[RAM] misc 061506
Ping Kuo
the same author who did Goth, Frequency, etc. I had done a review on
Goth, and it also has a manga adaptation from Kadokawa, Calling You is
also very good, highly recommended. if Death Notes does well in the
state expect to see Goth next,
saw a large Death Notes promotion cardboard cut out at Kino, w/ empty
slot to store the DVDs. that is even before the movies come out in
Japan!? the hype machine is almost as big as for Howl's Moving Castle,
read the premise of MX Zero, and I got to say I expect it to be a hit,
since so so titles like Psychic Academy can be a hit, too w/ the same
theme. obviously it's SJ's answer to Negima and a take off on Harry
Potter, the question is what took them so long?
still on Jump comic, I did not realize there is an official license
adaptation of the movie King Kong, wonder if it is any good, w/o the
F/X of the movis it is rather blend visual wise in manga I think,
personally I hope it did well, because I would really like to see
Potter and other major western movies/novels turn into manga,
Towa Oshima, of the High School Girl fame, had another title out, Mel
Kano, which is about a romance story heavily relied on e-mail and
smiling faces, rather late to take advantage of the technology, since
it had been done from You Got Mail to Densha Otaku.
Tokko returns to July Afternoon in a rather ho-hum fashion, just like
all the Rose Hip series, the only difference is one is gun against
terrorists and one is sword against monster, very flashy and good
looking but really not much underneath, kind of like Kamikaze, another
similar title also from Afternoon.
titles that stand out this issue? Genshiken (of course), Vinland Saga
(cool). Little Jumper (cute), and Mokke (interesting). I think it will
be redundant to say Mystery Girl Friend X is perverted. ^^;
Blade of Immortal confirm that the next arc will be the final
conclusion arc of the story, which mean the author is taking a mini
summer vacation.
Genshiken's ending is nice that it is a closure which corresponds all
the way to the beginning of the story, a neat pair of bookends if you
will. the only one nitpick? there is not a final kiss, in fact, like
Yawara, there is not a kiss shown in the whole story between the main
couple, miser!
I have to say I am unfamiliar w/ the three new titles/authors Afternoon
advertise that will start on the next three months, anyone?
Miles Bader
> Viz is going to published Otsuai's novel "Calling You" next year, he
> the same author who did Goth, Frequency, etc.
You mean "Otsu Ichi"?
-miles
--
/\ /\
(^.^)
(")")
*This is the cute kitty virus, please copy this into your sig so it can spread.
Miles Bader
>> Viz is going to published Otsuai's novel "Calling You" next year, he
>> the same author who did Goth, Frequency, etc.
>
> You mean "Otsu Ichi"?
His (prose) books are great BTW!
I've never read any manga by him (actually I didn't even know he wrote
manga...), but I imagine they also rock.
Ping Kuo
wrote:
> Miles Bader <mi...@gnu.org> writes:
> >> Viz is going to published Otsuai's novel "Calling You" next year, he
> >> the same author who did Goth, Frequency, etc.
> > You mean "Otsu Ichi"?
check my spelling, yes you are correct. most use Otsuichi as one word,
I thought it is funny because his pen name simply means "B 1".
> His (prose) books are great BTW!
my review of Goth in RAM is still on google I think.
needless to say, if I don't think it is good I won't bother to review
it.
> I've never read any manga by him (actually I didn't even know he wrote
> manga...), but I imagine they also rock.
I did not know either until I see the Chinese copy in Kino. and
apparently it is being ported to Europe first.
http://www.manga-news.com/article.php3?id_article=3703 (French)
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goth_(Manga) (German)
and he did not exactly wrote manga, just Goth is good and popular
enough it got adapted into it. and frankly I don't think the manga can
match the novel, in the novel he played quite a few tricks to mislead
the readers which would be hard to carry off in a visual manner in
manga. (can't hide view of perspective...)
and yes, of the 4 novels I read from him I like Goth the best, because
it is also the darkest, Death Notes, by comparsion, is just cruel kids
playing a game w/ superpower, there are evil, and there are EVIL.
