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Pirates and Hunters For the Win - MangaHelpers Manga Awards 2011 Winners
One of my favorite manga community sites to visit, MangaHelpers, recently had their awards event, the MH Manga Awards 2011, where users voted which manga series, characters, and moments ruled in their eyes. A wide variety of categories were available and there were a lot of good nominees that deserved to win. Without further ado, here were the winners:
Best Seinen: Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura
Best Sci-Fi: Gantz by Hiroya Oku
Best Mystery/Horror: MONSTER by Naoki Urasawa
Best Male Lead: Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece
Best Overall Manga: Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
Best Plot Twist/Epic Moment: (tie) One Piece (Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi being revealed as the ancient weapon, Poseidon) and Naruto (Itachi Uchiha breaking free from Edo Tensei)
Best Artwork: Berserk by Kentaro Miura
Best Artistic Piece: Kokuo no Hito by Yoshiro Nabeda, Jiro Nitta, and Shinichi Sakamoto
Best Fantasy: Berserk by Kentaro Miura
Best Manga of 2011: Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi
Best Action: One Piece by Eiichiro Oda
Best Completed Manga: Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
Best Shoujo: Kimi ni Todoke by Karuho Shiina
Best Slice of Life: Bakuman by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata
Best Female Support: Nico Robin from One Piece
Best Manhwa/Manhua: The Breaker (plus The Breaker: New Waves) by Geuk-jin Jeon and Jin-Hwan Park
Best Josei: 07-Ghost by Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichihara
Best Female Lead: Nami from One Piece
Best Comedy: Gintama by Hideaki Sorachi
Best Full Cast: Fullmetal Alchemist
Best Character Design: Guts from Berserk
Best Villain: Hisoka from Hunter x Hunter
Best Fight: BLEACH (Ichigo vs. Aizen)
Best Male Support: Roronoa Zoro from One Piece
Best Death: Hunter x Hunter (Meryem and Komugi’s death)
Funniest Moment: Gintama (Shogun moments)
Best Drama: Great Teacher Onizuka by Toru Fujisawa
Best Shonen: Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi
Best Mangaka: Eiichiro Oda
Best Sports: Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue
Yup, it’s clear to me that pirates and hunters truly captured the hearts of manga fans this past year. Do you guys agree with these choices? What would you have voted?
Also, if you want to see what the “STARS” and staff of MH voted for, you can view them below:
Let’s hope for some more manga greatness this year!
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Has The Internet Changed The Way You Think About Manga?
Here’s a scenario that I want everyone to imagine with me. Ready?
Think back to a time where computers didn’t exist yet. Think back to when it was very difficult to find information about anything you wanted. Think back to when sharing one’s interests over a huge communication channel was almost impossible without going to a big-name media outlet. Now, hold those thoughts and ask yourself if the Internet has the changed the way you think about manga. Regarding manga, the Internet has truly made it global, but with a price. I sometimes wonder if the Internet is both the creator and destroyer of manga fandom.
Before the Internet became popular, the only way I found out about manga news was through the defunct WIZARD Magazine. I remember the first manga I heard about from WIZARD was Masamune Shirow’s Ghost In The Shell. After reading about the controversy surrounding Ghost in the Shell (i.e. the cybersex scene), the whole idea of manga began to appeal to me. I was watching Chinese dubs of Dragon Ball Z at the time and my interest in Japanese media continued to grow. When I found out Dragon Ball was originally a manga, I browsed text summaries of the original manga series online back in 1999. You don’t know how obsessed I was with looking for information on DBZ at the time. Thankfully, VIZ Media released the Dragon Ball Z manga in America and I bought all the volumes. The same thing also happened when I followed Rurouni Kenshin in the early 2000s’. I was reading text summaries of chapters online, visiting fansites to satisfy my cravings, and later bought all the volumes because of my love for the samurai epic.
Fast forward to the proliferation of scanlations. I decided to follow BLEACH (during college around 2005) after hearing some of my friends watching the anime. I bought the first few volumes from VIZ and was hooked. What happened next was I began using the Internet to find out more information about the characters. I found out about what was currently going on in the BLEACH manga from a fansite at the time, which was Sosuke Aizen being revealed as the main villain. That just piqued my curiosity even more and I wanted to know what happens next. As a result, the world of scanlations entered my life. I was pretty ecstatic to know that I can keep up with what’s happening with BLEACH. I also discovered many other series through scanlations as well. I was still buying manga and didn’t really think about how scanlations affected the manga-publishing industry.
And now here we are with the manga industry in a huge state of flux. What does that tell me? The Internet (the power of the creator) is great for manga since it exposes everyone to a wide variety of series and creates passionate fan communities, but the Internet (the power of the destructor) gives off this illusion to certain people that manga easily grows on a tree and everything’s dandy, when things really aren’t fine.
