Shiki Books

this is an excellent instructional how to book not only for manga but for anything regarding pen and ink.
it is jam packed with how to techniques, materials and supplies. must have for anyone interested in working with pen and ink!

Anyone who enjoys drawing Manga, wants to improve their skill at inking, or break into the field professionally would like this book. There are informative interviews with three well-established Manga artists- Yasuhiro Nightow, Oh! Great, and Satoshi Shiki. There are also inking tutorials and advice for toning and correcting. The authors have included a "four week, professional level pen training" chapter to help you work on pen skills, and there is a special appendix with a suvey of 71 manga artists and the tools they use. I have many manga drawing books, and I am most impressed with this one. It is a "grown-up" approach to the artform.

A breathtaking, amazing manga. Its pure detail will leave you stunned and waiting for more first in a series of two so far, it has inspireing depth and detail. Rated 13 and up. Large amounts of fanservice and bishojo and bishounen characters. An action/sci-fi manga. Billy the kid, an outlaw, goes to an ancient temple to find a book rumored to show old technological advances. There upon finding the book, he awakens Axel, a beautiful 13-year old girl who has been sworn to protect the magical book named "Riot". As Billy escapse and is shot by Axel, his blood his spilled all over the book Riot. The book itself makes a blood pact with Billy and promises to keep Billy alive if Billy becomes the new gaurdian of Riot, giving Billy amazing regenerative powers over his wounds. Follow Billy, Axel, and other soon-to-be revealed friends and enenies as good and evil fights over control of Riot.

Breath taking art, and compelling stor

There seems to be a ridiculous amount of junk in the manga and anime market today. But Kami Kaze is one of the best I've ever seen to date. The artwork is fantastic and the story is serious enough for my tastes. What can I say, this manga satisfies my taste for quality manga. Great artwork, solid plot, and well developed characters add up to a good manga.

Here's a list of other good mangas:

Fullmetal Alchemist
Hellsing
Lone Wolf and Cub
Naruto
Bleach
D Gray Man (Recently Translated/read fansubs)
GANTZ
Rebirth
GTO
Hikaru no Go
Battle Angel Alita (New Order and the Original Series)

A few others whose names I can't think of right now.
Kami Kaze is a great newcomer in English.

This excellent book achieves a fine balance between literary biography and literary analysis, and between critical scholarship and literary sensibility. Actually, it's not so much a balance as an incredible fusion. Masaoka Shiki certainly deserves such treatment; he is a major figure in Japanese literature, and (as Beichman explains) a good deal of the credit for the fact that haiku and tanka are regarded as "poetry" and this poetry a type of "literature" at all goes to him and his efforts.

Each of the five chapters has a distinct focus. The first is a general biography contextualizing the chapters that follow. Masaoka is known as the father of modern haiku and as the haiku's reviver, and so chapter two focuses on this important facet of his literary career. However, Beichman convincingly argues that Masaoka saw his work on haiku only as part as a larger endeavor, and so the next chapters discuss his tanka poems, his prose essays, and his diaries (with an interesting comparison and contrast between his private diary and the diaries he crafted for publication).

The analysis is nuanced and critically astute. I was really interested in her discussion of how haiku and tanka were conceptualized before Masaoka. I had come across a number of his critical remarks in other books, and they always seemed commonplace or obvious. After reading this book I gained a much clearer idea of what he saw himself as working against, and these remarks then came to make sense as original critical interventions. Her translations of his poems and prose pieces make their literary qualities come alive in a fresh way, and she has a knack for unpacking their significance and layers of meanings and associations in ways that are intriguing rather than overbearing. I don't always agree with her conclusions; his final three death haiku strike me more as expressions of stoic resignation in the face of the inevitable than of the transcendence characteristic of Buddhist enlightenment (and I'm usually the first to go rooting around for Buddhist themes in literature), but she always argues her case well. And throughout the book her fascination and affection for this short-lived man of letters and his art shines through, informing and enriching her literary analysis.

In short, this is first-rate work. Anyone interested in modern poetry, in haiku and tanka, or in Japanese literature in general should give this fine book a look.

riot act two has awsome illustrations, eventhoug the manga's cover is definitly not that attractive but the acutal content catches your eye immediately. It has moderate mecha and lot's of action in it. Amazing twist and turns on the plot. there are a few suprises in billy's relationship with axel(and ziggy ^^;) in my opinion the manga is the leetest, and its definitly worth reading.

From book's back cover:

"Personaje insolito de la literatura, Shiki Nagaoka, escritor de naiz descomunal, nacio en la peninsula de Ikeno a principios del siglo XX, segun relata magistralmente Mario Bellatin, finalista del Premio Medicis del ano 2000. El autor afirma que la obra de Nagaoka fue fundamental para la concepcion de lo fotografico en los sesenta, para escritores como Rulfo y Arguedas y para un grupo de estudiosos que, empecinadamente, tratan de descubrir el verdadero sentido del legado de este misterioso escritor, cuya vida se nos aparece como un interminable dialogo entre monstruosidad y belleza, oriente y occidente, imagen y palabra, espejo y verdad.

