. Without revealing too much, (going in knowing very little has made the experience that much better), Death Note is more of a large scale moral battle. We learn early on that the Death Note itself is a notebook, in which it's owner can write the name of any living person and they will die (time and means of death are up to the owner). These notebooks are usually held by the gods of death, but occasionally they can fall into human hands, as is the case where our story opens. What follows is sometimes shocking, sometimes frustrating and always keeps you wanting to read more. What would you do if you could eliminate any person you wanted to? How could you possibly be caught? Brains and wits are required when using the Death Note...especially when all the world is looking for it's owner...

Kazuo Koike at Comic-Com recap

2006-07-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

San Diego's Union Tribune has a great article on Kazou Koike's trip to Comic-Con, sponsored by Dark Horse comics.

“One of the major themes [of Lone Wolf and Cub],” Koike said through an interpreter, “is the parent-and-child relationship in Japan. The parent-and-child relationship today is not so good.”
Ogami and Daigoro – the fiercely protective father and the loyal, obedient son – “are something of a model,” Koike said.
Like his characters, the 71-year-old Koike believes in old-fashioned values. This weekend's stop at Comic-Con is his first appearance at an American comics convention, but he is revered in the world of manga, or Japanese comic books. He owns his own manga publishing house and teaches his techniques as a professor at Osaka University of Arts.
His talents extend beyond comics. He founded a golf magazine, served as the host of a TV show and writes novels and poetry.
But Koike is best known as manga's storyteller supreme, spinning tales of assassins and generals, monks and prostitutes, farmers and detectives. His yarns are rich in historical detail – “Lone Wolf” and “Samurai Executioner” are set in medieval Japan, while “Lady Snowblood” takes place in the mid-19th century – and in character.
“Comics are carried by characters,” he has preached over and over. “If a character is well-created, the comic becomes a hit.”

You can read the entire article here.

The Haiku Apprentice: Memoirs of Writing Poetry in Japan

2006-07-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

The Haiku Apprentice is a memoir of Abigail Friedman, a remarkable woman who lived as a diplomat in Japan for two years. In her book, the journey of a woman in Japan writing, discovering and exploring the ancient Japanese art of Haiku poetry is laid out in a style accessible to any reader. I highly recommend this book for anyone with even a passing interest in haiku or Japan.

I was immediately drawn to this book simply by the title. The Haiku Apprentice conjures up the image of a remote sanctuary; the student living side by side with the teacher, exploring the depth of their self identity and their passion for their art. And though this romantic image is somewhat different when finally compared to Abigail Friedman’s honestly scripted experience, I think that parallels can be drawn between the image and the reality.

One thing that I appreciate about this book was that Friedman could have chosen to write a fascinating memoir simply about her experience as an expatriate and a diplomat in Japan. Her life story seems to be very unique, full of travel and adventure and she could have chosen to write about her experience from any number of fascinating aspects. However, she chose to tell a story via her very specific experience with haiku. By doing so, she brings haiku to the reader in a way that doesn’t feel like a textbook or a lecture on the intricacies of an archaic art form. In fact Friedman lets the reader know that Haiku is an art form very much alive in contemporary Japan.

Friedman meets a member of a haiku group who invites her to join the group to see for herself what it is like. Despite her uncertainty Abigail’s adventurous spirit guides her. Traveling to a part of the country she has never been to before she meets Momoko, the group’s resident haiku master, and discovers that there is more to this coveted art form then a 5-7-5 syllabic structure. She starts to see haiku differently than before, and her understanding of this art form takes shape. As she describes her struggles learning to find the perfect kigo, or seasonal word, to make her haiku just right, the reader passes through the Japanese landscape along with her.

The book is organized in what seems to be a series of separate, but related, anecdotes or journal entries. I enjoyed this style because it gave me a sense of the reality from which the book came, that these were real memories from a real person. And in that sense, it felt as though I was being brought closer to the writer.

The haiku that are strewn throughout the book are written by a variety of people, from the old, revered Japanese masters such as Basho and Issa to Mrs. Friedman herself; she even includes a wonderful anecdote about a caption she read on the side of the bus. She writes “Well, I knew it was an advertising jingle, but still, wasn’t it an advertising jingle haiku?” As she encounters more haiku and begins to learn more about it, Friedman also gains a deeper understanding of Japanese culture

It is intriguing to read how Abigail’s first impression of haiku is challenged as she uncovers more about this once elusive poetic style. Her story is charming and relatable, with tales about her work and life with her family mixed into her account of private meetings with her haiku and calligraphy teachers. She tells us about her experiences; her joys and frustrations while living in the foreign land and her personal relationship with haiku seems to thread through all aspects of her life, grounding her experience in Japan.

Anyone can appreciate this book, having traveled to Japan or not. So, order a copy today, and then be the first one in the neighborhood to start your own haiku group!

Eiga Hiho

2006-07-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

What could be arguably called Japan's coolest magazine (at least for those into underground movies and culture), Eiga Hiho (映画秘宝　or "Cinema's Hidden Treasure") brings the obsure and weird to the surface.

As popular as some Japanese magazines have gotten in the US, I am a little surprised more people haven't heard of this magazine, and I had to special-order it from our local Kinokuniya Bookstore to get it in the US. It's usually available at bookstores in Japan, though I have never seen it at a convenience store.

Eiga Hiho showcases movies from Japan and all over the world from silent movies, to new releases. The focus is mostly on sci-fi, horror and marital arts films, but there is a generous attention given to the truly bizarre flicks from any genre. Though the magazine is all in Japanese, a rich and colorful layout make it worth a look, even if you don't speak Japanese (and, as you can see, many of the article titles are in English). You can see more at 映画秘宝 on the Web.

More on release of Kitano's first English publication

2006-07-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

From VERTICAL:

Japanese Filmmaker Takeshi Kitano's Short Story Collection in US Next Summer

July 10, 2006 – Vertical, Inc. announces acquisition of English rights to publish Shonen (Boy) - a collection of three stories by acclaimed film director Takeshi Kitano (aka Beat Takeshi).
Originally published in 1992 by Shinchosha, Kitano's short story-collection explores the coming-of-age of three adolescent boys.

The first story is about a ten year old who despite excelling at schoolwork cannot shrug off his younger brother's superiority in sports. When he finally gets a chance to show off his athleticism, he gets excited despite himself. The second story is about a twelve year old who has just moved into a new city with his brother. They consider themselves fledgeling "astronomers," but the new schoolmates make fun of how cheap and low-quality their telescope is. The third
story is about a 16 year old boy with a penchant for history. He makes a solo
trip to Kyoto, only to run into a modern-day hood rat at his hotel. He becomes
immersed with her gang and ends up giving them all his money.

Boy will be translated by noted Haruki Murakami-translator Alfred Birnbaum, for Summer 2007 release.

The Taisho Trilogy (final) Yumeji

2006-07-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

With much hesitation I broke down to watch the final chapter of Seijun Sukuki's Taisho Trilogy, titled Yumeji. As I feared it was a beautiful and unwatchable as the other two. It's a real shame, too. Suzuki's older works, like Branded to Kill, Tokyo Drifter, and Story or a Prostitute, had so much energy along with their striking imagery. Yumeji moves at a snail's pace, and although the images and color are eye-catching, the story is muddled and confusing. Although unconventional story-telling is one of Suzuki's namesakes, in Yumeji he requires just too much from the viewer.

Death Note

2006-07-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

This site and trailer (see link from front page) looks like the movie is ready made for an international audience. The Death Note manga is available in English from VIZ. The movie was #1 in Japan upon it's release a couple weeks ago.

Beat Takeshi in English...not Manglish

2006-07-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

Vertical went public with some very exciting news on their blog today: They will be publishing Takeshi Kitano's only ever novel, Shonen! When, we'll hopefully find out soon.

What is Manglish? "Manglish is the Mainichi Daily News' new manga section. Updated daily, we give you the chance to read Japanese comics in both the original Japanese, and with an English pop-up translation. "(from the site) ...And it's really cool! Check it out here.

Lady Snowblood 3

2006-06-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

Volume 3 (subtitled “Retribution Pt. 1”) of this series finds us at the cliffhanger that ended Volume 2, and in retrospect, it was a somewhat odd place for a break in the story. In the end, the first chapter of Volume 3 lands a little flat, mostly due to the goofy nature of the true identity of Blackmailer Genjiro. Thankfully, it is the shortest section of the book.

I am happy to report the rest of Volume 3 doesn’t fall victim to the same issue, and the characters Syura Yuki meets, both allies and enemies, are more grounded in reality (well, except maybe the eccentric writer, Miyahara, whom we will talk more about later).

The next story, “The Unveiling of a Pretty Woman and a Strange Tale (女意和戸開帳異聞)” comes in two parts, and at almost 120 pages, is the longest and most complex story we have seen so far. Not only are we introduced to a variety of characters in this story, but we see some nice images of Yoshiwara of Asakusa, in Tokyo. A foreign gentleman is trying to build a panorama in the lowly entertainment district, but the powerful local yakuza is blocking its progress. He asks Lady Snowblood to help allow him clean up the neighborhood by adding higher quality entertainment, something besides the freak shows and fake exhibits which clog the streets. She can help by “doing something" about the yakuza tyrants, (terrific Japanese subtlety!) and from here this story bounds from episode to episode as Syura closes in on her targets, and at the same time they hunt for her, (though they mistakenly think “her” is a “him”).

The final story in Volume 3 is, again, in two parts. The title is “Master Crook, the Wanderer (長旅屋詐欺先生)”. In a desperate effort to find the final two attackers on her list, it is suggested that Syura get her life story published to draw out her targets. She then must try and convince Miyahara, the famous but eccentric writer, to pen her story. But before that, she must find him, and he is famous for his random wanderings by train around the country. Miyahara is one of the strangest and funniest characters in this series so far. His personality and movements remind me of something from Lupin III. After a relatively heavy story, the introduction of Miyahara was a welcome change of pace, and it is fun to watch Lady Snowblood, as she is able to use her clever tactics manipulate the oddball old man…but, in the end will her plan work? We won't know for sure until the 4th and final volume.

More than in the earlier novels, I really was struck by the Kazuo Kamimura’s artwork in this book, especially the longest story, “The Unveiling of a Pretty Woman and a Strange Tale”. The scene where the yakuza gang is first introduced is quite stunningly done. There is also a terrific double-page-spread early in this story, which feels like a freeze-frame from a movie, as Syura dodges an attacker’s blow in her signature cat-like fashion. Also Kamimura’s dialogue-free frames over several pages opening the final story are powerfully done. The multiple views of Syura walking among the trains are beautifully rendered.

Dark Horse: An Introduction

2006-06-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

This is the next in a series of articles introducing our Pacific Dreams Bookstore customers to some of the publishing houses we work closely with. Today we will take a closer look at Dark Horse Comics, Inc., which has brought us the graphic novels Lady Snowblood, Lone Wolf and Cub, and Samurai Executioner, with more titles on the way this year.

Dark Horse is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Starting locally in Oregon in 1986, Dark Horse has grown steadily into one of the largest and most respected independent publishing houses and media centers in the world. Founder Mike Richardson now splits his time between the Dark Horse main offices in Milwaukie, Oregon, and the film production branch in Los Angeles, Dark Horse Entertainment, which was established in 1992.

Dark Horse’s ever expanding library includes a growing number of manga titles from Japan. Many of these are classic Japanese comics seen for the first time in English. We recently spoke with Michael Gombos, Dark Horse’s Japanese Licensing Manager about Dark Horse’s Japanese titles and their approach to translating and bringing these titles to an English-speaking audience.

Michael Gombos handles all the correspondence with Japan, on-site translations, and basically finding and bringing in many of the manga titles Dark Horse will translate and publish. He also helps editors correct mistranslations and identify cultural references which appear in the afterword sections of many Dark Horse manga. Mike has been studying Japanese for over fifteen years, six of which were spent in Japan as a translator, a student at Waseda University, a teacher, and as an FM DJ in Osaka.

Overall, Dark Horse publishes over 350 volumes per year. In 2005, 39 of those were manga, in 2006, that number will more than double to over 80, and in 2007, we can expect even more. The most popular titles include Lone Wolf and Cub, as well as Trigun, Hellsing, Vampire Hunter D, and AKIRA, which are some very recognizable titles for anyone with even a fleeting interest in Japanese comics. Lone Wolf and Cub alone has sold nearly a million volumes! Dark Horse is also home to the second (soon to be #1) longest-running manga, Oh! My Goddess, which started publication in 1994.

So what has spurred such an interest in Japanese comics in recent years? Gombos attributes it to both Dark Horse leading the fans, as well as the fans telling Dark Horse what they’d like to be able to read. Adding Gombos, a Japanese-speaking staff member was something that was considered a big help; this opened doors to access more of the Japanese artists and publishers. Gombos tells us that he listens closely to what the fans tell them at trade shows, as well as through the website’s forums and email. Dark Horse has surely had a great impact in bringing manga to the English-speaking world.

Readers of the Koike Kazuo titles PDI offers appreciate the care given to the translation of these more historical titles set during feudal Japan (Lone Wolf, Samurai Executioner) and the Meiji Restoration (Lady Snowblood). Many of the words used are not easily translated in English, and to maintain accuracy, the words are left in Japanese (romaji) and then explained in the appendix. (For example, “sanpin” is a derogatory term for a lower-ranked samurai.) For these titles, Dark Horse uses specialist translators who are experts in the culture and language of these eras. Although they both may be fluent in Japanese, a translator of science fiction may not be best suited for a historical fiction translation, and vice versa.

An issue all translators of graphic novels have to consider is the spatial concerns – something that we don’t have to think about when doing a document without graphics. English often requires more character space than Japanese, so this can cause issues. After a translation is proofed, an editor will examine the translation and space available. If necessary, the size of the word balloon will be expanded to fit the translation sacrificing as little of the original art as possible. These changes are then sent back to Japan for licensor approval before proceeding with the next step toward publication.

More recently, things like signposts and or snack food labels are left in their original Japanese, and a note is added so readers interested in Japanese culture can see the original Japanese characters and investigate further into its context. What to leave and what to change can depend on the editor, the contract and the creator’s wishes.

