A Harta-ful of Manga: Let's Read a Magazine Together ❣

[SeanBones]

Quick headsup to those who are interested in Primal Gods in Ancient Times, is that the chapter that appears in Harta 75 is a flashback chapter, that confused me a ton when I tried to read it. Now that I’ve gone back and caught up, it makes much more sense story-wise.

Also, everyone should read Primal Gods, its really really really really good!!!

Also also, thank you for the rec @Reidejong !

Now that I’m caught up with Primal Gods, I’ll do Smoke & Honey, then 昴とスーさん, then far east incident, then I can finally progress with Harta 76! It will take a minute but I’ll get there!

[MaraVos]

Issue #76

Summary post #2 yay!!!

Series Debuts

生き残った６人によると by 山本和音 （やまもとかずね）

Started December 30, finished December 31.

Zombie stories are not my thing, but I’m giving this one a go! It’s pretty cute so far actually. Not too much else to say so far.

真柴姉弟は顔が固い by 菊池まりこ (きくちまりこ)

Started January 1, continued Jan 2, finished Jan 3.

Mixed feelings on this one … I don’t feel particularly drawn in by the premise or characters and I felt tempted in the beginning to just skip it, but there were some parts I liked, and it seems like there may be some exploration around gender… I’ll give it another chapter at least …

Shorts / 読切

夏にビードロ by 佐久間葉 (さくまよ)

Started December 31, finished January 1.

Pretty cute! Definitely got me interested in/curious about glass blowing! There was one thing I felt like I didn’t understand towards the end. The journalist is watching the girl blow glass and thinks ガラスしか映ってないんだろうな… I thought maybe he was thinking that she doesn’t “harmonize” with anything besides glass? But that feels like maybe a bit of a stretch.

Also not sure about the end tagline, which seems like a bit of a non-sequitur. ひと夏の思い出が、あせる間もなく蘇る！ Like, is it maybe a true story the mangaka doesn’t want to forget? I dunno.

向かいの彼女 by 荒木美咲 (あらきみさき)

Started Jan 11. Finished Jan 12.

I didn’t love the art style, and for most of the story I had no context to understand what was happening … By the end I figured out that she was supposed to give a speech (at her graduation ceremony I think) … I like how in the last panel the one girl says ”no way we’re going to be friends”, but you can just tell that they absolutely are gonna become friends.

Ultimately pretty cute, but not my most favorite.

さよなら１００円 by 天野実樹 (あまのみき)

Read Jan 13.

I liked this one! I like the art style and the concept and the flower store setting … I particularly enjoyed the illustrations of 三村. But I haven’t figured out the significance of the title yet …

天狗の赤い髪 by 福浪優子 (ふくなみゆこ)

(Jan 13) I like to read the title page of the next story immediately after finishing the previous story, and this one looks like something I’ll really enjoy! I’m excited! But can’t start yet ……

Started Jan 13, finished Jan 14.

It was a little different than I anticipated, but I still really liked it, both story and art style. Also, I somehow did not realize that Western people living in Japan were illegal (before 開国 happened) before reading this story. I feel so ignorant. Luckily, I got the manga history of Japan during my trip! Unluckily, it is like 20 volumes long and I only have volume 1. But at least I can get started.

Anway, I think I’ll look and see if this mangaka has a published volume of short stories or something.

Continuing Series

はなやっこ by 原鮎美 (はらあゆみ)

Started Jan 3 (read about 8 panels). Continued Jan 4, read 4 strips.

Okay, now I’m enjoying this one too much. Just ordered volume one, gonna skip til I catch up probably.

Jan 5, read 5 more strips.

Things I like about it: art style, character types, and absurd and light-hearted comedy.

Jan 6, read 4 more strips and finished.

クプルムの花嫁 by namo

Started Jan 4. Continued Jan 6, 7, finished Jan 8.

I didn’t get what was meant by 水みたいな背中 … I thought maybe it was an idiom, but google wasn’t much help either.

I don’t love this chapter as much, the ending bothered me. Oh well.

ライカの星 by 吉田真百合 （よしだまゆり）

Started Jan 9. Finished Jan 10.

Laikaaa!!! These dogs are about as good at getting bloody revenge as I (a dog person) would expect a dog to be. Two crew members on Laika’s spaceship just got in a fight and accidentally hit the self destruct button, so now they’re all getting in adorable escape pods …

Wow, the ending though. This is amazing terrible amazing. I feel like the end of this story will ruin me. :sad:

Took a quick look at the cover and contents page of the next issue after finishing this one, and there’s some stuff coming up that I’m really excited for!!

Also, @rodan thanks so much for your comment in response to my previous summary! It definitely helped.

