fungo_squiggly (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} fungo_squiggly) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} scans_daily,@ 2009-03-11 22:44:00 |
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| Entry tags: | genre: horror, medium: manga |
It's baaa-aaack.... A Fuan no Tane primer.
Does anyone remember the brief Fuan no Tane craze at scans_daily, a couple of Halloweens back? No? Well I do! And what with the shiny new community and all, now seems like a fine time to re-introduce it. So click on the link and take a look!
Or do I have to do Bambi eyes again?
Ah, Fuan no Tane! It's been too long. I'm especially excited since since, in trying to hunt the manga down recently, I found out that there's apparently a whole new series of the manga that's going to be coming out: Fuan no Tane+! Goddamn, I hope a translated edition gets published in America. I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
What is Fuan no Tane? The title is usually translated as "Seeds of Unease." It's a collection of short stories (often very short stories) based on Japanese urban legends. While nominally a horror manga, it's a little bit all over the place. Many of the stories are mildly disturbing, as the title of the manga implies. A few are pretty damn scary; a few others are just plain cracktastic. Some of the stories are heartbreaking, and some of the stories are heartwarming. Almost all of them are pretty damn fun.
So let's begin, shall we?
This is Masaaki Nakamura, the author of the manga. He shows up in Fuan no Tane from time to time because a few of the stories are based on his own experiences. I picture him as a mousy little guy who lives in a state of near-constant confusion and terror. To judge from the first three volumes of Fuan no Tane, some things that he considers frightening include...
Traffic safety posters!
Puddles!
Old people!
Road signs!
Toilets!
Mirrors!
And, of course...
...The French.
But damned if the man can't tell a great story when he really wants to. Below you will find my introductory offering, falling solidly on the cracktastic side. Trust me, some of the others are much scarier.
Our story begins with a young Japanese man buying a buttload of leftover Valentines candy on the day after Valentines Day. You can tell by the guy's blush and the weirded-out look on the clerks' faces that this is, apparently, an intensely embarrassing thing for a Japanese man to have to do.
You see, it turns out that this guy and his friends are playing a "punishment game." I had the concept explained to me on old scans_daily, but damned if I can remember what all that involves, except that you go through some sort of humiliating hazing if you lose.
Again, I'm guessing that buying old Valentines' candy is a lot more demeaning in Japan than it would be in America. The candy-buying-guy's friend rubs it in a little bit, and they head off to collect their other friend, Taro.
"What is that?"
"It appears to be some naked guy with a towel over his head."
I mean, sure, that isn't a scene I'd expect to find in a random alleyway, but I'm pretty sure I'd know what it was if I saw it.
Anyway, naked guy just stands there being creepy.
Blond guy's guess makes sense, sort of, in the context of the punishment game. Surely standing around naked and alone late at night is very nearly as frightening and humiliating as having to buy slightly out of date candy. But it turns out it isn't Taro. Uh-oh?
"Sorry, Taro, but we are far too terrified of this mumbling naked guy with a towel over his head to meet you now."
I mean seriously, bwuh? That there is the end of the story. Make of it what you will.
So, Fuan no Tane, everyone! Sometimes it's a barrel of laughs, and sometimes it's truly disturbing. Quite often it's both at the same time, and perhaps even for the same person. Next time I'll probably post two stories, one cracktackular and one of the more "serious" ones... sad, scary, or cute.
What is Fuan no Tane? The title is usually translated as "Seeds of Unease." It's a collection of short stories (often very short stories) based on Japanese urban legends. While nominally a horror manga, it's a little bit all over the place. Many of the stories are mildly disturbing, as the title of the manga implies. A few are pretty damn scary; a few others are just plain cracktastic. Some of the stories are heartbreaking, and some of the stories are heartwarming. Almost all of them are pretty damn fun.
So let's begin, shall we?
This is Masaaki Nakamura, the author of the manga. He shows up in Fuan no Tane from time to time because a few of the stories are based on his own experiences. I picture him as a mousy little guy who lives in a state of near-constant confusion and terror. To judge from the first three volumes of Fuan no Tane, some things that he considers frightening include...
Traffic safety posters!
Puddles!
Old people!
Road signs!
Toilets!
Mirrors!
And, of course...
...The French.
But damned if the man can't tell a great story when he really wants to. Below you will find my introductory offering, falling solidly on the cracktastic side. Trust me, some of the others are much scarier.
Our story begins with a young Japanese man buying a buttload of leftover Valentines candy on the day after Valentines Day. You can tell by the guy's blush and the weirded-out look on the clerks' faces that this is, apparently, an intensely embarrassing thing for a Japanese man to have to do.
You see, it turns out that this guy and his friends are playing a "punishment game." I had the concept explained to me on old scans_daily, but damned if I can remember what all that involves, except that you go through some sort of humiliating hazing if you lose.
Again, I'm guessing that buying old Valentines' candy is a lot more demeaning in Japan than it would be in America. The candy-buying-guy's friend rubs it in a little bit, and they head off to collect their other friend, Taro.
"What is that?"
"It appears to be some naked guy with a towel over his head."
I mean, sure, that isn't a scene I'd expect to find in a random alleyway, but I'm pretty sure I'd know what it was if I saw it.
Anyway, naked guy just stands there being creepy.
Blond guy's guess makes sense, sort of, in the context of the punishment game. Surely standing around naked and alone late at night is very nearly as frightening and humiliating as having to buy slightly out of date candy. But it turns out it isn't Taro. Uh-oh?
"Sorry, Taro, but we are far too terrified of this mumbling naked guy with a towel over his head to meet you now."
I mean seriously, bwuh? That there is the end of the story. Make of it what you will.
So, Fuan no Tane, everyone! Sometimes it's a barrel of laughs, and sometimes it's truly disturbing. Quite often it's both at the same time, and perhaps even for the same person. Next time I'll probably post two stories, one cracktackular and one of the more "serious" ones... sad, scary, or cute.