Manga Therapy

We All Need Some Spice In Our Life (Addicted To Curry)

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:37:00 -0400

How many of you readers love spicy food and get a kick every time something hot just burns in your mouth? If that’s the case, you might want to check out Kazuki Funatsu’s “Addicted To Curry”. It’s an interesting and humorous tale that mixes romance, comedy, and the wonderful world of curry.

The story revolves around curry chef Makito Koenji and his attempts to save a curry restaurant named Ganesha from going out of business. Koenji was once saved by a young girl named Yui Sonezaki, whose father owns Ganesha. He proceeds to show of his amazing curry cooking skills to Yui and decides to help her in making Ganesha successful. This is not an easy journey as Koenji faces many challenges and obstacles along the way. Addicted To Curry is a series that focuses a great deal on why curry is arguably the number one comfort food in Japan.

With the popularity of Japanese curry possibly growing in the West (mostly in due part to the globalization efforts of places like GO GO Curry!), it would be great to see this manga being localized here in the West. If you have never tried Japanese curry before, it’s really, really good. The main difference between Japanese curry and other notable curries (like Indian curry) is that Japanese curry tends to make their curry thick and creamy. Think of it as Japan’s version of macaroni & cheese. Foreigners in Japan really love it.

Addicted To Curry can be summed up as a mix of Yakitate! Japan (another popular food manga) and Great Teacher Onizuka. One reason why it’s compared to GTO is because Koenji is noted to be a huge pervert. There are a lot of ecchi scenes used for gag purposes throughout the series. Dramatic moments are plenty as well as you find out more about the various characters and their motivations for investing themselves in curry. Like “The Drops of God”, Addicted To Curry can also be described as a battle manga using food as a physical and emotional weapon. There’s also a book of recipes used in the manga written by culinary expert Takeshi Morieda.

When I look at a title like Addicted To Curry, I think about the importance of spices in health. With everyone freaking out over sodium, sugar, and high-fructose corn syrup, spices are a godsend when used in cooking. They provide benefits in terms of keeping your brain in fine shape. Even curry is good for you. Tumeric, the spice that gives curry its yellow-ish color, apparently helps prevent heart disease.

So yeah, Shueisha, once Japanese curry really explodes over in the West, perhaps it will be time to bring Addicted To Curry and its 45+ volumes for a run here. Put it in the VIZ Signature series (well, it is published in Young Jump, the home of GANTZ, ZETMAN, Liar Game and other mature titles) and I think we have a title that can make an impact to fans of comfort food and those who love to learn about new things through manga.

Now, if you excuse me, it’s time to feed my addiction to that brown sauce that heats up my soul and I hope it’s an addiction that you will develop to spice up your life.

This entry is part of the “Oshinbo and Food Manga” Manga Movable Feast hosted by Otaku Champloo.

Learning Shogi From Naruto - A Lesson In Cross-Cultural Psychology?

Tue, 22 May 2012 16:17:00 -0400

When Naruto said “BELIEVE IT!”, I didn’t think some folks will take it to heart.

News spread yesterday of a 20-year-old Polish college student by the name of Karolina Styczynska, who managed to beat a professional shogi (“Japanese chess”) player in a recent Japanese shogi tournament. Karolina is noted to be the first foreign amateur to do such a feat. The most interesting bit about her accomplishment stems from the fact that she learned how to play shogi from reading Naruto. Apparently, she followed Nara Shikamaru’s shogi games and took a deep interest since then.

Many of you may know that shogi is not a popular game outside of Asia. So what made Karolina take interest in such a game? One possible reason is that she probably had a general interest in chess from the beginning. Another reason is perhaps the fact that in shogi, you can use any fallen pieces that you have taken from your opponent and put them in play. This leads to a more interesting and intense style of play compared to regular chess.

Of course, Karolina could just be a huge Shikamaru fangirl. Shikamaru is quite the tactician and he has gotten a great fan following with his intelligence and maturity. As we all know, anime and manga characters are often very impressionable and many fans are moved by their traits, thoughts, and behaviors. A recent study even stated that identifying with a fictional character can affect your real life. Karolina looks like the type of person Shikamaru is. Well, sort of.

What’s amazing about manga and anime is that they both open up new worlds to young people. They often portray notable traits of Japanese culture and make them look very appealing. There’s also the fact that some folks tend to view “exotic” and “foreign” things/ideas with great wonder. That aura of mystery can get them curious to explore further. I do wonder if the otaku here in the United States have developed some interest in Japanese traditional culture through anime and manga.

The fact that Karolina learned about shogi through the Internet signifies a current truth: the world is getting even smaller by the minute. Face it, everything is cultural.

Smashing Manga Records, Tentacle Satire, Emotional Games, and More - Fun Link Round-Up

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:09:00 -0400

I think the “person” behind you wants to be your friend, so go talk to him/her/it. Here’s some links to read for the weekend.

The Boundaries of Humor: An Interview With John Cadice, Creator of Tentacle Bento - I’m sure most you have heard about this card game that recently got their funding shut down by Kickstarter. Now, this interview is pretty bias as the interviewer, Brandon Sheffield, wanted to say “HA! I WIN BECAUSE I HAZ MAINSTREAM INTERNETZ POINTS”. It just felt like a huge flame war done in a professional manner. Though I have to say, Sheffield got Cadice good with that video demo of two people playing the game in action. The lesson of this story: the Internet is truly a frightening beast for EVERYONE involved.

