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This post written by Clint Project X Challengers: Seven Eleven
by Tadashi Ikuta and Naomi Kimura
[cover name=projectxchallengersseveneleven]
7-Eleven started off in 1927 in Dallas, Texas. Now it is one of the largest chain stores in the world, with branches in eighteen countries. Did you know that the whole thing is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co., Ltd. in Japan?
If you expect the story of 7-Eleven in Japan to be boring, think again. The people who do Project X are very good at putting together stories like this. They focus on the people involved, and they create a fairly good mixture of drama, facts, and occasionally comedy. Yeah, I laughed once or twice while reading this.
I have a couple criticisms of this book and the whole series. First, the translation from Japanese isn’t great. It’s okay, but not perfect. Second, they focus a little too much on the drama and human interest and not enough on the story itself. Other than that, though, I’m pretty happy with it.
Project X Challengers: Seven Eleven tells the story of the first 7-Eleven to open in Japan. 7-Eleven was not originally interested in expanding to Japan, and most people in Japan weren’t really interested in getting 7-Eleven to open stores there. A couple of Japanese executives had to work really hard to get their own company interested in talking to 7-Eleven. Then they had to work hard to get the American 7-Eleven interested in looking at Japan. Once both companies were talking, they had to find some place to open a store and make it popular. Fortunately for them, a young man who owned a liquor store volunteered to convert it into Japan’s first 7-Eleven. However, business was slow, and for a while, it looked like 7-Eleven would never work in Japan. Then it exploded, and now the Japanese branch is the most powerful. (Not to mention inventing “conbini,” Japanese convenience stores, which have practically become a way of life in Japan. Here’s a Washington Post article.)
If you enjoy this, there are two others in the Project X Challengers series. One is about the first instant ramen, and the other is about the Datsun 240Z sports car. All three focus on the people and try to blend drama and humor in with history.
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Where to Find It
[linkplus name=”Project X Challengers: Seven Eleven” url=”http://csul.iii.com/record=b24775827~S0″]
[librarydate]
This post written by Clint Bone
by Jeff Smith
[cover name=bone]
Bone begins with the three Bone brothers, Fone, Smiley, and Phoncible, lost in an uncharted desert. They are separated by a swarm of locusts (in a desert?) and each make their way to a lush but very strange valley full of talking animals, quirky people, and monsters. The cousins eventually meet up, but they discover that there are dark forces at work in the valley, and that these forces have taken an interest in the Bones.
Fone seems to be a normal guy. He’s nice, but maybe a little bit naive.
Smiley is easygoing, but he does love to play pranks. He also smokes and gambles and can be talked into doing things he probably shouldn’t do.
Phoncible, also known as Phoney, is the real troublemaker. He’s greedy and dishonest, butt he doesn’t seem to be very good at being dishonest. He tries hard, though.
The story is a good mix of serious and silly. I’ve only read the first volume, but I have heard that it gets a little more serious and eventually turns into an epic fantasy, which some people compare to Lord of the Rings.
There are a couple different editions of Bone. Some are in color. Some are black and white. Usually there are nine volumes in the series, but there is also a 1,332-page single-volume edition.
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Where to Find It
[librarylist showtitles=true]
[librarydate]
This post written by Clarissa Planetes
by Makoto Yukimura
[cover name=planetes]
A lot of people think this might be the best science fiction manga (and anime) ever–and even if you don’t like manga, but you’re interested in space exploration, or you liked Apollo 13, The Right Stuff, etc., you should find this somewhere. Planetes is an extremely well-drawn and well-told story about several different people who work in space; although the focus of the story changes in different volumes and chapters, the multicultural core characters are debris collectors who clean up the garbage that (even in our time) is cluttering up outer space. One of the characters has a tragic past. Another dreams of owning his own spaceship (almost to the extent of losing his own humanity). Another is trying to remind him that compassion and love can co-exist with ambition and survival in space. Another wants … actually, who knows what Fee wants, except to keep everyone else from screwing up or getting themselves killed or slacking off too much. The characters have to deal with the normal daily-life stuff of their personal demons, their relationships, and their jobs; their bigger goals; and the background problems of terrorism and corporate/governmental questionability as humanity expands toward Jupiter. This excellent series avoids the over-the-top silliness that can make you roll your eyes at some manga; the adventure is just grand enough and the touching moments are just pointed enough. You can finish the series in only 5 books (the last two are both labeled volume 4–part 1 and part 2), which is also nice.
