Princess Ai Manga~

1. I think this manga is biographical in the sense that both Courtney Love and Princess Ai have to face similar hardships and dilemmas. However, I found the story in the comic to be more representative of how Love hoped her life would have turned out. Love had to face her parents' divorce at a young age and was treated like anything but a princess. In a way, she has been trying to find out who she really is, just like Princess Ai's search in the manga. Princess Ai seems like a strong and self-assertive young girl and that is synonymous with Love's personality. Ai knows what she wants and what she doesn't. She does not let other people walk over her and may respond with violent tactics, as seen in various parts of the two volumes. When she was scouted by Club Cupid, she specifically stated that she wanted to sing but would never strip. Likewise, Love was also in a similar situation; like Ai, she was in desperate need of money and even applied to be a stripped but was denied (source). Later on, she found a job as a stripper (source). Since she cannot go back to change her past, I felt that she made the character Princess Ai as her second chance; she wrote about how she would have done things differently the second time. Furthermore, Princess Ai’s love interest, Kent, has a lot of similarities with Love’s husband, Kurt Cobain. At the end of volume two, Kent and Princess Ai seems to have found each other as potential lovers and ready to fight through anything together. In real life, Kurt Cobain died of a suicide attempt and Courtney Love has had to deal with that tragedy by herself.

2. The main character, Princess Ai, seems to stick out like a sore thumb. She rarely follows orders from other people like the H.T.A. agency. She likes to do things her way and is not afraid to get physical. This is similar to the Little Red character we saw in Hoodwinked. Little Red keeps saying that she’s not a little girl anymore and even knows how to fight. Princess Ai also reminds me of the Grandmother from Hoodwinked. Both of these characters hid their true identity and talents from everyone else. At one point, Princess Ai was like Kumo in that she tried to sacrifice her love for Kent because she wanted to protect him, thinking that it would make him happy. Similarly, Kumo sacrificed her own wishes in order to keep her husband happy.
     Other women such as Mika, Jen, and the suicidal girl seemed to do what was necessary in order to get past the glass ceiling. Mika wanted to get recruited by H.T.A. Agency, Jen wanted to keep her job at Club Cupid, and the suicidal girl wanted fame as a singer. She stated that she listened to all of H.T.A.’s orders but was never able to sell platinum or gold CDs (V2, 108). This is similar to the pretentious ladies we read at the beginning of the semester. When Madelon and Cathos found out that there were rich suitors knocking on their door, they put on a new personality and tried to brown-nose their way into the men’s lives. Hemo also reminded me of Jen because both characters were very supportive of their friend, Kumo and Princess Ai, respectively.

3. Mangas generally have small petite girls wearing clothes that accentuate their figure. These characters are also very fashionable, just like the people in Japan’s culture. Japanese fashion is very particular and have been getting praises from their surrounding countries in Asia and even partially in America. When Princess Ai first landed on Earth, she was wearing torn clothes that caught a lot of attention from the Japanese pedestrians (V1, 16). She is a very fashionable girl and has her own style in clothing. When she was offered a beautiful dress from Shinji, she had to alter it to her own liking (V1, 138-139). As a performer, her costume changed to be more elegant while sporting a lot of accessories (V2, 131). Her costume looks a lot like many Japanese artists’ clothing. Each album has a concept and a matching costume. Lastly, the antagonist of the story, Tess, was dressed in a dark costume with messy hair. This greatly contrasts with the star performer Princess Ai.

lil red

I feel it isn’t odd that the grandmother does not mention wild animals lurking in the woods, but warns against a wine bottle breaking. Little Red is an innocent young girl and safety would be a top priority. As long as little red doesn’t know about the wild animals in the woods she would not fear it. Thus, if she listened to her grandmother and stayed on the path she would never be confronted by the wild animals. Also, if little red was warned against going into the woods, that would defeat the authors purpose in the telling the story and destroy the plot.

