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Death Note: How to Read v. 13 (Death Note): How to Read v. 13 (Death Note)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Anime and Manga
by: Tsugumi Ohba

February 19, 2008
Like many of these encyclopaedias for fictions this contains a lot of completely uninteresting information. However, there are a few really fascinating bits of info - that Ohba regards both L and Light as evil, that neither of the creators liked Near, that Ohba is inspired by the works of artist Jean Jansem. Most interestingly is the fact that both Ohba and Obata emphasised the philosophical ambiguity and the absence of any pretentious, didactic message; for me this is what makes Death Note so fascinating and so open to meandering and entertaining speculation. Death Note 13 also increased my respect for the artwork and the complexity and skill invested into this side of the manga.

The best feature of this bonus instalment was the ... Read More:

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The Art of Miyazaki's Spirited Away (Studio Ghibli Library)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Anime and Manga
by: Hayao Miyazaki

September 01, 2008
The first thing to strike one when opening this book is that the paper is high quality glossy art paper. This enables a very good standard of printing and colour definition which in the case of artwork from Studio Ghibli is useful to say the least.
This book complements 'Spirited Away' and reveals the beauty of the work that went into it. It's not a 'making of' or a 'illustrated version' as such but well worth seeing and reading. You'll learn a lot and it's very aesthetically pleasing. Recommeded in the extreme. Now buy everything Studio Ghibli has ever produced...

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Tekkon Kinkreet: Black & White: Black and White

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Anime and Manga
by: Taiyo Matsumoto

August 04, 2008
I have just read this collection by Taiyo Matsumoto (I have not seen the anime based on the series) and i loved every bit of it. His style of drawing is a weird mix of European and Japanese, very much like Atsushi Kaneko (Bambi and her Pink Gun - shamefully only two editions translated into English by digital manga) which has a more organic `wobbly' feel unlike the usual pin-sharp lines of most manga.

If i had to describe his drawing style i would say it is very similar to early Robert Crumb (Fritz the Cat era) and early Moebius (Jean Giraud in a looser- more freestyle mood). At first glance it looks simple and almost child-like, but the more you look the more detail and background character there is. I especially love the way he plays ... Read More:

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Pokemon: The Rise of Darkrai

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Anime and Manga
by: Ryo Takamisaki

June 03, 2008
I have just read this collection by Taiyo Matsumoto (I have not seen the anime based on the series) and i loved every bit of it. His style of drawing is a weird mix of European and Japanese, very much like Atsushi Kaneko (Bambi and her Pink Gun - shamefully only two editions translated into English by digital manga) which has a more organic `wobbly' feel unlike the usual pin-sharp lines of most manga.

If i had to describe his drawing style i would say it is very similar to early Robert Crumb (Fritz the Cat era) and early Moebius (Jean Giraud in a looser- more freestyle mood). At first glance it looks simple and almost child-like, but the more you look the more detail and background character there is. I especially love the way he plays ... Read More:

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Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!, Volume 2 (Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Anime and Manga
by: Ihara Shigekatsu

September 02, 2008
I have just read this collection by Taiyo Matsumoto (I have not seen the anime based on the series) and i loved every bit of it. His style of drawing is a weird mix of European and Japanese, very much like Atsushi Kaneko (Bambi and her Pink Gun - shamefully only two editions translated into English by digital manga) which has a more organic `wobbly' feel unlike the usual pin-sharp lines of most manga.

If i had to describe his drawing style i would say it is very similar to early Robert Crumb (Fritz the Cat era) and early Moebius (Jean Giraud in a looser- more freestyle mood). At first glance it looks simple and almost child-like, but the more you look the more detail and background character there is. I especially love the way he plays ... Read More:

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The Best of Pokemon Adventures: Red (Best of Pokemon Adventures)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Anime and Manga
by: Hidenori Kusaka

October 17, 2006
I have just read this collection by Taiyo Matsumoto (I have not seen the anime based on the series) and i loved every bit of it. His style of drawing is a weird mix of European and Japanese, very much like Atsushi Kaneko (Bambi and her Pink Gun - shamefully only two editions translated into English by digital manga) which has a more organic `wobbly' feel unlike the usual pin-sharp lines of most manga.

If i had to describe his drawing style i would say it is very similar to early Robert Crumb (Fritz the Cat era) and early Moebius (Jean Giraud in a looser- more freestyle mood). At first glance it looks simple and almost child-like, but the more you look the more detail and background character there is. I especially love the way he plays ... Read More:

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How To Draw Manga: Compiling Characters v. 1 (How to Draw Manga (Graphic-Sha Numbered))

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Anime and Manga
by: Society for the Study of Manga Techniques

February 04, 2004
A VERY good book...........if you are a begginner in Manga.
This covers all the basics on drawing manga PEOPLE, yet you MAY only find this book very usefull to you if you don't know the basics, otherwise you are probably going to take one look at it and say, 'Hey wait I already know this, dammit!'
BUT
A fair few people I know use this as a REFERENCE book, and they have been drawing manga for afew years, yet still find a use for this book.

All in all, I would say, a must have for begginners, and a good buy for anyone else with spare change

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Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Volume 1 (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Anime and Manga
by: Hayao Miyazaki

August 04, 2008
The collection of 7 books that make up the Nausicaa collection are fantastic. I read them all in about two days, once you start them you cannot stop. The paper quality is a bit low, but what can you expect for the price. It has additional stuff to the film and more depth. A brilliant intro to Miyazaki's anime.

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Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Anime and Manga
by: Hiroko Yoda, Matt Alt

August 15, 2008
The collection of 7 books that make up the Nausicaa collection are fantastic. I read them all in about two days, once you start them you cannot stop. The paper quality is a bit low, but what can you expect for the price. It has additional stuff to the film and more depth. A brilliant intro to Miyazaki's anime.

Average Rating:

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Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Volume 2

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Anime and Manga
by: Hayao Miyazaki, David Lewis, Toren Smith

August 04, 2008
The collection of 7 books that make up the Nausicaa collection are fantastic. I read them all in about two days, once you start them you cannot stop. The paper quality is a bit low, but what can you expect for the price. It has additional stuff to the film and more depth. A brilliant intro to Miyazaki's anime.