Anime Addicts @ the Movies - Summer Wars (Samā Wōzu)

Genre:  Action, Comedy,  Romance, Thriller
Creator:  Mamoru Hosoda
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Voice Actors: Brina Palencia as Natsuki Shinohara
Michael Sinterniklaas as Kenji Koiso
J. Michael Tatum as Wabisuke Jinnouchi
Maxey Whitehead as Kazuma Ikezawa
Pam Dougherty as Sakae Jinnouchi
Distributed By:  FUNimation

Rated PG
114 Minutes
2009

Kenji is your typical teenage misfit.  He's good at math, bad with girls, and spends most of his time hanging out in the all-powerful, online community known as OZ.  His second life is the only life he has - until the girl of this dreams, Natsuki, hijacks him for a starring role as a fake fiancé at her family reunion. Things only get stranger from there.  A late-night email containing a cryptic mathematic riddle leads to the unleashing of a rogue AI intent on using the virtual world of OZ to destroy the real world, literally.  As armageddon looms on the horizon, Kenji and his new "family" set aside their differences and band together to save the worlds they inhabit in this "near-perfect blend of social satire and science fiction."  - AnimeNewsNetwork.com

Come out for a special edtiion of Anime Addicts where we will be watching the award winning Summer Wars (Samā Wōzu) on the big screen, courtesy of FUNimation. Join fellow Otaku to watch anime, discuss manga, and help add content to the A Graphic Invasion blog. Watch a different anime every 3rd Thursday of each month from 4:00-6:00 p.m. The popcorn’s on us.

Date:  July 21, 2011
Ages:  12 and Up
Location:  Indian River Meeting Room

Anime Addicts is sponsored by FUNimation's Operation Anime.

Neko Ramen (Volume 1) by Kenji Sonishi (Story and Art)

Title:  Neko Ramen: Hey! Order Up!, Volume 1
Author:  Kenji Sonishi (Story and Art)
Location:  GRAPHIC NOVEL YA KENJI VOL. 1
Audience:  Teen (Ages 13 and Up)

Taisho runs a ramen shop... and he's a cat.  The funny thing is, he doesn't think it's strange to have a cat make and sell ramen.  When you walk in to his shop, be prepared to have any ingredient or topping served in your bowl.  You can follow Taisho's adventures from starting out as a cat model to making his own way to a ramen chef with his own ramen shop.  You will meet a wide variety of characters along the way including Taisho's baby brothers.

Neko Ramen is not your average manga.  It is actually a yonkoma (or 4-koma) which is a gag comic strip.  It is sort of like short stories as each story is told in four panels starting from the top and finishing at the bottom.  Although the stories are not dependent on one another, they come together to create an overal  story that makes you fall in love with Taisho.  With Taisho in most of his scenes is the ever faithful customer Tanaka-san.  Through Tanaka-san we learn more about Taisho and his very strange life as a cat Ramen Chef.  This manga really is quite clever and funny and appeals to both people who like cats and ramen.  From extremely ridiculous ramen ingredients to learning about Taisho's secret past as a cat model, there are many laughs to be had.  Once you start reading you will not want to stop.

The art style to Neko Ramen is rather simplistic.  What really makes it fun to read are all the facial expressions.  There may not be much to the backgrounds or character designs, but the facial expressions really aid the storytelling process.

You can find the Neko Ramen manga by Kenji Sonishi on the CPL catalog.  If you enjoyed Neko Ramen, you may want to try Hetalia-Axis Powers by Hidekaz Himaruya or Chi's Sweet Home by Kanata Konami.

A Neko Ramen Sneak Peek

Tokyopop In Motion

This November, Tokyopop is doing something innovative.  Each Friday they will release a motion comic of one of their titles on the video site Hulu.  This Friday look for the comic GYAKUSHU (rated OT for older teens and adults).

If you are curious as to what a motion comic will look like, check out Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season Eight already on Hulu. 

If you like the Buffy motion comic, why not check out the graphic novels from one of the Chesapeake Public Library branches.

