Review Shelf

The Last Shogun: The Life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu

2010-01-16T18:18:00.000+07:00

Title: The Last Shogun: The Life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Author: Ryotaro Shiba (司馬遼太郎, SHIBA Ryōtarō)
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Kodansha America (August 20, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1568363567
ISBN-13: 978-1568363561
Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches

When someone mentioned "The Last", what would come into your mind?
And when someone mentioned the word "Shogun", what would have also come into your mind?

Some of you might have known the title "The Last Samurai", but this review is not about that one. This is about "The Last Shogun".

Now, bringing to you: "The Last Shogun: The Life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu", the English translation from Japanese original "Saigo No Shogun".

This book is about the life story of Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the 15th and fascinating final successor to the powerful Tokugawa shogunate. The book tells us the story from his birth into the Mito clan, until his ascension to the title of shogun.

The story is well written and narrated by Japan's popular and prolific Shiba Ryotaro, a historical novelist and newspaper reporter, and translated into English by Juliet Winters Carpenter.

There is something that readers will probably notice: it is like reading a Japanese book in English, instead of reading an English book based upon the Japanese one. A reader who knows Japanese language will recognize the style in this historical novel, and Shiba's deep appreciation for Tokugawa Yoshinobu is easy to understand. Shiba took the facts about Tokugawa Yoshinobu's life (1837-1913) and created a book of reality, I mean, history ... that reads like fiction perfectly. I read somewhere, when this book was originally released, it was published as "historical fiction," since it followed a much more narrative style than most history books usually do. But this is indeed a history book!

The Last Shogun is mesmerizingly a good read, and absorbing. This is an awesome exploration towards a well known person throughout Japan's history, a hero who was also a loner. This is not only about the final successor to the powerful Tokugawa shogunate, this is also about his unique characteristic before and after becoming the Shogun, his exploration, his wisdom and way of thinking, and his own life. His way of thinking might be applicable even in the present Japanese politics.

Those who wish to know more about Japanese history and shogun, this book is recommended for you. A book that might trigger most readers to wonder "What if Tokugawa Yoshinobu had ...?" and to even start digging further about Japanese culture.

Absorbing reading. Those who enjoy such historical and political genre, would mostly enjoy reading this historical novel and the narrative exploration. In my humble opinion, the English translation alone is also worth five stars.

Jerome Becomes A Genius

2010-01-08T17:38:00.003+07:00

Title: Jerome Becomes A Genius
Author: Eran Katz

After being sick for a while ... man, it's really good to be back again. I missed the book stores and the book shelves. And I recognized what I missed lately. A good book about brain and learning tips. :)

Now I wonder, into which category I should put this book? Let me see ... "self improvement", "health" and "education" are covered by this book, so I will put this book into these three categories. After all, this book talks about learning, memorizing, and the secret of boosting your learning and finally improving yourself.

First thing for us to take note:
This book is not only about learning, this book actually covers a very wide area.

I should say a very complex area: the survival of the learning.
When you read it, you will understand what I mean.

This book starts with Eran Katz - the author himself, a master of memory techniques - he was interested in the myth about Jews and their intelligence. So he invited his friends to join in the discussion and researching, with Jerome Zomer, the colorful student and owner of a small clothing business, became the experiment with a mission: searching for a way to succeed in business and in academics.

So they searched for an answer about how the Jews - the genius people - become the way they are, also about their great strength to survive and succeed in their lives. The topic is to answer whether it is a gift for their only race, heredity, or there is a certain technique behind their success and survival. This book reveals to us about how the author and his friends traced the secrets, from secular discussions until the religious discussions, which are truly interesting to read, and the readers will find the most of the Jewish methods to the success.

Jewish people, no matter what they do, no matter how they are, they are seen as the race, and they are believed to be outstanding and different from the others. Their memory and brains are believed to be one of the best as there are some quite outstanding genius of the world who were born as Jews.
So there is a question: is it truly a gift for the race, heredity, or is there any certain technique? Some see that it may relate to their belief or probably their lifestyle.

In this book, after discussion and discussion, it reveals that the Jews realize their success as well, and that there are really certain techniques among the race to learn in their best way, to memorize something, to remember them in the figure or stories, and how they maintain the information in their brain longer.

Apart from the techniques, the book also reveals other interesting tips. Readers will finally see how exercise and movement indeed have something to do with boosting the way of learning things.

However, above all things, the true secret of the Jewish success and survival, according to the book, is their 'mind'. The book reveals how the Jewish 'belief', or their religion belief, creates the kind of psychological process that finally the individuals can believe only in what is good for Jewish people themselves.

In the conclusion, the secret of the Jews' success is their unlimited faith towards something.

What is it?

