Manga: Reviews of Scumbag Loser and Sweetness and Lightning

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:21 - Listener mail! 00:04:28 - Comments on the 2017 Eisner Award nominations 00:09:26 - Scumbag Loser 00:52:10 - Sweetness and Lightning 01:21:25 - Wrap up 01:22:14 - Contact us For the month of May, Shea and Derek discuss two works of manga that, while not necessarily diametrically opposed, are tonally opposite from one another. The first title is Mikoto Yamaguti's Scumbag Loser (Yen Press). What begins as a story about a teenage outsider with a unique smelling ability quickly turns into a horror story involving mysterious non-human forces. As the guys discuss, there are few characters in this book worthy of sympathy, but it is this lack of empathic closeness that makes this an affecting narrative. However, the guys aren't without their reservations, as Shea points out in his take on Yamaguti's patriarchal approach to his subject matter. Derek agrees, but he also sees the text's larger themes -- e.g., the unrealistic demands on youth conformity -- saving it from a kind of morbid frivolity. Next, the guys turn to a series from Kodansha Comics, Gido Amagakure's Sweetness and Lightning. The English translations became available beginning July of last year, and as of the time of this podcast recording, Kodansha has released five volumes. (Volume 6 is due out in early June.) This is a first for The Comics Alternative, a discussion of cooking manga. It's the story of Kouhei Inuzuka, a recently widowed father, and his daughter Tsumugi. He is unable to cook adequately for his family, and eventually he becomes close with one of his students, Kotori, who helps him become proficient in the kitchen. The series is a collection of episodes, each involving a dilemma where food preparation, complete with useful menus, helps to alleviate the problem. At the same time, cooking brings everyone closer together...even hinting at complicating affections. This is a nice read and, as Shea suggests, one to take out with you on a pleasant spring day.