Forum - View topicRIGHT TURN ONLY!! - TP Attack
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Aaron White
Old Regular
Posts: 1365 Location: Birmingham, Alabama |
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This column is written as if the author's rhetoric is learned entirely from back covers. It's isn't written as even a poor attempt to engage and evaluate the material, but like an attempt to hype the material. Recycle it.
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ANN_Bamboo
ANN Contributor
 Posts: 3904 Location: CO |
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I don't see where you get that assessment at all. I like her enthusiasm and touches of sarcasm. It's pretty hard to "hype" the material when you're telling people not to read something, too. Also, if she delved into each title and evaluated each and every one, and talked about the depth of everything, the column would be far too long. The point of those small capsule reviews is to give you a sense of what each volume is about, so readers can decide for themselves if that's the kind of thing they'd be interested in. It's not a thesis, it's a bloody mini-review. |
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lianncoop
Past ANN Contributor
 Posts: 1705 Location: Indiana |
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If I were going to "hype" the material, everything would be a "buy it" title.
I see the column as a place where readers can quickly scan to see what's out, pick out things that may appeal to them, and then give them my impression of what I think. They are only capsule reviews, not full reviews. How much evaluation can I do without making the column insanely long? RTO is a "sampler" page...look for full reviews if you want more information. |
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RabbitRevolution
 Posts: 218 |
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Keep up the good work, lianncoop!
I don't think anyone has any grounds whatsoever to criticize your column. In the Borrow It section, you always mention specifically what's wrong with a manga (repetiveness, etc.) and what's good. Even in the Buy It section you make note of any minor complaints - you always do balanced reviews. Back covers would never provide this kind of information. I'm particularly grateful that your column has so far appeared regularly- unlike a certain other manga column on this site that was on/off again (But no hard feelings  ) I buy much more manga than I buy anime (this is probably true for some others as well), so a weekly manga column is especially helpful in deciding how to spend my money. Your column fulfills the need just fine. 
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lianncoop
Past ANN Contributor
Posts: 1705 Location: Indiana |
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Thanks RabbitRevolution.
I'm glad you're enjoying the column so far! |
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Silvercat
 Posts: 23 |
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I would say put this column in "Buy It".
I've read 5 of these titles in this column and agree with most of the reviews of them. I think these reviews give a quick review that isn't hindered by trying to sell the book, like the back cover of a book is. I agree wholeheartedly with the reviews of Fruits Basket and Bleach(Love Bleach, but it does get repetitive). I think the reviews of Hikaru no Go and The Seikai Trilogy: Crest of the Stars do a pretty good job of capturing what they are about. I only think Comic Party review had problems, spending too much time on what it's like at a con, but I think that's a minor nitpick. From the reviews of the titles I haven't read; here are the impression I got; Suki look tempting to me, Volume 5 looks like a good place to pick back up on Rurouni Kenshin. The Demon Ororon and Immortal Rain probably aren't for me. Avoid Deus Vitae. The only problem I have with this column is it two month late for me. 
I work at a comic book store and have to choose two month ahead what manga title we will be getting. So, two month ago I was looking at various titles and reading what is pretty much is "back cover" review and deciding what the store will carry. Luckily this time my choices where pretty good. I didn't miss any significant "But It" or got some "Recycle It". I've done both in the past. 
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Kagemusha
 Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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hmmm... pretty good for the most part (im not that into Tokyopop though) with i had this before i bought Deus Vitate though
personally, i would put RK under borrow it. sorry to all you RK fanatics out there, but i just dont think it can compare to the other samurai epics like Vagabond and Blade of the Immortal (then again, these better fit my age range of 18/male) i still enjoy the RKs that i leach of my pal though |
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Tempest
 I Run this place.ANN Publisher  Posts: 10463 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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Liann and I have been working on figuring out much review, and how much synopsis to put into each item. You'll notice that the last two installments have a lot more "review" than the earlier installments. If I'm to understand you correctly Aaron, you think it still needs more review and less synopsis ? |
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Vekou
 Posts: 329 |
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Sometimes Bamboo doesn't watch the DVDs she reviews. Okay, maybe only once, but I remember it (it was last March or something, the last volume of DBZ and she said that it was just another four episodes and that nothing important happens in it - heh, don't worry, I still love you, Bamboo). But it doesn't really matter to me. The usually great reviews more than make up for that instance. Overall I throughly enjoy Shelf Life and RTO along with Sound Decision.
Though less than 10% of manga titles on the market interest me at all, it's still good to know a thing or two about a series that a back cover wouldn't tell me. But as for Tokyopop - people wonder why I rant about them monopolizing the U.S. manga industry and turning into a media conglomerate. Now I know I'm not along in feeling this way... |
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Kagemusha
Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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the reason Toren Smith quit the buisness is because he felt it was on a path of self-destruction. Tokyopop, as well as ADV manga it seems, are pumping out tons and tons of diffrent mangas. The number of these that will be sucesses will decrease over time because they dont put enough effort into scoping out which ones will be successful. for every big hit tokyopop has, they have a manga that youve never heard of. Its really saturating the market. I think they should look at Viz or Darkhorses strategys of releasing fewer products that will be sure fire hits rather than hurting themselves, and the overall market, in the long run.
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Vekou
Posts: 329 |
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Exactly. Aside from licensing a greater ratio of good titles to bad ones, Tokyopop could also learn an example from VIZ and Dark Horse (both of which I love, along with Del Ray's fledgling but strong manga line) in the area of putting more effort into the release of their products rather than just churning out releases like a machine and marketing them all the same, regardless of whether they're any good. I haven't bought anything from ADV yet, but if it's anything like their anime line (which is the anime equivalent to Tokyopop's manga line), I'm not thrilled. They haven't licensed anything I'd found interesting yet, anyways. Last edited by Vekou on Sun Jun 13, 2004 4:18 am; edited 1 time in total |
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lianncoop
Past ANN Contributor
Posts: 1705 Location: Indiana |
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I have read every title I've reviewed in the column...some of them more than once so that I can give a fair assessment of it. It's still a fairly new column and I'm still trying to find a good balance and style for the reviews. There's always room for improvement. As far as Tokyopop, I don't have anything against them...regarding the title of the column...I thought it was just kinda "funny" that 7 of the titles were TP and the other 3 were Viz. I like Tokyopop and I like that they put out so many titles. |
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Kagemusha
Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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well from what i understand, they have licenced as many or even more volumes of manga than TP
 . the only thing I've bought from them is Chrono Crusade. i liked the manga, but wasn't impressed with the presentation (the leave the original sound effects in Japanese but give an english translation right next to it, which clutters the page up)
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The Ramblin' Wreck
 Posts: 924 Location: Teaching Robot Women How To Love |
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Yeah, that's why Tokyopop made $50 million dollars last year and was featured in Fortune Magazine. If that's hurting themselves, I want their stock when they apparently "get it together"... |
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jfrog
 Posts: 925 Location: Seattle |
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Tokyopop's problem is that they've turned themselves into a recognizable brand. And since they're oversaturating the market with crap titles like Battle Vixens, there's no way that they'll be able to keep this level of success forever.
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