I was a latecomer to the world of anime (anime : animated work originated in Japan, regardless of the artistic style). I had earlier watched a lot of animation movies and cartoon series by the time I was 20 but for some reason the whole Japanese culture of anime and manga had alluded me until … [Read more…]
A few week ago, I came across the image of some manga collector’s shelf. I saw one huge volume of Chobits. I was not aware of the series. I hadn’t even seen the TV anime. I wondered if the subsequent volumes were available. A quick search said that after the expiry of Tokyopop’s license, who … [Read more…]
On page 95 of the book, Amrutha Patil writes “Overall, the heart of an atom is positively charged. Orbiting it are negatively charged particles – or are they serpent-like waves? – which outnumber the positive particles by far.” In truth, for a neutral atom, they are exactly the same. I hope the publisher corrects this … [Read more…]
Non Non Biyori is one of the best slice-of-life anime I have ever come across. This little gem that aired last fall did not get as much attention as it deserves. Well, maybe in its home country but not outside. The summary on the Crunchyroll page is very very deceptive. It is hard to write … [Read more…]
I have tried buying a lot of Garfield collections – mostly for my sister. I faced considerable difficulty in collecting the strips. This can be primarily attributed to the fact that these strips have been irregularly collected by various publishing companies. First off, we have those licensed by an Indian publisher, Euro Books. The back … [Read more…]
Quite some time ago, I came across these books – graphic novel adaptations of Monsters, Inc. and The Incredibles. I am almost sure that Disney has released graphic novel adaptations of other movies (especially those by Pixar) but I am yet to come across them. The books have very unique looks to them. Monsters has … [Read more…]
In Asterix the Gaul, Goscinny and Uderzo opens up the story with an exposition. One where the provinces and independent tribes literally (and figuratively) laid their arms at Caesar’s feet. In these opening sequences, Uderzo depicts a (nearly) victorious and thoughtful Caesar. During the end pages, Caesar makes another appearence. This time he is angry. … [Read more…]
I got hold of The Arrival back when it was released in 2007. I knew a priori that there were no recognisable words in the book. What I wasn’t prepared for was the sheer awesomeness of the book. Shaun Tan was able to create something that partly pushed the boundaries of the medium itself – … [Read more…]
AnoHana (short for Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai – We still do not know the name of the flower we saw that day) is a very touching drama. Like all other kids, there were six kids who are the central characters to the story. Like all other kids they … [Read more…]
Cigars of the Pharaoh and The Blue Lotus form a larger story arc that is commonly dubbed as Tintin in the Orient. Indeed, it was the first time that Hergé ditched the episodic format in favour of strory arcs. Recently, I managed to get hold of these two albums in their original B&W format (see … [Read more…]
