Links 1/3/12

I figure a good way to get some more traffic to my blog, as well as help out friends, I should start imitating other bloggers and regularly post links to posts that I've read. I've been linked a few times, and figure I should return the favor and link more often. All part of being part of the blogging community and all that fun stuff. Please keep in mind that since this is the first time I try this, I'll be borrowing formatting and such things from other bloggers, until I figure out what works for me.

I also have a few posts that will be coming up shortly. I should also have more links on Friday, I'll try to make a habit of posting them all then.

Manga Reviews: House of Five Leaves Volume 1

One of the advantages of the Manga Movable Feast that I've discovered is that it helps me expand my taste in manga. Without it I never would have given any of Natsume Ono's work a chance. And I'm glad I did try it out, because I've once again realized how narrow my tastes really are.

While I enjoy comics in general, and manga in specific, I've never been the first person to argue that they are literature. Not because I don't think they are deserving of the label, but because it's a discussion I've never felt I needed to become a part of. My personal opinion on the matter is that there's no need for arbitrarily labeling things according to their perceived worth. Everyone should just enjoy what they enjoy. House of Five Leaves is challenging that opinion in a way I cannot ignore. And so I will take my first step into this debate.

Manga Reviews: Hellsing Volume 1

Hellsing is one of the earliest anime and manga I ever experienced. I don't normally count it as the first manga I ever read, since I never did buy the volumes. I read it back when manga scanlations were still new, and I didn't realize they were illegal.

I'm not the biggest fan of vampires, especially now that it's a craze. But I've loved Dracula for a long time, and Hellsing is a fairly good companion piece for that classic. When I think vampires, I expect a lot of bloodshed and awesome carnage. I'm a little squicky on the drinking part, but when it's in black and white I can handle it well enough.

Volume one starts with an entire police squad being massacred by a single vampire. The lone survivor, Ceras Victoria, tries to flee from her zombified former comrades, but is ultimately captured by the vampire priest. Before said priest can suck her blood, he is interrupted by Alucard, a vampire who hunts vampires for the Hellsing Organization.