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Kosaku is a boxer who loves food, and has issues with weight gain, much to the frustration of his Coach Mukoda. In the first chapter, he falls in love with Sister Angela, a nun from the local convent. This is a classic four volume tale of an unlikely couple from Rumiko Takahashi. Each chapter pretty much has Kosaku facing different rounds, as well as try to express his affection to Angela.

Many readers may find this tale probably offensive on the religious aspect, but I find that as an interesting plot mechanism. As far as I am aware, Japan as a country only has a small percentage of Christians. It is primarily a country seeped with traditions in Shintoism or Buddhism. So the mention of Angela as a nun is unique and interesting, since I can think of other ways a nun can be done. In this instance though, love really has no boarders for Kosaku.

I am disappointed that this series had only four volumes. There are characters and background introduced toward the latter part of the series, that made the ending a very rushed feeling. I certainly didn’t expect the ending to end the way it did! There really is no possibility of redoing this series, but reading this series definitely made me realize the creativity of Takahashi.

For One Pound Gospel, there has been an anime OVA, and it was great in animating what I read in the manga. It runs up to the point of when Kosaku boxes Jiro Amakusa who is a character featured in the first volume. Then the ending of Cry No More by Mari Hamada as the ending theme is a great upbeat song!

There has also been a live action series that starred Kuroki Meisa, and Kazuya Kamenashi. The live action series is an adaption of the manga, with several inclusion and changes of characters. It fleshes out stories of the manga, and actually has an ending. Since this live action also has nine episodes, there were definitely parts included that were not in the manga. Still to see a perspective of One Pound Gospel, as a live action, then watching this adaption is fine.

I really would recommend One Pound Gospel as a title to consider and watch.. so you can clearly see this as a preference aspect. So this is one title contribution to MMF for this month. Check out other entries at

ヤマありタニおり by 日下 直子
3 volumes 2009-10

Just about anything can be written in a manga, and the lucky few like Hikari no Go, or Yakitate Japan that gets translated over into English always leaves a manga reader like me wondering if there is even more of something more interesting to read. I am not even getting into the anime, which is based on Japanese manga and talking about niche hobbies.

So I have gotten back into origami folding, and of course with making new friends, and acquaintances. I found an outlet to talk more about manga with. Origami folding people are pretty nice, and definitely aware of Japanese culture. Recently a friend from the group lent me this manga to look through. It has fulfilled my quota that there is an origami themed manga!

What is the background for this manga? Yama-ari Tani-ori in English is translated to Mountain Fold Valley Fold and they are paperfolding techniques, where the paper is fold on the diagonal on front side and  backside. Its genre is for josei, and it is serialized in Kiss, the same magazine that serialized Nodame Cantabile, and who would happen to own Kiss? Kodansha of course, so with their setting up shop on the shores of the United States. I am at this point hoping that Kodansha would one day remember to maybe bring this over. It only ends in three volumes. The author Kusaka Naoko is an author that is definitely not known in America.

Unlikely friends

So what can I gleam from this volume? It is about a16 year old named Aida Yoshi. He is a pretty shy and quiet boy, who has a passion for folding origami. Unfortunately his school doesn’t have an origami club, so he begin the process of starting a club. Eventually his classmates, Kawashima and Miyamoto joins the club.

Kero... uhhh Ribbit!

The story details some pretty cool origami things, such as folding a gigantic frog. I have seen photos of a gigantic Elephant so folding a gigantic frog is sure to impress. In later chapters, readers would learn that Kawashima is a pretty experienced folder, while Miyamoto is a beginner. Beginners usually fold mushi-gami, so of course Miyamoto is pretty upset by it. This group of three unlikely friends, is eventually led into an origami competition.

Assortment of paper folds

The themes of this manga is youth, friendship and of course origami. Even the author Kusaka Naoko said on Amazon Japan, that origami is a Japanese tradition. When I say the them is on youth, and friendship, Japanese would definitely associate that with schoolboys, and high school. There are some fan service, in the drawing and interactions of characters, that is a cultural difference though. Looking beyond that, as a reader you can see that this is a story with the theme of origami, and for this subtle past time, having a comic would definitely inspire more people to pick this past time.

Cosplayers capturing the characters of Akari and Aika

Akari and Aika are Undine’s from two different companies. Akari counts Aika as being her first friend, and they have a relationship that is similar to the relationship that anime fans would most likely see between Usagi and Rei of Sailor Moon. Of course liking both series and probably examining them both is a time commitment. Sailor Moon is examined from the perspective of the first season.

