Keeping Your Manga Safe and Beautiful

I've been collecting manga for over a year and a half now, and already, I've gone through the ups and downs of owning them. From my first manga, I was intent on keeping these expensive books safe. I've learned a lot from the day I bought that first manga to the last one I bought. 


1. Keep them out of direct sunlight.
The sunlight will cause the colour to fade. You might go to a store and pick one up with an orange cover, but when you compare them to ones on the internet, the original colour could actually be red. For this reason, you should also check what the original colour the manga is on the internet before buying it.


2. Keep them upright.
Manga were meant to be kept like this:



and not meant to be kept stacked. Uneven weight distribution could cause the manga to bend.

3. When you want to save a page while reading, DO NOT DOG EAR the page.
Doing this, or any damage to the book causes the value of your book to decrease. Use a bookmark that doesn't attach to a page, like this one:

This bookmark doesn't have that tab that hangs onto the page, or isn't in paperclip form. Those types are the worst for preserving pages because they can tear the page.

4. a)  Know who you're lending to.

Make sure you get to know the person who you're lending to. Do they take care of books well? Do they treasure them as much as you do? Do they care about damages, no matter how minor they may be? If the person you're lending to can say yes to all of these, consider them a likely candidate for borrowing books.

b) Less lending = less chance of damage.

The more you lend to people, the more chance the books will have to get scratched. 

5. When travelling with them, keep them in a separate plastic bag.

When you keep manga in a separate the bag it will have a lesser chance of colliding with things in your bag that may cause them to become scratched. Keys, for example, will scratch your manga cover. It also protects from other substances, such as water and lotion. The plastic bag will act as a protector for your cover against scratches and water.

6. Use plastic manga covers.

I myself haven't been able to get my hands on these yet, but my friends have suggested these as a great way to further preserve your manga.

7. Don't touch your manga as much as possible.

The oil from your hands can quicken the process of turning the pages yellow. The repeated turning of the pages also are a factor in the yellowing process.

8. Make sure you can get the best possible condition in the first place.

This way, you are content with the manga you bought, and its value hasn't decreased from any damages. I always do a quick scan and search for the best possible condition. What I search for are: Dog eared pages (there are people who read our new manga in the bookstore without buying them before we get to the manga itself), evidence that the book was previously read by a person who stretches the binding (evidence is shown on spine. You can see if the pages are spread apart.), scratches (whether major or minor), "health" of the binding (check to see if the glue, which is the binding, is turning black for some reason, or the pages are falling out), corners (if they've been bent in), and top and bottom of the spine (if the book's been dropped on the top or bottom of the spine, it'll be dented).


9. When in contact with it, make sure your nails DO NOT touch the book.
Nail contact = risk of scratching. I've lent manga to people who touch the book with their nails, and it's not pleasant at all to have them return with scratches.


I found a video on Youtube a while ago about manga care, which can be found here. It was really useful to have someone with longer experience than me explain how to keep manga in great condition.

I hope this helps people who like to invest in manga, because one day, these things will be worth quite a lot. (Especially Tokyopop now.) I'll put up another post should I learn even more about keeping manga safe.

The Legend Of Princess Sakura and Stepping On Roses Volume 5 Release

Today was the release of the mangas, The Legend of Princess Sakura and Stepping On Roses volume 5. To others, The Legend Of Princess Sakura is better known as "Sakura Hime Kaden", and Stepping On Roses, "Hadashi de Bara wo Fume". 

 

I've counted down to this day, although I didn't get them today (Julie did too!). Both of my favourite mangakas release on the same day? It's a dream come true. 


To those who've read the past blogs, you've already read the sypnosis of Stepping on Roses. You also know how deeply in love I am with it. 


The Legend of Princess Sakura is a heian era manga (another historical bonus for me!). The sypnosis is: 

"Sakura is the granddaughter of a mysterious moon princess who slew demons with her Blood Cherry Blossom sword. All her life Sakura has been forbidden to look at the full moon without knowing why. Then one night, unhappy over her impending marriage, Sakura gazes up at the moon, only to see a demon attacking her...

