Manga Monday: Complicated families make for complicated emotions

Rin contemplates what it means to be a family in Bunny Drop Volume 8.

Note: Bunny Drop Volume 8 is, of course, part of a series. Check out the review of Volume 1 here, or the review of Volume 7 here. Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: Sometimes when you dig up the past, you're surprised with what you find

Rin starts to get curious about her past, and launches a plan to find out about her origins in Bunny Drop Volume 7.

Note:  Bunny Drop Volume 7 is, of course, the sequel to Bunny Drop Volume 6. The review of Bunny Drop Volume 1 is here, and the review of Bunny Drop Volume 6 is here. Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: The past ten years finally become clear

The cause of the tension between Rin and Kouki finally gets some explanation in Bunny Drop Volume 6.

Note:  Bunny Drop Volume 6 is, of course, the sequel to Bunny Drop Volume 5. The review of Bunny Drop Volume 1 is here, and the review of Bunny Drop Volume 5 is here. Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: Can a 40-year-old Daikichi raise a teen?

Ten years have passed, and Daikichi has a whole new set of problems in Bunny Drop Volume 5.

Note:  Bunny Drop Volume 5 is, of course, the sequel to Bunny Drop Volume 4.  The review of Bunny Drop Volume 1 is here, and the review of Bunny Drop Volume 4 is here.  Otherwise, read on!

A Merry Christmas Manga Shopping List

The Manga Christmas Shopping List 2011



It's the holiday season, and no matter what the reason for celebration, gifts generally make an appearance in some form or another.  It's been a great few years for manga, so here's a few suggestions for the manga and anime lovers on your list, or simply anyone who enjoys a good story.

For Shonen Fans:

These are often the type who, and any age, still get up early on Saturday mornings to watch their Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh and Naruto.  They probably enjoy other anime and manga as well, but they still let their inner 7 year old out to play

Dragon Ball Vizbig Volume 1

The casual anime fan in the US might not even know that there is a whole serie before Gohan is even a twinkle in young Goku's eye.  Here, we get to see the origins of our favorite characters, from Goku and Krillin to Turtle Elder and later, even Demon King Piccolo.

Dororo

Before even Dragon Ball, Osamu Tezuka created a series around Hyakkimaru and Dororo.  Hyakkimaru's father made a deal with the demon inhabiting a shrine, promising each demon a piece of his unborn son.  Now Hyakkimaru, abandoned by his father, travels the countryside fighting these demons to win his body back, with a young pickpocket named Dororo tagging along.

For Shojo Fans:

Mainly the domain of the 8-16 year old girl, just like the Shonen manga it appeals to the girl in women of any age.  Not just filled with magical girls in sailor suits anymore, it spans all sorts of eras and topics.

Princess Knight

Another Tezuka classic, this is the manga that set the groundwork for the shojo genre.  Due to some…mischief up in heaven, poor Sapphire is born with both a boy’s heart and a girl’s heart.  And to make things worse, the poor girl has to pretend to be a boy to inherit the kingdom and keep her evil uncle off the throne.  With an ensemble cast including the angel-in-training that caused the problem in the first place, an evil witch trying to steal her girl heart for her own daughter, and a Prince Charming from the kingdom next door, this is an epic fairy tale for girls of any age.

Seinen/Josei

These are the manga that you can give to someone who wouldn’t be amused by the shonen/shojo offerings.  Seinen manga, targeting young men, and Josei manga, targeting young women, have been coming to the US in larger and larger numbers in recent years, and some are of outstanding quality.

Bunny Drop

It sounds like the premise of a terrible sitcom, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.  30-year-old Daikichi, at his grandfather’s funeral, is confronted with a bizarre truth: his grandfather has a 6 year old lovechild, whose mother is nowhere to be found.  When the family discusses giving Rin to a children’s home, he impulsively declares that he will take Rin in.  This slice-of-life drama revolves around finding daycare, changing work schedules, and making it through flu season in one piece.  A very sweet, touching story.

Chi’s Sweet Home

It might seem odd that a comic based on a kitten and her family would be found in a seinen magazine, but Chi’s Sweet Home tempers its sweetness with a sense of longing and nostalgia that appeals to both men and women who are growing up and leaving old friends behind, as they are making new ones too. 

