Manga Monday: I really don't remember so many kids dying when I was young

In traditional Rumiko Takahashi fashion, jealousy abounds in Rin-ne Volume 5.

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

Manga Monday: Looks like Happosai was a nuisance when he was younger, too.

Yet ANOTHER fiancee of Ranma comes out of the woodwork - and Mousse turns up again - in Ranma 1/2 Volume 8.

Note:  Ranma 1/2 Volume 8 is, of course, the sequel to Ranma 1/2 Volume 7. The review for Ranma 1/2 Volume 1 is here, and the review for Ranma 1/2 Volume 7 is here. Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: I suppose it makes sense that evil soul stealers would incorporate...

We learn more about Rinne - and his terribly dysfunctional family - in Rin-Ne Volume 4.

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

Manga Monday: It's nice to see guys chasing after Akane again

A school production of Romeo and Juliet spirals completely out of control, and Akane tries cooking once again in Ranma 1/2 Volume 7.

Note:  Ranma 1/2 Volume 7 is, of course, the sequel to Ranma 1/2 Volume 6.  The review for Ranma 1/2 Volume 1 is here, and the review for Ranma 1/2 Volume 6 is here.  Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: We finally meet the man who trained Genma and Soun...

Welcome to the Anything Goes Martial Arts dojo, and meet Ranma's grandmaster Happosai in Ranma 1/2 Volume 6.

Note: Ranma 1/2 Volume 6 is, of course, the sequel to Ranma 1/2 Volume 5. The review for Ranma 1/2 Volume 1 is here, and the review for Ranman1/2 Volume 5 is here. Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: How many shinigami can one high school support?

Rin and Sakura are back, and perhaps Rin has some competition in the shinigami business in Rin-Ne Volume 3.

Note: Rin-ne Volume 3 is, of course, the sequel to Rin-ne Volume 2. The review for Rin-ne Volume 1 is here, and the review of Rin-ne Volume 2 is here.  Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: It falls onto one dumb High School kid to save the world? Again?

Some guys are just destined to have bad luck.  Ranma Saotome is a good example.  Most people would thank that having dozens of people falling all over themselves to be with him a good thing.  But when those people include both genders, and all are martial artists, love spats can get a little out of hand.

Tanaka-san from Neko Ramen would be another good example of luck gone horribly wrong.  Somehow, he's become involved with this terrible ramen stand, and everything he does to get a decent lunch, including trying the new curry restaurant in tow, is in vain.

Ataru, though, probably takes the cake, in Urusei Yatsura Volume 1.  When an alien race chooses Earth to invade next, it uses a computer program to pick Earth's one chance at salvation.  Out of 6 billion people, the Oni's computer picks Ataru Moroboshi, a luckless, lecherous, rather dumb High School student from Japan.


But even though Ataru is dumb, and even though it takes his girlfriend agreeing to marry him if he wins, it's still just a dirty trick that gets him the win to save the Earth.


And yet, he can't seem to get that right, either.  For when he tells his girlfriend Shinobu that he'll marry her, the alien Lum that he's been trying to catch thinks that he's proposed to her.  And she promptly accepts his proposal.


So now Ataru has a very angry girlfriend who he'd intended to marry, as well as a green-haired alien babe in a tiger-striped bikini calling him Darling.


And hitting him with lightning bolts when she gets mad.


The worst part is that his bad luck doesn't end there.  The crises continue, from taking a taxi ride that inadvertently costs the world's supply of crude oil, to being tormented by all sorts of demons and demon-hunters.  And as much as Ataru wants to get rid of Lum, more often than not, she's the only one that can get him out of the predicaments that he finds himself in.


This is Rumiko Takahashi's first ongoing series, and it shows.  The art is becoming more and more dated, and the characters aren't nearly as well-developed by this point in the series as we see in Ranma 1/2 or Rin-Ne.  Still, it is a series that helped shape the love triangle genre of manga and anime, and the stories are funny enough to keep the reader engaged.  If Rumiko Takahashi or romantic comedies are your thing, might as well see where it all started.