Social Manga Project Aims For Guinness Record - Three of the most epic mangaka, Hirohiko Araki, Takehiko Inoue, and Hiroshi Motoyoma, team up to smash a Guinness World Record? Consider me sold. I love how all types of artists are invited to join them. This is what gets people more interested in the world of manga.

The Influence of Genes on Psychological Well-Being - Reading this makes me think about Naruto and his parents. Naruto and his mother, Kushina Uzumaki, definitely share some similar traits.

How Can Otaku Stay Enthused About Anime? - You know, I do wonder why I still watch anime despite the quality of series decreasing ever-so-slightly. Though as John says, shows like Oreimo and Puella Magi Madoka Magica definitely keep people’s spirits alive.

Why I Stopped My JManga Subscription - I have not subscribed to JManga at all. There’s nothing I really want to read there honestly. Om brings out an interesting point about its PC-viewing preference being a flaw. I still believe JManga will evolve into something greater.

A Personal Journey: Jenova Chen’s Goals for Games - Just like how some folks want emotional substance in anime and manga, some folks want to feel inspired through video games.

Finally, anyone who talks like the third guy in the video below deserves to get chainsawed.

Have a wacky weekend, everyone!

To The Manga Dreamers: Don't Underestimate The Power of Storytelling

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:09:00 -0400

As a manga fan from North America, I’ve been getting a kick out of reading Deb Aoki’s posts on “Making a Living in Manga”. The third part, entitled “The Skills to Pay the Bills: The Manga Training Gap”, had an interesting quote from someone who worked in the Japanese manga industry about the lack of writing ability in American manga creators. And it goes like this:

“One problem I’ve noticed among American ‘manga’ creators is that they tend to put artwork above interesting characters/storytelling. What I always loved about manga was the storytelling. The most successful creators tell great/interesting stories, even if they can’t draw well (look at Rumiko Takahashi). Some good artists (Tanemura Arina) are popular at first, but become obscure when they fail to produce stories with good storytelling. Almost nobody talks about her manga anymore and instead she has artbooks.”
- Jamie Lynn Lano (@jamieism), Expatriate American comics creator, now living in Japan, former assistant on the Tennis no Oujisama (Prince of Tennis) manga

For those aspiring manga artists that get criticized for an inability to tell a good story and are agitated over it, do you want to know why telling stories is about as powerful as (or even more powerful than) putting out pretty pictures? Here are some pretty good reasons as to why:

- Stories shared through others creates meaningful connections and helps bridge gaps with people.
- Stories provide ideas on how to make sense of things in life.
- Stories provide structure that certain folks may not get or experience. Everyone wants a sense of structure in their lives.
- People tend to interpret stories as real experiences that have a great deal of meaning in their lives.
- Stories help to unlock people’s imaginations. Imagination -> inspiration -> creativity. A win for everyone.

If you still don’t believe that storytelling is very important, I’ll give you two extremely notable examples of popular manga that don’t have the “greatest art”(according to certain fans): One Piece and Gintama. While the artwork may turn off some fans, both series contain some of the most memorable and well-thought-out characters you will ever see in manga. Each series has a number of wacky and emotional moments that get people talking and caring. Just read both series thoroughly and try to understand how subtlely has gotten them the huge followings they have in Japan.

Here’s another example that will get you going “WHAT!? Really!?”. Japanese mega pop-star, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, decided to collaborate with Jigoku no Misawa, the mangaka of “Kakko-Kawaii Sengen!!” for a manga in JUMP SQUARE. For those who know about Kakko-Kawaii Sengen!!, the artwork is quite strange and looks unappealing to many. However, the comedic aspects of the manga along with the wacky art have managed to hit it off with a variety of people in Japan. Case in point: this April Fool’s 2012 joke video Shueisha and Aniplex did by having Blue Exorcist drawn in the style of Kakko-Kawaii Sengen!!

So, what do we need to teach prospective manga artists trying to make it big about storytelling? Perhaps the key thing to teach is empathy, because it seems that some manga artists don’t have any. This is mostly to their false sense of self-entitlement (which parents/peers/media need to stop encouraging). A lack of empathy can also mean that they are not experiencing things outside of their own circle. In this day and age, empathy is a huge key in how to create a story and making it work with an audience. There’s also the added benefit of making artists’ own lives more enriching.

Another important thing that needs to be stressed is that artists should be taught to be able to speak to others publicly. They also need to listen to how others speak and present themselves. By understanding how people communicate with each other, artists can draw some ideas on how to present their narrative.

My final point is this: we’re all storytellers. We need to be able to tell and shape stories to survive. Everything we say and do can be made into a story to affect the people around us. A conversation is also a story. Think about that thought. Hell, I’m trying to tell a story right now.

For those who can write well, but believe their art is crappy, here’s a quote I hope will keep your spirits up.

“Writing is THE most important part of the whole. If your art is so-so, but your writing shines, you’re golden. Reversed, give up.”
- Jon Krupp (@WEKM)

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it never tells the whole story.

Help A Fellow Fan! The Anime and Manga Fandom Survey

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:51:05 -0400

A fellow anime/manga fan by the name of Ines de Castro is looking for anime/manga fans to answer a quick survey regarding fandom in those areas. This survey is for Ines’ Masters’ Degree thesis on anime and manga fandom online. Her focus is on Communication, Culture, and Information Technology.

