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Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade
Schoolgirl Milky Crisis (n.) 1. A silly name for a generic anime show, made up to protect the innocent in Jonathan Clements’ long-running insider column about the Japanese comics and cartoons business. (n.) 2. A hugely entertaining collection of nearly two decades of articles, speeches and interviews by Jonathan Clements, manga and anime translator, sometime voice actor, and co-author of the Anime Encyclopedia.
Mixing reviews, cultural commentary, insights into classic manga and anime titles, interviews and profiles of Japan’s top creators, and hilarious insider stories from the anime trade, Clements is your guide to this fascinating and often very strange world, with new illustrations from fan favourite artist Steve Kyte.
Mixing reviews, cultural commentary, insights into classic manga and anime titles, interviews and profiles of Japan’s top creators, and hilarious insider stories from the anime trade, Clements is your guide to this fascinating and often very strange world, with new illustrations from fan favourite artist Steve Kyte.
- GenresNonfictionJapanEssays
416 pages, Paperback
First published February 24, 2009
3 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Clements
153 books124 followersJonathan Clements is an author, translator, biographer and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Marco Polo, Mao Zedong, Koxinga and Qin Shihuangdi. He also writes for NEO magazine and is the co-author of encyclopedias of anime and Japanese television dramas.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 14, 2021
Jonathan Clements has been in the anime industry for a long time. He has seen it all, done it all and I'm sure somewhere he has the t-shirt. Schoolgirl Milky Crisis is a compendium of sorts, collecting together the best articles, essays and speeches from his illustrious career. This ranges from inciteful pieces on digital animation and the medium's future, to hilarious anecdotes on the secret life of the industry.
This is the first piece of non-fiction I have read since I left school half a lifetime ago, and I must say, I found it quite challenging. This book is nothing like a novel - you can't read it from cover to cover, it takes time and lots of perserverence. However, it is ideal for someone who only likes to read occassionally, as there is a perfect stopping point at the end of almost every page. That means you can read an article today and then pick it up again in a month's time and it won't matter one bit.
I referred to this book as 'challenging', but maybe that phrase is misleading. This is actually a very enjoyable read and as an anime fan, I found very interesting. I loved hearing all of the industry's dirty little secrets and I felt like I learned a lot about the history of my beloved medium. It was also very informative on the various hidden factors that influence anime trends and production.
As good as it is, this book does however have its weaknesses. There are far too many articles that focus on topics that aren't of interest to the average UK consumer. Am I interested in the Chinese animation that appeared at one particular film festival? No, I am not. How about monthly manga anthologies that aren't released in the UK? Still no. Then what about Japanese television that will never see the light of day outside of its native Japan? I'm sure you get the idea. What I am saying is this book would have been better off being streamlined for its audience - after all, sometimes less is more.
Despite these flaws, I must say I really enjoyed my time reading this book and I am glad I picked it up when I had the chance. If you are an anime fan and you have any interest in its creation or its history, then I recommend this book wholeheartedly. I know there are articles that won't appeal to most, but the good things is that you can just skip them and move right onto the next tidbit. It really doesn't matter. This is a big book and there is plenty in here for everyone. 4/5.
This is the first piece of non-fiction I have read since I left school half a lifetime ago, and I must say, I found it quite challenging. This book is nothing like a novel - you can't read it from cover to cover, it takes time and lots of perserverence. However, it is ideal for someone who only likes to read occassionally, as there is a perfect stopping point at the end of almost every page. That means you can read an article today and then pick it up again in a month's time and it won't matter one bit.
I referred to this book as 'challenging', but maybe that phrase is misleading. This is actually a very enjoyable read and as an anime fan, I found very interesting. I loved hearing all of the industry's dirty little secrets and I felt like I learned a lot about the history of my beloved medium. It was also very informative on the various hidden factors that influence anime trends and production.
As good as it is, this book does however have its weaknesses. There are far too many articles that focus on topics that aren't of interest to the average UK consumer. Am I interested in the Chinese animation that appeared at one particular film festival? No, I am not. How about monthly manga anthologies that aren't released in the UK? Still no. Then what about Japanese television that will never see the light of day outside of its native Japan? I'm sure you get the idea. What I am saying is this book would have been better off being streamlined for its audience - after all, sometimes less is more.
Despite these flaws, I must say I really enjoyed my time reading this book and I am glad I picked it up when I had the chance. If you are an anime fan and you have any interest in its creation or its history, then I recommend this book wholeheartedly. I know there are articles that won't appeal to most, but the good things is that you can just skip them and move right onto the next tidbit. It really doesn't matter. This is a big book and there is plenty in here for everyone. 4/5.
January 2, 2012
A very interesting read if you're into Manga and anime. If you're not, then give this a wide berth.
Having said that, I am into both anime and manga. Therefore I loved it. Covering a wide variety of subjects and a huge period of change in the industry, JC manages to keep you entertained throughout. I also like that he doesn't devalue any style or genre over another. Shojo is just as important as shonen, and hentai and yaoi as valid as the Moomins.
A very enjoyable read.
Having said that, I am into both anime and manga. Therefore I loved it. Covering a wide variety of subjects and a huge period of change in the industry, JC manages to keep you entertained throughout. I also like that he doesn't devalue any style or genre over another. Shojo is just as important as shonen, and hentai and yaoi as valid as the Moomins.
A very enjoyable read.
February 28, 2013
Entertaining look at the anime/manga industry
September 6, 2023
A collection of columns that originally ran back in the 2000s in NEO magazine - I used to read some of these at the time, and it was great reading all the ones I missed. There's some fantastic insights into what the early localization process was like, and things that are very interesting in hindsight like how many of the titles that went on to be ubiquitous in Otaku circles back in the VHS days only got localised because they did so poorly in Japan that the rights to them were very cheap! The only thing that keeps me from rating it 5/5 is that some of the subject matter is super-niche, so a few articles might not be as interesting to the casual enthusiast.
June 6, 2024
Entertaining collection of articles gathered from Jonathan Clements' career as an industry journalist, Japanese translator, actor, and authority on manga and anime.
The best chapters are the travel writing about life in Japan. His potted histories of Godzilla and Chinese animation are excellent too.
Written just as streaming was beginning to be talked about, inevitably some of his anime industry observations have dated now, but it is still a useful book for anyone trying to break into this sector.
The best chapters are the travel writing about life in Japan. His potted histories of Godzilla and Chinese animation are excellent too.
Written just as streaming was beginning to be talked about, inevitably some of his anime industry observations have dated now, but it is still a useful book for anyone trying to break into this sector.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews