Art book Review: Ping Pong

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Chris Biewer

A while ago I finished up watching Ping Pong the animated series. It was a fantastic series and the first sports series (outside of Initial D) I watched. The story was very compelling and the characters had very unique stories of their own. So of course I needed to check out the art book for Ping Pong.

First off, I have to admit that I am a sucker for art books that go in the landscape format instead of the traditional portrait style. Just something about them that I find much more enjoyable and more immersive.

The Complete Artworks book has a lot of the types of things you would see an your typical anime art book. The first segment breaks down each episode, complete with art and (assuming) a summary below, the book isn’t translated into English which isn’t a big deal since I buy them for the artwork.

The book goes into rough colored storyboard frames, the background environments and settings. One of my favorite “spreads” in the book is one with all of that characters laid out with all of their different clothing outfits on. You can see Smile and Peco (among other characters) in their ping pong attire, school attire, and even casual attire. It’s nice to see this since in most series characters wear the same clothing.

Beyond the character “spread”, is a wide range of character model sheets, expression sheets and notes on each character. These types of images are things I have always enjoyed looking at. You can see the characters in some of their earliest stages and also see how they look all the way around and their various expressions.

However, my absolute favorite part of this book is the following section. It is a very technical section on ping pong. It shows the different holds of the paddle the characters would have depending on their grip. There are sequential images for different types of hits with each grip as well. So if the animator needed to see how a pencil grip back hand looked, they have it as reference. Not only that, but they have it done in a couple styles so you can see exactly how the character moves from different perspectives. I really wish this portion was translated so I could read the notes on these pages. I can only assume they are gold.

The next section of the book contains key animation art for select shots, allowing you to see how the characters move for expressions and in some cases, the extreme perspective of some shots. There are even a few pages of characters playing ping pong against one another so you can see how they react to the other player when the ball is hit.

One of the final sections breaks down some of the use of computers. Using 3D animation and even Flash for the series. Again, I wish this section was translated because this would be gold to read and learn how they used these programs in this series since it has such a unique visual style.

If you’re into art books, you can pick up Ping Pong at Tokyo Otaku Mode online.

Recent Reading: Flowers of Evil Volume 11

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Chris Biewer

The day has finally come, the release date for the final volume of Flowers of Evil by Shuzo Oshimi. For the duration of the series, I have been long praising it as a model for character development and emotional artwork. Volume 11 added a new reason to read the series, Oshimi’s amazing ability to tell a story without relying on dialogue. There is a phrase in the comic and manga world “Show, don’t tell” and the final installment of Flowers of Evil does just that.

There are chunks of pages where the character expressions and environments tell the story so well that words are not needed. Truly amazing and strongly suggested as a series from me.

I got into the manga series after I watched the anime series and since the series wasn’t getting an ending, I needed to dig into the manga to get a resolution. I will admit, there were a couple volumes that had me a little concerned with how the story was going to play out, but the resolution was solid and didn’t leave me with any regrets or empty hands.

Volume 11 of Flowers of Evil has a chapter with some fantastic artwork that is very stylized. The stylization of the artwork works well since it is the way of a character telling a story.

After wrapping up the Flowers of Evil, I can whole-heartedly recommend this title to anyone, volume 11 did nothing to change my feelings on the piece. You can pick up all the volumes from Vertical.

Recent Reading: The Flowers of Evil Volume 10

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Chris Biewer

July is here already and there is no better way to start the month off with a new volume of Shuzo Oshimi’s The Flowers of Evil series. I apologize for being wrong in my last post about the series, it looks like volume 10 was out sooner than I expected and it isn’t the final volume!

One of the biggest things that stood out to me with this book is the artwork. The cover of the book is absolutely gorgeous.

The cover really prepares you for some awesome artwork inside. In particular there is a 2 page spread towards the end of the book that maybe rivals some of the imagery in the earlier books where Nakamura and Kasuga are in the school at night.