[rodan]

Question answers:

夏にビードロ by 佐久間葉 (さくまよ)

@MaraVos

Pretty cute! Definitely got me interested in/curious about glass blowing! There was one thing I felt like I didn’t understand towards the end. The journalist is watching the girl blow glass and thinks ガラスしか映ってないんだろうな… I thought maybe he was thinking that she doesn’t “harmonize” with anything besides glass? But that feels like maybe a bit of a stretch.

Yeah, weblio has as one of the definitions for 映る:

３ 色や物の配合がよく、つりあいがとれている。また、付属的なものが本体と調和する。「あの人には赤がよく—・る」「その背広にはストライプのネクタイがよく—・る」

And I’d say it’s a pun on that + obviously glass being reflective. She’s only properly reflected in glass / glass is what makes her shine, that kind of thing.

@MaraVos

Also not sure about the end tagline, which seems like a bit of a non-sequitur. ひと夏の思い出が、あせる間もなく蘇る！ Like, is it maybe a true story the mangaka doesn’t want to forget? I dunno.

褪せる間もなく蘇る here I would say means like roughly, ‘just as it starts to fade, it revives’ and it’s talking about how enough time has passed between the second to last page and the last page for the issue featuring her to come out, and so we see her remembering that interview, which is the one summer memory.
The end taglines are generally always just a little bit of evocative prose put in by the magazine editors linking the end of the story/chapter to some universal feeling or impression from the story to leave you with, and here it’s just highlighting that feeling of recalling a nice memory.

さよなら１００円 by 天野実樹 (あまのみき)

@MaraVos

But I haven’t figured out the significance of the title yet …

Hmmm… good question. Probably I guess the implied cost of the コンポタ he bought him? Symbolizing in a small gesture I suppose maybe their departure down different paths, since he used his earning more money as a justification for it.

天狗の赤い髪 by 福浪優子 (ふくなみゆこ)

@MaraVos

Anway, I think I’ll look and see if this mangaka has a published volume of short stories or something.

I don’t believe so, but her series あかねさす柘榴の都 ran for a while later on in Harta!
And it looks like she has a short story in the sibling-themed group collection むすんで、つむいで

クプルムの花嫁 by namo

@MaraVos

I didn’t get what was meant by 水みたいな背中 … I thought maybe it was an idiom, but google wasn’t much help either.

I think you dropped this:丶

[MaraVos]

Thank you again! Really helpful answers, and yes, on that last one I just completely misread ice as water. Hot and cold were even major themes of the chapter and I missed it. Maybe I won’t make that mistake again now?

I’ll look forward to 福浪優子’s serialized story and put that anthology on my wishlist, thank you!!

[SeanBones]

Finally back after a very long series of exiles (and resuming work on my main magazine project), and I finally finished catching up on those Harta series! I really enjoyed Primal Gods, and Smoke and Honey was alright. But the big series I want to talk to you all about is:

極東事変 (The Far East Incident) by 大上明久利

Genres: Military, Historical, Science Fiction, Action, Political Thriller
Triggers: Gore, Violence, Period-Accurate Behaviors, Reference to Real-Life Atrocities and War Crimes

極東事変 (series) | L29

Mangaka Information:

I actually couldn’t find that much about the mangaka online, even in Japanese. I know he did this work, and he also did Killer Queen, which is a manga I think I picked up years ago solely because of the banging cover!

Amazon.co.jp: 大上明久利作品集 KILLER QUEEN (ハルタコミックス) : 大上明久利: 本

Ironically, that same love of the retro, historical art and style is why I decided that I would definitely catch up on The Far East Incident before proceeding with reading Harta!

Manga Information

The Far East Incident is subtle science fiction manga that takes place in Japan immediately following WW2. During the war, there were human experiments done in Manchuria to create immortal super-soldiers. Our protagonist, Konoe, a former Imperial Army solider, ends up teaming up with Saika, a immortal living weapon who is only a little girl!

Unlike some other sci-fi stories set in a historical setting cough cough Shin-Sakura Wars cough cough , this manga is a full on political thriller. It is about several different groups with different visions of what post-war Japan should be, and their struggles to make their visions reality. Honestly, aside from the immortal soldiers, there isn’t really anything else science-fictiony about the story (as far as the end of vol 2 which connects perfectly with Harta 75)

If you want a comparison, I think a few people would say The Saga of Tanya the Immortal, but I disagree. Yes there is a young girl in WW2 era setting who kills a lot of people, but the lack of magic and the more grounded tone of The Far East Incident really sets it apart. EDIT: Additionally, it is INFINITELY less right-wing than Tanya (from my limited experience with Tanya) and while it does discuss and reference real-life crimes that occurred during the war, does not glamorize or portray the experiments as anything other than inhumane. In my opinion, it only has a shallow, surface-level resemblance.