If you want to spread the word about your fandom to the education world, this is a good opportunity to do so. The survey link is listed below.

Anime and Manga Fandom Questionnaire

If you have any questions, you can email Ines at inescastro88(at)gmail(dot)com.

Toonami Rap, Chi at Toronto, Unforgivable Characters, And More - Fun Link Roundup

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:49:00 -0400

Nope, you can’t have my soul. Here are some fun links to read for the weekend.

BRING BACK TOONAMI!! - For those who were watching Cartoon Network on April 1, Toonami, the famous animation block that brought a whole slew of anime, replaced the Saturday block of Adult Swim. “Otaku King” Richie Branson enlightens us with his wonderful rhymes on why Toonami should come back. Man, we need more afterschool moments with Toonami cuz anime ain’t dying yet, yo.

Kanata Konami Visits The Toronto Comics Arts Festival - Most of you have heard that the mangaka of Chi’s Sweet Home, Kanata Konami, was at Toronto this past Saturday for TCAF 2012. Enjoy this brief recap of her event hosted by Vertical, Inc along with a couple of photos taken there.

Should You Read The Sailor Moon Manga? - Yes, for the most part. Otaku no Video reviews Volume 1 and recommends it to those who are fans of shoujo manga. Though I believe it can be a tough sell to fans of the Sailor Moon anime.

Japanese Fans Name Anime’s Most Unforgivable Characters - The number 1 choice totally deserved the top spot, wouldn’t you say? I’m interested to see who else you guys think should have also been on Biglobe’s fan poll on unforgivable characters.

Geek to Geek: Utopias and Dystopias - An interesting discussion about what would happen if utopias and dystopias existed in reality. Those two themes have been subjects of anime and manga series. Reminds me of Crocodile’s “Operation Utopia” plan from One Piece.

Girls with Fangs Take A Bite Out of Japan - Does anyone understand why Japanese men find “yaeba” (crooked teeth) to be attractive? I hear it’s mostly because fanged teeth makes women look young. Maybe perhaps they’re into vampires and don’t mind getting bit by cute looking ones. Still, it’s a trend that seems to be extending (and growing) beyond anime/manga into reality and another unique quirk to add onto Japan’s pop culture resume.

If anyone loves that Kyubey design, you can purchase SuperOrange’s t-shirt (ladies only) featuring the design at their store website. Ladies, you know you want to run back to him.

May Kyubey make your weekend full of troll-rific awesomeness.

A Child Almost Lost in Confusion - Son Gohan's Development (Dragon Ball Z)

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:53:00 -0400

With parenting being quite an interesting subject these days (especially with how to properly raise the next generation of kids), let’s look at a child that was raised to be a fighter and forced to survive on his own at the age of 4. He’s also a child who would eventually be responsible for saving Earth from destruction. I’m talking about none other than Son Gohan, the son of the iconic Son Goku from Dragon Ball Z. If you think your early childhood was hectic, imagine if you were in Gohan’s shoes. Gohan’s early childhood development is an interesting case of parenting and one that is applicable in real life.

While Gohan’s parents (Goku and Chi-Chi) are the ones who gave him life, the one person to actively take a huge role in developing Gohan was Piccolo. Piccolo kidnaps a 4-year old Gohan to prepare him for the big battle against the Saiyans. Over time, he grows to love his pupil and considers him as one of his own. This relationship stays strong throughout the series as Gohan treats Piccolo with respect by calling him “Piccolo-san”. Piccolo has been around Gohan a lot, mostly because Goku was either dead or MIA. The only time when Goku and Piccolo are both there for Gohan was during the Androids/Cell Arcs.

A key moment in Gohan’s development during the Cell Arc was when Goku decides to send him out to beat Cell in the Cell Games Tournament. Piccolo questions Goku’s decision as Cell has shown how powerful he is compared to anyone else. Goku retorts by saying that Gohan has hidden strength that can defeat Cell. Piccolo then argues that Gohan isn’t a fighter at heart. While Gohan is getting pummeled by Cell, he goes on to say that Gohan is wondering why his own father isn’t rescuing him as his mentality is still that of a child’s. Goku begins to understand and decides to save his son, though things suddenly turn sour. In the end, Gohan eventually becomes stronger than Cell and defeats him to save Earth.

That moment in the Cell Arc makes you think about how parents interact with their kids. Goku isn’t the greatest father in the world. Is it because of Goku’s childhood since he grew up an orphan? Though the big problem is that Goku was too distracted by fighting that it hindered his development in other areas. You can say Goku has a bad case of uninvolved parenting. In reality, we face so many distractions that get in our way to progress as people. It’s interesting when people try to justify being distracted, yet they don’t realize that they have the willpower to stop them. Don’t get me wrong, certain distractions that are important (i.e. saving the Earth from evil and being the only person capable of doing so) do need to be addressed, but we should at least take some time to get to know and understand the important people in their lives better. Making up for lost time is an option that doesn’t always magically pop up when you need it.

Another point to address is Gohan’s nature when first introduced in the series. When you look at Gohan in the very beginning, he had the makings of a spoiled brat since his mother, Chi-Chi, was always trying to protect him. If it weren’t for Piccolo “kidnapping” him for a year, Gohan might have turned out to be a terrible person. When you think about it, there are children who become instantly pampered the second they are born. Now why does this continue to happen? You can argue that parents really aren’t sure on how to raise kids, are too passive with regards to authority, or that they spoil their kids because it makes them feel good. Chi-Chi seemed to focus her entire life around Gohan, like how some parents act when around their children. Unfortunately, this leads to more harm than good since children will develop an attitude that the world should bow down to them.

