I just can’t seem to concentrate on anime any more. Like I’m trying to catch my breath and it’s not working. I look at other podcasters and bloggers and see that they put time away to watch shows and then hand in reviews. So that’s what I’m going to do.

As always I’m on Twitter.

And why the picture of Kenshiro on the top of the post? Why the hell not?

Ed’s Twitter page

Comics Worth Reading (Johanna Draper Carlson’s site and an excellent resource for manga)

Ed’s entries on Comics Worth Reading (Ed used to have a regular column there and still writes for it)

Caleb Dunaway’s Twitter

Download audio file (ECP_Season_3_kingyo.mp3)

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Please buy Kingyo Used Books through our Amazon links. It helps maintain the podcast.

Amazon UK:

Kingyo Used Books, Volume 1

Kingyo Used Books, Volume 2

Kingyo Used Books, Volume 4

Kingyo Used Books, Volume 4

Amazon US:

Kingyo Used Books, Vol. 1

Kingyo Used Books, Vol. 2

Kingyo Used Books, Vol. 3

Kingyo Used Books, Vol. 4

Side note: I’m now writing almost all the time now for Otaku News with news and review pieces. Check it out and look for my handle in the headers and see else I’ve screwed up on. I’m also writing a monthly column for MangaBookShelf called Shoujo I’m Scared Of.

I have to say, first of all, sorry to Ed as I was so wrapped in my own little world that I didn’t notice his blog post about this. I usually read all his posts but this one slipped by me. I consider everyone whose reviews I read for opinion to be my captains in this endevour. That I failed to noticed one of my captains leaving the battlefield for a respite is inexcusable. Sorry, Ed.

Second, I’m gutted about this news as Ed is someone whom I derive a lot of guidance about the few reviews that I post every so often. More than anyone that I can think of, Ed proved to me that you could be a bloke and still review non-blokey manga. He also proved that you could treat people with respect on Twitter and not feel cross enough to lower yourself to an ungentlemanly level when someone crossed you (I already knew this from growing up but Ed simply helped, along with others, to re-enforce it). I remember when I “discovered” Ed on Twitter, it was a bit of chatter between him and @hisuiRT, I believe, and I decided to read more of his tweets (I can’t remember if I read his reviews first or his tweets so I’m going with his Tweets). After I followed him on Twitter, there followed a period where I actually checked if he had followed me back (an aside: if I follow you and you don’t follow me back in a quick time frame, I instantly begin to worry that you saw the new follow email, read some of my tweets and decided you don’t like me). One day, I get an email saying that Ed was now following me. Awesome! Now we can chat on Twitter and I can pick his brains! But reading more of his reviews was the best way of getting to know Ed. Still, to this day, if you’ve never had the honour and pleasure of meeting Ed, then the reviews are the best way of gaining an insight into who Ed is. Being on his podcast was one of the highlights of Otakon 2011 and I will continually curse the fact I didn’t get to spend more time with people at the con like Ed. Cries of next year ring hollow when the sheer distance for a European to traverse is taken into account. When you guys in the US hang out together at cons, remember to, I don’t know, not so much cherish but be mindful of the fact that some people you may not see for some time. For people like me, it’s usually a case of year long gaps.

Reading his reviews on comicsworthreading.com, I mean…do you know when you search for his name on the site, you get 31 PAGES OF CONTENT!?!!! I haven’t even crested at 10 ten worth of review content, alone, on my site! If only we could all be that good. Ed’s also the reason why I doggedly keep reviewing and reporting (meagre as my efforts are)on events that happen in the anime and manga industry. Because of something he reported on, I’ll keep writing in this field of endeavour if only to disprove the theories of people who maintain that only those trained in journalism can report in so open a field as anime/manga journalism. Every review I write, it’s because of people I respect, like Ed, who help me become a better, more eloquent writer. Every review I write is one more imaginary battle to be fought where the enemy is a closed mind and a closed opinion and victory brings the chance for more literary battle.

