I guess it only feels like I always write about shôjo. It’s actually been a while since I devoted an entire Flipped column to a title in that category, so I decided it was safe to dip back into the pool. This time around, the subject of my excessive fondness is Beauty Pop from Viz’s Shojo Beat line.

As you may have noticed, I’ve befriended my partner’s scanner, though our acquaintance is still somewhat formal and limited. The vast pages of unadorned text at this blog have never really bothered me before, but they’re starting to irritate me for some reason I can’t really define. I’m starting to toy with the idea of adding images. Any thoughts either way? Even a “God, please, yes, my eyes need a break.”?

MangaCast-er and Otaku USA columnist Ed Chavez e-mailed me to expand on the concept of “bozu,” which is nowhere near as basic as I’d assumed when I was working on this week’s Flipped. He was kind enough to let me post it here:

Was checking out your latest Flipped and the subject had me scratching my head a little. “Bozu” while in a very roundabout way could mean boy it isn’t as common (as you noted since it isn’t often used in shounen manga outside of a specific genre) or in the correct context as you have placed it.

“Bozu” when used to mean boy is derived from the word “bozu” written Ë·¼ç in kanji which means buddhist monk or priest. So generally bozu when used to refer to a “kid” or a “squirt” will be used to someone with the physical characteristics of a monk – either someone who is bald or has very short hair. In this situation bozu is not a general term. It is a specific form of slang used mainly by yanki or yakuza to pick on athletes who have to cut their hair short for sports (ie baseball where short hair/buzz cuts are common style) or nerds who stereotypically in manga have short hair.

The other use of bozu is for the very very young. I’d say anyone up to age 12 (middle school is too old… by then people use the term “gaki” derived from gakkou school is used to mean brat or squirt). Bozu in this sense tend to have the look of those stone monks you see around cemeteries and in the country side. Actually those statues are also called bozu and they are said to quite often symbolize the souls of children.

So I wouldn’t Hoshin Engi’s cast are bozu. I haven’t read my copy of Dragon Eye yet to be certain about that series… though they sure look like gaki to me.

Ochi from Hikaru no Go though… He isn’t just a bozu (with that hair) but is also the poster child for the Botchan or Botchama’s out there. Precious young masters (the opposite of the hime-sama/little princess) that are often the one-dimensional foil to protagonists as they climb the shounen tournament ladder.

Much more interesting than “kid” or “squirt,” isn’t it?

Two vertically challenged manga protagonists go in. One comes out. Okay, it’s not that dramatic, but it is the topic for this week’s Flipped.

There won’t be a new Flipped column this week. Between work and life and other activities, I just couldn’t find the right combination of time, energy and inspiration. I would like some feedback for another topic I’m planning to explore, if you have a few minutes.

It involves the relative green-ness of the manga industry, and I’m curious about what manga consumers think about the issue. So here are some general questions:

Would you object to lower paper quality if you knew that there was a higher percentage of recycled pulp in use?

Would you pay a marginally higher price for manga if you could be certain that the price differential was being used for more environmentally sound production practices – non-toxic inks, recycled paper, reduced energy consumption from printers, and the like?

How do you dispose of your unwanted manga? Do you trade it? Sell it on an auction site or to a used bookstore? Donate it to a local library or other organization? Or just pitch it in the trash?

If you’d like to offer your thoughts, you can either post them in the comments here, or e-mail me at DavidPWelsh at Yahoo dot Com or welshdav at Gmail dot com. I’m just looking for a general sense of people’s opinions on the subject and what they’d prefer as consumers. If you don’t want your comments quoted in a future column, just mention that in your e-mail. I’d still appreciate the feedback.

(Also, does anyone know of a good WordPress poll/survey widget?)

In this week’s Flipped, I check in on some series I’ve reviewed and recommended previously. It’s terrible to say, but with the constant waves of interesting new titles launching all the time, I kind of wish some ongoing ones would start sucking.

There’s a new Flipped up that looks at sophomore licenses from creators who made really strong English-language debuts.

Okay, I admit that this week’s Flipped isn’t one for the ages, but hopefully someone will find it useful. What can I say? I spent too much of the weekend engrossed in computer games.