All of the actual translation work for each title is done by out-of-house contractors. All of the negotiations, contracts and deal communications translations are done in-house by Gombos. Native English speakers translate most of the titles, but we were surprised to hear Lady Snowblood, Katsuya Terada’s Monkey King, and the upcoming Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service were translated by native Japanese speakers. One step, according to Gombos, is hiring the best translators and editors available. Dark Horse has five full-time manga editors, including Carl Horn, one of the foremost experts on manga and anime in the English-speaking world. Another secret is that every person in the process of bringing a Japanese title to English loves what he or she is doing. The sheer joy of seeing a title everyone worked on finally arrive on American bookshelves can make the staff easily forget some of the problems they ran into along the way. (Note: The translators for the aforementioned books are true bilinguals).

We were excited to hear many of Dark Horse’s translators are local Oregon talent, including Camellia Nieh, who did 2005’s Blood the Last Vampire: Night of the Beasts, and the brand-new Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex novel, which we will be offering you soon. Dark Horse has always made an effort to hire local whenever possible.

We asked Gombos how he deals with translating culturally specific phrases into English. Gombos responded telling us that they run into puns quite a bit, as they are integral to Japanese humor. He told us an interesting example of a joke where “mushi” (ignore) was mixed with “mushi-pan” (a steam-baked bread). The humor is preserved in the English translation, and a note explaining the original Japanese joke is added at the bottom, as manga readers are often interested in Japanese culture and language.

We look forward to bringing you more Dark Horse titles over the coming months, and invite you to take a look at what we have available now:

Lone Wolf and Cub

Samurai Executioner

Lady Snowblood

Donald Ritchie's Japan Journals

2006-06-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

We recently added this excellent book to our bookstore. HIGHLY recommended!

The Japan Journals, 1947-2004

Donald Richie

Any English-speaking Japanophile certainly knows the name Donald Ritchie. Well known for his translations and analyses of Japanese cinema, Ritchie opened the door for Japanese movies to the Western world. He was not only able to analyze the films, understanding both Eastern and Western sensibilities, but also befriended the filmmakers, and could often speak of the film's production from a first-person perspective. However, Ritchie didn’t write only about movies. He has written numerous essays and books on Japan and the Japanese people.

Now PDI is happy to present, in commemoration of over 50 years of writing on Japan, Donald Ritchie's latest offering, The Japan Journals: 1947-2004. This is a collection of writing which spans Ritchie’s entire life in Japan, and how shows both the man and the country changed, grew, and adapted over the last half century.

As numerous as memoirs are in popular literature today, none can compare to the close reality of a journal done in real time. We can be assured that not only are the accounts accurate in content, but also in the perspective of the writer at the time of the writing. Even in the briefest of entries Ritchie is able to describe not only what is going on around him, but his personal take on the situation, often with a humor that is never disrespectful. Here is a portion of the entry from September 26, 1955:

“In the morning Beppu looks less garish, but also less attractive. It looks, in the new light, like a town with a hangover…When I look out I see the steamer coming in from Osaka, right on time. It will dock precisely when it is supposed to.

“The boat is crowded with school children, all leaving Beppu…to exotic Kansai. Yes, I have been there, I say when asked. I saw Kyoto live. No, the golden Pavilion is not made of real gold (this in answer to a first-year student), but it looks like it. No, I do now know how much a geisha costs (this in answer to a high school junior)-his chances of acquiring one are, in any event, slight.”

The book is wonderfully edited by Leza Lowitz. Her biographical notes add to the big picture the journal entries create, and her organization is refreshing. For example, instead of putting the entries strictly in chronological order, she sometimes orders them by other criteria. Early in the book there is a section where, thanks to his film writing which had appeared in Western publications, he was tapped to host many famous Western visitors to Japan in the late 1950s. How timely it was reading the entry about Truman Capote.

Over 70 black and white pictures are scattered throughout the text. Many of the photographs capture Ritchie with the famous names he worked and socialized with, such Akira Kurosawa, but there are also pictures of the close friends he describes in the stories he tells. Ritchi’s talent as a photographer is apparant, and the pictures of writer Yukio Mishima are especially haunting.

Although Japan Journals is hardly in the voyeuristic vein of a tell-all, Donald Ritchie does not hold back the often intimate details of his affairs. Ritchie did not go to Japan with a mission to build ties between Japan and the Western world, but did so, somewhat in spite of himself. He is never an apologist for the Japanese way, or for the Ritchie way. Japan Journals is not only fascinating for it’s look at Japan through western eyes, but also in how Ritchie develops the ability to look at himself through the eyes of Japan.

Cut Magazine's Top 150 Films (5)

2006-06-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

It has been requested that we pick up the pace to get to number 1. (Though I am sure the curious can track this list down somewhere.) We left off at number 111...

(110 - 101)

110. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Putting Robert Redford and Paul Newman together in a movie in 1969 would be like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise (pre-mental breakdown) together today. It is more "fun" than some of the other westerns that appear on this list. Non-traditional in a lot of ways, this was one of the precursers to some of the really off-the-wall movies that came out in the early 70s.

109. 12 Angry Men (1957) A remake of this classic comes out this year, but try and see the original if you can. There is a very short list of movies that can appeal to both critics and audiences which are based solely on dialogue. The movie is almost entirely set in the jury room as the 12 men of the jury decide the fate of a Latino boy who is on trial for killing his father. Though my favorite Henry Fonda film is probably Once Upon a Time in the West, his acting in 12 Angry Men is superb.

108. Singing in the Rain (1952) One of the only musicals on the list I actually sat through. The music is timeless, and the dancing scenes are pretty incredible. I don't think I could sit through it again, though.

107. The Great Escape (1963) This movie is best known for Steve McQueen's role as Cpt. Hilts, but the supporting cast is one of the best in film history, with key roles palyed by the likes of James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Coburn and Charles Bronson. As prisoners in an "escape-proof" German P.O.W. camp in WWII, our heroes have nothing better to do than make moonshine and plan the Great Escape. It feels much shorter than it's 172 minutes.

106. Speed (1994) Silly romantic action movie. This one doesn't really stand the test of time.

105. When Harry Met Sally (1989) Almost as unlikey as Dustin Hoffman as a romatic lead, Billy Crystal is perfect in the role of Harry, and is a perfect match with Meg Ryan's Sally. Actually funny romantic movies are rare, and this is shares the honor with few peers.

104. King Kong (2006) Probably the newest movie on the list, King Kong is an amazing upgrade from the less-than-great 1976 remake. Unlike George Lucas' constant tinkering with the Star Wars films, one feels like Peter Jackson got exactly what he wanted in this epic, slightly overlong, dream project.

103. Manhattan (1979) Woody Allen has done it so many times, he IS believable as the romantic lead in the films he writes and directs. Heck, why not write yourself having an affair with the high-school aged Mariel Hemingway? I would classify this as an unromantic comedy which is dated, but worth watching. Allen's humor is much less in-you-face as many of his comedic counterparts, and the viewer must watch closely, as some of the funniest lines are passing mumbles by Allen's character.

102. North by Northwest (1959) Alfred Hitchcock at his prime. Cary Grant at his prime. Eve Saint Laurent at her prime. North by Northwest is one of the cornerstones of masterful film making. This is one of the ones they talk about when they talk about "perfect movies".
101. Blues Brothers (1980) I wouldn't classify this as a "musical" per se, as the music is incorportated into the movie in a way we usually don't see in musicals. This really is a comedy classic that truly gets funnier and better upon every viewing. Though carried wonderfully by Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi, the truly giant all star cast (John Candy, Carrie Fisher, Steve Lawrence, Charles Napier) makes indivudual scenes classics in their own right. And of course the mucical numbers by some of the biggest names in music (Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown) make the perfect blend of comedy and music.

