Rosy's manga recommendation: Bloody Monday by Ryuumon, Ryou

Bloody Monday
Ryuumon, Ryou

Blurb
A virus deal clinched in Russia on the Christmas eve. Purpose: unknown. Two clues: a mysterious lady "Maya", one of the reasons it happened, and "Bloody Monday", the keyword for the project.
Then an incident happened in far-distant city of Tokyo. Fujimaru Takagi, a second year student at Mishiro Gakuin high school, is commissioned to find out the truth by the Public Security Intelligence Agency, for his great ability as a super hacker. Now, Maya approaching to Fujimaru as his high school teacher.

Alternate names

ブラッディ・マンデイ血色星期一Bloody Monday Ver. 0블러디 먼데이Lunes sangriento
Madugong Lunes
รหัสมรณะ

Status

Series 1 complete. Series 2 ongoing.

Manga reader sites (free)

Manga Reader, Manga Fox

Rosy's scrawlings on Bloody Monday

This manga starts in a rush and just doesn't stop. It is addictive for it but also rather tiring as you just want to know when each story arc is going to end. If you're going to read this manga I will say this: brace yourself as there is no break until you're through all 96 editions. The characters run about like headless chickens the entire time, so much so that there's a collapse from stress scenario. This scenario does not halt the action though.

With this said, in this manga we are treated to a litany of IT information, a flood of insanity and fanaticism, some cold-hearted greed, several secretive organisations with spies to-boot and a group of teen heroes out saving the day, lead by the computer 'wizard' Fujimaru Takagi. There is IT babble galore from him as he just has to explain how he did everything, which is fair enough I suppose as most of us not so IT knowledgable readers do need such magic explained to us. Personally, having sat through more IT babble conversations than the average person not delved into the IT industry in some way, shape or form, it all sounds like more of the same. Except, I can point out that the speed in which Fujimaru does anything, particularly the hacking and coding, will make IT enthusiasts raise their eyebrows at the very least. In fact, most involved with IT will likely find this as incredulous as most other science-fiction and crime shows simply because although many of the methods used are possible (to some) they certainly aren't at the speed with which they're done in the manga. This just goes to show that as informative a piece of fiction can be it is still complete fiction.

IT magic aside, the story involves a blood thirsty cult lead by a young teen who's determination to kill so many Japanese is a little odd. There's some attempt at justifying everything by siting that Fujimaru had previously defeated them while they were in Russia using his IT wizardry but other than that it is a little odd. But I suppose that's what you get from the insane. And the leader of the cult is certainly that. Insanity is everywhere you look in this manga but a lot of it is instigated and controlled by the cult leader. In this Ryuumon did really well. With the creation of a diabolically insane genius for Fujimaru to go up against all Fujimaru's skills suddenly seem more plausible. The fictional scales of good and evil are balanced and so Fujimaru can become the hero we need him to be, his wizardry passed over just enough as we grasp for someone to stop the madness. Luckily, Fujimaru also has the backing of several capable characters, from his friends to secret service agents to spies, skilled in various areas so that any action he can't take as he's essentially an IT geek and not an action hero are covered by others.

All in all the manga is extremely fun as long as you get past the IT babble and the speed at which IT wizardry is performed. There are a range of characters to identify with, some tragedies, plenty of red shirt deaths, fanaticism to get angry with, cliff hangers everywhere and a giant puzzle to try and work out before the characters do. Kouji Megumi's art is rock solid and for the boys there's plenty of breasts and close ups on women's lips. For the girls, you'll likely just have to try to ignore that, but there are a few characters of worth you'll enjoy seeing on the page, some action heroines and some handsome young men (albeit grinning evilly). The style used to draw the manga falls within the normal parameters of mangas but it is very well done and there's aren't many emoticon-type faces included. The continued seriousness and tension is reflected well by restricting the illustration style while keeping it sharp and focused on movement. There is one thing of note though, that stands out straight away, and that is the eyes of Fujimaru and some other characters. In close ups we are treated to beautifully drawn eyes with versions of slip pupils. Sometimes it seems there's a double iris, a double pupil or singular for both but no matter what whenever the slit pupils appeared it was particularly stunning.

I'd recommend this manga to: anyone interested in thrillers, high tension fast-paced works and possibly IT if they're interested in a bitter laugh or two. I'd also suggest it to anyone who likes action, adventure and detective stories.

