Moyoco Anno is one of the most significant female manga-ka out there today, delivering hit after hit for an older female demographic, as well as a significant hit state-side for younger audiences in "Sugar Sugar Rune." She is married to Hideaki Anno, who is arguably the most important living anime director, having crafted not only the classics "GunBuster" and "Nadia," but the monolithic piece which redefined anime as we know it, "Neon Genesis Evangelion." As Moyoco was not an otaku before marrying Hideaki in 2002, she slowly found herself being sucked into his lifestyle, just as he found himself becoming more accustomed to "normal" life. Drawn in a very loose, silly style, "Insufficient Direction" tells their story in a very intimate, entertaining way, even if some of the humor is lost in translation.
"Rompers" (Moyoco's baby-esque caricature of herself) is a successful manga-ka who finds herself getting married to "Director-kun" (a pot-bellied version of Hideaki,) and in the process gets thrown into a culture clash of sorts. Her husband's introverted, obsessive nature becomes painfully aware as he plans living spaces around his figurine collection, or forgets to bathe for days at a time while continuing to wear the same clothes. On the same token, she gets reminded of her past passion for tokusatsu and old-school mech anime. Both of them go through their day to day life, taking care of each other when they get sick, looking for houses, going on vacation, and other things.
That description doesn't belay how downright inaccessible to a mainstream Western audience "Insufficient Direction" is at its very core, though. Every page is chock full of oblique anime references, and the assumption that the reader is versed not only in Japanese language and culture, but in otaku culture as well. But the term "otaku" doesn't apply to just anime and manga here; true to its meaning, the word is applied to Director-kun's enthusiasm for tokusatsu and even different types of trains. Vertical was very, very wise in including an extensive glossary with this release, as even though I was able to catch on to a healthy amount of references here, most will need some context for what takes place here.
On top of the core manga, which is very sincere and sweet, not to mention funny, there's a fascinating short essay by Hideaki Anno himself, musing on the book, his wife, and otaku culture as a whole. It is this essay that's almost worth the entire asking price of the book for "Evangelion" fans, as it is deeply informative and intriguing. His love for his wife, as well as his past struggles with depression and addictive tendencies, not to mention his no-holds-barred opinion on the problematic otaku culture, comes through clearly here. For a man that helped shape the industry as we know it today, Anno rarely makes a lot of public proclamations, and to hear his thoughts straight from the horse's mouth is something very special.
"Insufficient Direction" can be confusing at times, but ultimately, it's well worth reading. Very few manga of this nature get translated, let alone published by a major company like Vertical. Moyoco Anno's love for her husband and for her life in general comes through in this very intimate work, and for any "Evangelion" fan, or those interested in Japanese pop culture, it's a must-read. If you don't know much or don't care about those two things, well, this may not be the book for you. But then, it wasn't made for you, anyway.
Grade: B
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