I was once, in a former life, a video jockey at my local video rental place. Even before I started working there, I was a regular customer, I knew where each section was, knew which tapes were in good nick, knew all the staff and could recommend films to other customers. Every person had a story, a path or a purpose that brought them to my desk. More often than not, they knew what they wanted. But sometimes they were too stumped or too frazzled to pick something. So, I would chose something for them. Usually, it was a children’s film, a drama or a good action flick. The people who rented that last genre would be so drunk they wouldn’t even notice what I gave them. But they wanted an action film so I picked the one I thought they’d like. They would always come back to me. (Please note: not all my customers were drunk when they came in. The example given is a small cross section of my former customers). So when I began to read Kingyo, I found the manga equivalent of my video shop. So after I read each volume that’s been released so far, I would let out the same sigh I used to have when another satisfied customer would go out the door of the video shop. I felt good that a character had found contentment. It’s a wonderful feeling to have and it came from a book showing a world I knew nothing about.

Natsuki is technically in charge of Kingyo and when her grandfather announces he is going to go on a search for manga in Japan, she takes over the running of the shop. She is easily my favourite character simply because it isn’t that she’s a manga freak like Shiba is, it’s just that she gets a huge amount of joy from helping people. Shiba is a fantastic character. He reminds me of myself when I was in my teens. Always reading with my head in the clouds. I love the feisty, lively and, if exasperating at times, relationship he has with Natsuki. He clearly likes her but he’s too much of a dreamer to make the first move. I think Seitaro is a wonderful player on this stage. Sage-wise with a hint of self-deprecating humour about him. My discovery of the relationship that grows between Ayu and Tome, two Sedori (people who buy manga cheap and resell at higher prices to used books shops) who, on the surface, don’t have anything in common with each other is heartwarming. But Tome, while unsure of what to do or say around her, wants to get closer to her and gets pushed away in a nice way by Ayu. But he persists and we get to know them both them in a great way. Going back to Natsuki, her parents have a charm about them. They drive me crazy with their different personalities so I can only imagine how Natsuki has learned to live with them. With each volume, I learn more and more about the cast so it’s a win-win for me.

The background characters are equally impressive. They’ve all got their reasons for going to Kingyo. Sometimes they get an answer to whatever is bothering them at the shop. Sometimes it happens outside the shop. But always it is a surprise when we see the resolution of their arcs. In one story, a young lad stays with his friend rising the train late at night because the boy feels his friend can’t or won’t go home. The friend is inspired to stay on the on the train thanks to Leiji Matsumoto’s Galaxy Express 999. But in the end, the story is resolved with some thought and care, I’m happy to say. Reading a review of volume 3 by Manga Curmudgeon in relation to the Kazuo Umezu chapter and it being somewhat predictable, I agree with him about it being un-Umezu, however, I don’t think this detracts from the story. Far from it, the way the characters describe Umezu, his writing and art makes me want to read more of his work. The chapters that struck a chord with me the most were the chapters about Night on the Galactic Railroad and the one where Shiba drags an uppity kid all over town all because he wouldn’t simply pick up a manga to read, finally lets him take a look at Go Nagai’s Devilman. The Night on The Galactic Railroad story is a wonderful piece about a hostess girl who sort of adopts a small child whose mother abandoned her. The child wants her to read to her the Night on… book so the girl, despite not wanting to, finds herself reading night after night to the child. It’s sweet, sincere and utterly without any purpose. The Devilman chapter is superb because you see this child who is supposedly not fazed by anything get riled by Go Nagai’s titular characte.

You notice how I keep mentioning the “Devilman” chapter or the “Umezu” chapter? This is because Kingyo Used Books focuses on a different book, a real book, for some of it’s chapters. OK, nearly every chapter mentions different books but some actually focus on an author or book and the end of each volume of Kingyo, we get a real used book shop owner explaining the significance of each title. This is because while Japanese readers might be familiar with names like Hinako Sugiura, Kyoko Hikawa, Etsushi Haruki, Tochi Ueyama and Masako Watanabe, English speaking readers may not. This window into certain titles and authors allows us to glimpse into the cavernous world of manga and it made me realise how little I know about it. I find myself drawn to the notes about the titles from the 60’s and 70’s that we have no chance of reading. It grieves me that I’ll have to import them. Maybe, though, JManga might publish some of them. I can certainly hope so.

Another thing I like about the series is the idea of the impermanence of things, i.e. Mono no aware: the feeling of noticing things and being in the moment, for the moment is fleeting. The cast of Kingyo move in their arcs, all the while we are conscious that they too will one day be gone and the books they care for or read will one day be in the hands of someone else. Few things in anime or manga have taught me as valuable a lesson as this concept has. When I have read stories like this (or even any book/anime/film) I try and commit it to memory. It helps me to form a more complete map of my own internal workings. Because as the man said: “[time] goes with us on the journey, reminds to cherish every moment. Because they’ll never come again.” I applaud Ms. Yoshizaki for being to able to communicate this kind of concept and I wish I could read more of her works. It’s just another reason on my list to try and learn Japanese if only to expand my worldview.

Ultimately Kingyo Used Books is a story about used book sellers and readers enjoying their books while trying to make their way through life. There’s nothing else to it, no magic second or third act that the cast suddenly become intergalactic bounty hunters. Though, that would be interesting, I’m sure. If you have an inclination to read something that challenges you beyond the confines of typical manga. The series is ongoing in Japan but at this time VIZ under their SIGIkki line has put out the first four volumes so far at six month intervals. March this year will mark the end of the last six month cycle. Here’s hoping that people read this overview and give the series a try.

I encourage you to sample Kingyo Used Books on the SIGIkki website along with others in the line. If I could recommend some others, then please check out Saturn Apartments and I’ll Give It My All…Tomorrow. If you would further indulge me, check out my podcast with Ed Sizemore where we discuss Kingyo Used Books in further detail.