After School Nightmare (Volumes 1 through 10) by Setona Mizushiro (Story and Art)

Title:  After School Nightmare
Author:  Setona Mizushiro
Location:  GRAPHIC NOVEL YA AFTER
Audience:  Young Adult (Older Teen and Up)

Mashiro Ichijo has a big secret to keep, but in high school, who doesn't? He manages to keep it hidden and still maintain his kendo and popularity. As time passes, it gets harder and harder to keep it up however. He lost his kendo match with Sou and his secret forces him to quit the club as the story begins. Mashiro and others have been noticing that other kids in the school have been disappearing and no one can remember quite who they were and what happened to them. When he is invited by a school nurse to a basement infirmary down a staircase that wasn’t there before, he will find out that he isn’t the only one in his school with a deep secret. The story goes into questions of identity, gender issues, conformity and relationships in a uniquely visual way.

This manga seemed a bit too far fetched and somehow gimmicky for me to really get into at first glance with its unusual love triangle. Once I started the book though, I was really upset I had only checked out the first one and had to wait another day to read more. Give it a shot and keep an open mind.

The art in After School Nightmare isn’t the best. It does start off with a few color pages which are nice looking but it isn’t the kind of book you will want to spend time going back simply to look at the pictures.

You can find the After School Nightmare manga by Setona Mizushiro on the CPL Catalog. If you enjoyed After School Nightmare, you may want to try xxxHOLiC by CLAMP or Angel Sanctuary by Kaori Yuki.

Vampire Academy Goes Graphic

Vampire Academy Goes Graphic
According to Shelf Awareness, the latest young adult series to get the graphic treatment is the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead.  It was announced at Comic Con that the series will be released in summer 2011 by Razorbill.  The novels will be adapted by Leigh Dragoon and illustrated by Emma Vieceli.

D.Gray-man (Volumes 1 through 17) by Katsura Hoshino

Set in Victorian England, we follow the adventures of Allen Walker in his search for Innocence as one of the Black Order’s Exorcists. Innocence is vital to the Black Order and the world’s survival as it is their only weapon against the Millennium Earl and his akuma. Allen is important to their cause as he was cursed and now can see the trapped soul that is used to create akuma. It is a race against time to see who will get the innocence and save or destroy the world.

This gothic story may seem familiar as there are some elements that are in other supernatural narratives. What really captures your attention is the art style and character design. This is a very visually beautiful work that grabs you and sucks you in to this alternate reality. D.Gray-man has very interesting characters, especially the main character of Allen Walker. He is a young man with a dark past. As the series progresses, his character develops and even physically changes. You will want to keep turning the pages to see all of these compelling characters and experience the fight between the Exorcists and the Millennium Earl.

While the art style has been criticized for being generic, I find the character designs to be fascinating and unique. The akuma and exorcist transformations are so interesting that I can't wait to see the next one to see what reality will be completely altered. I will admit that the backgrounds are dark and the action sequences can be difficult to decipher. I still like the alternate reality created that I keep coming back for more.

D.Gray-man was awarded the prize for best manga series 2006 at the Anime and Manga 2007 French Grand Prix. It was also awarded the manga of the year in 2006 by Webotaku.

To enhance your enjoyment of this story, why not check out the anime based off of the manga. D.Gray-man transports you to an alternate Victorian England. Enjoy the world that Hoshino created in vibrant color. Experience the exciting action that you can only get a glimpse of in the manga. The anime follows the storyline of the manga closely and allows the characters to come alive.

You can find the D.Gray-Man manga and anime by Katsura Hoshino on the CPL Catalog. If you enjoyed D.Gray-Man, you may want to try Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa or Bleach by Tite Kubo.

Benny and Penny

http://www.toon-books.com/puppets.php

This link will take you to a page where you can choose to print popsicle puppets from Benny and Penny by Geoffry Hayes or Zig and Wikki in Something Ate My Homework.


Check out www.toon-books.com/fun.php for cartoon drawing lessons!

New Young Adult Graphic Novels and Manga

See the latest additions to the young adult graphic novel and manga collection. Click on the links to reserve your copy now!

Orange
 
Her name is Orange. She's a young girl in high school, coming of age in the heart of the city. And she has decided she has nothing to live for. Not her shallow friends. Not her parents. Not school. Not even the empty promise of love. Her head filled with morbid fantasies of suicide, Orange finds herself standing at the edge of her rooftop when the drunken, enigmatic young man, Dashu, enters her world...changing it forever...A heartbreaking tale of a young woman desperately trying to understand the bewildering world around her, brought to life by the luscious artwork of manga icon, Benjamin, Orange is a profoundly moving story of loss and redemption.-Orange Synopsis - Tokyopop
 

