Almost all manga and anime available in the North American and Europe can be classified as shonen, meaning it was produced to suit the tastes of teenage boys; lots of fighting and speed lines. However, as often seems to be the case in Japan, publishers are not shy about using works of extreme violence to titillate their audiences and stimulate weekly sales of their magazines.
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Despite or because of the controversy it aroused during its mid eighties run in the popular Shonen Jump magazine, Fist of the North Star is amongst the most legendary of all manga. It pulls no punches. Big muscled hero Kenshiro traverses a post apocalyptic wasteland in search of his kidnapped love, fending off all challengers with his patented technique of the North Star; causing bodies to contort and heads to explode at the touch of his fingertips. This is a cruel world where only the strong survive and the weak are subject to the humiliating rule of thugs. The above pic is taken from the animated movie, which disturbed the hell out of me when I saw it as a kid.
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Seinen Manga is generally aimed at a slightly more adult audience. One of my favourite artists, and one whose work is actually available in english through the efforts of fansubbers, is Ichi the Killer creator Hideo Yamamoto. The infamous Takashi Miike film centers on yakuza boss Kakiharra and his love for inflicting and receiving pain, but the ten volume manga series on which it is based spends a lot more time fleshing out Ichi himself, who is spurred on to kill by a traumatic memory of watching a high school classmate's gang rape, and his inability to come to terms with the fact that he wanted to both save and rape her himself. As decidedly unsqueamish as the movie is it fails evoke the sheer extravagance of black inky skeins exploding in a bloody mess from the pages of the comic. Yamamoto's early work, Voyeurs, also took up the theme of repressed desire feeding sadistic behaviour.
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The modern king of Horror manga is undoubtedly Junji Ito, and his masterpiece to date is the amazing Uzumaki. A small Japanese town is terrorized by a geometric pattern of all things; an abundance of spirals appearing more and more prominently in the town and its surroundings. Victims are overtaken by a morbid fascination which leads them into grotesque transformations, insanity and death. Also recommended is the Uzumaki movie, it didn't get the publicity that other new wave Japanese horror flicks got when it was released, but it's a godsend to anyone who was disappointed by the much talked about Ring and Ju-on.
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The word yaoi is derived from the first syllables of each word in the expression, "yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi ," which means "no peak, no point, no meaning." Yaoi manga is defined by its depiction of gay eroticism, usually between boys of seraphic beauty. Yaoi manga is almost exclusively produced by women for a female market; content can range from very light and suggestive to graphic sex. Check out some yaoi here and here.
Beyond hentai, eroguro (meaning erotic grotesque) or just guro for short, describes erotic manga at its most extreme. But guro is a loose term that encompasses many styles. Here are some examples.
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Published in English by creation books, Suehiro Maruo's work has attracted an international audience. His delicate artwork cuts a seductive gash into the skin of everything taboo.
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Then there's manga so fucked up that it wont see distribution outside of Japan; Disease, disfigurement, vivisection, if I'm touching on any erogenous zones, then I leave you with these compilations over here. [Note from DC: Also recommended, the mighty Gurochan.]
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p.s. Hey. There's another long lost post from my hacked and ghostly first blog that I came across and realized was too good a thing to die so young. It was d.l. Jose's baby back then, and it still is. So, enjoy it, and thank him, and let me start that ball rolling by saying Thanks a million, Jose, and ... surprise! Less than three days remain before the Halloween SPD deadline, so please send me your entries/ costumes. Thank you! Also, it's cleaning/ exile day, and, hence ... ** David, Sorry for the horrid sleep, but, so, what did all that bad sleep and those wires and tubes end up saying about you? ** David Ehrenstein, Oh, that is a coincidence. The Cortazar 'Blow Up' story is amazing, but I do think Antonioni was right to tweak the narrative by making it a murder. All of this kind of makes me want to rewatch De Palma's homagey 'Blow Out,' which I don't remember being so great. What's going on with The Advocate turned Avocado? I haven't been keeping up. Fraudulent documentaries are really becoming a thing, it seems like. Let me pass along your ... Everyone, here's David Ehrenstein with a hot tip: 'Great news for New Yorkers. December 8-12 Anthology Film Archives will be presenting a series of 6 programs devoted to the film and video works by Lou Castel. One of the greatest of all film