Recently in books: manga Category

otakumag.com

Genre: Japanese Culture, Art, Manga and Film

review in one breath

The latest issue of Otaku Magazine is now available. This one is entitled "Play" and focuses on the themes of players and play in all its manifestations. I've been a fan of Otaku Mag since I first ran across it a year ago. Its dedication to Japan-inspired art and technology is thoroughly entertaining, and its glossy visual presentation sets a very high standard for underground publications.

This issue is being published as a limited release, so if you are interested in ordering it, I recommend you do so quickly. The issue is expected to sell out soon. For info on ordering and the new issue's contents, keep reading.

Otaku Magazine: Kaidan Issue

otakumag.com

Genre: Japanese Culture, Art, Manga and Film
Author: Otaku Staff & International Contributors

review in one breath

The new issue of Otaku Magazine, dedicated wholly to traditional Japanese Kaidan is now available. This highly-polished and glossy art magazine offers international purveyors and fans of Japanese art, manga and otaku-dom a very thorough and broad quarterly glimpse into the latest and greatest eye-candy from Japan. This is a bilingual publication catering to both English and Romanian audiences interested in the contemporary Japanese art scene. And dare I mention their Kaidan issue features an article by yours truly? (Apparently I dare.)

Otaku Magazine

otakumag.com

Genre: Japanese Culture, Art, Manga and Film
Author: Otaku Staff & International Contributors

review in one breath

Otaku Magazine is a relatively new and visually stunning international publication dedicated to a fascination with Japanese art and culture. Published in both English and Romanian languages, each quarterly issue is brimming with top quality interviews, content and superb graphical layouts. From front to back, its glossy, colorful pages deliver a full and professional interaction with contemporary Japanese manga and artists. This thoroughly impressive and upcoming project deserves the recognition and support of the broader international community of Nippon fandom.

The indigenous religion of Japan is Shinto (神道), the "Way of the Gods". The central text of Shinto is the Kojiki (古事記), which outlines the ancient mythology whereby Japan's ancestral gods and lands were born. If you've ever taken a course in World Religions, you know how crucial myths are to any culture. Core myths explain why we do what we do; why we live like we live. For example, the Judaeo-Christian Creation story explains such things as why humans differ qualitatively from animals, why there is evil and death in the world, and why we get weekends off from work to sit around watching Japanese movies. Similarly, the Japanese creation story, contained in the Kojiki provides the central ancient explanation as to why Japanese do what Japanese do, etc.

It should be no surprise that contemporary publications of the Kojiki include manga versions aimed at educating and entertaining Japanese youth (and cartoon-loving gaijin). The following are scans of a manga version I picked up in Ikebukuro.