Highs:  Ataru's poor, poor parents


Lows:  The art really is nearly unbearable in the anime as well as in the manga


Verdict:  If nothing else, a good way of seeing how far manga has come


Further Reading:  Maison Ikkoku, Ranma 1/2

Manga Monday: At what point do people stop betrothing their children to random people, anyways?

From fighting sharks to martial arts tea ceremony, battles run the gamut in Ranma 1/2 Volume 5.

Note: Ranma 1/2 Volume 5 is, of course, the sequel to Ranma 1/2 Volume 4.  The review for Ranma 1/2 Volume 1 is here, and the review for Ranman1/2 Volume 4 is here.  Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: A new rival for Rinne, and more souls to send on

Rinne battles soldiers, singers and a lovestruck teenager to put their souls where they belong in Rin-ne Volume 2.

Note:  Rin-ne Volume 2 is, of course, the sequel to Rin-ne Volume 1.  The review for Rin-ne Volume 1 is here.  Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: Can Kosaku live up to his potential as a boxer if he keeps binge eating?

It takes a lot to get me to read a sports manga. For every Hikaru no Go or Initial D, there are dozens of other, terrible shonen sports manga out there that are eminently forgettable. But Rumiko Takahashi hasn't lead me wrong yet, so I tried to keep an open about her boxing manga One Pound Gospel.

It's a terribly odd premise.  In one corner, we have Kosaku Hatanaka,.  A boxing prodigy who has quite a bit of raw talent paired with the devil's own luck, his only downfall is a binge eating problem like none other.  Forced to starve himself before each match to make weight, he's lost his last four fights simply because of his weakness for food.


In the other corner is Sister Angelica.  A young novitiate, Kosaku has been going to her church for confession and to ask for help with his weakness.  Partially out of the caring that nay nun would have for a down-on-his-luck member of her flock, and perhaps a bit because of her soft heart, she takes him on as a personal case, helping him resist the temptation of street food that lines the roads he jogs down.


We also see a lot of Mudoka, Kosaku's coach.  An old man with a bit of a heart condition, he started getting his hopes up with Kosaku when he won his first match to be a pro so young.  He rather seems to regret having taken on a boxer with no willpower.  With his heart condition, the rest of the members of the gym are constantly concerned about his well-being when Kosaku has to weigh in before a fight.


As much as I like Rumiko Takahashi's other series, and as much as Kosaku reminds me of Godai from Maison Ikkoku, this series gets off to a rather rocky start.


The chapters are fairly formulaic, with the first one or two chapters of a story arc establishing the new opponent and setting Kosaku up to fail at keeping his weight down.  Then comes the match, where he either fails because he gave into temptation, or succeeds with the help of Sister Angelica.  Admittedly, that's the basis of just about any sports manga, but I did expect more character development of our two main characters.  I'd love to see more of Sister Angelica's life at the convent, or before she took her vows, and perhaps Kosaku before he joined up under Mukoda.  


Alas, it's a shonen sports manga, so perhaps this is all we can expect.  Still, with likable characters and a relatible premise of overcoming weaknesses, there are still a few things to like in this manga.


Highs:  It's cute to watch Angela and Kosaku interact when they're walking down the street together


Lows:  Just not enough of the characters' backstory


Verdict:  If I'm going to read a sports manga, I suppose I could do worse than this


Further Reading:  Maison Ikkoku, Initial D

Manga Monday: More rivals for Ranma!

It's mayhem as usual, with a particularly feline twist, at the 'Anything Goes School of Martial Arts' in Ranma 1/2 Volume 4.


Note:  Ranma 1/2 Volume 4 is, of course, the sequel to Ranma 1/2 Volume 3.  The review of Ranma 1/2 Volume 1 is here, while the review of Ranman 1/2 Volme 3 is here  Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: I'll shampoo that guy right out of my hair...

