Review: The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (Light Novel)

Author: Nagaru Tanigawa
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Rated: 15+

Reading the new Haruhi book is a lot like wearing an old jumper. Don't run off! Let me explain myself. Opening the book, everything feels warm and familiar. Sure, it feels kinda worn in and doesn't fit perfectly, but it's very comforting to come back to something you know well and enjoy.

Such was how I felt sitting down to read The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. After a brief re-introduction to the cast and their various characteristics, Protagonist Kyon (real name unknown) is thrust into another bizarre adventure against his will. This time, Kyon finds himself thrust into a world devoid of Haruhi or any of the other ragtag band of crazies who make up the SOS Brigade after-school club. Kyon goes on a trek to find out what on earth happened and to figure out how, and if, he should fix everything to how it was before.

This new story has a welcome improvement from the previous volumes in that all of the strange events of the story directly affect the first-person narrator Kyon. You get to watch his sarcastic outlook get put through the wringer instead of having him relate events that are happening to others, leading to much more engaging prose overall. It provides a welcome change from having the main character be a disaffected observer of bizarre events yet again and allows for some interesting development of his character and motivations throughout the book. The rest of the characters also receive their fair amount of the spotlight, and you learn a little more of the interrelations between them.

The plotline, which I am trying to skirt around in case of spoilers, moves along at a reasonable pace and answers all reader questions, but notably stumbles at the climax of the books events. Shortly after the climax, which for me made perfect sense and opened up some exciting possibilities, the author calls the book to the halt so he can clearly spell out the events that occurred just in case you weren't paying attention. This cheapens the ending a great deal, as instead of merely hinting as to the outcome a great big red arrow was instead used to point it out. Kyon further dwells on the climax in the final pages, adding big flashing lights to the sign saying "This is what the ending means, doofus!"

I feel I should mention here that the majority of the plot itself is highly engaging and enjoyable, and it is only because the way the climax is handled is such a noticeable drop in quality compared to the rest of the book that I feel the need to bring it up. The characters are still enjoyable to spend time with, the events presented are interesting, and the whole story is an page-turner even when you take into account its errors. There is one further sin the book commits, but that will need a bit of explanation.

If you watch anime you may be familiar with characters saying "That Person" instead of using someone’s name as a way of increasing tension in a plotline, or just to draw events out. It is usually used poorly, and sadly Disappearance falls into this trap as well. The first time it happens in the book it is actually used sparingly and to some decent dramatic effect, however it is used again later on across four whole pages when it would have been best to not bother with the gimmick. Given that the reader should have already figured out who the person in question is in this second instance, having so many mentions of "that person" in bold text at such a key point in the story ruins the tension that has been building and left me rolling my eyes.

For readers of the previous Haruhi books, Disappearance will feel like a comfortable continuation of the series with nothing truly earth-shattering but a lot to love nonetheless. Those who have not read the previous books may find themselves adrift somewhat as while the prologue does a great job of catching you up on the principle characters and setting, the story proper draws on a lot of elements expanded on in previous volumes. The book will still be a nice, enjoyable read, but will not be as engaging for fulfilling overall due to the lack of prior knowledge. If you have already watched the TV series, then this may well be a good place to start if you were put off of reading the first three volumes as you had already seen the events in animated form.

I have not seen the theatrical version of the story, and I am now even more excited to see it after reading the book, but I have to wonder how the movie can have a run time (2 hours, 45 minutes) longer than the amount of time it took me to read the source material.

One last thing I want to bring up is that I really like the colorful presentation of the paperback edition of the book, which along with the earlier volumes now has a vibrant little corner on my bookshelf next to some drably presented sci-fi.

Barring a few preventable mishaps, Disappearance is a great read and I utterly devoured it during my commute to and from work. I would recommend it to anyone, even if they had never heard of the series or anime as a whole.

[Highly Recommended]

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This review is based on a retail version purchased by the reviewer.

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Review: The Art of Osamu Tezuka – God of Manga

Medium: Coffee Table Book
Author: Helen McCarthy (foreword by Katsuhiro Otomo)
Publisher: Abrams ComicArts (NA/UK)
Release Date: Oct. 1, 2009 (NA/UK)

The inside cover of The Art of Osamu Tezuka depicts the schematics of famous manga character Astro Boy, with notes pointing out each of the functions of his robotic body. It is fitting, then, that the following 260 pages of Helen McCarthy's new coffee table-style book represent a "schematic" of the life of Osamu Tezuka, easily the most influential artist in anime and manga history.

"Osamu Tezuka is not the founder of Japanese animation," reminds Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira, Domu) in the book's foreword, but he most certainly was the single greatest influence on its evolution. The manga artist-turned animator created countless unforgettable characters (including the titular characters of Astro Boy and Black Jack) and revolutionized the post-war animation industry. Thus, for fans looking to the past for evidence of where anime evolved from, all roads lead to Tezuka. The Art of Osamu Tezuka is at once a celebration and an analysis of this star-studded career, debunking myths about the artist's influence while emphasizing the all-important changes that he did make to Japan's anime and manga culture.

The first chapter depicts Tezuka's young life before his debut as a major comic artist, beginning (delightfully) with a photograph of the boy at only one year old. This unique window into Tezuka's early life shows fascinating insight into later works in his career, though McCarthy's assumptions regarding childhood influences on his art are certainly debatable. Most interesting of all, though, are the doodles from Tezuka's elementary school days, which include some characters (like Hyōtan-tsugi) who appear frequently in his adult works.

Chapter two features an encyclopedia of Tezuka's "Star System" — his unique way of grouping his characters into an "acting troupe," with different players playing different roles in different stories. While this list naturally includes big stars like Astro Boy and Rock Holmes, it also includes a lot of lesser-known characters such as Geta (Ayako, Rainbow Parakeet) and Notaarin (Metropolis).

Later chapters each focus on a decade of Tezuka's life, beginning with his debut of Ma-chan's Diary in 1946 and ending in the late 1980s with the artist's death. Throughout, McCarthy provides descriptions of what was going on during each decade of Tezuka's life, detailing — through full-page photos and brief sections of text — his struggles and triumphs in both his professional and personal life. Then the chapter moves to a title-by-title analysis of the major works of that decade. Some are notably left out (including many Vertical releases such as Apollo's Song and Ode to Kirihito), but the analyses, often brief, provide valuable insight for anyone looking to plumb the depths of the Tezuka catalog. Still, McCarthy chooses to spoil the endings of some series, which may disappoint some Tezuka fans hoping to track down these anime and manga themselves.

McCarthy has a reputation as an "anime academic," but her writing in The Art of Osamu Tezuka is far from the indecipherable treatises of most academic papers. Instead, it frequently flows with the enjoyable style of a journalism piece, despite quite a few paragraphs that seem to be nothing but a series of simple sentences starting with the same word. (To be honest, this is probably just my editor's mind making me so nit-picky.)

Included in the back of the book is a subtitled documentary entitled Osamu Tezuka: The Secret of Creation. The slightly odd 45-minute video, produced by Japanese television network NHK, follows a TV crew as they document the day-by-day schedule of the manga master, complete with charming moments of humanity that we rarely see through all of the discussion of the man's artistic achievements. The video (even though it was produced independently of the book) has an incredibly authentic atmosphere that serves as a fantastic capstone to McCarthy's humanization of Tezuka throughout her book.

It might miss a few steps here and there, but overall The Art of Osamu Tezuka is an absolute joy for Tezuka fans old and new. At once an encyclopedia of Tezuka's work and a narrative journey through his incredible life, McCarthy's guide is an inspiring examination of the artist's impact on anime and manga. With its wealth of fascinating information and the added value of The Secret of Creation, this is a book that belongs on any Tezuka fan's bookshelf — or coffee table for that matter.

[Highly Recommended]

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This review is based on a hardcover retail copy purchased by the reviewer.

Check out more articles about Osamu Tezuka in our March 2010 Tezuka Theme Month!

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Review: TokyoScope - The Japanese Cult Film Companion

Medium: Book of Essays/Reviews
Author: Patrick Macias (foreword by Kinji Fukasaku, afterword by Takashi Miike)
Illustrator: Happy Ujihashi
Publisher: Viz Media (Cadence Books imprint)
Version Reviewed: Retail paperback, library copy
Release Date: November 2001

There was a time when anime was a cult phenomenon in the United States. A time when the only way to find episodes of your favorite giant robot show was to seek out either the obscure fansubbing group releasing a low-quality tape of it or the production company that just happened to license a strange show and release it in your local video store. Anime has now moved further into the mainstream, but for fans of Japanese pop culture, the cartoons are only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface of the water is the other 90% of that iceberg, and there lies world of Japanese cult films. Patrick Macias' TokyoScope seeks to bring that world to the surface in a way that few have ever done before.

The book reads like a very fannish, often tongue-in-cheek exploration of every single facet of Japanese cult films, from their production to their promotion and theatrical showings. Japanese history is referenced in detail right next to scans of real posters from '70s triple-feature showings and silly, manic illustrations from Japanese artist Happy Ujihashi. Macias pulls no punches, with short one-page reviews of films of all calibers, ranging from monster movies to yakuza (mobster) flicks to softcore pornos (a.k.a. "pink films"). At the end of each genre-themed chapter, there is a series of extra articles, including interviews, scanned promotional materials, and/or profiles of actors, directors and such.

Macias' knack for storytelling carries the reader through the different chapters, connecting all of them through an omnipresent description of the Shinjuku Showakan theater, a defunct (as of 2002) movie theater originally built in 1932 that specialized in cult films, and was for a time even funded by yazuka, who often visited to watch the latest films about their fictional gangster counterparts. (For more on the Showakan, read August Ragone's writeup of the theater's final show.)

TokyoScope is the kind of book that holds far more information than one person could possibly absorb in one reading, a fact that serves as a reminder of just how much of a wealth of knowledge Patrick Macias is when it comes to Japanese pop culture. However, despite the wide range of genres and films, the focus of the book often circles back to a few major names, including directors Kinju Fukasaku (Fight Without Honor Or Humanity, Battle Royale), Ishiro Honda (Godzilla), and Takashi Miike (Dead Or Alive, Ichi The Killer) and actors Sonny Chiba, Bunta Sugawara, and Tetsuro Tamba. While all of the names might not sink in, even a quick first read of TokyoScope is a fantastic start for any new fan looking to get into the dark and dirty world of Japanese exploitation cinema. It might not add much for longtime fans of the films, but it certainly offers some insight into movies that they might have overlooked.

The book itself is a good size, with large pages and a light weight that makes it perfect for carrying around on the train or bus. Unfortunately it is published in black and white, which significantly ruins the value of having so many wonderful pictures of Japanese films both new and old.

We've now reached a point where anime has become a very noticeable presence in Western culture, so for many the light of animation has eclipsed Japanese live action cinema. In reality, however, there has never been a better time to seek out these films. As fans of Japanese culture seek out more entertainment to sate their apetite, they should reach out not only to the brightly lit halls of Akira Kurosawa, but also to the dimly lit Showakan theater, where the soft underbelly of Japanese cinema once lived. As an inviting gateway into this all-but-forgotten facet of Japanese cultural heritage, TokyoScope is unrivaled.

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Halloween Staff Picks

All Hallow's Eve is quickly approaching, and you just can't figure out what to do with yourself when the lights go out this Saturday. You could go out trick-or-treating and have everybody ask (a) why you're asking for candy when you're 25 and have a full neckbeard and (b) why you're dressed as Sailor Moon again, to which you can respond with righteous indignance (and an explanation of the subtle color scheme differences between your Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus costumes).

Or you can read Ani-Gamers' list of the scariest stuff in the geek world. Whether you're looking for an anime or a live action movie, a video game or a manga, our five illustrious staff writers have got you covered, with nothing less than the very best that Halloween has to offer. So head beyond the break for some great, hand-picked Halloween frights.

