Contemporary Authors

• Guardians of the Louvre Shōgakkan (Tokyo, Japan), 1995

1. Guardians of the louvre LCCN 2016931404 Type of material Book Personal name Taniguchi, Jiro. Main title Guardians of the louvre / Jiro Taniguchi. Edition 1st U.S. edition. Published/Produced New York, NY : NBM Pub., 2016. Projected pub date 1605 Description pages cm ISBN 9781681120348 (hardcover) CALL NUMBER Not available Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms 2. Haruka na machi e LCCN 2016507110 Type of material Book Personal name Taniguchi, Jirō, author, artist. Main title Haruka na machi e / Taniguchi Jirō. Edition Shohan. Published/Produced Tōkyō : Shōgakkan, 2005. Description 406 pages, [1] leaf of color plates : chiefly illustrations (some color) ; 21 cm. ISBN 4091837158 9784091837158 CALL NUMBER Not available Request in Asian Reading Room (Jefferson, LJ150) 3. Chichi no koyomi LCCN 95458923 Type of material Book Personal name Taniguchi, Jirō. Main title Chichi no koyomi / Taniguchi Jirō. Edition Shohan. Published/Created Tōkyō : Shōgakkan, 1995. Description 274, [5] p. : ill. ; 21 cm. ISBN 4091837921 CALL NUMBER PN6790.J34 C55 1995 FT MEADE Copy 1 Request in Asian Reading Room (Jefferson LJ150) - STORED OFFSITE 4. Kodoku no gurume LCCN 2016391845 Type of material Book Personal name Kusumi, Masayuki, 1958- author. Main title Kodoku no gurume / Kusumi Masayuki gensaku ; Taniguchi Jirō sakuga. Published/Produced Tōkyō-to Minato-ku : Fusōsha, 1994-<2015> Publication history Began in 1994. Description volumes : illustrations ; 21 cm ISBN 9784594073374 (paperback) CALL NUMBER PN6790.J33 K875 1994 Japan Copy 1 Request in Asian Reading Room (Jefferson, LJ150)

• Samurai Legend - 2003 CPM Manga, New York, NY
• The Summit of the Gods - 2009 Ponent Mon Ltd, Tarragona, Spain
• The Quest for the Missing Girl - 2010 Ponent Mon Ltd, Tarragona, Spain
• The Ice Wanderer and Other Stories - 2010 Ponent Mon Ltd, Tarragona, Spain
• Tokyo Is My Garden - 2010 Ponent Mon Ltd, Tarragona, Spain
• A Zoo In Winter - 2011 Ponent Mon Ltd, Tarragona, Spain
• The Walking Man - 2014 Ponent Mon Ltd, Tarragona, Spain
• A Distant Neighborhood Complete Edition - 2016 Ponent Mon Ltd, Tarragona, Spain
• Guardians of the Louvre - 2016 NBM Publishing, Mew York, NY

• Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiro_Taniguchi

  Jiro Taniguchi
  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Not to be confused with the Japanese animator Gorō Taniguchi.
  Jirō Taniguchi
  Jirō Taniguchi - Lucca Comics and Games 2011 - 2.jpg
  Jirō Taniguchi at Lucca Comics and Games in 2011
  Born August 14, 1947 (age 69)
  Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan
  Occupation Manga artist
  Nationality Japanese
  Notable awards Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize (1998)
  Jiro Taniguchi (谷口 ジロー Taniguchi Jirō?, born 14 August 1947 in Tottori Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese manga writer/artist.

  Contents [hide]
  1 Career
  2 Bibliography
  2.1 1980s and before
  2.2 1990s
  2.3 2000s
  2.4 2010s
  3 References
  4 External links
  Career[edit]

  Extract from Aruku Hito (The Walking Man)
  Taniguchi began his career as an assistant of manga artist Kyota Ishikawa. He made his manga debut in 1970 with Kareta Heya (A Desiccated Summer), published in the magazine Young Comic.

  From 1976 to 1979, he created several hard-boiled comics with the scenarist Natsuo Sekigawa, such as City Without Defense, The Wind of the West is White and Lindo 3. From 1984 to 1991, Taniguchi and Natsuo Sekigawa produced the trilogy Botchan no Jidai. In the 1990s, he came up with several albums, among which Aruku Hito (歩くひと?), Chichi no Koyomi (My Father's Journal), and Keyaki no Ki .

  In 1992-1993, he collaborated with Garon Tsuchiya for the manga Blue Fighter (青の戦士 Ao no Senshi?), Knuckle Wars (ナックル・ウォーズ Nakkuru Wōzu?) and Live! Odyssey (LIVE! オデッセイ?).

  He illustrated Baku Yumemakura’s works, Garouden from 1989-1990 and Kamigami no itadaki (The Summit of the Gods) from 2000 to 2003. The later received awards at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2002 and 2005.

  In 2001, he created the Ikaru (Icarus) series with texts by Mœbius.

  Jiro Taniguchi gained several prizes for his work. Among others, the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award (1998) for the trilogy Botchan no Jidai, the Shogakukan prize with Inu o Kau, and in 2003, the Alph'Art of the best scenario at the Angoulême International Comics Festival (France) for A Distant Neighborhood. His work has been translated in many languages.

  Bibliography[edit]
  source[1]

  1980s and before[edit]
  1979 - Lindo 3!
  1980 - Muboushi Toshi
  1980 - Ooinaru Yasei
  1981/03 - Jiken Ya Kagyou - Trouble is my Business
  1982/03 - Blue Fighter (Ao no Senshi)
  1982/03 - Hunting Dog
  1983/08 - Knuckle Wars – The Fist of Rebellion (Nakkuru Wōzu – Ken no Ran)
  1983/03 - Shin Jiken Ya Kagyou - New Trouble is my Business
  1983/09 - Live! Odyssey
  1984/02 - Seifuu Ha Shiroi
  1984/12 - Rudo Boy
  1985/10 - Enemigo
  1986/01 - Hotel Harbour View
  1986/10 - Blanca
  1987/06 - Botchan no Jidai (坊っちゃんの時代?), based on Botchan, a 1906 novel by Natsume Sōseki
  1988/05 - K
  1988/06 - Ice Age Chronicle of the Earth
  1990s[edit]
  1990/01 - Hara Shishi Jiten
  1990/09 - Garouden (Hungry Wolves Legend)
  1991/06 - Samurai Non Grata
  1992/04 - Aruku Hito -(歩くひと, translated in French as L'Homme qui Marche and English as The Walking Man)
  1992/09 - Kaze No Sho (translated in English as Samurai Legend)
  1992/10 - Inu wo Kau
  1993/09 - Keyaki no Ki (translated in French as L'orme du Caucase)
  1994/09 - Mori He - Into the Forest
  1994/11 - Chichi no Koyomi
  1995/04 - My Father's Journal (translated in French as Le Journal de Mon Père)
  1996/04 - Benkei in New York (N.Y.の弁慶?)
  1996/07 - Blanca II (Dog of God)
  1997/10 - Kodoku no Gourmet
  1998/09 - Haruka na Machi e (translated in English as A Distant Neighborhood - translated in French as Quartier Lointain)
  1999/01 - Tokyo Genshi Gyou
  1999/12 - Sousaku Sha - Quest for the Missing Girl
  2000s[edit]
  2000/11/30 - Ikaru
  2000/12 - Kamigami no Itadaki (The Summit of the Gods)
  2002/09 - Ten no Taka - Sky Hawk
  2004/11 - Toudo no Tabibito - The Ice Wanderer
  2005/03 - Seton
  2005/12 - Hare Yuku Sora (晴れゆく空?) - A Bright Blue Sky[2] (translated in French as Un ciel radieux)
  2006/03 - Sampo Mono
  2007/09 - Mahou no Yama (The Magic Mountain)
  2008/03 - Fuyu no Doubutsu (A Zoo in Winter)
  2010s[edit]
  2013/ - My Year

• Anime News Network - http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=7182

  Jiro TANIGUCHI
  谷口 ジロー

  Family name (in kanji): 谷口
  Given name (in kanji): ジロー
  Date of birth: 1947-08-14
  Hometown: Tottori, Tottori, Japan
  Website:
  Jiro Taniguchi's Town (Approved Fan-Site) (Japanese)
  Non-anime staff credits:
  Gray Tones for "Tokyo Is My Garden" (French graphic novel)
  News:
  Jiro Taniguchi's Guardians of the Louvre Manga Listed for Spring 2016 (Oct 20, 2015)
  Summit of the Gods Manga Gets French CG Animated Film (Jan 20, 2015)
  Ponent Mon/Fanfare to Release Jiro Taniguchi's Furari Manga (Sep 23, 2013)
  Amazon Lists New Ponent Mon, Tokyopop, Seven Seas Books (Mar 28, 2011)
  Red Snow, Summit of the Gods Nominated for Ignatz Awards (Aug 19, 2010)
  Yoshihiro Tatsumi's A Drifting Life Wins 2 Eisners (Jul 24, 2010)
  Urasawa, Tatsumi, Taniguchi Nominated for 2010 Eisners (Apr 8, 2010)
  Tekkonkinkreet Wins Eisner Award (Jul 26, 2008)
  Fanfare Signs with Book Distributor Atlas (May 23, 2008)
  Manga Listed Among Eisner Award Nominees for 2008 (Apr 14, 2008)
  Other articles:
  You can contribute information to this page, but first you must login or register
  Staff in:
  (English version)
  Icaro (manga) : Cover Design

  Staff in:
  Benkei in New York (manga) : Art
  Chichi no Koyomi (manga) : Story & Art
  Chō Sentō Inu Blanca (manga) : Story & Art
  A Distant Neighborhood (manga) : Story & Art
  Furari (manga) : Story & Art
  Hare Yuku Sora (manga) : Story & Art
  Hotel Harbour View (manga) : Art
  Icaro (manga) : Art
  (The) Ice Wanderer (manga) : Story & Art
  Inu o Kau (manga) : Story & Art
  K (manga) : Art
  Kami no Inu (manga) : Story & Art
  Keyaki no Ki (manga) : Art
  Kodoku no Gourmet (manga) : Art
  Mahō no Yama (manga) : Story & Art
  Quest for the Missing Girl (manga) : Story & Art
  Samurai Legend (manga) : Art, Afterward
  Sanpo mono (manga) : Art
  Seton (manga) : Art
  (The) Summit of the Gods (manga) : Art
  (The) Times of Botchan (manga) : Art
  (The) Walking Man (manga) : Story & Art
  A Zoo in Winter (manga) : Story & Art

• TV Tropes - http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JiroTaniguchi

