It’s time to catch up on some more manga in the latest Reader’s Corner! This week’s lineup takes us from the everyday struggles of a half-dragon teenager to the brutal world of boxing, a seventeenth-century battlefield, a bizarre digital circus, and a superhero mystery. There’s even an SAO survival adventure and a new series that we very much cannot recommend. In other words, there’s a little bit of everything—and plenty for our readers to have opinions about!
The Amazing Digital Circus • Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow (Vol. 6) • Blood-Crawling Princess of a Ruined Country • Golden Man (Vol. 1) • Issak (Vol. 14) • RuriDragon (Vol. 4) • SAO Unital Ring (Vol. 2)
RuriDragon, Manga Vol. 4
It’s time for the sports festival, and as part of the committee for it, Ruri seems to be enjoying school life. Of course, nothing goes as planned for Ruri, who’s introverted nature makes her the worst person to become the absolute center of attention when her dragon characteristics, like being set fully aflame, suddenly pop up. Volume four continues to be an emphathetic and authentic look at being an adolescent. Ruri would be considered obnoxious for how she reacts around her friends, except that, well, she’s a dragon. But that reason actually helps the reader feel for her as just a normal girl, and makes up empathetic for adolescents in general who are terribly uncomfortable in their skin at this age. But Ruri’s transformation can also be symbolic for all sorts of changes that we undergo, or, as I really felt strongly in this volume, for people who must reveal their natures when they’re not yet ready for it. Being “outed” automatically comes to mind, but I can think of something more typical—showing an aspect of your personality to those around you when you are, like Ruri, an introvert. RuriDragon presents this with thoughtfulness and characterization that’s absolutely authentic for this age group, without ever feeling preachy and keeping its humor and fun. This is a really good series—and the kind, too, that might encourage you to be kinder to those around you, particularly teenagers who may be obnoxious, but ar really just in that strange phase known as adolescence. ~ Twwk
RuriDragon is published by VIZ Media.
Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow, Manga Vol. 6
Yabuki Joe has strange effects on the men around him: Ordinary nobodies blow him off as a loudmouthed poser, but the strongest of the strong can’t get him out of their heads. That inexplicable magnetism has somehow landed him the comeback chance of a lifetime: a primetime televised fight with internationally-ranked Carlos Rivera in front of a sold-out stadium. Just weeks ago, he was a carnival sideshow fighter trying to claw his way back into any sort of legitimate boxing. Now all of Japan is watching him carry their hopes into battle. But does Joe even have a prayer against a world-class boxer? And win, lose, or draw, what is he going to do with his second chance at life in the boxing ring? There are two things you need to know about this volume of Ashita no Joe: First, Joe drops THE LINE. If you’ve ever read Bakuman you know exactly which line it is. And if not, you’ve probably heard it elsewhere too: the Homeric line that sums up the entire male fantasy in a single manga panel. Second, as great as the first half of this volume is, its most compelling material is in the back half, where Joe doesn’t simply meet his next opponent—he meets his Accuser: a clean-cut, soft-spoken, well-dressed, and self-disciplined terror of a man, all but scientifically engineered to destroy Joe not just tactically but psychologically. A boxer who can throw Joe’s whole life story back in his face with a dismissive “give me a break” as casually as he can throw a freight train punch. This series is peak MANga. ~ WacOtaku
Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow is published by Kodansha.
Read Reviews of Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow: Vol. 1 // Vol.2 // Vol.3 // Vol. 4// Vol.5
Issak, Manga Vol. 14
Issak and Prince Heinrich continue their campaign against Viscount Sabella in a series of bloody skirmishes across the canals and pastures of the Dutch countryside. The long term goal remains to subdue Heusden Fortress and fully reopen the supply route to the besieged city of Breda. The short term goal, however, is now to escort a powerful new piece of artillery to the city’s defenders over the fiercely contested backroads. But Issak sees in this dangerous mission an incredible opportunity: use the cannon convoy to lure Sabella and his troops out of position and give a small band of men the chance to storm Huesden in the confusion. Sabella, however, is no fool to be conveniently duped by any common ruse de guerre, so making this plan actually work is going to be a dicey business… Well, this volume of Issak turned out to be a slightly odd reading experience. Not because of anything in the book itself, but because Kodansha stopped the release of new English digital volumes for over a year to give the physical releases time to catch up (for perspective on how extended of a pause this series has had, my review of Issak volume thirteen released alongside my review of Ashita no Joe volume one—shameless plug). Picking the series back up in the middle of a story arc after such a long time away meant that I had to put in more effort than usual in order to pull my memories of the series up from deep storage. Perhaps I should have reread volume thirteen first, but that’s an expenditure of time and energy too. So the volume itself is perfectly fine historical fiction/action manga fare, but the real world release schedule means there’s a re-onboarding cost attached in addition to the sticker price. The series is worth it, but the cost is still there.~ WacOtaku
Issak is published by Kodansha.
