Japanimation.

Here in America we view anime and manga as the same thing; however, they are very different. But don't worry! The difference between the two is simple.

Manga is a term used for print comics. Typically, a series is the work of one artist (manga-ka); the story and artwork are their creation. Reading manga is the purest form of enjoying a manga-ka's vision. Their story is usually serialized by chapter in a monthly publication, like Shonen Jump, and later bound in to volumes called takobon to be sold in bookstores. Each manga-ka has a different style of art and storytelling, which makes manga widely varied and refreshingly different to Western audiences. Yuu Watase, the amazing artist behind the incredibly popular Fushigi Yuugi series, loves her characters immensely; I argue that her adoration transfers subliminally through her art and story to the reader. Because manga are drawn to a different audience and standard than their anime counterparts, you'll find characters more detailed and backgrounds exquisitely rendered. Everything is more lovingly drawn because it is done by the creator's own hand.

MANGA: The Suzaku Seven | Fushigi Yuugi | Copyright Yuu Watase

Popular manga series are made into an animated television or theatrical adaption. Anime is almost always far less detailed than the original manga. What makes anime so fun is enjoying the voices for the wide cast of characters and the movement of it all, especially in series like Bleach, which is known for it's highly stylized and intricate battles.

ANIME: The Suzaku Seven | Fushigi Yuugi | Copyright Yuu Watase

Notice how much more detailed the character artwork is in the original manga; although the anime representation is highly simplified, it still carries the "feel" of the characters. But as a devoted fan of Fushigi Yuugi, I must say the original form just looks neater. Notice how Tasuki (redhead) is grossly overdrawn and characterized. He's still fun to watch in the anime, but he's a very different Tasuki than we see in the manga. Watase's work has a very dreamy, oriental and magical feel--qualities that aren't captured in the anime. It's because of this that I enjoy Fushigi Yuugi in manga form. However, I must give the animators of FS credit. Watase's art would be damned near impossible to recreate. Despite the lost "magical" quality, the FS anime series is still great. The emotional depth and richness in story are still there, which made the series enjoyable to watch.

Just as Watase's art is fine and incredibly detailed, other manga-ka styles are already simple before they are made into anime. Take for instance Hiromu Arakawa's FullMetal Alchemist. Her style is simple and straightforward, which I see as a reflection of her main character, Edward Elric, who sees the world in black and white/good and evil. Or rather, Edward Elric is a reflection of her style.

MANGA v ANIME: Edward Elric | FullMetal Alchemist | Copyright Hiromu Arakawa

Ed looks almost exactly the same in a original manga as he does in the anime; I believe that's because Arakara's art style doesn't leave much to be simplified. FMA is a terrific series; please check out my previous post for more about the adventures of Ed and Alphonse.

So, which do I prefer? It really depends. I like anime for the movement and voice acting. I like manga for the superior artwork and the subtle characterization. I like both!

Thanksgiving.

The Aydelotte Family, 2011

It's been a little over a year since I moved to the little town of Newhall, California. I was born and raised in Fresno, California and spent my entire life there until I moved to Orange County after graduation from college. I spent a little over a year in southern California before relocated north to the Santa Clarita Valley in November of 2010.

I am so thankful for my new life here. I have a supportive and loving family, a wonderful job, incredible coworkers, a lovely little home and amazing friends. For the first time in the past three years I feel truly settled.

Equivalent Exchange.

Edward and Alphonse Elric | FullMetal Alchemist | Copyright Hiromu Arakawa

I've yet to find anyone who's given FullMetal Alchemist a real chance that didn't get just as caught up in the wonderful story and personality and heart of the story like I was. It's a story about brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, who grow up in a pre-WWI version of Germany/Austria. It's difficult to pinpoint anything remotely historical because they live in a very different reality -- one in which there is a hybrid of science and alchemy, the "art" of transmutation and equivalent exchange. The entire world of Edward and Alphonse is built on this Principle of Equivalent Exchange, which is stated as: "To gain, something of equal value must be lost."

There are some rules, however; lead cannot be changed into gold and the dead cannot be brought back to life. In the hands of a gifted alchemist, little else is limited. The Military, instead of relying on tanks and machine guns, rely on State Alchemists, a cross between scientists and soldiers, the deadliest of all weapons of the State. The position of State Alchemist carries wealth, power and prestige within the governmental chambers, but outside they are loathed by most and called "dogs of the military."

Ed and his brother are rather hodge-podge-y. You'll see Ed has "automail," a metal arm and leg. His brother is inside an enormous suit of armor. As boys, their alchemist father left and they grew up in the countryside with their mother until she grew ill and died. Ed and Al, who are geniuses of sorts, make the worst choice out of the worst desperation of all--they try something called Human Transmutation. It is the worst crime an alchemist can commit. Their attempt to resurrect their mother goes horribly wrong, as nothing can be equal in value to their mother's soul. In the fallout, Ed loses his arm and leg and Al loses his entire body. It's Ed's sheer cussedness that manages to trap Al's soul in a suit of armor, instead of losing his brother completely through Equivalent Exchange.

