Tuesdays with Ambrea: New in Manga

Reviews by Ambrea

Recently, I’ve been on a kick of reading (and, in some cases, re-reading) Japanese graphic novels – better known as manga.  For some reason, I’ve been devouring all kinds of manga:  action-adventure, historical, romance, intrigue, science-fiction, humor.  If it’s come across my radar in the last few weeks, I’ve tried to give it a chance, even if it’s not usually my cup of tea.  Here are some of the brand-new manga I’ve come across and enjoyed immensely:

 

In Cells at Work! by Akane Shimizu, cells – red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, killer T cells, and more – are tasked with keeping the human body active, healthy, and happy.  It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!

As silly as the premise of this manga sounds, it’s actually surprisingly good.  It made me think of the 2001 animated film Osmosis Jones:  it all takes place inside the human body, depicts the various changes within said human body (whether healthy or ill), and anthropomorphizes all the various cells that keep the human body healthy.  It was funny and quirky and weird, but it’s action-packed and it has just a hint of science thrown in for good measure.

I was particularly tickled by how the book depicts allergies and influenza, and I loved the pop-up boxes that explain the roles of every cell.  For someone who hasn’t taken a science class in almost a decade, I found it unexpectedly fun and oddly informative – and, truthfully, I wished I’d had this book to read when I was taking that rogue anatomy class in college.

 

In Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo, professional spy Twilight is the best at what he does.  He’s a master of disguise, a cunning manipulator, and a terrifying fighter.  He’s never failed a mission – and he’s not about to start.  So, when he’s tasked with an impossible mission, which involves a deep cover assignment with a wife and child, he tries his best to make the best of a crazy situation.  Too bad his fake wife is an assassin and his adopted daughter is a telepath.

 I adored Spy x Family.

 It feels similar to Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005), because you have two married individuals who are completely unaware of the other’s real occupation, but throw in a quirky kid with special powers à la Matilda (1996) and you have a recipe for disaster – or, maybe, the perfect manga.

It’s a good balance between action and humor.  On the one hand, you have Loid eluding criminals and stealing misbegotten artifacts, and Yor killing people for a paycheck; on the other, you have Anya listening to their thoughts and letting her overactive imagination run wild, because she’s so excited that her parents are so very cool.  I just loved reading about all the hijinks in which this oddball family finds themselves involved.

 

In The Ancient Magus’ Bride by Kore Yamazaki, Chise Hatori is a sleigh beggy – a magical individual who’s not-quite-human, but not-quite-fae, either.  After suffering innumerable tragedies as a child, she’s now set to become an apprentice to an inhuman mage named Elias and learn more about the strange new world of magic she inhabits.

I really enjoyed reading The Ancient Magus’ Bride.  I loved the various elements of fantasy and magic the story incorporates – such as the portrayal of all different kinds of fairies, like pixies, leannán sídhe, banshees, and selkies – and I enjoyed seeing Chise learn, grow, and (I hope) heal.  It’s described as a slice-of-life romance, so it isn’t buoyed by suspense or very much action, but it has beautiful artwork and lovely stories that run the gamut from tragic to heartwarming to surreal.

Probably my biggest complaint about the entire series is that Chise is very young – possibly no more than 15.  I really don’t like that she’s set to marry someone that’s literally ten times her age, and I don’t like that she was technically sold into slavery.  While I can appreciate that Elias does free her and he plans to make Chise his apprentice first, rather than his wife, I still have very mixed feelings about their entire relationship.