It's been a year and a half since manga came to Comics Village, so
it's about time we introduced ourselves! So, we asked our reviewers to
say a little something about themselves and then asked the questions:
What manga/character is most like you?
What manga/character would you like to be/live in?
John Thomas: Has it really been a year and a half? Wow!
I just looked, and I have written 76 reviews in that time. I would have
guessed it was half that much. Anyway I am John, and I work as a
Japanese-to-English translator. I started at a translation company and
decided to go solo almost three years ago. In that time I have worked
on a variety of projects, from Japanese government websites to to
projects that are a bit more interesting like The Dirty Pair novels, Blood+ anime novelizations, some work on manga titles like Gin Tama and Flock of Angels, and right now I am working on booklets that will be attached to Rental Magica,
an anime that will be released on DVD in November (which is why my
reviews have been a little sparse the last couple months). I also write
a monthly column on Japanese media titled "Mecha Mecha Media for The
Yuuyake Shimbun, a Japanese/English news-magazine based out of
Portland, Oregon. I also do a bimonthly sci-fi podcast (sci-guys.com)
and when I find interesting Japanese media I talk about it at
mechamechamedia.blogspot.com.
What manga/character is most like you?
Wow...what a question. At first I was thinking Soichi Negishi, the lead singer of death metal band, D.M.C.
as I used to host a death metal radio show in college, though I am much
more like the nerdy Soichi than his alter-ego Krauser II. But more
realistically I probably identify more with the happy and dorky Mamoru
Tadami of the fantastic series Translucent.
What manga/character would you like to be/live in?
There
are very few anime or manga worlds I would actually like to live in
because they are usually chaotic and deadly worlds (at least the ones I
read). Thinking about it I initially would want to be like Ogami Itto
from Lone Wolf and Cub because he is such a focused and powerful character. But more realistically I would choose Kai from Blood+.
He starts out as such a hothead that finds inner strength and the
ability to not blow up but to, again, focus and protect his family (to
varied results). Despite Kai's recklessness at times, I respect the way
he puts family first.
Alex Hoffman: Wow, John makes me feel like a
complete slacker! I'm relatively new to Comics Village, having started
doing reviews for Manga Village almost a year ago. I am a student at a
small private university in Ohio, working on my Doctor of Pharmacy
degree. This will be my fifth year of college - it's starting to wear a
bit thin. I started as a writer back in 2005, and I wrote for a Magic:
the Gathering website. Coincidentally, that was also when I started
reading manga - I picked up the first volume of Negima! at a Borders
after having seen Neon Genesis Evangelion and Akira. I
started my own blog at http://mangawidget.wordpress.com (please don't
look, it's been an embarrassingly long time since I updated it) when I
got interested in writing about the books, and things have developed at
a remarkable pace since then.
What manga/character is most like you? This is a tough question. I think that I'd probably have to say that I am most like Kouichi Aizawa from
Nabari No Ou.
Headstrong and sometimes thoughtless, he gets caught up in the moment
and sometimes makes bad decisions. But, he's smart, talented, and
fiercely loyal. A flawed, but very likable character. ;-)
What manga/character would you like to be/live in?
Even if it is dangerous, the world of
Negima! Magister Negi Magi
is one that's always awed me. Akamatsu, with his fantastic landscapes
and amazing wizards and witches, has captured my imagination time and
time again. It would be a great place to live in. If I could be like
any manga character, I think I'd want to be like Takahata-sensei from
Negima! His cool demeanor, strength, and intelligence get him out of
nasty spots, but his kindness and idealism make him an excellent role
model for his students.
Alain Mendez: Hey everyone. I'm Alain Mendez. I am a long
time anime and manga fan but only recent member of the greater anime
and manga community. If anyone knows me outside of my reviews here it
is probably because of my undying love for Saber from Fate/Stay Night or because I am one half of the blog Reverse Thieves (http://www.reversethieves.com).
I am probably the newest person here so my track record is utterly
nonexistent or completely clean depending on how you want to look at
it. I hope my voice on the site becomes a welcome addition and helps
the readers decide what out of the sea of manga is worth their time and
money. My general review philosophy is to try and talk about what I
enjoyed. I like almost every genre of manga so I am constantly out
there trying fresh series and exploring new genres. What I want to give
readers the most is something to get excited about. Of course when you
try as much manga as I do, you are invariably going to run into things
you don't like and when that happens I will give it to you straight.
But when given the choice I always want to give you what you are going
to hopefully enjoy and cherish.
What manga/character is most like you?
I think I am most like Yusaku Godai from Maison Ikkoku.