Akari really doesn’t remind me of Usagi, other than the fact that she is the central character that influences change or so to the people around her. She also learns responsibility much like how Usagi powered up. Now Aika reminds me strongly of Rei. Her colors are dominantly red, her heels quite like Sailor Mars. Her passion, and humility just like the fire that is Rei. Aika is quite headstrong and confident, but her shyness leads her to consistently say to Akari and others, “No sappy lines” is just quite cute.

Friendships are maintained and grown, so reading parts in Aria reminds me of how much depth can a relationship between two people can be maintained. Especially if they are of the same gender.. a sisterhood if you must think of a good comparison. Rei and Usagi are the best of friends as to how people would remember from watching Sailor Moon. Now even the possibility of once the girls become full fledged Undines and can’t see each other as much as what happened to Three Water Fairies. Aika is still reassured that she will always be friends with Akari, and this question was actually answered in Aqua Volume 2, while she was sick.

Likewise the relationship between Akari and Akatsuki, while not to the point of identical to Usagi and Mamoru when they first meet, the fact that Akatsuki calls Akari either Ponytails (ADV) or Sideburns (Tokyopop) surely has the whole, Odango Atama or Meatball Head that Mamoru teased Usagi with feel. It is pretty cute, many people would identify that Akatsuki would be having feelings for Akari, and in a school boy crush, would never reveal it. The hopeful possibility to a romanticist like I am, hopes that when Akari eventually decides to retire, then perhaps their relationship can go on the route that is like Aika and Al.

Hmmm, now if you don’t see the similarities or if you see it as a common tool in other shojo series, then that is fine. But one more last thing about Sailor Moon, and by just how excited I am with Kodansha picking it up to be re-released. I commented several about this on other blogs, and Twitter, but to see it being typed down on my own blog is just a very nice feeling.

This is a recap of Sunday links submitted for Day 1. If you haven’t seen my past Tweets, as well as the helpful Twitter reminders from other Manga bloggers on their Twitter streams (Thanks @manga_critic!) Sunday, today is the beginning of March’s Manga Movable Feast. Actively I will promote throughout this week, what links has and will be written. Alternatively I will also be writing posts to the series on this blog as well. So please look under the category of Manga Movable Feast on this blog for those entries.

Already some people have sent me their past coverage of Aria. I am still quite happy to read and share it. These are links to articles that was written before this MMF.

Erica from Okazu has a comprehensive, and pretty extensive archive of blog entries devoted to Aria, 19 entries in total. Reading her anime and manga coverage possibly has some spoilers, but definitely well worth it to read of a love she has for Aria.

Johanna Draper Carlson from Manga Worth Reading shares her past link of
Book 1, Book 2, Book 4, Book 5, Book 6 These are individual reviews of the volumes that has been written, though there are some broken links within the entry (cough, Book 1), there’s nothing broken about her entries. Book 6 review definitely sums up how Aria as a series is, to relax with.

Aaron of Manga Power contacted me prior to this MMF, about a question he had on reposting his older review. So here is his opinion on Aria: Volume 1

Lastly Rob of Panel Patter for this month’s MMF read and wrote about his opinion on Aqua’s Volume 1-2. He’s definitely nailed one of the many favorite element I have from this series. The presidents!!!!

Aqua/Aria as a series in manga and anime is definitely something to get into. I was reminded by Rob actually that Netflix has Aria the anime. This month’s MMF, is also actively looking for links in terms of the Aria anime as well. People can submit links for archival purposes up to Sunday-Monday of this next week. Happy reading/watching and possibly writing?

President Aria

Categorized as a science fiction and slice of life title, Aria is a complete manga series by Kouzue Amano. The series originally began with the title of Aqua, serialized in 2001, with Enix’s imprint magazine Stencil. It was then  picked up by Mag Garden monthly imprint of Comic Blade and published from 2002-2008. The series was renamed as Aria, and there are 12 volumes in total.

Similar to how its Japanese publication may have been a tongue twister, its American publication history has also been quite unique. Aria was originally licensed, translated and released by ADV Manga for three volumes, before they had to discontinued the series. Aria was then picked up by Tokyopop, and re-released from its Aqua beginnings. So many fans and readers of this series, treat the two-volume Aqua as the prologue to Aria. Tokyopop has currently released up to volume six of Aria, so there is no definite news to when the rest of the series shall be translated and released, however there are fans waiting.

In the meantime, take the time to check out the Animation series that was inspired by this manga. The three animation seasons and OVA has been released by Nozomi Entertainment, that is an imprint of Japanese Animation and Manga American retailer, RightStuf.com. To follow in order, from the beginning to the end, please note the series from  Aria the Animation (1st Season) Aria the Natural (2nd Season) Aria the OVA ~Arietta~ and then Aria the Origination (3rd Season).

