As a librarian and a reader I am quite passionate about reading and promoting graphic novels. They are a fantastic way to draw in reluctant readers and offer a new format to challenge traditional readers. There are biographies, non-fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, etc. available in the graphic novel format, so no matter your genre preference, there is a graphic novel for you! However, I have sadly neglected manga, which is a popular style of Japanese comics that are also quite popular in the US as well. The biggest difference between manga and a “traditional” graphic novel is in the reading of the novel – it is from back to front, right to left. While it isn’t too tricky to pick up reading that way, it does take a little work, especially at first. For the first quarter of reading my first manga, I had to remind myself of where to start at each new page, but repetition, as always, is a great training technique, and I was flying after a while.
I was very picky with the two books I would start my manga journey with, I knew I had to pick books that would really hold my interest. Through the excellent graphic novel review site, No Flying Tights, I found the perfect two titles with which to start: Ooku: The Inner Chambers and Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror.
Ooku: The Inner Chambers, by Fumi Yoshinaga: The Inner Chambers is set in Japan in the Edo period, where an epidemic has wiped out a large portion of the male population. Subsequently, women take over the roles traditionally filled by men, and men are protected as valuable commodities and are married off to wealthy families or (often for a fee) help women become pregnant. The Shogun, the ruler of Japan, is now a woman as well, and in the inner workings of her household are staffed and filled with men, some of the most beautiful in the country.
The novel is a fascinating exploration of reversed gender roles and the affect on men and women. Because of the time period, these reversed roles are even more profound, as in one scene where a male ambassador from the West has an audience with the Shogun. The society created is both forward thinking, but still constrained by society’s hierarchies, etiquette and expectations of the period. The graphics are black and white and well drawn. The writing uses phrasing appropriate for the time period without making it difficult to follow. The story, writing and illustrations work well together to form a cohesive and memorable tale.
Overall Assessment:
Recommended For: Anyone interested in gender roles, manga or simply a well told tale!
Will I Read the Sequel: Already in hand!
Note: The book had an explicit content warning. I didn’t find any of the graphics objectionable or explicit, but some of the situations and content are more appropriate for older teen or adult readers.
Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror, by Junji Ito: A small coastal town in Japan is cursed, with spirals. Kirie’s boyfriend Saito attends school in another town, giving him fresh eyes to see the spirals lurking everywhere and the feeling that something isn’t right. Initially Kierie isn’t convinced, but Saito’s father and mother become obsessed with the spiral and are drawn into it’s devastating pull. As other strange and creepy occurrences take place, she too becomes convinced of the spiral’s effect.
This is a fantastically creepy manga. The black and white graphics are wonderfully drawn to enhance the creepiness of the tale and the menacing power of the spiral. Each chapter looks at different ways the madness of the spiral affects the town. The source and power of the spiral are unanswered questions that will hopefully be addressed in later issues. Fans of the horror genre, craving a uniquely disturbing tale will find this manga quite thrilling.
Will I Read the Sequel: Again, already in hand!
Overall Assessment:
Creepy, man!
Backbends and Bookends 