Instead, I think it is much more like Black Lagoon!

There is a similar focus on historical references (both pop culture and expressions), a similar story-telling structure of short, mission focused chapters, and a main pairing of two characters where the girl is violent and gun-obsessed.

Oh, and lots and lots of details about guns. Like SO much gun terminology. Its honestly fascinating though!

Sean’s Experience Reading It

Honestly, a much faster read than I thought (though that might because lookups are faster for me now that I’m using Mokuro!). Its not a easy read, especially those political/ideological sections, but a lot of the storytelling is very visual and action-focused, so its not hard to follow along even if some of the historical terminology goes over your head (like it did mine lol)

I think the end of the first volume and parts of the second volume feel a little weak, probably because I was comparing it to Black Lagoon (which I unabashedly love). I don’t know if the story has the emotional weight I want it to, but for the aesthetic, art, and action alone this is a great read!!

TDLR:

You shouldn’t read this if:

• You can’t handle blood
• Historical settings bore you
• You aren’t willing to expand your domains to include things like postwar committees and gun terminology

You should read this if:

• You love mid-century clothes and technology
• You want to experience manga set in a rare setting
• You love action and shoot-outs
• You want to practice reading historical manga
• You like Black Lagoon

If you are concerned about the historical content, the below posts contain discussion and thoughts about the manga that can inform you if this manga is right for you!

Hope that convinces some people to try and catch up on it to enjoy it during their Harta reading!!

[yukitanuki]

Is this manga also self aware about the war crimes committed by the imperial army or is it not really doing any reflection on that part? I really liked あれよ星屑 in Comic Beam, because it was really well researched and was realistic and didn’t deny anything. That it also features human experiments done in Manchuria sounds honestly… super bad to me when you consider the history Japan has in real life with it.

[Belthazar]

@yukitanuki

Is this manga also self aware about the war crimes committed by the imperial army or is it not really doing any reflection on that part?

Hah, this reminds me of The Creator. Probably a complete tangent here, but the 2023 Gareth Edwards film The Creator features a unified Asian nation called “New Asia”, probably as a way to avoid singling out any modern country, except New Asian script is all Japanese characters, and the leader of the resistance (against US imperialism) is played by Ken Watanabe, and it’s like oof, those implications…

[rodan]

(I should let SeanBones answer first, but) I’d say personally from what I recall reading through it:

The premise of the series is that Unit 731 experiments during the war turned certain victims they experimented on into unkillable war machines, and following the war a ragtag band including Japanese ex-soldiers end up working for the occupying GHQ to make sure that nationalist extremists don’t use these super soldiers to reignite the war.

Which is to say – it’s a pulpy action series first and foremost, and so it approaches the issue in a pulpy action way, and I don’t recall specifically war crime prosecutions or that kind of thing being a major topic, or even that much detail being shown about what happened during the war itself. But I’d say that at least thematically, the story is very much grappling with Japan’s role and its soldiers’/government’s actions in the war. And the antagonists in general are war criminals and warmongers.

I could certainly see an argument to be made that its use of e.g., namedropping Unit 731, may be a little trite or exploitative since it mostly gets wrapped up in the light sci-fi premise rather than like, spotlighting real stories. But it talks about it directly as a part of real history and definitely portrays it as a horrible thing. And it’s certainly not a story that lionizes wartime Japan.

I probably wouldn’t put it forward as a series to seek out specifically hoping for a super detailed and nuanced WW2 aftermath historical drama, but I think it handles the setting and these themes well for what it’s doing, and I probably would put it forward as a surprisingly detailed and nuanced WW2 aftermath historical action series, for whatever that’s worth.
Your mileage (and SeanBones’) may vary though of course!

[Jintor]

Just dropping in to say I finished Dungeon Meshi V1 and it was really goddamn hard. Would you say it’s an average representation of difficulty in harta as a whole? Or is that just going to vary series by series?

[yukitanuki]

Thanks for the detailed explanation! Sounds not too bad, I still think it is not for me, as I am pretty hyper aware about WW2 related things and don’t really enjoy fiction around that time unless it is very cautious with treating all of those events with a lot of care and respect (as an Austrian, the topic is still very sensitive to me).

[rodan]

It’ll definitely vary by series! I’d probably put Dungeon Meshi at the harder end overall, although depending on the specific pain points, a relatively large amount of technical or setting-specific vocabulary and infrequent furigana are probably common difficult elements in a lot of Harta series (though not all). Dungeon Meshi’s definitely wordier than the average I’d say though which makes it tougher to approach for sure.
Someone less used to it than me might have a better answer though!

[SeanBones]

I think @rodan really hit the nail on the head!