Ed is 11. Al is 10.

But that's all ancient history--the actual narrative story of FMA starts later, when Ed is 15. He's taken his natural propensity for alchemy and passed the State Alchemy exam. He's immediately shunted into the service of Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, known near and far for his flashy and destructive alchemic attacks. He's also a bit devious and dangerously ambitious--he's also got a nasty habit of stealing his subordinate's girlfriends. It was Mustang who came to Ed and Al's country town to recruit them for the military, (with impeccable timing) after the brothers' catastrophic experiment.

He keeps the secret of Al's body and Ed's automail a secret. Although he "keeps them in line" (i.e. blackmails) by threatening to go to the higher-ups with the information of Ed and Al's Human Transmutation, he looks out for them like no one else and supports their mission: to find the mythical Philosopher's Stone and restore Al's body. Ed's work with the State Military are simply a means to an end; therefore, he makes choices he feels are best for Al and not the highly politicized State. By proxy, his affects his official State missions as well; he has attained unprecedented popularity with the masses as being "for the people."

And of course, the plot always thickens. There are creepy bad guys also after the Philosopher's Stone, the State's corruption goes deeper than anyone could possibly believe, an Eastern prince makes things difficult for our heroes through his search for immortality and a religious zealot/vigilant goes on a killing rampage, etc. And...then there are lot more shenanigans along the way.

Like many of its contemporaries (Bleach, DeathNote, Naruto) FullMetal Alchemist chooses to address many hard-hitting social issues through analogy and symbolism. Most Japanese films and manga I've seen portray war as a horrible, horrible thing which should be avoided at all cost (which I cannot argue with), but the authors/creators do not allow their anti-war sentiment to overpower the opposing, valid argument. I find the unique viewpoint of Japanese-fantasy-allegory rather refreshing.

It's rare I like the main character of a series, anime or otherwise. Very rare. But, I do LOVE Edward Elric. I like his straightforward approach to life--he takes things on and isn't afraid to put himself out here. He's a bit of a wanderer and isn't content staying place in one place for too long. Plus, his maniacal focus is something I can relate with! He's one of those all around good-natured "wild boys" with a strong sense of justice. Plus, it really is nice to have a SHORT hero for once! Really.

And who could forget sweet and wonderful Alphonse? If you watch the anime, you will hear the cutest voice ever coming out of an enormous suit of armor and your heart will fall apart in an effort to keep him happy and pure and wonderful.

Well Aged.

It's amazing what one finds while "cleaning out" files on the computer. I stumbled across this little dabble I wrote while bored one afternoon back in 2009.

A group of old folks in a retirement home become convinced one of their own is a vampire stalking them for their extra fine and "aged" blood.

Liam Farrell sat silently down the dim hallway. His silken loafers made no sound as they occasionally slid against the commercial carpet underfoot. He didn’t move as fast as he once had; his movement was impeded by a bad hip and reliance on a cane, which leaned against the side of the armchair he sat in. His white hair hovered around his head like a halo. He stroked his chin and let his mind wander, as it often did.

The man’s left hip had healed crooked after convalescing in an ill-equipped POW infirmary after being shot down by the Germans during World War II. After the war, he’d become a professor of Classical Studies at a California State University. Upon retirement, he traveled with his wife until her sudden death. He lived alone after that. As the years flowed on without him and he grew deeper and deeper into the silence of the forgotten.

His son, with all the best intentions, had suggested moving into a pleasant retirement home. There will be lots of things to do, Dad. Crafts. Oh, look at this. Origami. You’ll like that.

Liam never said he wanted to take a class in paper folding. He didn’t have the patience for that sort of thing. He’d agreed only to make his son happy, and at least he wouldn’t have to worry about doing the yard work.

The people of Smiling Ranch Retirement Home were nice enough.

He had a nice room and his neighbors were welcoming. Myra Croft, who lived to his right, had been born in London. Her husband, Jack, was a retired New York City detective who rarely spoke. He had the eyes of a bloodhound, but the boundless energy of a terrier.

Ichiro Togawa lived to his left. ‘Ichiro-san,’ as he was affectionately called by the nurses, always managed to sweet talk getting “treats,” even when he wasn’t allowed. Only the week before he’d managed to coax one of the staff attendants into bring him some Chinese take-out. He also had the tendency to poke the nurses' behinds with a chopstick during dinner.

In the small community, the four came to rely on each other for conversation, humor, walks and the security a family had neglected.

