I first heard of this book via the Unshelved authors' June book reviews, and it sounded so intriguing that I dashed down to Borders and bought a copy. It's a manga about a university student who has the ability to see microbes with his naked eyes - a skill that might seem a bit squicky (would you really like to be able to see what's crawling on the surfaces of everything you touch, wear, eat...?) but which might parlay itself into some interesting advantages...

Later: Definitely an offbeat story here, but informative, quite entertaining (and yes, occasionally Very Gross Indeed). Tadayasu, the microbe-seer, is starting college along with his long-time friend Kei. But when they arrive on campus they find that there's a missing-person search in progress for a young female grad student, and then while taking a short cut through a wooded area Tadayasu starts seeing more and more microbes of the kind associated with decomposition... Have they found the body? [I don't want to spoil that part of the plot, but I will say that readers may need a strong stomach to cope with the results of the search!]

When the boys are able to settle into more normal scholarly pursuits, they find themselves courted by a professor with an avid curiosity about different kinds of fermentation as used in different cultures throughout human history. He's delighted when he finds that Tadayasu actually can see microbes, and can distinguish different kinds and even different sub-species. But he's not the only one who's intrigued by our hero's skill - some older students are trying to home-brew sake in their dorm, and are having lots of trouble. Given that they have no concept of cleanliness it's not surprising that their brews go sour, but their "cunning plan" to use Tadayasu's ability to harness the right kinds of yeasts and make a fortune off of their home-brew - doesn't quite work out as planned.

The microbes - visible to the reader in the form of very cute little cartoons, each type different - include those responsible for kimchee, for beer, for athlete's foot, and many other things good, bad, or neutral. In some scenes groups of them are competing for space or joyously deciding to party; in others they're fleeing the area - or dying, as when a germophobic character turns up and starts using disinfectant with abandon! [This leads to a chat about "good bacteria" vs. bad, but it doesn't seem to convince the lady.]

I learned about several new foodstuffs, each with an amazingly high, um, olfactory component, never mind the taste; while some of them made me a bit curious, I don't know that I'd be willing to seek them out, especially when one, a kind of fermented ray sashimi, is described as the second-smelliest fermented food product in the world ("14 times smellier than natto").

Not everything has to do with microbe-spotting - there's a very funny scene in which our hero takes part in some standard course-work at an agricultural school, involving palpating the ovaries of a cow - from the inside, of course. For a guy who can see germs with equanimity, he finds this hands-on task surprisingly upsetting!

All in all, the book seems to be mostly a loosely-connected series of lessons about microbes and their uses, with the lives of the characters being secondary to the how-yeast-works and why-you-shouldn't-overdo-antibacterial-sprays teachings. I found it an entertaining look at college life in general, and I liked what little we got to see of the main characters - and the little bugs are lots of fun.

[I don't know if you can tell, but the "stars" on the cover-pic flag are actually little yellow yeastie-beasties with happy smiles; so is this book quirky, or what? And for more amusing tidbits, check out the TV Tropes page for this series.]

I've been enjoying this series so much that I thought I'd offer this one for a bookray (see the forum thread here).

The book is a roughly 7 1/2" x 5 1/4" softcover that weighs about 14 ounces; I hope this will be useful when estimating postage costs. I'm willing to make it an international ray if I get enough participants who can mail internationally and cover all the necessary hops. [US participants can get postage estimates at the USPS site here.]

Please post a reply in the forum thread if you'd like to participate, and include any mailing restrictions or list-order preferences you may have.

Bookray instructions:

When you receive the book, please journal it, and PM the next person in line for their address so you'll have it ready when you've finished the book.

Note: even if you've sent books to that person before, please PM them before mailing this one, to confirm that the address is correct and that they're able to take on a bookray book at this time.

Try and read the book promptly - ideally, within one month of receiving it. (If you expect to take longer, you can request to be put at the end of the list. If you find you're swamped with other books when the person before you contacts you about the book, you can ask to be skipped, and then let me know whether you'd like to be moved down the list or dropped entirely. If you receive the book and find it's taking longer than you'd planned to get through it, I'd appreciate an update in its journal entries or on your profile, just to let me and the other participants know you haven't forgotten it.)