Hard Rock Heroes

What goes together better than comics and rock music? Rock 'N' Roll Comics: Hard Rock Heroes goes WAY beyond behind the music, to tell the real life, behind-the-scenes stories of rock's most heavy hitters. Covering bands like Guns N' Roses, Metallica, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Poison, Megadeth, Pantera, Anthrax, Motorhead, and Sammy Hagar, Rock 'N' Roll Comics: Hard Rock Heroes features creators including Stuart Immonen (Superman: End of the Century), Ken Landgraf (Wolverine), Jay Allen Sanford (Overheard in San Diego), Todd Loren (Beatles Experience), Scott Pentzer (Razor), and Mike Sagara (Ninja High School).-Hard Rock Heroes Synopsis - Amazon.com

Gunnerkrigg Court, Volumes 1 and 2

Orientation is the first in a series of books about Antimony Carver, a girl who attends school at gloomyGunnerkrigg Court.

The story is about the people she meets, the strange things that happen, and the things she causes to happen as she and her new friend, Kat, unravel the mysteries of the Court and deal with the everyday adventures of growing up at a school that has robots running around alongside body-snatching demons, forest gods, and the odd mythical creature.-Gunnerkrigg Court Synopsis - Archaia Comics

Vampire Knight, Volume 7

Yuki debates asking Kaname about her past, suspecting that he may have been the one who erased her childhood memories. Zero confronts Kaname to find out the truth, and the two come to blows over Yuki...-Vampire Knight Synopsis - Shojo Beat

Bleach, Volume 29

Ichigo and his friends knew invading Hueco Mundo wouldn't be easy, but even the lesser Arrancars are pushing them to their limits! Can Ichigo, Uryû and Chad find the inner strength to overcome the first line of attack, or will Orihime be stuck in Hueco Mundo forever?!-Bleach Synopsis - Viz Media

Bayou

South of the Mason-Dixon Line, lies a strange land of gods and monsters. Born from centuries of slavery, civil war, innocent bloodshed, hate and strife lurks a world parallel to our own. Lee Wagstaff is the daughter of a poor, sharecropper in a depression-era, Mississippi Delta town, called Charon. One day, Lee and her father help the sheriff retrieve the body of a boy who’d been lynched and thrown into the river. Lee dives into the depths to tie a rope around the boy. While under water, she catches a glimpse of a strange world. Ever since that day, Lee hears voices in the trees and rivers. When Lee’s playmate, Lily, is snatched by BOG, an evil inhabitant of that place she saw, Lee’s father is accused of kidnapping.  Lee must pursue Bog into his world in order to save her friend before her father is lynched. Lee enlists the help of a benevolent, blues-singing, swamp monster called BAYOU and together they trek across a Southern Neverland in search of Lee’s friend.-Bayou Synopsis - Zuda Comics

Hatter M, Volumes 1 and 2

Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan explodes through a puddle on the Champs Elysées from his world in the year 1859, shockingly separated from the future Queen of Wonderland he had been entrusted to protect. Pursued by the police, taunted by nationalistic Frenchmen and challenged by an evil black magician, Hatter must evade the authorities while simultaneously searching for lost princess Alyss!-Hatter M Synopsis - Automatic Pictures

Letter Bee (Tegami Bachi), Volume 1

Amberground is locked in darkness. A man-made star casts only a dim light over the land. The pitch-black wilderness is infested with Gaichuu - colossal insects with metal exoskeletons. The Gaichuu make travel between the cities of Amberground extremely dangerous. But thankfully the Letter Bees, a brave corps of messengers, risk their lives in order to keep the hearts of Amberground connected.

Gauche Suede is on his last delivery before a big promotion. In the outskirts of Yodaka, the darkest area of Amberground, Gauche is surprised to find that the package is a young boy named Lag Seeing. Lag had been traumatized by his mother's abduction and is due to be delivered to his aunt. In this remote area rife with Gaichuu, Lag and Gauche face a dangerous journey that inspires Lag to become a Letter Bee.-Letter Bee Synopsis - Anime News Network

Animal Academy:  Hakobune Hakusho, Volumes 1 through 4

When Fukada Neko finds herself enrolled at the weird Morimori Academy--a secret school for animal-human shape shifters--she is forced to pretend to be a magical cat so that the other students will not find out her identity.-Animal Academy Synopsis - Anime News Network

Chobits (Omnibus), Volume 1

Some people buy their personal computers based on style... and in near-future Japan, the hottest style for your "persocom" is shaped like an attractive android! Poor student Hideki, fresh off the farm and trying to get into a Tokyo university, has neither money nor a girlfriend - then finds a persocom seemingly discarded in an alley. Taking the cute robot home and activating it, Hideki finds her affectionate, but amnesiac, able only to say the word "Chi" - and so he names her.