Shiki Nagaoka exploro y demostro las posibilidades narrativas de la fotografia, por lo que resulta fundamental que en esta edicion se incluya una seccion iconografica preparada por la fotografiia Ximena Berecochea, basada en una concienzuda investigacion. Asimismo, este volumen comprende dos narraciones relacionades con su nariz, tema que se encuentra presente a lo largo de la literatura nipona del pasado milenio."

I have rarely encountered better translations of Haiku. Henderson brought the extended meanings of the words across. Double and triple entendres, startling juxtapositions, contextual clues, everything. These are not mere literal translations--they work on multiple levels to extend the meaning of the poetry, to reflect the possible readings by literate Japanese readers.

Poetic translation is an art that requires deep understanding of two languages, poetic heritages, and metaphorical/imagistic libraries. Henderson's translations are unique in their quality.

Although Henderson's book is out-of-print (originally published in 1958), and his translations are stylistically out-of-date (i.e., rhymed English haiku), this is an essential, pocket-sized anthology. Henderson intersperses his chronological presentation of haiku, in both transliterized Japanese (romaji) with English translation, by major historical masters with analysis throughout. I am on my second paperback -- the first fell apart from constant use!

As Henderson points out in his introduction, most translators are traitors. Though this is so in many cases, the pieces that he selected work well and push the envelope of what good translation of poetry of all kinds should be, regardless of the original language.

This is an excellent pocket anthology for any lover of Haiku and other short form poetry to carry with them always.

I have read `Life' volumes 1 - 8.
Its story has always seemed to me to be an extended chapter taken from the pages of `Confidential Confessions'--another drama series a la manga which dissects the problems of the youth--only much better.

The story of `Life' follows that of Ayumu Shiiba, a confused & emotionally isolated high school freshman who has lost her best friend to exams & is tortured by the belief that it is all her fault for their separation. In an emotional eruption of unfathomable pain & violent guilt Ayumu slices her wrists for the first time, punishing her feeble body & soul, yet only to find herself disgusted, ashamed, & hating herself even more than she already does. But it's too late... this box cutter has already become her Eden...
In a world where the practice of cutting has been exposed, the practice of cutting has been exploited. So many authors, comic & novel alike, toss a cutter-character into their works for the sake of cheap shock value or artificial tear shed, without a single clue as to how cutters truly feel & just go about guessing everything. But this is not so in the case of `Life'. The scenes of Ayumu injuring herself are raw & heavy. For her, this is the only way she can find to relieve her wrathful, blurry guilt. This author, Suenobu, she isn't pretending. This pain that Ayumu suffers is genuine, & that pain spills over the panels like the warm blood over Ayumu's wrists.

But something to keep in mind is that the issue of self-injury is only prevalent within the first 5 volumes of Life--throughout them Ayumu steadily learns to overcome her `sin'--& after that Ayumu finds herself facing several other harsh obstacles that drag her to the brink & back. Ayumu's metamorphous is a genuine one, from fearful wallflower to headstrong heroine, as are her new challenges of stalking & social abuse.

This was the first ever book that I've purchased that was writhed in plastic (its 6th & onward volumes). But unlike the typical low-brow pornography that this wrapping-paper usually symbolizes, Life is a very adult book in a very adult way. Personally I do not find the [M] rating necessary. Though the content in theory is highly mature, it all remains fairly ungraphic in the sense that all the naughty bits are blocked by heavy shadowing. I've seen worse in [OT] titles.

- - semi-spoiler - -
Each & every character is three-dimensional, whether friend or foe. From Miki's hidden needs to Manami's naïveness with handling her fresh sorrows & understanding the outside world to Katsumi. Katsumi is probably the greatest example of them all. He is Ayumu's stalker. Someone the author demonizes through dramatic lighting & bizarre panel angles, albeit too exaggerated. There's absolutely nothing admirable about him at all. & yet rather than hatred you feel a sort of soft pity for him. He knows what he's doing is wrong but at the end of the day he just doesn't care. Underneath his sickly skin there's something vulnerable about him & you realize that his torturing of Ayumu is actually his only means of finding control over anything in his binded life. Not that that excuses any piece of this disturbed behavior, but he's very similar to Alex from A Clockwork Orange. Cruel, unforgivable, unfathomable, but you just can't find hate for him.
So whom do I hate? Perhaps the most disgusting, hateable character I have ever met is Manami along with all her shallow drone friends. All the s*** they drag Ayumu through--& it's s***--without an ounce of humanity left within their hollow shells & all the while they're stuck in the delusion that they're somehow justified for their grotesque behavior. I literally clinch my fists as I watch what they do to this girl. I grind my teeth. I hate them. I want Ayumu to beat them. I need Ayumu to beat them. She is me in junior high.
By the end of the 6th volume Life has gotten very tangled & complicated. For every bright event that occurs another shadow seems to appear. As Ayumu strengthens so do her glassy hardships. Everybody's motives are becoming twisted & stretched. People are beginning to act desperate. & Manami's targeting has become unpredictable as she too begins to lose control. These stakes & emotions are plunged intensely & in naked rawness, but they always remain rooted in reality. Nothing feels phony, this is true human reaction & true human emotion. Life is kind of like life. A path unknown where uncoordinating feelings run & blur together.