  Creator / Jiro Taniguchi
  Creator

  Create New

  Taniguchi Jiro (谷口 ジロー) is an author of Shōnen and gekiga mangas. Born in 1947 in Tottori, he started out as a mangaka in 1969. His first published work was Kareta Heya (A Desiccated Summer). In 1970, he discovered the French-Belgian school of comics, then virtually unknown in Japan, and was influenced by the ligne claire (clear line) style pioneered by Hergé, the creator of Tintin; ironically, Hergé had himself developed his seminal style under the influence of a Chinese artist.
  From 1976 to 1979, he worked with scenarist Sekigawa Natsuo to write hard-boiled stories such as City Without Defense, The Wind of the West Is White and Lindo 3. From 1984 to 1991, he and Sekigawa wrote the historical trilogy Bocchan no Jidai, about the cultural transformation of Japan during the Meiji Era.
  From the 1990s, he begins to focus on small things in everyday life, relations between people, and between humans and animals. His stories become more contemplative and wistful; with The Man Who Walks, he abandons plot altogether to depict, simply, a man taking a walk in his Tokyo neighborhood. Land of Dreams is a series of short Slice of Life stories about ordinary people and their pets.
  He often uses elements from his own life in his stories, most notably with The Almanac of My Father and more recently A Zoo in Winter. He sometimes introduces elements of Magical Realism: in A Distant Neighborhood, the main character is a middle-aged man who is sent back in time to relive his teenage years; in A Bright Blue Sky, an adult man finds himself in the body of a 20-year-old boy after a traffic accident.
  He has cooperated on several occasions with French-Belgian graphic artist Frederic Boilet, who has been instrumental in making Taniguchi better-known in Europe.

• NBM Graphic Novels - https://www.nbmpub.com/comicslit/guardians_louvre/bio.html

  Jirô Taniguchi, born in 1947 in Japan, is a leading manga artist with an important twist: his inspiration from French comics. His most noted graphic novels are the series Summit of the Gods and The Walking Man. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards in Japan as well as from the Angouleme festival.

• Fance 24 - http://www.france24.com/en/20170212-japanese-manga-artist-jiro-taniguchi-dies-aged-69

  Latest update : 2017-02-12
  Jiro Taniguchi, a legend in Japan's comic art of manga, died in Tokyo on Saturday at the age of 69, leaving behind an international following for his exquisite line drawing of scenes from everyday life.

  The artist's French publisher Casterman announced his death on its website, adding that he had been seriously ill, as it expressed its deep condolences to his family.

  Taniguchi first shot to fame in Japan at the end of the 1980s with the first volume of "The Times of Botchan", which centres around Natsume Soseki, one of Japan's greatest writers.

  Just over a decade later, he hit the international manga scene with "A Distant Neighbourhood", about a Japanese salaryman who travels back to his childhood -- widely seen to this day as his masterpiece.

  Taniguchi's work is hailed for its delicate line drawing and intricately-constructed landscapes.

  Critics have also praised his gentle subject matter for standing in stark contrast to the usual fare of high school romance or sometimes violent pornography consumed by some of Japan's manga fans.

  In works such as "The Walking Man", the protagonist is occupied less by any specific action as with a fascination with aspects of everyday life -- the things he finds, the scenes he sees and the people he meets on his strolls through suburban neighbourhoods.

  'Extraordinarily kind'

  Taniguchi's detailed landscapes populated by vaguely cartoonish characters drew comparisons in the West with some of the better-known European comic heroes, such as Tintin.

  Born in 1947 to a modest family in the city of Tottori, 100 kilometres (60 miles) northwest of the old imperial capital Kyoto, Taniguchi had his first cartoon published in 1970.

  He became especially popular in France, one of the biggest markets for graphic art.

  "He was seen by French readers, illustrators and publishers as a god, while he presented himself as a regular guy," fellow manga artist Tori Miki said on Twitter.

  In 2011, the French government awarded Taniguchi the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters -- one of the country's most prestigious prizes.

  Four years later, the annual cartoon festival in the French city of Angouleme held a retrospective of his work.

  "He was preparing a new work intended for family readership, a story in three volumes, 'The Millennium Forest,' in full colour, a new approach to manga," his agent and translator Corinne Quentin told AFP in Tokyo.

  Taniguchi "really did bridge the two worlds of cartoon art -- Japan and France," said Sebastien Langevin, a graphic art specialist and Canal BD Manga Mag chief editor.

  Casterman, his publisher, also praised Taniguchi's character, describing him as an "extraordinarily kind and gentle" person.

  "The humanism that imbued all his work is familiar to his readers, but the man himself was much less well-known, naturally reserved in character and more inclined to let his work speak on his behalf," it said.

  Hand-drawn

  Taniguchi's panels were painstakingly hand-drawn, using paper, pen, and a craft knife.

  "I do not use a computer because I don't know how, I don't have that skill," he told AFP in an interview in Tokyo in 2012.

  "I don't know why I am also known outside Japan. Perhaps it is because my work is similar to Western comics, which I've followed for 30 years and they have influenced my subconscious," he said.

  He was deeply affected by Japan's devastating 2011 tsunami and nuclear accident at Fukushima and even considered abandoning his work as useless in the face of such destruction.

  But he said he drew inspiration from how his fellow Japanese people dealt with the aftermath of the disaster and carried on.

  "I continued thanks to my readers, thanks to the voice of the survivors that made me realise that they still wanted to read my work," he said.

  (AFP)

• BBC News - http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38947130

  QUOTE:
  elegant line drawings and intricately-constructed landscapes,
  I don't know why I am also known outside Japan. Perhaps it is because my work is similar to Western comics, which I've followed for 30 years and they have influenced my subconscious

  Japanese manga artist Jiro Taniguchi dies aged 69

  11 February 2017
  One of Japan's best-known manga artists, Jiro Taniguchi, has died aged 69, his publisher has announced.

  Mr Taniguchi, who was known for his elegant line drawings and intricately-constructed landscapes, died on Saturday.

  His art earned him an international following and some of his work was made into a television series.

  His death was announced by Casterman, his publisher in France, where his work was particularly popular.

  "Casterman must sadly announce the death of Jiro Taniguchi on 11 February," the company said on its website, expressing "deep condolences" to his family.
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  Mr Taniguchi was widely praised for the gentle manner in which he approached subjects that were often unique for Japan's manga consumers.

  His works such as The Walking Man, The Summit of the Gods and The Magic Mountain, stood apart in a genre sometimes seen as rooted in extreme violence and pornography.

  In The Walking Man, the protagonist of the story simply wanders around fascinated with aspects of everyday life.

  Mr Taniguchi was "extraordinarily kind and gentle," Casterman said in a statement.

  "The humanism that imbued all his work is familiar to his readers, but the man himself was much less well-known, naturally reserved in character and more inclined to let his work speak on his behalf," the publisher added.
  Image copyright Getty Images
  Image caption "I do not use a computer because I do not know how," Mr Taniguchi said in an interview in 2012

  In an interview with the AFP news agency in 2012, Mr Taniguchi explained why his art was painstakingly hand-drawn.

  "I do not use a computer because I do not know how, I don't have that skill," he said.

  He was also surprised at his popularity in the West.

  "I don't know why I am also known outside Japan. Perhaps it is because my work is similar to Western comics, which I've followed for 30 years and they have influenced my subconscious," he said.

  Mr Taniguchi's detailed landscapes filled with cartoon characters drew comparisons in the West with European comic heroes such as Tintin.

  Born in 1947 in the city of Tottori, Mr Taniguchi had his first cartoon published in 1970. Many years later his graphic art took off in France and in 2015 his work was featured at the annual Angouleme international comics festival.

QUOTE:
The strongest part of this novel is the detailed illustrations. Artwork renderings are
beautifully drawn and the attention to detail in the drawings is a delight for those interested in art.