All four of them were of the opinion that the mysterious person who lived at the end of the hall in Room 46 was “not quite right.”

It was well past midnight and Liam had no intention of returning to his room. He sat in the burgundy armchair in the hallway alcove, watching. He was at the perfect angle to discreetly watch Room 46. He had never seen anyone go in or out. Myra, Jack and Ichiro had never seen anyone, either. They knew the person’s last name was VanGleck; the seat appointed to VanGleck was always sat empty at the meals. The nurses said the mysterious VanGleck was in fragile health and had all meals delivered bedside.

One morning, when Glenda the Nurse knocked on his door to bring him a bouquet of flowers from his son, Liam noticed a strange mark on the young lady’s neck.

“You’ve got something on your neck,” he said as friendly as he could.
“Oh?” she asked, tilting her neck down and casting her eyes downward.
“Yes. Right there. Did something bite you? It looks pretty bad.”
“Oh, it must have been a spider.”
“Better put some ointment on it. I have some if you’d—”
“Oh, don’t bother yourself, Mr. Farrell. Have a nice day!”

to be continued...maybe.

Opera.

There's something so classically intriguing about opera, and I don't quite understand why I haven't made more of an attempt to listen before. The bleeding of the orchestra in and out of the Voice combine in a way which makes my heart quiver by the sheer magnitude of the sound.

I've recently been listening to a soundtrack which highlights more of a modern-mode of opera (it doesn't sound like "high opera" to me), and I must admit it's whet my appetite for more. Only, I don't know where to begin. Perhaps Puccini?

Dattebayo!

Renny08 @ deviantart.com

I have been journeying through the story of Naruto since the beginning of this year, and I cannot believe how much I've come to adore this story and its characters. I entered the world of manga and "Japanimation" in 2006 through a series called Fruits Basket, a popular "shoujo" (lit. "for girls") manga series by Natsuki Takaya. Fruits Basket still remains the "center" of my fandom; all series I watch and read are compared to Fruits Basket. There isn't even a comparison between Fruits Basket and the somber and psychological Death Note series (for example), but as the first manga I ever read and the first anime I ever watched, Fruits Basket remains my point of reference in an ever expanding universe.

Even when Fruits Basket was the only manga I'd read, I was still aware of Naruto. Naruto was immensely popular and I remember thinking (while looking at the posters at my local Barnes & Noble), "What kind of ninja wears orange?" I even remember looking at a couple volumes, but the bright colors and what I perceived as "campy" art appeared too jarring compared to the soft, flowing lines of Fruits Basket which had become so aesthetically pleasing to me.

This was my first lesson in what I call "viewer's eye." I learned I couldn't look at Naruto with the same eye that I did Fruits Basket. The creators of each series are trying to convey emotion, character and plot through separate, different styles within the same medium. Fruits Basket and Naruto are classic representation of their respective genres: "shoujo" and "shounen" (lit. "for boys").

I avoided Naruto for a long time for several reasons. It appeared too juvenile. It seemed stupid. Immature. Very boyish and so on. In addition, there's something hard-wired into my personality which takes an immediate dislike to super popular trends. I suppose my aversion to "joining the bandwagon" is due to my fear of being labeled as a groupie. Of course, it was fine to be obsessed with Fruits Basket--it was a respectable manga that hadn't quite caught on in America. I was a "hipster" manga fan. If I were to join an established fandom like Naruto, I would become lumped into a larger group known collectively as "Narutards."

Despite my reluctance, 2011 became "The Year of Naruto." What can I say? I figured, why not? I had enjoyed FullMetal Alchemist and Bleach (two highly regarded shounen series) immensely despite their popularity, so I decided to give Naruto a chance. Currently, I've watched every episode of Naruto and Naruto: Shippden (minus a few horrendous filler episodes), and have begun reading the Naruto (vols. 1-27) and Naruto: Shippuden (vols. 28-ongoing) manga concurrently.

I have a few theories as to the infectious popularity of Naruto; they also happen to be some of the reasons why I love this series.

The series of Naruto--the very core if its design--is cliche. It's very much like the plot of Rowling's Harry Potter novels. It's the story of an orphan who, on the surface, doesn't seem particularly unique in any way; but, that child carries hidden talents, a bloodline and a destiny greater than anyone could ever believe. As the Reader, we follow his journey from novice to hero of the free world. We are with him through his triumphs and defeats. We're by his side as he discovers who he is. We're with him as he makes friends and enemies. We're there when he develops his first crush. We're there when he can't stop the death of his dearest friend. By the end, we are so emotionally invested in our hero that we cannot help but cry and laugh and grieve and celebrate alongside Harry...or in this case, Naruto.