Princess Sakura has been engaged to Prince Oura since birth. Aoba, an emissary from the court, has come to accompany her move to the capital for her upcoming nuptials. Taking a dislike to Aoba and wanting to escape a life arranged by others, Sakura runs away-and finds she's caught up to her true destiny."

I also love reading about Japanese arranged marriages, so another plus! I'm looking forward to owning these two volumes. Just like "tradition", there'll be a post up when I buy both! 

Photo rights go to Viz Media, Rinko Ueda, Arina Tanemura

America's Greatest Otaku

Just a few minutes ago, I was searching for otaku communities on Live Journal, and stumbled upon Anime North's page, which had an advertisement from TokyoPop about "America's Greatest Otaku".

TokyoPop's looking for the most die-hard otaku in America! Is it you? Reading the part where it said, "Do you have what it takes?" I thought, "YES, I DO!!!", taking a look at my room. After second thoughts, I took it back.
Here's why.


Die hard - otakus:

• have anime posters plastered all over their walls and have very little white space left. 
• have an enormous collection of manga. 
• Watch anime as much as possible. They use their free time for watching or reading anything otaku. 
• Go to Japan. 
• Etc, etc. 

I: 

• have one anime poster (That'll grow sooner or later though).
• have a moderate sized manga collection. (In my view. Other otakus might consider it tiny. If you're wondering, I'm at 56 mangas and an anime fanbook right now. I think. I have to count again later.) 
• I've been to Japan once when I was eight, but I was just passing through the airport. 
• Etc, Etc. 

You can find more of those Die-hard otaku characteristics here. Be warned, this is a very old site, from I think 1998. This quiz has to be the most detailed "How Otaku are You?" quiz I've ever seen in my life. Back when I first read this, I didn't even know what a seiyuu was!


At heart, I think I'm still a die hard otaku. I just need money and access to an otaku empire. T^T


Getting back, you can watch the episodes here. I can't watch it on this site, since it's only available for viewing in the US.


More information can be found on their website. The grand prize is a trip to Tokyo!


I'll have to find it on another site. If it were in Canada, I know someone who would make an excellent candidate!




EDIT: I found episode one that people outside America can watch!

Mangakas: Rinko Ueda

Rinko Ueda is one of my favourite mangakas. She has such suspenseful series, and she makes her characters grow too. The way she makes them grow is amazing. I recommend her to everyone. Most of her mangas are historical mangas (a bonus for me, since I love history!).


Rinko Ueda is from Nara Prefecture. She has created many mangas such as Tail of the Moon (also known as Tsuki no Shippo), Home, Stepping On Roses (also known as Hadashi de Bara wo Fume), Chupa!, and many more. For more information about her, click here. That link also contains a picture of the mangaka herself, which is very rare.


I discovered her through Tail of the Moon in the library (this was about two years ago). After reading the first volume, I became a die hard fan of hers. I showed Anna the first volume, and she soon became a fan. She later put holds on the rest of the copies, and most of the other girls in our class began reading this series.


My favourite series that she created is Stepping On Roses. I find it to be her best work so far. The summary at the back says:


"Poor Sumi Kitamura... Her irresponsible older brother Eisuke keeps bringing home orphans for her to take care of even though they can barely afford their own basic needs! Just when Sumi's financial problems become dire, wealthy Soichiro Ashida enters her life with a proposal: he'll provide her with the money she so desperately needs if she agrees to marry him. But can Sumi fool high society into thinking she's proper lady? Moreover, is it worth giving up everything for this sham of a marriage?" 


I just love this series! Words cannot explain how much I do. I've mentioned in my last mangaka post that this is the one series I cannot stop reading online. I really do want to read it in English and have the surprises come from the English tankobons, but the thing is, English tankobons are way too late from the Japanese ones. With a series this great, it's impossible to stop. I feel slightly terrible, but this series is way to good for me to not read any further!


My feelings for that series are also shared with her other series, Tail of the Moon. I had the exact same feelings when I read it. I've finally ruled out that I like Stepping On Roses much more.


So how many mangas do I own that are by Rinko Ueda?

