The Night Before

Hey everybody,

This post will be much shorter than the others. Tonight is the night before I fly to Japan, and I couldn't be more excited.

Preparing for this trip was pretty crazy... first I'll give you a brief overview of what my summer was like, and then I'll say what mattered in regards to my actual study abroad.

1.  Took some time to visit close friends throughout the summer
2. Worked a few part time jobs
3. Studied Japanese (sometimes more often than none)
4. Worked on a webcomic (post about that coming soon!)
5. Spent three weeks as a student assistant at my college working with Japanese students.
6. Realized how close the trip was getting and REALLY began to study.
   
   
   
   
   I'm really glad to have had the wonderful time to visit my friends at home. It kept me from going insane in my own house. Working part time jobs helped me save up the money that I'll spend to live in Tokyo (one of the most expensive cities in the world). 
   
   
   It's important to mention that, until my departure date was 3 weeks upon me, studying my Japanese was not on the top of my priority list. Of course, you could say I had my hands full (working on a webcomic, seeing friends) but I know the reason I resisted working on it was because I was scared of it. It's silly, really. When I was forced against the wall and had to deal with it, it wasn't too hard. Just to think, though... I could have gotten much further in my book if I kept up with it all summer.
   
   I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with some really cool college students from Nihon University, Japan this summer. I really miss these students and can't wait to see them. For as big as Tokyo is, it can be a lonely city. Ergo, I feel pretty damn fortunate to know such an awesome group of people. I'm really looking forward to seeing them.
   
   I, I, I... Jesus, this post has way too much to do with me. Look forward to some posts more about Japan, and of course it's booming comic industry.

Phoenix's Rebirth (would be nice)

Evening, readers. Today will start off with a little quiz. Ever seen this guy before? Who is it?

 

Did you answer Astro Boy, or Mighty Atom? Pin- Pon! Correct! For those who don't know: he's a famous character who was drawn by Osamu Tezuka (popularly named the God (or Godfather) of Manga).

Round Two. What series is the next character from?

Maybe you know, maybe you don't know. This image is from Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix.

 "Now in English is the first volume of the acclaimed Phoenix series, regarded as Tezuka's masterpiece. Osamu Tezuka painstakingly created his epic 12-volume series over several decades, stretching the limits of comics to address fundamental questions about existence. All 12 episodes of Phoenix are linked by the presence of the mythical bird, an immortal guardian of the universal life force. Beginning in A.D. 270, Phoenix: Dawn follows the ambitions of Queen Himiko, capturing with precise period detail the early phase of Japanese civilization." (easily found here:http://store.viz.com/Phoenix-Dawn/A/1569318689.htm)

 

A couple of weeks ago, I went on a search for a copy of Volume 1, and found myself very frustrated. Why? Because Viz only had one copy left of Volume 1, and the price on the website was $87.00 or so. That's about, I don't know, 870% more than the original retail price. If you were to check the link now, you would find that they are sold out (congratulations to the final buyer!)

If Phoenix really is Tezuka's masterpiece, I would presume that means it would be better than his other series. That's saying a lot! Tezuka has written many series, a few of which I've read and love deeply (here's looking at you, Black Jack). Simply thinking that the first volume of this series is hard to obtain in the United States is difficult to cope with. At least for me it is.

At least English copies of Black Jack aren't hard to get a hold of/ ridiculously expensive.

As it turns out, Viz couldn't continue printing Phoenix, the sales simply weren't high enough. Comic series like Mighty Atom probably survive simply because of their popularity in American culture. Our comfort with the familiar and fear of the unfamiliar has cost us a translation of one of the greatest Manga series ever in book form.

So, what to do next? I've been thinking about contacting Viz Media, just to ask them why they stopped printing, though the answer is pretty obvious. The only address I could find is their snail mail. If you'd also like to see Phoenix reprinted on these shores, write to them! Here's their address:

Viz Media LLC
295 Bay Street
San Francisco, CA 94133

Phone (415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086

Depending on their response, my next step will be researching the availability of Japanese copies. The situation could be better or worse, as publishers stop printings just like they do hear. I'll keep you updated as to how that goes.

Have a good week, a new post will be up Thursday!

Next week: Kingyo Used Books, and giving the ol' Japanese language a try.

This world is inhabited by creatures called MANGA!

There is something great about beginnings. Remember the first day of a special school year? I don't. The beginnings I remember the most are from well made RPGs.

Stay the hell away from me old man. I've got this.

While playing THAT game probably wasn't the best way to grow up, it's one of those memories I can't shake. I remember lazing around on the couch for hours, playing Pokémon and games of the like. It was only until music became a part of my life that I started pressing keys that weren't on a Gameboy.

I was a gamer up until college, but recently I've found that I can't play these games without guilt. Playing an RPG, you get to play as an determined youth who goes out on journeys to make his/her dreams come true. But it is a fantastic illusion. In reality, you're letting precious time slip away.

When I was a kid, it was a little more understandable to play these games. I wasn't allowed outside my own neighborhood, let alone too far off of my block (protective parents). That hunk of red plastic in my hands was freedom in certain ways. Now that I'm an adult, the boundaries have dissolved. If I want to go somewhere else, the option is always there. I can do what I want. So why don't I do that?

Ergo, I came up with some goals: Go to Japan, meet Naruto.

Just kidding, I'm no fan of Naruto. I will be going to Japan as part of my study abroad experience at college, and when I'm there, I'm going to dig deep for the curious English readers out there. I'm going search for and find manga we can't obtain here, and let you know about it.

An entrance to a mine full of gold, somewhere in Tokyo

Right now, I'm preparing for my trip to Japan. For those who want to know what that's like, I'll be bringing some updates soon on that process. Resources for actually hunting down manga are a little limited, but I'll be posting what I find here.

Once I get to Japan, I’ll start getting settled in. I hope to keep you informed with my words and sights. Attending a Japanese language school will become very rigorous and I’ll let you know what that’s like.

Another thing... my writing is completely novice, which you've probably realized by now. Stick around, I'll make sure to improve.


Next Week: Tezuka's Phoenix, VIZ MEDIA WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?