The usual great stuff from Mitsuru.

H2 1
아다치 미츠루 지음 / 대원씨아이(만화) / 1999년 3월

Hikari and Hiro grew up together, but because of his height (or the lack of it) during junior high, Hikari chose Hideo instead, and Hiro subsequently had to arrange a date for the two of them. Though regretting a little after Hiro caught up with everyone, she continues to give Hideo her full support as he strives towards glory in Koshien.

Haruka is the manager of the Senkawa’s baseball-club, who falls in love with Hiro. Her passion for the sport is also reflected in her desire to turn the club into a baseball team, and then see them through to Koshien. With the services of Hiro and Noda, and an unlikely bunch of people who would soon join their ranks, what was once an unlikely dream is suddenly now within her reach.

Somewhere along the way in becoming champions in Koshien, Hiro and Hideo will be reunited on the field again. But this time, as Hiro puts it, 'God wants to see us play against each other.' But before that can happen, they will face challenges on and off the field, make many friends and foes, as both our heroes and heroines aim for the most coverted title in Japanese highschool baseball.

Read it!

터치 1
아다치 미츠루 지음 / 대원씨아이(만화) / 2000년 2월

Uesugi Tatsuya, Kazuya, and Asakura Minami have grown up together. Tatusya and Kazuya are twins seemingly with very little in common. Kazuya, the younger of the two is conscientious, responsible and friendly. He does well in school, wins the adoration of both the girls and guys, and is the prodigy pitcher of Meisei high school baseball team. On the other hand, Tatsuya, Kazuya’s twin brother, is sloppy and lazy, not to mention having a penchant for getting himself in trouble.

Between them is Asakura Minami, the lovely girl next door, who's well-loved by everyone and a model student herself. Minami has two dreams. One is to be at Koshien stadium, cheering Meisei on in the high school competitions. The other ‘just a simple dream’ (as she puts it) would be to eventually marry the person she loves. Everyone thinks Minami and Kazuya make a fine pair. Even Kazuya admits he loves Minami. But while Minami has her hopes on Kazuya to fulfill her first dream, it's always been Tatsuya whom she has laid her hopes on for the second.

A timeless classic.

베르사이유의 장미 1 - 새로운 운명의 소용돌이 속으로
이케다 리요코 지음 / 대원씨아이(만화) / 2001년 3월

Half soap opera, half history lesson, ROSE tells the fascinating story of a young woman living in 18th century France, spanning the 20 years prior to the French Revolution. She is only so fascinating because she was raised as a man, and led a life as a man. Named 'Oscar' by her heirless father, she was forced into a military career at the tender age of 14 when King Louis XV appointed her Royal Guard Commander for the Royal Family.

The fact that a 14-year-old girl was chosen as the Royal Guard Commander is quite unbelievable, but Oscar's steely character - wise beyond her time and age - makes it perfectly believable. During a time when women had no careers, she was able to succeed in the military - of all places - like no other. While it was no mystery that she was a woman, Oscar did many things other women could not. And she got away with it only because she did it better than many men.

Through Riyoko's mastery storytelling - weaving historical fact with fiction (the character of Oscar is all fiction) - we are able to follow Oscar's life from the Court of Versailles, where she protected Marie Antoinette as a Royal Guard, to the turbulent streets of Paris, where she went on to command the French Guards at the dawn of the French Revolution.

Aside from giving us an original character in Oscar, Riyoko also does a damn good job of humanizing the various historical characters surrounding our fictional heroine, especially Antoinette, whose gruesome death during the Reign of Terror is common knowledge. This foreboding fact gives the story - as it slowly unfolds her fate up to the guillotine - a tragic undertone unlike any shoujo I've seen.

Classic manga!

야와라! Yawara! 1
우라사와 나오키 지음, 서현아 옮김 / 학산문화사(만화) / 1999년 12월

YAWARA! was created in 1987 by Urasawa Naoki (artist for Master Keaton and Pineapple Army, and the creator of Happy! and Monster) where it was published in the weekly manga magazine Big Comic Spirits (the same one as Maison Ikkoku).

The manga's popularity led to creation of the YAWARA! television series in 1989. It was shown on Nihon Television, animated by Mad House (Juubei Ninpuuchou [Ninja Scroll], Youjuu Toshi [Wicked City]), produced by Yomiuri TV & Kitty Films and distributed by Kitty films as Ranma ½ Nettouhen's sister show. YAWARA! blew away her sister show ratings wise, always earning a spot in the top ten anime list and often within the top five!

The television series ended in September of 1992 after an impressive 124 episode run. The manga series continued well into 1993 where it finished up the story after an equally impressive 29 compiled volume run.

A live action movie was released in 1989, An offshoot, one-shot manga, 'Jigoro!' was released in 1994 and a 90 minute television special, featuring Yawara at the Atlanta Olympics, aired in July 1996.

Yawara! has made an even bigger impact. Tamura Ryoko, 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist and 1996 & 1992 Olympic Silver Medalist and Japan's 48kg Ladies Judo Champion, was nicknamed 'Yawara-chan' by the press.

Entertaining!

쾌걸! 증기탐정단 7
아사미야 키아 지음 / 학산문화사(만화) / 2000년 5월

There is a certain charm about titles such as ORGUSS 02 or ESCAFLOWNE that take place in alternate universes. In a day and age where many shows seem to be rehashing the same ideas over and over, the otherworldly feel of an alternate setting often provides just the right amount of spice to spark the viewers' interest.
Asamiya Kia's ongoing 'STEAM DETECTIVES' series uses this 'retro' theme. In keeping with the early manga style of the 70s, Asamiya breaks away from his intricately drawn, lavishly ziptoned illustrations and uses simpler, cleaner lines and flat-shaded surfaces. The result is a visual style somewhat similar to that of GIANT ROBO or KISHIN HEIDAN, both of which feature stylized mecha designs and characters with sharp-looking hairdos.

The setting is 'Steam City,' which looks like an early twentieth century London or Gotham City. The premise of the alternate setting is the automatic coal burner, which allows people to use coal the way gasoline is used today, in turn allowing for steam-driven limousines, scooters, and the requisite mecha. The story opens with a villain who bears an uncanny resemblance to Batman confronting a rich couple. Calling himself 'The Knight of Phantom,' the villain takes the couple's kid hostage and guns them down in cold blood.