Ink

1. Ju-on, a.k.a. The Grudge (movie): This movie embodies everything creepy about J-horror: setting, audio, visuals, characters... and the American remake scared me enough to keep the lights on for three months straight (no exaggeration) by taking away everything "safe" one's mind could possibly cling to when absorbed in a film. The premise: a gruesome murder/suicide stains the house with its angry/vengeful presence, which will hunt down anyone who dares enter.
2. When They Cry ~ Higurashi (anime): Quite possibly one of the most disturbingly creepy and well-executed anime I've ever had the pleasure to be addicted to. Take four innocent-looking girls in a rural village paranoid about a curse, add a stranger, add some Hitchcock, and then put it all in a blender and repeat five times. This had me guessing as to the linear nature of the stories until the very end, and the visuals/voice acting (great dub!) are chilling. How chilling? One of my friends looked at the back of the DVD case, saw a picture of one of the girls laughing, and promptly turned down any possibility of watching it.
3. Fatal Frame / Fatal Frame 2 (PS2): While they stand alone, honestly, they're better in succession. Good horror's sneaky like that. The basis for both games: find out what happened to a missing loved one while not succumbing to the ill will of the myriad traumatized ghosts that inhabit the house/village. Your only weapon is an exorcimsal camera. Personal drama and a dramatic history (for both character and setting) make these games engrossing enough to get the blood pumping, elicit a startled jump, or provoke a scream of surprise.

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Kuro

1. Cowboy Bebop - the Movie (anime): This is my number one choice for good reason. It's a movie that brings the hilarious scenes, dramatic fights, and everything else a person could ask for from a Cowboy Bebop movie and blends it perfectly with the mystery and drama of Halloween. To sum up the story, Faye, en route to catch a low-level target, witnesses the explosion of the tanker truck that she was following, thus releasing a deadly cloud of some mysterious disease into the air that kills hundreds of people. Now it's up to Spike and company to get to the bottom of whatever is going on.
2. Kakurenbo - Hide and Seek (anime): This is my hardcore Halloween pick of the three. In an abandoned city in Neo-Japan, children play a game called "Otokoyo." It's basically hide and seek, but there is a twist: all of the children who have played the game have mysteriously disappeared. The absolutely beautiful cell shading, sound effects, and background music used throughout the story really lend themselves to the dark and mysterious city in which Otokoyo takes place. For people on a bit of the squeamish side, this OVA will provide a good psychological thrill ride without all the blood and gore of typical horror.
3. Battle Royale (movie): Here's a movie and it's sequel that might be one of the biggest cult classic movies out of Japan since Godzilla. The plot is simple: a random Japanese class from a random school is chosen by lottery. The 30 to 40 kids in the class must then partake in the event know as Battle Royale, essentially a timed death match on a deserted island, with only one winner. It's much more than a bunch of kids killing each other though. The amount of mind games and political propaganda in this movie really get a person thinking about what can really happen when the government has all the control.

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Uncle Yo

1. I Luv Halloween (manga): Tokyopop's OEL manga program shows off its gruesomely dark side in this hilarious take on a sadistic suburbia haunted by the sickest creatures imaginable: children in search of candy. With uniquely disturbed, violently apathetic characters and magnificent detail from the artist, this three-book series is great for a brutal laugh or just some other-worldy nostalgia.
2. Blood - The Last Vampire (anime): This is NOT Blood+; this is shorter and faaaaar more ambiguious. It's also violent as hell and just as scary. (The bishōjo-tone of the series is butchered here for the sake of making the monsters as menacing as possible.) This was the only anime to ever have a fight scene to a brass band playing in the background, and I'm sad that the trend never caught on. Begins with blood and ends with fire; what else is going to pump you up for wandering the neighborhood after dark?
3. Silent Hill (PS1): The classic start to the deeply disturbing series of video games about a Lovecraftian world that haunts and torments the people inside with the reincarnated demons from their own twisted lives. Unlike Resident Evil (that glorious horror-survivor), Silent Hill is about helpless believable people with few clues and even fewer weapons. The gloomy, cold fog, the iron gates, the fire rising from below, and mutha-f*&%ing Pyramid Head. Halloween is only complete once you've survived the demons that inhabit Silent Hill.