READ Reviews of Issak: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol.6 // Vol.7 // Vol.8 // Vol.9 // Vol.10 // Vol.11//Vol.12// Vol.13
Blood-Crawling Princess of a Ruined Country, Manga Vol. 1
Sometimes, folks, it falls upon the good people here at Beneath the Tangles to take one for the team (i.e. you, dear reader). Blood-Crawling Princess is one such situation: There may be a good point buried somewhere in here—probably “Don’t treat women like objects”—but it almost completely vanishes under the lurid grotesquerie, both sexual and bloody. “Priscilla the Princess” is the alias of the most desirable prostitute in the autonomous region of Sanmisa, a place set aside by the Kingdom of Hari as a sort of national red-light district. Unbeknownst to most, however, Priscilla is in fact the surviving actual princess of the fallen land of Batalia, and her work in the brothels is itself a cover for her plans for revenge. These include castrating and torturing the heir to the throne of Hari (who is himself absolute scum, to be sure) and slaughtering every man in the autonomous region in a single night, then fleeing with her followers (also women from Batalia who have been working in the brothels) toward a nearby country where they have been promised asylum. The story ends on a cliff-hanger, with the betrayal of Priscilla’s efforts, but it’s not enough to keep me coming back. There is no sensitive treatment of sex workers here, no promise of redemption or healing for those who seek revenge (as in, say, Vinland Saga), no great themes or ideals set forth even to be deconstructed. There are better stories of strong women out there, whether you prefer gritty (like Claymore, an oldie but goldie) or more idealistic (Apothecary Diaries, which also comes with a much better depiction of sex workers). Don’t waste your time here. ~ Dr. Steve
Blood-Crawling Princess of a Ruined Country is published by Yen Press.
SAO Unital Ring, Manga Vol. 2
In my review of volume one, I dubbed Unital Ring “SAO: The Ark: Survival Evolved Edition,” and volume two only convinces me of the accuracy of this description all the more. The first part of the volume covers Kirito and his friends as they try to gather materials and repair their house, accidentally taming a giant ferocious-cute platypus with teeth along the way. Before long, though, other players show up and ask to trade goods and services; this being SAO, however, a sudden ambush is a given. (“Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!”) For a voice from the heavens has promised something to whomever is “first” to reach a certain goal, and while no one knows what that something is, the newcomers recognize Kirito and know that he will be a formidable rival in any case. As Kirito & co. face off against humans, NPCs, dinosaurs monsters, and the relentless falling survival meters (did I mention how much this story reminds me of Ark?), they also realize that over time, their skills and levels ported from SAO/ALO are disappearing! And as if that weren’t enough to contend with, they discover that this new world has an additional harsh penalty: If you die in the game, you…can’t log into it ever again! Okay, so maybe the stakes aren’t quite as high as in the original “Aincrad” arc, but there are enough twists here to keep readers on their toes. And the final pages reintroduce an old character in the real world—though if I’m being honest, I had to look up who this person was on the wiki! In any case, author Rekie Kawahara is clearly gearing up for another saga of numerous twists, plotlines, and characters. So if you like SAO, you know where to come to get your next fix! ~ NegativePrimes
SAO Unital Ring is published by Yen Press.
The Amazing Digital Circus, Manga Vol. 1
I’ve never watched The Amazing Digital Circus, but having spent as much time on social media as I do, I haven’t been able to get away from the series. And that’s not a bad thing—its distinct, manic style reminds me of other Glitch Productions pieces, of course, but also Beetlejuice (complete with a sandworm-like creature) and Alice in Wonderland. And like those works, this series is caught between fantasy and reality, and involves some level of madness. A jester awakes in a world that the ringmaster, Caine, calls the “Amazing Digital Circus,” not knowing how she got there or even remembering her name. She’s told that she must take part in a game of sorts and that there is no escape, and is joined by even more unusually designed comrades who all seem to have loss hope of escape. The cutecore design allows the series to explore dark themes and imagery while remaining palatable, while the feeling of dread at both Pomni’s (the newly named protagonist) inability to escape and the possibility of being tortured or killed adds to the off-kilter feeling of the series. Frankly, it’s not my usual cup of tea, though I do like Sakura’s adaptation; her drawings are simple but layered, and I can feel the characters and hear their voices as I read. She’s given them life. The story is a little hard to follow, however, though I don’t know yet if that’s purposeful for this series as a whole or a challenge in the adaptation. Regardless, my curiosity is piqued, and I’m interested to know what themes this series ultimately means to express, and what the mysteries of its world are. ~ Twwk
The Amazing Digital Circus is published by VIZ Media.
Golden Man, Manga Vol. 1
At the center of Golden Man, the new superhero manga from Yen Press, is one central question: Who exactly is this Golden Man? Yes, “this,” as in this particular version. You see, as the action begins, it’s revealed that the man donning the costume of this nigh-invincible hero is an amnesiac, but further, a man whom the entire team who supports the superhero doesn’t recognize. That intriguing story is more than enough to carry this initial volume, setting up a mystery that had me immediately hooked. This new hero is possibly a great threat to Neo York, rather than its savior, though his personality is described at once point as being like a faithful dog. I detect really painful moments ahead, but for now, the opening volume is mostly filled with both that mystery and a good amount of humor. It also features some fanservice. There’s a deeper discussion to be had about this element of manga, but in this case, I was thrown off because it didn’t really fit into either the corny humor or more serious moments of the volume. Other than that—and despite it—I’m eager to see how this story progresses; I think we’re in for quite a ride. ~ Twwk
Golden Man is published by Yen Press.
“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.
