Social anthropologist and novelist. Graduated from college with degree in anthropology, women's folklore, human sacrifice and post-war manga. In addition to his work with manga he is a critic, essayist, and author of several successful non-fiction books on Japanese popular and “otaku” sub-cultures. One of his first animation script works was Maho no Rouge Lipstick, an adult lolicon OVA. Otsuka was the editor for the bishojo lolicon manga series Petit Apple Pie.
In the 80s, Otsuka was editor-in-chief of Manga Burikko, a leading women's manga magazine where he pioneered research on the “otaku” sub-culture in modern Japan. In 1988 he published "Manga no Koro" (The Structure of Comics), a serious study of Japanese comics and their social significance. Also as critic, Otsuka Eiji, summarized the case of the Japanese red army's 1972 murders as a conflict between the masculine and the feminine principles as they were both embodied by women and against women (Otsuka,1994).
Interesting storylines!! We got virtual reality, a soul-ejector person and real estate scam, and soul attachment to the bereaved. I like the up-to-dateness of politics and technology to the real world. What I don't like is too many naked women that it feels like erotica or hentai. None of the male corpses are naked and this just feels like an excuse to draw naked women.
I'm enjoying these stories more as I go along. They are inventive and humorous. The characters are likable and engaging. Unfortunately, the local library is almost at the end of the series (I'll have too check the series itself to see if I can recommend it for purchase).
At long last, I am reading KCDS 12! I'd gripe about the delay between 11 and 12 (over a year! ;_;), but honestly, as long as they keep publishing it (instead of dropping it due to low sales), Dark Horse has my goodwill.
Fantastic--as expected, and as always--though now I want 13 after the mention of Karatsu and Sasaki in Okinawa!
The Second Life-referencing storyline, about the gold farming, was also very interesting. Like Jerry Holkins of Penny Arcade said, 'the whole gold farming business is so cyberpunk it ought to be the plot of a 80s scifi novel, except that it is a real thing that's happening right now.' Crazy.
Nene's story was great too, as well as the one with the dolls; and even though it isn't KCDS proper, the Disjecta Membera were also as entertaining as always.
In this volume of the series we get more info on Yuji's past and perhaps a glimpse of someone protecting him from beyond!? Also, more possessed puppets, dolls and avatars than you can shake a stick at, really.
The KCDS takes on a dubious assignment when an insurance saleswoman claims that one of her clients is an impostor and a body missing both face and identifying marks is discovered in a popular forest suicide spot.
There is also a real neat story about two kids who share a dream: becoming a comedy duo. They may just make it in the end...despite some set backs in their corporeal states.
And finally, just when you thought dolls couldn't get any creepier. They do.
I enjoyed that the chapter titles all tied together (begin song titles) and continue to read the entirety of the notes section in the back, which provides some interesting reading.
I reviewed volumes 1-14 for Lady Business, but the long and short of it is that it's one of my favourite horror series, and when it wants to do political commentary, it goes HARD. It just also has some storylines that I side-eye INTENSELY.
They gone virtual this time. I surrender to the possibility of human conquering layers and layers of reality limitation... chapter 4th through 6th featuring a girl with the ability of astral projection, but there's something missing... isn't astral projection comes with a price? the girl does it so seemingly carefree... or have I been watching too much horror flick?
Kurosagi Corpse Delivery is my favorite manga to date. This issue pits the team of spiritualists against the equally intangible world of virtual reality and online gaming environments. While not my favorite book in the series, it is much better than some of the other manga and books I've read.
I'm not sure if it's a good idea to start with volume 12. Well, I guess not. I am still a bit vague of what they do and what their purpose is. But I kinda like the variety of themes and the graphics are quite good. I'll try to get my hands on the first volume.
This volume lets the reader get to know some of the people that end up as corpses in need of the delivery service - it plays with emotions not touched by other volumes/vignettes in the series.