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Phreak

1. Clive Barker's Jericho (Xbox 360): I always believed that something was very wrong with Clive Barker, and with this game's release I found out that I was totally correct. Only "The Barker" could come up with a storyline filled with evil and religion, all intertwined to blur the line between good and evil while making us think, "could even God make a mistake?" The A.I. is about as intuitive as being shown around the Alaskan wilderness by a dumb, deaf, & blind man, but the atmosphere is dark, brooding, and bloody.
2. The Suffering 1 & 2 (PS2): The Suffering follows a character named Torque, whose twisted fate is primarily shaped by decisions that the player actually makes. These games were one of my first introductions to good vs. evil decision-making, as they present players with moral choices between killing and helping other people. Again, the atmosphere – a strange prison swallowed by hate and evil – really made this game worth it for me.
3. Candyman Trilogy (movies): Starting to see a pattern here? Yes, I love Clive Barker. He has a twisted mind that he manages to show us in vivid detail through his written word. The transition from book (in this case it was a short story) to movie tends to dilute the original's flavor, but with Candyman, this was not the case. They couldn't have picked a better Candyman; Tony Todd's voice and build are perfect for the character. The line "Believe in me.. Be my victim.." Fantastic! I always thought that staring into a mirror and saying some name a certain amount of times was all B.S., but after Candyman I seriously didn't look in a mirror again for 6 months.

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Vampt Vo

1. Boogiepop Phantom (anime): When people think Japanese horror, live-action films like Ringu and Ju-on jump to mind, but Boogiepop Phantom is one of the many under-appreciated gems in the anime horror genre. The first few episodes revolve around people with subtle mental problems and their encounters with the mysterious entity Boogiepop. As the show goes on, its vision into the blackest heart of humanity manages to terrify without gruesome monsters or ageless curses.
2. The Legend of Zelda - Majora's Mask (N64): Alright, so maybe it's not overtly scary, but Majora's Mask is easily the darkest Zelda game ever made, with its theme of imminent, moon-induced destruction and its disturbing, childishly sinister villain. And what's more, it's got a whole slew of masks for Link to wear! So if you're not up for dressing up yourself this Saturday, why not play dress up with everybody's favorite sword-toting Nintendo hero?
3. Vampire Hunter D (novel): Hideyuki Kikuchi's original novel is all about one of the most terrifying of the night's creatures: vampires. The titular protagonist D is a half-vampire hired by a young woman to protect her and kill the vampire who bit her, thereby freeing her from his curse. The story is filled with tense fantasy storytelling and some surprisingly high-octane action scenes. Kevin Leahy's translation is a little awkward, but it's still a fun, quick read.

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That's it for us! What are your favorite Halloween anime, games, movies, and books?

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Guin Saga creator Kaoru Kurimoto, 56, passes away

Award-winning Japanese fantasy author Kaoru Kurimoto (real name Sumiyo Imaoka) passed away at age 56 last Tuesday. The novelist, who is succeeded by her husband Kiyoshi Imaoka, was known best for her long-running fantasy light novel series Guin Saga. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007, but did not have a chance to complete the continuing story of Guin before her untimely death. Regardless, Kurimoto will be deeply missed by the countless fantasy writers, manga artists, animators, and fans who have been inspired by her imaginative and evocative stories since Guin began its continuous publication in 1979.

The Guin Saga novels are currently being published in English by Vertical, Inc., and there is an ongoing anime based on the series running now on Japanese television.

[via Japanator]

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Review: Schoolgirl Milky Crisis - Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade

Medium: Book of Collected Essays
Writer: Jonathan Clements
Publisher: Tor Books

Don't judge a book by its cover. Or by its title for that matter. Almost everyone who saw me reading Schoolgirl Milky Crisis gave me a weird look or asked me a hesitant question. Who wouldn't? With a name and a cover like this, the book positively demands an explanation.

But perhaps that is what Jonathan Clements (translator, voice actor, columnist, and co-author of the Anime Encyclopedia) is actually getting at in his book, a series of collected essays (published and unpublished) detailing the behind-the-scenes world of anime, manga, and Asian pop culture. It's a world that doesn't quite operate like any other entertainment industry, with its multiple levels of licenses and its cross-cultural sensibility. Schoolgirl Milky Crisis is striking at first glance, in part because it mirrors the striking, question-filled world from which it draws. Appropriate, since the book's contents provide some fascinating answers.

Answers about the grueling work of a weekly manga artist. Answers about the origins of Chinese animation, and its connections with Japanese anime. And even answers about the importance of erotica in the anime world. Conversely, Clements often provides questions of his own, asking the reader to contemplate the idea of an anime industry where "No Format" is the new media format, where digital distribution takes over our viewing habits. He asks us if placing animation in its own category in the Oscars is an honor, or equivalent to a creative ghetto.