Overtime over Dating

2006-06-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

From Crisscross News

85% of newly hired female employees put overtime ahead of dating

Thursday, June 22, 2006 at 03:00 EDT　TOKYO — Eighty-five percent of newly hired female employees will put overtime ahead of dating, a survey conducted by the Japan Productivity Center for Socio-Economic Development foundation showed Wednesday. Natsuki Iwama, a researcher in charge of the survey, said, "As female employees are still a minority in firms, they may think that unless they work longer, their position in the companies will worsen."

The foundation conducted the survey between March and April on some 3,900 new recruits who participated in a training program it hosted. Asked what they would do if they were ordered to work overtime when they already had a date scheduled, 85% of them — both men and women — answered they would work. It was the highest figure recorded since the foundation began asking the question in 1972, it said.

It it interesting to see more and more stories about how young workers, especially women, are putting a priority on independence, and the traditional ages for marriage and having children (or more likely one child), is moving later and later in life. Not so many years ago single women over the age of 25 were called, rather meanly, "Christmas Cake", as who wants to have Christmas Cake after the 25th of December? I doubt you would hear this phrase used these days, as the average age for a woman to get married was 27.8 in 2004. Compare this to 25.2 in 1980 (Source: Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare).

This will get more interesting, as Japan's population will peak this year, and then the numbers will start declining. What will happen is the "greying" of Japan as the percentage of seniors and elderly increase. How Japan will approach and tackle this issue is a big question right now.

There is more here, from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Cut Magazine's Top 150 Films (4)

2006-06-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

OK, we got a little backed up with other things, but now back to the Cut Magazine's Movie Maniac's Top Movie Countdown!

(120-111)

120. Fargo (1996) I am an absolute sucker for the small-town crime genre. Clay Pigeons, A Simple Plan, The Pledge, A History of Violence, Insomnia, all great small-town crime thrillers made since Fargo, but never quite touch the way the Coen brothers can wrap evil and humor together so wisely, and really give a sence of the isolation (Insomnia gets pretty close) of the rural town life. This movie put them on the map, but make an effort to see all the Coen brothers' work. The ending of thier first film, Blood Simple, is one of the best.

119. Wallace and Gromit (2005) I guess I understand why people are into it, but just not quite my bag. (And I feel like I will be repeating myself for most of the youth-oriented movies).

118. Groundhog Day (1993) This is one of Bill Murray's great movies, when he was still in the "loud arrogant prick" mode of What About Bob and Scrooged, before the "quiet arrogant prick" mode of the modern Bill Murray era (Broken Flowers, Lost in Translation, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which are three of my favorite movies of the last few years). Not many comedic actors are allowed to grow like Bill Murray has (maybe Sean Penn is the only one luckier). Groundhog Day is unique, sweet and actually funny without resorting to toilet humor, which is a worth find. This would be a great date rental.

117. The Thin Red Line (1998) I went with three friends when this movie came out, two of us loved it, two of us didn't. I was in the "didn't" column. Though, I think I like it more now, 8 years later, than at the time. I just can't muster the energy to see The New World.

116. Beauty and the Beast (1991) You know, I never saw Disney movies as a kid, and I have no desire to now.

115. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) I kind of missed the Monty Python train...all through junior high school I had no idea what my buddies were talking about, Knights that say Ni, and all that business. When I finally did see it, I enjoyed it, but it I had heard all the punchlines for years, so finally seeing the set-ups was a little anti-climatic. Without a doubt, absolute genius, though.

114. Brazil (1985) Monty Python alum, Terry Gilliam's bizzare classic. This is another love-it or hate-it pic. I can understand both opinions, but I get suspicious when people tell me they understand it.

113. The Graduate (1967) A bona-fide masterpiece. Dustin Hoffman is an unlikely romantic lead, but he is the most grounded part of the chaos which is normal suburban middle-upper class existence. I always recommend this to new grads, and try to watch it at least once a year. The humor and themes are timeless, especially the ambiguous final scene.

112. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) This was the OTHER space movie of the sci-fi crazy 1977. Instead of a galaxy far far away, however, these aliens were landing a little closer to home. It's the human factor that makes this movie so wonderful, and we don't see that kind of depth again in sci-fi alien movies until Spielberg brought us E.T.

111. The Unforgiven (1992) In a way, Clint Eastwood revived and killed the western genre in one fell-swoop with The Unforgiven. Nothing made since has come close, (except for maybe HBO's Deadwood series). You don't have to like westerns to appreciate the care and experience brought to this movie and helped make it fantastic.

New Lone Wolf and Cub 4 review up and Snowblood Apple

2006-06-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share this review of Lone Wolf and Cub Volume 4, which is now available at our bookstore. This is an excellent series worth checking out.

Lone Wolf and Cub Vol 4: The Bell Warden

Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima

English

$9.95

Volume 4 takes Lone Wolf and Cub in some interesting and often dark directions over four fantastic stories.

In “The Bell Warden” we see how family and duty collide once again. In this story the aging warden of the large warning bell is looking to see if his sons are worthy to replace him by pitting then up against Lone Wolf. We see some new weapons (later explained in “The Ronin Report” in this volume’s final pages), and Ogami Itto’s reaction to how this father regards his sons gives some insight on his own connection with his son.

How enjoyable are some of the drawing styles seen in the second story, “Unfaithful Retainers.” Artist Goseki Kojima freely interprets ideas in ways I have never seen in other manga. This is another simple but clever revenge tale, and it is interesting to see how Ogami reacts to cries for help from the weaker members of society. The Lone Wolf is a genius at finding loopholes in the samurai code in order to bring justice to the powerless, and this story shows a great example of that.

The third story in this volume is titled “Parting Frost”. This may be the most moving story we have seen in the series so far. Often Ogami leaves Daigoro in a safe place alone when he needs to complete an especially dangerous mission. Although he is young and alone, Daigoro is never scared, and waits patiently for his father’s return. But this time something goes wrong, and the Lone Wolf doesn’t return before Daigoro runs out of food. Daigoro travels to and searches Buddhist temples, often the resting spots of his father, to little success. Each volume we are learning more about Daigoro, and this is the first time we see him work independently to solve problems. At the same time, he is a little child (maybe four-years-old?), yet has seen things most people would never see in their lifetime. A strange samurai runs into Daigoro, and comments that the Cub has “Eyes that only a swordsman who has cut through Death itself…can possess.” Again, Kojimi’s art adds much to this story, and the cinematic framing of the exciting and emotional conclusion is as satisfying as they come. (And this is only Volume 4!)

The final story is a more traditional “hunt” for Lone Wolf and Cub, with their adversary being a beautiful woman with some very evil-looking tattoos. Despite it’s simple start, this is the longest story we have seen so far, at over 100 pages. We are far beyond the simple character establishing episodes of Volume One. Koike is incorporating more twists and flashbacks in his tales to keep the readers engaged and excited.
After the rich glossary and author and artist introductions, the reader will enjoy the addition of the “Ronin Report” in this volume, a 6-page essay on some of the weapons we see in the Lone Wolf series. Especially in Volume 4, we are seeing more than just traditional samurai swords in Lone Wolf’s opponent’s hands, so being able to read about different forms of fighting in feudal Japan is quite fascinating. Dark Horse seems very aware of its audience in adding this information in a concise and entertaining format. These “Ronin Reports” are a worthy supplemental to this wonderful series.
6.0” x 4.3” , 318 pages, paperback

If you are into Japanese extreme movies, or just Asian film in general, I'd like to recommend the Snowblood Apple site. The forums are clean and very active. It's a great place to discuss everything from older movies, to upcoming releases and remakes, both Asian and otherwise.