I don’t know about you, but there is one thing that bugs me about scanlations. Scanlators and aggregator sites often put up a disclaimer message telling everyone to buy and support a manga series if it’s available in their region. But, what if the manga is not available in their region and possibly never will be? What if the reader is an 8-year old? Also, I know a few people who work full-time that read scanlations and are not even interested in buying physical copies of manga. Do scanlators even understand their intended audiences and their consequences as a whole?
The Internet has made me believe that manga will be an online-only interest globally and will stay that way (though it seems like it already is). Outside of Japan, manga is still very niche to a majority of people. Combine that with free scanlations and you have a recipe for “fun interest that appeals mostly to Internet folks”. Though part of me believes the Internet is perfect for manga because most people like to read things online these days and they LOVE images on the Internet.
Another thing was that before the Internet, I thought every manga title out there was godly. Since the increased popularity of the ‘Net, I realized that there’s a lot of “junk” to sort through before you even get to the good stuff. Sometimes, I wonder how certain titles became published in the first place. Such is the harshness of reality.
One question does plague me: should the manga community accept those that read scanlations of a certain series and don’t really buy any form of merchandise related to the series (yet are extremely passionate about it) as members of the community? Would someone care to enlighten me on how those fans should be viewed?
With these inner thoughts in mind, I continue to research the crazy world of manga online and offline (I still buy volumes of manga) as many series have worked their charm upon my visage. Oh Internet, you’re as tempting as a bishojo girl nagging her “big brother” to spend time with her and leaving him with a colorful array of conflicted feelings.
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Pinterest - The Next Great Social Network For Anime/Manga Fans?
Recently, I got an invite to join Pinterest, a new image-sharing social network that allows users to showcase pictures of what inspires or interests them. The neat feature about Pinterest is that you can create “Boards” of images. Boards are basically categories/folders that you can put images that you find in. You can create a “Board” for any topic you can think of from the top of your head. I created an “Anime/Manga Goodies” folder to showcase anime/manga pictures that I like from the site.
This is what Pinterest looks like when I search “anime”.
The images posted to Pinterest are known as “Pins”. There’s even a “Pin It” button you can drag to your browser toolbar, so you can share any image you find on the Web to Pinterest.
What makes Pinterest stand out is the organization factor. Having “Boards” of certain types of photos showcases one’s varied interests and users can separate images into whatever they like. Aspiring animators/artists can use the site to find worthy pictures and put them in a Board that can go by the name of “Inspirational Pictures” or something similar.
If you’re an anime/manga blogger, this is another source of promotion. You can promote images from your blog onto Pinterest to drive traffic and network with other users. Your profile can be customized to include a link to your blog. Pinterest is another way to get readers to know you better as well. If you want readers to know about your other passions (food, music, etc.) in vivid detail, this is a great site to showcase them.
As of right now, Pinterest is still in beta and it can only be accessed by invite-only. You can go to the website and click the “Request an Invite” button.
I think the site can really take off for fans of anime and manga to share a variety of images and what they love with other fans in a clean, user-friendly format. So, get out there and start pinning your love of moe, ecchi, or whatever floats your boat!
Though it seems like mostly women will enjoy Pinterest more given the dominant topics for the site, so shall we assume that Pinterest will be a site that fujoshi will go crazy over? Suggestive male coupling pictures, here we come!
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The 2011 Great Manga Holiday Gift Guide!
It’s that time of year once again. The season of giving. Time to find out who’s been naughty or nice. Thankfully, there are a variety of manga series that appeal to folks who’ve been good all year or just a bit bad. In collaboration with the 2011 Great Manga Gift Guides, it’s time to present Manga Therapy’s 2011 Great Manga Holiday Gift Guide!
Here are a few manga titles that I feel make great gifts for readers.
Blue Exorcist (Volume 1-5+) by Kazue Kato, VIZ Media
Does it make sense that I have to start off with one of the hottest shonen titles in 2011? Blue Exorcist is a manga that continues the dominance of female mangaka writing shonen manga. The characterization is very well-done and the plot is original. Also, girls will fall in love with Rin and Yukio Okumura.
Fullmetal Alchemist Complete Box Set (Volumes 1-27) by Hiromu Arakawa, VIZ Media
Hiromu Arakawa’s grand masterpiece in one box set. Do I really need to say anymore? FMA is arguably one of the most epic manga series ever written. This series has everything you want in a shonen manga. From start to finish, you will enjoy the journey of the Elric brothers as they show off the power & perseverance of humanity.
