Crying over manga, big ups to English VAs and time for a change of clothes
Crying over manga
In the July issue of Newtype USA we printed a letter from Rachel asking to hear about manga that made us cry. Since we don’t have tear ducts, we turned it over to our readers, and you replied en masse. Oddly enough, we didn’t receive even one letter from a guy. What’s up, gents? Manga doesn’t make you cry? Anyway, here are a few of the replies we received. (CAUTION: spoilers ahead!)
Yes! Manga has made me teary-eyed (though I’m not sure if I’ve ever actually shed full tears)! Pita-Ten and Socrates in Love almost made me cry, as both have tearjerker endings. I must say that anime has made me cry more than manga, but I will probably cry when D•N•Angel comes to a close!
Christina Noyes • Greenville, MS
OF COURSE I HAVE! I was completely in tears when Sara Mudou died in Setsuna’s arms in Angel Sanctuary, and again when Zaphikel found out that his son—believed to be long dead—was actually right beside him all that time in the form of Raziel. And boy, did I cry a river when Fuuma stabbed Kotori in X/1999; it was so sad! And poor Hughes wasn’t spared my tears either in his final Fullmetal Alchemist appearance! (Are you beginning to see a pattern here?) It may be a girl thing, but I’ll also admit to shedding tears at the end of Alice 19th and Fushigi Yugi. Sappy love stories, even if done by the wonderful Yuu Watase-sensei, always get me crying, and they usually make my parents wonder why I’m up in my room crying when I should be studying! Anyhow, that’s my take on it—crying isn’t exclusive to anime! LOL P.S. Kudos to Newtype USA for an absolutely wonderful magazine that I make sure to subscribe to every year!
Lada Bordewick • Three Forks, MT
I cried when Nuriko died in Volume 8 of Fushigi Yugi. Nuriko was my favorite character in the series, and he died so early in the story.
Corinna Cornett • Copperas Cove, TX
Manga tears, huh? The most dreaded tears of all! (Especially when they land on the page and mar that oh-so-beautiful artwork, which in turn brings on a whole other sort of tears.)
Does manga make people cry? Yes! Well, at least for me anyway. Why? No clue. It’s just that some moments are so moving that they spark something deep inside, and you’re left bawling like a baby. (Hopefully in the privacy of your own room. Nothing says “crazy” like losing it in public. Trust me. Most people just don’t understand...)
Which titles bring a shine to my eyes? Immortal Rain. Ugh, don’t even get me started. Oh, and Fruits Basket, on so many occasions, most of which sneak up on you. *sigh* Then there’s Les Bijoux (oh, sweet love and misunderstanding), Mars, Clover by CLAMP, Model...there are so many!!! Maybe I’m just an emotional wreck...
But the number one saddest has to be Made in Heaven...Seriously, it’s sad from page one, and it just gets sadder all the way through to the end of Volume 2. Oh, but it’s so good!!! Anyway, read at your own peril. You’ve been warned!
Sheri Johnson • Morton, MN
Big ups to English VAs
I’m a major fan of Newtype USA. I love that you’ve given one of the greatest female voice actors a column. I can’t wait to read more from Monica Rial. I hope you give other VAs columns. Like Greg Ayres or Vic Mignogna—I just love those two. Greg is my favorite. He’s one of the reasons I’m such a huge ADV fan. But I also love Luci Christian and Monica. I was wondering if you’ll ever do something focused on the men of anime, like Greg and Chris Ayres, Vic Mignogna, Chris Sabat, Chris Patton and Quinton Flynn, just to name a few. (Quinton’s not with ADV, so please branch out a little to include the California men.) I really love the mag, but I love the VAs too. Thanks!
Tialee (the biggest Greg Ayres fan gurl in the world) • Via the Internet
Thanks! Glad to hear you’re digging Monica’s column. And who knows, maybe we’ll throw another VA in the mix somewhere down the line (not yet, though). As for your idea on doing something with the men of anime, well…we’ll think about it.
Change of clothes
Hi! My name is Emma. I have been an anime/manga fan since I was in kindergarten. I’m going to be a high school freshman soon, and I still LOVE it all. I plan on becoming a Japanese translator someday. Anyways, I have a random baka question that has been bugging me for a while: Why is it that in some anime/manga the characters wear practically the same clothes everyday (like in Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist), but in others the characters change clothes daily (like in Fruits Basket and Loveless)? Are manga artists just lazy and don’t feel like drawing them in different clothes, or is it for some other reason? I know it’s a weird question and that there probably isn’t a real answer, but I thought I’d ask anyway!
Emma • Via the Internet
Hi Emma! We’d say it’s likely just a matter of the artist’s preference (not laziness), but it could also be to develop a familiarity with the characters. If the characters in your favorite manga were always switching outfits or hairstyles it’d be harder for readers/viewers to differentiate between them. Or, in Naruto and FMA, it could be a matter of the characters wearing uniforms versus series that don’t require that. Ask a baka question, get a baka answer.