At times I would get lost in the art, looking at the grittiness of the hatching in several shots. The environmental shots are amazing, it is one of the best parts of manga, they tend to focus more on settings. Several areas in the book have periods where you get to look at the artwork instead of reading word balloon after word balloon.

This series really hits on the storytelling notion “show not tell”. The facial expressions and more aid the lack of text. Seeing a characters reaction is more powerful than being told how the character is feeling. This might be one of the best volumes I have read.

Seriously though, I can’t get enough of the art in this series, my words don’t do it justice.

In terms of story, after volume 9 I felt a big plot twist was needed or some more conflict. While I think volume 10 may have wandered in one section a bit, the progression of the story was sufficient and didn’t leave me disappointed. Who knows, the area that I felt wandered a bit, could still have a role in the story in future volumes, it’s one of the downsides of reviewing volumes as they come out and not the story as a whole. So take that personal feeling about the story with a grain of salt.

I am very high on The Flowers of Evil, I haven’t had a series keep me this engaged for a while. Very excited for the next volume from Vertical.

Recent Reading: Flowers of Evil Volume 9

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Chris Biewer

The Flowers of Evil series from Vertical continues on with the recent release of volume 9. Personally, I was really excited for this volume to get released, I was heavily anticipating where Shuzo Oshimi was going to take the story. If you haven’t checked out this series yet, you have the summer to catch up before volume 10 is released. The series is worth checking out.

Now, after having said that, I am in a tough position to review volume 9, since I believe volume 10 is the final in the series. So of course this volume won’t have a major plot twist, or some other revelation since the impact of the story will be felt in the final volume.

There was a noticeable punch to the story, but in my opinion, it felt a little forced. I say that, because I feel like volume 9 could have skipped part of the beginning and jumped right into the plot point. Instead I feel like it wasted some time by trying to cram extra content in the first couple chapters, instead of fleshing out some more detail or character interaction.

Volume 9 also seemed to have much less dialogue as the other volumes, which means additional artwork with no text over the top, allowing the artwork to really shine. There are several environments and shots that you can really get lost in the line work, something that I don’t think you can do a lot of with current manga, simply due to the use of tones.

As a stand alone volume of manga, Flowers of Evil may not be the best read. However, it does frame up the final volume well. It is a bit unfair to say the volume is boring since it does the job of preparing you for the closing of the story in next volume, which is set up to be one of the more interesting finales in my recent media consumption.

Recent Reading: The Flowers of Evil Volume 7

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Chris Biewer

The previous volume left our characters, Nakamura and Kasuga, on their way to the summer festival to unleash their plan on the city. We see how dark their actual plan is as it starts to unfold. However, not all goes according to plan.

There is a little bit of a time jump in the story that moves us forward to Kasuga’s new home in Saitama. Kasuga’s family left the countryside after the events of the plan and Kasuga started at a new school. he has no idea where Nakamura is as well, since she also left the countryside. Kasuga is left struggling to deal with the unknown whereabouts of his friend.

Kasuga struggles to assimilate into his new life. That is, until he is invited to an after school event by some of his fellow classmates, both boys and girls. Kasuga opens up a little but we know he still misses his former comrade, Nakamura.

While walking home, Kasuga stumbles across a bookstore and runs into one of the karaoke classmates. They start to talk over books and Kasuga starts to appear happy again. The volume wraps up with each of them suggesting books to one another and sharing titles.

Volume 7 was a little bit of a transitional volume which left some things to be desired. We wrapped up the first arc and moved to a new location with lots of new characters that we need to leaner more about. To be honest, I was a little bummed that we no longer get to see the characters that we watched grow over the previous 6 volumes. However, volume 7 does end with a very interesting twist that has me very eager to read volume 8!

