Yonen Buzz
Encyclopedia
Yonen Buzz is an original German-language manga
by Christina Plaka and the continuation of Plastic Chew (originally entitled Prussian Blue, but changed in order to avoid association with the white nationalist
band Prussian Blue
). While Prussian Blue was published in German by Carlsen Verlag
, Yonen Buzz was released by TOKYOPOP
Germany. TOKYOPOP is releasing both titles in English
in 2006. The release schedule is rather slow, as the author is a full-time Japanology
student.
called Plastic Chew and their struggles to make it big while remaining true to their musical sensibilities and juggling school and part-time jobs. Internal conflict arises because not all four band members have the same talent levels and plans for the future; Saiyuri and Jun are romantically involved, but Jun is prone to psychological reliance on the man who raised him, someone the other band members don't trust.
's Richard George stated: "Yonen Buzz is what happens when you take interesting characters and do absolutely nothing with them." He described the "interesting and fleshed out" characters as the series' "greatest assets" and enjoyed the page layouts, but criticized the "repetitive character design" and that it "lacks a resolution to any plot". Rhia Docherty of Mangalife liked the concept of the series, but disliked the confusion in the panels and style changes, and that the concept failed to work and became confusing.
Critical reaction towards the prequel was relatively positive. Leroy Douresseaux of Coolstreak Cartoons wrote that the combination of "her composition and graphic design" inspired by shojo manga, manga targeted towards teen girls, and "the flavorings of shonen manga", manga targeted towards teen boys, "adds an essence to Yonen Buzz: Plastic Chew that makes for a fun read." While noting "plot contrivances" and that Jun is an "archetypal sensitive dreamboat", PopCultureShock's Phil Guie stated: "Yonen Buzz is, above all, about the idea that music, like a lot of artistic endeavors, is capable of bringing people together, and how joyous it can be meeting others with the same passion as your own." Writing for Mania Entertainment, Erin Jones commented on the "bland" character designs, "amateurish" art, and that some aspects of the plot were "ridiculously contrived". Jones concluded that while it might appeal to fans of the series, "Yonen Buzz: Plastic Chew is one of those titles that I’d just rather sweep under the carpet and forget about--particularly the first few chapters."
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
by Christina Plaka and the continuation of Plastic Chew (originally entitled Prussian Blue, but changed in order to avoid association with the white nationalist
White nationalism
White nationalism is a political ideology which advocates a racial definition of national identity for white people. White separatism and white supremacism are subgroups within white nationalism. The former seek a separate white nation state, while the latter add ideas from social Darwinism and...
band Prussian Blue
Prussian Blue (duo)
Prussian Blue was a white nationalist pop pre-teen duo formed in early 2003 by the mother of Lynx Vaughan Gaede and Lamb Lennon Gaede, sororal twin girls born on June 30, 1992, in Bakersfield, California...
). While Prussian Blue was published in German by Carlsen Verlag
Carlsen Verlag
Carlsen Verlag is a subsidiary of the homonymous Danish publishing house which in turn belongs to the Swedish media company Bonnier. The branch was founded on 25 April 1953 in Hamburg. The publisher's program focuses on books for children Carlsen Verlag is a subsidiary of the homonymous Danish...
, Yonen Buzz was released by TOKYOPOP
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
Germany. TOKYOPOP is releasing both titles in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in 2006. The release schedule is rather slow, as the author is a full-time Japanology
Japanology
Japanese Studies is a term generally used in Europe to describe the historical and cultural study of Japan; in North America, the academic field is usually referred to as Japanese studies, which includes contemporary social sciences as well as classical humanistic fields.European Japanology is the...
student.
Story
The series focuses on a Japanese garage bandGarage band
The term garage band can refer to:* A band that performs garage rock* GarageBand, audio production software published by Apple Inc.* GarageBand.com, a website that helps publicize emerging bands...
called Plastic Chew and their struggles to make it big while remaining true to their musical sensibilities and juggling school and part-time jobs. Internal conflict arises because not all four band members have the same talent levels and plans for the future; Saiyuri and Jun are romantically involved, but Jun is prone to psychological reliance on the man who raised him, someone the other band members don't trust.
Main characters
The members of Plastic Chew are the orphaned Jun Imai, who sings and plays the guitar along with the only female band member, Sayuri Tsushima; the bass guitarist Atsushi Kato; and Keigo Miyake, the drummer.Volume list
Reception
English-language critics were lukewarm towards Yonen Buzz. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Richard George stated: "Yonen Buzz is what happens when you take interesting characters and do absolutely nothing with them." He described the "interesting and fleshed out" characters as the series' "greatest assets" and enjoyed the page layouts, but criticized the "repetitive character design" and that it "lacks a resolution to any plot". Rhia Docherty of Mangalife liked the concept of the series, but disliked the confusion in the panels and style changes, and that the concept failed to work and became confusing.
Critical reaction towards the prequel was relatively positive. Leroy Douresseaux of Coolstreak Cartoons wrote that the combination of "her composition and graphic design" inspired by shojo manga, manga targeted towards teen girls, and "the flavorings of shonen manga", manga targeted towards teen boys, "adds an essence to Yonen Buzz: Plastic Chew that makes for a fun read." While noting "plot contrivances" and that Jun is an "archetypal sensitive dreamboat", PopCultureShock's Phil Guie stated: "Yonen Buzz is, above all, about the idea that music, like a lot of artistic endeavors, is capable of bringing people together, and how joyous it can be meeting others with the same passion as your own." Writing for Mania Entertainment, Erin Jones commented on the "bland" character designs, "amateurish" art, and that some aspects of the plot were "ridiculously contrived". Jones concluded that while it might appeal to fans of the series, "Yonen Buzz: Plastic Chew is one of those titles that I’d just rather sweep under the carpet and forget about--particularly the first few chapters."
External links
- Yonen Buzz at Tokyopop's website
- Interview with the author at Animepro's website (German)