MMF: Love Hina Omnibus 1

Title: Love Hina Omnibus 1
Author:  Ken Akamatsu
Illustrator: Ken Akamatsu
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Copyright: 2011 (Original 1999)
Price: $19.99
ISBN: 978-1-935-42947-0
-----------
Summary and Quick Thoughts: Clumsy Keitaro made a promise at the tender age of 5, to a girl, that they would meet again at Todai (University of Tokyo, a most prestigious school). Now 20, Keitaro has become a ronin, a guy who can’t get into his university of choice, twice. At wits end, he decides to return to Hinata Inn hoping maybe his grandmother can help him. Instead, he finds the hotel turned into a dorm, his grandmother off to see the world, and 5 girls who have the wrong idea about him. What is a boy to do? This Omnibus collects the first three volumes of this “classic*” manga work.
---------
Recommended Audience: Older teens
--------
Things to be aware of: sexual innuendos, female nudity, group bathings, mild male nudity
----------
Further Thoughts: A few years ago, I stood at a library’s little book shop, staring at 15 volumes of Love Hina (I think it was this one…) and thought “Do I have money?” I decided to pass it up and surprisingly, it is one of those sets I continually think “WHY OH WHY did I pass it up?”

Well, I got a second chance. And, I must say, it is very confusing. As I read this title and I kept thinking “Shonen (male-action audience) or Shojo (female-romance audience)?” This title is a hard pick because I’d say there are appealing things for all. I found the possible romance to keep me reading, but could see a guy picking it up for all the girls. Keitaro is just a nerdy guy who bumbles and ends up in the wrong situations. Simple…in a way, except that I think the girls like him in their own way (thankfully, it is clear who he should end up with and who might be his promised girl).

If you are looking for a title to give you a taste of manga, I’d recommend this, cautiously. If you don’t like titillation, forget it. If you don’t mind it, go for it, but seeing as it was published in 1999, it still has value today and the culture is still similar in manga you read now.

Needless to say, libraries with limited budgets but with high traffic should definitely pick this one up. It is more “bang for your buck” (at the price of 2 manga, you get three volumes) and has stood the test of time.

Silly, but good fun.
------
Bonus:  *Classic – anything I remember having a huge following during my teen years.

Source: Publisher provided a copy for Manga Movable Feast.

Oh! Shiny! Something new.

If you have been following my Twitter feed, you’ll know I just spent a few days at the PALA Annual Conference. One session I attended surprised me, was not what I expected, but was also an exciting new development with graphic novels. What was this new development?

Another book award.

The Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize which is presented by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book and is brand new. Oh, it is so sparkly and shiny, and there has only been one book winning and one book honored (neither of which I’ve heard a thing about) so far.

The session, titled Graphic Novels of the Year (which never really talked about specific graphic novels of the year, mainly nominees for the award whose titles I don’t really remember), introduced Lynd Ward, an artist whose work I am now interested in “reading”, and the creation and qualifications of the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize. I’m not going to go into details because the site has the Prize detailed here. I’m interested in seeing where this goes.

Also, I didn’t realize the PA Center for the Book had some nice resources. For example, if you’re looking for a good definition of a graphic novel, they have it as part of the prize or if you’re looking for some links or resources, they’ve got a little. I’m hoping that they add more soon resources and information soon. This page could be really useful.