Taniguchi, Jiro. Guardians of the Louvre
Laura Panter
Voice of Youth Advocates.
39.3 (Aug. 2016): p81.
COPYRIGHT 2016 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
3Q * 2P * S * NA * [G]
Taniguchi, Jiro. Guardians of the Louvre. NBM Publishing, 2016. 136p. $24.99. 978­168112­034­8.
While on a trip to Paris, a Japanese tourist who planned to spend five days seeing the city's museums, falls ill. His
feverish hallucinations and illusions cause his day trips to the Louvre and other Parisian sights to have a fantastical
dream­like quality. As he traverses the great crowded halls of the Louvre, he suddenly finds himself alone in the exhibit
halls being guided by an embodiment of the Winged Victory who claims to be a guardian of the museum's artwork. As
his delusions morph in and out of reality, he wonders if he is really meeting his favorite artists, such as Vincent Van
Gogh and Camille Corot, or if this is just a figment of his feverish imaginations.
The lack of text and short interchanges between characters are sometimes hard to follow in this graphic novel. At times,
the text jumps to new topics with no explanations. More development of the protagonist could have made his delusions
and journeys more understandable. The strongest part of this novel is the detailed illustrations. Artwork renderings are
beautifully drawn and the attention to detail in the drawings is a delight for those interested in art. The strongest chapter
in this new edition to the graphic novel Louvre series, is the section that recounts the emptying of the Louvre during
World War II in order to preserve the Louvre's art history from being stolen or pillaged by the Nazis. The illustrations
depicting the Louvre and Paris are a powerful homage for history lovers. ­­Laura Panter.
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Panter, Laura. "Taniguchi, Jiro. Guardians of the Louvre." Voice of Youth Advocates, Aug. 2016, p. 81. General
OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA461445227&it=r&asid=c9042a9004037236e185474c3df9ab03.
Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.
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Quote:
readers willing to go along for an unusual
ride will find themselves on a voyeuristic trip that illuminates the complex relationship between art and life
Guardians of the Louvre
Summer Hayes
Booklist.
112.19­20 (June 1, 2016): p71.
COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
Guardians of the Louvre. By Jiro Taniguchi. Illus. by the author. Tr. by Kumar Sivasubramanian. 2016. 136p. NBM,
$24.99 (9781681120348). 741.5.
An artist from Japan spends several days at the Louvre during a short trip to Paris. Feverish and ill but determined to see
his favorite paintings, he wanders the museum's crowded halls but is soon accompanied by a most unexpected guide.
Whisked away from the tourist­clogged galleries, he visits painters and pivotal moments from France's artistic history
before returning to the museum for one final, poignant viewing. This latest offering in the long­running comic series
commissioned by the Louvre nicely balances one man's rather mysterious experiences with a contagious love of art. The
large size, though unusual for manga, allows for detailed yet uncluttered panels that are drawn in a crisp, clean,
traditional style. Color is used effectively to heighten emotion, create distance, and echo artistic styles, such as the plein
air favored by impressionist painters. The story is not always seamless, but readers willing to go along for an unusual
ride will find themselves on a voyeuristic trip that illuminates the complex relationship between art and life.­­Summer
Hayes
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Hayes, Summer. "Guardians of the Louvre." Booklist, 1 June 2016, p. 71. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA456094230&it=r&asid=dcdedcde2c7ce8e8a06744ba682e9c54.
Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.
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QUOTE:
Taniguchi does a fine job of
selling the museum as a bastion of wonderment, albeit one best visited in solitude with the guidance of a benevolent
ghost
Guardians of the Louvre
Publishers Weekly.
263.18 (May 2, 2016): p39.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Guardians of the Louvre
Jiro Taniguchi. NBM, $24.99 (136p) ISBN 9781­68112­034­8
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
"Is this a dream?" wonders a young comic­book artist who is surprised to find his visit to the Louvre interrupted by a
fantastical reverie. Before his curious eyes, the long queues of tourists disappear and he is visited by an apparition in the
form of Winged Victory. Like a literal patron saint of the arts, she introduces him to the spirits she calls the Guardians of
the Louvre before sending him on a phantasmagorical journey where he meets and chats with some of his favorite
painters, such as Corot and Van Gogh. Taniguchi's (The Walking Man) coolly and resplendently drawn, if rather
indifferently written, book is the latest curious addition to NBM's Louvre Collection. It's unclear why the Louvre would
want a book to emphasize the difficulty of navigating their great swarms of visitors, but Taniguchi does a fine job of
selling the museum as a bastion of wonderment, albeit one best visited in solitude with the guidance of a benevolent
ghost. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"Guardians of the Louvre." Publishers Weekly, 2 May 2016, p. 39. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA452884008&it=r&asid=327927cda053670fcf04489cc0497eb1.
Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.
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QUOTE:
mystery manga falls short
excels in the mountain scenes and flashbacks, but flattens out in the flashy lights of Tokyo
The Quest for the Missing Girl
Publishers Weekly.
255.51 (Dec. 22, 2008): p38.
COPYRIGHT 2008 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Quest for the Missing Girl
Jiro Taniguchi. Fanfare/Ponent Mon (www. ponentmon.com), $25 paper (336p) ISBN 97884­96427­47­1
Given that Taniguchi is the creator of and artist for many accomplished works of nouvelle manga such as The Walking
Man and Ice Wanderer, this mystery manga falls short. The rather uninventive story line finds mountaineer Shiga
traveling to Tokyo to find his friend's 15­year­old daughter, who has gone missing. Taniguchi, whose usual work reflects
a fascination and great respect for nature and the overwhelming feelings that it can conjure, feels out of step with this
book. The project excels in the mountain scenes and flashbacks, but flattens out in the flashy lights of Tokyo. Like
Shiga, Taniguchi seems to feel out of place with the big city, outside of and uncomfortable with its rhythms. Very much
a product of its time (Quest was first published in Japan in 1999), Taniguchi treats "compensated dating" (a practice of
older men giving younger women gifts in exchange for companionship or sex, common in Japan in the 1990s) with a
heavy hand. He also implements larger­than­life scenarios that, while staples in manga, feel clumsy in his hand.
Taniguchi's art is ever beautiful, but like the storytelling here, it simply doesn't grip the reader the way his other works
do. (Dec.)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"The Quest for the Missing Girl." Publishers Weekly, 22 Dec. 2008, p. 38. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA191392838&it=r&asid=79a9501842fd958ef81a5c1a30bd32bd.
Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A191392838
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Furuyama, Kan (text) & Jiro Taniguchi (illus.).

QUOTE:
Some explicit violence earns this a "16+" age rating from the publisher.
Samurai Legend
Steve Raiteri
Library Journal.
128.14 (Sept. 1, 2003): p140.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution
permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
CPM Manga: Central Park Media. 2003. c.248p. tr. from Japanese by Mayumi Kobayashi. 1­58664­856­X. pap. $15.95.
F
This historical samurai drama, a standalone book presented in the original right­to­left format, tells the story of Yagyu
Jubei, a legendary 17th­century master swordsman. Jubei is the son of Yagyu Munenori, sword instructor to the Shogun
and leader of the Shadow Yagyu, the Shogun's spy network. The Shadow Yagyu must protect the Shogun from the
retired Emperor Gomino, who schemes to return control of the country to the imperial line; Jubei himself must battle the
Emperor's swordsman Yashamaro to retrieve the stolen Yagyu Secret Chronicles, which will one day determine the fate
of Japan. Taniguchi's art is realistic and accomplished, with care taken to reproduce period details accurately. The
translation suffers from occasional awkwardness, but introductory material and footnotes explain terminology and
background. Some explicit violence earns this a "16+" age rating from the publisher. Though not nearly as powerful as
the classic samurai manga Lone Wolf and Cub, this book will appeal to many of that series' fans. Recommended for
larger collections and appropriate for older teens and adults.
Steve Raiteri is Audiovisual and Reference Librarian at the Greene County Public Library in Xenia, OH, where he
started the graphic novel collection in 1996. He posts his Recommended Graphic Novels for Public Libraries at
my.voyager.net/~sraiteri/graphicnovels.htm
Raiteri, Steve
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Raiteri, Steve. "Furuyama, Kan (text) & Jiro Taniguchi (illus.). Samurai Legend." Library Journal, 1 Sept. 2003, p. 140.
General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA107836967&it=r&asid=2556d7d3290046267d217c3660bc1511.
Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A107836967
2/4/2017 General OneFile ­ Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1486253763010 6/8

QUOTE:
Taniguchi makes Jubei look almost like a superhero, often taking on multiple opponents and defeating them
Samurai Legend. (Comics)
Publishers Weekly.
250.28 (July 14, 2003): p58.
COPYRIGHT 2003 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
KAN FURUYAMA AND JIRO TANIGUCHI. CPM Manga, $15.95 paper (244p) ISBN 1­58664­856­X
Furuyama and Taniguchi have produced a fictional work based on actual events that took place in Japan in 1649 and
1650. Yagyu Jubei is a legendary swordsman, still written about in novels and on television. The real Jubei was a
martial artist loyal to the ruling Tokugawa house, and during the period covered here, the Tokugawas struggle for power
against the retired emperor. The Yagyu family includes Jubei's father, Yagyu Munenori, a master sword fighting
instructor and leader of a secret organization that supports the Tokugawa family and provides them with intelligence.
Jubei's younger half brother, Lord Rokumaru, will later succeed their father as the organization's head. The story itself is
set within a framing sequence, narrated in 1899 by Kaishu Katsu, an aged political leader who is another actual
historical figure. While some critics call Katsu a traitor, Furuyama feels his actions helped save Japan from a bloody
civil war and bases much of this graphic novel on the discussion and quotations of Katsu, w ho makes the point that if
Japan had gone through this war it might very well have fallen prey to imperialistic European powers (as India and
China did). Taniguchi makes Jubei look almost like a superhero, often taking on multiple opponents and defeating them.
Many sequences consist of wordless combat scenes, and Taniguchi admits in his notes that his initial motive for
working on the book was to draw fighting scenes. Indeed, violence may play too large a role here for mature readers.
(Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"Samurai Legend. (Comics)." Publishers Weekly, 14 July 2003, p. 58+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA106026941&it=r&asid=bc359178c2f25cf8b5c2a94eb4d18890.
Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A106026941
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Taniguchi, Jiro. Guardians of the Louvre

Andrea Lipinski
School Library Journal.
62.6 (June 2016): p118.
COPYRIGHT 2016 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution
permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
TANIGUCHI, Jiro. Guardians of the Louvre, illus. by Jiro Taniguchi. 136p. NBM. May 2016. Tr $24.99. ISBN
9781681120348.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Gr 9 Up­­Taniguchi tells the story of a Japanese artist who visits France and decides to spend several days at the Louvre.
Shortly before going to the museum, he gets sick, and for most of the narrative, it is not clear if he is feverish, dreaming,
or seeing things as they really are. Each day when the artist arrives at the museum, he sees things that should not be
possible, such as people wearing clothes from other periods in history, empty rooms instead of crowded ones, and a
woman who embodies the spirit of the Winged Victory of Samothrace statue. The artist is able to enter paintings, where
he finds himself in different times and places, speaking to artists like Vincent van Gogh and admiring famous depictions
of rooms and landscapes. This is a quiet, informative, and painterly work that sometimes feels like an infomercial for
the Louvre. The title is oversize (bigger than a manga but not quite a coffee­table book), and since it's translated from
Japanese, it reads from right to left. The story is illustrated mostly in earth tones, except for the Winged Victory of
Samothrace, who wears a long pink gown. VERDICT This title will appeal more to adults than to young adults,
although older teens with an interest in art and art history might also find this an enjoyable selection.­­Andrea Lipinski,
New York Public Library
Lipinski, Andrea
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Lipinski, Andrea. "Taniguchi, Jiro. Guardians of the Louvre." School Library Journal, June 2016, p. 118. General
OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA453920257&it=r&asid=ba86d170eec12867c1025a16590e8125.
Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A453920257
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Furuyama, Kan. Samurai Legend

QUOTE:
Manga fans and reluctant readers will be drawn into the
story by the artwork.
Kathleen A. Nester
School Library Journal.
49.8 (Aug. 2003): p190.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution
permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
tr. from Japanese by Mayumi Kobayashi. illus. by Jiro Taniguchi. unpaged. CPM Manga. 2003. pap. $15.95. ISBN 1­
58664­856­X. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School­­Written in the authentic Japanese format of right to left, this graphic novel is exciting, violent, and
involving. A complex tale of theft, honor, ninjas, samurai, and feudal lords, it unfolds as a book called The Yagyu Secret
Chronicles, which holds the fate of Japan, is stolen and Lord Mitsuyoshi, aka Yagyu Jubei, begins his campaign to
retrieve it. Taniguchi's attention to detail is truly outstanding and the artist has captured that time period in Japanese
history. The panels are easy to follow and the fight scenes are realistic. The who's who and introduction present the
main characters and explain the historical basis for the story. Manga fans and reluctant readers will be drawn into the
story by the artwork.­­Kathleen A. Nester, Downingtown High Ninth Grade Center, PA
Nester, Kathleen A.
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Nester, Kathleen A. "Furuyama, Kan. Samurai Legend." School Library Journal, Aug. 2003, p. 190. General OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA106649618&it=r&asid=ef5798ed1341ef9304caa95e162db586.
Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A106649618

Panter, Laura. "Taniguchi, Jiro. Guardians of the Louvre." Voice of Youth Advocates, Aug. 2016, p. 81. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA461445227&it=r. Accessed 4 Feb. 2017. Hayes, Summer. "Guardians of the Louvre." Booklist, 1 June 2016, p. 71. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA456094230&it=r. Accessed 4 Feb. 2017. "Guardians of the Louvre." Publishers Weekly, 2 May 2016, p. 39. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA452884008&it=r. Accessed 4 Feb. 2017. "The Quest for the Missing Girl." Publishers Weekly, 22 Dec. 2008, p. 38. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA191392838&it=r. Accessed 4 Feb. 2017. Raiteri, Steve. "Furuyama, Kan (text) & Jiro Taniguchi (illus.). Samurai Legend." Library Journal, 1 Sept. 2003, p. 140. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA107836967&it=r. Accessed 4 Feb. 2017. "Samurai Legend. (Comics)." Publishers Weekly, 14 July 2003, p. 58+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA106026941&it=r. Accessed 4 Feb. 2017. Lipinski, Andrea. "Taniguchi, Jiro. Guardians of the Louvre." School Library Journal, June 2016, p. 118. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA453920257&it=r. Accessed 4 Feb. 2017. Nester, Kathleen A. "Furuyama, Kan. Samurai Legend." School Library Journal, Aug. 2003, p. 190. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA106649618&it=r. Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.

