A Quokka Dreeds its Weird

The context here is that Tokyopop generously donated some manga for the mentoring group I volunteer with. This is me deciding what I want to read and review before I pass it on to the kids -- and I'll do so soon, so I'll only have time for a few. (Don't worry about appropriateness, some of the kids are teens.)

[Poll #1224613]

What are your favorite manga, manhwa, manhua, and other Asian comics that a) have not yet been licensed in English, b) were created within the last ten years or so?

Other than Yokohama KK mumble, which is delightful and which I am already reading, and Yoshinaga Fumi's Ooku, which I already know about... and would really appreciate scanlation links for, if scanlations exist. If not, maybe I should bid on scanlating services from livelongnmarry.

If you describe why I ought to read them, and provide or email scanlation links if they exist, I may read and review them here. Also, I am in a position to occasionally suggest licenses. Just sayin'.

[Poll #1208297]

Yesterday I attended ConDor in San Diego, and had the pleasure of having dinner with and visiting a manga shop with yhlee, sartorias, seajules, and tcastleb -- the latter a new acquaintance. She has an e-book out about a hot queer romance between a man and a telepathic lizard alien, which she delightfully promoted by giving out cards with teeny plastic lizards. (I made mine scale the vast heights of my water bottle.) It sounds sort of like the good version of Touched by Venom.

At the manga store, I spotted entire bookshelves of $1 manga. Apparently a maniacal gleam came into my eyes at this magic combination of two things dear to my heart, "manga" and "really good deal." All I know is that I had to be forcibly pried from the store, and then, emerging from my frenzy, I noticed that some time had passed. Here's what I got.

Full price:

Kaori Yuki's second Angel Sanctuary art book, in English. (I have the first.) Exquisite, sensual full-color art of boys with wings and swords, angels and Lucifer, steampunk skeletal angel wings, that sort of thing. Plus an interview.

XxxHolic # 11, by CLAMP. Gorgeous art almost entirely in blacks and whites, and a story which started slow but has now gained great momentum and pathos.

Pumpkin Scissors # 2, by Ryotaro Iwanaga. I reviewed the first volume not long ago.

ONE DOLLAR MANGA:

Qwan # 4, by Aki Shimizu. Folkloric creatures and a demon-eating boy.

Please Save My Earth # 14, by Saki Hiwatari. Older reincarnation manga; I don't much like the art but have been collecting it because people say the story is excellent.

Tower of the Future # 1, by Saki Hiwatari. Possibly metafictional manga by the same mangaka about a boy who writes fantasy.

Land of the Blindfolded # 8, by Sakura Tsukuba. Poignant and sweet series about high school kids with powers, somewhat along the lines of Fruits Basket.

Oyayubehime Infinity # 1 and 2, by Toru Fujieda. Reincarnation series, possibly recommended by oyceter.

Project 240Z X challengers: The Fated Z Plan: Fairlady Z / 240Z: The Legend of the Most Successful Sports Car in the World.

The true story of the first Japanese sports car to become an international success. This sounds just like the bento manga, but about the Nissan Fairlady Z aka the Datsun 240Z. It has loving panels depicting engine parts, and men gazing at cars thinking, "This is it... This is the car I've been waiting for. This... is a Datsun!"

ONE DOLLAR MANHWA:

Your Lover # 1, by Seungwon Han. A Korean romance "inspired by the historical real-life passion of Parisian painter Marie Laurencin and French poet Guillaume Apollinaire." Features tragic accidents, gorgeous celebrities, and the younger brother of a dead fiance who looks just like him.

ReaLies # 1 by Lee Si Young. I'm not sure what this is. It might be sf, or might be realistic fiction using sf metaphors. The dialogue seemed interesting, and it was a dollar...

Has anyone read any of these? Opinions?

So, I recall that Comic Con frequently has dealers selling manga at reduced rates like 25% off. I see an opportunity to reduce the enormous amount I spend on manga. Other than Rurouni Kenshin, Blade of the Immortal, and Hikaru no Go, what series should I buy up that I don't already have? I have only read Her Majesty's Dog from Go!Comi, but I LOVED it and am interested in checking out their other series.

Off the top of my head, I already have all or most of what's been released of Fruits Basket, Naruto, X/1999. X-Day, Wish, Planetes, Saiyuki, Saiyuki Reload, Death Note, Planet Ladder, Demon Diary, Gravitation, Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach, Chobits, Clover, Alice 19th, Fushigi Yuugi: Genbu Kaiden, Mars, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, Paradise Kiss, Nana, His Majesty's Dog, Legal Drug, Dragon Head, DramaCon, Scott Pilgrim, Eternal Sabbath, and Absolute Boyfriend.

I have some of, but have not yet started reading or have only gotten a little way into Crimson Hero, Angel Sanctuary, Hana-Kimi, Beck, Tramps Like Us, Please Save My Earth, Monster, Ceres: Celestial Legend, and Hot Gimmick (I blame Mely for the last.)

I burned out on Fushigi Yuugi and Trigun.

The underage-looking kiddies in Shinobu Kokoro freaked me out, though I liked the snow spirit story.

Based on this, what should I stock up on?

I have had absolutely nothing of interest happen lately, except for non-crisis-level things that are too depressing, infuriating, and/or business-or-legal-matter-related to discuss, and so have achieved the unusual state of being both behind on everything (as usual) and bored.

Randomness follows:

1. I learned via some scholarly paper that in Tibet, gay male sex is exclusively practiced "between the legs from behind." Uh, yeah, don't think we'll be getting into quite that level of detail. The paper was on a sect of warrior, duelling, smoking, drinking, martial arts-practicing monks who were also famous for being gay. Well, for male-male sex anyway, this was way before sexuality-as-identity became a concept.

2. I hate the IRS.

3. Why can't I find a little Jiraiya figure? I want a little Jiraiya figure! To make up for the lack, I have posed my little Naruto figure with a large, non-Naruto frog that I happened to have handy.

4. I watched the first four episodes of Escaflowne, which was as far as I got the last time I tried it. Last time I quit out of lack of enthusiasm for giant robots, high fantasy worlds, cat-girls, and androgynous psychotic cackling villains who are all, "I am eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil! Wheeeeeee! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" I still lack enthusiasm for those elements, but will persevere as I've been told the characters get more interesting later. Allen's "I am such a bishonen that I look like a fairy princess who could slash you to death with my nose" design cracks me up, but he's the character I am most grabbed by so far. Also, the music is excellent.

5. Can anyone describe the taste of yak-butter tea? My Dad has had it and liked it, but was unable to provide a more detailed description than "salty."

6. Has everyone who ordered Project Blue Rose received it by now?

7. Anyone read any good manga lately?

8. What about books?