Book: The Push Man and other stories

With the flood of terrible manga & anime that has swept across the western world in the past ten years, it's easy to forget that there is anything to be found in that artistic style that doesn't involve teenagers who secretly have giant robots or ninja powers while being too shy to to talk to their junior high school crush. There is however a growing market in the west for "gekiga", which translates as "dramatic pictures" and is a style of graphic novel in Japan that's aimed at a more adult audience. Now I know what you're thinking but when I say "Japanese graphic novel for an adult audience", I don't necessarily mean tentacle rape stories. Gekiga is more about complex ideas and themes that would appeal to more mature readers and was coined to separate itself from the more commonly known "manga" by Yoshihiro Tatsumi. Tatsumi's work is now available in North America in annual volumes - the first of which is The Push Man and other stories.

The Push Man collects some of the best examples of Tatsumi's work form the years of 1969-1970 into one hardbound volume decorated only by the high contrast drawing, which is why it caught my eye in the first place. The collection is full of sixteen short stories that involve such dark topics as urban alienation, sexual deviancy, abortion, mental illness, etc. I found it to be mildly disturbing at times but couldn't stop myself from reading just one more story and finished the whole collection in one afternoon. It was certainly a refreshing change from Narutos and Inuyashas clogging book stores as of late.

the artwork is comprised of wonderful pen & ink drawings that really exude the feeling of the city closing in around the characters. The dirt and smog clings to every panel. The characters are often archetypes who you'll see again and again in the stories but not as the same person, just a similar one. The Aging Salary Man, the Geisha & the Faceless Man are some of the reoccurring characters found in these stories, similar in fashion to the Tezuka Universe. Tatsumi does this because the unrelated but identical reoccurring characters could easily melt into a crowd of people who are on the surface exactly the same. It is only upon closer examination that we can see the intimate stories that can exist in anyone - even ourselves. That is what I think makes these stories so fascinating.

along with the 16 short stories, The Push Man includes an interview with the artist Yoshihiro Tatsumi himself, which is also a fascinating read. This is because the stories are often somewhat ambiguous so it's nice to be able to hear the creator's perspective in regards to the themes and characters.

That's about all there is to say about The Push Man and other stories. If you would be interested in a slice of the psyche of a post WWII Japanese person you can't go wrong with this. If you are a lover of manga but want something a little less childish or trite, then give this a read. I would like to warn you however that if you're squeamish about sensitive topics then this might be too much to handle. The stories included here floated about in the back of my head for days and I'm no slouch when it comes to controversial subjects. It's gritty, beautiful and thought provoking, it's available from Drawn & Quarterly Publications, It's The Push Man.

Game: Okami

Recently having a read on video game blog Kotaku that the game Okami (which was originally for the PS2) is still not selling well despite its re-release on the extremely popular Nintendo Wii. I was going to discuss the game Chibi Robo next but instead I've decided to talk about this game because I bought it on day one of its release. It is one of the most rewarding games I've played in a long time & I can not stress enough people need to give this game a try.

Okami was developed by Capcom internal studio Clover, the same studio who brought us games such as Viewtiful Joe 2 & Godhand. It was released in 2006 for the Sony Playstation 2 just before the launch of the Playstation 3. It received extremely high acclaim from critics & received many awards as a result. In spite of this however, Okami sold poorly and Capcom closed Clover as a result.

Okami takes place during an indeterminate period of feudal Japan where the player takes control of the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu in the form of a white wolf. As Amaterasu, the player sets out on a journey to restore the beauty of nature across the islands of Japan which have been cursed by evil forces. The game is an adventure RPG similar in structure to The Legend of Zelda games. As such, it includes familiar elements such as overworlds, towns, dungeons, health containers, side-quests, etc. The gameplay, although done very well, is nothing new. Where the game really shines is in its presentation.

Okami uses a special cell-shading technique and stylized aesthetic to make the world which the player explores look like an old Japanese wood block & water colour painting. Rich colours and thick black lines gives the impression of brush strokes having been used to create everything within the game, giving Okami a very two-dimensional look. This 2D look is an illusion however, because the strokes and colours will flow and change with Amaterasu's movements around objects to always make it look as much like a flat painting from whatever angle the player is looking. It's a really trippy thing to see for the first time.

That Okami looks like a painting also plays a very important role in the mechanics of the game because unlike Zelda games where the player receives a new piece of equipment to aide in the adventure, Okami gives the player new spells which are executed by painting brush strokes on screen. With Amaterasu's "celestial brush" the player can attack enemies, change the weather, change the time, create special items, create plants, reach new locations and much more. This mechanic was a bit slow although still easy enough to perform on the Sony PS2 but the brush mechanic seemed like such a natural fit on the the Nintendo Wii's motion sensitive controller that it seemed like only a matter of time before it received a port of the original. In 2008 the Wii got its port which was handled by Ready at Dawn Studios who are the experts in recreating games by other teams such as the Ratchet & Clank and God of War games for the PSP.

