I'd like to take note of something important to keep in mind when moving about the Feast: Just because we generally like our Feast topics does NOT mean we think that all comments at the table should be positive. We are best served when ALL opinions are aired. So don't be afraid to stop by and comment or offer your opinion in post form, even if your post is critical. The more voices, the better!
General Commentary
Erica Friedman of Okazu leads off, talking about how she has a lot of respect for Rumiko Takahashi--but just doesn't like her comics. This has nothing to do with craft (which she praises) and everything to do with the content. Obviously, I don't agree--otherwise, hosting this Feast would be silly! It's nice to see the perspective of someone who sees the technical brilliance of a creator, which is easy to miss when you're a fan. I really liked Erica's point about the difficulty in replicating Takahashi's comic timing. See what you think!
Maison Ikkuko
Linda of Animemiz is back again, this time looking at Maison Ikkuko with a critical eye. Linda's opinion is pretty similar to mine. I guess I am a terrible male manga reader, a joke you will get once you read her excellent post. I think I like Takahashi best when she is working as far aways as possible from the real world.
Way Old-School Takahashi
Do you know that Rumiko Takahashi's career goes all the way back to 1978? Richard Beaubien of the brand new Miwa Blog does, and talks about Those Selfish Aliens, Takahashi's first major Japanese published work. I wonder if I can track down that Viz issue...
Ranma 1/2
Sean Gaffney's A Case Suitable for Treatment gets a guest post from Stefan Gagne, the person who got him into Takahashi's Ranma 1/2. Stefan has a lot to say about what Ranma 1/2 is and isn't, from an anime perspective. I admit I find it baffling that people thought Ranma was a drama! His comments about it being a comedy are exactly what I like about it! Apparently, folks took this one waaaaay too seriously back in the day. Go figure.
Rich of Animetion does a really good job with this older review of the first volume of Ranma 1/2. It's a nice introduction and encouragement to read Ranma. Plus I like the color scheme of the blog.
On the other end of the spectrum, here's a review of Ranma 1/2's final volume from Carlo Santos of Anime News Network.
InuYasha
I'll pick up the InuYasha banner today. Here's my original thoughts on volume one, volume two, and volume three. I have to admit, the length of that series is daunting to me, which is why I'm stuck in the early part of this series. You'll see I really liked what I read, though.
Rin-Ne's Not Getting Raves
To satisfy my own curiosity, I went looking for more reviews of Rin-Ne in anticipation of doing a post about the series myself, either for the Feast or for my Year of Takahashi feature. Here are some run-downs I thought were interesting:
Lissa of Kuriousity reviews the first volume, finding it to be a bit on the same side as other Takhashi books but "too fun to dismiss." She does hope this one is not another 30-volume monster.
Julie of Manga Maniac Cafe also looks at volume one, with a strong emphasis on the characters. She gives it a B+, but her comments are arguably the most positive I've read about the series so far.
Skipping ahead a bit, Kiki Van De Camp at Animanganation looks at volume five, and spends quite a bit of time going over the plot of that trade. It seems like, as with any Takahashi book, there is an increasingly complexity of relationships, so basically, you're either going to like that idea or hate it, depending.
In the case of Carlo Santos at Anime News Network, it seems like he's more on the hating side. Carlo's review calls volume five filler, and explains in detail why he feels this way. I'm only at 4, so I can't comment either way.
Overall, it's not looking good for Rin-Ne in terms of blogger critical reaction, which seems to range from lukewarm to negative. Anyone want to jump to its defense before the Feast closes?