(Warning: volume 3 contains some nudity.)
[starratingmulti id=”1″]
Where to Find It
[linkplus name=Planetes url=”http://csul.iii.com/search/X?SEARCH=t:(planetes)+and+a:(yukimura)&SORT=DX&l=eng” series=true]
[librarydate]
This post written by Clint Emily the Strange: The Lost Issue
by Jessica Gruner and Buzz Parker
[cover name=emilythestrangethelostissue]
Emily the Strange is kind of like Wednesday Addams. She’s got black hair, pale skin, a fondness for dark clothes, and a gloomy, gothic, warped outlook on life. Plus, she’s strange. And funny.
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Where to Find It
[librarylist]
[librarydate]
This post written by Clint Fullmetal Alchemist
by Hiromu Arakawa
[cover name=fullmetalalchemist]
Fullmetal Alchemist is set in a fantasy version of Europe during the Industrial Revolution. Edward and Alphonse are studying alchemy, a sort of magical chemistry, and decide to use it to resurrect their dead mother. This ends badly: Edward ends up with a prosthetic leg and arm, while Alphonse needs to have his entire body replaced with a body of metal. Edward goes to work for the military, hoping to get access to enough resources to regrow his limbs and his brother’s body. However, the brothers eventually stumble upon a conspiracy and, with the help of some of Edward’s military buddies, have to save their country.
You can look it up on Wikipedia.
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Where to Find It
[librarylist]
[librarydate]
This post written by Clint Naruto
by Masashi Kishimoto
[cover name=naruto]
Naruto is a hyperactive teenager in one of the best ninja academies in the world. He wants to be the greatest ninja ever, but he’s kind of dumb, easily distracted, and obsessed with ramen. Still, he has a great deal of natural ability, if he can pay attention long enough to use it.
You can look it up on Wikipedia. You can also read some of it online at the publisher’s website.
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Where to Find It
[librarylist]
[librarydate]
This post written by Clint Bleach
by Kubo Tite
[cover name=bleach]
Bleach is a series about high school students who can see spirits. One day the main character, Ichigo, encounters a soul reaper (kind of like a grim reaper, but younger) who is responsible for dealing with troubled spirits. The soul reaper is injured in a fight with a dangerous spirit and temporarily gives Ichigo her powers. After defeating the spirit, Ichigo finds that he cannot give the power back. Instead, he has to become a part-time soul reaper.
You can look it up on Wikipedia.
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Where to Find It
[librarylist]
The [library id=richmond] public library has some volumes, but I don’t think they have volume 1 yet.
[librarydate]
This post written by Clarissa Love Song
by Keiko Nishi
[cover name=lovesong]
An anthology of four short stories by amazing artist/writer Nishi: a story about abusive love, an Edgar Alan Poe-like horror piece, a portrait of a far-future Chinese dumpling maker who dreams of Earth, and a bullied boy who develops astonishing healing powers, becomes a celebrity, and must deal with the consequences. Touching, shocking, and memorable.
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Where to Find It
[librarylist]
[linkplus url=”http://csul.iii.com/record=b17651036~S0″ name=”Love Song” cchasone=some]
[librarydate]
This post written by Clarissa Shrine of the Morning Mist
by Hiroki Ugawa
[cover name=shrineofthemorningmist]
This often comedic series, about schoolgirls who serve as shrine maidens and fight evil monsters, gently spoofs other series such as “Sailor Moon.” Several sisters and their school friends use divine magic to protect their shrine, their town, and a distant cousin who has the ability to see the other world. In the meantime, of course, their school gets smashed up by giant monsters and wacky hijinks ensue.
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Where to Find It
You’re going to have to check a bookstore for this one. Sorry about that.
[librarydate]
This post written by Clarissa Tarot Café
by Sang-sun Park
[cover name=tarotcafe]
Originating in Korea, this lavishly-drawn gothic fantasy series tells both the overall story of an mysterious tarot-card reader and self-contained mini-stories about the mysterious creatures whose fortunes she reads. Her clients include demons, werewolves, vampires, dragons, and even cats.
[starratingmulti id=”1″]
Where to Find It
[linkplus name=”Tarot Cafe” url=”http://csul.iii.com/search/X?SEARCH=t:(tarot%20cafe)&SORT=DX&l=eng” series=true]
[librarydate]
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