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I was always a little dismissive of Alita. As enjoyable as that OAV was to the teenage me, it didn’t offer anything deeper than the cheap thrills of most quick win titles of the time, and though I enjoyed each of the first five volumes of the manga, it was still with the eye of a teenage boy seeking action, nudity and techno-plots too complicated to make sense. Most of the early stuff was fun, but cliched: friendly scientist finds doll in post-apocalyptic scrapyard and rebuilds/raises her, whereupon she rediscovers her deadly martial arts skills. Later she falls in love, only for tragedy to strike, the trauma of which (mis)guides her to seek solace in the violent sport of the lower classes. So far, so what. But it’s from here on that things start to get interesting.

Alita meets new, challenging foes on the field, the motorball arc asking new questions of her identity, who she was and who she is becoming. Just as she’s starting to think about what’s important, the reappearance of an old foe, and the rise of the main villain of the series, changes everything. By the end of volume 5 it’s all gone to hell, with everything that mattered snatched away. And it’s only at this point that she (and we) have a chance to realise it.

Looking back, it’s hard to say if this is what manga-ka Yukito Kishiro had planned all along. No doubt he was just drawing an exciting comic book, layering action upon action before the sheer length of the series allowed for development into something deeper. But the strength of the universe he created (or rather the mysteries of it) meant that intrigue over the big questions always stuck in the mind: who is Alita? What is Tiphares?

The last four volumes raise the series into its place as a masterpiece. After five volumes and a few short years spent in the claustrophobic scrapyard, Kishiro sends Alita into the big bad world. Years pass faster than before and we get a real sense of Alita’s aimlessness and loneliness in a new role as an agent (or rather slave) of Tiphares. Exposed to both the desolation of the larger, post-apocalyptic Earth, and the relative sanity (compared to the scrapyard folk) of the Tipharean characters she and we can put everything in perspective.

What happens over those last four volumes is epic in the extreme. Alita gets caught up in the biggest of class wars, discovers new romance and sees old, cherished characters take new paths fraught with danger. And she meets new characters, some weirder, some wiser, but all teaching the sheltered cyborg something of what it means to live.

That’s what’s brilliant about these arcs. Throughout the series, Alita is painted as a merciless killer, whose ‘Panzer Kunst’ awakens a terrifying bloodlust of the type that’s borderline justifiable for a soldier. Yet no matter how many years pass or what situation she’s thrown into, she still knows little about her world or why she goes on doing any of it. Epitomising this struggle is the climax, which is not so much against Desty Nova, as with her own psyche. As the answers are finally revealed and plot twists executed at a dizzying pace, Alita realises, piece-by-piece, what matters to her and what she wants to do in this world, with her life.

It’s a beautiful ending (though I’m still ambivalent as to whether the epilogue adds to or slightly ruins it). Sure, along the way there are the typical sci-fi lessons about war, economics, science, technology and where it leaves us all as a society. But at the heart of it is the very human struggle to come to terms with loneliness and isolation, and just what the point of this all is when everyone seems to make everyone else miserable. And that’s a lot considering the protagonist isn’t even human.

As the scale of the story grew, so too, I feel, did Kishiro’s ambition and skill as both an artist and a writer. Many of his later panels are downright breathtaking and the level of detail over weaponry and war-strategies shows his level of nerdishness, as well as an awareness of how to push otaku buttons. But there’s also the poetry of his dialogue, shining through despite the sometimes juddery pacing of the story. And you can’t help but admire the sheer breadth of mad, mad, yet incredibly charismatic characters he’s populated it with. That and the sudden injections of humour, also show that this isn’t a writer taking his work too seriously.

Battle Angel Alita is an outstanding manga, a genuine classic that deserves to be praised to the heavens and read by as many people as possible. And it’s not over of course – Kishiro went back and undid the ending with the ongoing ‘continuation’ Last Order, which I’m about to start. If it’s half as good as the original is, I’m going to thoroughly enjoy it, though I do feel a bit like Alita: 15 years since the beginning and looking back, how little I knew about how deep the universe runs and what it all means.

Long anticipated, the English translation of Murakami’s latest novel arrived this autumn to the expected fanfare and hype (not least from myself). Split into a slightly indulgent three volumes (presented in two books), the novel is typical Murakami, though probably not vintage.

That’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable. The comforting, familiar tropes of a Murakami world always bring a certain warmth: elegant Japanese cities and quaint small towns; specific descriptions of music, drinks and food preparation; stoic protagonists with (relatively) simple lives shaken by events outside of their control. Not to mention the supernatural element behind it all that’s never fully explained.