Drifters Volume 1 by Kohta Hirano, Dark Horse Comics
Time travel? Check. Historical figures? Check. Lots of violent fighting to stop evil? Check. Drifters is an interesting title that highlights how cruel people can be. Plus, it’s from the same guy who did Hellsing. The main villain also looks like a Nazgul from Lord of the Rings.
The Drops of God Volume 1 by Tadashi Agi & Shu Okimoto, Vertical Inc.
This is for those who want to read a manga title that doesn’t focus on violence & sex. This international phenomenon has impacted reality in many ways and has received much press attention from popular media outlets. If you’re a wine enthusiast, you will LOVE this manga. For anyone else, it’s a nice change of pace from the usual manga you see everyday.
‘A Bride’s Story’ Volumes 1-2 by Kaoru Mori, Yen Press
A title that has won critical acclaim in both Japan & America. The story focuses on a young lady named Amira, who marries a younger boy named Karluk in the Middle East. The artwork is gorgeous and realistic. This is a cute and fascinating title that takes a look at the structure of family and marriage.
20th Century Boys (Volumes 1-15+) by Naoki Urasawa, VIZ Media
One of the most suspenseful manga I have ever read, period. The Eisner Award-nominated 20th Century Boys is a title full of mystery and intrigue. If you want a title that throws crazy plot twists and you love crazy cult figures, then this is your book.
Sailor Moon (Volumes 1-2+) by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Comics
This is the female role model that all the little girls should look up to. All I can say is that it’s a good title to show to young teenage female readers interested in manga. It’s also a great history lesson for them as well as they get a chance to read one of the most influential shojou manga out there.
Princess Knight Volume 1 by Osamu Tezuka, Vertical Inc.
A gem that would help set the tone for shoujo manga. You can’t help but admire Princess Sapphire and her determination to be a hero to others. This is another influential title that I feel young female manga readers HAVE to read.
The Book of Human Insects by Osamu Tezuka, Vertical Inc.
An intense, thought-provoking story where you see how certain people can be very manipulative towards others. The main protagonist isn’t someone you can actually root for. This title is recommended for those who love complex characters in their stories.
This is just a small sample of what I would recommend. What other manga titles do you think would make great gifts for readers? Post in the comments section below and let me know what you would give!
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Defending Manga & The Hypocrisy of “Cultural Diversity”
A month ago at New York Comic-Con, I attended a panel entitled “CBLDF: Defending Manga”, which discussed the Canada customs case involving a young man arrested for possessing manga that contained “child pornography”. Charles Brownstein, the Executive Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and two of the most well-known manga experts in North America, Erica Friedman & Deb Aoki, talked about the nature of the case and how this affects everyone who reads manga. After hearing what they had to say, this whole case has got me thinking about the idea of promoting “cultural diversity” and whether some people really follow that.
If you ask me, the one reason why certain people seem to like other cultures is primarily because of their food. That’s it. I mean, everyone loves food. Of course there is probably music & technology. If it’s tangible and useful to other people’s lives, then yeah, they love whoever makes it and say “Oh yeah, we appreciate their culture. They make (insert great product/food)!” Don’t you just love it when people aren’t educated or don’t care about the whole picture?
Which leads me to the next point: stereotypes. At the panel, Deb Aoki spoke about how certain people still associate manga with perverted antics. People who aren’t familiar with manga need to be educated about the style. As much I make fun of stereotypes from time to time, they need to die down a lot. How do we teach others to not always listen to the media and possibly their peers about certain stigmas that don’t always apply?
I think everything has to start at a young age. If you put a child in a culturally-diverse environment, then the chances of that child stereotyping against others are low. For adults, it’s a lot tougher if they already have ideas rooted. You have to make them aware that they are stereotyping. Adults all have some sort of subconscious bias and say things without even thinking why they say them. As such, education is power.
Education is so undervalued right now in North America, it’s not even funny. There is so much visual media distraction that doesn’t provide much value to children & adults. I do think that libraries are important in the role of education. When asked about how to educate people about manga, Erica Friedman talked about libraries being a great resource in promoting manga and I highly agree. There’s also the release of “The Drops of God’ in North America, which I believe will help to lower the stereotype of manga being hentai because of the amount of press recognition the title has received & the impact it has on the wine world.
Charles Brownstein brought up another interesting point about how manga fans need to band together and fight for their right to love manga. Manga fans all around the world are of diverse backgrounds. If we don’t stand up for our passion for manga, then we’re going against the idea of “cultural diversity”. We might end up being hypocrites ourselves, especially if we say that we love Japanese otaku culture. I, myself, have let everyone know that I am a huge Japanese culture lover. Pretty much everyone around me knows this. I eat Japanese food, read news about Japan, am not ashamed to read manga during my commute, & I even have a portrait of a Japanese female figurine in my room. My family & relatives are tolerant of it because I take some time to educate them on why I love the culture a lot (& also possibly the fact that they see other young adults into it).