Thirdly, I figure Ed stepping down should be my call to step my game and put more of an effort into reviews as well as podcasts. I like discovering new stuff and write about it when I feel brave enough but week after week, Ed just put out review after review of stuff he’d discovered. And made it seem easy. I should be better at reviewing with that kind of ease. I CAN be better at reviewing with that kind of ease. I’m getting ready to tackle a project that frankly is making my legs turn to jelly at the prospect. But people who review other stuff give me confidence. Ed gives me confidence. Would that we all have a captain like that?

Ed has said that his podcast, Manga Out Loud, is taking a brief hiatus after which he’ll decide how or in which direction to take it. However Ed decides to call it, I will respect his decision. In the meantime, I can still enjoy his podcast archives until he reaches a decision. And for the record, I’m glad that Ed shared his written insight into manga with his reviews and I don’t, in any way, feel let down that he’s stepping down. Because there’s always the chance he’ll come back for a guest review sometime.

In closing, I hope I don’t come across as gushy in this text as that’s not how I feel in this regard. More like respectful and glad to be able to say that I know of a particular person and that they inform and shape aspects of my personality for the better.

So, one of my captains has left the battlefield. And I will await his return in whatever form he takes.

Today, we tackle Sumomomo Momomo: The Strongest Bride on Earth Shinobu Ohtaka. A fun little diversion, nevertheless the slight ick factor could threaten to destroy what is otherwise a good manga. Also, I’ve now discovered the best Japanese tongue twister by researching this title. Click on the download link for more info. As always, click on the post image to buy volume 1 from Amazon US. Or follow the text links below for the volumes I’ve covered so far.

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Amazon US links:

• Sumomomo, Momomo, Vol. 1: The Strongest Bride on Earth (v. 1)
• Sumomomo, Momomo, Vol. 2: The Strongest Bride on Earth (v. 2)

Amazon UK links:

• Sumomomo, Momomo: v. 1
• Sumomomo, Momomo: v. 2

A small capsule review of Kaoru Mori’s A Bride’s Story here. I liked this story and I would say that if you’re tired of the usual fare in manga, this is a welcome change of pace. Volume one can be ordered from Amazon by clicking on the post image above and volume two can be preordered by clicking here.

UPDATE: Volume three is now up on Amazon for preorder for March 2012. Here’s the link.

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Thanks to Ed Sizemore and Johanna Draper Carlson for tackling the manga on their sites. Thanks to Kate Dacey over at Manga Critic for reviewing Bride’s Story and also to David Welsh and lastly to Deb Aoki and Melinda Beasi for putting me on the title in the first place.

And so, our Otakon report comes to an end. With the terrible Bandai panel, last minute dealer room runs and a resolve to highly return some day (EDIT: Elliot and Gerry are going back in 2012!) we wrap things up, nice and easy-like.

As always the links for our guests:

Elliot’s Twitter

Ani-Gamers

Uk-Anime

His Blog

_____________________________________________________________

Gerry’s Twitter

His blog

Download audio file (otakon_roundtable_part2.mp3)

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Why, oh why would I do this to myself? Why then would I subject others for the same kind of torture? This week I have Alain from the Reverse Thieves and Doctor from the SSAA Podcast talk with me and crucify you with Rio: Rainbow Gate!. It’s been a while since we said we’d cover this on the show. But here we are. Bottom line: Watch this show. Drunk. With friends if possible. Wait, now you don’t need to listen to the show! Ahh! Or…do you?

Download audio file (rio_rainbow_gate_roundtable.mp3)

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The Rio main page on Tecmo’s site. And the youtube video we talked about on the show:

Well, that’s about it. Thanks for listening. And we got through the whole thing without referencing the DOA games!…Right?

Oh, c’mon! You didn’t think I could resist, did you?

