Manga/Anime Corner!

Welcome to Manga/Anime Corner again! This time I am going to recommend a lighter manga/anime and a darker one. Both are manga and anime. While I typically prefer the Japanese voices, I happen to really like the English Dubbed voices of both anime. So, this time around, I cannot give a “Subs v. Dubs” recommendation. All right, here they are!

------------------------------------------

Ouran High School Host Club­ – Bisco Hatori

Both an anime and a manga, Ouran High School Host Club is a fun romantic comedy for guys and girls alike. Ouran is a satire, overall. It pokes fun at the stereotypical male characters girls are supposed to like. And it is downright hilarious!

The series follows Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student at Ouran Academy. Ouran Academy is an extremely prestigious high school, where only the richest attend. Their unofficial motto is “Lineage first, wealth a close second.” It is very rare when an exceptional “commoner” is granted a scholarship. When looking for a quiet place to study, Haruhi stumbles into the Ouran Academy Host Club.

A Host Club is a group of men who entertain women with conversation and drinks. Host and Hostess clubs are very popular in East Asian countries. The Ouran Host Club is a group of six male students. Each student epitomizes a male stereotype found in Japanese manga/anime.

Tamaki Suo is the princely, flamboyant, and narcissistic founder and president of the Host Club; Kyoya Otori is the secretive, pragmative, megane (glasses) vice-president of the Host Club; Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin are the mischievous, childish, twins in the Host Club; Mistkune “Honey” Haninozuka is the Lolita, sweets-addict, and eldest member of the Host Club; Takashi “Mori” Morinozuka is the protective, quiet, tall, and second eldest member of the Host Club. What is Haruhi to do when she meets all of these strange men? What happens when she accidentally smashes an $80,000 vase in the clubroom? Is working as a Host the only way to pay off her debt? Don't they realize that she's a girl?

Back Row: Kyoya, Mori (with Usa-chan), Tamaki
Front Row: Kaoru, Haruhi, Hikaru, Honey

The anime only spans 26 episodes (a rather short anime), and the manga is only 18 volumes long (a rather short manga). There are two seasons in the anime. A 3^rd season was rumored, but hasn’t been produced. There is a live-action drama and film, which I haven’t seen. The anime ends rather abruptly and very differently than the manga. To find out what happens, I suggest reading the manga for answers. Despite the ending, I adored the anime! Every episode had me cracking up and smiling. And, guys, don’t be afraid of it! I know quite a few men who really enjoyed it, too! Initially, Ouran is really weird… But, you grow accustomed to it!

------------------------------------------

Cowboy Bebop – Keiko Nobumoto (anime) / Hajime Yatate (manga)

The 1998 award-winning anime, Cowboy Bebop, is actually one of the greatest anime I’ve seen. Granted, I say that about a lot of things on this blog… Cowboy Bebop truly is brilliant. With only 26 episodes and one movie, this show caters to everyone. Men and women alike will love this show. It’s science fiction, film noir, Western, and crime fiction all in one. The music is reminiscent of the 40’s-60’s with its jazz and southern tones, but also the 50’s-70’s early rock style. The animation is awesome for a 1998 show. The voices, both in Japanese and English, are perfect for each character.

The year is 2071, and the entire Solar System is accessible through hyperspace gates. The explosion of a test hyperspace gate, in 2022, severely damaged the Moon. The survivors abandoned Earth and colonized other planets. Now, Mars is the central hub of human civilization. However, it is also the hub of interplanetary crime syndicates. Those syndicates have an influence over the government and the ISSP (Inter-Solar System Police). In order to regulate the corruption, a bounty system – similar to one in the Old West – is established to deal with crime. Those involved are aptly named, “cowboys.”

Our main characters are aboard a ship called the Bebop, owned by a man named Jet Black. An ex-ISSP detective, Jet turned to bounty hunting to pursue justice. Despite his gruff exterior, Jet is protective and caring man. His partner in crime is a man named Spike Spiegel. Spike is an easygoing, skilled pilot and a master of hand-to-hand combat and firearms. While hunting for their next paycheck, the two encounter Faye Valentine – a novice, bounty hunter with a gambling problem and debt – and Edward – an eccentric computer genius and master hacker. As they pursue various criminals, the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate keeps popping up. Will Jet and Spike get involved in something far bigger than a little bounty? Who is this mysterious Julia woman? Will they keep the corgi?

From Left: Jet, Spike, Faye, Ed, and Ein.

The manga was written after the anime aired, but still is enjoyable. I started and finished this show in less than a fortnight (2 weeks). I can’t even begin to tell you how fantastic Cowboy Bebop is. I’ve remained pretty vague in my description of the show because the characters will be elaborated on when you watch the show. Both the Japanese and English voices are perfect for the characters. Ladies: Spike is unbelievably handsome no matter what language he’s speaking. Gents: Spike is unbelievably bad-ass no matter what language he’s speaking. Everyone: Cowboy Bebop is unbelievably awesome no matter what language they are speaking.

------------------------------------------

Both anime can be found on AnimeReady.com, JustDubs.net, AnimeCrazy.net, and various others. Manga can be found on CityManga.com or MangaFox.com. Ouran can be found on YouTube in high quality in both languages. It was posted by FUNimation and is completely legal.

Don't forget to do your best to support the artists, too. Give both a try! They’re tons of fun!

Happy Reading and Watching!

-Isabel