Just the four volumes of Stepping On Roses that are out so far. I try to keep updated on when the next ones come out, since this series is popular. Volume 5 will be coming out next month, I think, and Anna and I are eagerly awaiting its release. I would love to own Tail of the Moon, but it's a pretty long series, with 15 books. I would take forever to complete that series.


After reading this, please try to read one of her series! If you're already a fan of hers, please continue to support her!  

MTAC Excitement! (and Things I've Learned From My Previous Anime Convention)

The March Toronto Anime Convention is less than 3 days away! My sister and I have already laid out our master plan for the event. We took things we learned from our previous convention and are applying it to the one coming up this weekend! We're still in the middle of planning things, but we know what the game plan is.

The things I've learned from my first anime convention:

• Ask cosplayers for their pictures.

Everyone knows you should do this, but I was way too scared to ask cosplayers to pose for me. I'm going to build up the courage to ask them for their photo this time (I make myself sound really weak, don't I?).

• Bring a lunch.

This helps you save more, allowing you to spend on other things! My sister and I did this last time, and it was definitely a life saver. 

• Keep your lunches mess-free and "portable". 

A bagel, for example is something you can bring that isn't messy, and something you can eat and walk around freely with. If you brought something "messy", for example, a salad, it might take time to find a place to sit, not to mention the mess it can create, which may cause you to lose time cleaning up after it. 

• Make sure you know who the guests are. 

I've made this sad mistake. Vic Mignogna, an anime voice actor was a guest at Anime North 2010. My friend, V-chan brought us along with her to get his autograph, but just before we got to him (there was no line, by the way) she said, "Never mind". Later, I discovered he was a voice actor of numerous famous animes, such as Dragon Ball, Vampire Knight (as Zero and Ichiru), and Ouran High School Host Club. Hah. The sadness. I found out a few weeks ago that he would be the guest of honour at a convention somewhere down in the states. Yikes! You can usually find out who the guests are on the convention's website.

• Bring a wagon load of money. 

I'm not kidding. I brought $60 last time, and all I ended up buying was this: 

I lost the Yuki Button at school afterwards! You never know what you'll find at an anime convention. I saw lolita clothes (there were even Baby, The Stars Shine Bright and Angelic Pretty!), Yuki Cross cosplay, and a lot of rare mangas that I can't find in stores anymore. They were out of my reach because I didn't bring enough money. I went there, thinking I wouldn't buy so much, since I wouldn't feel like busting all my money. I was wrong. VERY wrong. 

• Bring snacks

You're going to get pretty hungry. Trust me. It happens to all of us. I'm going to bring Hello Kitty Pocky! I'll see what else I'm going to bring. 

• Reseach, research, research!

I did this an entire month before the actual day last time. I should have done that for this weekend's, but due to my laziness, I didn't until a week before. Aside from admission fees and times of operation, what should you look for? 1. Videos/images of the area! If it's held in the same area annually, there should be videos on Youtube of past conventions. Also, search for the area on Google streetview. This will save you time when you search for the building. 2. Reviews. What did people think of the convention? Was it a waste? Was it worth their money? 3. Videos of the Dealer's Room. The Dealer's Room should give you an idea of how much money to bring. How big is it? Is it a tiny room, or a football field-sized room? What are the contents of the past Dealer's Rooms? 4. What events are held there? Is there DDR? Yu gi oh card battles? There are varieties of them out there. At registration, after you pay, there are program books that tell you what events are being held when and where. 

Bonus picture! 

I just noticed that there are a lot of Bleach cosplayers in this picture. O.o

• Get ready for a bunch of over-excited fellow otakus. 

I was partly shocked at how enthusiastic fellow otakus were at the convention. They were shouting in joy, and also shouting at us to sign their t-shirt (We didn't, in the end). But hey, this is a good thing! Would you rather have depressed otakus, or screaming in joy otakus? 

I'm becoming more excited day by day! 

I'll  post my MTAC adventure up as soon as I have time to upload the pictures and write another entry. We're nearing the end of March Break! T^T

What Can an Otaku/Kawaii Lover Buy at Pacific Mall?

People visiting the GTA should visit Pacific Mall, in Markham. The area around Pacific Mall is also considered Chinatown, meaning lots of cute things!