The Story of Little Red Ridding Hood contains various forms of sexual and gender symbolism portrayed through the characters and their behaviour in this story .To begin with the story revolves around women and they are depicted as being the weaker sex and always taken advantage of. The wolf in this story portrayed as the male gender is seen to be the wicked animal waiting to prey on the sweet and vulnerable young girl and her aged and sick grandmother. This is an illustration that the story is very gender biased. Yet another indication of gender distinction is also evident from the fact that the hunter comes to the rescue of the Little Red and her grandmother again demonstrating the women as being the weaker sex.

The colour red which is the main colour used in this story symbolises energy, passion, love. The colour red worn by Little Red in the story could also have attracted the attention of the wolf while she was walking through the forest.

Aesop’s fables tries to provide children today with a moral education and does so through allegories. The wolf has always been attributed with the traits of being sly and cunning. These fables therefore use these traits to indicate how the wolf as a bystander either tries to deceive or have an impact on innocent individuals. This can be observed through the story of ‘The Wolf and the Crane’ wherein on one hand it can be seen how it was the crane that volunteered to remove the bone from the wolf’s throat expecting a reward in return; the wolf however taught the crane a lesson through his unarguable justification that when volunteering to do good for others one should not always expect a reward. However on the other hand the sly nature of the wolf comes into play as he had agreed to give anything to the individual who removed the bone lodged in his throat and could be seen going back on his word once the job was done by the crane.

Princess Love

On reading Princess AI and the biography of Courtney love it is obvious that there are similarities in the characters. Courtney love experienced a troubled childhood. According to Entertainment weekly her father gave her LSD when she was just three. Similar to Courtney Love, Princess AI too experienced similar hardships. She never really knew who her biological parents were, and at the beginning of the comic she wakes up tattered in a dump. Kent was the first to help AI and give her shelter. There is a deep relation to Kent and Kurt Cobain who Courtney Love loved and married in reality. In Princess Ai the heart-shaped box is the one thing she can identify with. This same heart-shaped box links Courtney Love to Princess Ai. Heart-shaped box is a song that Nirvana performed and Courtney Love claims it was dedicated to her by Kurt.

The kinds of women we have read about this semester have been extremely vulnerable. They have always needed someone to take care of them or look after them. As we have witnessed in Little Red and The Pretentious Young Ladies. As compared to these women Princess Ai is strong and courageous. She is capable of standing on her own two feet and facing the world with everything it has to offer. Even though most of the women portrayed in Princess Ai seem extremely trashy it seems like no one understands them and why they are the way they are. Unlike The Pretentious Young Ladies who were trying to be something they were not just so that people accepted them.

Princess AI as seen in the comic is extremely fashionable. In page 3 we see women dressed in skimpy dresses much like the fashion in Toyko. The costumes seem to have a rock meets punk kind of look. Princess Ai is often seen cladded in extravagant accessories and laced garters and clothing. These Costumes describe the characters. Manga as we know it is all about pictures, thus it is by these pictures that the viewers interpret the meaning behind the comic. Manga being Japanese represents a large proportion of Japanese fashion. This not only incorporates a culture into the comic but describes the characters too. For example, a character dressed in fishnet stockings and a short skirt with a low v-neck symbolizes someone who wants to be different, a character that refuses to live by the norms and break free.

bleach an unending saga

Artistic literature

As compared to the normal prose we have read and analyzed all of this semester, manga stands out as the most artistic form of literature. Manga is filled with pictures in black and white luring the reader into a trance. The art is not just captivating but its leaves the interpretation and reasoning of the comic up to the reader. It is this subjective form of literature that has captivated so many manga fans.

Script

Manga has stuck to it Japanese roots. Manga like any Japanese script is read from the last page to the first, right to left and top to bottom. For the conventional prose enthusiast this is hard to accustom to, but once mastered it is a thrill to read.

