6 posts tagged “manga”

Probably my official introduction to the world of manga is through Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2, back when I was a highschool freshman, a good fourteen years ago. I was so impressed with her work that I started looking for her other works. I found Lum Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku. I figured Ms. Takahashi did mostly comedy-romance manga, so I went to look for more.

Her Mermaid saga was introduced to me by a friend who said that no Takashi fan should miss out. Expecting something similar along the lines the previous works I was familiar with, I was surprised to encounter a much darker and more gory world.

The saga starts off with the story of Yuta, a man who looks no older than 20. In truth, Yuta is an immortal in search of people like him. He is also looking for a way to end his immortality, as he wants to live a "normal" life and die sometime.

Yuta is an immortal thanks to the flesh of a mermaid. Legend has it that anyone who digests the flesh of a mermaid can earn immortality. However, this is a rare occurence. The few, like Yuta, do get that and stay like they were when they ate the flesh. Many die immediately. Then there are those who do become immortal but their bodies become corrupted and monstrous. The latter is know as a Lost Soul.

In the first story, Yuta meets Mana, a young girl who was raised by in a village of mermaids solely for the purpose of being a sacrifice. Yuta rescues her and takes her along with him on his travels. Along the way they meet people who ate the mermaid's flesh, with different effects.

(Note: My descriptions are based on what I can remember from the stories I've read years ago. If there's any information that I put in wrong, please let me know. Thanks.)

The story is very macabre, but it is also captivating. I couldn't help but empathize with the "victims" of the mermaid's flesh, and wish that they'd all find some peace. Of course, I wanted a happy ending for Yuta and Mana, but I don't know if it ever happened. Still, this is a very interesting read, and Ms. Takahashi's art is also very good. Her characters look simple, but the depth of their personalities make them endearing.

Even after all these years, it's still a good story to keep coming back to.

High on Mountain Dew...

I had been wishing for this book since I leafed through it about a year ago in Powerbooks. My best friend and I ordered it through my aunt last year and she gave it to me as a present. Neat.

The book, as the title says, is all about doing digital manga. More like drawing 2D manga-style pictures and coloring them anime-esque. The authors --- Jared Hodges and Lindsay Cibos --- share numerous techniques and tricks that they use in producing their work. Hodges and Cibos share credit on Peach Fuzz, a manga-style comic published by Tokyopop.

I have mixed feelings about the artwork. I like how they do the color, which is basically the main reason why I got the book. However, I do find some of their drawings a bit off, like in some of their children's drawings, the heads are too big. But then, that's just me. I grew up liking CLAMP and Rumiko Takahasi. :)

What's good about the book is that it discusses a variety of techniques that a beginner will find very useful. It tackles the basics of getting into digital art, offering pros and cons and comparisons between that and traditional art. There's also a chapter dealing with the basics of drawing --- facial expressions, anatomy, etc; as well as a chapter devoted to two of the authors' main tools of trade: Photoshop and Painter. If you're starting out with digital art, this book will help you. Digital artists who already have a sufficient grasp on the mentioned tools but are just starting out on the manga-style will also find this book informative.

I find this book useful because though I've have experience with Photoshop, there's still alot of things I have to learn. The downside of tutorials online is quite a few of them are haphazardly made. Hodges and Cibos have organized the book by topic and talked about each one in an informative way. First time users will be able to follow the easy instructions and will gradually learn to navigate through the tools the authors make use of.

For me, the book isn't revolutionary. Had it been published say, five or six years ago, it may have been. But with the proliferation of people who are getting into manga and anime, as well as the availability of tools, what this book offers isn't new. Some of their techniques indeed are unique, but I believe that depends on the artist and how he/she utilizes the tool they're using. Hodges and Cibos use mainly Photoshop and Painter, but as these two tools are very mainstream, alot of people also use them. I have used Google extensively to search for groups and websites that host tutorials on these tools and how to use them in this particular style --- coloring manga in anime style. I also make use of DeviantArt and the dozens of excellent tutorials that are posted by the members (however, because of the problem previously mentioned, you need patience in leafing through the numerous tutorials until you find the one that you really want).

Overall, the book would rate a 7.5/10 for me. It is a good investment if you want to expand your digital manga skills, and is probably the best one in the market (for English speaking users anyway).

Beck is the story of an ordinary fourteen year old boy named Tanaka Yukio. Timid and an introvert, Koyuki (his nickname) is often bullied by other people. One day he meets Minami Ryusuke, a very cool and talent guitarist who grew up in America. Ryusuke and Koyuki become friends, the former inspiring the latter to learn how to play the guitar. The story evolves around Koyuki, the band Beck and thie struggles to make it in the music scene.

Summary by me
Other source: Beck on Wikipedia

I first came across Beck about two years ago. I was playing some songs and decided it might be cool to do a drawing of a guy playing the guitar. I was starting to get into Asian Kung Fu Generation then, and I was a fan of their lead singer as well as the artist who made their album covers. After doing a quick Google search I came across a picture of a bespectacled guy with a guitar who looked alot like Goto of Ajikan. I did a drawing of that and stuck it somewhere. I read a bit about Beck as well and thought it's a pretty interesting story that my musician brother might like.

And he does. One day he came home and told me all about this anime he saw, and said he was starting to get into the manga. Amused, I said, "Is that Beck?"

I'm reading Chapter 52 now, where the band's just released their second single "Tabasco" and is negotiating on playing for Greatful Sound 7 (it's a sort of Woodstock or Nano Mugen). In the story it's been almost two years since the band first came together, since they first played in GS 5 and made such a hit with the crowd. Beck's become a somewhat legend in the indie/underground music community, but is having a hard time lifting off because of a music producer who doesn't like Beck.

I'm more of a shojo manga reader, romance and stuff, but Beck's a really good read. For one, the story's gripping --- you can liken it to Slam Dunk, but only with the music industry. Take an underdog, put him in a situation and find out he's got talent. Second, it's rather fun to note the musical references. There are some that are blatantly obvious --- Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles; while some are parodies and sometimes you can't quite put your finger on who the heck is he/she/it supposed to be. Lastly, it's all about the characters. You'll like Koyuki because though me may not be the best guitarist, he's got the heart to take it on. You can see the love of each member for their band, and the realization that on their own, they're good musicians but together, they kick ass.

The story just takes you in. You sympathize with the group as they face the challenges of making it big in the music industry. While reading it, I can't help but wish that Beck's a real band (not the Beck who sang "Loser, ok?) and that maybe one day I could see them live. Then the story doesn't lack bishies, though not quite the same as the guys in Hana Kimi may look. Ryu for one, and Taika. Koyuki's not bad either... and I want to see where he and Maho will end up.

My brother's treated me to some spoilers --- death, breakup, getting together... and though it makes me sad and reluctant to read further, I can't stop. So far there's been no dragging parts. Last night I got home around 7:30 and read until 11:20 PM. Miks was reading with me and when Nunik arrived, he tried to convince us to give it a rest so he could read the latest chapter.

I'll probably watch the anime later on. I think it'll be better because I can see the band "perform" and get a better feel of the story. Then again, as I know the songs, I'll probably be singing along with it, weird lyrics or not.