Recent Reading: The Flowers of Evil Volume 6

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Chris Biewer

The Flowers of Evil is starting to pick up steam, we last left off with volume 5 and a pivotal scene in the story (at least in my opinion). Our main cast of characters, Saeki, Nakamura and Kasuga, all collided as a result of the plan Kasuga and Nakamura were scheming, which was foiled by Saeki.

Volume 6 starts off with Kasuga panicking over the foiled plan. The summer festival is approaching quickly and he needs to plan something to unleash on the countryside with Nakamura. Looking back on Kasuga’s personality, you can see a definite growth and change since the first volume of the series. Kasuga even goes as far as getting into arguments with his parents instead of obeying their wishes. A blatant influence from Nakamura and her control of his emotions.

Saeki keeps inserting herself into Kasuga’s life, trying to win him back and be a good influence in his life. If you recall the start of Kasuga and Saeki’s relationship, Kasuga almost worshipped Saeki. At this point, there is nothing Saeki can do to gain more control of Kasuga. After their interaction, it seems as if Saeki starts to realize that she has lost.

Kinoshita even confronts Kasuga with everything. The main plot point of volume six revolves around the events at the end of volume 5. Kasuga starts to feel the school, city and his family start to turn on Nakamura and even start to blame his actions on her influence. Kasuga starts to feel trapped to feel trapped by the whole situation.

As Kasuga toils in his emotions, Nakamura comes to his house to take him away. After a confrontation with Kasuga’s parents, the two leave the house to formulate a new plot for the summer festival. Once again, we see Kasuga and Nakamura alone and we get an idea of how Kasuga and Nakamura work together and how the relationship works. Nakamura has complete control over Kasuga.

Volume 6 closes as Kasuga and Nakamura show up for the summer festival. A plan has been formulated and the two characters are there to make it a reality.

Recent Reading: The Flowers of Evil Volume 5

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Chris Biewer

The Flowers of Evil continues to progress in volume 5. As this volume begins, the school season is winding down and summer break is approaching. Saeki is confiding in her friend Kinoshita, who has been developing as a character in her own right over the latest developments in the story. We gain some insight into possible ways Kinoshita could effect the story in future volumes. Nakamura and Kasuga start laying out a grander scheme plan on the unsuspecting countryside. However, Saeki and Kinoshita may interfere with their laid out plan.

A solid chunk of the volume provides us with some further insight to the characters. Nakamura and Kasuga continue to deepen their relationship, almost becoming one in terms of mental state. Kinoshita and Saeki each have their own ideas for how to handle the current situation, but does Saeki have her stance because she still cares for Kasuga?

The final third of the book brings Saeki, Nakamura and Kasuga all together again and it involves the plan Nakamura and Kasuga had. All of the events of the previous volumes come to a head at the end of volume 5 in a very emotional and destructive scene. The event will no doubt effect each of the characters in a different way in the next volume.

Recent Reading: the Flowers of Evil Volume 4

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Chris Biewer

We have reached the point in the story that the anime series didn’t cover and the reason I wanted to read the series. I haven’t read a series that had this level of character development for a while. Volume 3 left off with all three characters; Nakamura, Kasuga and Saeki, having an emotional scene of venting frustrations and other emotional trauma.

The book begins transitioning to the summer season. The three characters have put the events on the mountain behind them and no longer talk to one another as they used to. Early in this volume we also get a glimpse of another character, Kinoshita, who is Saeki’s best friend. While she doesn’t have the depth of the other characters at this point, she has moments of being confrontational towards Kasuga.

In the time away from each other, each of the characters has had time to think. In Kasuga’s spare time he has an internal debate about Nakamura and decides to talk to her again. Initially Nakamura is hostile towards Kasuga having felt he wasted her time. Kasuga works to get Nakamura to believe he has changed. In his effort, he crosses the line, however it is exactly what is needed to get Nakamura to give Kasuga a second chance.

Kasuga goes to great depths to get back in Nakamura’s good graces that we see a whole new layer to his character, a darker side. As Kasuga delves into his darker side with Nakamura, Saeki needs to share secrets with Kinoshita about the past events.