- - spoiler - -
On another note that may interest potential readers, while Life has always remained firmly planted in the better half of my comic collection even despite what I'm about to say, the secret reason I first purchased Life: there were hints of a heartfelt yuri, between Ayumu & her enigmatic protector Miki. It was the comments Ayumu make in her head. `I wonder why my heart is pounding.' `That outfit really looked good on her.' But then within the 6th volume a male character was introduced & it seemed as so many other mangas do that he was to become Ayumu's lover, so I dashed my lame hopes...
Well, it turns out I shouldn't have dashed them...

My last comment will be on the artwork itself. There are many dialogless panels, ones where it's the eyes of the characters that say everything. I've always loved comics that utilize dialogless panels, expression is why I read comics. The characters are drawn in a very unpolished look which I find to match the atmosphere pitch perfect.

I picked up this series after wanting to try a different genre. Being a fan of comical romance, I wanted something more angsty and this did it for me. I am not big on the art but the storyline and characters are very well done. Overall, this is a pretty good series.

Its been a long time since I found a manga title that really grabbed me in a way that I found myself rushing out to buy the next volume, and LIFE did just that. I bought this simply because I had some cash burning a hole in my pocket and for once, I'm glad I have a weakness with money.

Alright, so LIFE is all about Ayumu Shiiba a girl about to enter high school and facing the tough entrance exams. Luckily, she has her best friend Shi-chan to help her out. Not wanting high school to seperate them, Ayumu decides to try and get into Nishidate too (it is Shi-chan's dream school). It looks like things are going well as Ayumu's grades start improving, but come the exams, everything collapses for Ayumu. She does get into Nishidate, but Shi-chan doesn't which causes the end of their friendship and the beginning of Ayumu's cutting. Time skips ahead a little as we see Ayumu start school alone and friendless. Things start to look up (or do they?) when she befriends Manami, a bubbly cute girl in her class who likes Ayumu because she's 'pretty'.

As I mentioned Ayumu does cut her wrists, creating some of the rawest, most emotional scenes I ever seen in manga. From that it's easy to tell that LIFE is a dramatic series that deals with a lot of tough issues that are present in real life such as self-injury, peer pressure, bullying, and sexual harassment. Yet despite the dark overtones, LIFE manages to keep a strange sense of hope which kept me from getting overly depressed. I've read the first three volumes now and I'm addicted to this series.

The bottom line is buy this. Honestly. If you're looking for a high school story that creates a more realistic setting and deals with real life tough issues then this is for you. I'm writing this as a review for volume 1 and I'm sorry if it ends up on a different page (as it probably will)and saying that I also want to add that things get even darker from her on so be ready!

On a side note: I'm really happy with the product itself. For once Tokyopop doesn't have the binding to tight. yeah!

Excellent basics for anyone wanting use Reiki either on themselves or others. Good hand positions and general tips for the new practitioner or review for those in practice.

This book starts with misconceptions and lies about Usui Mikao and goes downhill from there. It has managed to sift through all facts on Reiki keeping only the legends, myths and lies of both Usui (NOT "Dr. Usui") and the schools that arose from his teachings. It is beyond comprehension that this fabrication is still in print. The Reiki truth is free, not buried under extortional fees. Read Diane Stein and learn the truth Essential Reiki: A Complete Guide to an Ancient Healing Art

I am a Reiki Master, and use this handbook for the first level Reiki class. The basic hand positions are shown, and there is room for notes on variations of hand positions that are passed from Master to Master in my line. The visual learner doesn't have to use just the notes given in class to remember the hand positions, but has a permanent source. Excellent visual aide.

I don't know Reiki well enough yet to judge what this book says about it, but I do know a lot about dog and cat care and nutrition, and I can tell you that the optimum diet for pets is NOT Hill's Prescription Diet foods. Nor do I think that antibiotics are safe. If you want natural care for your pets, read "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats", or "The New Natural Cat" by Anitra Frazier.

I also found the tone of the book rather condescending at times. Chapter one in particular reminds me of a story being told to a bunch of children.

This book presents itself as a Reiki I manual, and uses a lot of space to show hand positions and leaves spaces for notes and journaling. It devotes a lot of space to Reiki for animals and provides some simplistic information about healing diets and dishes for humans and animals. It tells the Reiki history that has been shown to be mythology, and generally presents only basic and incomplete information. I guess only a Reiki I would be likely to accept this book as authoritative. There are now many other more useful books about Reiki, and if you want to take notes during your practice just buy a cheap pad or book of paper.