This month, Shea and Derek have a
fun time discussing two recent manga releases. They begin with the
first volume of Akiko Higashimura's Princess Jellyfish (Kodansha), a
series that is new to both of the guys. In fact, Derek comments
that he might not have given this title a try if they hadn't
decided to discuss it for the podcast. Given the "princess" part of
the book, he had wondered if this might not be too cute for him, a
fluffy shojo title that may not appeal to him (while at the same
time, admitting that he might be shortsighted). But as the guys
discuss, Princess Jellyfish is anything but
insubstantial. It's a multi-layered story exploring
friendships, gender identity, and fandom. Yet, "fandom" isn't
the right word when discussing this manga, and Shea and Derek spend
a good deal of time understanding the character and behavioral
nuances that Higashimura weaves into her narrative, supplemented by
a useful glossary that she include in the back of the book. This is
definitely a title that both of the guys will continue reading in
the months to come. Next, they look at a completely different kind
of manga, the first omnibus volume of Kengo
Hanazawa's I Am a Hero (Dark Horse Manga).
This book has been getting a good deal of press, especially
given its apparent similarity to The Walking Dead. In fact, Derek and
Shea discuss the expectations surrounding I Am a
Hero and how calling it "zombie manga" may be a lazy way
of categorizing this series. At least in this first volume, there
is much more to Hanazawa's story that the undead
rising. I Am a Hero is also a self-aware
meditation on the place of manga in our culture, with the
book's protagonist, Hideo Suzuki, serving as its focalizing
agent. Plus, there are many unanswered questions surrounding Hideo,
non-zombie-based, that makes us question his reliability.
And as Shea and Derek point out, it's not entirely certain
where Hanazawa's sympathies actually lie regarding his hero...and
that's a good thing, at least for Derek, who appreciates ambiguity
and authorial distance. Shea suspects that next volumes of the
series will more firmly embed themselves in the zombie side of the
story, although Derek is hoping that won't entirely be the case.
Time will tell.
This is also the one-year
anniversary of The Comics Alternative's manga
series. So celebrate with them and let them know what you think of their
episodes!