This series follows the life of Akari Mizunashi, a former Earth inhabitant that resettles on the planet of Mars in Neo Venezia, a city based after the city of Venice during the 24th Century. Earth and Mars are referred in Aria by different names, Manhome for Earth and Aqua for Mars.

Akari aspires to be a professional gondolier known as Undines, and she must work from apprentice upward. On her way to become an Undine, she meets, befriends and experiences many things that make Aria a very peaceful read.

For every war that is probably fought, there are untold horrors for survivors of an atrocity. One example of such a period, was how Japan was defeated in World War II, with the the Atomic Bomb. The bombings completely destroyed two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and this is the first time that nuclear warfare is used in the history of mankind. Now even up to this day, Hiroshima has become a City of Peace, with a continued advocacy to abolish all nuclear weapons.

Keiji Nakazawa, himself a Hibakusha or a victim of the atomic bomb, writes a harrowing tale of bomb survival in his graphic novel: Barefoot Gen. Nakazawa himself as a survivor is also suffering affects of the bomb, with cancer. This is a story that is told in ten volumes, and published in English by Last Gasp.

Barefoot Gen reveals a story of struggle, and survival. Being that this is a graphic novel, mostly everything is revealed in stark and bleak terms. From the first volume, Gen survives with his family in tatters. His character grows, as the country completely falls apart, right after the bombing, as people died left and right. It is a very gruesome reality to imagine, and the manga aptly depicts the minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years after the bomb struck.

Some of the more gruesome depictions I read in the first two volumes is of bones consumption, massive burial sites, skins melting off, sudden death from radiation.

Another theme that the manga accurately depicts is the level of crime, and discrimination, that people will not be proud to have committed, but it does happen. With the lack of awareness and callousness, there are countless victims, and characters depicted in Barefoot Gen displays cruelty that is associated with a post apocalyptic type setting.

Last year was the 65th Anniversary of the Hiroshima Bombing, and this event invited international participation in the form of postcards to be used at an exhibit. Examples of postcards sent can be seen at the Japanese version of the website. Still for what it is worth, this is also a article of last year’s anniversary. That is the reality side of the Atomic Bomb, and how it is remembered.

For a more graphical depiction, that can’t be experienced with watching movies, documentaries, or books, there is Barefoot Gen. This  is not reading material suitable for children, I would recommend this for older teens and adult. A similar read alike is Maus from Art Spiegelman for the similar time prospective of Holocaust Germany. The very message that both stories bring is that war can be a very destructive for both sides. There really is no victimless war.

Check out the archive for this month’s MMF of Barefoot Gen here.

I am piggy backing on @mbeasi‘s nifty blogging things at this moment. The post is quite late… >_<  So I am going to do a personal roll call for people’s tweets that has recently within the past two months led me to actually go and learn something more about a personalized favorite subject. Whether it is in Japanese culture relevancy, or manga or just all around coolness factor, as often reading these Tweets can perk up a day on the net.

@michaelpinto – He tweets with categories that disseminates Twitter even more into richer metadata. There’s not a lot of subjects I can really gleam from fanboy.com, but on the occasional posting about these lesser known Japanese works, technology and gadget news. I find myself sometimes mentally fangirling. ^_^

@hisuiRT- Sarcastic and witty, hisuiRT has became a pretty nifty person to speak to on Twitter. He tweets a lot about specific anime/manga/hobby topics. What I definitely like from his tweets is the personality and probably multiple-facted quirks you can get him to talk to you about. He is one half of Reverse Thieves and RT are running a anime Secret Santa at this moment.

@debaoki -Continually tweeting about new manga, or her wine trips, she is often the person to definitely retweet if you wan to learn about manga news/industry in the United States. She is immensely knowledgeable about gathering a niche focus group together, and continually I see her as a center person to refer back on. She writes for About.com.

@edsizemore -As a networking strong presence for specific manga/comic reviews, that he champions. There is his tweets, and podcasts. His tweets are often insightful, and sometimes though provoking. I look forward to reading his varied reactions to graphic novels. He writes as part of Comics worth reading.

@yuricon – She’s always mentions various topics that are either on industry, social media, graphic novels news, or LGBT rights relevance. I find her tweets educational and definitely re-tweet-able. She writes pro-yuri and female liberalism blog entries on Okazu.

So reading this list, you may or may not follow these people… but since they tweet consistently and frequently on the net on topics that I find quite interesting, I definitely find their tweets consistently something to follow up on.