Miles Bader
> check my spelling, yes you are correct. most use Otsuichi as one word,
> I thought it is funny because his pen name simply means "B 1".
Yeah it's a bit weird ... I always assumed it was a pen-name...
> and yes, of the 4 novels I read from him I like Goth the best, because
> it is also the darkest, Death Notes, by comparsion, is just cruel kids
> playing a game w/ superpower, there are evil, and there are EVIL.
I've mainly read his horror novels ... didn't read Goth yet (though I
bought it).
Maybe my favorite book of his is actually his first one (which he wrote
when he was 16 years old!!) called roughly "Summer, Fireworks, and my
Dead Body". It's actually two short novellas in one volume; the first
is fun, charming, with a creepy twist at the end, and the 2nd story is
just completely creepy and chilling.
[I knew "Death Notes" was a famous manga, but never read it, and I
didn't know he actually wrote it!!! Maybe worth checking out...]
I'm very happy for a discussion of him, since I'm a big fan !!
-Miles
--
Come now, if we were really planning to harm you, would we be waiting here,
beside the path, in the very darkest part of the forest?
Miles Bader
>> check my spelling, yes you are correct. most use Otsuichi as one word,
>> I thought it is funny because his pen name simply means "B 1".
>
> Yeah it's a bit weird ... I always assumed it was a pen-name...
Come to think of it, since it's a funny (and maybe pen-) name, and my
instinct for Japanese names is less good that a Japanese, I was never
really sure whether it's supposed to be just family-name or family-name
+ first name....
Another reason I like him is that not only are his stories lots of fun,
they're relatively easy to read -- he doesn't use lots of obscure kanji
like some authors -- but there's still some sort of "literary sense"
about his writing style, it doesn't feel like trash fiction.
-Miles
--
We are all lying in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
-Oscar Wilde
Ping Kuo
wrote:
> Ping Kuo <removeantispam*pk...@earthlink.net> writes:
> > and yes, of the 4 novels I read from him I like Goth the best, because
> > it is also the darkest, Death Notes, by comparsion, is just cruel kids
> > playing a game w/ superpower, there are evil, and there are EVIL.
> [I knew "Death Notes" was a famous manga, but never read it, and I
> didn't know he actually wrote it!!! Maybe worth checking out...]
no, Death Note is not done by him, I am using Death Note as comparsion
simply because it is the biggest similiar genre title/manga, and it
would only get bigger w/ TWO live movies release this year.
Ping Kuo
wrote:
> Miles Bader <mi...@gnu.org> writes:
> >> check my spelling, yes you are correct. most use Otsuichi as one word,
> >> I thought it is funny because his pen name simply means "B 1".
> > Yeah it's a bit weird ... I always assumed it was a pen-name...
> Come to think of it, since it's a funny (and maybe pen-) name, and my
> instinct for Japanese names is less good that a Japanese, I was never
> really sure whether it's supposed to be just family-name or family-name
> + first name....
it could be either first or last name but probably not both, my guess
is it is a first name, w/ substitution of a same sounding kanji for the
first character from his real name.
> Another reason I like him is that not only are his stories lots of fun,
> they're relatively easy to read -- he doesn't use lots of obscure kanji
> like some authors -- but there's still some sort of "literary sense"
> about his writing style, it doesn't feel like trash fiction.
if not being trash fiction meaning it s not common place fare? then
you are right on that.
he just got recently translated into Chinese, (obviously), w/ English
next year, etc. there is a recent 2-3 years fad for Japanese
horror/suspense/thriller, etc. w/ Ringu, Grudge, Audition, Monster,
and 20CBs, looking for more materials, it is not a surprise they turn
to Otsuichi, he wrote it like the book I am reading now, (Anthony
Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential), w/ an "edge" to it. it cut through
your feeling w/o reservation, be it a gentle or a horror story. you
are not an observer just listening to his narrative, you became part of
his world, no, you became "him", and the roller coaster ride is how
Otsuichi manage to make an impression in your mind w/ his story, to be
blunt, he is playing w/ reader's emotion, (and I am getting better at
seeing throught the traps he set for the readers, but that is NOT a
good thing I guess.) and the slight melancholy touches in the end are
always his signature imprint no matter how the story ended.