• Halycon Realms
  http://cdn.halcyonrealms.com/books/guardians-louvre-jiro-taniguchi-manga-review/
  Word count: 271

  Guardians Of The Louvre – Jiro Taniguchi Manga Review
  Posted By yonghow on January 25th, 2017
  Guardians of the Louvre - Jiro Taniguchi Manga Review

  Guardians Of The Louvre ( Japanese title : 千年の翼、百年の夢 – Millenium wing, Centennial Dream ) is a comic by Japanese manga artist Jiro Taniguchi. The story follows a Japanese designer’s visit to Paris, where after recovering from a strong fever embarks on a dreamlike tour of the Louvre, encountering renowned artists whose great art works line the halls of the museum.

  The 133 page manga is illustrated in great detail with full colors, and I was lucky enough to see some of the artist’s original manga panels at the Louvre No.9 Exhibition held in Tokyo last summer.

  Admittedly, I know and have seen little of Jiro Taniguchi’s work until he released an art book last year; a fantastic volume that I highly recommend, and I’ve been piqued to discover more of his work ever since.

  The manga is a great treat for those who love Western art/paintings as well as the Louvre, with Jiro Taniguchi’s beautiful art work akin to a visit ( or revisit ) of the museum. Recommended.

  This version of the manga I’ve reviewed is the original Japanese edition – an English edition is also available from Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

  I also recommend checking the artist’s art book, simply titled Jiro Taniguchi.

  “Guardians of the Louvre – Jiro Taniguchi” manga details :

  – Dimensions – 26 x 18.8 x 2.6 cm
  – Hard cover, 133 pages
  – Full color, in Japanese language

• Comics Grinder
  https://comicsgrinder.com/2016/07/13/review-guardians-of-the-louvre/
  Word count: 448

  JULY 13, 2016 · 1:00 PM ↓ Jump to Comments
  Review: ‘Guardians of the Louvre’
  Jiro Taniguchi Louvre comics

  I would love to know the details on the Louvre series published by NBM. This latest installment, “Guardians of the Louvre,” by acclaimed manga artist Jirô Taniguchi just goes to show once again how unique this subject is and the endless possibilities for it. What a great cartoonist wants in a project, especially one who both writes and draws and has done so for many years, is a task worthy of the enormous effort. And, to sweeten the deal, make it something heroic. A cartoonist loves it when he or she can make a grand gesture.

  Reading Guardians of the Louvre
  Reading Guardians of the Louvre
  What I’m saying about the grand gesture is so very true. Look at how Taniguchi responds to the task: his main character/alter ego is reduced to a little heap in comparison to the Louvre and its many treasures, opportunities, and mysteries. He arrives in Paris completely spent from a bad case of the flu. He is completely overwhelmed, out of his element, his observations through a fever dream. Like Little Nemo on his magic flying bed, we set off on a most unusual journey.

  The Louvre, outside of any known realm.
  The Louvre, outside of any known realm.
  Our hero, due to a bad rabbit stew or some such mishap, is now in tune with the supernatural elements of the Louvre. When you consider that we are talking about a museum that is over 200 years old, as large as ten football fields, holding 70,000 pieces of art going back to antiquity, well, it would not be surprising to find that it has many tales to tell and that it is at least a bit haunted, right? Taniguchi asks that you run with that idea.

  And so one grand gesture leads to another. We see poltergeist in all their gloopy glory floating about. We meet a beautiful ghost, presumably the Winged Victory. And, it just goes on from there as we go in and out of time, meet various artists long gone expect very much alive in this moment. The Louvre is a House of Leaves. It is a place that insists you shed your normal skin and walk amongst it. You inhabit a place such as the Louvre and you can’t help but let it inhabit you.

  “Guardians of the Louvre” is the latest in the NBM Louvre series. It is a full color hardcover, right to left reading manga-style, 8 x 11, 136 pages. For more details, go right here.

• Broken Frontier
  http://www.brokenfrontier.com/guardians-louvre-taniguchis-journey-paris-iconic-museum-intimate-reflection-relationship-art-grief-taniguchi/
  Word count: 688

  Guardians of the Louvre – Taniguchi’s Journey through Paris’s Iconic Museum is an Intimate Reflection on the Relationship between Art and Grief
  by Jason Wilkins June 13, 2016
  126
  0

  Guardians of the Louvre Banner

  Breathtaking, surreal, and bittersweet, Jiro Taniguchi’s trip down memory lane explores his marriage to the world of art through the Louvre’s rich history and his own unbearable loss.

  Many of the works to be found in NBM’s Louvre Editions explore the history of the world’s most iconic and important museum. The latest installments in the collection, David Prudhomme’s Guardians of the Louvre Cover SmallCruising through the Louvre and this month’s Guardians of the Louvre by Jiro Taniguchi (Summit of the Gods), view the museum through a much more intimate lens.

  While Prudhomme travelled through the Louvre at near breakneck speed, documenting the similarities between the tourists thronging the museum’s expansive galleries and the art they view, Taniguchi’s journey takes place in a world set apart from the hustle and bustle of the institution’s day-to-day operation. During a side trip to Paris after a comics festival in Barcelona, Taniguchi is struck by the lingering effects of an intense fever while visiting the Louvre.

  Over the course of a couple of days, he comes to realize that the illness was only a key to unlock his consciousness to the rich history housed in the museum and follows his own guardian of the Louvre – the Winged Victory of Samothrace – on a tour through time and space, visiting important touchstones and personages that evoke both the museum’s eventful history and Taniguchi’s own exploration of the world of art.

  Guardians of the Louvre Page 27 Detail

  Despite an initial unease, Taniguchi quickly settles into a delightful succession of historic encounters with artists who in some fashion inspired his own artistic path. Along for the ride, the audience discovers little-known facts and artifacts typically forgotten by today’s high-gloss media and the hordes of visitors jostling for a peek at the Mona Lisa.

  Guardians of the Louvre Page 30 DetailOf particular interest was the fervent exchange of artistic principles between Japanese and French painters of the late 19th–early 20th centuries and how that cultural exchange affected the artistic communities of both nations. Taniguchi is very much aware of his own place in said tradition. His work has a telltale French bande desinee influence in both rendering and colouring styles.

  His lush illustrations never feel grafted onto the Louvre’s majestic collection of artifacts. The artists invited to create works for the Louvre Editions have a tendency to try and reproduce or at least reinterpret famous works of art – to varying degrees of success. Usually this practice works quite well to establish time and place but can feel a little tacked on due to an obvious contrast in artistic styles. Taniguchi’s reproductions may quite possibly be the best I’ve seen in the five volumes of the collection that I’ve read and reviewed. Admittedly, the artist chooses his subjects with shrewd calculation, selecting works that have clearly inspired his own style, but he works them so seamlessly into the story and layout that they never feel arbitrary.Guardians of the Louvre Page 29 Detail

  After working through harrowing events in the museum’s history, Taniguchi comes to the conclusion of his guided tour, finally confronting the grief that has been simmering inside since his wife’s passing. He comes to realize that his recent journey through time and space has been one of self-discovery and forgiveness – for himself and his late wife.

  Gorgeously illustrated and masterfully told, Taniguchi’s deeply personal journey through the Louvre’s rich history is both educational and enlightening. Guardians of the Louvre reveals as much about the artist as it does its subject, a quality that allows it to resonate not only with fellow artists but anyone who’s ever known one.

  Jiro Taniguchi (W, A) • NBM Publishing, $24.99

• Zombie Parent's Guide
  http://zombieparentsguide.blogspot.com/2016/10/book-review-guardians-of-louvre-by-jiro.html
  Word count: 345

  SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2016

  Book Review: Guardians of the Louvre by Jiro Taniguchi
  GUARDIANS OF THE LOUVRE WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY JIRO TANIGUCHI AND TRANSLATED BY KUMAR SIVASUBRAMANIAN

  A Japanese artist stops off in Paris on his way home from a conference in Spain. Why not add an extra week to the trip and see the museums of Paris? Unfortunately he gets stuck in his hotel for a few days with an illness. He recovers a bit and heads off to the Louvre. Once inside with the other crowds, he has a feverish relapse. He wakes up in an almost empty Louvre. He's led around to various works by the Guardians of the Louvre, spirits inspired by some of the famous works on display. He finds out more about the artists and the art, even traveling through history to visit Van Gogh in the French countryside and the museum when the art was evacuated at the beginning of World War II.

  The set up isn't all that compelling--is it a fever dream, is it actually happening, is he in some halfway state? Those issues are mentioned but are really unimportant. The set up is an excuse to explore different artists, events, and works. Since the author and the main character are Japanese, readers also find out about the influence of some art pieces on 20th century Japanese art. The book has a lot of fascinating stories and trivia from the art world.

  The book is also fun for anyone who has visited the Louvre, since the drawings authentically capture the interiors and many famous works like the Mona Lisa. Reading is like visiting again.

  The book is published manga-style, reading comic panels right to left and beginning with what, in America, is the back of the book. I quickly adapted to the style, so I don't think it should be any challenge for other readers, but it is something to be aware of.

  A very enjoyable and creative slice of art history!

• Publishers Weekly
  http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-84-92444-28-1
  Word count: 228

  A Distant Neighborhood, Vol. 1

  Jiro Taniguchi, Author . Fanfare/Ponent Mon $23 (200p) ISBN 978-84-92444-28-1

  MORE BY AND ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
  A Distant Neighborhood
  BUY THIS BOOK
  Taniguchi employs a familiar plot device to begin an amiable story. One morning, 48-year-old business traveler Hiroshi Nakahara boards the wrong train—a recently built express to his old hometown. Upon arriving, he visits his mother’s grave, where he is mysteriously transported back in time. Hiroshi finds himself 14 years old, with full adult foreknowledge of all that is to come. The book proceeds to hit plot points typically associated with this genre at an easygoing clip, as the lead character visits long-gone people and places. As this volume progresses, Hiroshi slowly embraces his ability to relive his youth differently and prepares to address the great mystery of his childhood: the disappearance of his father. Just as Hiroshi is struck by the minutiae of a family dinner, Taniguchi exercises his own characteristic attention to ruminative detail. His artwork crisply delineates the details of place and time central to the story, while his writing dwells on the mental adjustments and minor pleasures of Hiroshi’s fantastic situation. Taniguchi’s execution charms, creating more anticipation for the forthcoming sequel than do the particular mechanics of this book’s otherwise familiar narrative arc. (June)

• Blogcritics
  http://blogcritics.org/manga-review-a-distant-neighbourhood-volumes/
  Word count: 560

  QUOTE:
  the poetry of A Distant Neighborhood isn't in the language, but in Taniguchi's finely wrought artwork, which is perfectly suited to establishing the sense of place and time crucial to telling the story

  Manga Review: A Distant Neighbourhood Volumes One and Two by Jiro Taniguchi
  Posted by: Roger Shingler March 20, 2010 in Books 0 Comments

  Please Share...005000
  A Distant Neighborhood is the story of middle-aged salary man, Hiroshi Nakahara, who, returning home after a business trip, finds he has inexplicably taken the wrong train — a train that is heading for the small town where he grew up. Immediately, he is assailed by painful memories of his father's disappearance when Hiroshi was fourteen years old. Despite this, Hiroshi decides to make the journey to his hometown, where, visiting his mother's grave, he faints and wakes up to find that he is inhabiting the body of his fourteen-year-old self, with all his adult knowledge and memories intact.
  This time-travelling conceit is the device by which Taniguchi explores the themes of loss, grief and remembrance, while considering whether it is right — or indeed possible — to try to change the events of the past, should the opportunity arise. He doesn't reach any firm conclusions, but Hiroshi's journey of self-rediscovery as a middle-aged man coping with the joys and frustrations of puberty also sees him confronting the certitudes of human frailty, pain and regret, as well as the knowledge of a future that will tear his family apart,
  Graphically adapted to Western reading sense (reading from left to right, as opposed to right to left) by Frédéric Boilet in collaboration with the author, A Distant Neighborhood does not at first glance look like the majority of Japanese comics fare currently lining the shelves of Western bookshops, nor does it read like one. The time-travelling plot device is just that — a device — and is never explained beyond being a kind of dream or quirk of psychology. No demons, cyborgs or hyper-stylised representations of youthful female sexuality here. In fact, when it comes to sexual matters, Taniguchi deals with the potentially thorny subject of Hiroshi's attraction to his 14-year-old classmate, and the conflict it causes within his protagonist's 48-year-old mind, with taste, sensitivity and humour.
  Despite the weightiness of the themes, Taniguchi opts to keep the tone light, for the most part, and adds some nice comic touches here and there, particularly in relation to Hiroshi's relationship with his young sister, Kyoko, a frequent thorn in Hiroshi's side, albeit a very sweet and charming one. The story unfolds in a leisurely manner, allowing the reader time to dwell on Taniguchi's artwork, rendered fittingly in tones of black and white, with judicious use of greyscale to add texture and depth. The captions and dialogue are economical and effective, if rather prosaic, perhaps in some part due to the fact of being translated from the original Japanese.
  At any rate, the poetry of A Distant Neighborhood isn't in the language, but in Taniguchi's finely wrought artwork, which is perfectly suited to establishing the sense of place and time crucial to telling the story. With an architect's eye for structural detail and a cartoonist's intuition for the nuances of human character and expression, Taniguchi creates a haunting, sweetly affecting eulogy to youth and the implacable past.

• Comics Worth Reading
  http://comicsworthreading.com/2009/07/09/a-distant-neighborhood-book-1/
  Word count: 434

  QUOTE:
  very easy-going protagonist, spending his time looking around, pondering, and remembering. That’s the appeal of this book and the artist’s style: reflection.

  A Distant Neighborhood Volume 1
  A Distant Neighborhood Volume 1
  The latest translated manga by Jiro Taniguchi follows a plot familiar to most science fiction fans. In A Distant Neighborhood, a middle-aged business man finds himself reliving his life as a teen, with the potential chance of doing things over, better.

  By mistake, Hiroshi Nakahara gets on the wrong train and finds himself in his home town on the anniversary of his mother’s death. After he visits her grave, he returns to town to discover that he’s become his 14-year-old self. He’s about to enter eighth grade, the year that his father disappeared from his life.

  While there’s a strong component of “what if” in this volume, a lot of second chances and different choices, the real appeal is the way the book captures a different time and place, a small Japanese town 40 years ago. That’s Taniguchi’s strength, beautifully detailed art that the reader can get lost in. As in The Walking Man, he uses it to firmly establish the settings his characters move through, which here means the fantastic premise becomes solid through the realism of the art.

  A Distant Neighborhood Volume 1

  The pacing will seem sedate to those who already know the premise (which is anyone who’s read anything at all about the book, especially if you need to order it, as most readers will). The first 60 pages simply cover Nakahara traveling back in time and visiting again with his family, relishing the comfort of home he’d forgotten. He’s a very easy-going protagonist, spending his time looking around, pondering, and remembering. That’s the appeal of this book and the artist’s style: reflection.

  When Nakahara goes to school, we’re introduced to a bunch of fellow students as he thinks about how they ended up years later. He’s beginning to accept what’s happened to him and even enjoy it, and the chapters become moments in the life of a schoolboy: sports, girls, classes, smoking, fighting, sneaking alcohol.

  This isn’t the complete story — book two is due in the fall. I mention that because many of the questions Nakahara asks himself, including the core ones of the reasons for his father’s disappearance and whether the past can be changed, are raised but not resolved in this book.

• Matt Talks About Manga
  http://matttalksaboutmanga.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-summit-of-gods.html
  Word count: 1394

  THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

  The Summit of the Gods vol. 1-3

  I came across 'The Summit of the Gods' the same way I came across 'A Zoo in Winter'. That is, through the Jiro Taniguchi Manga Moveable Feast. Interested by the Manga Moveable Feast and then captivated by 'A Zoo in Winter', I thought that I would have read every available Taniguchi book by now. Somehow though, other series took priority and I am just now trying my second Jiro Taniguchi work. This time though, it's a collaboration with Taniguchi doing the art and Yumemakura Baku doing the writing. I enjoyed the first three volumes of 'The Summit of the Gods', but not as much as I thought I would, and whenever I get around to reading Taniguchi again, I'll be sure that it is another of his original works.

  Makoto Fukamachi is a Japanese photographer wandering aimlessly through Kathmandu, trying to escape his bitter thoughts of a recently failed summit attempt of Mount Everest. Strictly by chance, he made his way to a climbing supply shop when a certain camera for sale caught his eye. A Vest Pocket Autographic Kodak Special. The very same model that famous mountaineer, George Mallory, took with him on his Everest summit attempt before disappearing. Could this be the very same camera that belonged to Mallory? And if so, what was it doing in Kathmandu? If it was indeed Mallory's camera and had images of a successful summit on it, it could change mountaineering history as we know it. As a journalist, this prospect made Fukamachi's heart race. Deciding to pursue the mystery behind the camera and how it made it's way to Kathmandu, everything led Fukamachi back to one man. The enigmatic and legendary mountaineer, Jouji Habu. In 'The Summit of the Gods', we follow Fukamachi as he tries to learn the truth about the camera and uncovers the tumultuous life story of Jouji Habu.

  I would say in terms of panel time, there are two main characters of this manga. Makoto Fukamachi and Jouji Habu. But for all intents and purposes, Habu is the true main character and by far the more interesting of the two. Fukamachi acts more like the readers' avatar. We experience everything through him and his curiosity and actions drive the story. That's about as much as he was able to offer me in the first three volumes. I don't really like him at all and it doesn't help that his search for the camera inadvertently caused a lot of the story's conflict. Fukamachi is also kind of a "downer". He starts out the story moping around and throughout the series, gives the sense that his life is without direction. I was totally unsympathetic to this though and just found it annoying. "Woe is me! I couldn't make it up Everest and don't know what to do with my life.". And then with so much time spent developing Habu, the plot line between Fukamachi and his ex-girlfriend felt shoehorned in to make him seem more interesting, but it only succeeded in making me resent Fukamachi for taking panel time away from Habu...

  Jouji Habu is a different story altogether. His presence makes this series worth the read. What a fascinating and well developed character. Most of the first two volumes are dedicated to telling Habu's life story in the form of Fukamachi interviewing his acquaintances and researching his mountaineering exploits. Though I enjoyed reading about him unlike Fukamachi, much like Fukamachi, he isn't necessarily a likeable guy. He is very selfish and mostly just cares about himself and mountaineering. He's also extremely honest to a fault. Often hurting others' feelings with his bluntness. And even as a middle aged man, he showed himself capable of being very childish. For all his faults though, he was also capable of moments of greatness and growth. As a younger man, he made it clear that he wouldn't hesitate to cut his climbing partner's rope if it meant saving his own life. But later in the story after making a connection with a young protege, not only did he not follow through with these words, but he did everything he could to save him. And man, was he one helluva tough guy. His extraordinary mount climbing feats made him a living legend, and fellow character and reader alike can't help but to admire and be inspired by him. His complicated nature and the exciting path he chooses to take are what made this series so engaging and why I am going to keep reading it.