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There is a lot to like here, for sure. For one, IQ84 is a real page turner. Part of this is the aforementioned mystery-that-is-never-fully-explained, but it’s also the intertwining double narratives of Aomame and Tengo. This isn’t the first time Murakami’s used multiple narratives of course, and he’s used it to much better effect in the likes of Kafka on the Shore or Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. But it gets a bit more interesting when he introduces a third narrator in volume three, particularly because it’s someone you wouldn’t expect to be a narrator, and Ushikawa really is an atypical character for a Murakami.

For that reason, Ushikawa is one of the more interesting people in the story. Aomame and Tengo are okay –  two characters of equal standing, with equally intriguing narratives. They’re still typical Murakami characters though, even if the little details make them a little more distinctive: Tengo’s slightly chubby build, Aomame’s scowls and unusual line in freelance work. I’ve also never been fully convinced of Murakami’s ability to write from the female perspective (he just can’t help looking at things from the male gaze – particularly his slight obsession with perfectly-formed breasts). Ushikawa is completely different –  a disgusting person with a disgusting role, stirring both pity and revulsion. I can’t decide if he is a sadly underused character-cum-plot-device or meant as some deeper opposite to Aomame and Tengo’s more virtuous selves.

By the end of the story, I couldn’t help but feel a lack of catharsis from my time in IQ84. Sure, the story came to an end, but I’m not sure much was resolved. The biggest issue for me was not so much the Little People, but Tengo’s family. Was his father his real father? Who was his mother? Was the connection between he and Aomame completely coincidental/fateful? Or are they all machinations of the Little People, as seemed to be hinted with implications of virgin births, random air chrysalises and “voids that must be filled”?

Really, it’s less a mystery and more of an Alice in Wonderland-style adventure, two people acting as ciphers for the reader, slipping unknowingly down the rabbit hole and experiencing a whole bunch of weird stuff. I wondered on more than one occasion if Murakami was half poking fun – or at least playing with – the relationship between writer and reader (one of the aspects I enjoyed most about the novels). Through the early conversations between Tengo and Komatsu, he talks extensively about the writing and editing process. And IQ84 is partly the story of a story (Air Chrysalis) that takes on a life of itself, using the writer as a tool to enter the ‘real’ world. Is Murakami saying that we are giving his story, his world, life by reading it ourselves? That the Little People are manipulating all of us in this way (or that we are, also unknowingly, working against the Little People, as the writer, publisher and readers of Air Chrysalis did?)? That (bleugh) we are the authors of our own narratives? In which case, can someone explain to me what this was all about?

Kirishima is a pretty area of parkland about 40 mins drive north of Kagoshima in Kyushu. It’s part of the ‘Kirishima-Yaku’ National park that includes the island of Yakushima and forms one of the biggest national parks in Japan. It’s also considered “one of the finest volcanic hikes in Japan”, at least according to my Lonely Planet guide, and was used as a location for the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice (thank you Wikipedia).

Given that I’d travelled to Kyushu specifically to see volcanoes and hike through pretty woods, this was pretty much a no-brainer to visit. However, getting there is a bit of a pain in the ass. Buses and trains do exist but they aren’t exactly frequent so getting to and from the park, yet alone around the park itself, is a bit of a headache. We therefore decided to rent a car – a prospect that was initially terrifying as it was a) my first time driving in Japan, and b) required me to test my language skills beyond the rudimentary ‘where is the toilet’. Fortunately, we made a new friend at breakfast in our hostel, who, fortunately was both a) going the same way, and b) Japanese. Big thanks to her for being such a fun travel companion and a good sport with her bumbling gaijin companions! And as it turns out driving in Japan is a pleasant experience and renting relatively easy to do. We ended up renting two more cars over the course of our holiday, and I’d highly recommend it, particularly for getting to any out-of-the-way places.

Anyway, I did most of the driving and though we got a little lost (even with the satnav) trying to get out of Kagoshima, getting to Kirishima turned out to be a relaxing and relatively short drive out. As with any place, the first thing you see is the train station, so why break that tradition even if we’re in a car? The station itself is nothing special, but it does have the first of many free ashiyu (natural foot baths) outside, where a number of taxi drivers were lamenting the slowness of business.

The first place we properly visited was Kirishima-jingu – remarkably the one and only shrine I visited on my whole trip (that’s got to be a first). After walking through the touristy shopping street to the main entrance, it’s actually a beautiful place, sitting serenely within the park’s woods and with a decent view of the surrounding area from its hilltop.

The shrine itself was, unfortunately, undergoing some maintenance, so there wasn’t that much for us to see of the building. But I did partake in the usual shrine bell ringing, wish making and fortune casting.

