1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,680 So, this is a little bit of a news and announcement, and then a semi-review. 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:08,680 Why is it a semi-review? 3 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:14,720 Because I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to reviewing this thing totally. 4 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:17,440 So it's like a preview, more than a review. 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:18,520 So I'll just read right here. 6 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:21,520 So well, the thumbnail tells it all. 7 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:28,960 It's Kamuro, or yeah, Kamuro, apparently Kazuno Kamuro in Japanese. 8 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:37,400 It's a manga being simultaneous released on Viz's manga platform, as well as in Japan, 9 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,720 I guess through Viz as well. 10 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:45,000 And I decided to check it out because I'm very much in the fantasy mind of things. 11 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:46,440 I like a lot of fantasy. 12 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:50,040 I think before this came up, I found it on Twitter actually. 13 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:54,600 I was just scrolling through and I saw this thing and the image drew me in. 14 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:56,720 Great cover, art. 15 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:02,000 It's this interesting looking fellow with a dragon hand, with a dragon behind him and 16 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:03,000 a cool sword. 17 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,040 And there's a big mountain and that stopped me. 18 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:08,040 Oh, interesting. 19 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:09,040 What is this? 20 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,400 And I saw that it was from Akira Hamakawa and I thought, I think I know that name as, 21 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:17,680 and then it said, oh yeah, the creator of the Legend of Zelda manga. 22 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:25,320 So besides Shotaro Ishinomori, I believe Akira Hamakawa, which is a duo, it's a pair of ladies 23 00:01:25,320 --> 00:01:33,080 who write under the pen name or write and draw under the pen name of Akira Hamakawa. 24 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,360 They've done all of the Legend of Zelda adaptations. 25 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:41,080 Again, aside from Shotaro Ishinomori's A Link to the Past, which was published in Nintendo 26 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:42,080 Power. 27 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:46,280 I think it was commissioned by Nintendo of America, if I'm remembering correctly. 28 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:47,280 Hold on. 29 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:48,280 Oh, yeah. 30 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:49,600 Okay, so it doesn't say that. 31 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:55,320 I think it was commissioned by the Nintendo company in America, for America specifically, 32 00:01:55,320 --> 00:02:02,480 and Shotaro Ishinomori, creator of Cyborg-009, Android Kikai, Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, 33 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:09,560 which later became Power Rangers, and Gilgamesh, as well as some other stuff. 34 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:14,920 He which like, you know, Shin Kamen Rider or Shin Master Rider was recently released 35 00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:21,680 in 2023, and it's getting a Blu-ray release now. 36 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,880 And it's one of the Shin trilogy that Hideaki Anno is doing, which is Shin Ultraman, Shin 37 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:31,760 Master Rider, Shin Godzilla, and I guess, technically Shin Evangelion, his own stuff. 38 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:35,560 He did his own rebuild of those things, which is another story for another time. 39 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:41,400 But anyway, so Ishinomori is a classic mangaka. 40 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:50,000 And he has a distinction of having this one Zelda manga published, and then Akira Himekawa, 41 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:58,360 this creative couple here, creative duo, has done the rest of the adaptations of The Legend 42 00:02:58,360 --> 00:02:59,560 of Zelda. 43 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:04,040 And I read part of Link to the Past. 44 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:05,600 I've been married about 15 years. 45 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:10,400 I found it on my anniversary room, or on our honeymoon. 46 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:18,240 We were in a bookstore, and I saw it and grabbed it and read it, and the art was fantastic. 47 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:23,280 I didn't know much of the story, and I didn't necessarily like how the story translated. 48 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:27,160 However, I wanted to buy more of the manga just for the artwork, because it's really 49 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:28,160 beautiful. 50 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:29,960 And it has a very classic feel to it. 51 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,840 It has a very timeless feel to it. 52 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:38,340 I think the art direction of Legend of Zelda is very timeless and very classic anyway. 53 00:03:38,340 --> 00:03:42,280 And I think that these mangaka captured that really well. 54 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,600 And I think that they translated that very well into their own work. 55 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,640 And I want to read a little bit about it from Anime News Network, and then I want to talk 56 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:50,280 about the manga. 57 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:57,120 I read the first half, I guess, the 19th, October 19th, both halves of the first chapter 58 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:58,120 released. 59 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,520 I don't know why they're doing a point one and point two, or point one and, or I don't 60 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:01,520 know why it's like a half and a half. 61 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,220 It was a little bit long, maybe that's why. 62 00:04:04,220 --> 00:04:07,280 Maybe they want to do the shorter as a weekly release or monthly release or whatever the 63 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,440 schedule is going to be, but let's find out together as I read this. 64 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:11,840 As I read this. 65 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:18,440 So Viz Media releases Akira Himekawa's Kamuro manga simultaneously in English. 