Alain’s podcasts

Reverse Thieves

The Speakeasy

Doc’s podcasts

Ass Backwards Anime Podcast,

Just A Gintama Podcast

One Podcast Prevails

And so, another summer is gone. But not before we head out into the wild blue ether and give you part one of our two part roundtable Otakon discussion. With me are Elliot Page and Gerald Martin. Their details for contacting them again are:

Elliot’s Twitter

Ani-Gamers

Uk-Anime

His Blog

_____________________________________________________________

Gerry’s Twitter

His blog

Next up will be a break from the roundtable. It’s a good surprise, trust me!

Download audio file (otakon_roundtable_part1.mp3)

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First, I’ve some podcasts recorded (and backed up!) and am in the process of editing them now. First one of them should be up soon.

Second, I appeared on Patz’ Podlabor podcast over on Insert-Disc. Click here for Baltimore goodness.

Finally, you can find me on Otaku News with reviews and stuff.

However, in Not Love…’s favour, if you want a great side story surrounding the act of food restaurant crawls then this is right up your alley. With “fictional” manga-ka F-mi Y-Naga, the author may or may not be presenting her real life to us. Much of Yoshinaga’s real life is in here, is anyone’s guess. But anyway, the point of the story is that Y-Naga when she’s not doing manga of some sort, goes with her friends and roommate, S-Hara to various restaurants and eateries to sample, enjoy and discuss the food on display.

I love the off kelter take the book has. When we are introduced to Y-Naga, it describes her as making a living “by drawing men engaging in anal sex” and then proceeds to make her both attractive and ugly while showing that really other than food she really doesn’t have it together. And the people around her are just as bad if not worse. Her roommate, S-Hara, is also one of her assistants and he’s just as scatterbrained as she is insofar as he not only tolerates her eccentricities but actually doesn’t care anymore. So their life revolves around work then food and Y-Naga eating like a slob. But the book doesn’t go out of its way to show you their lives all that much. Oh, no. The book does something far, far better.

It’s only goal in life is to sell you food. Mountains and mountains of it. Fumi Yoshinaga went around the eateries and restaurants in Tokyo and wrote down or took pictures of the food, drew the maps to show how to get there and also wrote the side notes of what to expect when you get there, what you should order and how much you’ll expect to pay. With this winning idea, Yoshinaga then begins to spin her web about the characters as they make their way through the menu in front of them and in life. The food on display really is delicious looking. From Korean barbecue, Italian starters, ice cream to New York Chocolate bread, it’s all mouth watering stuff. I want to eat everything they eat! Every meal is described in loving detail and Yoshinaga shows that she sampled every single thing because the way she draws the food and has the characters give their reactions couldn’t have been found in a book.

The characters themselves are as packed together as the food has ingredients. Y-Naga is probably, and I say probably with reserve, the author in real life. But she’s (Y-Naga) a little extreme to be the real girl. Also the way Yoshinaga depicts her is as crazy. Y-Naga goes from being frumpy to wanton to chic in 200 odd pages. She can’t do anything for herself that doesn’t revolve around food. She need help with her work, her life and her friends. She misses that one of her friends is gay. But still she cares for her friends and tries her best to understand them. And we love her for trying. Usually in the mornings, she’s drawn with a headband on, bedhead hair and Henry Kissinger glasses. S-Hara at times, just the same as Y-Naga, is depicted as being an attractive man and then being nondescript. The rest of the cast doesn’t get the same kind of on/off treatment so I can’t comment on the authors thoughts about the other characters.

I’m not going to lie to you. Not Love… is never going to be on many top ten lists in most manga fans books. But the fact that it’s published in English and that it exists is more than enough for me to like it. The fact that it’s quirky characters and amazing concept drew me in as well as it did, speaks to the strengths of the author. It’s a great introduction to Yoshinaga and I recommend it to people unfamiliar to her works.

Psst: (Shameless promotion) If you want to buy this from Amazon, click on the image of the book and I’ll get a cut ;-D