Find the answer in the book. :)

Psst! Interesting link: http://www.erankatz.com/47282/Books
Has the book been translated into your language? Got to check your local book store. :)

Manga for the Beginner: Everything You Need to Start Drawing Right Away!

2009-11-24T16:08:00.004+07:00

Title: Manga for the Beginner: Everything You Need to Start Drawing Right Away!

Author: Christopher Hart

Paperback: 192 pages

Publisher: Watson-Guptill (August 5, 2008)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0823030830

ISBN-13: 978-0823030835

Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches

Are you addicted to manga? Do you love the beauty of the drawing art? Are you also a collector of any manga book art? Do you feel impressed by the manga characters, the fashion (clothing and costumes), also the drawing of the actions?

Now, all those things are drawn by the mangaka (manga author). How about trying to draw them by yourself? Or, even trying to create your own characters, and even starting your own manga?

That might be a very big project for most of us. However, trying to draw for a hobby, or starting to draw as investment for your future career, that's nothing to lose if we try to learn this as a new thing. Nobody knows their future for sure. If you are so addicted to manga, why not with learning to draw something for yourself, for fun? Who knows if you will be a mangaka in the future? :)

Now I'm presenting you "Manga for the Beginner: Everything You Need to Start Drawing Right Away!" by Christopher Hart.

This book teaches everything we need to begin with drawing manga, or at least a manga character. What makes this book different from other how-to-draw-manga books aimed at newbies out there, is the author tries to stick with something "truly authentic" (according to himself, in the Introduction chapter), while the other books out there showed mostly Americanized manga.

The book contains drawing step-by-step tutorials:

boy and girl with the head parts, the eyes, the hair.
main techniques of drawing body: with points of view, poses, age and height comparison, hands.
the clothing, outfits, costumes.
dynamic action poses.
various popular characters: from chibi girls, teens, handsome characters, fighters, and even vampires.
wait! There are also cute animals you can learn to draw! ;)
anthros (animals that are drawn to mimic people).
shounen characters (so this is not only for shoujo fans).
don't forget about the basic drawing techniques, because these are the main things you need in drawing the whole manga especially the backgrounds and environments: lines, tones and special effects, lighting and glowing, perspectives, and sequential panels. We will always find all these things in every manga, no matter how we often forget the details and only focus on the characters beauty faces. :)

The drawing examples will catch your eyes as soon as you see them, such drawing styles will attract you to keep following the tutorials. The directions themselves are easy to follow with good tips for drawing. So, for anyone who wants to draw manga or even just simple manga characters, this is really the right book to start off at.

manga: Faster Than A Kiss (キスよりも早く, Kisu Yori mo Hayaku)

2009-11-20T00:06:00.004+07:00

Title: Faster than a Kiss

Original Japanese Title: キスよりも早く (Kisu Yori mo Hayaku)

Alternative Titles: Kiss Yori mo Hayaku, Kisu Yori mo Hayaku, Tsuki to Himawari

Author: Meca Tanaka (田中メカ, TANAKA Meca)

Type: Manga

Publishers: Hakusensha

Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Shoujo

If you want a manga about romance in school life, giving you a great laugh (especially between student vs teacher), and still making you have a sigh (on the progress of the main characters relationship development), well, give this a try.

This is between KAJI Fumino and OJIRO Kazuma.

KAJI Fumino is a 16-year-old girl who is often described as an delinquent in Kumaneko High School. But she is not, it is just because she always interrupts bullies and other bad students in violent ways. She has a good sense of justice after all, the matter is ... she has a strong personality but sometimes loses her temper.

She has a little brother (Teppei) whom she protects so much. Their parents died in a car accident, so she had to become responsible for her little brother. As a result, she has become more mature and practical than others her age.

So everything starts with Fumino and her brother hop from one relative to another. Finally, getting tired with all those moving, Fumino decides to quit school, to support her brother on her own. Nobody has been seeking for her, except OJIRO Kazuma, her 24-year-old English teacher who suddenly appears in front of her, even agrees to her demanding of marrying and supporting both her and her brother, to her shock.

Is this teacher serious or just playing around?

How is their marriage life? And how is the development of this teacher-student relationship?

If you want to get a good laugh, and legitimate teacher-student relationship (they are married after all), and you don't mind any romance between teacher-student as the plot is not immoral compared to some other teacher-student relationship manga out there. For example, even though they are married, Fumino and Kazuma sleep separately. He occasionally sleeps in Fumino's room, but only next to Teppei. Just examine the way Kazuma treated Fumino and her brother, give this manga a try.

