Baseful Predictions
Why is MangaBlog so awesome? Comipress explains!
Furthermore, a fine panel of judges is set to select the winners of MangaCast's first annual manga awards. This will be the first of its kind to focus specifically on U.S. manga publishing.
The awards will be presented at San Diego Comic-con, although particulars of when and where at the con don't seem to be clear yet...
The players and the predictions:
BEST PUBLISHER
- Dark Horse
- Del Rey
- Viz Media
DH does some fantastic releases but they seem to be painting themselves into a seinen corner, and you can only milk Oh My Goddess and Koike+Kojima for so long. This limited scope hurts their chances, I think. Viz's populist approach has won many hearts -- if you go by who's got the most popular series and the most addicted readers right now, they'd win, BUT ... even so, no one can match Del Rey's utter consistency and quality. They don't make censorship mistakes. Their stuff always comes out on time. They treat the artwork and story with respect. And they have a growing but well-selected library that showcases the best of manga across many genres and target audiences. Del Rey will probably win this one, but not without a fight from Viz.
BEST SHORT
- The Push Man and Other Stories
- Sexy Voice and Robo
- Galaxy Angel Party
I'm not sure how Galaxy Angel Party got into this; I haven't read it myself, so I won't challenge it.
Looks like a showdown between Push Man and Sexy Voice. For absolute artistic merit and historical value, it should be Push Man that goes home with the award, but it lacks charisma (and overloads on dead babies, as many have noticed). Sexy Voice, on the other hand, has the right kind of charm and appears to have won over most brainy manga readers. I'm seeing a Sexy Voice and Robo victory, because it's a quality work and fun to read. A difficult feat for any creative endeavor.
MOST RETARDED INTERNET BITCHFIGHT BEST GLOBAL MANGA
- Dramacon
- Dokebi Bride
- JAPAN (as viewed by 17 creators)
- Steady Beat
I admit, I am a bad kitten-huffing person and have not read the middle two. Now, Dramacon and Steady Beat are both good fun times, and Svet's recent Harvey Award nomination has catapulted her into an even higher level of the comics stratosphere. Meanwhile, Dokebi Bride may be the best thing out of Korea yet, if the reviews are anything to go by. But there is just no way you can dare to challenge the reputation of France and Japan's best and brightest. It's like, say, a Concert Pianists' Festival with a handful of genuine prodigies showcasing their skills, but then freaking Vladimir Ashkenazy or Mitsuko Uchida walks into the room and everyone else sits the hell down, because you don't mess with folks on that level. Japan as Viewed by 17 Creators for the win.
BEST MANGA
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- NANA
- Monster
- Death Note
And the one that will launch a thousand flame wars. These are all very good titles in different ways, but THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE! ... winner, that is. I'm striking out FMA first because it skews a little younger and "fannish," if you get what I mean. NANA's probably going to miss the cut as well, as the high level of melodrama and, well, general urban-Tokyo-Yazawa-ness make it something of an acquired taste. That leaves it a showdown between the two great thrillers ... and based on sheer fan buzz and level of critical acclaim, I'm going to have to swing with Death Note. Monster is equally deserving, but it's really Death Note that seems to attract new readers even if they weren't into manga in the first place.
So that's what I think. We'll see how right (or wrong) I am when we get to Comic-con!
Furthermore, a fine panel of judges is set to select the winners of MangaCast's first annual manga awards. This will be the first of its kind to focus specifically on U.S. manga publishing.
The awards will be presented at San Diego Comic-con, although particulars of when and where at the con don't seem to be clear yet...
The players and the predictions:
BEST PUBLISHER
- Dark Horse
- Del Rey
- Viz Media
DH does some fantastic releases but they seem to be painting themselves into a seinen corner, and you can only milk Oh My Goddess and Koike+Kojima for so long. This limited scope hurts their chances, I think. Viz's populist approach has won many hearts -- if you go by who's got the most popular series and the most addicted readers right now, they'd win, BUT ... even so, no one can match Del Rey's utter consistency and quality. They don't make censorship mistakes. Their stuff always comes out on time. They treat the artwork and story with respect. And they have a growing but well-selected library that showcases the best of manga across many genres and target audiences. Del Rey will probably win this one, but not without a fight from Viz.
BEST SHORT
- The Push Man and Other Stories
- Sexy Voice and Robo
- Galaxy Angel Party
I'm not sure how Galaxy Angel Party got into this; I haven't read it myself, so I won't challenge it.
Looks like a showdown between Push Man and Sexy Voice. For absolute artistic merit and historical value, it should be Push Man that goes home with the award, but it lacks charisma (and overloads on dead babies, as many have noticed). Sexy Voice, on the other hand, has the right kind of charm and appears to have won over most brainy manga readers. I'm seeing a Sexy Voice and Robo victory, because it's a quality work and fun to read. A difficult feat for any creative endeavor.
- Dramacon
- Dokebi Bride
- JAPAN (as viewed by 17 creators)
- Steady Beat
I admit, I am a bad kitten-huffing person and have not read the middle two. Now, Dramacon and Steady Beat are both good fun times, and Svet's recent Harvey Award nomination has catapulted her into an even higher level of the comics stratosphere. Meanwhile, Dokebi Bride may be the best thing out of Korea yet, if the reviews are anything to go by. But there is just no way you can dare to challenge the reputation of France and Japan's best and brightest. It's like, say, a Concert Pianists' Festival with a handful of genuine prodigies showcasing their skills, but then freaking Vladimir Ashkenazy or Mitsuko Uchida walks into the room and everyone else sits the hell down, because you don't mess with folks on that level. Japan as Viewed by 17 Creators for the win.
BEST MANGA
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- NANA
- Monster
- Death Note
And the one that will launch a thousand flame wars. These are all very good titles in different ways, but THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE! ... winner, that is. I'm striking out FMA first because it skews a little younger and "fannish," if you get what I mean. NANA's probably going to miss the cut as well, as the high level of melodrama and, well, general urban-Tokyo-Yazawa-ness make it something of an acquired taste. That leaves it a showdown between the two great thrillers ... and based on sheer fan buzz and level of critical acclaim, I'm going to have to swing with Death Note. Monster is equally deserving, but it's really Death Note that seems to attract new readers even if they weren't into manga in the first place.
So that's what I think. We'll see how right (or wrong) I am when we get to Comic-con!
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