The Anime/Manga scene and I have been leading a pretty estranged relationship of late. Besides picking up the latest volume of "Blade of the Immortal," there isn't much reason for me to peruse the manga section at my local Borders. By chance, I noticed "Rin-Ne" by Rumiko Takahashi. Takahashi, in my humble opinion, is the greatest Japanese writer since Murasaki Shikibu.
She's responsible for hit classics like "Inuyasha," "Ranma 1/2," and "Maison Ikkoku," but my favorite will always be "Urusei Yatsura." "Rin-Ne" is her latest series, started in 2009. While the first paperback was just published, readers can go online to read translated chapters as they're published in Japan, simply by visiting here.
The story involves Sakura Mamiya, a girl who can see ghosts, who meets a strange classmate, Rinne Rokudo, a half-human, half shinigami, who leads spirits to a floating Wheel of Reincarnation. Now, while the whole school girl mets half-man, half-something else sounds familiar, it does distinguish itself from past series. The first eight chapters (which make up volume one) delve into the two main characters. The humor aspects are toned down (for now) with only Rinne's abject poverty and the introduction of Rokumon in the later chapters as running gags.
All in all, it's a very promising series, but what else can you expect from Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just glad there's something I can look forward to something again in the manga section...
(Except "Blade of the Immortal," of course.)
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Eight: Starving Hysteria
“Zoey!” Sara struggled as Lee held her back. She watched as the frail form disappeared into the darkness below.
“There’s nothing we could do,” said Lee. “And without the bridge, we can’t go back.” He slowly released her. “We can only keep moving forward.”
Sara sank to her knees. “Please give me a moment.” Neither said anything for a moment; they quietly secured their winter clothing before entering the next room. The merciless cold assaulted them as Lee opened the door.
The room was an inclining set of stairs that disappeared around the bend. Lee was about to enter the room when Sara said, “Wait.”
She brushed aside the snow covering the stairs. “There’s a mechanism here, probably a trap.”
“It’d work too,” added Lee. “If it weren’t for the ice covering the wall.” He pointed to small holes in the wall, barely visible beneath the sheen of the ice.
“Just watch your step,” said Sara.
The stairs led to a large, expansive room. There was an opening on the top of the roof; snow gently trickling down. Towards the middle of the room was a large altar surrounded by some ritual statues, all covered by a thin sheet of ice.
“This must have been their main meeting area,” said Lee. “They must held meetings or even worshipped in this very room.” As he said this, the very floor beneath him shifted as his weight pushed down on it. Sara grabbed Lee before he fell, and they both watched the circular slab stop at a perpendicular angle to the floor. Warmth and light radiated from beneath the floor. Sara and Lee peered down to see a seething river of lava flowing in the catacombs beneath the temple.
“Or maybe they sacrificed people here,” added Sara dryly.
Lee walked up to the altar. “If only I had time to study all this. Just think of what we could learn about these people.”
“I just want to find this item and get off this damn planet,” said Sara, not bothering to hide her weariness. Lee pointed to something behind her. Sara turned slowly to see another white creature, similar to the one that attacked Zoey earlier. White fur had camouflaged it within the piles of snow.
Lee started to take off his backpack. “I probably have a…”
“Can’t you see?” cut off Sara. “It’s no threat to us.” She started to make a low-pitched whistle. It eerily resonated throughout the large chamber. Sara slowed walked towards the creature, while continuing to whistle. The creature did not move; its eyes followed Sara as she got closer. When she was close enough to touch it, the creature laid down in the snow. Sara ran her gloved hand along its side, feeling its prominent rib cages and shallow breathing.
Sara continued her strange medley as Lee summoned the courage to get closer to the creature. Eventually, the creature, once fierce and terrifying, closed its eyes, and Sara stopped whistling.
“What did you do?” asked Lee.
“It was half-starved and suffering from hypothermia. The best thing for it was to just let it sleep,” said Sara. She absently rubbed its head. She sighed inwardly.