The final point I want to make is about the blog’s mission. I want to educate people on the benefits of reading manga. I want readers to see how manga characters can be influential in helping them be better people and understand real people who are similar to them. Hell, I even though of opening a practice in the future using manga as therapeutic tools. The panel has reminded me that I need to keep this blog going, because I’m one of the many who believe in spreading the power & value of reading manga. In essence, I’m already defending manga as we speak alongside the CBLDF.
Manga readers, show the world that you’re (to quote Eminem) NOT AFRAID TO TAKE A STAND.
A full recap of the panel can be read here, courtesy of Anime News Network.
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GTO Creator Takes On Shinigami & Hostess Clubs
If there’s one thing Japan seems to love, it’s Shinigami (death gods). Tohru Fujisawa, the mangaka of Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO), looks to bring his crazy, wild storytelling into the world of Shinigami with Soul Reviver, which is going to be serialized in Shogakukan’s Monthly Hero magazine this January. This is also on the eve of another title that Fujisawa is launching in January, Shibuya Hachiko-Mae ~another side~, which will be published in ASCII Media Works’ Degenki Comic Japan.
Soul Reviver will be about a half-human, half-Shinigami woman who brings souls to the world of the dead. Shibuya Hachiko-Mae will be about a scout named Aoyama and his adventures in picking up girls to work at a hostess club in Shibuya. Great, another thing Japan loves.
There are some concerns about Soul Reviver. Mostly due to the fact that the plot sounds very similar to BLEACH. About Shibuya Hachiko-Mae, I think that it will be a very unique title that explores the psychology of cabaret clubs and the women who join them. Knowing Fujisawa, I expect both titles to be full of hard-hit EMOTION.
Titles that are about love & death seem to be quite popular in Japan in this day and age, huh?
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WHAT IF…Shinpachi Shimura Became Yukio Okumura?
You know you made it big if Gintama starts poking fun at your series. Look at how many moles Shinpachi has compared to Yukio!
This is from Gintama Chapter 372 or as Sorachi-sensei calls it: Kintama Lesson 1. You know what, let’s follow Gin’s suggestion and call it KIN NO EXORCIST/GOLD EXORCIST.
I seriously think Sorachi-sensei throws caution to the wind when it comes to blatantly parodying his fellow JUMP mangakas’ works. Yes/No/Maybe/Can’t respond, laughing too hard right now?
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Photos from New York Comic-Con 2011
Enjoy the shots I took from New York Comic-Con 2011!
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New York Comic-Con 2011 Adventure Log!
On October 13-16, 2011, the East Coast’s biggest pop culture convention landed upon New York City once again with an infusion of comic book artists, celebrities, video game developers, and of course, a LARGE number of cosplayers. New York Comic-Con 2011 managed to draw an attendance of 105,000 over the span of 4 days. A lot of things happened, so get ready for a somewhat extensive recap.
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Must-Read: Melinda Beasi’s Thoughts On The Canada Customs Case
Browsing through the Twitterverse, I found a very good & enlightening op-ed by the Manga Bookshelf’s own Melinda Beasi on the state of the case involving a man who was arrested in Canada for bringing over “questionable” manga. Here’s an excerpt from the article that I believe CAN happen given the state of how absurd people can be in this day and age.
“The truth is, my fear may be premature, but it isn’t crazy. We absolutely can’t trust our communities with our lives when it comes to comics, and I’ve seen the proof of that first-hand. It was only a couple of months ago, for instance, that a local commenter at Manga Bookshelf — someone essentially in my community — let me know that she considered an interest in romance comics featuring teen characters to be tantamount to pedophilia.”
For those who haven’t experienced this, like it or not, we will face people who may believe in some crazy extreme logic or have some sort of irrational fear. The problem is how to face those individuals & prejudices. It seems like no matter how much education we provide, not everyone will listen. I, myself, have friends who know about my anime/manga interests. However, I may not tell all of them about certain specific subjects or genres I’m into. This reminds me of what is going on with the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan trying to label anime/manga as child pornography.
The world seems to be trying to make otaku (and general fans of anime/manga) feel ashamed. And for what? So, we can be “outstanding citizens” under their terms? Tch….
Melinda’s article can be read here.
As a reminder to those attending New York Comic-Con, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund will have a panel entitled ““CBLDF: Defending Manga” (7:30pm - 8:30pm) at Room 1A23 next Saturday about the Canada Customs case and how readers can help.
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