Dialogue

The only form of literature in manga is the dialogue between characters and the occasional sounds of a punch or an agonizing cry. It almost feels like if one had to flip through the pages really quick it would play like a 1920’s Laurel and Hardy clip.

Fan base

Most normal literature is written to tickle the taste buds of just a select few readers. These people enjoy a similar format and plot written by similar authors. On the other hand manga is strewn over almost every age range. Its pictures captivate the young, while its plot reels in the rest.

Characters

Manga deals with a wide array of characters ranging from the supernatural to regular human beings. This gives it a creative edge, allowing readers to dwell into fantasies of ghost and spirits.

On page 12 we witness the first time Ichigo see Shinigami –God of Death- This page presents no dialogue just pictures of each character. But, each character represents a different expression. Shinigami thinks Ichigo cannot see her and she just walks on as if nothing happened. As for Ichigo, we see a quizzical look on his face. The art gives the reader the canvas and the paintbrush. Thus, allowing the reader to create a portrait of his/her fancy. This is unseen in regular novels and story books.

One experiences a vast symbolic relevance to evil and good or heaven and hell. These are by far the two most major attributes of Christianity. The Christian religion often expresses the evils that lurk in hell with bearing on the devil. Also there is a constant symbolism of spirits in manga, Christianity refers to spirits as angels or guardians. Ancient Japanese culture has often mystified people. The samurai swords and the ninjas have been at the epicenter of this fascination towards Japanese mysticism. Manga art utilizes a lot of ninja attributes including swords. It also gives them supernatural powers, as some people believe ninjas actually possessed such power.

The lesson behind manga is hard to uncover. The core reason being that they just introduced vol. 169 and books are still in production. But, from reading and analyzing manga it might be safe to say that manga tries to impress upon the reader that he/she is not alone; whether in life or in death. Also one gets the feeling that safety is a major issue in manga. It seems like there is always someone out there to feed on your life while you try to feed on others as seen on page 53.

Bleach

1. Formal v Informal

Manga is very informal, as opposed to any of the other literature we have read earlier this year. Manga is written in normal everyday language, while most of the formal prose we have read was written in perfect English.

2. Illustrated v Non-illustrated

Perhaps the first thing that stands out about Manga is its illustrative quality. 95% of Manga is pictures and illustrations, whereas the prose we have read has had no illustrations.

3. Visually graphic v mentally instigating

The pictures aid in the telling of the story. The illustrations give the story much more feeling and emotion, and enable the reader to be able to empathize more with the characters. In normal prose, absolutely everything must be imagined.

4. Left-to-right v Right-to-Left

For me, the most interesting challenge in reading Manga was reading right-to-left as opposed to the traditional English-reading left-to-right.

5. Broad audience v Narrow audience

We tend to think pictures are for children, but somehow Manga seems to reach a much broader audience than normal prose. In fact, we classify normal prose as children’s, 9^th grade, college level, etc., but Manga appeals can be read by everyone.

2) My choice for a page with pure illustrations is Page 50

In my opinion, Manga images and images in general tell much more than words do. My reasoning behind this is because words carry connotations that lock us into thinking one narrowly. On the other hand, pictures and illustrations have the ability to carry as many meanings as the reader or viewer desires the drawing to carry. The page that I have chosen has a drawing that in my opinion signifies and represents confidence, arrogance, and ability. For someone else, it is possible that these drawings could mean something totally different. Since Manga allows freedom of interpretation, it can be more readily enjoyed.

3) Bleach referred to Heaven and Hell a couple of times. These two “places” are important concepts of Christianity. Soul society also refers to a similar type of movement from earth or life with other mortals to a life after death or life with immortals. Christianity also includes a fight between two powers the power of God and the power of the Devil. Both of these powers are not human, and their wars cannot be fought in human form. In addition, God gave his spiritual and mental power to Jesus who was seen on earth. Similarly, Japanese religion and beliefs seem to have a lot to do with the differences between right and wrong, although in Japanese culture, much of it isn’t judged.

