![[MANGA REVIEWS]](images/section_manga.gif)
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by Roderick "Agitator" Lee
As most fans know, in Japan, manga (unlike anime, actually) is fully
ingrained into the culture. Just as the average American thinks
nothing of turning first to the comics section of the newspaper, so it
is second nature for the Japanese salaryman to grab a "phonebook"
manga to read on the bullet train. Most American fans are familiar
with the idea of the tankoubon, a bound collection of chapters from
one title. But, where did these chapters appear the first time? That
is the phonebook, a large collection of different manga chapters all
by one publisher.
Viz first tried its hand at a
phonebook-like production with MANGA VIZION,
eighty pages of three different manga short stories. Now, starting 15
July, newcomer Mixx
Publications takes this one step closer toward a "true phonebook,"
with MIXXZINE, over two hundred pages from four KODANSHA manga
titles. And while MANGA VIZION stories change from time to
time (and all the Takahashi Rumiko stories seem to be one-shots),
MIXXZINE will bring its readers four long-running continuing
series. From the popular COMICS AFTERNOON (which also runs
AA! MEGAMISAMA and GUN SMITH CATS) MIXXZINE
offers JIRAISHIN and KISEIJU, while from shoujo magazine
NAKAYOSI, there is MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH and some small
obscure title that roughly translates to SAILOR MOON.
Now, EX has already reviewed KISEIJU (which will run
under the title PARASITE in MIXXZINE) in a previous issue and
well, more than enough has been said about SAILOR
MOON.
JIRAISHIN, which will run in MIXXZINE as ICE
BLADE, is a police drama by Takahashi Tsutomu. At least based on
the first chapter, "File 1: Puppet," there is a minimalist tinge here,
both in dialogue (or rather lack thereof) and artwork. Takahashi
employs muted or ordinary backgrounds that draw the eye to his
character designs, which are also somewhat simple, tending toward
long, straight lines and angular faces. The result is a visual title,
with an emphasis on action: a likely draw for those who are attracted
to police detective thrillers.
"Puppet" opens with a flashback: a young mother collapses and dies in
the hot summer air, right in front of her son. Fast forward to the
present. A narcotics operation has just been blown; the police are
trying to take down kingpin Kuz Noda, but their lead has been taken
out. They need to find both the hitman and the leak in the
department. Not surprisingly, the flashback plays a pivotal role in
this story. Subsequent chapters will no doubt continue to focus on
the attempts to take down Kuz.
MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH
is a shoujo fantasy series by the four woman super manga team of
CLAMP. The title would seem to
indicate that this is another magical girls series--that perception is
misleading. Sure the girls are fourteen, a common age for magical
girls heroines, and sure they acquire magical powers, but the
difference here is that the RAYEARTH girls acquire their powers
not to save Earth, but to save an alternate universe, Cephiro. Thus,
many of the other elements in a magical girl series are absent:
school, the secret identity, and the romantic interest who is not
aware of the secret identity. As a result, it is better to describe
RAYEARTH as a fantasy adventure series.
In an unknown world, a beautiful young woman is praying and summoning
for help, "Help save our world, Legendary Magic Knights!" A magical
blast arcs from her mind, upward through the clouds. Now, shift to
Tokyo Tower, 1998. A number of different schools are here for field
trips. A bright flash appears in the sky, accompanied by a shattering
blast, and three girls from three different schools see a vision of a
young woman in a globe of light calling upon the Magic Knights.
Suddenly, the floor erupts beneath them as if water, and all three
girls "splash through" the floor only to find themselves falling
through the sky above a mysterious world, Cephiro. Why have they been
chosen? And how will they get home?
The artwork is typical CLAMP fare. That means long, flowing lines,
elegant backgrounds, fine detail, and beautiful character designs.
Also present, and another CLAMP trademark, are the regular drops into
SD character design, usually as part of some humorous aside.
Many readers may know that there has been on and off talk of bringing
RAYEARTH to North American television. Part of these
negotiations included the renaming of the characters from Hikaru, Umi,
and Fuu to Luce, Marine, and Anemone respectively. RAYEARTH
fans will be happy to learn that Mixx is using the original Japanese
names. For SAILOR MOON, however, contractual obligations
require Mixx to use the English names from the DIC series. That means
Serena and Molly as opposed to Usagi and Rei.
Our own Scott Frazier is impressed by, well, the mix in Mixx. "This
is an interesting combination," he says, "I don't think anything in
Japan could carry all four stories like this." Well, come mid-July,
that will also change, as the editors of MIXXZINE plan for
joint North American and Japanese release. A fantasy adventure, a
science fiction horror story, a police thriller, and the most
successful magical girls series, all in one package. For now,
MIXXZINE is planned for bimonthly release, but if it is
successful, we can look forward to possibly a more frequent release,
and even a fifth series. All this for less than five dollars off the
newsstand. Get into the Mixx, indeed.
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MIXXZINE
Copyright © 1997 Mixx Publications
Translations by Stuart Levy and Takahashi Rika
Subscriptions: $24.95 U.S., $39.95 Canada, $90 other countries
Retail: $4.99 U.S., $5.99 Canada
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