“Let’s get going. If we don’t find this item and a way back to your camp, we’ll end up just like that poor creature.” Lee didn’t have a reply for Sara. He wordlessly chipped off the ice on the turning mechanism for the door to the next room. The door eventually yielded to them, revealing a room of stairs similar to the one they had just exited.
The stairs were identical to the previous ones, right down to the trigger switch and the iced holes in the wall. They proceeded silently to the top of the stairs, where, unfortunately, one of them stepped on a second one. They looked around to see some half-frozen booby trap in action, but nothing happened.
Neither of them looked up to see the large shaft above their heads or the wall of spikes falling down upon their heads.
Click Here to Go To The Next Chapter
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
“There’s nothing we could do,” said Lee. “And without the bridge, we can’t go back.” He slowly released her. “We can only keep moving forward.”
Sara sank to her knees. “Please give me a moment.” Neither said anything for a moment; they quietly secured their winter clothing before entering the next room. The merciless cold assaulted them as Lee opened the door.
The room was an inclining set of stairs that disappeared around the bend. Lee was about to enter the room when Sara said, “Wait.”
She brushed aside the snow covering the stairs. “There’s a mechanism here, probably a trap.”
“It’d work too,” added Lee. “If it weren’t for the ice covering the wall.” He pointed to small holes in the wall, barely visible beneath the sheen of the ice.
“Just watch your step,” said Sara.
The stairs led to a large, expansive room. There was an opening on the top of the roof; snow gently trickling down. Towards the middle of the room was a large altar surrounded by some ritual statues, all covered by a thin sheet of ice.
“This must have been their main meeting area,” said Lee. “They must held meetings or even worshipped in this very room.” As he said this, the very floor beneath him shifted as his weight pushed down on it. Sara grabbed Lee before he fell, and they both watched the circular slab stop at a perpendicular angle to the floor. Warmth and light radiated from beneath the floor. Sara and Lee peered down to see a seething river of lava flowing in the catacombs beneath the temple.
“Or maybe they sacrificed people here,” added Sara dryly.
Lee walked up to the altar. “If only I had time to study all this. Just think of what we could learn about these people.”
“I just want to find this item and get off this damn planet,” said Sara, not bothering to hide her weariness. Lee pointed to something behind her. Sara turned slowly to see another white creature, similar to the one that attacked Zoey earlier. White fur had camouflaged it within the piles of snow.
Lee started to take off his backpack. “I probably have a…”
“Can’t you see?” cut off Sara. “It’s no threat to us.” She started to make a low-pitched whistle. It eerily resonated throughout the large chamber. Sara slowed walked towards the creature, while continuing to whistle. The creature did not move; its eyes followed Sara as she got closer. When she was close enough to touch it, the creature laid down in the snow. Sara ran her gloved hand along its side, feeling its prominent rib cages and shallow breathing.
Sara continued her strange medley as Lee summoned the courage to get closer to the creature. Eventually, the creature, once fierce and terrifying, closed its eyes, and Sara stopped whistling.
“What did you do?” asked Lee.
“It was half-starved and suffering from hypothermia. The best thing for it was to just let it sleep,” said Sara. She absently rubbed its head. She sighed inwardly.
“Let’s get going. If we don’t find this item and a way back to your camp, we’ll end up just like that poor creature.” Lee didn’t have a reply for Sara. He wordlessly chipped off the ice on the turning mechanism for the door to the next room. The door eventually yielded to them, revealing a room of stairs similar to the one they had just exited.
The stairs were identical to the previous ones, right down to the trigger switch and the iced holes in the wall. They proceeded silently to the top of the stairs, where, unfortunately, one of them stepped on a second one. They looked around to see some half-frozen booby trap in action, but nothing happened.
Neither of them looked up to see the large shaft above their heads or the wall of spikes falling down upon their heads.
Click Here to Go To The Next Chapter
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Comments on Chapter Seven
So, how do you like the "artwork" for the new series?
For the Daring serial, I made everything black and white and used Poster Edge to give the pictures a "drawn" look to them. This was, of course, to make them resemble the illustrations found in yon ol' pulp mags.
Now, we sprung ahead into the age of color! The pictures are treated to give them a painterly look to them. Besides looking stylish, it helps cover up my clumsy alterations to the pictures.
I haven't done the math, but I'm hoping the new serial will have more illustrations than the previous one. Pictures are nice, because they help break up the monotony of words and actual content.
For the Daring serial, I made everything black and white and used Poster Edge to give the pictures a "drawn" look to them. This was, of course, to make them resemble the illustrations found in yon ol' pulp mags.
Now, we sprung ahead into the age of color! The pictures are treated to give them a painterly look to them. Besides looking stylish, it helps cover up my clumsy alterations to the pictures.
I haven't done the math, but I'm hoping the new serial will have more illustrations than the previous one. Pictures are nice, because they help break up the monotony of words and actual content.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Seven: The Deep Divide
The two women said nothing as the stranger approached them.
“It’s all right now,” he said. “It’s dead.” He was referring to the large creature that lay dead before them. He slung his rifle over his back.
“You have us at a disadvantage, I’m afraid,” said Sara.
“My name is Lee Edwards,” said the stranger. “You are the troubleshooter that I was expecting, right?”
“Of course,” replied Sara, before Zoey could say anything.
“I must admit that I was only expecting one of you.”
“This is my assistant,” said Sara. “Given the hostile environment, I thought the extra pair of hands would come in handy.”
“I guess,” said Lee. “And you are?”
“This is Zoey and I’m called Sara.”
“Nice to meet you,” said Zoey weakly.
“It’s a miracle your friend survived that attack. Let’s get her to a warmer area.”
Edwards led the way as Sara and Zoey followed. On a private channel, Zoey asked, “So, now what?”
“It looks like our mysterious opponent is still one step ahead of us. But we are in the right place, I’m sure of it now. Keep on your toes.”
The ground rumbled under their feet; Zoey clasped at Sara to maintain her balance. “What was that?” Sara asked Edwards.
“The sun’s gone,” he replied. “The planet’s orbit is decaying. Any moment, it could collide with another planet or an asteroid field.”
Lee led them through the snow until they reached a large mountainous region at the end of the forest. Built on top of the incline was the temple of Khyber Gorah. The temple was massive and stretched upward, covering a great deal of the mountain. Unfortunately, snow and ice covered most of the temple, which time had started to eat at its stone walls. It looked more like a castle than a temple to Zoey.
As they approached it, Zoey could make out the large doors, easily three times their size. A small crack was left open between the two doors, just enough for them to squeeze in.
Immediately, the heat hit them full on. Lee had set up a number of heaters plugged into a portable generator. Sara and Zoey removed their jacket and face coverings as they looked around. The small antechamber within the doors had a flight of stairs that led to another door; this one was smaller and shut tight.
“It’s taken a long time just to thaw out this much,” said Lee as he sat by the fire he had set up in the middle of the room. Sara and Zoey joined him, enjoying the sudden change of temperature. Lee removed his jacket to reveal a face covered in dirt and a week old stubble. He was only a couple years older than Zoey, but he looked much older. “I know that you may be put off by my name, but there’s nothing to worry about.”
“What do you mean by that?” asked Sara.
“I assumed you knew about the allegations against my father, Paul Edwards.”
“Who was he?” asked Zoey.
“Dr Edwards worked with a group of scientists, who were terrorized by one of their own,” said Sara. “That man named himself The Spectre and wanted to use the device they were creating to seek revenge those who had wronged him.”
Lee could not cover the surprise look on his face. “How did you know that?”
“I happened to meet your father shortly before his death,” said Sara. “Richard and I were helping him in exposing the Spectre.”
“By Richard, you mean Rick Daring?” asked Lee. Sara nodded. “Then, you know that my father was innocent.”
“Of what charges?” asked Zoey.
“After the whole incident, the media claimed that my father had assisted the Spectre in his deeds and was partial to blame for everything. Of course, they never gave any solid proof to back their claim, but then again, they didn’t need to. Everyone believed them.”
“Couldn’t you give them any evidence to prove otherwise?” asked Zoey.
“They wouldn’t listen. So, after I finished my bachelors, I took this job when no one else would, to prove that we Edwards are a reputable bunch.”
“I’m afraid this could be more serious than just your good name,” said Sara gravely. “My friend was just kidnapped by members of an organization called the Cabal, the same people who created the Spectre debacle. They hoped to force me to help you uncover whatever remains in this temple. We’re dealing with manipulation on a grand scale.”
“And you think that they also smeared my father’s name in order to get me to come here?” Sara nodded. Lee thought this over and eventually shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m here now, and I have a job to do.”
“That’s the spirit,” said Sara.
“I can’t believe it,” said Zoey. “We’re on a dying planet due to the manipulations of a secret society, and you’re telling me that things could be worse.”
“Well,” said Sara. “They could.”
“If I may interrupt,” said Lee. He took them to the door leading inward. He turned the large round mechanism in the door, and it slid open. Sara could hear gears grinding within the walls. The next room was built into the mountain, where a natural chasm separated them from continuing onward. Withering rope bridges had long ago fallen apart, leaving no way across except for one. A select number of heaters lined the room, keeping the temperature at a decent level.
“I’ve just finished a new bridge across,” explained Lee. “They used this in case invaders ever broke into the first section of the temple. They’d just cut the bridges and separate themselves from their attackers.” He indicated a new bridge crossing the chasm.
The three of them climbed onto the new bridge, feeling rather sound under their feet. “You did this all by yourself?” asked Zoey.
“No,” said Lee. “I came with four androids, but they’ve all broken down because of the cold.”
“Is it bottomless?” asked Zoey of the crevice.
“I really don’t want to find out,” replied Lee.
The ground rumbled again, this time much more aggressive.
“It’s getting worse,” said Lee needlessly. They held onto the railings helplessly as the shaking continued. The artificial bridge was not holding up as well as they were. They could hear the structure creaking and cracking.
“Move it!” yelled Sara as they started to run across the bridge. Lee was the first to make it to the other side, followed by Sara. Zoey was not so lucky as the bridge fell apart under her feet, and she was sent spiraling into the darkness of the pit below.
Click Here to Go To The Next Chapter
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
“It’s all right now,” he said. “It’s dead.” He was referring to the large creature that lay dead before them. He slung his rifle over his back.
“You have us at a disadvantage, I’m afraid,” said Sara.
“My name is Lee Edwards,” said the stranger. “You are the troubleshooter that I was expecting, right?”
“Of course,” replied Sara, before Zoey could say anything.
“I must admit that I was only expecting one of you.”
“This is my assistant,” said Sara. “Given the hostile environment, I thought the extra pair of hands would come in handy.”
“I guess,” said Lee. “And you are?”
“This is Zoey and I’m called Sara.”
“Nice to meet you,” said Zoey weakly.
“It’s a miracle your friend survived that attack. Let’s get her to a warmer area.”
Edwards led the way as Sara and Zoey followed. On a private channel, Zoey asked, “So, now what?”
“It looks like our mysterious opponent is still one step ahead of us. But we are in the right place, I’m sure of it now. Keep on your toes.”
The ground rumbled under their feet; Zoey clasped at Sara to maintain her balance. “What was that?” Sara asked Edwards.
“The sun’s gone,” he replied. “The planet’s orbit is decaying. Any moment, it could collide with another planet or an asteroid field.”
Lee led them through the snow until they reached a large mountainous region at the end of the forest. Built on top of the incline was the temple of Khyber Gorah. The temple was massive and stretched upward, covering a great deal of the mountain. Unfortunately, snow and ice covered most of the temple, which time had started to eat at its stone walls. It looked more like a castle than a temple to Zoey.
As they approached it, Zoey could make out the large doors, easily three times their size. A small crack was left open between the two doors, just enough for them to squeeze in.
Immediately, the heat hit them full on. Lee had set up a number of heaters plugged into a portable generator. Sara and Zoey removed their jacket and face coverings as they looked around. The small antechamber within the doors had a flight of stairs that led to another door; this one was smaller and shut tight.
“It’s taken a long time just to thaw out this much,” said Lee as he sat by the fire he had set up in the middle of the room. Sara and Zoey joined him, enjoying the sudden change of temperature. Lee removed his jacket to reveal a face covered in dirt and a week old stubble. He was only a couple years older than Zoey, but he looked much older. “I know that you may be put off by my name, but there’s nothing to worry about.”
“What do you mean by that?” asked Sara.
“I assumed you knew about the allegations against my father, Paul Edwards.”
“Who was he?” asked Zoey.
“Dr Edwards worked with a group of scientists, who were terrorized by one of their own,” said Sara. “That man named himself The Spectre and wanted to use the device they were creating to seek revenge those who had wronged him.”
Lee could not cover the surprise look on his face. “How did you know that?”
“I happened to meet your father shortly before his death,” said Sara. “Richard and I were helping him in exposing the Spectre.”
“By Richard, you mean Rick Daring?” asked Lee. Sara nodded. “Then, you know that my father was innocent.”
“Of what charges?” asked Zoey.
“After the whole incident, the media claimed that my father had assisted the Spectre in his deeds and was partial to blame for everything. Of course, they never gave any solid proof to back their claim, but then again, they didn’t need to. Everyone believed them.”
“Couldn’t you give them any evidence to prove otherwise?” asked Zoey.
“They wouldn’t listen. So, after I finished my bachelors, I took this job when no one else would, to prove that we Edwards are a reputable bunch.”
“I’m afraid this could be more serious than just your good name,” said Sara gravely. “My friend was just kidnapped by members of an organization called the Cabal, the same people who created the Spectre debacle. They hoped to force me to help you uncover whatever remains in this temple. We’re dealing with manipulation on a grand scale.”
“And you think that they also smeared my father’s name in order to get me to come here?” Sara nodded. Lee thought this over and eventually shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m here now, and I have a job to do.”
“That’s the spirit,” said Sara.
“I can’t believe it,” said Zoey. “We’re on a dying planet due to the manipulations of a secret society, and you’re telling me that things could be worse.”
“Well,” said Sara. “They could.”
“If I may interrupt,” said Lee. He took them to the door leading inward. He turned the large round mechanism in the door, and it slid open. Sara could hear gears grinding within the walls. The next room was built into the mountain, where a natural chasm separated them from continuing onward. Withering rope bridges had long ago fallen apart, leaving no way across except for one. A select number of heaters lined the room, keeping the temperature at a decent level.
“I’ve just finished a new bridge across,” explained Lee. “They used this in case invaders ever broke into the first section of the temple. They’d just cut the bridges and separate themselves from their attackers.” He indicated a new bridge crossing the chasm.
The three of them climbed onto the new bridge, feeling rather sound under their feet. “You did this all by yourself?” asked Zoey.
“No,” said Lee. “I came with four androids, but they’ve all broken down because of the cold.”
“Is it bottomless?” asked Zoey of the crevice.
“I really don’t want to find out,” replied Lee.
The ground rumbled again, this time much more aggressive.
“It’s getting worse,” said Lee needlessly. They held onto the railings helplessly as the shaking continued. The artificial bridge was not holding up as well as they were. They could hear the structure creaking and cracking.
“Move it!” yelled Sara as they started to run across the bridge. Lee was the first to make it to the other side, followed by Sara. Zoey was not so lucky as the bridge fell apart under her feet, and she was sent spiraling into the darkness of the pit below.
Click Here to Go To The Next Chapter
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
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