A Bride’s Story

The new series by Emma: A Victorian Romance’s Kaoru Mori, this takes place not in Victorian England but in 19^th century Mongolia. The first volume focuses on Amir, the bride of a boy five years her junior.  While the series moves slowly, the meticulously researched and detailed characters and art make this a fantastic success.

So there you have it.  These books should just about cover anyone on your shopping list.  But always remember, since geeks can sometimes have the most surprising items already in their collection; tuck that gift receipt in the front cover.  Just in case.

Manga Monday: Does everyone have to have crises at the same time?

The trials and tribulations of raising a girl continues - and hits flu season - in Bunny Drop Volume 4.

Note:  Bunny Drop Volume 4 is, of course, the sequel to Bunny Drop Volume 3.  The review of Bunny Drop Volume 1 is here, and the review of Bunny Drop Volume 3 is here.  Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: Golden and silver osmanthus trees

Note:  Bunny Drop Volume 3 is, of course, the sequel to Bunny Drop Volume 2.  The review of Bunny Drop Volume 1 is here, and the review of Bunny Drop Volume 2 is here.  Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: Do kindergartens have entrance exams too?

Note:  Bunny Drop Volume 2 is, of course, the sequel to Bunny Drop Volume 1.  The review of Bunny Drop Volume 1 is here.Otherwise read on!

Manga Monday: An overgrown adolescent ends up with a kid, but not in the normal way

Guys have a horrible reputation when it comes to children. For the most part, it's really undeserved; plenty of guys make at least as good a parent as the mother, if not better. But hundreds of episodes of Maury and Springer do a number on the collective psyche, and guys are labeled 'deadbeat' until proven otherwise.

It's prevalent in fictional media, too. Fathers are either incompetent (the Homer Simpson type), or absent altogether. The contrast between this and Bunny Drop Volume 1 by Yumi Unita might be part of what makes it so special.

Daikichi is a 30 year old, single salaryman. He's gotten himself fairly high up the ladder at his company, mainly by working long nights, attending alcohol-based social events, and by generally ignoring his family and social life. Admittedly, his less-than-stellar looks haven't helped him any in that department, either.

He takes off at the end of September to head home for his grandfather's funeral. He walks in to the barely controlled chaos that is most family gatherings, right past a young girl playing outside that he's never seen before.

Turns out, no one else there had known of her, either. It turns out, Grandfather kept himself busy in his golden years, and he's ended up with another daughter. Her mother is nowhere to be seen, and she's mostly quiet and just playing alone out of doors.

The most appalling turn of events, though, is how the family reacts to this piece of news. Each of Daikichi's family members comes up with some reason or another why they couldn't possibly take the girl in. When one person mentions finding a facility to place her in, Daikichi impulsively tells his family how horrible he thinks they're acting, and declares that he'll take the girl in himself. While this causes some concern for Daikichi's mother, the rest of the family is mostly relieved that someone else is dealing with the problem.

So, Daikichi has found himself with a quiet, six-year-old girl named Rin. All they're able to find of hers around the house is her mother-daughter health book (a sort of baby book with immunization records and the like in it), and a change of clothes.

The book goes on from here mainly as a slice-of-life story with a new father and daughter getting to know one another. Thankfully, perhaps because of her upbringing so far, Rin is fairly easygoing and as she comes out of her shell, she has no problem telling Daikichi what she needs at the mall, such as clothes and socks and the like.

Oh, and daycare too. Mustn't forget about daycare.

Later on, we start to see that Rin might not be as well-adjusted as she wants to seem. This comes out in the usual childhood ways, such as nightmares, a brief bout with bedwetting, and some problems when daycare starts, and she doesn't want to be left alone.

This is a very sweet story about Daikichi and Rin, and the way that a child changes every decision from that point on. The cast grows slowly, as we meet a working mother at Daikichi's office (more of a rarity in Japan than in the US), and another woman at Rin's daycare, whose child Rin seems to like.

This topic could easily become sickeningly sweet, but the fairly matter-of-fact manner of Rin keeps it grounded. It's simply a good hearted, slice-of-life story of what happens when good people try to do what's right, even when it's not exactly what they expect.

Highs: Seeing what every day life of a salaryman and child would be like in Japan, the way a normal, bickering family is portrayed

Lows: Very simplistic art at times, though emotion is shown quite well on the characters' faces

Verdict: Excellent josei slice-of-life storytelling

Further Reading: Chi's Sweet Home Volume 1, Honey and Clover Volume 1