He is generally a good guy but always a day late and a dollar short,
never anything close to a lucky guy. People seem to like him but are
never super close to him and tend to write him off. Still when you get
to know him you realize that he has a lot of good traits mixed in with
the bad. Godai can be a little selfish but he has a generous nature and
is a good and loyal friend. He is sort of a loser but also always
working toward a better future even when it seems impossible. Godai can
be whishy washy but when it’s important he steps up to the plate. Also
he is a guy who loves with all his heart when he find the right woman.
The manga that best sums me up is clearly Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei. Nozomu Itoshiki
and the manga’s overall cynical dark ranting about the problems of the
world and the flaws of humanity is a good insight into how I often fear
the world works. Kafuka Fuura’s
spunky optimism represents my secret hopes that things are never as bad
as they seem and just might be getting better all the time. Also all
the other bizarre and insane characters represent the other all madness
of myself and the world around me.
What manga/character would you like to be/live in?
I would have to say being Seijuro Hiko from Rurouni Kenshin,
hands down. Seijuro Hiko is handsome, ageless, and the height of
physically perfection who also happens to be a peerless fighter and
pretty much awesome at everything he does. Seijuro Hiko says he makes
his living as a legendary potter not because he is good at it but
because it lets him make crazy amounts of money while only seeing
people when he wants to. Even the author admits that Seijuro Hiko is so
crazy over the top awesome that he could only briefly be in the manga
or else he would make all the other characters utterly superfluous. I
would chose to be two scoops of chocolate awesome with hot fudge and a
cherry on top.
I would love to live in the world of Card Captor Sakura.
It is a fairly peaceful world but there is magic and adventure behind
every corner if you know where to look. Sure a world like Slayers or Lodoss
have magic too but you're 100 times more likely be killed by bandits or
a dragon as you are to be an awesome adventurer. Card Captor Sakura
takes place in a happier and safer version of Japan with a hint of the
mystical in the background. It’s the modern world but cooler. Plus it
is a world with Tomoyo Daidouji in it and Tomoyo Daidouji is love!
JT: I would hardly consider you a slacker, Alex! I didn't
think to mention my tastes in manga. Anyone who has read a review or
two of mine will know I like the more mature and more seinen titles.
This is why I tend to write about Dark Horse titles more than any
other. Dark Horse is also a local Portland publisher, but I was a fan
of their titles before I was lucky enough to do some work for them and
get to know some of the folks that work there (a very cool bunch of
people in offices as cool as you can imagine). Not a lot of other
publishers have the balls to put out something like MPD-Psycho or Gantz,
but at the same time, releases of uncensored and more adult titles like
these that are having success have helped open doors and it seems like
more publishers are looking at the adult manga reader market. I do read
and review shonen and shoujo as well. I am also a horror manga fan, and
artists like Junji "Uzumaki" Ito and Kazuo "Scary Book" Umezu are among my very favorites.
Lori Henderson: I'm the manga editor for Comics
Village, and part of the reason it's here now. I'm a long time fan of
anime and manga, though didn't start reading it seriously until 2005.
It took another 2 years before I started writing about what I was
reading. I have a blog,
Manga Xanadu,
which I started just before starting here as editor and reviewer. I'm
married, and a mother of two girls who I love to make read manga. My
tastes in manga range from all ages to mature, and in almost any genre
except BL and the more graphic horror. (Sorry John). I like shonen
action and mysteries the most, though an occasional shojo will get
past. I also enjoy that most rare of manga, sci-fi and mecha.
What manga/character is most like you?
Sawako from
Kimi ni Todoke. I don't have the long black hair and have
never been mistaken for a Japanese ghost, but Sawako's shyness and
introverted personality could have described me a T in high school.
Even now, I have a hard time getting over my shyness, though I am
trying, just like Sawako!
What manga/character would you like to live in/be?
Fullmetal Alchemist. I love the whole alchemy-as-science aspect of the
world, and the almost magical things alchemists can do. I would love
to live in that world, studying to be an alchemist.
Justin Colussy-Estes:
I'm a man of many hats--I'm an adjunct college English instructor, a
part-time bookseller, and a father of two kids who love comics in
general and manga in particular. I also write reviews for
guyslitwire.com, which is a bookblog that recommends books for teen
boys (actually, it's really much more ambitious than that--there's a
myth that teen guys don't read. It's a myth held by booksellers,
publishers, teachers, parents, even teen guys. We're hoping to change
that.) I've read comics for ages, given academic papers on them, use
them in the classroom, I help organize the graphic novel track at a
local bookfestival, and I've even made minicomics. All but the last
have involved manga, so... I like the stuff. My tastes are pretty
egalitarian--even all over the map--but I get antsy easily, so there's
not much I've read every volume of if it goes too long. But my roving,
voracious appetite for discovering manga that I've never seen before
helps me, I think, be a good reviewer.
What manga character is most like me?
I started to write a bunch
of different manga titles, until I looked over next to my chair and saw
20th Century Boys.