And don't worry! I haven't forgotten about the Cut Magazine top 150 Movies...I will get some more of the list and comments up this week.

Umezz and Kazuo Koike visits the US

2006-06-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

久しぶり！

Kazuo Umezu is a unique writer and artist with an interesting horror style. It reminds me a little of the movie Uzumaki. Check out more here. (Read about him in the English section, but go to the Japanese section so see more examples of his work. I was thinking I wonder when some of his mangas might be translated to English, but then realized that our friends at Dark Horse are already: Scary Book. I hope to be getting this at our bookstore soon.

I was excited to just find out that Lone Wolf and Cub writer Kazuo Koike will be a special guest at Comic Con in San Diego next month

Kazuo Koike, co-creator of such masterworks as Lone Wolf and Cub, Samurai Executioner, Lady Snowblood, Path of the Assassin, and Crying Freeman, will be appearing for the first time ever at this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego. This will be Mr. Koike’s first ever appearance at any US convention.

“All of us at Dark Horse have been honored to be a part of bringing Mr. Koike’s work to the English speaking audience,” said Dark Horse president Mike Richardson.

“Now we are honored again to have a part in giving that audience a chance to meet the manga legend they have come to love and respect.”

Dark Horse Comics published the landmark in graphic fiction, Lone Wolf and Cub, in its entirety for the first time in America. An epic samurai adventure of staggering proportions —over 8000 pages—Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure Okami in Japan) is acknowledged worldwide for the brilliant writing of series creator Kazuo Koike and the groundbreaking cinematic visuals of the late Goseki Kojima. The story’s unforgettable imagery of stark beauty, kinetic fury, and visceral thematic power influenced a generation of visual storytellers both in Japan and in the West.

Since that time, Dark Horse has gone on to publish such other legendary tales as Samurai Executioner, which proceeded the legendary Lone Wolf and Cub, Path of the Assassin, Lady Snowblood, and the first English translation of Crying Freeman in it’s original Japanese format. Dark Horse has sold over 1,300,000 copies of Koike’s books worldwide!

The specific date and time of Mr. Koike’s appearance will be announced shortly.

News Courtesy of Dark Horse.com

Beat Takeshi and TAKESHIS'

2006-06-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Who is Beat Takeshi? He's bocoming one of the fasting growing Japanese names out side Japan thanks to the popularity of his films with international audiences. His breakout from Japan was 1997's Hanabi, but he has been entertaining audiences in Japan since the 1970's. Takeshi Kitano started as a comedian, and as a member of the manzai duo The Two Beats (hence the name Beat Takeshi). The prolific Kitano is a comedian, writer, artist, actor, movie director, and tv show host. It's hard to imagine an American entertainer being spread this thin, but Takeshi can divide him himself so skillfully none of his work suffers, and if it did surely it would not be released. In fact the only time his work really did suffer was after a severe scooter accident in the mid-90's which tore up half of Takeshi's face. For a full year he did not appear in public until surgery could restore his face, and the doctor's did an amazing job.

Just released on DVD in Japan, Kitano's TAKESHIS' (the title is a sound play as shizu means "to die") is an interesting film for Takeshi fans, as it is about Beat Takeshi himself. He also plays a look-alike who is an aspiring actor, but who is poor at promoting himself and is kicked out of auditions before getting a chance to say a line. The first half of the film is fairly straight-forward, but in the last half we start to see tears in fabric of reality and things start to get very strange. Is Takeshi's look-alike trying to get revenge on those who thrwarted his dream of acting? Or is he doing what he can to get back to reality?

This is NOT a good movie for first time Takeshi Kitano viewers. In this movie he pokes fun at previous roles he's palyed, and many of the actors appeared in previous movies. This helps contribute to the reality slip, as the viewer get jostled out of the reality originally presented. Though this is an interesting film, and it is worth watching some older Takeshi films before this one comes out in the US. I recommend Sonatine, Hanabi, Zatoichi, and his directorial debut, Violent Cop.

More from Cut Magazines Top 150 Movies (3)

2006-05-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

Let's blast through some movies on the list as we creep up to the Top Film Fanatic movies.

130-121

130. Predator (1987) who would have thought 20 years later the (human) leads of this movie would go on to become U.S. state governers? At least we can look forward to seeing Charles Weathers in... The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang?!? Predator could be called the best of the limited strong-man-vs-alien action genre. Lots of tension and guttings.

129. Last of the Mohicans (1992) I think Daniel Day Lewis has been in about four movies over the last fifteen years, but he always picks winners. One could argue Gangs of New York was a better movie for him, but why would you want to? You can have your cake and eat it, too.

128. Cinema Paradiso (1989) A fantastic French movie at a time when some thought French cinema was dead. Movies about love for movies can crash and burn if not handled perfectly, and in this case is. I think this just went back to the top of my Netflix queue.

127. Spiderman 2 (2004) How do you follow-up the most popular superhero movie in recent memory? Don't change a thing, just turn up the heat. A great follow-up, as good or better than the original puts confidence in the hearts of fan-boys that part 3 will be just as good or better. With Sam Raimi still at the helm and the intorduction of the Venom story-line, the movie should practically make itself.

126. Rushmore (1998) Saying Rushmore is my least favorite Wes Anderson movie is the same as me saying Three Musicians is my least favorite Picasso Painting. It may not be my favorite, but it's still pretty damn good. This is the beginning of the new Bill Murray, and the subtleties he shows in this role have become his namesake now. A high school picture too intelligent for most high school kids.

125. Hero (2002) The second anti-grav string held action movies, this time starring Jet Li. As Jet Li movies go, this is one of the highest budget movies he has been in, and it is gorgeous. However, there isn't quite as much heart as some of his earlier historical movies.

124. Once Upon a Time in America (1984) One of the best all around movies (beyond the historical/gangster genre) that I almost never hear people talk about. This is the second of our Sergio Leone movies, and he goes from the barren west to New York City without missing a beat. Epic in length and proportions this is an amazing tale of a gangster returning home to atone for his sins. As memorable as Goodfellas and quotable as The Godfather, Once Upon a Time in America is another absolute must-see.

123. Grease (1978) If your are going to force yourself to watch a musical, you might as well make it Grease. Many careers peaked with this flick, which became a classic not thanks to the great story or acting, but mostly the music, which despite all efforts, is hard to resist.

122. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) Going from Grease to One Flew Over... is like going from out of the out of the banana split and into the fire. Jack Nicolson shines in what may be one of the most talented supporting casts in the history of film. The strength of the story and the power of the cast make it hard to not be sucked into this tale of a petty criminal pleading insanity to avoid jailtime. The often imitated "patients running the nuthouse" is executed here perfectly to a poweful and unforgettable finish.

121. Top Gun (1986) Hot actors, hot soundtrack, hot action...perfect for 1986, but you cannot listen to "(Highway to the) Danger Zone" now without snickering. The same is true for the movie. Many have great memories of seeing Top Gun, but I dare you to sit through this one all the way through today.

