Manga Monday: There's even competition in the school lunch game

Misunderstandings abound, and a few new characters are added to the mix as well in The Devil is a Part-Timer! High School! Volume 2.

Note: The Devil is a Part-Timer! High School! Volume 2 is part of an ongoing series. For the review of Volume 1 click here. Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: A new neighbor appears

The Devil's Castle has yet another new inhabitant in The Devil is a Part Timer! (manga) Volume 3.

Note: The Devil is a Part-Timer! (manga) Volume 3 is part of an ongoing series. For Volume 1, click here, and for Volume 2 click here. Otherwise, read on!

Manga Monday: How bad can a public high school really be?

It's not Takashi Kamiyama's fault. It really isn't. He could have gotten into a much better high school if he wanted to. 

In middle school, Ichiro Yamamoto helped him stand up to the bullies who called him 'pencilneck' and stole his lunch money. So when high school exam time came around, and Yamamoto was discouraged, Kamiyama told him that a good student can learn anywhere, and that he would apply for Cromartie High School, the easiest school to get into, with him.

Unfortunately, Yamamoto didn't even get into Cromartie, so now Kamiyama is at a very, very rough school all by himself in Cromartie High School Volume 1.

Cromartie is a rather...unique school. To begin with, it's a school for delinquents. Since no good student in their right mind would ever go to Cromartie, it's assumed that you've built up a hard reputation for yourself in middle school. This works to Yamamoto's advantage, since only a boy with the worst reputation ever could afford to seem as weak as Yamamoto does.

Since delinquency is to be expected at a school like this, it takes some extremely special circumstances for Cromartie to stand out.

Like the 'kid' in Class 3 with a striking resemblance to Freddy Mercury.

Or the gorilla in another classroom.

Or...Mechazawa.

Cromartie High School is a comedy spoofing the popular 'yankii' (juvenile delinquent) manga genre of the 1970s and 1980s. The randomness abounds, the laughs are constant, and by the end, perhaps your own high school experience won't seem so bad after all.

Highs: Motion sickness is a terrible disorder that does not need to be made light of.

Lows: This isn't a starter manga, as a reader without a good founding in manga tropes would probably be lost.

Verdict: Cromartie High School Volume 1 may not be for everyone, but those with the right sense of humor will enjoy it immensely.

Further Reading: Shiba Inuko-san Volume 1, My Neighbor Seki Volume 1

Manga Monday: Devil King for Student Council!

The crowd's all here - from Maou and Emi to Mayumi Kisaki and Lucifer in The Devil is a Part-Timer! High School! Volume 1.

Once again, Maou-sama has to find his place in this strange new world, and now there's even more drama than in the backroom of the fast food joint. He is, arguably, in a better position to take over all of Japan, and then the world now.

Every great leader needs a great education, you see, and what better place to start than in high school?

A high school has plenty of room for our favorite faces. Alicel is working as custodian so that he and Maou get free room and board. Emi and her friend Rika Suzuki transfer in shortly thereafter, and poor Chi-chan was here to begin with. Maou's boss from MgRonalds is now their teacher, and other characters wander in over time.

The story roughly follows that of the light novel and manga, with Maou planning to take over the world using Student Council President as just the first stepping-stone. There's a challenge to sell the most curry puddings, and Emi becomes injured on a class field trip. Even though we've heard the song before, the remix still entertains.

The whole 'high school' versions of popular manga is becoming more and more common. While it's kind-of fun to see favorite characters in a completely different setting, the whole idea is just a bit bizarre. The gaps in ages are scaled down, so that Chi-chan is the same age as Maou and Emi, which changes the dynamic of their relationship a bit. And figuring out how to wedge in side characters stretches the bounds of credibility. Even so, The Devil is a Part-Timer! High School! Volume 1 is a fun alternate story for big fans of the existing series.

Highs: It's cute that even her, Alciel ends up cleaning up after everyone.

Lows: How many students can transfer into the same class in just two days?

Verdict: Only meant for real fans of the original series, The Devil is a Part-Timer! High School! Volume 1 reads like a high school fantasy of a fanfic - in all the best ways.

Further Reading: The Devil is a Part-Timer! (Light Novel) Volume 1, The Devil is a Part-Timer! (manga) Volume 1, Rin-ne

Manga Monday: The Devil King and The Hero get a few visitors from home

More visitors from Ente Isla means more trouble for the people of Earth in The Devil is a Part-Timer (manga) Volume 2.

Note: The Devil is a Part-Timer! (manga) Volume 2 is part of an ongoing series. For Volume 1, click here. Otherwise, read on!