4) In my opinion, page 18 in Volume 2 of Bleach perfectly explains the main lesson or moral of the story. As humans, we must help each other out as people, not discriminate at all, and not take into account whether someone is family or not.

Princess Ai.

1According my research on Courtney Love I can say how “biographical “ is manga. Courtney Love wrote about herself that she “have always loved the Japanese culture and the people. Princess Ai is a great character because she feels like my alter ego, but in a fantasy setting”. This is the first affinity.
Also, we can compare their names. Ai in translation from Japanese means “ love”. Courtney Love created The Princess Ai manga. The names are similar.
Moreover, “ the blonde guitar player” Kent described from Courtney Love husband, Kurt Cobain.
Another important thing is “connection to the real-life Love is Princess Ai`s heart-shaped box”. Courtney gifted to her husband same type of box with a hit song ”Heart-Shaped Box” by Nirvana.
Courtney and Ai had the mixed heritages. Ai had a human father. Her mother was an angel. That is why “Ai sprouted wings on her back and had had the ability to control people emotions with her singing”.
Moreover, they loved music and being the rock stars experienced all the problems relevant to their profession.

2.They are nice ladies, like Kumo. Courtney Love friend said about her, “Courtney has proven herself as a flamboyant and talented individual, but has been personally hurt by the various attacks on her”. They defend their own opinion and don’t follow anybody. Even they dependent of their husbands they still have their own way of life.

3.Princess Ai was “a beguiling woman with an outrageous fashion sense, a voice like an angel, and a mind all her own”. We can talk about the characters in manga only by looking on the pictures in a book and by reading short sentences. That is why costume and body shape play an important role in manga. Page 33(vol.2). Beautiful body and unusual a Victorian style cloth make Princess Ai look gorgeous. “ You are going to be hottest diva to debut ever,” said to her a young girl. Big eyes, long hair, accurate body shape and a fashionable cloth make Princess Ai look very attractive and sexy. Page 84(vol.2). I see Princess Ai, her beautiful eyes and tall, slim figure. Her long black dress with long sleeves and deep opened breast help Ai to express herself. Page 43(vol.2). This picture shows Ai`s nice body shapes: naked sexy hands and small waist. The long wave skirt makes her look attractive to men and women. She likes to be different and create her unusual cloth style. It helps us better understand her strong character.

Bleach.

1.Manga means “whimsical picture”. According to the Wikipedia, Manga in the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons. The first issue was published in the late 18th century. The modern form Manga was issued after World War II and became very popular. Different topics represented in Manga: mystery, horror, sexuality, romance, and business.
Manga differs from the traditional literature:
1. According to content we can see more picture and less words. It is very popular for people of all ages.
2. We can read it from the right to the left.
3. The characters in Manga we can see. The characters clothe, hairstyle, emotions, and skills, almost everything.
4. Sometimes the characters express their emotions by saying just one word, sometimes even with unusual sound like “WAP”,”WHAM’, “GWOOO”.

2.When I read, “Bleach”, I understood the importance of the words and images varies from page to page. The images give us a real notion of actions and emotions that exist in the “Bleach”. Every page consists a lot of images that help us understand the story better. I think the page 44(Bleach1) consists the almost entirely of images. We can see Hollow who knows that Ichigo not just fighting against him, he is also fighting against other Soul Reapers.

3. The concept of Christianity presents in “Bleach”. ”Ichigo is about to discover that not every soul is bound for the Soul Society”. Concern about the soul is the concept of Christianity.
Chad was talking with parakeet “ imbued with the soul of a young boy named Yuichi”. There is the concept that subsists in Buddhism.

4. I think the main lesson of the story “Bleach” is that every soul has to be clean. Ichigo mission was to “protect the innocent from Hollow and help the spirits themselves find peace”. (Page24. Bleach1)