The stopping point of volume 4 shows all of our characters and a new one, Kinoshita, with a new direction for their character to take in volume 5.

Recent Reading: The Flowers of Evil Volume 3

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Chris Biewer

My review of the series The Flowers of Evil from Vertical continues with volume 3. When we left off with volume 2, Kasuga and Nakamura were becoming closer and Kasuga was developing behaviors and thoughts similar to Nakamura’s. Especially the idea of being trapped in a dead end countryside city, full of people hiding their true selves.

The volume opens with the entire school abuzz over their discovery in school. Meanwhile, Saeki starts to learn of a deeper bond between Kasuga and Nakamura than she ever imagined. With suspicion mounting, the relationship between Kasuga and his dream girl, Saeki starts to get rocky.

Kasuga is torn between the two lives he feel he has and struggles to choose which path is the correct one for him. While Kasuga is battling within himself, Nakamura and Saeki start to interact with one another leading to a glimpse into the rivalry these two feel towards one another.

As Saeki tries to pull Kasuga down her path, Kasuga panics and flees towards where he feels safe, with Nakamura. Nakamura is able to persuade Kasuga into attempting to leave the countryside together. What Kasuga doesn’t know, is that Saeki is franticly looking for him back in the city, until she finds out the two of them were leaving the area.

The end of volume 3 features all three classmates on the mountainside pouring their emotions out while it storms. A fitting scene for the mixed emotions each character has within. It is during this exchange that we get to see more of the characters, in particular, Kasuga and Saeki.

The artwork keeps up with the rest of the volumes thus far. The facial expressions in the series; simply beautiful. The simpler art style allows for more emotion to come through since the artwork isn’t darkened up with a heavy use of tones.

Recent Reading: The Flowers of Evil Vol 2

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Chris Biewer

This week we continue our review of The Flowers of Evil series, volume 2 in particular from Vertical. If you haven’t checked out the review of the first volume, you can see that here.

Volume 2 sticks close to the anime series if you watched it online via crunchyroll. The contract between Kasuga and Nakamura continues, only things get a little complicated since Saeki starts to play a more pivotal role in the series. Saeki and Kasuga go out on a date and begin a relationship all while Kasuga is hiding his secret of the gym uniform from the first volume. Nakamura starts to interact more with Saeki as well playing the role of a potential instigator by telling Kasuga something about Saeki that may turn out to be a lie. In a way, Kasuga starts to develop a second life. His first being the book nerd student at school who is dating Saeki, one of the prettiest girls in school. The second life involves him sneaking around with Nakamura and keeping his secret buried. A secret that plants the seed of an inner struggle.

As the story progresses we can see more and more of the characters dynamics intertwine and how they are starting to develop for the rest of the series. We get more of an insight to the dynamic between Nakamura and Kasuga that begins to show deeper layers than just the contract that was agreed upon that I can only assume will get deeper as the story evolves. The relationship between Kasuga and Saeki is just starting to get underway and should start to be expanded on in future volumes.

Kasuga and Nakamura have their own inner struggles and we catch glimpses of each. Kasuga is torn on what type of person he is and the battle is played out over his choice of which female classmate he wants to be with. Nakamura feels trapped and suffocated in the countryside town the characters live in. This trapped feeling is something that Nakamura feeds to Kasuga and he starts to feel suffocated by the countryside.

The second volume closes on a notable scene with some great artwork. The scene is beautifully animated in the series and plays an interesting dynamic in the future of the story (at least it did in the anime series and assuming the manga and anime continue to parallel one another). The scene is important for more than just the beautiful artwork, in a way it solidifies Nakamura and Kasuga as a unit instead of two individuals.

We get more of an inside glimpse into the characters in volume 2 and each of the characters are becoming deeper, meaning we are allowed to see more of their character and what drives or frustrates them, and the few things that make them happy.

Cosmic Rage

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