After a bento lunch while soaking in another ashiyu near the parking lot, we set off to tackle a hike proper. As we’d seen from Kagoshima, a couple of the active volcanoes had actually erupted so were out-of-bounds to the public. This meant we couldn’t visit the famed Takachiho-no-mine, which is sacred in Japan’s mythology. According to Japan Guide:

It was here that Ninigi no Mikoto, grandson of the Sun Goddess, is said to have descended to Earth to establish the lineage of Japanese Emperors and rule over the land. His spear, the same one used earlier to create the islands of Japan, was thrown into the summit of Mount Takachiho-no-mine, marking the spot where Ninigi no Mikoto descended from heaven. The sword remains there to this day.

I would have liked to have seen that, but sadly it was not to be. Instead, we headed north to Ebino Kogen, a series of volcanic lakes surrounded by mountains and famed for its panoramic views.

If you can only do one hike on your trip to Kirishima, then Ebino Kogen is well worth choosing. For one thing, the drive is lovely, with stunning views and lovely waterfalls like this along the way.

At Ebino Kogen itself there’s a decent selection of hiking circuits, of varying length, and even if you overestimate your time available (as I did) you can still do a brilliant hike up to the peak of Shiratori-san and back in two hours. On the way, you’ll see brilliant panoramas like this and this, as well as some wild deer. From the top of one of those peaks, our Japanese companion said, the Japanese caught their first glimpse of Korea!

I wish we’d had at least another day to explore Kirishima, but you can get a decent feel for the place in a day trip (particularly with a car). You can stay overnight in the area, but it’s a tad more expensive and the ease of access from Kagoshima means there’s no real reason unless you’re planning to do one of the really long hikes and don’t want the hour’s drive. In any case, it’s a spectacularly lovely place and well worth a visit.

More pics from Kirishima in my Flickr set.

‘Ano Hana’, as fans affectionately refer to it, is simply a lovely series. It’s the tale of six childhood friends who’ve drifted apart and the shared tragedy that ultimately brings them back together.

Though there’s a supernatural element to it, the core of the show is really about friendship and whether the ties that bind in childhood hold true as you grow to teens on the cusp of adulthood. It’s this simple emotional dilemma – of wanting (or not wanting) to move on but being unable to, of holding on to things and never knowing if that’s the right thing to do – that gives Ano Hana its charm.

Kiiragi on Random Curiosity makes a fair point – the show never quite rose to the high level of profundity and empathy I thought it might. I don’t know quite what I was expecting, but even though the story reached a logical conclusion, it felt like something of a damp squib after a final three episodes that had me weeping at every cliffhanger. This strange lack of satisfactory closure means, for me, it doesn’t quite rank up there with the likes of Kare Kano, Angel Beats! and Honey and Clover as among my all-time favourites. But it is certainly a show I’d recommend and at just 12 episodes it’s a lovely, sensitive and emotional journey that’s well worth your time.

A particular shout out for the music too – Ano Hana features a fabulous score by Remedios and two really lovely OP and ED themes. The ED in particular, a cover of Zone’s classic Secret Base, came to be my theme tune of the Spring, maybe my year altogether. I’m sure I’m not alone in holding this song dear. Having learnt that the group is also reforming to “fulfil the promise of meeting 10 years after that the lyrics allude to” this makes it all the more poignant.

Ghibli’s latest is an entertaining, if not entirely captivating, tale. Many have said the same thing, but it does say something about Ghibli’s calibre that a film that is merely ‘solid’ seems something of a disappointment.

SPOILER WARNING

Adapting a classic English children’s novel, Arietty has some wonderful moments. Other reviews have highlighted the quality of the sound, particularly in bringing out the monstrous echoes of everyday sounds as heard by the Borrowers. The animation is solid and I love the little details of the Borrower house and their use of objects like fly-paper and fish hooks for hard-core ‘mountaineering’.

This isn’t an epic tale on the scale of a Miyazaki. There’s nothing like the flood in the last Ghibli, Ponyo, or even a mini-disaster like at the end of Kiki’s Delivery Service. In keeping with the Borrowers small size is the relative scale of the ‘tragedy’ setting up the final act. Yet, in many ways, it’s one that the audience should relate to more than any of the fantastical Ghibli films – moving home. We’ve all had to move on at some point, and that means letting go of things we really don’t want to.