But who is this strange new persocom in his life? Instead of being his digital assistant, Hideki finds himself having to teach Chi how to get along in the everyday world, even while he and his friends try to solve the mystery of her origins. Is she one of the urban-legendary Chobits - persocoms built to have the riskiest functions of all: real emotions, and free will?-Chobits Synopsis - Anime News Network

Black Bird, Volume 4

Despite the constant danger Misao finds herself in, she's determined to stay by Kyo's side no matter what happens. But a chance meeting with one of Kyo's best friends shows her just how hard a human-demon relationship can be.

Tadanobu, heir to the Kitsune clan, gave up everything to be with his human girlfriend. But now he is being forced to take on the clan leadership and abandon his love--and it's all Kyo's fault!-Black Bird Synopsis - Shojo Beat

Nightschool: The Weirn Books, Volumes 1 through 3

Nightschool answers the age-old question—Where do demons get their diplomas? Schools may close for the night and the lights may be off, but class is still in session. At the Nightschool, werewolves, vampires, and witches gather to learn everything from spell casting to calculus. Alex, a young weirn (a particular kind of witch) has always been homeschooled, but dark forces seem to be drawing her closer to the Nightschool and the mysteries within.-Nighschool Synopsis - Yen Press

We Were There, Volumes 1 through 10

On the 2nd day of school, 15-year-old Takahashi Nanami decided her greatest ambition is to make as many friends as possible. At first she doesn’t have much luck, but slowly she starts to make friends with some of her class mates. High School isn’t much fun and it gets worse with she meets Yano, the most popular and rude boy in school. But soon she starts to see a different side of Yano.-We Were There Synopsis - Anime News Network 

Pluto, Volumes 1 through 7

Based off of a story arc from Osamu Tezuka's Tesuwan Atomu, Pluto follows the Europol detective Gesicht as he tries to uncover the mystery behind a string of robot and human deaths. The case becomes much more puzzling when evidence leans toward the murders being the work of a robot, which is something that hasn't happened for 8 years.-Pluto Synopsis - Anime News Network

Emma, Volume 10

Final volume! It's the event everyone has been waiting for - the wedding of Emma and William Jones. Class distinctions have made their formal union almost impossible, but true love has finally overcome society's barriers. Of course, not everyone is happy about this turn of events. What roadblocks will be thrown in the way of this star-crossed couple?-Emma Synopsis - Anime News Network

InuYasha, Volumes 43 through 47

Kagome is your average schoolgirl living in present day Tokyo. She was brought though an ancient well by a demon to the past. There she finds out that she is the reincarnation of a deceased priestess who guarded the powerful Shikon jewel, which has the power to fufill any ambition of man or demon. The jewel was reborn into her body. After saving the jewel from one of the many demons after the jewel, it shattered, and the Shikon shards were scattered across Japan. Now, Kagome must team up with the half-demon Inu-Yasha, who stole the jewel 50 years ago to be stopped by Kagome's previous form, to retrieve the shards before they fall into the wrong hands.-InuYasha Synopsis - Anime News Network

King of Thorn, Volume 6

With Marco defeated and Zeus threatening to use the terrifying power of Medusa to recreate the world, it's up to Kasumi to summon the courage to fight back. What is the final mystery surrounding Kasumi and her sister, Shizuku? And when it's revealed to Kasumi, will she have the strength to take the final step?-King of Thorn Synopsis - Anime News Network

Cirque du Freak, Volumes 2 through 5

Darren Shan was an average kid until destiny brought him to the Cirque du Freak. Now Darren’s been immersed into a shadowy world inhabited by vampires, werewolves, and strange creatures the likes of which he’s never imagined, and his life will be changed forever!-Cirque du Freak Synopsis - Yen Press

Sand Chronicles, Volume 8

Revisiting scenes and people from earlier days drives Ann to an impulsive act of desperation. Who will stand by her now? And will she ever make peace with her past...and herself?-Sand Chronicles Synopsis - Shojo Beat

xxxHoLic (Volumes 1 through 15) by CLAMP (Story and Art)