Bra-Jackets and Dark Horse

2006-05-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

You've seen those free postcard stands at Tower Records and other stores. It's a rack with hip looking postcards that are actually ads for one thing or another. And you've seen the popular brown paper book covers common at Japanese bookstores, I am sure. Customers get them so they can read on the train without every knowing if they are trying to crack The Da Vinci Code or exploring modern literature a little more lascivious. So from the "Why Didn't I Think of That" file come the bra-jacket! Short for brand-jacket, the bra-jacket combines free advertising with popular book jacket covers, and found itself a huge hit.

http://web-japan.org/trends/

Apparantly some jackets are more popular than others, and the hip ones go glying off the free shelves.

Here is the Japanese link where you can see the available models. Is it wrong to want this?
Anything that keeps people reading is good enough to me.

I took a visit down to Dark Horse yesterday afternoon to pick up some new books and to finally meet a couple people who have been so good to the PDI bookstore. We are working on an article on Dark Horse for our newsletter, and it will be reprinted here, so stay tuned, and in the meantime - pick up a comic!

Movie Fanatics Top 150 (2) and a Hippo Kick

2006-05-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Continuing our Cut Magazine's Movie Fanatic Top 150...

140-131

140. Casino (1995) It's easy to look at this as a "part II" of Goodfellas, as Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci play such similar roles in Scorcese's 1990 masterpiece. However, this is better looked at as a standalone work. It is it's own unique tragic story, and is probably the best acting Sharon Stone has ever done.

139. The Deer Hunter (1978) Famous for Christopher Walken's "Russian roullette" scene, a level of intensity difficult to top, overall this is an amazing and sad movie. Robert De Niro could do little wrong at this time in his career.

138. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) An adventure movie like few others, I preferred this one to the more gory Temple of Doom, but not as much as the original. On the other hand, there was something a little too...cute in the relationship between Indy (Harrison Ford) and his father (Sean Connery). The casting was a little too perfect, and there was a certain loss of a threat of real danger.

137. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) Known more for it's soundtrack and imitators, this is, hands down, the best spaghetti western, and maybe the best western every made. Clint Eastwood's nameless anti-hero is the definition of cool in the scorching desert. Unlike typical westerns, this one is deep and flowing. Sergio Leone's wise use of limited dialogue lets the amazing imagery speak for itself. Personally, this is much higher on the list for me, maybe the first must-see.

136. Breathless (1960) NOT the Richard Gere movie, but the Godard masterpiece. This is a definitive movie of the era, and unlike some definitive movies of their eras, this one is greatly entertaining and deserves a spot on this list.

135. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy (2004) Though I think it's a little early for this one to show up on the list, it is a very funny movie. However more recent movies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin will likely stand the test of time longer. There is something about that "R" rating that gives a comedy legs.

134. Dawn of the Dead (1978) Said it before. Will say it again. Not into the zombie movies.

133. The Breakfast Club (1985) The "Brat Pack's" finest work, hands down. I don't hear anyone talking about St. Elmo's Fire anymore, but I believe The Breakfast Club will speak to generations of high school kids. A simple concept: five completely different students stuck in Saturday detention together feel each other out, then open up in ways they wouldn't expect. The beauty is in the honesty of the writing.

132. Airplane (1980) In many ways a comedy boiled down to the essentials: funny gag after funny gag. Airplane depends on visual puns to practially assault the audience from every angle with jokes. Personally, I don't feel it grows funnier with time, as similar comedies of this time, like The Jerk, do. Its appearance on the list is forgivable, but not this high up.

131 Oldboy (2003) Another fairly recent release, Oldboy falls into the bloody revenge sub-genre, popular in Asian film and stories for many years. Honor and sportsmanship become low priorities as a man trapped in an apartment for 15 years finds not only his way out, but who put him in there. This one is not for the weak-willed, especially when it comes to the end's twists and turns. Oldboy is probably the best entry from Chan-wook Park's revenge trilogy, but all three movies are worth checking out. This July, Dark Horse will be releasing the original manga, from which the movie is based. After seeing the movie, I am psyched about the manga.

And I had to include this link...it was just too cool: Infinite Pictures.

Speaking of Russian Roulette, I had to include this pick of one of the silliest Japanese toys ever. Enjoy this look at the Hippo Kick!

Yusaku Matsuda's worst movie and Movie Fanatics Top 150 (1)

2006-05-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

In my personal promise to watch all Seijun Suzuki movies released on DVD I recently watched Kagero-za, the second in the Taisho Trilogy released by Kino. I am starting to see why Kino did this series, and not Criterion. Despite starring one of my favorite actors from Japan, Yusaku Matsuda, this movie was hard to get into to. The two hour plus runtime is way to long for what Suzuki is trying to accomplish. I will watch the third in the series, but am not too excited about it. It is made 10 years after Kagero-za, so I do have a little faith it will show some improvement.

One of my favorites periodicals, Japan's Cut magazine, recently released their Movie Fanatacs Poll of the Best 150 Movies Made... Over the next couple weeks I will reveal their list, with comments. It seems this list is comprised of movies from all over the world (though the highest non-English movie is number 62), and isn't just a poll of Japanese movie fans, but 100,000 fanatics from all over the world.

Cut Magazine Movie Fanatics Top 150

141-150

150. Blue Velvet (1986) I first saw this when it came out, then again when I was studying the history of motion pictures in college. My professor hated the movie, but, for some reason, felt compelled to show it each year. David Lynch is such a difficult director to comprehend, I think watching a movie like this is required, when he was slightly more accessible. A worthy choice and a good movie.

149. Trainspotting (1996) A great novel with a worthy director and diverse, talented cast should always lead to the result of a movie this good. Unfortunately that isn't always true, but thanks to DVD we can always go back the Trainspotting as one of those quirky, weird, non-linear novels that resulted in a comprehensible, stylish movie, and introduced most of the world to the fantastic Ewan McGregor.

148. Goldfinger - 007 (1964) It's been a few years since I've seen this. To me Bond is Sean Connery, (not the other way around), and this is why. I am looking forward to seeing Daniel Craig tackle the role this year in Casino Royale. He was fantastic in Layer Cake.

147. Good Will Hunting (1997) Did the planets line up right, the stars all fall in place at the right time for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck when the inspiration for this movie hit them? Absolutley, but it is terrific and it works and post-GWH copies have paled in comparison.

146. The Evil Dead (1981) You know, I don't like zombie movies. And I will repeat this sentence more than twice on this list.

145. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Ang Lee introduces wired kung-fu fighting to the rest of the world. I could forgive it then, but watching this now, the "weightless fight sequences" are distracting. Even Goerge Lucas tries to follow the laws of physics. An otherwise excellent cast and excellent movie.

144. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) Never read it, never saw it. Though I am sure I will someday.

143. Platoon (1986) It's funny, I wasn't allowed in the movie theater in 1986 to see this movie because I was too young. It was the first (and probably last time) I was ever asked for ID to see a movie, despite the fact that every 15-year-old SHOULD have been let in to see it. Now I can tell you that it's a modern classic for a reason.

142. Field of Dreams (1989) America loves Kevin Costner, then hates Kevin Costner, then loves him again. This was made when he was on an upswing. I am not a particular fan of sports movies, including baseball movies, but Field of Dreams and The Natural are two that I can handle.

