Manga Review -- Liberty Vocational, v. 1: Will Super-Villains Be on the Final? / Naomi Novik and Yishan Li

As most of my readers have probably surmised by this point, I don't read a lot of manga.  I basically only read stuff I already know of and really like--Berserk and Hellsing being good examples--or things that are recommended to me by either teenage otakus or by reading lists that I simply can't ignore.  Naomi Novik's first Liberty Vocational piece about a girl at a super-hero school trying to fit in are an example of the very latter, but which has turned out to be an enjoyable read, nonetheless.


Will Super Villains Be on the Final? is an attempt at working the shojo genre into the super-hero mix, a kind of manga version of the movie Sky High with a female protagonist.  Leah is a slightly-too-young, new enrollee at Liberty Vocational, a super-hero school.  She has vaguely defined atom-manipulation abilities, giving her the potential to be one of the most powerful heroes of her age.  Of course, all this is marred by her awkwardness and ability to make the simplest of tasks into unmitigated disasters, which leads to conflicts with some of the other students and at least one highly placed dean of the school.

Of course, Leah won't give up on trying to fit in at Liberty Vocational, and we see a number of factors making things more difficult than usual.  From inflexible educational staff and know-it-all older students to unrequited (?) crushes to a possible traitor in her midst, Leah finds herself constantly tested and wondering if she really belongs at a school for up and coming superheroes.  When a natural disaster causes her to finally sink or swim under her own power, Leah finds out whether or not she truly has the mettle--and more importantly, the presence of mind--to earn her place at Liberty Vocational.

I found the writing here to be none too inspired, and a little too reliant on existing tropes and stock characters.  Here we have a common, if pleasant enough, plot: the fish out of water scenario, in that highest of stakes teenager scenario, the superhero academy.  I won't go into how many times this setup has been done, but if you're going to utilize it, I think a little more originality is called for in some aspect of the writing.  Novik seems content to simply blend the shojo genre into this setup, which I wouldn't have a problem with--some shojo is actually quite entertaining--but the execution just falls flat.  There has to be something else, something more here: an interesting twist on the character, a bending of the typical plot elements... something.  At present, I just don't see anything that will hold the interest of readers aside from those who simply wish to roll their eyes and think "seen this before."

The artwork is pleasant to behold, if nothing particularly original.  I think Li does a stronger job of building personalities into the various characters than the writing seems to do.  There's plenty of the typical features you expect to find in manga, from the big eyes to the overdone emotional expressions, but the charm with which she carries off these illustrations is undeniable.

Overall, this is a fairly solid entry into the shojo-superhero hybrid field, if nothing spectacular.  The writing isn't particularly strong or imaginative, but the artwork is pretty decent.  It's worth taking a look at, particularly if you enjoy one of the two genres of which this story is a child.  Recommended.

Manga Review: Otomen, v. 1-3 / Aya Kanno

I am still very new to manga in general . The only series I have even purported to like until this point is Kentaro Miura's Berserk, which is violent, horrific, gory, and extremely well written. Overall, I haven't been terribly interested in manga and anime, but I am slowly exploring the genre. I've recently read and enjoyed the first three volumes of Aya Kanno's series Otomen, which is about as far a cry from Berserk as you can get.

Clearly, I have a wide spectrum of taste in this genre.

The basic premise of Otomen revolves around the character of Asuka Masamune, whose father wanted to become a woman and left his mother when the boy was very young, traumatizing his mother and causing her to pressure Asuka to be as manly and masculine as possible. The problem is, that while Asuka is good at acting the "manly" part, for instance is stoicism and prowess in physical activities like kendo, he also enjoys many "feminine" pursuits, such as baking, cooking, sewing, and shojo manga. He therefore feels like he has to suppress a major part of his identity in the name of placating his mother, and the rest of society.

Then we get the supporting cast, who of course complicate matters. There's Juta Tachibana, a carefree playboy type who likes to observe Asuka for the famous shojo manga he secretly writes, and Ryo Miyakozuka, a beautiful tomboy of a girl who Asuka falls for. Throw in the fact that she has none of the traditional feminine interests and skills, and that Ryo is a skilled martial artist, and it's easy to see the potential for romantic comedy.

Some of the story arcs in these volumes include Asuka meeting Ryo's strictly masculine father and resolving differences with him; reluctantly training a young effeminate boy in how to be manly; an arranged marriage brought on by his high-pressuring mother and compounded by a manipulative would-be bride; and Asuka's personal torment as he resolves his very strong feelings for Ryo against his unending reluctance to share them with her.

The concept behind Otomen is amusing, though its execution is not always perfect, which the author freely acknowledges at points in the text. For example, how Tachibana has time to woo multiple girls, hang out with Asuka and Ryo all the time, AND write a super-popular manga is a mystery that will probably never be answered. Still, certain details are very well handled. Tachibana, despite the two boys' mutual disdain for one another, ends up being a loyal friend to Asuka, on multiple occasions checking up on Asuka when he gets in troublesome situations and bowing out when he thinks doing so will bring Asuka and Ryo closer together. Sure, he thinks it'll be good for his manga, but his heart is also in the right place where those two are concerned.

The artwork is fairly simple, being what I'd imagine is typical fare for shojo. It's not heavily detailed, but gets the basics across, and there are appropriate style change-ups when the tone demands it. I'm generally not a fan of chibi artwork, but when done during certain points in this story, I would laugh at the sudden lightness of the mood and situation brought by its exaggerations.

Overall, it's an enjoyable start to an amusing series. I will probably read more, as time, energy, and ability allow. Recommended for teens, people interested in gender roles and stereotypes, and anyone who's ever felt the need to hide who they really are. Definitely worth checking out.