The argument on whether Goku or Piccolo was the better parent is somewhat irrelevant, since Gohan turned out to be an outstanding young man who strives to fight against injustice because of both men’s influences. In the end, every child needs to have consistent, unconditional love alongside proper guidance throughout their development. The fusion of those two elements will give your child the strength of a Super Saiyan. It also might unlock an inner determination to go beyond their normal state as they get older and become even more than they are to revolutionize the world for the better.

As the late Whitney Houston once said, the children really are our future.

Giving Your Pets Life Through Anime/Manga Characters - Yorozuya Fish

Mon, 07 May 2012 16:43:00 -0400

As most people will tell you, pets are awesome to have. They teach you how to be responsible and also provide some great stress relief. This may sound funny to most of you, but have you ever named your pet or associated it with notable anime/manga characters?

Case in point: here’s an example involving pets that I own. I have three red/orange blood parrot cichlids of different sizes as pets. Normally, I did not care about them until earlier this year when I started to feed them. I’ve grown to like them over time. I actually thought of those three fish as the Yorozuya from Hideaki Sorachi’s Gintama. Whenever I’m about to give them food, all three of them rush up in great speed to the top of the tank like poor, hungry folk fighting over a hotpot (which greatly reminds of Gin, Kagura, and Shinpachi).

The Big Fish

I call this one Gin because he reminds me of his “Boss of the Kids” look in Volume 16/Episode 88 of Gintama. The big dude is always going around picking on the other two fish. He gobbles rocks and shoots them when he’s bored. The “leader” is also the one who takes up all the food. A funny thing is he actually will lightly jump out of the water if you try to stick anything near him.

This fish also has great fighting spirit. My mother tried to move rocks in the fish tank around with a stick once and the big fish actually attacked the stick with determination. Gin-san also bit her hand in another incident. He’s an aquatic Shiroyasha.

The Medium-Size Fish

Kagura-chan! While Kagura is a girl’s name, she acts pretty tomboyish to the point that you can consider her a guy at times. This one likes to follow Gin-san around just for the hell of it. He gobbles rocks and shoots them as well. He picks on the smallest fish alongside Gin-san. Gin-san picks on Kagura-chan sometimes.

Of course, this Kagura could be Kaguura Jusant, her Monkey Hunter avatar.

The Semi-Medium Fish

Poor Shinpachi. All he does is go into a corner somewhere and stays there. The two other fish ALMOST ALWAYS pick on him. Shinpachi also struggles to get food from the other two sometimes. A funny note is that he seems to pay attention to food and nothing else.

Sometimes, I wonder if Shinpachi is actually a healthy fish since he seems to be somewhat lackadaisical. Does he drift off by himself to listen to Otsu-chan in his head?

Anthropomorphism, with regards to naming pets, is pretty popular and I think more people seem to be experiencing this feeling. You have to wonder if there are certain anime/manga characters that have moved fans to the point that they want to bring them to life through animals and feed their inner desire to nurture. Though you can also say the same for other fictional characters. I would love to hear any stories you guys have about pets that own whose names reflect certain character personalities.

Finally, here’s a photo that reflects the nature of Shinpachi’s treatment throughout Gintama, which greatly describes how wacky my case of anthropomorphism is.

Poor Shin-chan.

Otaku Culture Taking Over Mother Nature - Sakura Matsuri BBG 2012 Photos

Sat, 05 May 2012 14:19:00 -0400

This past weekend, I got a chance to visit the Brooklyn Botanical Garden for its annual Sakura Matsuri.

All I can say is that the Sakura Matsuri was really filled with cosplayers (the number has been growing over the years) and there were some interesting events catered to them and other otaku.

As you can see, there was a Cosplay Fashion Show which had some REALLY good outfits. Definitely check out the Monster Hunter outfit.

Unfortunately, many of the cherry blossoms in New York bloomed early this year because of a huge warm front. I did manage to find a few trees that were still good.

An interesting concern regarding the event is the over-saturation of otaku culture to the point that it overshadows the traditional aspects of Japan. So far, regular folks are ok with the cosplayers and even taking pictures with them.

It does make you think about the view of Japanese culture through the eyes of Western anime/manga fans though.

Enjoy the pictures!

Laughter's The Best Medicine - Comedy Anime/Manga Series That Will Cure Your Blues

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:52:00 -0400

This May is once again Mental Health Month and recently, a blog on Psych Central called “Your Body, Your Mind” challenged readers to incorporate laughter into their daily lives. Laughter has so many benefits as it helps boost your immune system, relieve stress, and improve relationships with people. With that said, what are some anime/manga series that get you smiling and laughing through the day? Here are some favorites I would recommend to those who want to turn their frowns upside down.

Hayate the Combat Butler

An unlucky poor butler works for a spoiled rich otaku girl. Insert a great number of female characters and wacky situations and you have an quite humorous title with some added drama in-between.

Hayate the Combat Butler at Crunchyroll
Hayate the Combat Butler at VIZ Media

Excel Saga

The above picture does not capture the wackiness of this series. Oh, the life and trials of supervillains trying to live the villain life, while dealing with superheroes who just happen to be their neighbors. If you love weird and strange humor, Excel Saga is right up your alley.