Notes on manga reader sites
The quality of manga readers can vary. The uploads are often done cheaply or as a serious hobby by a collective. Be aware that sometimes licence hasn't been given but the sites noted above, Manga Fox in particular, are extremely careful about adding and pulling mangas according to license agreements. So you shouldn't have to worry too much about the material being pirated. There are also translated works and non-translated. Amongst the translated works you will find that the quality of translation may vary according to the skills of the translators. Usually the works are perfectly readable anyway, with only a few added or dropped words or a word in the incorrect tense or with/out plurals. But sometimes the text becomes gobbledygook. In which case, either seek another version or give up and buy an official copy once a printed translation comes out. The other issue of note is you may need to expand the screen to read the text easily as sometimes the scans are minimised a little.
I find that if a page doesn't download properly or some other issue occurs (too slow or someone ordered the pages incorrectly etc.) with one reader then skipping across to another reader and picking up where I was is quite easy and rarely annoying.
Otherwise, enjoy and watch out you don't get too addicted you forget about the necessary things in life.

Writing tools: their pros and cons

Pens and pencils are fantastic for writing short pieces, taking notes, illustrating and editing but for writing novel length texts quickly they are problematic. Agents and editors prefer typed copies and electronic copies, meaning you will have to type up all your scribbles anyway. Initial copies could be written in pen and pencil but switching to a computer or laptop will happen sooner or later simply so you can sell your works to a publisher.

Quills produce a personal and warm feeling that few other writing tools can. These are great for short pieces and can be used to produce a high quality hard copy (as long as you can handle a quill with a certain degree of skill)  but for large works and works to be printed through a publishing house you will end up having to type up your works again. In some ways, this is a pity as the old tomes written with quill and illustrated with ink drawings have something extra special about them that the average paperback or hardback just doesn't. Only the original presses could create a product to compete in impact. Creating that instant attachment a reader gets to a specially designed book is a challenge for the book designer and illustrator nowadays.

Colour! If you use pens, quills and pencils for short pieces never forget that you can add colour of so many different styles and types. Written works that include colour often attract the reader and create an attachment that lasts longer than that created by a work solely in black and white. Why? Because it engages more senses and it is apparent that lots of work went into its creation, amongst many reasons. Despite this, if you are aiming to be published by a House you will have to find out if it is acceptable for you to provide illustrations or not. This is because each publishing House has a style and each House has its own illustrators with whom you will be competing for the work. Also, your illustrations may not be deemed the most appealing that can be produced for your writing. Don't take this as an insult against your art, it is a matter of sales, compatibility and known House styles. That said, I do love seeing a writer's own artwork in a book. 

Typewriters, good old clacking typewriters that give you bolt of satisfaction whenever you finish a line and have to wind it on. I love typewriters but I just can't write on one for work. They have as much mystique to the writer as the quill and even now when a writer finds out one of their fellows uses one there comes a sense of awe. It is such a pity that the current publishing demands have made it difficult to hand in a hard copy only, otherwise using a typewriter would still be an option for more than the first few copies.

Typewriters have so much mystique that USB a typewriter app has been produced along with the above Limited Edition Typescreen. The typewriter here is a modern computer typewriter and not an old typewriter that has been adapted. So with a little fiddling about you can type an electronic copy on a typewriter. One problem appears to be that with the Typescreen you lose half the screen to the extra keyboard. It you used the computer typewriter and attached it to a PC you'll have the complete screen available but what you've done is take out half of the mystique and fun of using a typewriter. Personal preferences and practicality come into play here. For me it is too much trouble to bother with.

The PC, as in the keyboard, monitor, mouse and computer combo, is one of the easiest writing tools to use as you can create both electronic copies and hard copies easily, especially if you also have a printer. You may also alter the design and mass produce your product with ease. But it is still a PC and you will still be locked in your seat, typing away much as you are likely to with a typewriter but with no mystique and no chance of taking it anywhere where there isn't an electrical point. At least a typewriter is portable, if heavy, and can be used in various locations.

That leaves us with the laptop. Perfect solution, you say? Don't be fooled. Again electrical points come into play far more often than you think. Great, you can take it with you and go outside but you still need to find a place to recharge the battery so here's hoping you have friends and family in the area. Typewriters have it over laptops in this instance as they don't require batteries and power points. Laptops, on the other hand, provide soft and hard copies of your works, allow you to alter designs, print, mass produce and everything else a PC does. As a result many writers choose a laptop so that they can sit as they please rather than at a desk, possibly wander about, take their work with them and still not have to redo typed or written text. All they have to consider is the battery life.

Me? I'm writing this on a laptop but I'm an artist who loves colour and ink, original hard copies and personalised works, who would be thrilled to be able to use a typewriter while writing my book but sees it is impractical. I'm far too sentimental about anything that has a touch of history and the personal. I love books that have been illustrated by their own authors as their artwork provides another peek into the imaginary world the author created. Sometimes I wish it was still possible to mass produce via the Gutenberg press because producing books by this type of press means mixing so many of my loves together. But we move with the times and I along with all of you.