From my (very limited) experience with the series, very little is portrayed positively in the series, it definitely doesn’t feel like propaganda for either side, but it is in general anti-war i feel (Or at the very least, anti-re-escalation of tensions). It does feel a little blunter than I would want it to be sometimes (mainly I was secretly hoping for Black Lagoon 2, the Squeakel), but I personally never had a problem with it or how they portray things, and I’m usually very critical of Japan’s revisionist history.

Definitely isn’t what I’m used to seeing from Japanese media about this time period (which is much more right-wing in my experience). Could totally understand why you would want to avoid it though!

[yukitanuki]

@SeanBones

(which is much more right-wing in my experience)

That’s exactly the reason why I was so taken aback since I couldn’t really gather from your original post how this Manga portrays things. I think if another Manga pops up that is about WW2 and even specific war crimes (unit 731) it would be helpful to also write a bit about if that is done in a sensitive way and not exploitative or negating of those events. It is still your opinion, but it would’ve been really helpful for me since I trust your opinion on these things based on what I’ve read from you in the past

All in all, thanks for the explanation!! I think it sounds really interesting still, but like I said, not really for me. I still very much enjoy all your posts about Manga and already found so many that I like through you! Just wanted to give another perspective of why it might be good to include more context when it’s about a sensitive topic like that. Like, people reading here are from all over the world and have different experiences and backgrounds and understand things differently.

[SeanBones]

Gotcha gotcha. Will keep that in mind moving forward. Thanks for the perspective!

[Clovie]

I appreciate the discussion on this @yukitanuki @rodan @SeanBones! I was also a bit unsettled when I saw that the story talks about WWII human experimentation, and was also wondering about how that was handled. The additional explanations are helpful!

[michellespeering]

@fallynleaf

They can be, uh, free to keep if you use a certain bookwalker downloader script

Hold up son. This exists? I’ve been using an auto screencap program and just going through the whole thing, but this sounds easier.
Can you…educate me about this?

[MikeMike888]

This might help: Mokuro: Read Japanese manga with selectable text inside a browser - #220 by Akashelia

[SeanBones]

I just started using this and its an absolute life-changer!!!

[fallynleaf]

@michellespeering

Hold up son. This exists? I’ve been using an auto screencap program and just going through the whole thing, but this sounds easier.
Can you…educate me about this?

Yes, to be clear, this is basically a chunk of code you manually paste into the browser each time you want to screenshot your books, and it will then run through it and auto screenshot each page for you. So it might not be very different from what you are already doing! I have ChristopherFritz’s github code bookmarked, which is I believe the source of the code in the post that MikeMike888 linked.

Also, from what SeanBones and rodan have described, it seems like Mokuro might go a long way to compensate for some of the hardest pain points of Harta, since Mokuro is great for large amounts of technical or setting-specific vocab (and renders infrequent furigana a non-issue). So for anyone who might be discouraged, I do recommend trying out Mokuro before giving up on Harta!

[mitrac]

I started making a spreadsheet of series included in Harta from 75, that we can collectively improve, based on the list @SeanBones made for issue 75 and the series of interest that continue to today based on @rodan’s review. I referenced the Harta Wikipedia page to get the issue start and end issues.

The idea was to make it easy to get an overview of what titles start when, and to have enough information in English as well to just help it be less overwhelming. I’m not really sure how much value it actually has after someone has explored the first few issues. So I don’t think it’s worth necessarily putting in every single series unless you think it is one you actively recommend someone to read. For now, It has everything in issue 75, and everything in Rodan’s review of issue 109 up until anything that started after issue 100. At that point I thought, well, if you’ve made it that far you’re not referencing this spreadsheet anymore. But feel free to add anything you want! That was just the point where I was like, why am I doing this?

Information I’d like to add, there are columns for:

• Japanese titles and rough English translation, I put in some but it’s a bit of a pain so I’ll continue slowly as I explore things - anything anyone else adds is really helpful for newbies like me!
• Natively level if known (but not if it’s the initial one with the question mark). This was helpful for me, for example, I figured out that ホテル・メッツァペウラへようこそ Welcome to Hotel Metsäpeura was one of the easiest ones (L 23) that started within the first few issues we bought and decided to start there.
• How many volumes of a manga you’d have to buy to get caught up to Harta issue 75 for a particular series. For example, how many Dungeon Meshi to buy to get to issue 75? I seem to remember someone said 10? Those things are a bit nitpicky to find later once you’re actually interested. I think this will be really helpful when planning purchases for series that anyone wants to catch up on that started pre-75.
• First digital issue and page for the series listed. Especially useful for those that aren’t every issue.
• Feel free to link to more reviews to particular series, those are helpful for choosing a series to try while you’re still reading slow enough you don’t want a dud.

Here is the spreadsheet!

Harta Book club