Excel Saga at Hulu
Excel Saga at VIZ Media

Yotsuba&!

The funniest little girl in all of manga is in this series. Yotsuba Koiwai is the queen of the universe. There’s a reason why she would be the President of the University of Anime, if it ever existed. Besides being very funny, Yotsuba&! is ADORABLE. Funny and adorable = super, positive, happy feelings.

Yotsuba&! at Yen Press

Daily Lives of High School Boys

Do you get a kick out of seeing teenage boys acting stupid as they usually are? This is your series. As the Otaku Journalist once said in her analysis of the series, I don’t understand how Nichibros was never picked up by Crunchyroll when previously, Nichijou (which is very similar to this series) got chosen.

Naruto Spin-Off: Rock Lee And His Ninja Pals

This is a series I really recommend to kids. All the jokes in this series are targeted towards that demographic to begin with. Plus, it’s NARUTO, the ninja that everyone likes. What makes this series even funnier is that the original voice actors from the Naruto anime also voice their respective characters in this spin-off. Will the Rock Lee spinoff manga be licensed next?

Naruto Spin-Off: Rock Lee And His Ninja Pals at Crunchyroll

Great Teacher Onizuka

When you have a teacher that’s perverted, dumb as bricks, and a former gang member teaching the most troublesome class in school, you can bet there will be no shortage of laughs when that happens. Onizuka Eikichi is probably the most immature teacher you will ever see and he will have you cracking up in no time. Despite his wackiness, Onizuka has a heart of gold that will shine bright in many fans’ eyes.

GTO: 14 Days in Shonan at Vertical, Inc.
GTO: The Early Years at Vertical, Inc.

Crayon Shin-Chan!

A classic series in Japan and one that actually had quite an interesting English anime dub by Funimation. Shin-chan’s crude and vulgar, but hey, I’m sure we’ve met a kid like him once in our lives. The manga is being published again in North America as well.

Crayon Shin-Chan! at Funimation

Beelzebub

If the idea of a high school delinquent running around with a naked baby (who just happens to be the next great demon lord) doesn’t make you laugh, I don’t know what will. Beelzebub is a pretty funny series with over-the-top characters and gags. While the series does have a lot of action, Beelzebub is still a comedy at heart and that part is reinforced throughout its story.

Beelzebub at Crunchyroll

Sket Dance

A series that I feel is underappreciated by many fans. This is a really funny look at high school extracurricular clubs and activities. All of the characters have some wacky quirk that makes them unique. It won the 55th Shogakukan Award for Best Shonen Manga in 2009.

Sket Dance at Crunchyroll

Gintama

I can’t make a comedy anime/manga list without this gem. Gintama is probably THE current king of comedy anime/manga series to read/watch. Even the name of the series itself is somewhat of a joke (it’s a play off the word “kintama”, which means testicles in Japanese). What makes this series extremely hilarious are the character interactions and ridiculous banter. Be prepared for parodies, wacky references, and lots of dirty jokes.

Gintama at Crunchyroll
Gintama at VIZ Media

Genshiken

This is a title that’s definitely for all the otaku out there. It’s a humorous and yet realistic look at Japanese otaku culture. Genshiken still has some relevance today with the continued rise of the otaku.

Genshiken Omnibus 1 at Random House

Ouran High School Host Club

Yes, this series has cute boys, but more importantly, it pokes fun at many common cliches found in shoujo manga. Not only that, Ouran also parodies the views of female anime/manga fans. Take a look at this wonderful article about the main character, Haruhi Fujioka, and you’ll see what makes Ouran a joy to read/watch.

Ouran High School Host Club at Funimation
Ouran High School Host Club at VIZ Media

If you want to share any other interesting series that tickle your funny bone, feel free to post your comments below!

To quote the great Bob Hope,

“I have seen what a laugh can do. It can transform almost unbearable tears into something bearable, even hopeful.”

Let’s all find some funny anime/manga and laugh for the better, shall we?

Manga Therapy Makes Frugal Dad's List of Top Anime Sites

Tue, 01 May 2012 22:47:00 -0400

Well, this is an interesting surprise.

I received word from Frugal Dad, a blog/site that focuses on living in a frugal manner, that Manga Therapy recently made it onto their site’s list of popular anime sites to visit. How I made this list is beyond me.

Check out the list at: Frugal Dad’s Top Anime Sites. Some of my favorite blogs are on there as well.

In any case, much thanks go to Frugal Dad for recognizing this very site!

What Are Your Favorite Epic Plot Twists?

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 11:58:12 -0400

If this really happened in BLEACH, the story would have turned out 100 times better.

I’m starting an “epic plot twist” set of posts in the near future called “EPIC PLOT TWISTS OF MANGA HISTORY” and am interested to hear your favorite plot twists that happened in your favorite series. They can be from any series, classic or new.

I’m sure you guys have some great moments to share that made you go “OMGWTFLOL”. Can’t wait to hear everyone’s suggestions!

Being A Leader? All You Need Is A Little Yoshitsune (20th Century Boys)

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:48:00 -0400

When you think about leaders, you think about how strong and powerful they generally are. However, there comes a point where leaders eventually fall. If the leader was passionate and charismatic, the group without its head often falls into ruin. There are times when someone else decides to step up. Now what happens if the person stepping up isn’t someone who may not look the part, but ends up possibly a person who manages to do a good, possibly even better, job than his/her predecessor. This happens to be quite the case with Yoshitsune, a major supporting character from Naoki Urasawa’s Eisner-Award winning (and once again nominated) “20th Century Boys”. Yoshitsune is someone who makes you believe that we all can be leaders and that we can step up to the task with proper support.