  Volume three is a bit of a departure from the first two. Things move from Habu's backstory and exciting climbing scenes to Fukamachi's present day search for Habu in Nepal to try to solve the mystery of Mallory's possible lost camera. Maybe it's just me, but for some reason, the camera mystery doesn't excite me much. Perhaps you have to be a mountaineering enthusiast to see the true value in that plot line, much like the in story value of the camera itself. Really though, the "camera plot line" is the "find Habu plot line", but somehow it feels like the story and Fukamachi can't decide which one is more important and because of that, things seem unfocused(no photography pun intended). A little more interesting, Ryoku Kishi, Habu's former lover and sister of his diseased protege, has joined Fukamachi in the search for Habu in order to reunite with him and get closure. I was more interested in the human drama this reunion entailed, but what I actually got felt a bit like an 80's crime movie. Kidnapping, extortion, car chases and a harrowing cliff side rescue followed. It felt a little odd and out of place, but it was exciting and probably the most purely entertaining part of this series. All of this led up to learning Habu's main goal, which is to do an oxygenless solo summit of Everest's south west face in Winter. Something never before done and what everyone else in the story thinks is insane and practically suicide. If this series' previous exciting climbing scenes are anything to go by, this summit attempt is more than enough reason to check out the last two upcoming volumes.

  Jiro Taniguchi is a pretty great artist. Sometimes I feel like his character faces can be a little off and weird. Specifically the eyes when looking at a character head on. They can look, for the lack of a better word, a little creepy at times. Beyond that though, their faces are very expressive and dynamic. Taniguchi excels at the "thoughtful look", as I like to call it. Strong, furrowed brows and deep, expressive eyes. This is especially well done with Habu, who has the most varied appearance throughout the series because of so much time covered. The cover to volume three above basically personifies what I am talking about. Taniguchi also impressed me with his ability to draw "action" scenes. The mountain climbing scenes were very exciting and cinematic and one of the main draws of this series. Taniguchi also excelled at drawing stunning mountainscapes. I don't know if he used assistants to do them or if he did them digitally with a computer, and I don't care. All I know is that the mountain scenery(and the backgrounds in general) was really well done and painstakingly detailed. One thing that I would like to see more of is the wonderfully done color pages present in the first volume, but absent in the next two. I oddly prefer black and white art, but a few color pages here and there can be a great treat. You can sample the art for yourself at Ponent Mon's website where you can preview all three volumes.

  This series wasn't what I was hoping it would be or what I expected it to be with Taniguchi being connected to it. A bit dry and tedious sometimes, and slightly hampered by one, unlikeable main character, at other times, it is compelling and engaging, and bolstered by the more appealing co-main character. I'd say that the bad outweighs the good, and with Habu's incredible summit attempt to look forward to, I'll definitely be anticipating the last two volumes.

• Experiments in Manga
  http://experimentsinmanga.mangabookshelf.com/2015/08/the-summit-of-the-gods-volume-5/
  Word count: 732

  The Summit of the Gods, Volume 5

  The Summit of the Gods, Volume 5Author: Baku Yumemakura
  Illustrator: Jiro Taniguchi
  U.S. publisher: Fanfare/Ponent Mon
  ISBN: 9788492444403
  Released: July 2015
  Original release: 2003
  Awards: Angoulême Prize, Japan Media Arts Award

  Baku Yumemakura’s novel The Summit of the Gods (which, sadly, hasn’t been translated into English) was published in Japan in 1998 and would go on to win the Shibata Renzaburo Award. In 2000, Yumemakura was paired up with the immensely talented artist Jiro Taniguchi to create a manga adaptation of the novel. The Summit of the Gods manga continued to be serialized through 2003 and was collected as a five-volume series. The manga also became and award-winning work, earning an Angoulême Prize and a Japan Media Arts Award among many other honors and recognitions. In addition to being one of my favorite manga by Taniguchi, The Summit of the Gods is actually one of my favorite manga in general. As such, I was waiting with great anticipation for the publication of the fifth and final volume of the series in English by Fanfare/Ponent Mon. I was thrilled when it was finally released in 2015.

  Photographer Makoto Fukamachi followed the legendary climber Jouji Habu to Mount Everest to document one of the most difficult and dangerous ascents to ever be attempted: a solo climb of the southwest face in the winter without oxygen. The agreement between them was that neither one of the men would interfere with the other’s climb no matter what happened. But when Fukamachi’s life is in danger Habu rescues him anyway, putting his own life and the success of his ascent at risk. Fukamachi ultimately survives, returning to Japan to find a media frenzy; not only was Habu an infamous climber, his assault on Everest was an illegal one. And then there’s the matter of the camera that Habu had in his possession. Believed to have belonged to George Mallory, it draws considerable attention once its existence comes to light. Fukamachi’s connection to Habu and to the camera makes him a person of interest as well. Even without the additional scrutiny from the public he would find readjusting to a normal life after his fateful Everest climb to be challenging if not impossible.

  Summit of the Gods, Volume 5, page 2013Three stories have become irrevocably intertwined in The Summit of the Gods: the story of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine’s’ final climb and disappearance on Mount Everest, the story of Jouji Habu’s efforts to become the greatest known climber more for himself than for any sort of fame, and the story of Makoto Fukamachi as he strives to untangle his own feelings about climbing and about life by trying to unravel the mysteries surrounding those of the others. The Summit of the Gods can be read in two different ways. It can be approached simply as a compelling tale of adventure and survival or, either alternatively or simultaneously, as a stunning metaphor for any human struggle against seemingly overwhelming odds. Climbing requires great physical and mental fortitude, and life can be just as demanding. The characters in The Summit of the Gods not only pit themselves against nature, they challenge themselves to overcome their own personal weaknesses and limitations.

  Facing oneself—being able to objectively recognize the extent of one’s own abilities and admit the possibility of failure—isn’t necessarily an easy thing to do. It can also be a very lonely thing. This, too, is emphasized in The Summit of the Gods through Yumemakura’s writing and Taniguchi’s artwork. Even when working together, the climbers must ultimately rely on themselves and can only trust and depend on others so far. In the end they face the mountain and face their personal demons alone. The characters also show a constant struggle against their own insignificance, a hard-fought battle to find meaning in their lives. Taniguchi’s vistas are gorgeous and sweeping, showing just how small a person is in comparison to the rest of the world. But this also makes the climbers’ perseverance and achievements all the more remarkable. The Summit of the Gods is a phenomenal work with great writing and fantastic art, effectively telling a thrilling drama that also has great depth to it.

• Forbidden Planet International
  http://forbiddenplanet.blog/2013/review-summit-of-the-gods-volume-3/
  Word count: 849

  REVIEW: SUMMIT OF THE GODS VOLUME 3
  Published On January 18, 2013 | By Richard Bruton | Comics, Reviews
  The Summit Of The Gods Volume 3
  By Yumemakura Baku and Jirô Taniguchi
  Fanfare / Ponent Mon

  Oh hell. It was back in May 2012 that I posted up a preview of the third volume of Summit Of The Gods with these words:
  “Beautiful. Just beautiful. I’ve just read all 45 pages of the preview. Just that first chapter is by far the best thing I’ve read this month. Masterpiece is something bandied around too often, but in this case I think it’s justified.”
  I should apologise to you and to myself for not getting around to this before now. Because waiting this long to read this third instalment of something this good is practically sado-masochistic.
  Each volume of Summit may be 300 pages plus, but it’s a read in one sitting book, and not a fast read either. The pages turn, some fast, some slow, but the eyes are taking everything in, controlled majestically by the ability of writer and artist to pace their tale. Masterpiece.
  But that’s only true to me with a print copy. Ponent Mon kindly sent an advance copy via pdf, but as much as I wanted to I simply couldn’t get into the long-form digital reading experience, hence the long, long delay. Having it as a pdf is no substitute for me to having the print volume in my hands. In the end I simply gave in, moved on to the next thing on the reading list and determined to get the print copy. Which I finally did over Christmas. And straight away, once I picked it up, we were back to the read in a single sitting experience. The masterpiece is still a masterpiece, I was just reading it in the wrong format. Maybe you can do long-form comics on screen, I obviously can’t.
  Seriously, it is a masterpiece, story and art all delivering something wonderful, something unbelievably epic in the manner in which Baku and Taniguchi show us men throwing themselves at mountains that simply fills me with admiration and awe. But on top of all that epic wonder, they also create intense beauty and stunning excitement.

  This is the tale of Everest, of the obsessional lengths men went to to conquer it, and of the mystery of the 1924 expedition by Mallory and Irvine, who vanished on the North-East ridge of the mountain, but o-one has been able to conclusively prove whether they vanished on their way to the peak, or on a descent after standing where no men have ever stood before.
  To add to the mystery, there’s a camera, a camera that Mallory took on his ascent, a camera that has never been found, but a camera that could hold the key to the mystery:

  So this volume we’re following photographer Fukamachi once more, searching for the answers to the mystery of Mallory’s camera, a mystery that seems wrapped up in the past, present, and future of the mysterious and legendary climber Habu Joji, currently vanished somewhere in Nepal..
  This volume may open with that dazzling and exciting climbing sequence of the British attempt of 1920 for Everest’s summit I’ve previously told you about (yes, still unbelievably exciting) but the focus here is more on looking at Habu, with Fukamachi uncovering more and more of what drives him, what made him the man he is today, and gives us an idea of just how driven, dedicated, and absolutely single minded a human being can become.

  But this is no simple retelling of a life-story, Baku and Taniguchi put so much more into this book than a simple linear plot of the journalist researching a storyline. Fukamachi gets to uncover a little too much of Kathmandu’s darker side, there’s kidnapping, an incredible rescue by Habu, the incredibly evocative background to Nepal, a short history of the Gurhka Regiment, intensely personal moments and more along the way including the connection between Habu, Everest, and Mallory’s camera. I’ll divulge no more than that. But seriously… wow.
  And then there’s the epic scale of the story. No matter what route we seem to go down, no matter how long we’re following a fascinating diversion, there’s always that point somewhere in Summit, often several times, where the sheer enormity, the sheer awe-inspiring nature of what these men do, what some men may have done, what one man wants to do, where it hits you like a train, steals your breath away and makes you realise that masterpiece is a perfect one word review for this. If you want two word reviews just go with “epic masterpiece”.
  The next volume will hopefully be released from Ponent Mon in 2013, but if you haven’t already experienced the wonder of the first three there’s a preview of the first chapter of Volume 3 at the Fanfare site.

• Good OK Bad
  http://goodokbad.com/index.php/reviews/walking_man_review
  Word count: 355

  QUOTE:
  sumptuous and gorgeously rendered. And more than anything, it serves as a simple reflection on the world around us, both man-made and otherwise.

