Recent Reads: Fangirl, Vol. 1: The Manga by Sam Maggs & Rainbow Rowell

Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

Fangirl, Vol. 1: The Manga by Sam Maggs, Rainbow Rowell, Illustrated by Gabi Nam 

Series: Fangirl: The Manga #1
Publisher:  VIZ Media LLC
Publication Date: October 13, 2020

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

The manga adaptation of the beloved novel by #1 Bestselling author Rainbow Rowell!

New York Journal of Books

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, everybody is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life. Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath just can't let go. Now that they’re in college, Cath must decide if she’s ready to start living her own life. But does she even want to if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Cath doesn’t need friends IRL. She has her twin sister, Wren, and she’s a popular fanfic writer in the Simon Snow community with thousands of fans online.  But now that she’s in college, Cath is completely outside of her comfort zone. There are suddenly all these new people in her life. She's got a surly roommate with a charming boyfriend, a writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome new writing partner ... And she's barely heard from Wren all semester! 

Review: 

Excited to finally get the opportunity to read this Manga adaptation of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I loved this novel and the Manga does not disappoint. In this first volume we get a good way through the story with visuals that wonderfully matched with the visuals that were in my head when I read it the first time. 

If you don't already know this book, it follows a very introverted girl named Cath, who is starting college and going through too many changes at once for her liking. She has a twin that wants to branch out, a dad that is on his own, and she doesn't do well in social situations, so college is a hard process thus far. Her only solace is to writer her beloved fan fiction following the lead characters of a popular middle grade fantasy called Simon Snow. 

Cath is trying to adapt and not doing well. She is reserved and finding it hard to make friends and step anywhere outside of her comfort zone. This really resonates with me, and it a very similar experience to what I had in my first year of college. Cath is introverted, nerdy, and strong willed in her own way and so the story is very character-driven and I liked that. 

If you enjoyed the novel, you will also enjoy the Manga. Sam Maggs is wonderful and the adaptation does this book justice. The illustrations are fun and full of movement and emotion and there is the perfect amount of dialogue and thought throughout to keep with the storyline. 

I really enjoyed this one and hope that you will too! If you aren't a 'reader' but like Manga and Graphic Novels this would be a great way to read this book, it is adapted so well!

Movie Monday: Death Note TV versus Movie

Movie Monday is a new feature at Cover2CoverBlog where I talk about Book-Movie Adaptations. If you have any recommendations let me know in the comments. 

This feature may contain SPOILERS to both the books AND the movies so read carefully (and in this case the TV Show)

Today's comparison is... 

Death Note
   

Image sources: Anime-Planet and Wikipedia     

THE TV SHOW Death Note Studio: Madhouse Run Dates: October 2016- June 2017

THE MOVIE Death Note Distributed by: Netflix Release Date: August 25, 2017

 SPOILERS AHEAD! Loads of them!
 

So just a note right off - I have NOT read the Death Note manga series (I need to and would love to). There was a time in my life when I watched A LOT of anime though and Death Note was one of those series. I recently started re-watching it when it arrived on Netflix, completely forgetting that they were going to do a 'movie' adaptation. It is a great anime and it is one that you can watch a few times and still pick up on new things.

So when the new Netflix movie was available I watched it that weekend and while it was ok it wasn't the best adaptation. I had a few issues ...

1. You almost never really see Ryuk in the movie - why? He is so much fun to look at and he is a very entertaining part of the tv series. He is terrifying and they put a lot of work into generating him for the movie so why not show him off more.?!!?! That being said, Willem DaFoe lending his voice was pretty amazing and I loved that aspect.

2. Obviously there was whitewashing, it is an Asian series with Asian characters being recast in Seattle with a predominantly white cast. From what I understand this takes away from a lot of the cultural references and background that is needed for the story to really work. Granted, I have seen the series and so maybe I already have the background needed to watch the movie without feeling like I am missing that. Even still, I was surprised there weren't many Asian/Asian-Americans in the cast.