Yoshitsune’s past involved growing up with a group of kids (including the main protagonist, Kenji Endo) playing “heroes and villains” in Japan during the late 1960s’. The kids playing heroes created a secret base to play at and came up with some ideas/scenarios of villainous acts the kids would overcome. They put the scenarios on a notebook entitled “The Book of Prophecy”. It wasn’t until 1997 that events detailed in “The Book of Prophecy” were brought to life by a mysterious cult leader named the Friend, who happened to be associated with the kids in the past. Kenji, who is appalled at seeing his childhood fantasies become horrible reality, forms a group consisting of the childhood friends he played “heroes and villains” with to stop Friend. Despite not having a tough personality, Yoshitsune sacrificed his normal life to join Kenji. The group took a stand against Friend in 2000, but lost and Kenji went missing. Since then, Yoshitsune became the leader of his own rebel group to continue the fight against Friend. Despite being a leader, Yoshitsune feels that he is not quite adequate to be one.

It is very enlightening to see Yoshitsune’s growth from being timid to inspirational. Yoshitsune may not see it, but he has six qualities that make him a great leader.

Decisiveness - Yoshitsune stands firm in his decisions to protect the people around him and to discover the truth about Friend. He actually worked as a janitor in enemy territory to rescue people who have been victimized by Friend.

Competence - Yoshitsune manages to create and maintain his own secret base for his group and provide members with the welcoming-comfort of safety.

Integrity - Yoshitsune’s followers believe in him and respect whatever he chooses to do. The trust between Yoshitsune and his men is developed because of Yoshitsune’s continued heroics.

Vision - In Volume 12, Yoshistune gave a speech to his followers at a New Year’s party he hosted and proclaimed that in 2015, the goals were to prevent further events detailed in the Book of Prophecy from happening by researching more about the mystery of Friend and to finally end Friend’s reign.

Modesty - Despite working extremely hard, Yoshitsune feels he isn’t as great a leader as people think he is and will praise others that he feels are better/smarter than him.

Persistence - For the last 14+ years since 2000, Yoshitsune just kept on fighting against the Friend despite the Friend’s worldwide celebrity status and never gave up hope that the Friend would one day be stopped.

As Ed Sizemore of Comics Worth Reading pointed out in a review of Volumes 12-13 of the manga, people often confuse charisma with leadership. It doesn’t hurt to have charisma, but it’s not the ultimate solution to being an effective leader. Having a huge sense of focus while being supportive is the best way to go to have a chance of getting people to follow you.

Yoshitsune represents the type of leader who’s not always featured in the spotlight. He’s a leader that doesn’t completely focus so much attention on himself and is more about actually get things down. What’s also special about Yoshitsune is that he chose to lead his own life into a specific path that would help cultivate future leaders. The way Yoshitsune is modest about himself is similar to the way some people believe their efforts aren’t special. We’ve all been through moments where we believe we don’t deserve credit for our efforts, but forget the fact that we tried means something. Trying something is a huge step forward and is something to be really proud of. If you never go out and try, then you might feel even worse and nothing will change.

Need some more motivation? Here’s a quote from Teruyuki Kagawa, the actor for Yoshitsune in the live-action movie adaptation of 20th Century Boys, about the character.

“Yoshitsune may appear insignificant and may never excel in a working environment, but I think his character evokes an important message about taking responsibility for our own life because each of us is the star of our own lives.”

We are all leaders, believe it.

This entry is part of the VIZ Signature Imprint Manga Movable Feast. More wonderful articles covering the vast titles under the imprint can be found at the page linked above.

ZETMAN - A Lesson In Teaching Children To Grieve

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:01:30 -0400

If you watched the first episode of Masakazu Katsura’s ZETMAN or read the first volume of the manga, there were moments where the main character, Jin Kanzaki, becomes emotionally confused after the death of his grandfather, Gorou Kanzaki. Jin would then be under the care of Akemi Kawakami, a hostess who Jin saved and would later quit her job to support him. There’s one particular scene where Jin and Akemi take a bath together. Akemi asks Jin about his parents. Jin says he only had Gorou, to which Akemi hugs him tenderly and Jin begins to cry over his grandfather’s loss. It makes you think about the importance of teaching children how to grieve.

An article on Psych Central talked about what will happen to children if they are not able to grieve over losses. If left to their own devices, children will become extremely depressed, become angry, and try to avoid loss as a way to cope. While the anime does show Jin’s confusion, the manga went even further. There is a scene in the manga (after the bath scene) where Jin and Akemi get into an argument on Christmas Eve. Akemi buys new clothes for Jin after taking him in, but Jin refuses to wear them because he only wants to wear his grandfather’s clothes. Akemi yells at Jin for not being able to get over Gorou’s death. Jin gets pissed when Akemi mentions Gorou, but she doesn’t mind as she decides to make it her goal to raise him properly due to his past.

Children need a person like Akemi to understand that loss is a part of life. It also doesn’t hurt if the person taking care of them is tough and keeps on fighting despite trauma. Akemi gets her face slashed, but she doesn’t let it get her down. In today’s world, there are kids who overreact to even the smallest and most insignificant type of loss that it’s not even funny.