The music is also excellent. Making use of alot of flutes, drums, shamisens and other traditional Japanese instruments it further creates the illusion that a classical Japanese painting has come to life. The peaceful melodies & ambient tunes of the fields & forests will quickly change into pounding rhythms when Amaterasu encounters a demon scroll floating around - triggering a fight sequence. There's no voice acting in Okami, rather it uses a sort of gibberish sound for the voices of the characters. Each character has their own unique voice so it really doesn't bother me that there's no voice acting. There's been many times that an otherwise great game has been ruined by horrible English dubbing (Shenmue II Xbox, I'm looking at you), so I'm fine with just reading even if it is a text heavy game like this.

The story is also very well crafted. There's too many plot threads to go into detail about any particular one of them but it includes romance, redemption, prophecies, conspiracies and even some aliens thrown in for good measure. By the end of the game, I really felt that I cared about the characters. Aside from the main storylines there is of course, many sidequests and subplots to explore as well. The game is supposed to be only 30 hours or so but I spent twice that amount of time finding everything I could. Every time a plot thread is completed, the player will recieve praise from the people of Japan which can be used to upgrade Amaterasu's powers. There's lots of other ways to collect praise as well, such as casting spells on trees to make them bloom or clearing an area of a curse, so be sure to collect as much praise as possible.

If you are a fan of adventure RPGs, Japanese folklore or are just looking looking for something different and you own a PS2 or Wii, then there is no excuse for you not to own this game. If people continue to ignore brilliant games like this then video game companies will stop making them. They're businesses and they need to make money, so cough it up or more companies like Clover will disappear. Oh, if you're wondering what ever happened to the people who worked for Clover, a bunch of them started an independent studio and named it Seeds which has been renamed Platnium Games and is set to release the amazing looking black and white brawler Madworld for the Nintendo Wii - which I suggest you look up as well.

DVD: It's Always Sunny in Philedelphia - seasons 1 & 2

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia ranks among the likes of 30 Rock as the saviours of the sitcom. Not since Arrested Development has a situation comedy been released with such Dickensian plot threads and not since Seinfeld has there been a situation comedy with such remorseless protagonists. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (to be referred to hereafter as IASIP) is one of my current personal favourites.

Airing on the FX network since 2005, IASIP is centred around four friends who run an Irish pub in the city of Philadelphia. It stars series creators Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day along with actors Glen Howerton and Kaitlin Olson in their four characters unscrupulous attempts to get rich quick, get laid & do as little work as possible along the way. Danny DeVito also joins the cast of regulars after the eighth episode as Howerton and Olson's rich father who has left his wife moved in with Charlie & wants to be part of the gang adding his own brand of insanity to the mix.

So what's the show like you ask? I feel the outrageous plots of the episodes can be ascertained by simply reading the titles of the episodes; "Charlie Wants an Abortion", "the Gang Goes Jihad" & "Mac Bangs Dennis' Mom" should give you the impression that this show is somewhat offensive. You would be wrong however, because IASIP is completely offensive. The characters are utter assholes but they're assholes to the extreme point where it becomes funny. So many great comedies have starred characters such as Ralph Kramden, Basil Fawlty & Jerry Seinfeld that people think are hilarious but would never ever want to invite to a dinner party. I think the characters in IASIP could one day stand among them in the history of jerks on TV.

The music in IASIP adds an extra level of surrealism to the experience by being very cheery orchestral tunes reminiscent of 1950s commercials or film strips. It uses alot of strings plucking and up tempo melodies and the worse the scenario on screen is the more cheerful the music accompanying it seems to giving even the character's most disgusting actions a nice juxtaposition.

The DVD itself comes with scenes from the pilot, commentary on select episodes, featurettes and audition reels. Along with the 17 great episodes this DVD set is well worth your consideration. If you like situation comedy, offensive humour or subterfuge then this show is for you.



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DVD: Clone High

Moving on, next I'm going to talk about Clone High. Clone High is an animated series from 2002 produced for MTV and Teletoon by Nelvana and was created by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Bill Lawrence of Scrubs fame. The premise of Clone High is that a shadow board of figures has hired Dr. Cinnamon Scudworth to create clones of great historical figures to be used for "superior physical and intellectual combat". Until they are ready, they are raised in foster homes in an anytown U.S.A. and have now reached adolescence. The series is then a parody of teen dramas using historical figures to fit into stereotypical archetypes and Scudworth as the high school principal assisted by his robot valet Mr. Buttlertron.

The series primarily revolves around Abraham Lincoln (as the average joe), Mahatma Gandhi (as the class clown), Joan of Arc (as the goth girl), J.F.K. (as the jock) & Cleopatra (as the society girl). The series parodies the classic love triangle with Lincoln being in love with Cleopatra, Cleopatra being in love with Kennedy & d'Arc being in love with Lincoln. Clone High also makes hilarious allegories of the typical teen drama topics such as drugs, alcohol, AIDS, holidays and more. For example there's one episode where Gandhi is diagnosed with A.D.D. but everyone treats him like he has AIDS. Another has the teens at Clone High smoking raisins to get stoned and the whole episode turns into a psychedelic 1970s rock opera featuring Jack Black.