141. Swingers (1996) Now we are getting to the comedies, and the movies that are truly my personal favorites. Comedy is it's own monster, and a good comedic movie is one that can be watched again and again and gets better and better. Swingers is one of those movies. Jon Favreau is the perfect yang to Vince Vaughn ying. The dialog is natural and believable, and Vince Vaughn has been playing some version of his role in this movie in every movie he has been in since. See the original VV in Swingers.

Zigeunerweisen and non-sensical kanji tattoos

2006-05-10T16:27:00.000-07:00

Zigeunerweisen has to be very likely the most forgettable title of a Japanese film I have ever seen (ツィゴイネルワイゼン in Japanese). The title refers to a German musical piece played in the film, and although the piece is a part of the movie, it is an unfortunate title. This is one of Suzuki Seijun's Taisho Trilogy, and, I must say, I prefer it when Suzuki is trying to sneak in his visual brilliance under the radar of the studios, rather than being given the freedom to go out on his own. Long, drawn out and arty, Zigeunerweisen depends more on the Suzuki's too few stunning visuals than it does on it's paper-door thin plot. The theme of the movie is love triangles. And we see several different versions of the doomed scenerios, though most cleverly surmised in a side story of a blind homeless threesome who travel the land playing randy rhythmless songs for spare change. The young helper falls for the young wife of the old blind man, and stupidly flirt with each other with little reservation, leading up to a bizarre beachside showdown between the two blind men.

The movies also explores the time in Japan (1920s) when styles from Europe and the US slipped in hand-in-hand with the more traditional Japanese dress. I am happy Kino chose to release these titles in the US, but their menus are rather cheap-looking and the extras minimal. Criterion does such a much more professional looking job, I do hope they will continue bringing us more quality Seijun Suzuki films.

I had to include this article from Fox News. So often people are quick to point and laugh at meaningless English on Japanese t-shirts and handbags, but I have never seen a Japanese person with Engrish permanently inked on their arm, and there are plenty of Westerners who have gone that route.

She thought it said "blood and guts," but it really said "blood and
intestines." He thought it said "rock 'n' roll," but it really said "to sway and
to roll."

"That would be translating it literally, but nobody would actually use
those characters to say 'rock 'n' roll' in Chinese," [New York City jewelry designer Jane Ko] said. "In Chinese
people would ask, 'Why would you 'get the rolls?'"
Maria Robinson, a video
game designer in Oakland, Calif., who was born in China, has often seen people
with badly written tattoos that were supposed to be Chinese. In one case, the
Chinese text was actually upside-down.
For the non-tattooed, at least, the
results can be worth a good laugh. Ko recalled one instance in which a man
approached her with a tattoo on his forearm that he had always taken to be the
Chinese character for “spirit.”
“I was like, ‘Why did he have that tattoo?’”
she said. “It really said ‘gas’”

You mean not everyone has a favorite translator?

2006-05-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting article from philly.com on the low amount of translated literature in the US. (Thanks, Anne!)

Steve Wasserman reported that only 3 percent of books published in the United States are translations, compared with almost 70 percent in Italy. And of the 3 percent, Wasserman added, "many were technical manuals or reference works."

That is pretty despicable, if you ask me. The same is true, I am sure, of other parts of our media (movies, television, etc.) I bet comics is the only place you might see a better balance.

So make sure you support your favorite translator! (Mine is Stephen Snyder, translator of Coin Locker Babies...but I am so wishy-washy. Who knows who it'll be next week?)

Cool things we found under the couch when we were vacuuming...

2006-05-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

Just finished Dark Horse comics' Lone Wolf and Club Volume 3, and it is the best one yet. It's hard for me to believe there are 23 more volumes (yes. actual volumes) left in the series. It is worth checking out. If you don't want to dedicate yourself to 3000 pages of the head-splitting fun, start out with the Lady Snowblood series. It's only 4 volumes and by the same author, Kazuo Koike...

Best blog ever. On TV. In Japan.

It's FREE COMIC BOOK DAY this weekend. Now you have no excuse not to go to your local comic book store. They are GIVING them away!

Vertical Inc.: An Introduction

2006-05-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

This went out in our newsletter today, and I thought I'd reprint it here.
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This is the first in a series articles introducing our Pacific Dreams Bookstore customers to some of the publishing houses we work closely with. This issue’s article is on Vertical Publishing, which has brought us Saying Yes to Japan, Naoko and A Rabbit’s Eyes, with more titles on the way. Vertical is a relatively new company, but has had a certain influence on the growing interest in modern Japanese fiction in the U.S. We spoke with Anne Ishii, Vertical’s Director of Marketing and Publicity, about Vertical and publishing Japanese books in English, and here is what she told us.

Vertical was founded in 2001, and published its first books in 2003. With only four full time employees one wonders when there is time to sleep. The number of titles released every year is slowly rising, from nine in 2003, to 20 plus planned for next year. Their best selling title was probably Koji Suzuki’s Ring, thanks partially to interest generated by the Japanese and American movie versions, but at the present time the most consistent best seller is the Buddha series written by Osamu Tezuka.

Even though publishing fiction in English from the original Japanese would appear to be a fairly narrow field, the ways in which a title makes the transformation and trip from Japan are quite varied. In some cases Vertical will approach the Japanese author to begin discussions of bringing a title to the US, and sometimes it’s the other way around. Sometimes an English translation is already written before negotiations begin, and other times a translator needs to be hired once the agreement is made. (Imagine translating an entire novel, and then it never getting published!) Often there are many processes happening. Translation, editing, promotion, and layout and design may all be happening at the same time, and a stall in any of these areas can delay the entire project. (Speaking of design, it is really worth mentioning the amazing covers all done by Art Director, Chip Kidd. You will find yourself placing your Vertical books with the front facing out on you bookshelf to see the consistently stylish covers.)

Sometimes it is the case that a translator will approach the publishing house with a finished translation, and the process will start from there. Other times Vertical will look for a translator once the negotiations with the author’s side are settled. Like PDI, Vertical is always looking for talented bilingual individuals. Here are a couple helpful hints to get hired to work in literary translation: 1) don’t tell the publisher that you don’t know their books because you are into more “serious literary stuff” and “don’t like genre fiction” and 2) don’t tell the publisher that you thought their translation of a certain title could have been better. As Anne says, “that’s like trying to get a job by slapping the prospective publisher”.

As logic would dictate, Vertical goes ahead with books that are going to translate well into English, without cultural topics or issues that an American reader will be thrown by. Naturally, if the scope of a book is unappealing or its contents confusing to all but a very small sliver of the American market, then the title is probably not worth pursuing.

Vertical has also published a few of titles from the godfather of manga, Osamu Tezuka. Graphic novels present new challenges in translation. Unlike a novel, where you work with only words on a blank page, with graphic novels the publisher must fit (in this case) English where Japanese once stood. Spacing can be a difficult issue. On top of that the rhythm of the work can be compromised, as sentence structures in Japanese are very different in English. Translating so that the pacing as well as the content of the partitioned bubbles to match with the original Japanese can create some real difficulties translators in other fields may not have to deal with. On top of all this, the pages are “flipped” to an American orientation of left to right, which is a time consuming process.