  The Walking Man

  Created by: Jirô Taniguchi
  Published by: Fanfare/Ponent Mon
  ISBN: 8493340995 (Amazon)
  Pages: 160
  Genre: Drama, Manga
  The Walking Man

  Recently having read Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog, I was reminded, in some ways, of a much better book—if one that is entirely different. The younger of the two narrative forces in Barbery’s book, the genius twelve-year-old Paloma, expresses a fondness for the works of Jiro Taniguchi (specifically his Summit of the Gods). I’ve been a fan of Taniguchi myself for some time, though it’s difficult to find his stuff on American shores.

  Unlike Barbery’s Hedgehog, the only way one could possibly find Taniguchi’s The Walking Man pretentious is by suspecting its utter lack of pretension. The work is sumptuous and gorgeously rendered. And more than anything, it serves as a simple reflection on the world around us, both man-made and otherwise.
  The Walking Man follows a nameless protagonist as he takes casual strolls around his city, simply taking in the wonder that is found in every mundane thing. There is no single narrative arc to follow unless one considers the glorification of the contemplative life through a series of vignettes to constitute an arc. The walking man is healthy, intelligent, careful, attentive, and the social member of a loving relationship. One cannot be certain where he finds the time or by what method he carves it from his schedule because Taniguchi doesn’t allow the work to even broach the matter.

  The Walking Man is only concerned with the Walking Man and just how much he walks.
  In its way Taniguchi’s sparsely worded compilation of small journeys is as profound as Barbery’s wordy relishment of language and philosophy is. And amusingly enough, the lesson is the same: take time to discover beauty in the movement of the world.

• JLHLS
  http://www.liheliso.org/2009/04/02/graphic-novel-the-walking-man/
  Word count: 482

  QUOTE:
  The Walking Man, also is a good example of how graphic novels can definitely appeal to not just children or adolescents. This is a book that is meant for adults, and there is not as much dialogue, so people can look at this book as a story art book, as well as a graphic novel.

  Graphic Novel Review: The Walking Man
  Posted on April 2, 2009 by Linda Yau
  The Walking Man
  Story and Art by: Jiro Taniguchi
  Published by Fanfare/Ponent Mon
  ISBN10: 8493340995
  ISBN13: 9788493340995

  Review by Linda Yau

  In this bustling world of rapid movement, and possibly the normalcy of your life, what would happen if you there is an opportunity to observe the area around you? This is what the protagonist in Jiro Taniguchi’s The Walking Man does. He is a nameless Japanese salary man who for all appearances is a newlywed who has moved with his wife to a new location that reflects Japanese suburbs.

  Each chapter features the protagonist on his walks, and normal every day events. So I believe there is a theme of enjoying life, by relaxing and taking normal sights as being an experience. That to explore, is to discover unknown facets to moments. Reading this book was a pretty subjective book for me, as it definitely reminded me to not try to rush every where so much.

  This is a book that I was able to pick up during New York Comic Con from Fanfare/Ponent Mon publications, UK/Spain based publisher, who has translated and released titles from Jiro Taniguchi who is an acclaimed manga-ka in Japan.

  The Walking Man, also is a good example of how graphic novels can definitely appeal to not just children or adolescents. This is a book that is meant for adults, and there is not as much dialogue, so people can look at this book as a story art book, as well as a graphic novel. Another warning though, there is one scene where the protagonist strip naked to go and swim in someone’s pool, on a late night walking excursion. While there is no mention of sex, the fact that there is male nudity, would make the rating for this book not suitable for children or adolescent.

  One slight complaint though, seeing the protagonist walk around so much, I wonder when exactly would he work for money of for his family? There was a distancing factor, in my opinion, so while there are vivid and stark inked drawings, I wonder how close the protagonist was to his family. I’ll definitely recommend checking this book out, if you are an adult with an interest of the slice of life, and not just the action or romance that popularizes the other graphic novels.

• Eeeper's Choice Reviews
  http://www.eeeperschoice.com/jiro-taniguchi-mmf-the-walking-man/
  Word count: 981

  QUOTE:
  this is unlike anything I’ve ever read. Once, I asked a schoolmate so very, very long ago now, what would a graphic novel or comic look like with no narrators boxes or dialogue. Aside from the final chapter and the odd bit of dialogue, I believer I’ve found it.

  TANIGUCHI MMF: THE WALKING MAN
  MARCH 18, 2012 EEEPER 4 COMMENTS
  image

  Jiro Taniguchi is a wonder to behold. You could read one of his books, marvel at the artwork and not even have to read the dialogue. I’m not saying you will follow every window but you could get by without them. The man is a modern wonder. He hasn’t written a magnus opus (well, I think he has but I’m not everyone) but there’s a world in all of his books. I’ve written before about this effect in his books where you try and peer around buildings and people because you want to see more. I am happy to read and write about Taniguchi for as long as I can keep reading his stuff. With that, I commend to you, The Walking Man.

  Well, what can I say about The Walking Man? Really, there’s not much to say about the plot. A thirty-something salary man spends time reading, buying essentials, spending time with his wife, meeting people going about their business. While walking. That’s about it, in essence. There really is nothing else to it. So, what is left to describe? Plenty, in my book. The first thing to say is the timelessness of the story in that it could happen at any time during the last forty years of Japan’s history. It’s take place in a prefecture in Tokyo but not in the actual city. There’s no large architecture, no identifiable buildings. The city has railways, trams and modern canal rivers. But this is where the measurable world stops. Other than that, no other modern conveniences come into the view. So the Man goes about his life and we stop worrying. Without a forward moving narrative, Taniguchi forces us into outward viewing habits. Streets are examined, landscapes are considered and the full luster of Taniguchi’s world is on display. Oddly, for such an outside view, my mood during this has been introverted. I find myself asking fundamental questions about myself. Am I really happy in my life? Do I take time to appreciate what wonders are around me?

  There is a stillness to Taniguchi’s work here that is similar but not entirely the same as, say, Quest for The Missing Girl or The Ice Wanderer. In Quest, the events dictate the scenery and in Ice Wanderer the location dictate the events, hence the scenery. I know this sounds weird but every time I read this and it comes to the park scene, I swear I can hear birdsong. Plus, when it snows, I can feel the snow. When the Man goes to climb a tree, he stops and takes in the view, and it’s a great view, going on and on into the distance. When was the last time you read something like that in a manga?

  Is it fair to try and describe the characters in a story that eschews normal narratives like plot construction and character arcs? The Man is a good solid character with a quiet disposition. He’s our guide but he is not the primary player. His wife seems to not mind his figaries, sometimes coming with him. The rest of the people are people who the Man encounters on his travels. Children, elderly ladies, fellow walkers are all passengers in this book. The Man is a conscientious citizen who helps his fellow man but he’s not above, ahem, breaking and entering a public pool to go for a swim. But no harm, no foul in this case. I like when he comes home from the local bar slightly tipsy and, rather than subject his wife to a chorus of “Honey, I’m home!”, he decides to walk it off. In doing so, he learns, as do we, of the wonder of the night. I can go on but I’m just spoiling the book.

  Now, there is one thing that, well, I’m not so happy with about in Walking Man. The last chapter, titled 10 Years Later, is literally set ten years later. The Man is still the same as is his Wife and everything else. But for this final chapter we have narration. In the other chapters, there is dialogue but that’s about it. Having narration, I feel, adds an element to the story that’s not necessary. I do realise this story was written ten years in real life and yes, authors can and do change their minds about things. But if this is the case then go back and add narration to all of the chapters or remove all of it. It’s just not needed. But it’s just my whims, and it shouldn’t detract from this amazing work.

  In the final analysis, this is unlike anything I’ve ever read. Once, I asked a schoolmate so very, very long ago now, what would a graphic novel or comic look like with no narrators boxes or dialogue. Aside from the final chapter and the odd bit of dialogue, I believer I’ve found it.

  The Walking Man, as with a lot of Taniguchi’s work published jointly by Fanfare UK/Ponent Mon. They do wonderful jobs at packaging and presentation. Walking Man is present flipped to read from left to right but don’t let that put you off. I implore you to enjoy this for yourself. It’s really that good.

• Comics Worth Reading
  http://comicsworthreading.com/2005/12/28/the-walking-man/
  Word count: 330

  The Walking Man
  The Walking Man
  Although manga, The Walking Man is published in a form more typical to collections of art comics, with jacket flaps and thick, crisply white paper. That suits its subject matter well, positioning it to an audience who can appreciate a series of reflective encounters beautifully illustrated by Jiro Taniguchi. (Also suited to that audience, it’s been flipped, so that it reads left-to-right.)

  Each chapter covers one of the man’s walks, showing us what he sees. In the first, he’s just moved into a new house, and he introduces himself to the neighborhood, meeting a birdwatcher and adopting a dog who becomes his companion on his journeys. Others take him to the town post office or the library or skinny-dipping or home just as it begins to snow.

  The Walking Man

  It’s an appreciation of the everyday that’s still somewhat unusual in comics, made fresh through the setting of the Japanese suburb, realistic yet foreign. The art style is almost European in its fine line and copious detail. (The man looks to me, a reader of too many superhero comics, rather like Clark Kent with his horn-rimmed glasses and one lock of hair on his forehead. It gave the stories an odd little frisson of contrast, especially when he helps an old lady or interacts with children.)

  The full-page image of the man in the crook of a tree, looking out over housetops after rescuing a child’s toy, is the very picture of relaxation. Silent contemplation is the mood of both the protagonist and the reader, leading to a new perception of surroundings. I recommend savoring the chapters over a period of time to better let the moods take full effect. Overall, the book provides a welcome feeling of peace to a world where few take the time to enjoy themselves the way the walking man does.

• Stochastic Manga
  https://stochasticmanga.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/review-the-walking-man/
  Word count: 489

  Review: The Walking Man
  Posted on Friday, September 19, 2008 by psygremlin

  The Walking Man
  I’ll go take a walk in the neighbourhood…

  Author
  Jiro Taniguchi

  Status
  1 Volume – Complete

  Plot Summary

  The story follows the exploits of an unnamed salaryman, who spends his spare time exploring and wandering around the suburbs in which he lives. Accompanied at times by his wife or dog, it takes a gentle look at life – contemplating nature, talking to people he meets and finding simple pleasures in the things he finds on his travels. There is no plot to speak of – and very little dialogue – just a series of largely unconnected observational episodes.

  Personal Opinion
  Ah… I’ve struggled to come up with words to describe this… “lovely” was one, “nice” is another… yet, they both do it a grave injustice. There’s so much more to these stories than first meets the eye.

  I’ve also been struggling to describe in words a story that is essentially about … well… nothing much really. The closest I can come is by comparing this to Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou… er… without the apocalypse… or the robots… or scooters. In fact, it also doesn’t even focus on mono no aware, but rather ikigai – which translates nicely as “joy and a sense of well-being from being alive.”

