Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll. Computer says yes, in the Violet Evergarden side-story..
By Jeannette Ng.
An “Auto Memory Doll” was originally the name given to the typewriters of Telsis, invented by a man who wanted to help his novelist wife to continue writing after she became blind. But much as “computers” were once both the machines that computed and the women who operated them, Auto Memory Doll became the name for the women who typed out letters and took notes upon the machines.
In the Violet Evergarden video spin-off Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll, however, it is not Violet’s skills as a typist or letter writer that takes centre stage. At the request of the Drossel Royal Family, Violet becomes a companion to Isabella York, a genteel young woman struggling with her studies at a girls’ boarding school.
Penguindrum. The anime that's even weird by anime standards..
By Andrew Osmond.
In Penguindrum, a dorky penguin hat – that’s a hat that looks like a penguin, not one made out of penguins – brings a beautiful girl back to life. This miracle starts an adventure that’s insanely odd even by the standards of anime. The girl is Himari Takakura, the angelic sister of brothers Shoma and Kanba, who are devoted to her with alarming intensity. They’re devastated by her death – she collapses at a Tokyo aquarium – elated by her miracle recovery, and dumbfounded by what happens next.
Interview: Tadao Tsuge. Talking trash with manga's blue-collar hero..
By Gianni Simone.
Tadao Tsuge is the stuff of legend. Though, until quite recently, he was nearly unknown outside Japan, the veteran comic artist was one of the pioneers of alternative manga and a key contributor of avant-garde magazine Garo between the late 1960s and early 1970s. Differently from his older brother Yoshiharu, Tadao has extensively portrayed in unsentimental tones the gritty life of common people and their daily struggles in postwar Japan. Ironically enough, though brother Yoshiharu usually gets everybody’s attention, Tadao has had better luck in the foreign publishing world as three excellent books have been recently published in English. The manga stories mentioned in this interview can be found in Trash Market (Drawn & Quarterly), Slum Wolf (New York Review of Comics) and Tale of the Beast (Black Hook Press).
NEWSWIRE: July 2021 Releases + August Sneak Peek. With news of June Early Bird titles.
It's that time again! Yes, it's time to go through our schedule of forthcoming releases, and lift the lid on the titles that will be coming to pre-order over the coming month, as we look over our release slates for July and (at least in part) August.
We know what you're here for, so let's not hang around - grab your browsing device of choice, and let's get down to business!
Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory. A new direction for an old favourite..
By Andrew Osmond.
Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory is a terrific “untold chapter” in the Gundam franchise, and an excellent way into Gundam for newbies. Stardust Memory is essentially one story, told over 13 half-hour episodes, with all-new characters, a compelling arc and production values which still look impressive today. Many of the other Gundam series run to around 50 parts each; anime fans who’ve grown up with today’s compact TV anime may find Stardust Memory more digestible. The series assumes you know a minimal amount of Gundam’s backstory, but we’ll fill you in on that in the next two paragraphs. Continue Reading