Heart is not what lets this film down. It’s characterisation and tension that do. We’re not given any real reason to root for the characters or the bonds they form with each other. Aside from Sho being ‘sick’ and Arietty being ‘small and vulnerable’ what is there that would form this strong friendship/affection between the two? They really only meet a handful of times and even then it seems like they went at an uncomfortable pace, without the little gestures or steps that might have made it seem more natural. Though Sho does eventually help to save Arietty’s mother, his whole risk-taking, and the two’s tearful parting, would be more emotional if we had more of a reason to care.

The support characters, I felt, suffered pretty badly too. I would’ve liked to have heard more about Arietty’s parents – perhaps the hardships they went through to build this home – and explored more of the world that Spiller (who also gets a raw deal) represents. It’s the same for the humans – Sho is a rather two-dimensional sick kid and even the ‘villain’ Haru is little more than an irritating, small-town maid (compared to, say, the Witch of the Waste in Howl’s Moving Castle – an imperfect film, sure, but one with a villain who comes full circle). And while I’m being mean about it, I hated the English-language theme song too :P

Yet, as I say, maybe this is just in keeping with the theme of ‘smaller’, ‘less ambitious’ that the Borrowers represent. And it just feels wrong to criticise a Ghibli film too much, especially when the film is still enjoyable and head and shoulders above most of today’s animated films.

This isn’t classic Ghibli, for sure – nowhere near any of the Miyazaki’s, not even at the ‘charming’ level of The Cat Returns. But it’s not as bad as Tales of Earthsea and probably somewhere around Pom Poko. And, to be honest, you’ll probably like it more if your expectations are a little lower.

This weekend I went to the Hyper Japan exhibition at London’s Kensington Olympia.

A celebration of contemporary Japanese culture, it’s the second year the event has run. Having missed it last year, I booked my ticket well in advance this time.

Was it worth it? Yes and no. While I did enjoy bits of it, I have to say, overall, it was a bit of a disappointment. It’s largely another ‘pay high entrance fee to get into a space where you can spend more money’ do. And in contrast to, say, MCM Expo, there weren’t many ‘bargains’ to be had when you were inside. Most of the stuff, from food to figurines remained at a premium.

There was a programme of show events, but much of it was a bit weak. Pop star violinist Kanon Wakashima was fine, if not really to my taste (I think this was one for the Goth Lolis) and the cosplay parade/awards was the usual mix of some good, some awful. There was a decent-ish fashion show and a couple of cooking demonstrations, but nothing really amazing.

Stall-wise, I was excited to see the likes of Hobby Japan, Nintendo, Bandai and Toei animation on the exhibitor list, but only Nintendo – bringing the new Xenoblade, Zelda and Mario demos to play – really had a decent presence. Toei just put up a load of One Piece pictures and Bandai, while full of games, didn’t have much to offer (had they been selling Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 at a special price, I may well have parted with my cash). Square Enix brought some good figures and were one of the few to have a) a good display, and b) reasonable prices (I’m not much of a Square Enix fan though, so nothing to really tempt me).

Konami seemed to have just set out a few tables for Yu-gi-oh card games, but most disappointing was Anime-on-Demand’s presence, which was just a bit cube of banners! I’d gone in hoping to thank them in person for providing such a good service, and willingly handed them cash for an annual pass. Alas, it was not to be.

Of the rest, it wasn’t really anything you couldn’t find in the Japan Centre or Mitsukoshi on an average day and the prices were the same extortionate amounts. A lot of the stuff were things I’d seen just a month before in Japan at half the price. I know, if I hadn’t just been there some of this stuff would’ve been ‘new’ and I might have snapped it up anyway. But I still wouldn’t have enjoyed the inflated prices >_<

Despite the disappointments, there were some high points. There was a wonderful photo-exhibition of post-tsunami rebuilding by a couple of charities and I really enjoyed the Nintendo demos. I also never tire of eating takoyaki and matcha ice cream, even if it wasn’t quite as authentic as I’d hoped.

And yes, I still came away with a few purchases: a SCANDAL CD, a random volume of Urusei Yatsura for a bargain £2.50 and the latest Kimi ni Todoke volume.

I also have to count myself lucky I got in. The whole event was a little bit disorganised and a bit of a free-for-all in places, but things were really bad for anyone who tried to come around midday, when capacity was reached and people – even those with pre-booked tickets – had to be turned away! Not very professional, but then what can you do other than to maybe put timed entry on tickets so everyone doesn’t come at once?

So overall, I wan’t as hyper about Hyper Japan as I thought I would be. Still, any celebration of Japanese stuff is a win for me. The UK would certainly be poorer without such things.

The latest volume of KimiTodo really ramps things up, yet I can’t help but still feel a little disappointed by it and – gasp! – maybe even slightly annoyed by some of the characters?