We respond to characters like Harry and Naruto. Stories of the underdog resound within us. We feel validated and empowered when the little guy digs deep and finds the strength to overcome unsurmountable odds and crush evil. The story of Harry and Naruto is not new; it's been written over and over again since people started telling stories.

What makes Naruto special is its creator, Masashi Kishimoto, takes those cliches and twists them so that they are completely believable. The characters in Naruto are not caricatures of real people. Sure, they may have supernatural ninja powers, but personality-wise they are very real and believable. We all know Shino. We all know Kakashi, Hinata and all the others. As individuals, we also see bits of ourselves in these characters, as well.

Naruto hosts an extremely large supporting cast--just like the Harry Potter series does. Each supporting character is his or her own person. They all struggle with different and relatable issues. Like Naruto, I struggle to be acknowledged and liked by others. Like Kakashi, I can struggle in placing my trust in others. I've even found myself relating to villains.

...and then there's the character of Naruto himself. He's impossible not to fall in love with. We imagine ninja as silent, disciplined warriors who use incredible stealth. Ninja are supposed to be black-suited warriors who blend with the shadows, strike without warning and leave without a trace. Ninja are not annoying, loud-mouthed, chatterbox brats in a neon-orange jumpsuits. Yes, Naruto may be the most UN-ninja-like character in history. In fact, he is the most UN-ninja-like IDEA in history. In fact, no one in the Naruto universe behaves like a typical ninja, and perhaps that's part of the series' appeal.

The core of Naruto is the emotional depth and relationships of the characters. You wouldn't think Naruto himself is an emotionally deep character, but I'm surprised at how many times I've caught myself taken aback by his simple insight. Throughout the course of the series, he's grown into a wise young man. His wisdom is gained through experience, not through simple knowledge. This journey of self discovery and betterment presents a strong example of the Theme of the entire Naruto series, summarized as: "You cannot change who you were born as, but you can continue to change who you are." Naruto does that.

Just as pivotal in the Naruto series is the theme of redemption. When Naruto's teammate Sasuke defects to join the "bad guys" to realize his quest for power and revenge, Naruto vows to bring him home at any cost. As Sasuke's chosen path descends deeper and deeper into darkness and corruption, Naruto's resolve to rescue him only grows stronger. in his quest to save Sasuke, Naruto redeems many other characters--Konohamaru, Gaara, Neji, Tsunade...the list goes on and on. But the nice twist is that Naruto himself his redeemed through his friendships. He feels he was redeemed from loneliness by Sasuke, which makes Naruto's drive to save his traitorous friend that much more poignant.

With the stable emotional/relational core at it's center, everything else in Naruto falls into place. The battles are more intense because there is emotional stability, future happiness, friendships and lives at risk. Political machinations are that much more diabolical. Double crossed are that much more of a betrayal. Naruto's resolve to rescue Sasuke is that much more hopeless, admirable and bittersweet.

Hence ends my shameless plug for Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden. In you have not read/watched Naruto, I recommend doing so. If you gave up on Naruto, give him another chance. I'm sure he'll manage to worm him way into your cold and cynical heart. Oh dear...have I become a Narutard?

Dattebayo!

This Post, Captivated.

I have recently discovered an interesting little Japanese manga series called Kuroshitsuji (lit. "Black Bulter"). It's a gothic comedy set it a fantasy-Victorian London, and follows the exploits of a young and orphaned Earl as he struggles to uphold his family's royally mandated legacy to govern England's criminal underground. He is accompanied everywhere by Sebastian, who is simply one hell of a butler.

The art is lush and the storytelling is unique, witty and charming, but I find the story's demonic elements disturbing and rather unsettling, namely Sebastian, who I feel I should not be "liking" as much as I do. However, the entire series piques my interest immensely, as it's a fascinating mix of Japanese romanticization of the West and a modern-gothic fairy tale take on Goethe's Faust.

*sigh*

While I remain intrigued by the story and characters, I'm afraid Kuroshitsuji may be too dark for my tastes. I may revisit come time to cosplay (the costumery is so tempting), but I think that when it comes to manga/anime...I'd rather fill my reading hour with an irritable alchemist and a ninja clad in a bright orange jumpsuit.

The Beginning.

Hello, Internet. <3

"The otaku, the passionate obsessive, the information age's embodiment of the connoisseur, more concerned with the accumulation of data than objects, seems a natural crossover figure in today's interface of British and Japanese cultures. I see it in the eyes of the Portobello dealers, and in the eyes of the Japanese collectors: a perfectly calm train-spotter frenzy, murderous and sublime. Understanding the otaku-hood, I think, is one of the keys to understanding the culture of the web. There is something profoundly post-national about it, extra-geographic. We are all curators, in the post-modern world, whether we want to be or not."

--Spook Country, April 2001 edition of The Observer