Today’s Tub Manga: Golden Kamuy (volume 3)

The short review: Golden Kamuy is simply amazing and one of the best things out right now. I think you should read it.

The long review: Intestines. Please take those skewers out of Sugitmoto’s cheeks. Asirpa has the BEST reaction faces. I found out that no matter how ancient Hijikata gets, my fangirlness knows no bounds and he will always be so fuckin’ cool. His whole “Kill them all!” scene gave me goosebumps and I got way too excited.

On a personal note, I absolutely love the portrayal of hunting in this manga. I think it’s so important to the story and I’m really intrigued as to how it’s being received by the readers. One thing in particular that stood out to me is after injuring the deer, as they’re tracking him Asirpa says, “Since the buck is injured, he’ll be trying to avoid climbing any slopes…” And my immediate thought was, “Uh, you’d think that, but you are WRONG.” (Unfortunately, I know this from experience. Not Ezo deer specifically, but still.) So then when their ambush goes awry and the deer escapes by going up the slope, I was oddly satisfied that such a silly but factual thing like that was included.

And at the risk of sounding like a total nutter (or giving away my super secret hunting technique?) Tanigaki’s conversation with Nihei about the “bloodthirsty odor” and the Matagi saying “become one with the trees” made me laugh out loud. I have actually done this. Not become a tree, of course, but tried to have “tree aura.” And for the curious reader, yes, I did end up with elk all around me, some within about four feet. And for the curious reader still reading: at four feet away, one of the elk did finally realize I was, in fact, not a tree and totally freaked out and bolted.

But I digress. READ GOLDEN KAMUY! It’s incredible.

Today’s Tub Manga: Astra Lost in Space (volume 1)

To paraphrase a dying Doc Holliday in Tombstone: “If you were ever my friend, if you ever had any of the slightest feeling for me…read Astra Lost in Space.”

Seriously. I really want you to read this. I want everyone to read this. It’s so so so incredibly good.

In this first volume we’re introduced to the kids who think they’re going on a planet camping trip for a week. But instead of a safe time learning camping skills, the group gets sucked into this weird orb thing and spat out into space. Luckily, they find an old empty ship (though this ship is defunct in some suspicious ways, hmmm…) and try to cobble together a plan to survive and return home, some bazillion (okay, 5012) light years away.

Having been repeatedly blown away by the suspense/cliffhangers/mystery/holy shit! moments, I’d forgotten how genuinely funny this series is. It’s such a crazy perfect combination of emotions and genres and artistic elements that makes it an intriguing and engaging read.

PLEASE READ THIS. I’M BEGGING YOU.