Chrome Newfie
03-14-2007, 01:28 AM
Disclaimer: I am not an otaku, unless you count a general mania for information and trivia of all sorts. ;)
I've been interested in a couple of series that caught my attention, which are not only reasonably drawn and written manga, they are also (supposedly) extremely useful sources of information about their respective areas of interest. I'm a sucker for such things; I started on Mahou Sensei Negima and Ai Yori Aoshi simply for the little cultural notes at the end of the volumes. Came for the info, stayed for the panty shots... kidding! :P
Anyhoo, the two series are:
1. Futari Ecchi (aka Step Up Love Story) - the closest thing to a modern sex and relationships manual I've seen from the Holy Land, period. I've been following via scanlations, and there's references and fact points in there even I haven't seen before (which is saying something!), with footnotes to reference "respectable" data sources. This, wrapped in a goofy little story and some purty, sek-shoo-allee ek-spliss-it story.
2. Dai-Tokyo Binbo Seikatsu Manual (大東京ビンボー生活マニュアル), a.k.a Greater Tokyo Poverty Living Manual. Originally published in the 1980s, the story focuses on Kosuke, who apparently adapts a "frugal living" philosophy and lifestyle at the height of the Japanese consumer/economic boom. The wikipedia article describes it best here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai-Tokyo_Binbo_Seikatsu_Manual). It apparently includes some excellent tips for living on the cheap in one of the most expensive countries/cities on the planet. However, as it apparently has neither been english-released or scanlated, I am much less familiar with the contents.
I present these here to prompt discussion on the specific series, as well as to hear of other examples of "good, common sense guides" that people have encountered in their own travels and experiences, especially if they are a "nonstandard" source.
I've been interested in a couple of series that caught my attention, which are not only reasonably drawn and written manga, they are also (supposedly) extremely useful sources of information about their respective areas of interest. I'm a sucker for such things; I started on Mahou Sensei Negima and Ai Yori Aoshi simply for the little cultural notes at the end of the volumes. Came for the info, stayed for the panty shots... kidding! :P
Anyhoo, the two series are:
1. Futari Ecchi (aka Step Up Love Story) - the closest thing to a modern sex and relationships manual I've seen from the Holy Land, period. I've been following via scanlations, and there's references and fact points in there even I haven't seen before (which is saying something!), with footnotes to reference "respectable" data sources. This, wrapped in a goofy little story and some purty, sek-shoo-allee ek-spliss-it story.
2. Dai-Tokyo Binbo Seikatsu Manual (大東京ビンボー生活マニュアル), a.k.a Greater Tokyo Poverty Living Manual. Originally published in the 1980s, the story focuses on Kosuke, who apparently adapts a "frugal living" philosophy and lifestyle at the height of the Japanese consumer/economic boom. The wikipedia article describes it best here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai-Tokyo_Binbo_Seikatsu_Manual). It apparently includes some excellent tips for living on the cheap in one of the most expensive countries/cities on the planet. However, as it apparently has neither been english-released or scanlated, I am much less familiar with the contents.
I present these here to prompt discussion on the specific series, as well as to hear of other examples of "good, common sense guides" that people have encountered in their own travels and experiences, especially if they are a "nonstandard" source.