I know everyone loves pictures, so get prepared for some pictures I took on my last few visits there!

Those pictures were taken with my old cell phone. The quality from that cell phone is not the same as the one I have now, which is supposedly better than the old one. GAHH! 

These are just a few of the many things you can find at Pacific Mall. You can find everything from Hello Kitty toasters and hello kitty t.vs to anime posters and cosplay here. (Just in case you were wondering which cosplays there are, I've seen Haruhi Suzumiya, Naruto, Shugo Chara, and some others.) I took these pictures without considering that they would one day be posted here. They were taken before I even thought about creating this blog. Because of that, there are no pictures of the stores these came from, or even stores in general. Also, there aren't enough variety of pictures I took of otaku things. Next time, I promise pictures of the stores! One thing I can't promise are pictures of the insides, since some don't allow it. 

Pacific Mall is what I call a Kawaii lover's and an otaku's heaven. I don't think anyone would disagree with me on this one. 

Looking for an Anime Convention Around the World?

A while ago, I found a great website that lists upcoming anime conventions, AnimeCons. I found it a great source.

For those who have been otakus for a while now, you may already know this site. For the new otakus, I think you'll find it very convenient.

It shows some conventions around the world, and even pinpoints them on a world map. However, not all conventions are shown. I know for a fact that there are anime conventions in Asia, but they don't show them on the site. Even though this may be the case, I still find it a very reliable source.

Through this site, I found out that there will be one coming soon, on March 19 - 20: The Toronto AnimeCon, which happens twice a year. One in March, and one in December. I'm still debating on if I should go or not.

I hope this post helps some otakus out there looking for a convention near them. Have fun, otakus! I know you will, because I did!

Anime North 2010 - People heading for the Dealer's Room

Today's Kawaii Item(s)! (Day 1)

Today's kawaii items are...

Ran  and Yuki chibi dolls!

Ran (Shugo Chara) belongs to my sister, and Yuki (Vampire Knight) belongs to me.

While people collect ball jointed dolls, I like softer ones you can cuddle with.

I got Yuki at Anime North 2010. My sister got Ran at an anime store.

I'm hoping to expand this "small collection" soon. Characters I'm hoping to get are Sailor Moon (especially the one from season two), Kaname and Zero (Vampire Knight), and Su (Shugo Chara). I really want these, but I usually spend my money on Hello Kitty stuff. Maybe one day I'll have to hold off on the Hello Kitty for these kawaii chibis!

Mangakas: Arina Tanemura

Arina Tanemura is one of my favourite mangakas! She wrote so many wonderful series, and I hope she continues to do so.


She was born in Aichi, Japan, and began her career in 1996 by publishing some stories in Ribon.


Tanemura has a really big worldwide fan base. She has been to San Diego, and I remember reading in her side panels that she also has been to Germany. She probably wrote about other countries she's visited in her side panels.


In my eyes, I find her to be one of the best because she always pushes herself to the limit. Her artworks are extraordinarily detailed, and her art itself is fantastic! I really like the storylines too. They're very original, and with her main series, the concept isn't typical. Throughout the years, she has kept on improving her work, both in the art sense and story sense. If she can improve what she has now, I wonder what fantastic work she'll bring to the otaku world.




Titles of her works are:

• The Style Of Second Love - 1996 (Japanese title: Nibanme no Koi Katachi) 
• Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne - 1998 
• Short Tempered Melancholic - 1998 (Japanese title: Kanshaku Dama no Yuutsu) 
• ION - 1997
• Time Stranger Kyoko - 2000 (Japanese title: Jikuu Ihōjin Kyoko) 
• Full Moon o Sagashite - 2001 (Japanese title: Furu Mun wo Sagashite) 
• The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross - 2004 (Japanese title: Shinshi Doumei Kurosu) 
• Mistress Fortune - 2008 (Japanese title: Zettai Kakusei Tencshi Misutoresu Fochun) 
• The Legend of Princess Sakura - 2011 (Japanese title: Sakura Hime Kaden)

*The years above are years of English release, if released in English at all.

