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[i_paint_the_sky]

So I've been reading the Tsubasa manga, I bought vol 3 over the holidays and finally got a chance to sit down with it. So far...I honestly don't really know quite why everyone's so in love with the thing. I don't know, hopefully things pick up later on, but right now it's honestly the second weakest CLAMP manga in my opinion (the weakest, amusingly enough, being X/1999...I love the anime to death, but the manga just seems to drag on and not be half as exciting...granted, I haven't read it all, but that's because I don't like really like). I definitely think it will be some time before I buy another volume, though I expect that I will, in hopes that it does improve. I do like all the references. But when I compare it to xxxHolic, I just like that one so much more, it's much more enjoyable to read. I like RG Veda better as well, though not as much as xxxHolic, which I think right now stands to compete with Chobits for favourite CLAMP manga.

But right now Tsubasa really isn't doing it for me that much. Especially the action scenes, I have never been a fan of action in manga because I find it hard to figure out what's going on.

There are some awesome characters and ideas though, so yeah, I probably will keep with it a bit longer, but it's fallen down the priority list (and so is behind Genbu Kaiden, xxxHolic, RG Veda, Ouran Host Club, Dramacon (though that's only released once a year anyway), Welcome to the NHK!, Nodame Cantabile, Eternal Sabbath (maybe...I need to read vol 2 of that to decide), and probably is about tied with Hana Yori Dango and Angel Sanctuary...which I need to get vol 3 of eventually XD).

There are also a few other series that I would like to try out, mainly Genshiken since it sounds rather hilarious. I also think Judas sounds of some interest and maybe the series about the Borgias...and I also do want to get more of Absolute Boyfriend and NANA in collected volumes, especially since Margaret and I will be dividing up our Shoujo Beat vols in a bit.

Hmmmm...speaking of Shoujo Beat, I wonder if our subscription just ran out...that might explain why it uh, hasn't come yet this month XD!

Actually yeah...I think that must be it. Guess we have to make sure Hobbyton orders them in then.

Comments

[cristata_alba]

Tsubasa is fun because of the random cameos, but I like xxxHolic much, much more. ^^; I really liked the first four volumes, and read it less as we hit the RG Veda stuff (I haven't read much of RG Veda, so I didn't get why they'd spend a volume and a half staring at Ashura-o). I also get annoyed when they repeat cameos (this was more a problem in the anime, where you saw Sora & Arashi over and over, even when they'd not been in that world) - come on, we haven't seen anyone from WISH yet, or Legal Drug (okay, LG was in Holic, but it's not been in Tsubasa, as far as I know). :P

WISH, Holic, & Legal Drug are my three favourite CLAMP manga right now, with X/1999 manga close behind. (Oh Subaru...XD)

But Seishirou eventually shows up. With one eye. *__*

It's a good thing that you can't find 3, because you can't get 4, then 5, then finish the series and wait in torment until the next one come out.. >> << >> ... Or, you might just decide that they jumped too many sharks, because the story changes direction a couple times, and drop it. That's probably better for your sanity. ^^;

[i-paint-the-sky.livejournal.com]

I figured the cameos were definitely a bit part of the appeal, which is why I waited until I read a fair amount of the other CLAMP manga before touching it. I can see how repeat cameos might get annoying, though having a few wouldn't be too bad.

WISH is one that I've wanted to read, as well as Legal Drug though it's hiatus status has kept me away from that. I also really want to read Clover, though it's out of print and thus a bit difficult, though apparently TokyoPop was considering reissuing it, which would be awesome (I know that's technically on hiatus too, but I hear that the volumes somewhat stand-alone so it should be okay).

We'll see. I've heard a lot of opinions about AS and they are very mixed, but I like it so far, the whole angel thing is something I find rather interesting. But, as shown up there, it's not overly high on my priorities list at the moment. Maybe I can wait until it's all available in English, since I don't think it is yet.

[cristata_alba]

I get annoyed with the cameos because CLAMP has so much material to draw from; while some minor characters have been given more major roles (the chinese boy Kudan in the second volume/the bratty princess's dog in the original Rayearth II, for example), there are so many more - Hideki, Sukiyabashi (Duklyon), Minoru, Yue, Man of Twenty Faces (not just Akira) - who I haven't seen yet.