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

Manga Monday: The victim of another cursed black spring arrives!

It’s a good thing that Ranma and Akane is a student of the Anything Goes Martial arts school. Otherwise, they might have a problem with all the different martial arts types he’s been challenged with. Most martial artists would probably have problems when confronted with rhythmic gymnastics martial arts or ice skating wrestling, but Ranma and Akane, and even Ryoga seem to adopt very well.  And this is the very place we rejoin Ranma Satome in Ranma 1/2 Volume 2.

We also get to learn a bit more about Ryoga’s backstory. It makes some sort of perverted sense that one of the few times Ryoga manages to arrive at the same location a Ranma was at the cursed spring training grounds while Ranma and his father were training. Ranma ran into Ryoga, knocking him into the cursed Spring of Drowned Black Piglet! Of course Ranma, the rather oblivious guy he is, doesn't remember this happening.

Unfortunately, Akane herself doesn't realize that the adorable P-chan she’s found is the same as Ryoga. Perhaps she’d be less cuddily and kissy on him if she know. But guys look after guys, and Ranma’s not going to tell Akane that the creature she’s sleeping with is actually a teenage boy.

Beyond the martial arts action, though, it still is a High School comedy. They may not actually be at school terribly much, but they do occasionally hang out at the mall and do other, mundane teenage things.

More action than the first volume as well as developing characters makes Ranma ½ Volume 2 a fun read and a great continuation to the series.

Highs: Watching Ryoga realize who that girl and panda were who knocked him into the Spring of Drowned Black Pig

Lows: How can such an accomplished martial artist as Akane be so clumsy as a gymnast?

Verdict: A solid second volume to the series

Further Reading: Urusei Yatsura, Dragon Ball Vizbig

Manga Monday: A martial arts dojo where literally ANYTHING goes

It must be hard to be a dojo leader and only have had daughters.  Eventually, he’ll need to find an appropriate boy to take over the leadership of the dojo, and then he has the unenviable job of convincing one of his daughters to marry him.

Of course, it doesn’t help when the boy and his father show up as a girl and her panda.

And when the youngest girl Akane goes to bathe with her, and finds that she’s turned into a he?  Still not helping.

Welcome to the Musabetsu Kakutō Ryū Tendo Dojo (Anything Goes Martial Arts Tendo Dojo of Indiscriminant Grappling) and Ranma 1/2 Volume 1.  Soun Tendo may not have been blessed with any boys, but he does have three beautiful daughters. He even believes that he has found the perfect husband for one of them, when he hears of Ranma Satome. He and his father have been training in China for the last while, though. And while they were there, they fell into cursed springs, and now whenever they are splashed with cold water, they take on the form of the being that drowned there.

So Ranma mainly wants to not become a girl anymore, but there is not much that he can do in town about that, so he might as well start up at the local high school with Akane.

Akane herself is the most eligible bachelorette in school.  Every morning, she has to fight her way through the throngs of guys trying to ask her out.  Of course, now that guys see her with Ranma, they aren’t too fond of him either.

We also get to meet Ryoga Hibiki for the first time.  Accidently slighted by Ranma several times in their last high school, he is now questing to defeat Ranma in battle.  Unfortunately, his sense of direction is so bad that he gets lost for days just getting across town to where they are supposed to fight.

As always, with the first volume in a series, quite a bit of this book is introduction to the characters and other back story elements.  Because contrary to the premise, the story mainly takes place in common times with little magical elements, most of the world works as one would expect it to.

Besides the pesky body-switching problem the Satome men have, this is the epitome of the the common day dojo and high school manga.  If written today it might not be given so much credit since it’s such a common genre now.  But the reason it’s as common is because authors like Rumiko Takahashi created stories such as these.  An iconic manga, this helped form several genres while providing a hilarious story and memorable characters.

