I forgot to mention the second volume of Omukae Desu (CMX) in yesterday’s run-down of new arrivals, which was negligent on my part, as it’s a quirky and appealing book. This installment is still relatively episodic, but Meca Tanaka starts building up interpersonal relationships among the employees of GSG, who assist the recently deceased in letting go of earthly concerns and moving on to the afterlife.
It’s fun stuff. Tanaka blends sentiment with off-kilter comedy, and it all goes down very easily. She also makes good use of workplace absurdity, coming up with generally endearing sight gags from GSG’s fondness for “theme months.” (There’s one in the last chapter that’s absolutely jaw-dropping.)
But the most intriguing thing about this volume was the back-up material, which includes two stand-alone stories from Tanaka. The first, Tanaka’s official debut, is called “The Invincible Heartbreaker.” The second is “Natural Centripetal Force Alpha,” something Tanaka created as an amateur when not working days in an office.
“Heartbreaker” is awful – tacky, unfocused, and barely coherent, but apparently saleable. (It’s about a young girl who expresses her crush for the local doctor by flashing him daily.) “NCFA” is a gem, tightly written, funny, and sweet. In it, a girl crushes on a comically klutzy boy but has to decide if her feelings go beyond finding him endearingly amusing.
I don’t know if there’s anything to take from the contrast of the two, though I thought it was interesting that the one done in snatched hours away from a day job was so much better than the one that actually helped Tanaka break into the industry. The weather must have me feeling cynical.