I know what I’m saying is controversial – especially since I still enjoy the series and would champion it as one of the better shojo manga out there. But still, there’s something that feels a little uneven about the last few volumes – maybe the pacing or the extent to which characters have or haven’t changed over the last nine volumes.

(SPOILERS)

Volume 9 is really the ‘confession’ volume, in which Kazehaya and Sawako both put their cards on the table. But in true Kazehaya/Sawako fashion, they both misunderstand each other! This, actually, I do feel was handled well. It’s true that when it comes to love, communicating your feelings is the hardest thing. And more often than not, we find it difficult to explain ourselves in a way that the one we love will clearly understand.

Shiina-sensei handles this aspect really well, and you can’t help but get swept up in the drama of it all — particularly with the backdrop of the school festival preparations. It reminded me a lot of when this sort of thing used to happen when I was in high school – anytime anyone confessed their feelings it was the biggest gossip that had everyone on the edge of their seats!

I have to admit though, it’s a little frustrating for the reader. I’m getting a little annoyed with how dense Sawako is. I’m with Kurumi on this one – no matter how much interference has come from Miura or anyone else, this would all have worked out much more smoothly if Sawako would just get over her inferiority complex and have more confidence in herself! But I’m also aware that this is a) one of my own faults and b) what makes Sawako Sawako. I guess this is really crunch time – the moment when Sawako finally has to change, and must instigate it herself. Having waited (im)patiently this long, I’ll be relieved when she finally does!

Despite the dramatic turn of events, I still felt a little like this was strung out a bit, and, as I say, uneven. In her side column, Shiina-sensei writes that she had a baby around this time, which would explain things – hopefully the later volumes will benefit from her post-birth focus. Yet with four volumes to go I’m starting to wonder how much more the Kazehaya X Sawako plotline will be strung out. Personally – and I think I said this in my thoughts on Vol 8. – I’d like to see more on the side characters, especially Yoshida, Yano and Ryu. I know it’s the two leads who carry the story, but I’d welcome a bit of a break from their misunderstandings and a bit more development for the characters (and world) around them.

Another month, another brilliant double volume of Cross Game arrives on my doorstep. And it doesn’t disappoint with a new rival for Aoba’s affections and the Seishu team finally embarking on their road to Koshien.

(SPOILERS)

I have to say, while Mizuki’s arrival has altered the dynamic a bit, he hasn’t exactly shaken things up (given them a gentle sway, more like). Given that he’s Aoba’s cousin, totally not her type (despite the odd ‘date’ and her occasionally humouring him), and is a little, well, harmless, you don’t really sense that he’s a major rival – something that really would shake things up. There may well be one down the line though, and Mizuki’s certainly got Ko riled up, whether he wants to admit it or not. And whether it’s Mizuki’s influence or not, Aoba seems to be warming to Ko a bit more too.

On the sports side of things, Seishu get their first three games in the High School National Championships. It’s a knockout and they take the first two games pretty easily – the first one a little too easily for my liking. The end of ‘Vol. 8′ (i.e. mid-way through this book) sees them building up to that first game, but the team is dismissed as a school of more girls than boys, and they’re easily despatched before we’ve even hit 5 pages of the next book. I do think more could have been made of this — something about underestimating your opponents?

The Seishu boys do get more of a game in the second round (which they end up turning around through ignorance – ignorance of their own weaknesses). And as the book winds up, we’re left in the first few innings of their major test – against opponents with a genuine star in their ranks, and one built up as a rival for Azuma. I do like it when Adachi takes time to build up an opponent – it adds to the sense of anticipation and, as with Azuma before, the attention Adachi gives to the new guy – Mishima – seems to anticipate a major influence in the series.

Elsewhere, Ichiyo admits her feelings and – sniff – Wakaba makes a reappearance in a couple of heartwarming flashbacks. I’m also enjoying the Ko-Azuma dynamic – nothing like strong bromance to get a sports manga going.

As usual, I couldn’t put the book down. It’s Adachi’s usual mix of brilliant storytelling, coming-of-age sweetness and dramatic baseball strategy. I’m genuinely chuffed to see Ko’s rise from baseball apathetic to star pitcher, which is saying a lot for a fictional character in a sport I don’t really understand. Still, man, I want to be Kitamura Ko.

This isn’t out in UK cinemas for another 2 weeks, but a friend just returned from Japan bearing gifts! And I thought I’d missed out as the DVD release date was just after I returned to the UK from my trip.

The DVD is apparently selling out all over Japan, so getting hold of this is quite lucky. Can’t wait to watch it. Review to follow soon.