3. Light - this character, oh my gosh so frustrating. In the movie he is an outcast trying to do good things with the Note. In the series he is kind of crazy-pants. He is a kid that thinks he knows what is best for the world and has the superiority to implement it. So instead we are supposed to feel for the new Light? - no, sorry, that is weird.

4. Misa is replaced with Mia - Misa is famous in the series which lends to other issues with helping Light. In the movie, Mia is a popular teen... This is fine, I understand they had to cut down certain aspects to have a decent length movie but I don''t understand why this girl would fall for Light even after bring shown the Note in action. Why she wants to help is never really explained...

5. AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING - He shows it to her right off the movie was barely a half hour in, WHAT?! Light, you idiot!!

6. L and the game - the TV series was this incredible game of back and forth between L and Light, it was creative and like a game of chess almost, the movie really cuts into that and goes for a more to-the-point case and I think that it bastardized the whole thing for me.

All in all, I am glad I watched it but it is not worth watching again. I wanted more Ryuk and more of the cunning maneuvers you got in the show between L and Light. I am a little sad about it but I will happily keep re-watching the series. 

Recent Reads: The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Source: From Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Publication Date:  June 27, 2017

 

Format:  Paperback

Rating:


 




Goodreads Synopsis: 

From the #1 New York Times best-selling author and lifestyle/cleaning guru Marie Kondo, this graphic novelization brings Kondo's life-changing tidying method to life with the fun, quirky story of a woman who transforms her home, work, and love life using Kondo's advice and inspiration.

Marie Kondo presents the fictional story of Chiaki, a young woman in Tokyo who struggles with a cluttered apartment, messy love life, and lack of direction. After receiving a complaint from her attractive next-door neighbor about the sad state of her balcony, Chiaki gets Kondo to take her on as a client. Through a series of entertaining and insightful lessons, Kondo helps Chiaki get her home--and life--in order. This insightful, illustrated case study is perfect for people looking for a fun introduction to the KonMari Method of tidying up, as well as tried-and-true fans of Marie Kondo eager for a new way to think about what sparks joy. Featuring illustrations by award-winning manga artist Yuko Uramoto, this book also makes a great read for manga and graphic novel lovers of all ages. 

Review: 
I tried to read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up when it came out. I borrowed it from the library, but by the time I was able to pick it up it was due back for a hold for the next person, so I only ever got through the clothing section. I saw this version online and thought 'oh what a fun way to present this technique' and I was right.  In this version the technique is addressed through a story about Chiaki, a young woman that had too much clutter in her life. Marie Kondo comes in and gives her tips on how to tidy and as they progress the reader learns about tidying up and the various sections of the technique overall.

I found the Graphic Novel adaptation to be easy to read, it still has all the information you need and pictures are a wonderful teaching tool. I think that this version makes it easy for people to read and see what they need to do and it might even be more relatable for a younger audience and can be used for dorm packing and then moving into new apartments afterward. 

I really enjoyed reading this in this way and I will be sharing the techniques with others as well as trying to implement some - I could definitely use a clothing overhaul but the tidying of books isn't gonna happen at least not yet. I think this concept is great and now that I have learned it I can decide when the right time is to really use it.

 

Early Reader Review: The Nightmare Before Christmas by Jun Asuka

Source: From Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors in exchange for review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

The Nightmare Before Christmas by Jun Asuka
Series: Disney Manga
Publisher:  Tokyopop
Publication Date:  November 22, 2016

 

Format:  Ebook
Rating:
 


 


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Manga publishing pioneer TOKYOPOP brings you a special edition gorgeous hardcover manga based on the classic Halloween masterpiece Disney Tim Burton s Nightmare Before Christmas. A must-have for manga fans, Tim Burton fans, and Halloween fans alike!! Collect this horrifying masterpiece!"

Mini Review: 
Sadly, there was nothing too exciting about this one. If you are a collector of Nightmare stuff then go grab it but if you have seen the movie it is a pretty pointless read. The manga follows the movie almost exactly - singing and all.

The illustrations are very similar to the movie stills and the panels are all done very well. I am not sure what I was expecting from it... it was nice to read the story but it was the same story I already know. As a collectors item this would be fun to have in my collection and I think that is what they are going for anyway.