I'm totally Kenji. The world he lives in, minus the worldwide
conspiracy and cool-factor, is one I live in every day: caught between
the dreams and expectations and opportunities of youth and where life
takes you.
What manga character/world would I like to live in/be?
When I was a teenager, I lived Kyon's life before meeting Haruhi in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
So I would love to live in that world after he meets her, after he
realizes the universe is just as crazy, exciting, and magical as he
hopes it is--without revealing it to anyone. Or maybe it is, and I
can't tell you!
Dan Polley: I'm an employee in the journalism industry,
so I read a lot for my job. And I love to read outside of it, too. I am
one member of a team (with my wife) of a food blog. My manga tastes
don't have borders, although there are genres, such as BL, that I don't
read nearly as much of as others. I'm a long-time comics fan, stemming
from my pre-teen years. I started out reading a lot of Marvel and D.C.,
then went on to read mostly independent and small press American comics
and have ended up (for now, at least) reading mostly manga. (Although a
good manwha here and there helps to break up the monotony.)
What manga/character is most like you? Off of the top of my head, I can't think of anyone. I am drawn to one of my favorite titles,
Initial D,
in the sense that Tak has that sense of going with the flow, which I
have (or at least like to think I have). And he also has been known to
overthink a situation, which I would say is similar to me, too. He's
definitely not wholly like me, but I can't think of another manga
character who is more like me.
What manga/character would you like to be/live in? I would love to be Ash from (perhaps) my all-time favorite manga series,
Banana Fish.
Set aside the fact that he's just so kick-ass and you have the case
study of a character who has been through so much pain, hurt and
trouble in his life. Yet he reforms and ends up trying to do what he
thinks is best. It's really a heart-warming tale of the power of
humanity in the face of perpetual emotional darkness. Runner-up:
Yotsuba.
Amy Grocki: I'm currently pursuing my Masters in Communications
while working full time at my university's library. I didn't get into
manga much til after I finished my undergrad studies; maybe because I
didn't have much time to read anything but textbooks. I enjoy devouring
yaoi and bl titles like no other, though I love my shojo titles as well.
What manga/character is most like you?
I will have to say Tohru Honda from
Fruits Basket.
She reminds me of myself when I was in high school: working part time
jobs, cleaning like a maniac (still do), and always putting others
before myself too. I'm still the same now except with even more
responsibilities/work. Though I never lived in a tent and don't plan on
it in the near future lol :)
What manga/character would you like to be/live in?
Let's see I will have to pick
Paradise Kiss.
I'm more creative with the written word but I like to learn how to sew
and make such beautiful creations. Plus I would love to hang out with
George with some martinis.
Matthew Rozier: My employment situation isn't nearly as exciting
as the others here, as I am currently unemployed. I was a lowly call
center worker until I was laid off recently, and right now I am in job
hunt mode. I first got into manga about three years ago, and around a
year or so ago began to write reviews (of more than just manga) as a
hobby in my spare time for my blog
ArizUtaku.
I had so much fun doing that, that I decided to put myself out there
and write for other websites. I enjoy reading all kinds of manga. I
like shojo, shonen, seinen, josei, you name it. Yup, I'll read almost
anything non-yaoi.
What manga/character is most like you?
Naruo Teneda from
Solanin. He wears glasses, just like me!
Seriously though, while I don't aspire to hit it big musically like he
does, other facets of his personality are just like me. In person I am
very laid back and reserved, just like he is. I'm also in the same
mindset as him, as I find my current way of life acceptable, though at
the same time I don't and aspire to do grander things.
What manga/character would you like to be/live in?
I'll go with
Yotsuba&!. I'd love to be one of Yotsuba's
many neighbors. There would never be a dull moment, were I a character
in that series. I wouldn't mind being her dad either, as I'd love to
have a child that is just like her. Too bad little girls eventually
have to grow up in real life.
Katherine Farmar: You know, I have no idea what manga character
is most like me... which is probably what comes of reading too much BL.
Maybe if I read more manga with female characters, I could answer those
questions, heh. Anyway, I'm a freelance writer and editor; I review
graphic novels for
The Irish Times and I've been on Irish radio a few times talking about comics. I have a comics blog called
Whereof One Can Speak
(though I haven't been updating it much lately). I've been into manga
on and off since I was 14 or so, when my dad brought home a copy of
Barefoot Gen
and I was captivated (and also horrified) by Keiji Nakazawa's harrowing
tale of the Hiroshima bombing. I'm very liberal in my tastes; shonen,
shoujo, seinen, josei, gekiga, yaoi, yuri, and stuff that can't be
easily slotted into any box. My top 5 manga of all time are:
Tekkonkinkreet,
Blade of the Immortal,
Swan,
Junjo Romantica, and
Uzumaki.
Lori Henderson