I don’t know about you guys, but the Jin/Akemi moments really got to me when I first followed ZETMAN. Watching the anime adaptation just rekindled those feelings. It’s moments like these that make me love the vast world of manga. I’m sure you all feel the same way too.

Remember kids, losing something doesn’t mean everything’s all over. For one thing you lose, you still have other things that will make you happy and keep you going.

Idols, Hostesses, Animal Manga, And More - Fun Links To Read

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:01:00 -0400

And we’re back with another variety of articles to read!

Japan Times does not like the front-page attention that AKB48 is getting - Good grief, how much attention is AKB48 really getting? Weren’t those candy-sharing commercials and an upcoming Wii game featuring the girls enough? Then again, idols are very important in Japan and it’s pretty unfortunate that they are forced to uphold a “clean” image to maintain that importance, don’t you think?.

Look, a hostess video game for kids is on the Nintendo 3DS! - Level-5, makers of Professor Layton and White Knight Chronicles, released a new portable game called Girls’ RPG: Cinderrelife where you play as girls trying to be hostesses. What would be hilarious and sad is if all the young girls start having this fantasy of being hostesses from this game. However, low sales seem to indicate that this will not happen. Only in Japan, folks.

Manga Xanadu celebrates Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month - Lori Henderson spotlights a few manga titles that focus on animal cruelty. As Lori says, pets deserve the same love and respect from their owners and people.

Japan’s population hits biggest drop since 1950 - I think most of us knew this was going to happen, given the state Japan’s in these days. Many things in Japan (like manga sales) are going down. How can we encourage Japan to REALLY step up for the people?

New Ways To Happiness With Strengths - Because I want each and every one of you to find ways to be happy in life.

Finally, now that Bakuman’s over, what do you think the next title from Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata will be about?

Kinokuniya Bookstore - A Haven of Inspiration (Presented via Scribd)

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:53:00 -0400

You know how people tell you that being in certain environments can inspire and make you more than you are? For me, one of these places is Kinokuniya Bookstore. There’s a store branch located in my home of New York, NY and it’s one place I visit a lot to get my brain flowing. Kinokuniya holds a special place in my heart as it is another reason why Manga Therapy was born. I’ve been a customer there since the early 2000s’, won some prizes, and even got to host an event there as well. Ever wondered what a Japanese bookstore looks like? Let’s take a journey via Scribd.

I don’t know how my life would have turned out if there wasn’t Kinokuniya around as I have met many wonderful people and discovered many manga series there. Hope you enjoyed the slide presentation I made for you guys! Also, if you have a favorite place of inspiration, feel free to share it at the comments section below!

Special thanks to Kinokuniya for giving me the opportunity to take photos of their store.

The Japanese Sneezing Superstition - A Superstition That Provides Benefits?

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:23:00 -0400

Who here believes in the power of superstitions? Here’s something that will get your mystical juices flowing. An interesting article about superstitions popped up in the New York Times. The article, entitled “In Defense of Superstition”, discussed how having superstitions can be beneficial to gain some sense of meaning in one’s life. They also give someone a big sense of self-confidence in doing certain tasks. One superstition came to my mind and one that is very relevant in anime and manga: sneezing.

In Asian culture, it is widely believed that someone who sneezes out of the blue is being talked about by other people not near them. If you sneeze once, someone is definitely saying something about you. If you sneeze twice, bad things are said about you. This superstition about sneezing has become a huge joke in anime and manga, where several characters talk about one character in one panel and then the next panel features the person being talked about sneezing (with some witty remarks and/or confusion). Sneezing blew its way through notable series such as Dragon Ball, Maison Ikkoku, InuYasha, Rurouni Kenshin, and Ranma 1/2.

Perhaps this superstition is helpful for others in terms of giving confidence that things are going to be just fine for them or an incentive to be more careful. Let’s say someone sneezes and he/she really believes that someone must be gossiping about them all of a sudden. That person can say to themselves, “Hmmm, maybe I should change my tune a bit.” or “Yes, someone’s talking about me! I feel important to someone!” That could give some meaning and motivation to alter their behaviors more positively. Of course, this can all backfire in a hurry, depending on the personality of the person sneezing. It is heavily argued that those who believe in superstitions tend to have a lack of control in their lives.

A great example of a “sneezing superstition” moment in anime/manga that stood out was in Rurouni Kenshin Volume 7, when the Kenshin-gumi spoke harshly about Saito Hajime. While at a soba stand, Saito sneezed repeatedly and even made a remark about how sudden sneezing is a result of ill will. He even goes on to say that it’s great that the Shinsengumi (his old troop) are still hated in the Meiji Era. You have to wonder if Saito’s comments were just a reassuring way of giving him more confidence to go and cause more mayhem since he doesn’t care what people think of him. The Wolf of Mibu’s mind is always a mysterious one, isn’t it?

So, what other Japanese superstitions do you think give people a sense of confidence? Feel free to share some crazy thoughts and let us have the wonderful moment of freaking out together.

Hope you didn’t just sneeze while reading this entry. :]

Finally, A "Sh*t Otaku Say" Video

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:36:00 -0400

As a manga reader, I almost always argue that the manga version of series is superior to the anime version.

Hope this video brightens up your kawaii morning! Also, what took so long for an well-produced and high-quality parody to show up?

Seeing this video makes me think about the future of the otaku going forward.