WISH is pretty and shoujo; and there are no major female characters in Legal Drug yet (let that be your warning ^_~), though the hiatus thing is annoying. Clover is amazing, and told backwards (sorta like Shamanic Princess) - the first volume is the end. If you can get your hands on it, do, then tell me where you bought it. :D

If they keep to their bi-monthly release schedule, AS'll finish in June.
18 - Feb 13, 19 - April 10, 20 - in June. How they're going to wrap it up in three volumes I do not know. o.o

But I'm really surprised how popular AS is, considering that it has so much controversial/disturbing content (and gore.. must not forget random gore). Apparently it's one of the top ten normal-selling manga (as opposed to FMA and Naruto) at Odyssey. o.O The art's pretty, but not normal; it's shoujo, gothic, and canonically has pretty much every kind of socially unacceptable ship.

I really like the questions about the nature of God, good & evil (demons vs angels), right & wrong (uh.. incest? shota? shounen-ai/shoujo-ai/???-ai?). I adore the characters, especially Kira and Lucifer (he shows up in the last quarter); the plot is pretty, and people show off their wings at random moments. It does suffer from a spotty translation, especially when it comes to names - Lil/Riru, Mika/"little Mikey", Alexial/Uriel's use of "Alex" later on. They start with one, switch to another, and generally confuse people.

I guess the best way to sum it up is.. you love it or you hate it by the time you're through. ^^; It's really not for everyone.

[i-paint-the-sky.livejournal.com]

Well, there's still lots of time for more crossovers, isn't there? I definitely do think they should try to spread them out, though there are going to be some series that have more than others, because it makes sense (like X/1999, because there are a LOT of characters, plus the X fans need some service after all the waiting they've done). But yeah, a greater mix definitely makes sense.

I've eyed WISH in stores but never had a chance to buy it. Maybe when I'm done with RG Veda (so I don't overdose on CLAMP XD). And definitely if Legal Drug gets going again I would be interested, but I don't trust CLAMP so much with works that have been lying untouched for awhile.

I really hope Clover gets reissued, since you really can't get them anymore in English. Maybe they'd even do a new translation, since the old one was a bit old and probably wasn't quite in the same style that translations tend to be now (ie leaving in honourifics). But I definitely will let you know if I see it (I did see vol 2 at the Comic Book Shoppe in Ottawa once, but didn't buy it since it was 2).

Okay, so that's not too bad. Though at the same time, if something's all out, it means you can spend an obscene amount of money on it all at once XD

A lot of people out there like dark, controversial stuff, I've found. I am surprised that it is that popular though because yeah, it definitely isn't one of those appeals to most type of series. Of course, everything is a matter of taste, but some are more than others.

[jeepersjournal.livejournal.com]

PS-- I also agree, Wish is good. Mick Nekoi CLAMP books are great.

Also, Suki and Legal Drug crossover, providing some followup to Suki.

Wish is still in print [just got 3+4 before X-mas, though haven't read em yet], though Suki went out of print last year. Thoughsince I've ordered older OOP CLamp books like Shirahime and the first volume of Dukylon [vol.2 was out of stock], it's probably still attainable, or easy to find used.

Tokyopop still has the rights to Clover, as they attempted to sell a boxset to bookstores last year, but that didn't take, and they're still looking at other possibilites [so, for now, no reprints. Though they have restarted Clamp no Kiseki starting w/vol.7.... which is ungodly expensive for Canadians, but still nice to know it's out there]

PS- Clamp School Detectives is also OOP.

[jeepersjournal.livejournal.com]

From my understanding, characters from Mick Nekoi series [Wish, The One I Love, Suki and Legal Drug] don't crossover with Tsubasa, just Mokona designed ones [though in the volume of Legal Drug I have, I swear they stole the Vase that pops up in XXXholic].

I don't mind the cameo repeats so long as they don't repeat them too closely [ie- Tomoyo's recent reappearance, in a persona more in line with her CCS version, in full stalk-Sakura-mode, after not showing up since vol.1 or so]

I'm wondering when more cameos from Rayearth will occur [Shaoran's fire spirit from the first arc is from that series, and there was the story with Princess Emeraude, but I'd like to see more :) And then there's Angelic Layer, though I think Tamayo showed up recently....I could be blanking on that though]