Manga Club

Chainsaw Man second arc started.

 

*Excited Hollering*

 

A Monster Wants to Eat Me by Naekawa Sai is really good. Depressed girl and the monster who wants to eat her but thinks that happier people taste better.

 

g o d ive been struggling so hard to read manga. while. still actively collection hoarding. my collection has doubled in size. the last book i was able to read through was the manga adaptation of "Another", which is v good but I prefer the anime still I think overall. Currently on my I Want To Read list is:

- School Live! (I've read it all online but now that ive got it and the followup book i wanna reread)
- Princess Jellyfish (I only got to book.... 5? 6? 5? and it's been long enough I forgot where I was at.)
- BNHA (I'm current on the manga but I admit to having jumped the gun for a big chunk of the middle so i wanna read the backlog I've acquired up to current release)
- New Game! (Adored the anime, the manga is finished, I just need to re-read and finish it up :) )
- Genshiken. (Because it's a comfort series and I am nothing if not predictable.)

 

copypasting my ramblings from tumblr for this volume.

School-Live! Volume 1
Series: School-Live! (Gakkou Gurashi!) Artist: Sadoru China Writer: Norimitsu Kaihou (Nitroplus)

To be clear, I've already read this series in its entirety some time ago. Demolished it in fact after enjoying the anime immensely, because I'd hoped to see if there was more than where that story left off. Oh, there was. There was a LOT and I'm honestly heartbroken that we're probably never seeing a season 2 that it deserves.

That said, I decided to finally follow through and write lil tidbits on what I was reading as I did a re-read of my physical volumes. So, here's my thoughts of my re-read of volume 1. Please be aware of spoilers beyond this point.

Spoiler: Chatting about the volume

Upon first starting, the general vibe is that it's just going to be another high school story. The setting is apparently an expansive school with much going on, and the main protagonist we're introduced to, Takeya Yuki, seems to be bubbly and bright spirited. It's only when you realize that the normal school setting appears to entirely be in Yuki's mind that things begin to make more sense for the story, and why the front cover involved a busted up classroom. School-Living club becomes very literal as we realize the scale of the issue involves zombies, and that these girls are on their own in a school building.

Ebisuzawa Kurumi easily slots into a guardian role for Yuki, with Wakasa Yuuri (Rii-chan), the president of this club, acting as a maternal role and solid rock. Sakura Megumi (Megu-nee), a teacher at the school, appears to be a guiding force for the girls as well though only Yuki seems to pay much mind to what she says or does, always interacting with her first and not speaking over her.

Seeing the slow but steady ramp up of just how isolated these girls are, and how dangerous their surroundings are, really plays up how much of a risk Yuki is while not engaging with reality. Yet all the girls dote on her and try to keep her safe, playing along with her ideas and thoughts of this just being a normal school club, protecting her as best they can. When it's proven that her delusions are strong enough to even make up the presence of Megu-nee, at one point losing consciousness because she started to remember something traumatic involving her, it begins to feel more and more tragic.

I don't often see trauma victims portrayed in manga decently, and while Yuki is a bit of an extreme case, I think this is indeed a way that someone could cope with such severe mental stress. When reality is too stressful and scary and makes no sense, it's easier to fall back into a daydream and act like nothing's wrong to keep the stress down. Our minds work overtime to protect us from things we're not capable of handling, and a zombie apocalypse is probably high on the list of things that can't be handled by a high schooler.

Yuki's carefree childish antics, while sometimes a risk for the others to deal with while keeping her safe because she doesn't seem to register there's any danger at hand, often lead to the other girls smiling and lightening the atmosphere. Megu-nee is the one who originally told Yuki about the importance of smiling, of being happy, and it seems that lesson is sticking around quite thoroughly. Being detached from the trauma of what's happening lets Yuki keep things flowing, preventing the other two from getting too caught in their own minds.

But Yuki's not entirely unaware. Even if she's heavily in her delusions, there are times when she can tell something serious is happening, that there's real risk, even if she's not prepared or capable of putting it into words as fact. It's a delicate balance between completely being out of touch with reality, and being just in touch to remember reality but choosing to not engage with it.

Overall volume one was a good read still. It set up the scene, established the risks and gave a general setup for the situation quite well, and leaves you wondering about the true scope of this disaster. What's caused it? What happens when the supplies at the school run out? How are three high school girls going to survive an apocalypse on their own, when one of them isn't able to protect herself properly?

It makes me excited to keep reading for volume two, especially when another character has been teased at the very end of this volume.

As well, in the physical volumes, the details about the school itself are quite interesting, it gives a sense of just how expansive and well built this school is, and explains why it's so thoroughly stocked with everything they'd needed till now. A nice detail.

 

Blue Period Volume 1
Series: Blue Period Artist: Tsubasa Yamaguchi

First time reading this, I haven't watched the anime before yet. Already in this first volume I just feel. Excited. I can't really explain it, it's not a giddiness it's like feeling a fire being lit. Because as an artist I've definitely felt some of the same things Yatora feels.

Long time followers may know that I originally wanted to go to art school. It fell through when I was first accepted to MCAD up in Minneapolis as the relative who was going to help me set up out there backed out. I never properly applied to another art school, despite the one here in my city being quite nice, due to funding concerns... and because I got scared. With my stamina levels, and how my mental health was at the time, I was deeply concerned that diving into that field, as much as I desired it, would leave me high and dry in the end because I wouldn't have the ability to hustle myself enough to keep employed. As a disabled person, that was the biggest goal for the future for me. So I relegated it to self study as a side gig, and changed focus twice before settling into my current major.