Source: Crunchyroll and Tofugu

Facing Yourself, Friends, And The World - Why PERSONA 4 Still Kicks Ass

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:00:00 -0400

“It’s hard to face yourself.” - Yosuke Hanamura

Persona 4. So many thoughts come to mind when it comes to the “swan song” video game of the Sony PlayStation 2 era. Critically-acclaimed. A great reminder of what Japanese RPGs are all about. A lovable cast of characters. The “Scooby-Doo”-like plot. The game’s look at homosexuality. To think that a 2008 PlayStation 2 game released at the end of the console’s life cycle would go on to become a media juggernaut (anime, manga, monthly magazine, fighting game, PlayStation Vita remake, spin-off light novels, and even a live-action play!) in late 2011/early 2012 can be a shock to many fans as the title is still considered to be very niche. However, the passion of the Persona 4 fandom has kept the game relevant. It might be attributed to the central theme of “facing yourself” and a much-bigger emphasis on characterization (compared to P4’s predecessor, Persona 3) as the two key components that resonate very well with the fandom and keeping the Persona series alive.

(This entry might contain spoilers for those who haven’t seen the anime or played the game.)

As Yosuke Hanamura (one of the main supporting characters) says during the prologue of the game, it is indeed very hard to face yourself. The road to self-acceptance is one that seems to be getting less traveled by the minute. Why do people continue to ignore their “Shadows” (the inner thoughts that people do not accept)? Some reasons are:

1.) They believe if they punish themselves enough with excuses/negative statements, they will change.

2.) They believe that they don’t deserve self-acceptance.

3.) They believe they are giving up control.

4.) They have constant guilt.

5.) They set their expectations very high.

6.) They have trouble accepting even the slightest flaw.

An issue I want to point out regarding self-acceptance is the Midnight Channel, a key component of Persona 4’s story. The Midnight Channel is a TV-like world where people’s thoughts are displayed to a wide audience of people. In some ways, this is social commentary of people pursuing fame over self-acceptance. If you choose to use TV as a source of inspiration, you give up your sense of self. What’s scary about this is that in reality, more and more young adults are preferring fame over self-acceptance. Even worse is the fact that tweens are becoming more fame-hungry. Can we blame pop culture as a whole for not encouraging people to look at themselves more often? The issue of self-acceptance isn’t always touched upon in mainstream media, so for Persona 4 to do a take on it is refreshing and enlightening to many fans.

Of course, fans might be more interested in the characters themselves. Well-written characters tend to generate a great deal of attention. When shared with others, those people may eventually become passionate fans themselves.

The major characters’ interactions with each other feel genuine and intimate in Persona 4. The Investigation Team (pictured above) itself is considered to be a group of “misfits”, as Yosuke once called the group, that love each other unconditionally. The main character, Yu Narukami, is a very beloved character (earning the title of “Brotagonist”) as he’s generally nice towards everyone around him while very accepting of himself. Almost all the characters have one unique trait (i.e. Yukiko Amagi laughing hysterically at certain jokes, Kanji Tatsumi being skilled at making dolls) that makes them lovable to many fans.

The characterization in Persona 4 teaches us (especially if we’re teenagers and young adults) is that we will always find others who will accept us for who we are, as long as we accept ourselves wholeheartedly. After all, we’re all lovable misfits in some shape or form.

A final point I want to bring up is the Persona 4’s status as a niche title. It’s a title that’s not exactly part of mainstream video game culture. While major video game sites do mention the game, there are still a wide variety of people who have never played or even heard of Persona 4 and the Persona series in general. Perhaps ATLUS, the developer of the game and series, themselves was self-accepting about what they could do to make the game great on a console that was on its way out. Knowing this, they stuck by what they knew, went all-in, and gave it their best. Perhaps it is this effort out of self-acceptance that has gotten Persona 4 a lot of appreciation from folks who followed the game and a passionate community to make the Persona series a legit franchise.

While many anime/manga series have gone on to have video game adaptations, it’s somewhat rare to see video games become anime/manga series and beyond. Persona 4 is one of those uncommon success stories. It comes to show how fandom is highly influential for success, even for series that may not be well-known to a huge audience. Building a community is as important as generating sales. In a sense, ATLUS has followed the path of Yu Narukami in that they understand forming connections with people are important to becoming a strong entity.

Persona 4 continues to kick ass because of one certain, constant truth the game preaches and one that will always be applicable in real life: we need to continue kicking ass with a great sense of self built by inner appreciation when life’s troubles hover above us.

Isn’t it time to reach out to the truth of your life?

For more Persona 4 commentary, check out these articles:

Thunderbolt Games’ Review of Persona 4
An Introduction To Persona 4: Simple Analytical Psychology and Then Some
Makigumo.com’s Persona 4 Entries
METANORN.NET - The Psychology Behind Persona 4
Kansatsu~観察~ Entries on Persona 4
Psychological Connections With Persona Series
Persona 4: Reflecting the Self

What Character(s) Inspire You?

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:42:18 -0400

As much as I like to talk about the character(s) that inspire me (i.e. Vegeta), I want to know which anime/manga characters inspire you guys as a whole.

Do you have an essay you wish to share to readers about a character that makes you feel awesome? I would like to post some of your stories on this very site.

If interested, you can contact me at tonyyao82(at)gmail(dot)com.

Of course, you can always comment below. I love to hear who drives your will to succeed even higher.