If I had to pick a favourite out of her works, I would have to say "The Legend of Princess Sakura", which by the way is coming to North America really soon! I'm looking forward to buying the series! When I read this series online, after finishing each chapter, my brain screamed, "NEXT CHAPTER, NEXT CHAPTER!" There was definitely suspense there. I screamed this all the way to chapter 12, where, at the time, there were no more updated scanslations. This was last year, and since then, I haven't kept up with the updates. I don't plan to either, since I found out that it was coming in English. Reading it online would just spoil the surprise for me when I read it from an actual manga. I really do hate that. Although I hate spoilers, there is one series that I always check for updates - Hadashi de Bara wo Fume, or in English, Stepping on Roses. 

I will continue to support Tanemura sensei, and I hope that others will too!




So far, this is all I have by Tanemura-sensei:

*I should really start taking pictures with a real camera instead of cell phone (cries).

I can't wait for The Legend of Princess Sakura!

Expanding Your Manga Collection on a Budget

We all like to save money, even if it's only a few dollars. Here's a few things I've learned over the years about buying manga a little cheaper:

1.  Use an Irewards card! (Or any other book membership card!)
If you shop for your manga at Chapters, Coles, or Indigo frequently, this is ideal for you! This has saved me and my friends a lot of money. Irewards saves 10% on every book bought, so you can imagine the savings when you've bought a lot of mangas!

2. Buy at Anime Conventions!
Buying at anime conventions has saved me and my friends lots of money. When I mean lots, I mean a lot. They're much cheaper here. Anime Conventions have been known to sell mangas for as low as $5. These $5 mangas are usually second hand, but they do seem in good enough condition. In Canada, anime conventions have also sold manga for US price, in pristine store-like condition. They are in perfect condition. In the past, my friend, Anna has bought the $5 mangas, and was quite happy with the condition they were in. Being a picky person myself about the pristine condition of mangas, I have bought from Shojo Beat sellers, who sold their mangas at US price. Buying at anime conventions also can find you some rare mangas that you can't find in bookstores anymore!

^Anime North 2010's Dealer room

3. Buy from second hand stores.
My friends and I bought some mangas from Planet Hobby, which does keep their mangas in a quite fair condition.  I bought Happy Happy Clover volume 2 there, and it was definetly in pristine condition. There are mangas there in conditions I would call poor, but this is coming from a picky otaku! There are some there that I would say are in very good condition, and that I myself would buy.

4. Wait for promotions that come up!
Chapters has some promotions once in a while. They have a sale a few times a year where you buy three books, and the fourth book bought is free.

5. Buy from friends.
Some of your friends may want to get rid of some manga, and may sell it to you at a lower price.

Those are ways of saving manga that either myself or my friends have tried. I'm sure I'll have more ways of saving manga in the future. When I have more, I'll post them on here.

Daily Life of an Otaku: Buying Mistress Fortune

I bought more manga recently! Sadly, just one (cries). I went shopping with my friends Anna and Julie, who also bought manga! Who bought the most out of the three of us? Of course, Anna, who LOVES her books. She bought seven of them today. She has been known to shop for fifteen in a single day. Crazy, isn't it?

*Sorry for the poor cell phone quality!

Left to Right: Julie's pile, Anna's pile, and my pile. Ha, mine and Julie's aren't even piles.

^There's Anna's pile of manga! She's known for buying 15 in a day. Shocking, isn't it? She decided to tone down on the costs lately.

^Left to right is Julie's, Anna's and mine. We exhausted the store's supply within a day!


The sypnosis at the back reads:
     
       "Fourteen year-old Kisaki Tachikawa has psychic powers. She works for PSI, a secret government agency that fights aliens. She's in love with her partner Giniro, but PSI won't allow operatives to get involved. Just when Kisaki thinks she may be getting closer to Giniro, she finds out she's going to be California!"

It's by the famous Arina Tanemura! Of course, in my opinion, it was awesome! I give it a rating of 4 out of 5. My sister loved it, and I think a lot of people would too, because of its humour and story. I reccomend this manga to everyone! (Especially since the graphics are cute!)

Here's a couple of pictures of the posters at the back: (Again, I apologize for the ugly cell phone quality.)

I love Tanemura-sensei's art!

I'll be posting more updates of mangas I buy in the future!