actors (Fists in the Pocket, Beware of a Holy Whore, The Eyes The Mouth, La Naissance de L'Amour, Irma Vep), Lou's been making films on his own, and they're obviously required viewing.' ** Chilly Jay Chill, Hey. Oh, you know, one post spotlighting one Cortazar book doesn't stand in the way of a full-on Cortazar post at all, if you end up wanting to finish yours. Don't hesitate at all. Wow, that's very cool that you're selling mp3s at DO now. Excellent move. Let me ... Everyone, the great Chilly Jay Chill, writer, d.l., and a mastermind of the crucial website Destination OUT has a kind of announcement, a very fruitful one too, so please hear him out and then click where indicated: 'Much time has been taken up by latest venture at Destination OUT - we're now selling MP3s. We're amazed to be the exclusive sellers of the legendary FMP catalog, which released the best Euro Free Improv stuff - Brotzmann, Evan Parker, Globe Unity Orchestra, etc, etc. All their CDs are currently OOP and they've never allowed digital versions for sale - until now. We're offering new titles every few weeks. You can check it out here. Novel's moving okay right now. No extraordinary prep needed for the NYC trip. The usual, and I also need to go through my older work and pick some things to read at the New Museum event 'cos I'm scheduled to read only things I wrote in the 80s. You good? ** Disco 3-way, Hey, Eli! Visa stuff, yeah, ugh, I hear you. I know of what you speak. Assuming everything goes as planned, I'll be in NYC from the 13th to the 31st, so that should work. Wowzer, that's fantastic about you writing the intro to 'Funeral Rites'. I'm surprised it hasn't been published in Sweden before. What are you going to say? ** Sypha, Well, fingers crossed on everything job related re: the new and the old. Yeah, Alyson was publishing Kevin Killian's new novel. That part is the really tragic, infuriating worst thing about the collapse. I don't know exactly what is up with his novel under these circumstances. Maybe Kevin will read this and report in. ** Toniok, Hey, man! Well, maybe it was his years in Paris and all the French influence on his work that made the difference. Anyway, really glad you liked it. You doing great, I hope? ** Pilgarlic, Great ghost story, man. The blog totally devolved into a campfire and me into a quivering cub scout while I was reading that. A disquieting beauty. ** Alan, Hey. Not even 'Hopscotch'? Well, yeah, I'm going to be very pragmatic and offer you guys congratulations on Nobuko getting that job. But, yeah, I'm so sorry too. Great reader reports then, I take it. So, what is your game plan re: agent, publisher, and all that? ** Squajo, Hey! How really nice to see you. Incredible that you knew Cortazar, and that the post was okay even so. If I can ask this, what's going on with the Tarot related writing project you mentioned on your blog? Is it now in play or in the works or finished or ... ? It sounded very intriguing. Thank you so much for posting and for what you said. ** Wolf, You're a Cortazar lover? Awesome. He lived right near the Recollets. I can show you his old pad's exterior when you visit next. Everyone, courtesy of Wolf, here's an English translation of the story 'Casa Tomada' ('House Taken Over') that Julio Cortazar was reading in one of the video clips yesterday. Amazing thing. Check it out. Yeah, well, let me know if the dj thing is totally possible because, yeah, it sounds ultra-desirable. 'The Drift', ha ha ha. Hm, interesting. I don't have any apprehensions about Barcelona at all as long as it's not against the law there to go to bed a decent hour. You don't need to have Skype. I can call you via Skype on your phone at a reduced price. I'm totally sold on checking out Sarah Kane. It's on my list and that part of my list is in stone. ** Plexus, Gaborgeous! Oh, yeah, sorry about fooling around with your stage name. I lost my bearings for a second. I'm back in the Gabriel saddle now. Are you still sick today? Please say no unless you are, in which case say yes. I think I know that dead squirrel. Did it have little skull shaped markings on its back? If so, how did it get in your stomach? Do I even want to know, ha ha? Nine hours on a bus. Man, sorry. But so awesome if you come. And big up to Misanthrope for housing you. Worst comes to worst, you might be able to stay with me wherever I'm staying assuming that I have a place to stay. So, 'Ugly Man' is okay with you? I hope so. I thought my face was an acid tab already? You're saying it isn't? My whole world has just been turned upside down. It doesn't feel too bad though. Lots of topsy turvy love to you. ** Exile happened here. An hour has passed. ** The Evil Ghost of JW Veldhoen, I like Grouper. Yeah, totally, of course. I've never gotten the supposed good in McInerney. The French kind of like him. LA is paradiso, man. Word. On average, my novels always take me about two years to write. This one seems like it's going to stay that course. ** Pisycaca, Hey, Montse. So sorry about your rough week. Thursday can't come soon enough, and, wow, it's tomorrow! How long will you be there? No, I'm totally into coming to Barcelona. We just have to figure out the whens and hows and stuff. Ebastine, cool, thanks! I'll write that on a scrap of paper and hand it to the pharmicist and hope for the best. ** Davidc, Hi, David. Thanks much. You'll be in touch so we can try to meet up in NYC, yes? ** Steevee, Strains are pretty painful, so that makes sense. Oh, Chris Morris. JoeM did a blog day about him on my old dead blog. I should restore it. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hey, Ben. ** L@rstonovich, Sir. Oh, ouch, *weeping* re: the GBV show, shows. Good to know, but too painful to think about, I think. Thanks for the Skullhums. I'm taking these novel breaks now and then, and they've been too silent. Gracias! ** Creative Massacre, Hey. It really looked and felt like an important tattoo, and it definitely sounds to be. SPD contribution: Thanks! Of course, I totally love the topic of your art research paper. It's an area of immense fascination for me. Excellent choice, pal! ** Inthemostpeculiarway, Hi. No, I don't think Harper would publish it. I'm hoping some micro press or poetry press or something might be interested. If I looked hippieish, it wouldn't be so bad, but I look like a frazzled college professor or something. Not good. Oh, since you spoke of your buzzing ear, are your ears okay and back to hearing and feeling normally now? I don't think you ever said. Good god, weird friend weirdness there. Kind of a little scary sounding. Yeah, that was kind of an odd, melancholy day for you. I'm sorry. It was very interesting to read about though. My day, uh ... Novel report: I'm 2/3 of the way through polishing the first section into its final state. Might finish it off today if I'm very lucky. I went down to pay my rent, and I very nervously asked about the possibility of staying in the Recollets beyond December, and it's too complicated to go into, but I might well be able to get a lengthy extension if I can find a new sponsor for my residency, and I might have found one, we'll see. It's not a done deal, but the real possibility of being able to stay here longer got rid of a bunch of stress. Gisele called to say the potentially final version of 'Jerk/ Through Their Tears' is ready, and that we need to look over it and maybe sign off today, so I'll be seeing her later. I decided to check in on the porn world during a novel break, and I decided my new favorite porn star is a Brazilian boy who's usually called Sebastian. I had a coffee with Kiddiepunk and Oscar in the Gare de l'Est cafe, and we jabbered happily, I think. Then Oscar and I went to the health food store, and I bought apple vinegar at Yury's request, and she bought sugar waffles and apple vinegar at Kiddiepunk's request. I was going to do my laundry, but the basement of the Recollets got flooded for some reason, and that's where the washing machines are, so I couldn't. I ate stuff that looked and tasted very familiar. And I think that was the day as far as it went. Wednesday? How did it pan out? ** Nb, That Hindu funeral does sound kind of dreamy. Good, excellent, about the housesitting and writing combo. Three months break isn't too bad, but enough is enough. If I knew who my muse was, I'd send him or her over there to you since I'm just nitpicking right now, and he/she doesn't have that much to do. Tea is almost always in order, yes! ** Bill, That makes sense about not inviting your current students, yeah, of course. I wasn't thinking. Hope the prep is going well and without any hair pulling. Harumph about that partisan bullshit in the Arthur Russell bio. Thats disappointing. I'm sure Russell wouldn't have dug that at all. ** The Dreadful Flying Glove, Oh, well, then you're going to looovvve my novel, ha ha. Maybe. I like 'SMR' too, mind you. I can totally see The Moody Blues as a wake up call. 'Ride My Seesaw' would do it. I should see if there's a really good comp of their best stuff and download it. ** Hedi, Hey, Hedi! Oh, thanks a lot about the Cortazar post. I don't think that book you mentioned is in English, or I didn't see it when I was gathering the post's materials. You're making me ache for LA, which is good. B&S at Hollywood Forever? Trippy. Oh, Tom McCarthy, interesting. I was just reading/ thinking about him not two days ago. Yeah, the Duvert is pretty exquisite. I can't wait to finish my novel so I start making steady, regular progress on it. I would totally love to get that Sarah Kane text, if you don't mind. It might be something I can use on the blog too, since I've been thinking the last two days that I should spotlight her here in some way. Thanks a lot, Hedi! Lots of love and respect to you, man. ** Misanthrope, Bud. The New Museum is south of Houston on, oh shit, ... the Bowery? Don't quote me on that. I choose something huge and black coming towards me during the day. Why, I don't know. Did I just reveal something? Which one did you pick? ** Bollo, Hey. Oh, the Peterlicker tape. Much hilarity surrounded said tape during the 'TIHYWD' rehearsals. Not about the music. The music kills. Peter's one of the real unsung geniuses, man. ** Will Decker, Hey. So, I was right. It is on Bowery. Thanks for helping out a comrade. Yeah, I'm super late today, but it's 80% not my fault, at least. Are you excited about the Chicago trip? Are you nervous at all? ** Very late today, sorry. Exile and all that. Give it up for Jose's resurrected Manga Day, be well, and I'll see you again with the rising sun.
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