I just can’t seem to concentrate on anime any more. Like I’m trying to catch my breath and it’s not working. I look at other podcasters and bloggers and see that they put time away to watch shows and then hand in reviews. So that’s what I’m going to do.

As always I’m on Twitter.

And why the picture of Kenshiro on the top of the post? Why the hell not?

But I ‘m still no better today so Oni asked that we hold off until I can speak properly. So I’ll directly post here when we record.

Laters,
Phillip.

Download audio file (ECP_Season_2_Official_01.mp3)

Direct Download

Hope you guys enjoy the show. We’re finally back having fun with the show and not treating it like work or a college assignment. Please note this uses explicit language

Promos played:
The Speakeasy Podcast (A great podcast run The Reverse Thieves, NarutakiRT and HisuiRT, if you can figure out who’s who )
Weeaboobies(Come on, girls! Release another show!)
Dave and Joel(They invoked Vernon Wells on their latest show. Yep, Vernon Wells)

Oh, and don’t bother asking about the post title. I’m not telling you.

LINK

Coming November 11th, 2008 to the UK – the limited edition release of the Freedom OAV series will contain content as of yet unseen by the world including the seventh Freedom OAV!

FREEDOM Blu-ray Disc Box (Limited Edition)

Street Date: November 17th, 2008
Pricing: 69.99 GBP (UK)
Product: Four (4) Blu-ray Disc Box Set/Color/approx. 280 min. / Japanese, English & French audio tracks / English & French subtitles
Technical: Dolby True HD (5.1ch), Linear PCM (Stereo) / AVC/BD50G x 4 discs / 16:9 (1080p High Definition)
Bonus Tracks: FREEDOM the Hope, Trailers, Prologue, Episode by Episode digest, Talking about FREEDOM, FREEDOM in the USA, etc.
Bonus Item: Booklet containing original FREEDOM manga episode

About FREEDOM

FREEDOM is a groundbreaking Sci-fi anime series in which a restless youth of a moon settlement Eden venture outside the rigorously controlled environment and head towards Earth, a world known to have been destroyed.

Coming November 24th, 2008 to the UK – Gunbuster vs Diebuster the movie boxset! Comes in boxset form with a bonus Blu-Ray DVD, the 2 movies are also available individually.

GUNBUSTER vs DIEBUSTER: Aim for the Top! The GATTAI!! Movie-Blu-ray Disc Box (Limited Edition)

Street Date: November 24th (UK)
Pricing: 49.99 GBP (UK)
Product: Three (3) Blu-ray Disc Box Set/COLOR?partly B/W?/approx. 280 min. / Japanese Language/English & French subtitles
Technical: Disc 1 (GUNBUSTER The Movie): Dolby True HD 5.1ch (Linear PCM Stereo) / AVC / BD-50G /4:3 (1080p Hi-Def)
Disc 2 (DIEBUSTER The Movie): Dolby True HD 5.1ch (Linear PCM Stereo) / AVC / BD-50G /16:9 (1080p Hi-Def)
Disc 3 (Bonus Disc): Linear PCM Stereo / AVC / BD-50G /4:3 (1080p Hi-Def)
Bonus Items: Original Artbox Slipcase, Booklet

Also Available:

GUNBUSTER The Movie
Street Date: November 24th (UK)
Pricing: 24.99 GBP (UK)
Product: One (1) Blu-ray Disc / Japanese Language/English & French subtitles
Technical: Dolby True HD 5.1ch (Linear PCM Stereo) / AVC / BD-50G /4:3 (1080p Hi-Def)

DIEBUSTER The Movie
Street Date: November 24th (UK)
Product: One (1) Blu-ray Disc / Japanese Language/English & French subtitles
Pricing: 24.99 GBP (UK)
Technical: Dolby True HD 5.1ch (Linear PCM Stereo) / AVC / BD-50G /16:9 (1080p Hi-Def)

About GUNBUSTER

The first commercial success of the fan turned pro studio Gainax and the directorial debut of acclaimed creator Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion), GUNBUSTER casts pretty girls and giant robots in a moving tale of interstellar naval war and is a story of a young girl’s struggle to pilot the ultimate weapon.

About GUNBUSTER 2 (a.k.a. DIEBUSTER)

The epic sequel directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki (FLCL) is set thousands of years after GUNBUSTER, and focuses on a space pilot wannabe named Nono from a lonely snowbound village. Her efforts lead her to join the elite teenage pilot group called Topless in order to defend the Sol System with their superpowers.

About Beez Entertainment SAS:

Beez Entertainment SAS belongs to one of the biggest Entertainment for the youth; Namco Bandai Group.

The only pan-European anime distributor (TV sales, video and music publisher, licensing), Beez Entertainment has a wholesalers network in France and in almost every European countries where anime flourishes. Popular titles in the ever-growing Beez catalogue include “Cowboy Bebop”, ‘Eureka Seven”, “Gundam Seed”, “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” and “Wolf’s Rain”.

About HONNEAMISE:

HONNEAMISE (pronounced “Oh-Nee-A-Meese”) refers to a kingdom located in an imaginary planet similar to earth. That kingdom became the setting for the first Bandai Group film production “Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise,” in 1987 and is the name of the premium label for Bandai Visual’s domestic and international releases.

About Bandai Visual Co., Ltd.:

Bandai Visual Co., Ltd., founded in August 1983, is a Japanese company that develops, produces and distributes film, TV and home entertainment media. As a pioneer of the Japanese animation scene Bandai Visual continues to lead the market. As part of Namco Bandai Group Bandai Visual hopes to expand and emulate its success in international markets.

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Buy it yourself! And help me out!