The fire is still there though. I definitely still feel the tug now and then. This manga definitely makes me want to buckle down and do some studies to sharpen my skills, haha. GA Geijutsuka Art Design Class was informative in a Cute Girls Do Cute Things gag way, insightful and good feeling slice of life. This feels much more intense in tone while being informative, and discusses more of the intricacies of fine art as it goes. Definitely looking forward to reading the other volumes.

 

Blue Period vol. 2
Series: Blue Period Artist: Tsubasa Yamaguchi

The distinctions being brought up in this series are really intriguing. The more Yatora learns about art, the more he realizes not only how much there is to learn, but how far he's lagging behind others he perceives as better than him. It reminds me of that graphic of perceived skill versus actual skill. Judging from his reactions and how he's progressing, he's hit his first plateau already and every new realization is him dropping down into the gulley till he learns and his eye adjusts to deal with the new information. Like if he were to compare his earliest pieces to his current ones it would be night and day if only for the fact he's finally starting to let down his guard a bit and show his real self.

Art, when you really have something to say, is like standing naked in a crowd and ripping your heart out to show people. Not only are you being incredibly vulnerable and raw, but you're trying to show your core as best as you can, without any guarantee that people will actually understand what you're trying to say at all.

Seeing Yatora interact with Ryuji makes me smile, as well. I was already interested in Ryuji because of the crossdressing, but seeing how deep his thoughts run about it, about everything, really has me wanting to learn more about him.

Yotasuke... rubs me the wrong way. I understand sort of where he must be coming from, especially with the "You don't NEED art, you have everything!" talk. He's got some serious baggage to contend with, and the label of genius is not doing him any favors. I look forward to seeing how he changes moving forward, though, because right now I'd probably be avoiding him like the plague if he was around me, fascination with his work or not.

Haruka and Maki are catching my interest, they seem to have some pretty distinct personalities, but only this far in I can't tell too much about them yet. Looking forward to seeing more of them though.

Ooba-sensei is a dream, I love her, I love that she's tall and loud and imposing. I wish I'd had an art teacher like that in my life, honestly, she's very frank and up front about things without being cruel. I think she's definitely going to be good for Yatora, she's already making him think a lot.

 

Nagata Kabi's newest book came out today, "My Pancreas Broke But My Life Got Better". She had a book in the past called "my alcoholic escape from reality" after the lesbian experience with loneliness books where she got alcohol induced pancreatitis and was hospitalized and had to confront the fact she had a drinking problem. ...but by the end she hadn't actually quit drinking. in fact she got up to where she was and worse after that book. but apparently during the pandemic, when she had a relapse of pancreatitis, it helped to spur her towards actually stopping.
the book deals with her mental health and really frank terror and fear over not drinking anymore, what she used alcohol for/the self treatment she was doing with it, and how difficult it is to handle on the path she chose because she went a non-standard route. It's very raw, very emotional, and I'm truly cheering her on for the future.

 

Blue Period Vol. 3
Title: Blue Period Artist: Tsubasa Yamaguchi


Another volume, another level of insight, even if it's not as clear cut as the beginning themes were. What IS art? What makes good art? What makes your art shift from just being art to being good art? Who decides what's good? Is your art good if you're happy with it, or if it successfully transfers your message?

Yatora's focus on Mori-senpai and her art is really compelling. Not only does he admire it on a surface level because it's beautiful, but he innately understands her message of putting a prayer in her art, recognizing it even when she changes the outward appearance of her art's focus from angels to Buddhist themes. It's still a prayer. It's still holy. It's still transmitting its message loud and clear.

Hashida intrigues me still. There's just something about him that catches my interest whenever he's shown, and not just because I like his design. He's got a way of looking at the world that I wish I could really understand. Sort of like how it was said of Hagu in Honey and Clover "I wish I could see the world through her eyes, everything must look so different to her".

Something is going on with Ryuji and it has me curious. He's keeping up appearances more or less in public, but something is definitely wrong. I hope we'll get answers in the next volume.

Yotasuke... still annoys me. He's starting to show some of his true colors finally, and be more open, as well as giving insight into how his mind works. But he still annoys me much the same way anyone else whose specific brain bugs would not play nicely with my own. Nothing too personal or intense, just. Incompatible. Is it because I see and recognize some part of myself that I don't like when I see him interact with Yatora? Who knows! I sure don't!

 

man all the Blue Period vibes is making me wanna re-read Blank Canvas. HIGHLY recommend that series. It's an autobio by the author of Princess Jellyfish, about how she became a manga artist and the art teacher who influenced her entire life. Really interesting stuff, but oof, it will hit you in the feels.

 

Just had a stellar evening, lads. After heartbreak of seeing a series I love had its fan translation team Disappear entirely, I realized a fucking hero stepped in and finished translating another series I'd all but given up hope on ever getting to read the ending of.

"Denki-gai no Honya-san" it's been a hell of a ride, but I can now safely place you in the Completed list with a happy, satisfied heart.

"Magic of Stella".... I AM CLAWING THE WALLS AND CHEWING THE SIDES OF THE DOOR WHY DID EVERYONE DISAPPEAR I'M DYING AAAAAAAAAA

Maybe I'll re-watch the anime to soothe my aching heart :sob: