kajarainbow (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kajarainbow) wrote2009-06-11 02:02 am
kajarainbow) wrote2009-06-11 02:02 am
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A ramble about crap manga, and the strangeness I love
So, I read a lot of Japanese comics. I do mean a lot. For an assortment of reasons (availability via certain sources online being one--I'm poor).
I run across a lot of stuff I'm just tired of. A lot of stuff with somewhat interesting premise that flat-out ruin it by thrusting tedious cliches in.
Example: A comics about cats having territorial struggles. Could've easily been interesting, whether it's done with full-out cats, or with catboys/catgirls. But this one I took a peek at just because of the premise had a magical collar everyone's trying to get, all kinds of silly powers, the Ultimate Wild Cat or whatever, a breed 'more wild than the norm', and the concept of a power-up just by tearing off ones collar. Essentially, it's a bunch of boring silly manga tropes with cat ears/tails tacked on.
Another example: a comic about a fairly nice person trying not to turn into a human-eating ogre. Except that it became increasingly evident that the creator was just following the typical Shounen Jump formula (i.e. Naruto/Bleach). I quit reading about the time the main character got tossed into the Underground Training Ground for a Training Ordeal.
On the other hand, there's some series that seem to somehow manage to pull off utter ridiculousness. Others reuse those tropes in a way that's at least somewhat passably tolerable, and their execution's at least enjoyable. But what I really want is the strange stuff. I'll enjoy some of the less 'out there' stuff, but it often isn't my favorite.
And while there're definite trends both visual and story/character wise in the stuff I've seen, there're some fairly different works. I've really liked a number of those. Stuff like Tekkon Tinkreet, Uzumaki, My Street (this one is Korean), Sexy Voice and Robo...
So, let's see. I wouldn't mind recommendations, actually. Not just Japanese comics, any kind of comics online or offline will do. Webcomics as well as printed comics.
I like surreality--not the bland "Look! Talking penguin, gamer girl, Satan as roommate!" crap found in so many webcomics, but more of a dreamy or hallucinative quality. I want stuff that arouse intense emotions in me just by their visuals, especially. FLCL, Kageoru, Listening to 11.975MHz, Tekkon Tinkreet, Milk Closet. (Not necessarily constantly trippy, but frequently so.)
I tend to like a certain macabre touch (thus my interest in the 'nice guy trying not to turn into flesh-eating oni' premise mentioned above and annoyance at its disappointing execution). Anything by Junko Mizuno, Higurashi no Naki Koro ni, Hellsing, stuff with amusingly grisly carnage or morbid outlooks. A number of the 'gothy' comics out there simply disinterest me, but Serenity Rose's an exception.
Perhaps the ultimate fusion for me would be cute, macabre, and surreal. The game Yume Nikki manages to combine all those elements as an example. Another example, Junko Mizuno's stuff is cute and macabre and often a little strange (a giant pig that sells meat cut off himself, Cinderalla wishing to become a zombie so she can join her beloved undead musician named Prince, just most anything in Pure Trance, and so on).
There're other sorts of comics I like, but those tend to be the types of comics I most want more of. I also wouldn't mind recommendations of movies/series/games/whatever in a similar vein. And, frankly, I'll sacrifice general quality in a number of aspects for something that stimulates me enough (though well-executed surrealism has its own challenges). This crazy shit energizes me. It's mental food for me. It fills my head with imagery. It excites me. I love it.
I run across a lot of stuff I'm just tired of. A lot of stuff with somewhat interesting premise that flat-out ruin it by thrusting tedious cliches in.
Example: A comics about cats having territorial struggles. Could've easily been interesting, whether it's done with full-out cats, or with catboys/catgirls. But this one I took a peek at just because of the premise had a magical collar everyone's trying to get, all kinds of silly powers, the Ultimate Wild Cat or whatever, a breed 'more wild than the norm', and the concept of a power-up just by tearing off ones collar. Essentially, it's a bunch of boring silly manga tropes with cat ears/tails tacked on.
Another example: a comic about a fairly nice person trying not to turn into a human-eating ogre. Except that it became increasingly evident that the creator was just following the typical Shounen Jump formula (i.e. Naruto/Bleach). I quit reading about the time the main character got tossed into the Underground Training Ground for a Training Ordeal.
On the other hand, there's some series that seem to somehow manage to pull off utter ridiculousness. Others reuse those tropes in a way that's at least somewhat passably tolerable, and their execution's at least enjoyable. But what I really want is the strange stuff. I'll enjoy some of the less 'out there' stuff, but it often isn't my favorite.
And while there're definite trends both visual and story/character wise in the stuff I've seen, there're some fairly different works. I've really liked a number of those. Stuff like Tekkon Tinkreet, Uzumaki, My Street (this one is Korean), Sexy Voice and Robo...
So, let's see. I wouldn't mind recommendations, actually. Not just Japanese comics, any kind of comics online or offline will do. Webcomics as well as printed comics.
I like surreality--not the bland "Look! Talking penguin, gamer girl, Satan as roommate!" crap found in so many webcomics, but more of a dreamy or hallucinative quality. I want stuff that arouse intense emotions in me just by their visuals, especially. FLCL, Kageoru, Listening to 11.975MHz, Tekkon Tinkreet, Milk Closet. (Not necessarily constantly trippy, but frequently so.)
I tend to like a certain macabre touch (thus my interest in the 'nice guy trying not to turn into flesh-eating oni' premise mentioned above and annoyance at its disappointing execution). Anything by Junko Mizuno, Higurashi no Naki Koro ni, Hellsing, stuff with amusingly grisly carnage or morbid outlooks. A number of the 'gothy' comics out there simply disinterest me, but Serenity Rose's an exception.
Perhaps the ultimate fusion for me would be cute, macabre, and surreal. The game Yume Nikki manages to combine all those elements as an example. Another example, Junko Mizuno's stuff is cute and macabre and often a little strange (a giant pig that sells meat cut off himself, Cinderalla wishing to become a zombie so she can join her beloved undead musician named Prince, just most anything in Pure Trance, and so on).
There're other sorts of comics I like, but those tend to be the types of comics I most want more of. I also wouldn't mind recommendations of movies/series/games/whatever in a similar vein. And, frankly, I'll sacrifice general quality in a number of aspects for something that stimulates me enough (though well-executed surrealism has its own challenges). This crazy shit energizes me. It's mental food for me. It fills my head with imagery. It excites me. I love it.
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Web comics...
Silent Kimbly has a hell of a lot of weird and surreal stuff, but it doesn't have that dark edge you seem to prefer. It's mostly puns brought to life.
http://www.silentkimbly.com/
Zebra Girl might work, it's basically the story of a young woman who gets transformed into a three eyed stripey demon and her friend who tries to turn her back. Lots of dark edge in this one, and a little cuteness. I dunno, it's worth a look?
http://zebragirl.keenspot.com/
Ever After is kinda neat, it's basically fairy tales in an insane asylum. Lots of pretty broken people and pretty, broken people that you might enjoy. Also lots of gratuitous violence. Unfortunately it just 'stops' suddenly and they don't seem to be making it anymore.
http://ea.snafu-comics.com/
I check To Save Her pretty much every day. It's the third comic by Jennifer Diane Reitz. Some of my friends have issues with her as a person that spoils the comics for them, but I enjoy them a lot. She wrote Unicorn Jelly and Pastel Defender Heliotrope, and To Save Her takes place in the same multiverse. It's a lot darker than the other two, though, and involves some interesting existential horror. Or it tries to anyways, you be the judge?
http://www.pasteldefender.com/
Other things... Hmmm.... This guy? http://www.jimwoodring.com/ He does art that is pretty interesting.
There's this thing: http://www.oddwebsite.com/
Here's something to pass the time? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
This book someone reccomended to me might be good for you too? It's about aliens that reproduce via transformation. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/
There was something here but it's gone now... *looks* I found it. You would probably enjoy the Holders Series. http://theholders.org/
I guess that's it for now. If I think of anything else I'll send it your way. With any of this stuff though ymmv; you're an enigmatic person and though I get the feeling I understand you somewhat, it's possible you won't like any of the things I linked, or worse. Alas. I hope at least one of them hits your mysterious bone.
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Silent Kimbly is cute.
As for JDR, irrespective of what she's like as a person, her endings so far've left me fairly unhappy with her storytelling. It just seems to me like her stories tend to start out more strongly than they finish. I read all of Unicorn Jelly and Pastel Defender Heliotrope, and pretty much left off reading To Save Her at about the same time as Pastel Defender Heliotrope ended. Don't get me wrong, I've really enjoyed her works, it's just... they finish weakly. The overall impression I have of JDR's works is of interesting ideas, but confusing and muddled execution.
I took a look at Ever After before, but didn't really get into it. However, at the same site I'm actively following Sugar Bits. I find some things about its premise interesting and fun, and it mostly does it in a manner that doesn't make me groan too much.
I enjoy Zebra Girl and wish it updated more, though it does seem to be getting better at that lately (the change of format probably helps).
The other sites look fun. Will check them out later. I've checked out occasional entries from that Wikipedia list too.
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I sorta know what you mean with JDR. I'm glad you checked it out.
I just thought of one more thing! It's odd I didn't remember it earlier. It's a series of hissatsu attacks from Super Robot Taisen 3, for the final enemies, and the very last one made me think 'oh this is like the sort of hissatsu attack Rainbow Monstah would have'.
I think the attack is called Nightmare at the End of the World. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz174h-
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Interesting attack. Hmm. I like the shark mecha, though I would've liked for its shark-like attack to be more chewy.
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Overall, there's a lot of pretty good stuff there. I think there's a so-so scanslation of Sailor Moon.