The visual is great. It's very stylized but you can still tell who each character is supposed to be and even those who aren't clones or guest celebrity appearances are just as distinctive in their own right. It's very two-dimensional, colourful and uses a great level of exaggeration to convey emotions from the characters which can sometimes be funny, other times touching and often both at once.

The writing is very sharp. At the same time it is both satirical and irreverent. The voice acting is also hilarious. I swear, I never get tired of hearing J.F.K. deliver his lines. As good as the writing is, it's made only better by the great performances by talented actors such as Nicole Sullivan, Michael Mcdonald, Christa Miller, Andy Dick, Joe Flaherty as well as creators Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. And the music on top of all that makes very appropriate choices as well. Often using Indy rock from the time such as Dashboard Confessional and of course the Abandoned Pools who write the opening theme song as well.

Unfortunately for Clone High, it was allegedly taken off the air because people in India (a country where this series never even aired) heard about Gandhi being portrayed as a class clown made known their protest to MTV who then cancelled the series. It's fortunate however that there's still one whole season with a 12 episode plot arc for people to enjoy. If you're familiar with John Hughes films, Degrassi High, Beverly Hill 90210 and the like then I feel you would enjoy Clone High. If you're interested in history then you will enjoy the references you'll notice. if you're a fan of animation then I feel you'll enjoy Clone High. It's a series not to be missed.

Game: Snatcher

Let's begin this blog with something alot of you PS3 fanboys might find interesting....

With all the fan excitement and media hype surrounding the recent release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, it's hard to think of a time when Hideo Kojima made anything that wasn't attached to the colourful Metal Gear series. Snatcher however, developed by Konami, was also created by videogame auteur Hideo Kojima & is a fine alternative for those of you who enjoy his work and want to try something other than sneaking under cardboard boxes and throwing porn mags at mercenaries.

Snatcher was Hideo Kojima's second game and was originally released in 1988 for the PC-88 exclusively in Japan. Since then, Snatcher has been ported to several systems and re-released several times due to it's popularity. In spite of this however, Snatcher has been released only once in North America and it was for the relatively obscure Sega CD in 1994 .

Now if you aren't already familiar with Snatcher but are a Metal Gear fan you should know right away that this game is nothing like Metal Gear. Snatcher is more like a cyberpunk version of Shadowgate. Snatcher an adventure game drawing heavy influences from films such as Blade Runner, The Terminator, Alien, etc. The gameplay is primarily an interactive comic book where the player is presented with a screen representing a room or area in which he or she can interact with the objects within that area, talk to any people who may be in that area or move to explore a new area. This could be off-putting to some people but if you're a fan of the old point-and-click adventure genre then you'll feel right at home.

Although the gameplay is nothing like Metal Gear, the story is pure Kojima. Snatcher is filled with social commentary, plot twists, broken fourth walls & fleshed out characters in an immersive world with superfluous amounts of unrelated information for the player if he or she cares to look for it. In Snatcher, the player takes the role of Gillian Seed. He was discovered in Siberia along with his wife Jaime & neither of them have any memory of their past (a video game cliché, I know but it wasn't in 1988). They are taken back to Neo Kobe City where soon thereafter it is discovered that people are disappearing and being replaced with robotic copies so they are dubbed "Snatchers". Gillian Seed finds these Snatchers oddly familiar so he joins a special agency called J.U.N.K.E.R. which was created to hunt down the Snatcher menace. On his first day however, fellow agent Jean Jack Gibson is killed, leading the player to pick up his investigation and hopefully pick up the pieces of Gillian's past along the way.

As great as finding clues, questioning suspects unfolding the protagonist's back story is, there's a secondary type of gameplay which comes in every so often to add some action to this slow burning mystery. With the use of the Konami Justifier light gun, the player could play certain action sequences like a shooting gallery where the player has to hit attacking Snatchers and their drones. Believe me when I tell you, it starts off easy enough but further into the game it becomes very intense. You can however, practice your marksmanship at the J.U.N.K.E.R. HQ shooting range at any time. Or if you prefer, you can play these sequences with the control pad.

Now for its technical merits, Snatcher on the Sega CD does not disappoint. The many and varied locations Gillian visits are comprised of beautiful manga style artwork. Although most of the game is static, the visuals are colourful and detailed. Certain plot points will also include animated talking heads accompanied by voice acting far superior to most CD based games from the time. It's also important to point out that the in game music is top-notch. Sometimes jazzy, sometimes eerie, sometimes comical - the music goes a long way in helping to set the mood in the game.

So who would I recommend Snatcher to? Well fans of Metal Gear will love this game because it takes place in the same continuity as Metal Gear and references to such are everywhere. For example, the player is aided throughout the game by a miniature Metal Gear that follows along wherever you go - just as in MGS4. I would also recommend Snatcher to lovers of the old point-and-click adventure games because of its deep story and great puzzles. I would also recommend this game to lovers of manga, sci-fi or mystery as well for obvious reasons. I would not recommend this game however to people who like constant action from their games, people who get frustrated with games that don't give the player specific direction or children. For a game originally from 1988, Snatcher is incredibly violent, sexually explicit, complex and oh ya - damned fun.

For more information on the game Snatcher and it's spiritual sequel "Policenauts" visit http://junkerhq.net/index.php