really funny "instructional" book on how to write and draw manga. it basically serves as a way for the artists to vent about the manga industry. this might be a good intro to current popular manga culture with a few historical references on the way. i wouldn't know since all i know about manga is from this book.
mostly tho, it's just a funny book about how ideas in commercial art are copied a regurgitated over and over. one highlight is "Panty Evolution" -- a lineage of how panties are drawn in manga over the years:
Java Panty: Now, notice how the pubic portion of the panty is layered, as indicated by a single line. And this one line shattered all previous symbolism vis-a-vis pantyflashing. Eros...That's right. Panties became a turn-on. This one line was no less revolutionary than the first time monkeys used bones as tools! ... Cro-Magnon Panty: Th-then these wrinkles appeared! Tatsuo Kanai must have put his heart -- no -- his love into this design! It was the peak of panty expression.
most of the book they look at how the different genres evolve over the decades. i found most of it really funny.