Part-time work can be a special kind of hell...

A good worker is a good worker, whether he's leading demon hoards or slinging burgers, in The Devil is a Part-Timer! (Light Novel) Volume 1.

It was a humiliating retreat. The Devil King Maou could not hold ranks, and the only avenue left to him was to open a portal for himself and his top general Alciel to flee through.

But after battling to a standstill against the Hero Emilia Justina, neither had the energy to control the intermensional portal they had created. They fell from the portal into a world unlike any they had ever seen before. Buildings reach up to touch the sky. Lights line the streets, stretching into the distance. 

And there doesn't seem to be the supply of magic that they're accustomed to in Ente Isla.

After a humiliating few days trying to acclimate themselbes to this strange, human-run world, The Devil King Maou and Alciel begin to get their feet under them. Using a bit of their remaining magic, they obtain the background paperwork necessary to obtain housing and employment.

Of a sort.

What folows is a hilarious fantasy/slice of life. The Devil King, now known as Sadao Maou, finds work at the fast food giant MgRonalds, and begins his plans for world domination through climbing the ranks within the MgRonalds corporation. Alciel - Shiro Ashiya - is focusing on his support role for Maou, keeping the household and budget in order, as well as researching any possible sources of magic in this new world.

Maou and Ashiya aren't the only ones frmo Ente Isla to find their way to Earth. The Hero Emilia followed her quarry through the portal, and has also set herself up with a job and a new identity. Being rather more pragmatic than her enemies, she manages to use her ability to comprehend and speak any language she hears to obtain a relatively cushy job at a call center.

The longer our exiled warriors stay on Earth, the more involved tehy get in their new lives. Maou earns the respect of his manager and subordinates alike. Ashiya becomes involved with the same challenges as any househusband, competing to get the best deals at market and bemoaning their lack of funds. Even The Hero Emilia - now Emi Yusa - makes a friend at work.

And strange things have been happening around Sasazuka station. Odd earthquakes that are very tightly centered around a coworker of Maou. Voices warning her of a bigger event happening soon. Even an attack on Maou and Yusa as they argue after Maou's shift at MgRonalds. It soon becomes clear that they are not the only new people in the area.

And whoever it is, they're upping the stakes.

The Devil is a Part-Timer! (Light Novel) Volume 1 gives more depth to the story than either the manga or the anime is able to. Motivations are more clear, and the interactions more detailed. The thoughts and feelings of Yusa, and the straightforward befuddlement of Maou, are both hilarous and telling. Th\is format lets the writing of Satoshi Wagahara shine, and shows why this is such a well-received series.

The Devil is a Part-Timer! (Light Novel) Volume 1 is both a great introduction to the series, as well as a supplement to the collection of media surrounding this story.

Highs: Maou's day out with Chiho was totally a date...to everybody but Maou.

Lows: I'd love more details about some of the side characters back in Ente Isla.

Verdict: This is perhaps the best way to first experience the series, and is both hilarous and endearing in turn.

Further Reading: The Devil is a Part Timer! (manga), My Neighbor Seki, Moribito, Rin-ne

Manga Monday: Did you ever suspect your shift manager was a devil?

It's the eternal battle between good and evil, centered around Ente Isla. Emilia, the Champion of the humans is locked in mortal battle with the Devil King. As Emilia gains the upper hand, the Devil King opens a gate to another world, vowing to return and finish what he's started. As he and his second-in-command Alciel escape, Emilia has no choice but to pursue them, wherever that gate might lead.

And this is where we join our merry cast of characters in the manga The Devil is a Part-Timer (manga) Volume 1. To survive in this magic-bereft world, the Devil King (now called Sadao Maou) and Alciel (Shirou Ashiya) have to adapt to life on Earth. They get their paperwork in order, find a place to live within their nonexistent budget, and while Ashiya is researching magic in this world, Maou-sama gets a job to support them.

At MgRonalds. Taking orders behind the counter. Promoting their new Black Pepper Fries.

Eventually, the Champion Emilia Justina (now Emi Yusa) discovers where the Devil King has been hiding out, and confronts him. She's been marginally more successful at life on Earth, picking out a less strange name for herself, finding a decent apartment, and getting work at a call center. But even as she confronts Maou outside his work, there's something else going on as well. As they walk and bicker, his mighty steed Dullahan (a bicycle) receives a near mortal wound to its front tire. As they stop to inspect it, more gunfire erupts and they run for their lives.

Who else might know that they are more than they seem?