Chris Kern
<removeantispam*pk...@earthlink.net> posted the following:
>Genshiken's ending is nice that it is a closure which corresponds all
>the way to the beginning of the story, a neat pair of bookends if you
>will. the only one nitpick? there is not a final kiss, in fact, like
>Yawara, there is not a kiss shown in the whole story between the main
>couple, miser!
They did kiss, a few chapters ago.
>I have to say I am unfamiliar w/ the three new titles/authors Afternoon
>advertise that will start on the next three months, anyone?
Surely you recognize Kuroda Io? He did Nasu and some other stuff.
-Chris
Miles Bader
> you are not an observer just listening to his narrative, you became
> part of his world, no, you became "him", and the roller coaster ride
> is how Otsuichi manage to make an impression in your mind w/ his
> story, to be blunt, he is playing w/ reader's emotion,
I guess the thing I like about his stuff is that no matter how unreal
the scenario/plot is, the characters' reactions and thoughts seem very
realistic.
If you read bad fiction (e.g., Crichton :-), the characters are
typically like puppets acting in absurd ways to further the plot.
Otsuichi's characters are the opposite of that, they usually seem to
react and think like a real person would (if the situation is absurd,
the character thinks so too, and reacts accordingly -- but they don't
"disbelieve" to a stupid degree as is common in much fiction).
It's very refreshing.
> the slight melancholy touches in the end are always his signature
> imprint no matter how the story ended.
This particular trait seems somewhat common in the Japanese literature
I've read.
-Miles
--
If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten. [George Carlin]
Ping Kuo
<chris...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 11:03:17 GMT, Ping Kuo
> <removeantispam*pk...@earthlink.net> posted the following:
> >Genshiken's ending is nice that it is a closure which corresponds all
> >the way to the beginning of the story, a neat pair of bookends if you
> >will. the only one nitpick? there is not a final kiss, in fact, like
> >Yawara, there is not a kiss shown in the whole story between the main
> >couple, miser!
> They did kiss, a few chapters ago.
forgot about that, but that is because it is more like a highway
robbery, not one by both sides. the second more proper one right
afterward, of course, were implied and not shown.
> >I have to say I am unfamiliar w/ the three new titles/authors Afternoon
> >advertise that will start on the next three months, anyone?
> Surely you recognize Kuroda Io? He did Nasu and some other stuff.
no, no first impression, his kanji name is strange enough that I would
have remember, even if I knew that means he did not make a lasting
impression on me before.
Ping Kuo
wrote:
> If you read bad fiction (e.g., Crichton :-), the characters are
never read one... currently working on Bourdain, surprising for a chef
he used big words in books talk about food.
> typically like puppets acting in absurd ways to further the plot.
> Otsuichi's characters are the opposite of that, they usually seem to
> react and think like a real person would (if the situation is absurd,
> the character thinks so too, and reacts accordingly -- but they don't
> "disbelieve" to a stupid degree as is common in much fiction).
that is what I call character behave "naturely", which is the biggest
faults of some of the bigger name manga titles out there that I
dislike, Death Note and Ichigo 100% come to mind in that regard. some
people do not understand my dislike of those two titles not because
Death Note w/ an evil lead, (I like evil!) or Ichigo is a cheesy fan
service title, (I like cheesey fan service! if done right.) but
because people act out of character to further the plot is my problem
w/ those titles.
a smart person should act smartly, not suddently turn dumb because a
plot device call for it, or normal people suddenly turn clumsy, etc.
to put it simiply, believibilty of the character and how real they
seems to the readers is an important part of any good story.