裸足でバラを踏め

     Lately, this weekend I have been taking my time off and contemplating on not dealing with the shitty school I have to not deal right now as I have explained here. But that's not what I am going to talk about now. I want to talk about this manga that I have recently seen in my local library, and I decided to look up online for the volumes that I don't have physical access to, and I have to say, LOVIN IT! :D

English Title: Stepping on Roses

Original Japanese Title: 裸足でバラを踏め (Habashi de Bara wo Fume)

Mangaka: Ueda Rinko (lately I have listed this as 'author and artist', but because there's an actual word for it, let's use it. For the mangas , or books that do have a separate author from the artist, then I'll list it as such.) I love her drawing style, and so far I am in love with this story, so I'm thinking of checking out some of her other series that are already finished.

It gets so annoying to read stories that aren't finished, and I don't want to get tons of emails that are just updates for a manga that has only released another chapter. Graasdfanwfnas!

Here is where you can read it, although they haven't finished putting it up there. So in technical terms, it's not done yet.

UPDATE: I have recently downloaded an app on my ipad (it's also available on iphone), called Manga Rock 2. In other words it's a manga reading app. I will talk more in detail about this later, but I wanted to let people know that 裸足でバラを踏め is also available to read once the app is downloaded (for free). Just make sure to look it up by it's english title. Sometimes websites are weird like that. Sometimes you can find something with the original japanese title but not in english and vise versa...

As far as I know, I am still not sure if they have finished this manga thus far...

Anima and Nausicaa

Recently,

I made account on a certain manga website.

1) you can keep bookmarks on what you read. 

Before this, I kept adding more page tabs on my toolbar which then, 

it's overwhelming when you read a manga almost every day.

2) You can organize the ones you are currently reading, 

from the ones you WILL read in the future.

Now I find myself reading more.

So I wanted to talk about two that I have finished reading.

+Anima プラスアニマ

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy

Mangaka: Mukai Natsumi

Released: January 2001-2005

       In this world, people have anima; powers of animals (bear, bat, fish, etc) marked by a tattoo. Cooro, Husky, Senri, and Nana are our main characters, traveling to different places and encountering new understandings about themselves and others, meeting others who have anima and don't have anima.

     Basically, we follow them and learn how people become an anima, and the personal background stories of our main characters. Most main characters are children.

     I liked it because it kept me interested in the story line and finding out about things. I loved the characters, and the different places where events happen. I wished it was longer. ^^

~*~

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind 風の谷のナウシカ

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, 

Mangaka: Miyazaki Hayao

Released: 1982-1994

This was also released as a movie in 1984 as part of the Studio Ghibli,

which is also popular for the movies Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo,

Grave of the Fireflies (personally I have only seen the live-action movie so far), Princess Mononoke, The Cat Returns, Howl's Moving Castle,

and recently The Secret World of Arrietty.

Despite how old this manga may be, I still really enjoyed it. It feels like the audience is older than Miyazaki's usual 6year old group, yet still keeping that youthful viewpoint through most of the characters in this story. The world is like this: dangerous to live in, gigantic bugs, and a forest that eats up everything and creates a sort of "pollen" in the process that is very dangerous to breathe in. Nausicaa is a townboy princess who has a love for life and all animals. A huge war had happened and now they live with the environmental costs.

It really gives you a new perspective on environmental issues, and I would certainly use this as part of the world that we live in today.

Read Anima Here

Nausica Of the Valley of the Wind

むししアニメ ~ Mushishi

Genre: Fantasy, Psychological, Historical, Seinen

In a world where there are mushi,

there are some who have the power to see them.

Mushi are creatures that are in their simplest life form,

as described in the first episode.

In this world, Ginko is the main character playing as a mushi master.