In the meantime, Maou-sama's coworker Chiho Sasaki has taken an interest in him as well. Ever since Maou appeared, she's been having strangely prophetic dreams about the earthquakes that have been plaguing the area, and she asks Maou out to talk about them. But with both Ashiya and Emi spying on them, things get awkward. And then another disaster.

The Devil is a Part Timer! (manga) Volume 1 does a good job keeping the action moving. Fans of the anime series might be annoyed that nearly four full episodes are contained in just the first manga. This shortening, however, keeps the pace quick and make sure the reader is never bored with overlong exposition. Fans who want a more in-depth look at the series may want to hold off and pick up the light novels when they come out later this year. However, for seasoned anime fans, as well as big fans of the anime, the manga is a fun reminder of the anime series and a good refresher before more of the plot is released for its English-speaking fans.

Highs: Emilia's backstory comes through better in manga form than it did in the anime, and really makes the reader start to cheer for the Champion

Lows: Pulled straight from the anime series, there's nothing new to offer storyline-wise

Verdict: The Devil is a Part-Timer! (manga) Volume 1 is a bit of a placeholder until further volumes come out for those who have watched the anime, but is still a hilarious romp for those for whom the story is new.

Further Reading: The Devil is a Part-Timer! Light Novel, Moribito, Rin-ne

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: Fighting demons to make himself whole

Osamu Tezuka is a legend in the field of manga for a reason.  Besides having been one of the men who developed the form from the traditional  4-panel comic strip to the graphic novel of today, he is also considered the creator of entire genres of the medium.  He helped get adults reading comics again with titles like Black Jack and Ayako.  He created the fictionalized biography Buddha years before Maus and Persepolis were taught in university classrooms.  He even created the half-boy, half-girl in manga idea with Princess Knight before Rumiko Takahashi began Ranma 1/2.  As he revolutionized shojo manga with Princess Knight, he also helped to create shonen manga with Dororo.

In Dororo Volume 1, Hyakkimaru has had a very unfortunate beginning.  His power-hungry Daimyo father promised a temple of 48 demons each a piece of his unborn son in return for being the ruler of the land.  They made good on their end of the deal, and when his son was born with no eyes, ears, limbs or internal organs.  And yet, his son refuses to die.

When he orders his son done away with, his mother sent him downriver in a basket.  Thankfully, while his father's prayers were answered and he comes into tremendous power in the area, so too do his mothers prayers for his safety.  Doctor Honma found the baby along the river, and was astonished at the the little creature inch its way across the floor to look for food.  Dr. Honma used a combination of medicine and magic to create the pieces that Hyakkimaru lacks, and raised him as a son.

Ever since Dr. Honma found Hyakkimaru, though, demons have been plaguing his house.  Eventually, when Hyakkimaru is old enough to look after himself, Dr. Honma has no choice but to ask him to leave.

Hyakkimaru eventually finds out his origins; a ghostly voice tells him the circumstances surrounding his birth.  And so begins his journey throughout the countryside, destroying the demons he fines to regain all that was taken from him.

Along the way, Hyakkimaru manages to pick up our titular character.  Dororo (babytalk for 'thief') is helped out by Hyakkimaru, and Dororo takes a liking to our hero,  He declares that he is the world's greatest thief, and that he is going to steal Hyakkimaru's sword.  That's going to be quite a bit more difficult than normal, as the sword is part of his arm prosthesis, but that doesn't deter our little sidekick.  Of course it's just a little street kid's excuse to tag along after a big brother figure, but Dororo's so likable that it's hard to mind.

Since this is such an early series, flaws that might be annoying in current manga are more easily forgiven here.  Panels of fight scenes are so cluttered that it's often hard to figure out where our heroes are in them, or what exactly is happening.  While a kid tagging along after the hero has been done over and over again, this might be given a pass the same way Ranma ½ is tolerable as a harem show because it is one of the first.  Also, anyone who has read manga, or any fantasy books at all, should know that something's up when Dororo won't bathe in front of Hyakkimaru.

Even when taken on it's own merit, without the Tezuka name attached, Dororo: Volume 1 is a good read.  As with many good shonen manga stories, there is more depth to it than it initially appears.  Themes of loss and rejection weave their way throughout many of the stories, along with the idea that everyone is flawed in some way.  The world is a hard place, and the heroes don't always get the credit and the credit that they are due.  They keep on, however, for their own reasons, and perhaps together they might both get a bit closer to what they're searching for.

Highs:  Watching Hyakkimaru's joy at regaining pieces of himself

Lows:  Many Americans new to manga might find the Japanese demons off-putting

Verdict:  The epitome of classic shonen, it's also a fun, compelling read

Further Reading;  Ode to Kirihito, Moribito

Manga Monday: Meet the Red Ribbon Army

Last time, in Dragon Ball VizBig 1

We've met Goku, our pint-sized, monkey-tailed adventurer, and now he's entered the “Strongest Man in the World” competition. He's been training with his new pal Krillin under the tutelage of the hermit Muten Roshi. And who's this Jackie Chun guy anyways? He looks kinda familiar...

The great thing about Dragon Ball, as well as anything else written by Akira Toriyama, is that you know what you're getting when you pick up his books. This is shonen at its best. Strong little boy fights bad guys and monsters, and occasionally saves the world in the process.

That's not to say that this book is by any means generic. This is the book series that helped to form the genre. The characters are well thought out, each with their own backstory. Even the characters that are destined to only be around for a short while have their own motivations. Even one of the tournament participants is there for the prize money to bring water back to their village dying of drought. And the Red Ribbon Army is hilarious to watch, with layer upon layer of assassins and other baddies working for them, as well as conflict on the highest levels. This is what happens when a group of chaotic neutral and chaotic evil people try to work together.

But still, at its heart, this is still a book about a boy and his cloud, adventuring through the world, defeating bad guys and saving the day. Even when it looks like all is lost and one of the good guys goes down, there's always a way to make it right, if everyone works together.

Highs: The final round of the Budokai Tenkaichi tournament

Lows: In traditional shonen fashion, quite a few pages of fighting, which can just be skimmed through to get back to the story

Verdict: It's exactly what you expect, with the addition of a lot of heart

Further Reading: Dragon Ball VizBig Volume 3, One Piece

Manga Monday: A monkey-tailed boy, a turtle master, and a kid with no nose

For many people in the US, their first exposure to anime was badly cut and censored Dragon Ball Z.  Even now, with the proliferation of Japanese culture into many areas of the American airwaves, many people don’t know that Dragon Ball Z is only the second chapter of the story.  It all began with Dragon Ball.

Shonen Jump is finally giving the anime and manga fans what they want.  They’re releasing large-size versions of many of their more popular (and longer) series as three-in-one sets for $17.99.  Besides being much more affordable, the larger size lets the detail of the art come through better.  Admittedly, there’s not all that much subtlety to most shonen titles, but it makes some of the in-joke text to be a little easier to read.

Son Goku is a little monkey-tailed boy who’s living all alone in the backwoods.  When Bulma comes across him, he explains that his grandfather, Son Gohan, has died, and left him an orange and red glowing ball.  This glowing ball causes more trouble than either of them could have imagined.

Bulma, you see, is quite smart.  She was going through some of the old folklore, and discovered a story about the Dragon Balls.  It seems that if you can collect all seven and recite the right incantation, a dragon appears and will grant any one wish.  So she invented the Dragon Radar, and has set off on her summer vacation to find the dragon balls.

Of course, the #4 Dragon Ball is all that Goku has left of the man who raised him. He’s certainly not going to let Bulma take it from him, but he’s perfectly amenable to going on an adventure with Bulma to find the rest of them.  It’d be pretty cool to see the dragon, too.  So off they go, Bulma armed with her capsules and Goku with his magic staff, to see the world.

For the person who has only ever been exposed to Dragon Ball Z, or it’s more recent incarnation Dragon Ball Z Kai, the reader is quickly introduced to many of the main characters from that series.  Mugen Roshi, Yamcha, Pu’er, Kuririn, The Ox King and Chi-Chi are all introduced within the first half of the book.

What might also be interesting to American readers is the strong Teen rating of the manga.  There’s nothing really inappropriate in these books, but when compared to a show like Pokemon, there’s certainly some differences.  Being raised by an old man in an isolated area, Goku sees nothing wrong with running around naked, and is also not quite sure how tell boys and girls apart without...well...checking.  Also, Mugen Roshi rather likes the women, and isn’t terribly shy about it.  Nosebleeds abound.

The new format of the manga is a great way to draw buyers in to the series.  Seeing 26 volumes staring back from the shelf at a bookstore can be fairly daunting, but seeing nine nice volumes in a row is much more approachable.  The quality of printing is nice enough, with a few full-color additions, and the fact that it’s not censored is refreshing.

Highs:  Uncensored version of the story, the character Lunch

Lows:  A little heavy on the panty humor, but it’s a boy’s comic

Verdict:  A must-read for any Dragon Ball Z fan, or a fan of any shonen series

Further Reading:  One Piece, Dragon Ball Z