In the US, graphic novels are gaining legitimacy out of the comic world, and more and more people are looking at the graphic novel as a unique and exciting way to tell a story. Though until recent years in the US, comics have had a reputation for being strictly for children and maturity-stunted adults, Japanese writers have been writing mangas for Japanese children as well as adults for generations, entering the modern manga age with Osamu Tezuka’s work in the 1940’s. It is a great time for American manga fans as more titles, especially titles for mature readers, are becoming available in English thanks to publishing houses like Vertical.

See our Vertical titles available now at the links below.

Saying Yes to Japan by Tim Clark and Cark Key

A Rabbit’s Eyes by Kenjiro Haitani

Naoko by Keigo Higashino

PDI will brink you more Vertical titles throughout 2006, including The Honda Myth: The Genius and his Wake by Masaaki Sato as well as titles by Koji Suzuki, Yusuke Kishi, Kenzo Kitakata, and Osamu Tezuka. Check out all the Vertical titles and news here and the complete PDI Bookstore here.

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You can also check out Anne Ishii's blog at Vertical, which covers a lot of issues related with Asian literature, among other things.

Cosplay is not Japanese culture

2006-05-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

Recently my family and I went to our local Uwajimaya for the Spring Sakura Festival. It's one of the many Asian cultural events they have every year, with informational booths and Japanese carnival games and traditional food stands. A large stage is set up so local taiko groups and karate dojos can can show off thier students' skills. The Spring Sakura festival is relatively small, and only one day, but it is a place where local Japanese can catch up with each other, local Japanese businesses can target a certain demographic, and people interested in Japan and Japanese culture can taste Japanese food, see certain factions of Japanese culture (including the forementioned karate and taiko, there were flower arranging exhibitions and calligraphy and the like). One thing that was different this year was the seemingly massive amounts of American cosplayers who attended the festival.

Cosplay (コスプレ) isn't particularly new in Japan, but the hobby of dressing up as one's favorite manga character is an expected evil with the increasing rise of popularity in manga and anime in the US. English how-to books are being published and more and more anime fans are jumping on the large-eyed bandwagon.

As a fan of Japan and Japanese culture, anything that gets more Americans into learning about Japan and learning Japanese is an all-around good thing. All Japanophiles have their epiphanies when the world of Japan opens up to them, and they see something wonderful. One of the goals of Uwajimaya's Japan festivals is to introduce Americans to Japanese food and culture, and promote Japan as a whole.

But cos-play is not Japanese culture.

I felt the sight of Americans dressed up as obscure Japanese cartoon characters in the volume that was there took away from what the organizers were trying to do, and I know there were Japanese people there that felt the same way. I fear sounding elitist, but cosplay is a niche of a Japanese sub-culture that the general Japanese population isn't particularly proud of. Is it wrong to think too many cosplayers at a Japan festival can change the atmosphere in a negative way? The fact that there were no Japanese natives in anime costumes makes me wonder if the American attendees weren't overstepping the line of good taste a bit. To be fair, all attendees were in good spirits and behaved in a proper manner. The question is, is it appropriate to treat a Japan festival as a comic-book convention, or am I being overly sensitive?

I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Convince me I am wrong, or praise my incredible insight!

"Non-Slip Stories" and 30-year-old junior-high students

2006-04-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

What is "Non-Slip Stories"? Well, it's a butchered English title of "Suberanai Hanashi (すべらない話), one of the latest projects of Japanese comedy genius Hitoshi Matsumoto.

Matsumoto is more commonly known as "Ma-chan", and is one half of the comedy duo Downtown, with partner Masatoshi Hamada. Individually and as a duo they are among the highest respected and are the highest paid comedians in Japan, despite their relatively young age (in comedian years). This is saying something in an male-dominated industry that, more than others, still carries the tradition of treating older comedians with unquestioned respect, and where younger comedians often are the victims of self-depracating visual humor before they can be considered to have earned their chops. Downtown rose quickly, and at one time, combined, had more than six different shows on television every week. Their popularity grew from Matumoto's deep and off-kilter humor, and Hamada's quick wit and short fuse, (which had developed into a reputation as a comedian to actually be afraid of, but we'll talk about that more at a later time).

So Suberanai Hanashi is a project of Hitoshi Matsumoto. Its genius is in its simplicity. Get a bunch of comedians together around a table. A six-sided-die with each person's name on one side is thrown. When your name comes up, you must tell a funny story, with the only stipulation that the story must be true, not made-up. That's it. You can even tell the same story over and over (as one comedian did in the first episode, and the story actually got funnier and funnier). Where Japanese humor is often known for it's reliance on sometimes juvenile visual gags and the humiliation of younger comedians who will do anything for some screen time, Suberanai Hanashi is refreshing new concept. What's makes it so easy to identify with is the reality of the stories. Almost all the stories are from the comedians' childhood memories, and it seems there are many universals when growing up in Japan. The five specials (they have aired about once every couple months since last year, another brilliant way to maintain interest without burning out the audience as an American network would likely do), contain story after story of daft mothers, lost dogs, class clowns, protective big brothers and lesbian older sisters. (OK, maybe not every story is universal...) These specials have been passed around our mostly Japanese office, and only the first line or title of a story has to mentioned to illicit giggles from those that have seen them. At this point, like most Japanese television, official subtitled versions do not exist. Non-subtitled versions are likely available at and Japanese video stores, like Animenia Video in Beaverton, Oregon. If you are an advanced student of Japanese, or want to learn more Kansai dialect, these are a great way to hear great stories in Japanese. You can also get a taste from YouTube: 1, 2,

Last night I watched Seijun Suzuki's Fighting Elegy (not one of the Taisho Trilogy mentioned yesterday), and if you can get past the fact that 30-year-olds are playing junior-high school students , you can enjoy the often funny story of a young man who distracts his hormones in some rather unexpected and unhealthy ways. Suzuki makes some subtle pokes at pre-war Japan, Christianity and facism that is common for his style. Despite the popularity of "youth rebellion" movies at this time, Suzuki can always put together an original fight scene, and this one contains several, often laced with tinges of humor.

Seijun Suzuki, Midnight Eye and KimuTaku

2006-04-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

I have been excited to see more Seijun Suzuki movies making it to DVD. Criterion has been great at getting the ball rolling, and for the uninitiated I really recommend Branded to Kill. Tokyo Drifter is another great place to start. The interviews included are worth watching to see how, unlike some of the great Japanese directors, Suzuki had to bend the rules, scratch, fight, and sneak in his artistic visions to the carbon-copy scripts he was forced to make. Branded to Kill led to the director's firing from Nikkatsu, but thankfully not to the end of his career. More recently three of his later films have been released by Kino as the Taisho Trilogy. I actually was really disappointed by Suzuki's most recent Pistol Opera, so I am a little hesitant with these films (from 1981-1991), but will give them a look and let you know.

I really don't know how the folks at Midnight Eye do it. For the uninitiated, Midnight Eye is THE place to go for news, interviews and reviews of the latest in Japanese cinema. They are seeing the newest movies as they are released in Japan, not on the festival circuit then in limited release sometimes years later.

I always kind of chuckle when people talk about "the new KimuTaku movie". I say, "Which one?" and they reply, "You know, 2046." That movie came out in Asia in May of 2004! Though Kimura hasn't been in any movies since...

Hello, from the PDI Bookstore

2006-04-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

This is our first post for the PDI Bookstore. We focus on English language books translated from Japanese, as well as books about Japanese business, language and culture. We will post our newsletters as well as other interesting news, links and tidbits about English language books about Japan.