We go back—way back—for today’s Reader’s Corner, with the release of two manga taking place in the 1940s: the volume one rerelease of Naoki Urasawa’s Billy Bat and the one-volume manga about the heroic Himeyuri schoolgirls during the Battle of Okinawa, cocoon. Reviews of other new releases are also below. Check them out and let us know what you think of these volumes!
Billy Bat (Vol. 1) • cocoon • Divine Incursions (Vol. 2) • Double the Trouble, Twice as Nice (Vol. 3) • Everyone’s Darling Has a Secret (Vol. 4) • Shadows House (Vol. 11)
Billy Bat, Manga Vol. 1
Los Angeles, 1949. The Second World War is over, the Cold War is heating up, and Japanese-American cartoonist Kevin Yamagata is riding high in the Golden Age of Comic Books with his new series Billy Bat. There’s just one problem: he recently learned that a character with the same design as his own wisecracking bat detective has been circulating around Japan for years. The smart thing to do would be to ignore it, but Kevin is a strict one for professional ethics. Unable to stomach the idea that he might have—even if only subconsciously—stolen another artist’s work during his tour of duty in Japan as a translator for the US Army, he returns there to get to the bottom of this mystery. But it doesn’t take much poking around the back alleys and black markets of occupied Tokyo before people start turning up dead, and Kevin starts wishing a case of accidental plagiarism was the only thing going on with Billy Bat… Eighteen years after original publication and ten years after its completion, Naoki Urasawa’s Billy Bat is finally legally available in English. This living manga legend has built his reputation on mystery thrillers such as Monster and 20th Century Boys, and Billy Bat looks to be in that same vein. Starting from its unique opening chapter, the story accelerates quickly as ever more dangerous and bizarre events race across the magnificently illustrated pages (take a look at just a few of his intricate illustrations of post-war Japan and gawk at the realization that this series ran on the relentless schedule of Kodansha’s Weekly Morning magazine). Of course, this story is in a genre which is particularly dependent upon the quality of the payoff, so a strong start can’t “make it” on its own, but so far, the hype and anticipation around this manga’s long-awaited international release appears entirely justified. ~ WacOtaku
Billy Bat is published by Abrams Books.
cocoon, Manga
Beautiful, haunting, brutal, cocoon is a historical fiction manga presented in a squiggly art style that makes the reader feel all the more sorrowful in this tragic tale. During the Battle of Okinawa, the Himeyuri students, a group of schoolgirls, were mobilized to act as nurses during the war efforts. The young women were unaware of just how close to the frontline and danger they would be. cocoon features several young women, but most primarily the patriotic and kind San and her best friend, the cool transfer student, Mayu. At first, the girls are surprised at the difficulty of the work and how poorly the battle seems to be going, but soon, shock is replaced by a fight for survival. The drawings in this manga are so pretty and sketchlike, and their simplicity makes the girls seem as innocent and young as the real Himeyuri students were—and thus the tragedy befalling them feels authentic and painful. The story unfolds very simply, too, but something more complicated is unnecessary for a work that honors these young people, and honor it does, with rawness, a fleeting beauty, and honesty—even when that comes down to laying blame. What a powerful, meaningful work—and possibly fantastic teaching material when discussing Okinawa, Japan, and WWII. ~ Twwk
cocoon is published by VIZ Media.
Everyone’s Darling Has a Secret, Manga Vol. 4
I now realize that Everyone’s Darling Has a Secret is a maddeningly inconsistent manga, both between volumes and now within the same volume. This one begins with Hiruno and Kuromiya’s aquarium date, which is the stuff of every romcom manga ever made, and as expected, it’s not memorable at all. The series, especially during the date, seems to settle into the pattern “beautiful girl has crush on somewhat average but very kind boy”; when done well, it results in some of the best series in all manga, but when there’s nothing new under the sun (as in this case) or the execution is lacking, it leads to something forgettable. Thankfully, the second half of this volume, featuring a study session and involving a variety of characters from the series, is humorous, warm, and entertaining. I’m really liking the supporting characters in Everyone’s Darling Has a Secret, and I hope (and think) they will continue to be given the chance to shine. Hiruno and Kuromiya, however, are becoming less interesting; let’s hope they, too, will shine more brightly as future volumes are released, and that the series finds both consistency and a voice that sets it apart from other similar manga. ~ Twwk
Everyone’s Darling Has a Secret is published by Yen Press.
Read Reviews of Everyone’s Darling Has a Secret: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3
Shadows House, Manga Vol. 11
Kate’s back story is over, and we return to the present. Edward, the overseer for the children’s wing who has been suspicious of Kate and her compatriots for some time, embarks on a trip away from Shadows House for the first time. In his absence, Thomas—the disgraced ex-overseer for the children’s wing—executes plan to get back his authority…or to at least stir up chaos. He shows up in the children’s wing unannounced and publicizes one of the great secrets of Shadows House: the existence of soot powers. The children’s wing is thrown into confusion as those with soot powers seek to dominate or torment those without—or to manipulate things to their advantage from the, ahem, shadows. I have no idea what Thomas’s end game is here, or if he’s just causing trouble for its own sake—so I just have to keep reading! ~ NegativePrimes
Shadows House is published by Yen Press.
Divine Incursions, Manga Vol. 2
In a sense, Divine Incursions volume two is harder to review than volume one was. Not because it’s bad or anything—on the contrary, it holds up just fine—but because what I liked about this one is pretty much the same as what I liked about the previous one. The X-Files feel continues, as Katagishi and Miyaki investigate various unusual and unnatural occurrences, all while a larger plot is slowly starting to reveal itself in the background. Part of this latter plot involves the disappearance (prior to the series) of Katagishi’s wife, whom he believes is still alive even when everyone else—including the man who is his boss and brother-in-law—think otherwise. If you like slow-burn creepy paranormal stories, give this one a shot! ~ Dr. Steve
Divine Incursions is published by Yen Press.
Double the Trouble, Twice as Nice, Manga Vol. 3
With the mysterious locked files revealed, both Ren and Yuri are shocked by the news they see. Ren questions what he wants to do, and if he should do anything at all. On the flip side, Yuri is slowly starting to face her real feelings for Ren, but will she act upon them and let Ren know the truth? What a cute volume! I think my favorite part was definitely the romantic developments! I was squealing! I was very proud of Yuri for facing her feelings and being able to put them into words! Also, seeing her take a stand against her boss! You go, girl! On the flip side, I enjoyed seeing some non-romantic plot, even if it was unexpected! After the bombshell of info at the end of last volume, I sort of thought things with Kisaragi Pharmaceuticals would be in the background, but we really see Ren thinking about the information he’s unexpectedly gained. I will be very curious as to what he will do moving forward, especially since his turning into a child is not aiding his new dream relating to the company. I can’t wait to see what will happen in the next volume and see even more super cute moments! Definitely still enjoying this manga just as much as the previous volumes! ~ Laura A. Grace
Double the Trouble, Twice as Nice is published by Yen Press.
Read Reviews of Double the Trouble, Twice as Nice: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2
“Reader’s Corner” is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works they’re reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works, and those older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.