  Left: Now here’s a guy who does stop to smell the roses…

  That is a concept that this manga portrays beautifully – it is simply about enjoying life – taking time out from the hurly-burly of everyday life and taking the time to observe the little things around you. There’s a sense of calm that radiates from each page that must have been manna to the soul of tired salarymen on their way home. (That sense of serenity might have overcome the mangaka too, seeing as it took him 8 years to produce 18 relatively short chapters.)

  Each of the self-contained chapters simply revolves around our protagonist setting out to wander around his neighbourhood. Nothing dramatic happens, although on occasion he does help a child rescue a model plane from a tree and even sneaks into the public pool for a late night skinny-dip. Other than that, it’s simply about appreciating the things around you; acknowledging other people (one lovely chapter sums this up brilliantly – without using a single line of dialogue) and basking in the simple joy of being alive.

  In a moment of weakness, I once described this as “tranquillity on a page” and yet, I can’t think of any other words that describe the message and feel of this unique little manga.

  Personal Rating
  9/10 (but only because I would appear to be too much of a fanboy, if I gave it a 10)

  [Reviewer: Gerwyn Petty]

• Otaku News
  http://www.otakunews.com/mangareview.php?MangaID=217
  Word count: 1195

  QUOTE:
  Taniguchi fills his worlds with a, well, world for want of a better word. When you see Tokyo you see camera shots going back for blocks. Mountains go on and on forever. Characters are drawn in a clean, sharp non-exaggerated style. This is the world according to Taniguchi and I'm happy to play in it.
  I'm looking forward to reading more of Taniguchi's works and I can't recommend this story enough.

  Quest For The Missing Girl

  The Quest For The Missing Girl
  Details

  Review Date: 2009 January 28th Wednesday [11:40]

  Reviewed By: Eeeper

  Released By: Fanfare / Ponentmon

  Publishing Country: UK

  Author: Jiro Taniguchi

  Age Rating: 15+

  Page Count: 336

  ISBN-13: 9788496427471

  Summary

  The Mountains are unforgiving but the City is treacherous! Shiga comes down from his Mountain refuge to look for his missing 'niece', Megumi, but all he finds is trouble!

  Multi-award winning creator, Jiro Taniguchi, builds the tension to a massive climax in this exciting drama.
  Review

  I frequently read manga that can and have been considered excellent by myself and the outside world. Works that transcend geo-ethnic lines and speak to the reader even if they are not the same nationality as the author. I hope that in months and years to come The Quest For The Missing Girl is added to those works. I can only describe the work as breathtaking as I don't have a better one.

  Following the story of Shiga, a mountaineer working in the Komagatake stratovolcano area in Hokkaido, the plot opens as he prepares for yet another climbing season. He receives word that Megumi Sakamoto has gone missing. Megumi is the daughter of Shiga's best friend, another mountaineer who perished in the Himalayas twelve years previous, and Shiga considers himself her uncle. Her mother has been unable to find or contact Megumi since yesterday. Megumi is not the sort of girl to not come home so her mother contacts Shiga to see if he can help. Years before, on a visit to the mountain where he lives, Shiga promised Megumi that if anything happened to her he would come and rescue her. With his phone call to Mrs. Sakamoto over with, he packs up and heads for Tokyo, despite having no real working knowledge of the ins and outs of the big city, to find Megumi.

  This is the first title I've ever had serious time to read and absorb by Jiro Taniguchi. If this is the benchmark then I can't wait to read more. I vaguely remember reading The Ice Wanderer a while ago but I can't be certain. Taniguchi fills his worlds with a, well, world for want of a better word. When you see Tokyo you see camera shots going back for blocks. Mountains go on and on forever. Characters are drawn in a clean, sharp non-exaggerated style. This is the world according to Taniguchi and I'm happy to play in it. Never once do I get caught in the intricacies of modern Japanese society as this could, I feel, destroy any connection to the tension building in the plot. I feel that I'm looking at a slice of the story of this world. I can't see all of it, yet I know it's there. The mountains are presented as a welcome breath of air against the murk of the city. Let me just say that Tokyo never seemed more dangerous than it did with the world of high school girls on show here.

  An aside must be inserted here to talk about the character of Shiga. Shiga is a hard man. Not Terminator-hard but the kind of hard you see in Schwarzenegger in Peter Hyams' End Of Days. Arnold's character, Jericho, is tough as old boots but there comes a point when ten people with baseball bats are going to win against him. It's as simple as that. Same with Shiga, as he wanders through Tokyo's underbelly, who seems devoid of major sin. His great shame and the thought that sustains him is that his best friend asked him to climb the Himalayas with him and Shiga turned him down. His friend died on the expedition and Shiga has been beating himself up ever since. He sees this quest to find Megumi as continuing to honour his friend's memory. So as I said at the beginning of the paragraph, Shiga is tough. He sees off street punks easily but when two guys with ill-fitting suits and no necks beat on him, he bleeds. Whenever he had to tackle some seedy cipher or location in the city, you get the sense that he'd prefer the mountains. At least they won't get any satisfaction from killing him. If nothing else they're fair to him. So when Shiga has a chance to use his skills as a mountaineer in the city, you know he won't fail at this at least.

  The cast of the story is varied from people with a good back-story to people who are only there to support the main characters. However all the cast has at least some time to explain their reason for being there. I felt that there is something implied in the relationship between Shiga and Mrs. Sakamoto, something that no one is willing to say. I like that. There's more there but Taniguchi won't give us all the pages. Normally I hate it when plot lines are left blowing in the wind but in this case I prefer it this way. The guide that Shiga encounters in Shibuya, Yoshio, is a favourite of mine. He's not in it for very long but I get a sense that the quest that Shiga is on takes Yoshio by surprise. Maki, a girl that Megumi knew, is....hmm. I can't tell if I like her or not. At face value she seems uninterested in helping Shiga. But when she realises he'll stop at nothing to rescue Megumi, her own feelings of abandonment make Maki stay on despite her statement of not doing it for Megumi's sake. Also, the scene where Shiga goes into a nightclub/dance club to look for Maki has to be seen. I've never seen a manga where the hero stopped trouble with a look that quickly before.

  The translation work done by Pontent Mon/Fanfare is excellent. Much like Dark Horse, the translations for Japanese text are done somewhere other than right next to the text. In DH's case, at the back of the tankoubon, and in this case at the very bottom of the page. The story is presented in right to left formatting with half-gate fold cover at both ends. While a bit more expensive than regular manga prices, I'd say the work on display here justifies the cost and besides, you should be able to pick this up online for a cheaper MSRP.

  I'm looking forward to reading more of Taniguchi's works and I can't recommend this story enough.

  Rating: 9/10

• CBR.com
  http://www.cbr.com/blue-moon-reviews-the-quest-for-the-missing-girl/
  Word count: 764

  QUOTE:
  The Quest for the Missing Girl features many panoramic panels of scenery, cloud-strewn mountain vistas giving way to garish and crowded city streets as the backdrop of the story shifts to an urban landscape. I also enjoy his realistic style: no enormous eyes or improbable hair here.

  Blue Moon Reviews — The Quest for the Missing Girl
  02.02.2009
  by Brian Cronin
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  Blue Moon Reviews — The Quest for the Missing Girl
  Today we debut a new recurring feature from another great manga critic, to join Danielle Leigh’s Manga Before Flowers (which is awesome, in case you don’t follow it). To crib from her Manga Recon bio, Michelle Smith has been a contributor to Manga Recon since 2008, and began serving as Senior Manga Editor in January 2009. She has also been writing manga reviews on her blog Soliloquy in Blue since 2006 and has amassed a diverse and extensive manga collection. She’s a musician, a math person, a voracious reader, a competent cook, and a new homeowner. Basara tops her list of favorite manga, and she shamelessly exploits all opportunities to urge people to read it (she also often comments on Manga Before Flowers as “jun”).

  So here’s her review of The Quest for the Missing Girl!

  By Jiro Taniguchi Fanfare/Ponent Mon, 333 pp.

  Score: A-

  Takeshi Shiga is a mountaineer. Twelve years ago, when his best friend, Sakamoto, invited Shiga to participate in a climbing trip to the Himalayas, he turned it down. Sakamoto ended up dying on that trip, and Shiga has felt guilty ever since, and has faithfully kept a promise to his friend to look after his wife and daughter. When, in the present day, he receives a phone call from Sakamoto’s widow that her daughter Megumi has gone missing, he comes down from his mountain refuge to Tokyo to look for her.

  A tip from one of Megumi’s friends leads him into Shibuya, an area filled with bars, clubs, restless adolescents, and adults willing to pay a schoolgirl for her company. Shiga is completely foreign to this world, but nonetheless plows on, defying the police and refusing to be thwarted by any obstacle, no matter how impossible surmounting it may seem.

  Taniguchi doesn’t tell the story in a completely chronological way. Rather, in response to events, the characters lapse into flashbacks that fill in essential backstory. These transitions are seamless, and slight tweaks of character designs make it easy to tell whether one is reading about the past or the present. Aside from this, the plot unfolds in a fashion reminiscent of hard-boiled detective fiction. Shiga uncovers tips that lead elsewhere and follows each with dogged perseverance, narrating along the way. The tale is fast-paced and engrossing, though a little too straightforward to succeed as a truly compelling mystery.

  There are also many parallels between mountains and Shiga’s personal life. It is implied that Shiga has feelings for Sakamoto’s widow, but keeps his distance despite some possible interest on her end. The distance is even more literal when Shiga absconds to the mountain “refuge” where he lives and works. Likewise, his relentless search for Megumi, culminating in an impressive physical feat, is atonement for the difficult climb on which he failed to accompany his friend all those years ago.

  Taniguchi’s art is truly outstanding. Like another of his works, The Walking Man, The Quest for the Missing Girl features many panoramic panels of scenery, cloud-strewn mountain vistas giving way to garish and crowded city streets as the backdrop of the story shifts to an urban landscape. I also enjoy his realistic style: no enormous eyes or improbable hair here. Less successful is Taniguchi’s depiction of emotion in the faces of his characters. Perhaps some of this can be attributed to Japanese restraint, but the reaction of Sakamoto’s widow to his death seems to lack true raw grief. The presence of dialogue bubbles saying, “Sob!” only reinforces the oddness of the response.

  On the whole, reading The Quest for the Missing Girl is a unique manga experience. It’s very different from most of what is currently available, both in its subject matter as well as its artistic prowess. As a mystery, however, it lacks the complexity that I’ve come to expect from that genre.

  The Quest for the Missing Girl is available now.

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