The Trajectory of Today’s Topics

• Hot off the Press; Is Manga only for Kids?

• An Inside Look at a Beloved Cult Classic

• Are You Interested in Longer Content

Hot Off The Press

Ready To Dive Into Japanese Comics?

Manga and anime are huge, thriving businesses, but it’s not just for kids and teens anymore. Many of the covers you see in bookstores are clearly marketed to this demographic, but there are actually a surprising number of deep, story-driven, adult-themed topics and tropes. To clarify, because it can feel daunting and confusing, manga is Japanese graphic novels and comics, while anime is animated. Both are often grouped into the same word, and it was only recently that I discovered the difference. 

Maybe you’re intrigued, but not really interested in teenage-type drama series. Or maybe you want a deeper story than “teen nobody suddenly acquires mega-superpowers and goes on an epic quest to defeat the evil overlord.” That was me. Although there’s nothing wrong with any of those tropes, sometimes we need something a little more “growed up” and grittier. Don’t worry, I got you covered, because there are plenty of choices for the discerning adult. 

No matter your tastes, there are likely several manga series you could discover. Just beware that some of the Reddit threads will throw plenty of names, acronyms, and subjects that will have you searching for a dictionary. Here, I’ve collected five different manga series that might catch your interest. 

The Crater by Tezuka Osamu. This short story series premiered in 1969 and started as one-off short stories, but eventually one character started making more appearances. Stories feature mysteries, horror, and suspense with and without happy endings, so you get a wide array of genres and tropes. The Crater has been associated with The Twilight Zone show, so if that was your cup o’ tea back in the day, take a quick gander at these books. 

Koroshiya-Ichi the Killer by Hideo Yamamoto. Ichi, the main character, appears to be a spineless weakling, but when the tears come, a frightening transformation happens. When pushed too far, Ichi becomes an unstoppable killing machine. This comic was adapted to film—Ichi the Killer—which was then the inspiration for Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies. Like the movies, this manga comic is full of brutal violence and carnage.

Loose Senki: Old Boy, by Marley Caribu and Shinmei Minegishi. Looking for a deeply imaginative plot full of revenge that will blow your mind? Yeah, that’s a lot, but it’s all found in these pages. 

Berserk by Kentaro Miura. Part video game RPG, part Dungeons and Dragons, all fantasy. The main character, Guts, is a one man demon destroying machine, which is a good thing because everywhere he goes, he’s tailed by slavering demons. Armed with a giant sword, insane strength, and the desire for vengeance, Berserk is a beautifully drawn hack and slash with not just guts, but heart. (I couldn’t help it 😅) 

Btooom! by Junya Inoue. A litRPG manga? Alright, color me super intrigued. Ryouta is a top contender in the popular shoot-em-up game called Btooom!, but one day he wakes up and finds himself inside the game. Now he’s got to put all his gaming skills to the test just to survive. I haven’t read any of this series, but it’s the top one in this list I’d like to get started on. (Psst, if you enjoy this newsletter, no one would be upset if you gifted a few of these your your humble author 😉😉) 

Just FYI. Some of these can be found in your local library. That way, you can read them for free before fully committing. Just ask where they keep their manga section.

The TBR Files

Nostalgia Hits Hard In This Beloved Book

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

Inconceivable. I’m only ten years late discovering this book, but when I found out about it, I immediately snatched it up and devoured it in two sittings. I absolutely adore the movie, discovered it was originally a book only a few years ago, consumed that, and am now getting an exclusive inside look at the creation of this masterpiece of cinema. 

Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to Die. The book is full of candid interviews, internal thoughts during filming, and what it took to turn this crazy, comedic, adventurous, satirical love story into the cult classic it still is today. There are asides, commentary, and notes from a majority of the actors and the director, Rob Reiner. You get an inside look at the special effects. When Westley, ahem, Dread Pirate Roberts, fights the rodents of unusual size (R.O.U.S.), and that whole story. There were little people inside 50lb suits! What it took for Roberts (Cary Elwes) and Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) to craft the “greatest swordfight in all history,” and about how Fezzik (Andre the Giant) stopped production because of a massive flatulence attack. It will make you fall in love with the movie all over again.

We'll never survive. Nonsense. You're only saying that because no one ever has. If you can, I suggest getting the audiobook version. It’s narrated by Elwes, and the rest of the surviving cast. Hearing Westley narrate, Inigo talk about sword training, Vizzini comment on how his nerves almost wrecked him, and Buttercup’s take on directing choices is peak! This book won’t win awards for dramatic prose, titular storytelling, or hard-hitting moral lessons, but it’s a fantastic look at how and why the movie is still so loved today. 

You’re trying to kidnap what I’ve rightfully stolen. This book isn’t absolutely perfect; there were a few times I was scratching my head. Maybe I just didn’t get it, but logically, a few of the actors and their thoughts didn’t make sense. Throughout the book, director Rob Reiner is constantly painted as this big ol’ teddy bear. A sweet guy, never gets angry, is empathetic to a fault, and hugs everyone. So… Why did Elwes and Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) get so nervous and hide things from the director because they thought he would get mad or even kick them off the shoot? Elwes broke his toe on a four-wheeler and didn’t tell Rob. Just had an on-site nurse set it in a splint and hobbled along in some of the shoots. Most famously, when he sat down and delivered the line “Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.” He was actually in agonizing pain from the broken toe, which he was trying to hide from Reiner. He knew all along, though, and actually sounded hurt that Elwes felt he couldn’t confide that to the director. Shawn, when delivering his monologue in the “To the death” scene, was so unbelievably nervous that he kept messing up and constantly thought he was going to be kicked out in place of Danny DeVito. This he heard offhand from someone else, but it seemed to be a completely unfounded rumor. I can’t understand why people would be so strange around a director who is hoisted on a magnificent pedestal of being such a good, honest guy.

Who are you? No one of consequence. I really must know. Get used to disappointment. Maybe it was there for the drama. I don’t know, but it had me scratching my head. That being said, I can’t praise this book enough, it gets all the ☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕. Okay, maybe that’s a tad melodramatic, and I’m definitely listening with nostalgia colored glasses, but check this out, as of this writing, there are no, zero, 0, none, nada, zilch-o, 1 or 2-star reviews on Amazon! Just sayin’...

…And Then This Happened

Looking For Your Opinion!

I have an honest question I want to ask you, dear reader. I stumbled across a subject that intrigued me, and I spent way too much time spelunking this rabbit hole. It’s a subject that, if covered here, won’t get the attention I think it deserves. What in the world could be this cryptic, all-consuming subject, you ask? It’s all about how the internet is changing or even ruining literature. Piggybacking on that is the dreaded “Death of Prose.” This is a subject that has intrigued me, and I am learning more as I continue to dive deeper into this labyrinthine cavern. I’d love to share it and my personal insights with you if you would like.

My question to you is this: Would you like to read more about this subject? Instead of a normal newsletter, it could be a longer, single-subject deep dive. It would take me some time to do it justice and hit the high-caliber entertainment standards you’ve come to expect. 😅 This would be a future feature that could foreseeably come out in April or May. So, if there is enough interest, I’d love to present this subject to you. Please, let me know what you think by voting in this little poll here.

https://poll-maker.com/poll5726139x1F7D4c2B-167 

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