Wanted: Cheap Manga

I was reading the newest volume of Beck (Vol. 09) when I came across a little bit of trivia. In the top right corner of page 34, there’s a list of the bands playing that night. Cue highlighted scan:

Right after Beck plays, we have The Sun. (Also, notice this was in Harold Sakuishi’s original art, not the translated band names.) The Sun, which many might not know, is an actual band based out of Sapporo, Japan. They’ve been around for many years, and the members have a long history of playing in other prestigious and legendary bands (Black Film Dance, The Carnival of Dark-Split, Next Style).

Now, I’m not completely sure whether this was an intended inclusion or not. Sakuishi doesn’t strike me as the hippest music listener. He seems to idolize 90’s alternative rock above anything that’s happening in Japan, and often seems clueless about current sounds and tastes. So, perhaps, since The Sun isn’t an impossibly unique name, he simply guessed at a name for some supporting band. Maybe. But many times I find myself frustrated with Sakuishi’s lack of attention or understanding of the actual Japanese underground music scene, even though I love Beck and think it’s a great manga. Perhaps it’s because of the world his characters inhabit, a fantasy world where a high-school student makes it on one of the biggest stages in Japan, that this manga is so fun to read. And really, that could be what makes most manga so fun to read. They’re not real at all. The characters are guaranteed to show up in the next chapter, and they’re destined to become the greatest [insert occupation/fighting skill here] ever. Still, the Japanese music underground is something I know a lot about, unlike ninja’s, pirates, magic, or anything else, so the details of this manga occasionally get on my nerves.

Not to discourage anyone from reading Beck. I fell in love with this manga from reading the scanlations, and when Tokyopop decided to publish it, I was ecstatic. It actually does treat a lot of the aspects of the music world realistically. Add to that Sakuishi’s wonderfully expressive artwork, a few love interests, a pace that keeps you turning the pages, and you have a great manga.

Beck is published by Tokyopop. It’s written by Harold Sakuishi. So far, they’ve published up to Volume 9 in America and Volume 31 in Japan. Pick it up!

The Sun has released two EP’s, a split CD, and a full album. You can hear music from them at their myspace page and check out more info at their home page. You can purchase some of their releases here.