Highs: Dr. Tofu Ono and his unfortunate nearsightedness

Lows: The boys battling for Akane is a little unnecessary

Verdict: A classic manga that sets up the series well

Further Reading:  Dragon Ball VizBig 1, Rurouni Kenshin

Manga Monday: Will Young Godai manage to accomplish EITHER of his goals?

Slice of life romances, along with comedies, are also a staple of manga in Japan. Honey and Clover is one that has made a big hit in the US, but they've been around for years. We can even travel back over 30 years to one of the founders of modern manga and take a look at Rumiko Takahashi's Maison Ikkoku.

Godai-kun, a ronin trying once more to get into university, is finally fed up with the way his housemates have been treating him. He's decided to leave, but on his way out the door he runs into Kiyoko-san, the new manager of the building. Although she's slightly older than he, it's love at first sight and he resolves to stay at Maison Ikkoku.

What follows is a fairly standard, 1980s style manga. The tenants are a bit on the bizarre side by real life standards, though fairly tame in the manga world. In room 1 we have the Ichinose family, with a lush of a mother, an absent salaryman father and a young son. In room 4 we have Yotsuya-san, who has broken a hole in to Godai's room to swipe food and drink, as well as spy on room 6. Room 6 hosts Akemi-san, a hostess at a local bar who is also quite good at 'acquiring' drink from the people around her, and is perpetually either drunk or hung over, and is often not properly dressed.

The majority of the manga revolves around poor Godai trying rather unsuccessfully to get closer to Kiyoko-san and study for university entrance exams. The former is quite hard, considering the fact that Kiyoko-san is a recent widow, even though she's so young, and has decided not to remarry. The latter is a problem mainly due to the other tenants of Maison Ikkoku having decided that Godai's room is where the parties are going to be held, and keeping him up with drunken revelry most of the night, which is quite hard to study during.

The series itself is a very traditional manga of the time. Even when the humor gets bawdy, it stays within about the same limits as Ranma ½ or any other Rumiko Takahashi manga. It may need a Teen or Older Teen rating within the US, but it's nothing that ought to offend an early high school student, or even really an advanced middle school student with lenient parents.

Highs: A sweet, almost-love-story

Lows: The older style of the manga may be off-putting to the new generation of readers

Verdict: A good, light read that helped found the genre

Further Reading: Ranma ½, Emma: A Victorian Romance

Manga Monday: A classic manga author plays with Death.

Rumiko Takahashi is a name that’s almost forgotten among anime fans in the US.  A few of the fans that started watching in the last five years followed Inu Yasha, but they probably never watched old VHS tapes of Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yatsura, or Maison Ikkoku.  Older anime and manga fans know the name, and know the consistent quality that she produces.

Rin-ne is the story of a half-shinigami (a death deity), half human who is trying to pay back the debt of his grandmother by helping to bring ghosts over to the Wheel of Reincarnation.  Of course, since it’s a Rumiko Takahashi story, it’s not nearly as dark as it sounds.

This GN also stars Sakura Mamiya, a girl who disappeared for a week when she was a little girl.  She doesn’t quite remember what happened, but she recognizes the Wheel of Reincarnation when she sees it later.

Oh, and she can see ghosts.  And Rinne.  Who sits next to her at her new high school.

The story runs along quickly, just as any other Rumiko Takahashi story does.  Rinne resents having to work to make up the debt of his grandmother, so he refuses to live with her, or take any help from her.  Ever since his father died, he’s been living on school grounds, making do as he can.  So he has no problem asking the people at the school for convenience food and pocket change to make the ghosts in their lives go away.

Rin-ne moves a bit more slowly than Takahashi’s other, more popular works, but it’s rather appreciated in the world of Death Note and Naruto.  Older manga and anime fans will certainly appreciate it, and the newer fans might find  an author that they never really knew existed.

Highs:  The interaction between Sakura and Rinne, which is innocent and very amusing

Lows:  The pacing will be very slow to readers of most contemporary manga

Verdict:  A great start, which leaves a lot of room to grow

Further Reading:  Maison Ikkoku, Honey and Clover