66 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:22,600 Fantasy manga was first announced in 2017, which is crazy. 67 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:27,120 Viz Manga announced on Saturday at New York Comic Con that it is releasing manga artist 68 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:33,800 duo Akira Himekawa's long planned Kamuro, Kazeno Kamuro manga simultaneously in English. 69 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:38,080 Viz Media is streaming a video of the manga duo introducing the manga as well as a manga 70 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:39,080 trailer. 71 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:40,080 I watched it. 72 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:41,080 It's very cute. 73 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:45,800 Very cute, very fun. 74 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:46,800 You can watch it yourself. 75 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,720 I will link to this in the show notes on MJMunoz.com. 76 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,840 So the first two installments of the manga are available for free on Viz Manga service 77 00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:58,920 and app due chapters released on the first and third Thursday of every month. 78 00:04:58,920 --> 00:04:59,920 So twice a month. 79 00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:07,920 In Japan, the manga launched on Shogaku-Kan's Sunday Webri service on Sunday. 80 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:09,320 Viz Media described the manga. 81 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,520 Oh, so yeah, it was Saturday night for me, but it would have been Sunday for them in 82 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:13,520 Japan. 83 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,920 Viz Media describes the manga thus, before humans claimed their place in history, the 84 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:23,120 skybound paradise of Hino-Aruchi was ruled by demi beings, creatures that appeared half 85 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:24,520 human half beast. 86 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:31,840 The realm flourishes under the tenuous peace maintained by the demi dragons of Ryujinkyo 87 00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:37,480 until prophecy predicts the dawn of a new era shrouded in uncertainty. 88 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:42,440 With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, will the birth of Kamuna, the first 89 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:46,400 human child bring disaster or salvation? 90 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:50,000 Himekawa had revealed the manga and anime expo in July 2017. 91 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,600 Wow, that's a long time ago. 92 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:56,120 They stated at the time they were returning to their roots to draw fantasy stories more 93 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,240 influenced by Asian history and mythology. 94 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:02,600 The duo are known for their manga adaptations of Nintendo's Legend of Zelda games, including 95 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:08,280 the Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess, which I believe just wrapped recently and they will 96 00:06:08,280 --> 00:06:13,560 be producing no more of it because it's done. 97 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:14,560 I believe that's true. 98 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:16,720 It was multiple volumes, right? 99 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:21,480 It's 11 volumes and that came out, oh, April of 2023. 100 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:23,680 For some reason I thought it was more recent than that. 101 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:24,680 Whatever. 102 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:25,680 That's fine. 103 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:30,880 So I went ahead and checked this out and it is very Asian influenced, I think, in the 104 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:31,960 design. 105 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:38,760 But I also saw a lot of things that reminded me of Dark Crystal and it felt very much like 106 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,760 it's a high fantasy story because like J.R.O. 107 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:49,640 Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, all his legendarium stories, 108 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:53,720 it tells the story from a certain point of view. 109 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:57,440 It tells the story of the beginning of the world from the beginning of the world. 110 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:03,400 The Silmarillion starts with the Inalien... no, starts with this song. 111 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:04,400 Wait, is that what it's called? 112 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:05,400 Anyway, whatever. 113 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:10,200 It starts with this song of creation that is being sung by Illuvatar, which is God in 114 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:18,520 Tolkien's mythology, as well as his helpers. 115 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:22,160 The Inalien I think is what they're called, the collective term, because there's the male 116 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,920 gender name, the female gender name is the collective name, which is probably just the 117 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:29,240 male because that's how a lot of languages work. 118 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:37,080 But the story starts with creation and this story starts with the hand of God comes down 119 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:43,800 and stirs the world and it starts this chaotic but beautiful thing and it's powerful and 120 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:45,920 that's the beginning of the world. 121 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:51,480 Then there's this great dragon that emerges and she goes into the heavens and, well, it's 122 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:53,480 interesting, it says two things. 123 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:56,480 Something goes down and then something goes up and the thing that ascends up is this dragon 124 00:07:56,480 --> 00:08:01,840 and she goes around the heavens and sheds these scales and these scales become the elements 125 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:03,640 of creation, I believe is what it is. 126 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:08,160 There's this concept of prana and pulse and everything with a pulse is living and if the 127 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,440 pulse disappears, the thing dies. 128 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:16,920 And basically there's this cleric or priest, this dragon guy, and he ends up calling for 129 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:22,120 a council of eight at the end of the first half and I think the eight are the eight demi 130 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:23,120 beings. 131 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:29,680 So I think, well, we see dragon, we see bird, we see deer, we see wolf. 132 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,920 I believe there's a leopard or cheetah, it's a cat, some sort of cat, so that's five. 133 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:37,960 I would think there's probably three other species that are representative of these eight 134 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:42,920 different species that were spawned from, I think I said deer, that were spawned from 135 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:44,760 the dragon somehow. 136 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,240 Or maybe there were other spirits that came out as well that we didn't know about yet 137 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:49,480 from the legend. 138 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:56,800 But it's very cool because it's saying that our world is tens of millions of years old 139 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:02,240 and that before our world that we live in today existed, there was this world that existed 140 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:03,240 before then. 141 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:11,360 You know, beautiful utopia and by the name of, oh, Hino-Oruchi. 142 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:16,160 So Hino-Oruchi existed before our world and I made a thumbnail for this already because 143 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:21,840 I was so excited about it and I think I called it something like a beautiful dying world 144 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:26,320 because you see this beautiful, you see this abstract image of the dragon as she's rising, 145 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:32,800 this dragon goddess I would say, sort of, as she's rising and facilitating this creation. 146 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:39,400 You know, under God, which I think it's interesting that it's like it's a monotheistic telling 147 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:44,680 or it's a monotheistic like worldview religion kind of deal, but there's these other mythical 148 00:09:44,680 --> 00:09:48,960 elements like in between as kind of intermediary type things. 149 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:53,880 But I don't think she's really, I mean, I don't know, is she an actual goddess? 150 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:58,200 Because there's like a priest, like a holy man who goes to her and talks to her. 151 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:02,880 She's of the dragon kind and he goes to her and talks to her about something and she's 152 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:05,320 the one who gives him this prophecy that you have to look for a sign. 153 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:06,360 Don't miss the sign. 154 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:07,360 This world is dying. 155 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:11,480 I only have a few scales left on my tail is what she says and when they're gone, that's 156 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:12,480 it. 157 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:16,760 This world will die and you have to look for the sign and he says like, can we save the 158 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:17,760 world? 159 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:22,520 I don't know, you know, and obviously spoilers, we still exist here and if we exist in this 160 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:29,400 world from Hino Arucchi, then it would make sense that in the story it does happen. 161 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:30,400 It does work out. 162 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:37,880 So this boy, Kamuna, who lives, the boy who lives, this boy Kamuna who lives, you know, 163 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:41,760 he I'm assuming is going to be our hero who's going to somehow save the world. 164 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:47,920 He's going to somehow set the world in such a way that it can persist, that it can exist. 165 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:53,600 And it'll be interesting to see as this great dragon is dying, what exactly happens. 166 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:57,680 But I'm really like the art is absolutely beautiful. 167 00:10:57,680 --> 00:11:02,640 I think it'll make furries very happy because there's all these Demi beings like this cute 168 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:05,440 little dragon girl who's selling something at a market and her grandfather comes up to 169 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:07,520 her and scolds her like she's going to be a fan favorite. 170 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:10,480 I think this bird guy looks amazing. 171 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:11,480 There's like a cattle guy. 172 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:12,480 Oh, I forgot the cattle. 173 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:14,360 So that's that was number six. 174 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:15,360 I think so. 175 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:20,960 And anyway, there's two others I don't quite know what race they are. 176 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:24,040 And anyway, it's really cool. 177 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:28,200 It's like it's this awesome, beautiful fantasy world with these amazing fantasy creatures. 178 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:33,240 We see a wolf lady, I think a little hard to tell the sexes on people on these Demi 179 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:35,760 beings a little bit. 180 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:40,320 And there's like a baby trying to be stolen by either an ape or another wolf. 181 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:43,600 I can't quite tell because it's like a little blurry little fast. 182 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:45,760 The guy's like dark with bright eyes. 183 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:51,680 He's like in silhouette with these like glaring white evil eyes. 184 00:11:51,680 --> 00:11:53,920 And she like rescues the baby from him. 185 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:59,480 But then she like sees Ryu Jin-kyo and it looks like she's going to go there after she 186 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:03,120 rests a little bit after killing these guys who had like taken her baby or taken some 187 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:04,440 wolf cub. 188 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:10,560 And yeah, like I have no idea where the story's going, but it feels so full of potential. 189 00:12:10,560 --> 00:12:15,040 Like I said, it's this beautiful world that's dying and it's really interesting. 190 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:18,800 One of the cool things is there's this guy who I think it's the bird guy or a bird guy. 191 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:22,040 He's like from the bird nation and he's checking things out and he's like, oh, this really 192 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:23,040 is a utopian. 193 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:24,240 It's so beautiful and it's so amazing. 194 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:25,240 It's so peaceful. 195 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:29,640 And then we cut to this wolf lady running and they've got her baby and she fights them 196 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:30,640 and kills them. 197 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:31,640 Some other stuff happens too. 198 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:38,040 Oh, also we cut to the priest, the priest getting this prophecy and you know, things 199 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:39,040 don't look good. 200 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:40,800 And by the way, it's interesting. 201 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:48,560 This priest looks like one of the bad guys, I believe from dark crystal, which was really 202 00:12:48,560 --> 00:12:49,560 interesting. 203 00:12:49,560 --> 00:12:50,560 I don't know what they're called. 204 00:12:50,560 --> 00:12:55,800 I've honestly never seen the movie, the dark crystal, but it feels like something I should 205 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:58,800 have seen and I was deprived of as a kid. 206 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:09,680 But I saw Never Ending Story and I love that style of like that 80s gritty, I don't know 207 00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:11,520 what else to call it. 208 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:18,280 Like that 80s gritty, dark, magical stuff, practical puppets, gremlins, things like that, 209 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:19,280 which I mentioned earlier. 210 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:22,480 So anyway, he looks like, I have no idea what they're called, but he looks like one of the 211 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:23,480 bad guys. 212 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:28,240 Like honestly, there's the good guys who have these softer fleshy faces and hair. 213 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:32,640 And then these bad guys who are like vultures or lizards of some sort that have like beaks 214 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:33,640 on them. 215 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:37,160 The dragon in this, the dragon priest, there's this great shot that I have on the thumbnail. 216 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:41,120 It looks very much, oh, you know, I'll have my, yeah, okay. 217 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:46,720 Anyway, look at the thumbnail, look at the website for a glimpse of the art and I'll 218 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:50,120 also have links there so you can see the characters. 219 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:54,880 But he looks kind of like a blend of those things, a blend of those creatures. 220 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:55,880 And I think it's really beautiful. 221 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:59,880 It's really clever and it's really well done and it feels nostalgic. 222 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:02,880 It feels ancient and yet it's brand new. 223 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:04,120 And I really like that. 224 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:06,720 And I think kudos to the team. 225 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:12,760 Akira, let me see, Hamakawa is doing a great job with this and I'm excited to see the next 226 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:13,760 chapter. 227 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,280 I don't know if this is something I will continue to cover. 228 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:19,520 I'm always in search of good stories, classic stories. 229 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:21,080 I feel like this is going to be like really clean. 230 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:26,080 I feel like it's just going to be like an epic fantasy and it'll be like very family 231 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:27,080 friendly. 232 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,720 That's what I feel like right now. 233 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:37,480 I think there'll be high adventure and I think it'll be beautiful and I think it'll be really 234 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:38,480 interesting. 235 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:42,120 So I'll check out the next one and do a review of that, which will be released, I guess, under 236 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:43,120 Fortress Fiction. 237 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:47,760 I might release it under this other thing that I have, this other podcast feed that 238 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:51,280 I have specifically for comics, which is called Swinging Through Comics. 239 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:52,720 I might release it there. 240 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,640 We'll see for sure at another date at a later time. 241 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,280 But for now, thank you for your time and attention. 242 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:00,080 I encourage you to check out this manga. 243 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,920 It looks really cool and I'm really excited for the epic fantasy storytelling that we're 244 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:18,280 going to get with this.