Some things are truly interesting about Kazuma himself. Never underestimate his appearance as "plain, glasses-wearing English teacher". There is truly something really cool about him that will reveal as you keep reading through chapters of the story. Kazuma isn't open about his past. However, as the story keeps flowing, it is revealed that Kazuma was once in a gang, so Kazuma used to be a delinquent when he was younger. According to his old "gang" friends, he was called as Jigoku no Mā-kun (地獄のまーくん) or Mā-kun from Hell, because he beat up 100 motorcycle gang members without getting even a single scratch. He still has such formidable fighting abilities. So it seems that there are some reasons on why he became a delinquent, was forsaken by his family, left home, and somehow he finally turned away from his dark path and becomes a teacher to pave a new phase of life. At the end, he is a gentleman with flaws which is actually hard to find (some can say he is every woman's dream), even in the world of Shojo manga nowadays.

Just a warning: once a reader has picked up this manga, the reader will be unable to resist reading until the end. Girls and women can't go wrong with this romance comedy. This is really worth to read.

Volume 1 contains an extra story titled "Tsuki to Himawari".

The manga is still ongoing, and the series has 6 volumes in total until November 2009.

manga: Glass Mask (ガラスの仮面, Garasu no Kamen)

2009-11-12T09:38:00.008+07:00

Title: Glass Mask

Original Japanese Title: ガラスの仮面 (Garasu no Kamen)

Alternative Titles: Glass Mask, Mask of Glass, Garasu no Kamen, Glass no Kamen, 千面女郎, 玻璃面具, La Máscara de Hielo, Il Grande Sogno di Maya, 유리가면, Topeng Kaca

Author: Suzue Miuchi (美内すずえ, MIUCHI Suzue)

Type: Manga

Publishers: Hakusensha

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School Life, Shoujo, Slice of Life

Glass Mask (ガラスの仮面, Garasu no Kamen) is a very old shoujo manga series (later anime version has also been created) that is still ongoing even in Japan, which is truly worth to read. It has been serialized in Hana to Yume from January 1976, and collected in 43 tankoubon volumes as of January 26, 2009, and the manga still continues, leading the curiosity of the readers.

Basically this manga is a saga about the main character (KITAJIMA Maya) journey of life and her devotion to performing arts as a professional stage artist, competing her rival (HIMEKAWA Ayumi) in pursuing the acting proficiency degree to play the lead role of the legendary stage play "Kurenai Tennyo" or "The Crimson Goddess". Compared to Ayumi who is talented, from high class background, beautiful, well educated, Maya is absolutely underestimated by most people in the entertainment world. However, Maya's acting talent is outstanding, she can become a totally different person on the stage, that's why even Ayumi considers her as a threat and a strong rival. The most proving event is when both of them finally become candidates for the next Crimson Goddess role, selected by the former Crimson Goddess' artist herself, TSUKIKAGE Chigusa.

The legendary "Kurenai Tennyo" itself has never been played for many years after the legendary artist TSUKIKAGE Chigusa got an accident on the stage that ruined her beautiful face. TSUKIKAGE Chigusa disappeared from public's attention, seeking for a successor to play the Goddess' role behind the scene, after so many years, she discovered KITAJIMA Maya's talents in acting, adopted Maya into her own acting school.

However, there have been many people aiming to get the role and the right to hold the legendary stage performance, including Daito company, that have always done everything to get what they want, including playing dirty politic to destroy whoever that hinders their way. The plot grows more interesting as Daito's young president himself (HAYAMI Masumi) later fell in love with Maya secretly after watching her stage performance, finding out how she has needed support, he later becomes her daddy-long-legs, supporting her behind the scene. This grows into an ironic love story, as Maya hates him especially after she found out that Masumi was the one who indirectly caused her mother's death. Ironically interesting for readers too, as Daito company themselves have been seeking to promote Ayumi as the next Crimson Goddess.

So how the complicated plots of the story will grow? Who will become the next Crimson Goddess then? For the most people, Ayumi is outstanding, she will overcome Maya easily, especially with her charm, her skills and experience in acting, and her beauty that is widely acknowledged. Maya has incredible surprising acting talents, however she is just a so-so common girl for most people, from her appearance.

Who will later win the audience's hearts? Who will become the next Crimson Goddess?

Who will later get the right to hold the performance?

And ... how about the secret daddy-long-legs, HAYAMI Masumi? Most readers are looking forward to see how the relationship between Masumi and Maya will become too.

So, from the saga, romance, plots, everything within this Glass Mask (ガラスの仮面, Garasu no Kamen) manga is worth to read and to follow. No wonder, since the year 1976 until this year (2009), from grandmother generation until current teenagers, this manga still has a special place in the readers' hearts. Every fan of this manga has been eager to know how the story will end, plus if their wish for the certain main characters will be fulfilled.