When you're ready to pass the book along, please add your comments about the book and indicate where you're sending it, either through a journal entry or through the controlled-release-note option using your country/state/city as the location. If you find that you're having problems contacting the next person in line, or don't think you can manage to mail the book as originally agreed, please let me know; I'll be glad to try to work something out.

Participants, in mailing order:

azuki - [FL/USA]
Aphrodine - [MI/USA] [no response to PMs]
k00kaburra - [CA/USA]
1010nabulation - [CA/USA]
Minerva101 - [Canada]
iiwi - [Netherlands]
sherlockfan [New Zealand]
salvami - [Ireland]

The book's on its way to BCer azuki in Florida, to kick off the bookray. Hope everyone enjoys it!

Looks like it's the manga month for me! Just mailed off a manga bookbox and two manga rings came in the mail!
Sounds really interesting. Will read it soon and pass it on.

I kind of feel that it's sort of lost opportunity. Such an intriguing idea, but I don't think the author has developed it to the best potential. It feels like the focus on microbes is competing with the story of the human beings, and both ends up a bit short.
Nonetheless, I enjoy reading this manga and love those little microbes. I want more of them.
I am waiting for the address of the next reader to send this on.

ETA: 3/11 - sent 2nd request for address.

ETA: 3/14 - sent request to k00kaburra.

ETA: 3/16 - mail to k00kaburra

Arrived today - can't wait to start it!

Review written for Fashionista Piranha Book Blog:

Tadayasu Sôemon Sawaki has just entered into an agricultural university. He can see microscopic creatures such as bacteria and fungi. First he met an oddball professor at the site of an underground fermentation project. Next, he crushed the ambitions of athlete's foot fungi hoping to establish an empire on his scary sempai's feet. He then discovered hiochi bacteria in the sake being bootlegged by some fat and bearded schoolmates. His offer to help Beardo and Fatso raise money with caterpillar fungus was met with enthusiasim. And that was just the first day, according to this summary of Moyasimon's plot taken from the beginning of chapter six.

Tadayasu can see bacteria with the naked eye, but to him they appear as little cartoon characters, which he can grab out of the air with his fingertips. Tadayasu rarely knows the scientific name of what he sees, but at a glance he can identify the difference between yogurt made in Japan and Europe because of the 'topknots' worn by Japanese yogurt culture. This makes him a highly valuable assistant to Professor Itsuki and his classmates...it seems like everyone's trying to take advantage of his weird little talent. Unfortunately, Tadayasu never seemed to develop much of a personality.

The scientific explanations of the bacteria and the needs of the story itself could have been blended more evenly. There's a lot of info-dropping regarding fermentation, bacteria strains, and general agriculture. It's interesting, but it's also a lot to take in. The characters aren't developed very much, so sometimes I would start glazing over a little during long-winded speeches about decomposition.

Ishikawa uses fewer screentones in his panels than many manga artists. Instead he relies on hatching and other manual shading techniques, giving his art a loser, sketchier quality. Character design varies greatly, too. main characters Tadayasu and Kei have the stereotypical big eyes and heart-shaped face popular in the genre. Other people, like Professor Itsuki, are even more cartoonish, drawn with thicker lines and simplified features.

If you're looking for something a little different, Moyasimon is one weird little manga. I learned a lot about fermented foods and the world's bacteria, two topics I would probably never research on my own volition, and was entertained in the process.

sent on to 1010nabulation!

Just wanted to say that I received this book a couple of days ago and it's next in my tbr pile. :) I'll finish it soon and pass it along!

Moyasimon Vol 1 was certainly an interesting manga, and quite unique. I learned a lot more about bacteria, fermentation, and decomposition than I ever would have had I not read it (and perhaps more than I really wanted to know! the seal... oh dear god the seal!). Overall I think I would have enjoyed it more if there had been more character development, but as others have mentioned the microbes certainly do steal the show.

Mailed to Minerva101 in Canada today! Hopefully it'll arrive there safe and sound soon!

This book arrived safely - thank you so much :)
I will journal again once I`ve read it and get it off to the Netherlands hopefully within the next week...

Yup- this is a weird little book and I totally enjoyed it. I loved the art work (the cute little microbes, the melting faces when the main character didn`t feel well, etc). The main part I will never recover from is the bizarre culinary tastes some people have ( the birds IN the seal, OMG, the birds and their liquified insides - yech! and the stingray - gawd!) Though I totally thought the fixation most college students have with alchohol apropo - funny the way this manga educates us on the fermentation process ;D
Thanks for sharing this GoryDetails! I have PM`d iiwi for her/his address, but haven't heard back yet - my two teen kids want to give this a go while I am waiting on the address. Perhaps I'll be able to wrangle a JE out of them :)

I got this book back from my kids ( my daughter has been doodling little microbes with faces since she read it) and they both thought the story
wasn`t that great(not enough action according to my son), but liked the little germs.....
Anyways, I popped it into the mail today for iiwi in the Netherlands. I posted it airmail so hopefully it won`t take too long to get there :)

It took 11 days apparently. :)

That's one of the more stranger books I've read in my lifetime. I couldn't even predict that a book about a boy seeing microbes would be like this. The fun little bacteria are the stars of the book. I had to laugh out loud about them, when the say 'yuk!' at a sanitary towel, or 'Let's brew!' I can imagine me drawing bacteria-faces for a long time after this. Actually, I would love to read the second volume if it comes on my path.

Now, who's next? Let's brew!

Arrived in the mail two of days ago but I had a J.D.Robb book crying out to be read first.
A prelimonary flick through makes it look as interesting as it sounded when I read the initial Forum entry that made me think I'd like to read it.
Have very fond memories of a book called "The Microbe Hunters" that was a favourite read when I was in my teens (more years ago than I like to think about) but I've never been able to track it down since. It was certainly in a more serious vein than this.
Thanks for sharing it GoryDetails - seems appropriate somehow.
Thanks to everyone who kept it moving along.
I'll send a pm to salvami so I have the address ready.

I'm ready to move this along now. What an interesting collection of hungry and eager microbes just waiting to gobble up anything that looks edible. The manga format does prevent too much of the grossness that would otherwise be apparent. Just as well we can't all see like that.
I've rated it an 8 comparing it solely with other manga books I've read rather than using my usual rating system of how I would recommend it comparing with other genre.
I really loved GoryDetails full JE. Can't compete with that so will simply say that I feel privileged to take part in this book ring - thanks to GD in particular and others who have participated.

Posting to Salvami today.

wow it's here in Ireland! Thank you, Sherlockfan for sending this interesting book to me :)

I love this book! I enjoy baking and my husband is interested in brewing, now I can see bacteria friendly and kind cute :D


---------------------------------------
Moyashimon is heading to the Netherlands now!

The book is here! Thanks a lot salvami for sending (and the Howl's Moving Castle film comic)! It was a very nice surprise as I had quite forgotten about it. This sounds very uhm.. interesting, looking forward to read it. :)

Edit Oct. 6th 2013: Wishlist tag, reserved for HI77. :)

This was a bit of an unusual read. I really liked it though, especially all the information on the different uses of the micro organisms to help produce certain foods and drinks, quite fascinating! (Not that I would ever want to try the kiviak or fermented ray..)
The drawings are nice, the characters look sort of drawn in different styles, and bacteria and fungi are very cute. There are quite a few humorous bits too.

Thanks for sharing the book GoryDetails! (and Salvami too :))
Soon it will continue its journey to HI77 (for a wishlist tag).

The book is now on its way to HI77 (wishlist tag). Happy reading!

A world that lounges

on the level of a nanoscope,
a strip tease in the spotlight of a petri dish.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The horse drawing was something Tsjara drew for me! I thought it was done so well that it deserved to be included with the journal entry, so I could share it with everyone!! Too bad I couldn't make it bigger, so you could see the detail! :D