Throughout it all, Clements' writing remains crisp, snappy, and funny, and his essays are made especially entertaining because most of them are short magazine articles, each of which can be read in a mere five minutes tops. His observations about the companies he worked for, the shows he worked on, and the people he met are often surprisingly insightful, with a tone that alternates between bemused cynicism and honest passion.

Unfortunately, much of the book is comprised of articles that Clements has already published in magazines such as Newtype USA or NEO. As such, many former Newtype or NEO readers will find that they have already read a good portion of the book. Luckily, there are a fair number of articles included that have never been published, such as unpublished sleeve notes from DVDs, and two lectures given by Clements at British Universities. These lectures are undoubtedly among the highlights of the book. One describes erotica, and it's place in anime, with an eye to the historical developments of hentai/ecchi and the reasons for said developments. (He also has the best description of moe ever.) The second essay describes the behind-the-scenes work of anime translators and subtitlers, and is a must-read for anybody who has ever tried to debate subs-versus-dubs or fansubs-versus-official subs.

But of course, there's still the question of why the hell Clements would name a book "Schoolgirl Milky Crisis."

The reason is, of course, that he uses that name as a catchall for anime series that he does not want to name, for fear of incriminating staff or companies involved in some of his anecdotes. This practice is used throughout his essays, and while I understand the necessity of it, this constant use of replacement names can occasionally make his stories very confusing.

Schoolgirl Milky Crisis is more than worth its $15 price, especially for anybody who hasn't read very much of Newtype USA or NEO. (Otherwise, it might feel a little redundant) Either way, I encourage any fan with even an inkling of interest in the industry to go ahead and give it a try. The confused stares and awkward questions are well worth it for a book so packed with insightful answers.

[Disclaimer: This review was written based on a free review copy, kindly provided by Titan Books. We would like to remind our readers that Ani-Gamers reviewers do their very best to provide unbiased reviews of all titles.]

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Win a copy of Schoolgirl Milky Crisis!

You thought that Science Ninja Team Gachaman was a crazy name for an anime? Jonathan Clements has been using a far crazier one for years in his writings about the anime industry for publications like Newtype USA. Now his various essays about anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture have been collected into a single book: Schoolgirl Milky Crisis (the name comes from a generic name for any given anime series – a name that Clements has often used to protect the identities of anonymous studios and staff members).

Clements is, of course, the co-author of the Anime Encyclopedia, one of the most comprehensive volumes of information about the medium ever published. Before he worked as a writer, however, he also wore pretty much every hat in the anime industry: translator, voice director, voice actor, etc. And even before that, he was the on-staff translator for one of the earliest and most prominent anime fanzines, Anime UK.

If you're interested in reading all about Clement's crazy adventures in the industry (the book's not lying, they're some pretty crazy adventures), then drop a comment here in this post (or email me at contest [at] anigamers [dot] com) with the following: Your name/email address and your own crazy name for an anime, in the vein of Schoolgirl Milky Crisis. Y'know, "Gogo Dragon Monkeyfist." Whatever the hell you want. We'll pick our two favorites from the entries, and send each winner a free copy of Schoolgirl Milky Crisis. It's really too good a deal for you to pass up.

And hey, if you want another chance to win a copy, enter the podcast contest – the rules are at the end of episode #013. You can enter both contests, but remember, you can only win one or the other. (So you can't win on both the blog and podcast)

[Schoolgirl Milky Crisis is now available in stores from Titan Books. Visit the official blog, run by Clements himself.]

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Ani-Gamers and the Crazy Book Release

I'm sure many of our nerdy readers out there went to a bookstore at midnight yesterday morning to grab a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and I hope you all enjoy your book. Of course, being a Harry Potter fan myself, I will not post any spoilers of the book, or allow them on the Forums. (I actually finished the book last night) For anyone wishing to discuss theories, events of the book (always noted for spoilers of course) or their opinions on Deathly Hallows, feel free to post in Ani-Gamers' Deathly Hallows discussion thread.

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