The anime series is available on Netflix,

but you can also see here:

Watch Here

as well as watch episodes with no subtitles, with subtitles, or with commentary here:

Official Website

Read Here

Inio Asano

Title: What A Wonderful World Series Book 1/

Subarashii Sekai

Author: Inio Asano (duh)

• Paperback: 210 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC (October 20, 2009)
• Language: English

Summary:

 "Life is never ordinary. The cruelty of childhood. The delusion of adulthood. The endurance of death. Laugh in the face of reality. With this series of intersecting vignettes, Inio Asano explores the ways in which modern life can be ridiculous and sublime, terrible and precious, wasted and celebrated. A dream recaptured. A life on a new track. The absurdity of death. Laughter in the face of reality. With this series of intersecting vignettes, Inio Asano explores the ways in which modern life can be ridiculous and sublime, terrible and precious, wasted and celebrated."
Read Here

About the Author:

Born in Ibaraki, Japan in 1980. He has also done other works such as Uchuu kara Konnichiwa(Hello from Outer-space), Hikari no Machi(City of Light), Mijigahara Holograph, Solanin, and Oyasumi Punpun.

Title: Solanin

# Pages: 432

Release: 21 October, 2008

Summary:

" College graduates struggle to cope with the real world. Music offers refuge in this modern manga with an American attitude.

Meiko Inoue is a recent college grad working as an office lady in a job she hates. Her boyfriend Shigeo is permanently crashing at her apartment because his job as a freelance illustrator doesn't pay enough for rent. And her parents in the country keep sending her boxes of veggies that just rot in her fridge. Straddling the line between her years as a student and the rest of her life, Meiko struggles with the feeling that she's just not cut out to be a part of the real world."

This one is only 1 book long, but one of those that keeps your interest every time you turn the page!
Inio is very talented, and let's you picture the story very well. Can find these at your local book store. Read Here

Spice and Wolf Vol.1

By: Isuna Hasekura

 "The life of a traveling merchant is a lonely one, a fact with which Kraft Lawrence is well acquainted. Wandering from town to town with just his horse, cart, and whatever wares have come his way, the peddler has pretty well settled into his routine—that is, until the night Lawrence finds a wolf goddess asleep in his cart. Taking the form of a fetching girl with wolf ears and a tail, Holo has wearied of tending to harvests in the countryside and strikes up a bargain with the merchant to lend him the cunning of “Holo the Wisewolf” to increase his profits in exchange for taking her along on his travels. What kind of businessman could turn down such an offer? Lawrence soon learns, though, that having an ancient goddess as a traveling companion can be a bit of a mixed blessing. Will this wolf girl turn out to be too wild to tame?"

I'm actually very excited for when this novel comes out! I already read the 1st chapter that was featured in the YenPluss Magazine.

It will be available around December 2009.  (for the novel. the manga will be out April 2010.)

Although,

it's a bit odd how they have a 'normal' cover for it.

The reason, because they are trying to attract more

readers; mainly those who don't really read light novels because they have anime on the cover.

I guess it's a good strategy, but I still like the original version of the covers.

I always get so excited when the novels come out. For example, when Shojo Beat magazine had advertised some books, I immediately went to Borders Bookstore to get them. I also subscribe to the OtakuUSA magazine, and they had featured a 2 page spread of the book. It was kind of cool, although OtakuUSA tends to be opionated, and spend more time on the anime pictures and graphics than accurately giving a summary on things or saying when these things will be available.

Which one do you like? Do you think it's a good idea to change the covers in order to attract more readers and make more sales?

In continuation of this post, I was thinking of posting about other books that I think are interesting. Does this sound like a good idea?

Viz Signature

I'll Give It My All....Tomorrow
By: Shunju Aono
Release: 7.23.2009


The website does a WAY better job
at describing it, so here goes:


"This is the story of a forty–year–old salary man who quits his job to pursue his dream of
becoming a manga artist—and the family that has to put up with him. While not terribly
unhappy, Shizuo Oguro can't fight the feeling that something in his life just isn't right, so
he walks away from his stable (yet boring) day job to embark on a journey of self–discovery. Unfortunately for his family, this journey also involves playing video games all day while
his teenage daughter and elderly father support him. Will Shizuo succeed in creating a true
manga masterpiece or will he be just another drop–out living a life of slack?"


The artwork is not GREAT, but it doesn't totally suck. Personally,
I barely read manga that doesn't
have good art, because it distracts me from the story.
Instead of thinking "man, this artwork really sucks", I want to think
"wow. he's a total *****".
It's a manga online, and it loads pretty fast.
The story is not slow-pace.
But, I think it is more for older teens....Basically, a 13 year old may
find this boring.


This is new, so the story isn't over, yet.
Please bare with this. ^^''o


Read Here