Watanuki Kimihiro is haunted by visions of ghosts and spirits. Seemingly by chance, he encounters a mysterious witch named Yuuko, who claims she can help. In desperation, he accepts, but realizes that he’s just been tricked into working for Yuuko in order to pay off the cost of her services. Soon he’s employed in her little shop—a job which turns out to be nothing like his previous work experience!

xxxHoLic is quite a unique manga. On the surface, it may seem like another supernatural manga, but there is much more lurking below. While there are spirits aplenty, there is also a recurring thread about the importance of dreams. Another thing that makes this series so great is the characters. We follow Watanuki on his journey to discover the secrets of his past locked away inside him and his interactions with those around him. CLAMP fleshes out their characters so well that you care about everyone, including characters that stay for just one story arc. With the art and great storytelling combined, it makes for a fantastic series.

While xxxHoLic is a parallel story to Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, the art style is noticeably different. The art becomes part of the storytelling. By warping the character sizes and proportions, the reader is forced to look at them in different ways. Often this is done when an element in the story may not be what it seems. Even the background gives clues to the overall plot. You will want to take your time and savor every page.

If you enjoy the art of xxxHoLic, you will not want to miss the anime based off of the manga. CLAMP's art is taken from the page and brought to life on the screen. While there are more references to Tsubasa in the manga, the anime mainly covers the stories from the xxxHoLic manga. What really sets this anime apart is the art style. In keeping with CLAMP's design of strange proportions, they are even larger on the screen. For some this may detract from the story, but I find I enjoy it and it adds to the overall theme of series. In addition to the series, you can enjoy the movie, xxxHoLic the Movie: A Midsummer Night's Dream.

You can find the xxxHoLic manga and anime by CLAMP on the CPL Catalog. If you enjoyed xxxHoLic, you may want to try Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE by CLAMP or Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya.

Bleach (Volumes 1 through 28) by Tite Kubo (Story and Art)

Ichigo Kurosaki can see dead people. Most people would be somewhat disconcerted to see apparitions before them, but not Ichigo. Being the nice guy he is, he tries to help these poor souls. Then one day he meets Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper from the Soul Society, and his life changes forever. In order to save his family from an attack by Hollows, evil spirits that prey on humans with spiritual energy, Ichigo absorbs some of Rukia's reiatsu, spirit pressure, and defeats the Hollow. However, Ichigo grabbed a bit more of Rukia's power than either of them thought and he now has to be a Soul Reaper in her place as she is now trapped in the World of the Living (or Earth for us human folk). The series follows the story of Ichigo and the Soul Society into many different adventures and battles.

It is easy to see why Bleach has become the phenomenon that it has. From the start of the series, you are transported to a world where things are not always what they seem. Soul Reapers walk the streets (and skies) defending humans and souls alike. Tite Kubo has created such fantastic characters that you can't help but feel that they are real. If you can't wait for the manga volumes to come out, why not catch this on-going series in Shonen Jump Magazine.

What makes the art of Bleach so outstanding is the fight sequences. With many manga with action sequences, you tend to miss some of what is going on. Somehow Kubo makes the action stand out and you really don't miss anything. In addition to the great action sequences are the two additional worlds Kubo has created, the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo (where the Hollows dwell). You really are transported to another time and place in Bleach.

Bleach was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award in the shonen category in 2005. In addition to this, the volumes are frequently on the New York Times Manga Best Seller List (volume 30 is currently on the list and has been for the past four weeks).

If you enjoy the manga, you will love the anime series. You can now see all the action jump from the page to the big screen. While the anime does follow the manga storyline quite close, there are a few additional story arcs. Even with these arcs, the anime is quite enjoyable and will make you to want to see more.

In addition to the anime series, two of the Bleach movies have been released here in the United States. These films are fantastic on their own and you don't have to know anything about the manga or anime series to enjoy them. In Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody, Ichigo comes across Senna, a Soul Reaper who has lost her memory. With a superb soundtrack and excellent fight sequences, you can't help but love this movie. In Bleach Movie 2: DiamondDust Rebellion, Captain Hitsugaya is wanted by the Soul Society for apparently stealing the King's Seal. Ichigo and friends try to get to the bottom of this mystery disappearance and help Hitsugaya clear his name. Another stand alone piece that fans and non-fans can enjoy. Look for more movies to be released later this year.

You can find the Bleach manga and anime by Tite Kubo on the CPL Catalog. If you enjoyed Bleach, you may want to try D.Gray-man by Katsura Hoshino or Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa.