Sometime ago I did my first look at Realbuzz Studios, this week let’s take a closer look at their first launch title (Serenity). Originally a six volume series (now carried onwards with it’s second series “Life! Camera! Action!” which launches in Late February) the series is about a girl looking for that elusive happy ending, good luck. Before we go into that, though, let’s talk abit about the official site for Serenity (where I sought information on contacting Realbuzz as well as info on the series itself).
Here’s a few notable things about my visit to the site.

1-I signed up for the Serenity newsletter, which will be supplying my blog (AmeriManga Times) with weekly newsbits about Realbuzz… hopefully.

2-Realbuzz already did something right right off the bat. Emulating TOKYOPOP’s successful line of affordable mangas, Realbuzz brings out a line of affordably priced titles at about 96 or so pages a pop at $5 a pop, meaning these will rate well on my list of titles that come in at an affordable pocket pleasing price. Not bad for a first launch out if I do say so myself.

3-Umm… however, and this is something you better know right off the bat before you think about sinking any major investment into this company… remember how I said this was the first Christian themed religious manga company (at least for the 21st Century that I know of, though there could be more that were out in the past or present that I totally missed)? Well they play this to the hilt as you are about to see, not only in the six volume run of Serenity (which will carry into Life! Camera! Action!) but in the site itself as the official Serenity site has an entire section devoted entirely… to prayer requests.

By the by, just curious and all, but do you think it’ll be considered evil if I pray that Realbuzz Studios recongizes my presence and e-mails me soon? That sounds evil, doesn’t it… sorry I asked.

But since this is a preview of the series let’s take a look at the meat and potatoes of the first gen launch title of Realbuzz, it’s opening shot into the franchise of manga… Serenity.

Volume 1
Meet Serenity, a lonely teen from a broken family (somehow it just had to be a “broken” family) who just wants to be accepted--but who tends to lash out at others with anger and obnoxious sarcasm (ya‘ kinda get that way when your “lonely“ and from a “broken“ family I suppose, that and it totally opens the door for the crux of the plot as you‘re about to find out).
Anyway Serenity has just checked on into her new school, and (surprise surprise) the school’s local Christian prayer group has decided to adopt Serenity as a "project", “pet project” maybe, showing her friendship and love, but finding her to be a challenge since she is abit on the hard shell jaded side of existence (hence the whole “let’s make her our project” attitude).

Realbuzz proclaims that the title is “Sharply illustrated in full color“… and you know what? It is nicely illustrated from what I‘ve seen so far, so I have no qualms over that pitch for the title. However the title also portrays itself as having “realistic storylines and dialogue“… yeah, well I‘ll be the judge of that one. Why? Well for one thing it proclaims to have “realisitic storylines and dialogue“ and seconds later proclaims it‘s packing “a solid biblical message with tween and teen girls“.

In theory this shouldn’t be hard to pull off, and done right it should be able to pack both realism and an uplifting message that shouldn’t sport a dumbed down storyline or an overtly religious viewpoint that only seems to pander to the one side of the scale… and yet somehow there’s a wide chasm between “skillfully balanced well written uplifting hope bringer” and “oh dear goddess what a religious panderfest!”
I’m hoping for well balanced uplifting hope bringer… I hope. Cross my fingers on this one and hope for the best from Realbuzz… speaking of which…

Serenity Volume 2
The lonely teen with the blue hair (That’d be Serenity… huh? Is she STILL lonely? And what’s with the blue hair?!?) is slowly warming up to the Christian kids who've made her their "project" (faster, girl, faster, they won‘t bite you… unless you‘re a lesbian then run away). . .but when Serenity wrecks Kimberly's car and refuses to take responsibility, the prayer club decides some "tough love" is in order.

Tough love? Wow… they’re being really kind to her aren’t they after that display of Grand Theft Auto : Serenity. Anyway can Serenity understand that their actions are really for her own good (we hope so).
This issue promises a “compelling storyline”… promise me not, show me the story. Oh, and it once again promises “realistic dialogue” countered with “a solid biblical message for today’s reader”.

You know what? The only reason you repeat the same promises over and over again is if you are a tad bit insecure about the product your pushing. Rewrite these promos, Realbuzz, and put the part about “realisitic dialogue” and “a solid biblical message” in the intro ONLY! Repeating it over and over again makes it sound as if you are uncertain of the strength of your own writing!

Serenity Volume 3
The prayer club's pet project (Sit, Serenity! Roll over! Play martyr!) is at her irresponsible best (or worst after that incident with the car), belittling a health class assignment that makes teens care for chicken eggs 24/7 to simulate the work a baby requires… what? Chicken eggs?! Hah! In Hawaii we have our health classes take care of more substantial things as babies! Sacks of flour! Far larger than a chicken egg and more around the weight of an actual baby! Take that Mainland USA Health Classes!! (If poi wasn’t so darned scarce and expensive we’d have them raise poi babies!)

What was I… oh, right, Serenity. Anyway chicken eggs (and the best recipe for omelet post grading) pales in comparision to the situation she’s suddenly thrust into when an overwhelming responsibility falls into Serenity's lap! So, when the chips are down who can she turn to for help… certainly not the members of her own prayer club who she's made fun of (since they do seem to have a wee bit of a problem with that whole turn the cheek mentality)… how about God? Oh… wait… too busy (and she still has her whole problems with her own faith thing to muddle through). Well… she‘s screwed.
This volume’s promise is that “Tween and teen girls will love the continuing spiritual soap opera of Serenity.”… oh-kay. I’ll just have to, you know, take your word for it. Still have to review the title.

Serenity Volume 4
According to Realbuzz “Kids love Japanese-style graphic novels, so give them America's premier inspirational manga with Serenity“… uh… right. There really isn’t an explanation as to WHY kids love manga but… well… whatever. I think I did an article on that already once so I’ll leave it at that.

Serenity begins to share her soul with her prayer club friends (and it only took, what, FOUR volumes to get her on the team?!?)-and is angered to find that, while they say they love Serenity, they don't always like her… come on, that’s like every other social gathering you’ll ever go into. Sure they’re Christian Prayer Club members, but they’re also human, give them a break if certain members (I‘m guessing Kimberly being one of them) isn‘t entirely enchanted with you (after what you did) Serenity! Go figure.

The teen with the blue hair (always with the blue hair) and attitude decides she has to take her frustrations out somewhere, or to someone, and thus decides to takes her frustrations to God (God promptly sends condolenscenes and locks the gates of Heaven), but soon decides He isn't listening. . . (“he” is kinda busy right now, girl, leave a message with Saint Peter and he’ll get back to you… after world peace is realized) until a surprise ending makes Serenity think there may be more to prayer than she realizes.

Be afraid. The moment a title promises a “surprise ending” you have to wonder what the heck is going to happen that might be considered a “surprise ending”. The title has gone so far up until now weaving a hopefully believable premise that, well, if the story suddenly takes a “Touched By An Angel” slash “Highway to Heaven” slant at the end of this volume it will be as if the title suddenly threw away all it’s cred up until now to give you a “happy ending” that really shouldn’t have been. But I digress, we don’t know what happens so we can’t praise or condemn it until we know… knowledge is still power, and a certain MARVEL Editor will complain if I complain too much about something I haven’t witnessed yet firsthand so let’s move on.

This volume’s promise is that this was “Written especially for tween and teen girls“… which is true because the entire series is geared towards “tweens“ (whatever a tween is) and teen girls… so how is that different than the last three volumes I talked about so far?
Also the title promises that “Serenity explores some of life's deepest issues in a lighthearted, appealing way.”… just don’t suck the atmosphere out of the title with un unbelievable ending please.

Serenity Volume 5
There’s no business like snow business, unless you’re presently suffering from the adverse affects of cold weather that is raging across the United States presently, then you’re sick of snow. Well, if you are not yet sick of the white stuff that falls from the sky (and sometimes from mountains in events called “avalanches”) then you’re ready for Serenity Volume 5. Serenity sees a Prayer Club ski trip as another opportunity to drive a wedge between Derek and Kimberly… yeah, I don‘t know who Derek and Kimberly is either, guess we would have met them in earlier volumes… waitaminute… (rechecking earlier volumes)… oh, of course! Kimberly is the person whose car Serenity trashed back in Volume 2! Now I totally remember who she is… in a not too convincing sidebar note that I remember her name from my look at Volume 2.

Yeah, I don’t think she’s going to get much luck in that dept though as, while “hot-dogging” on the slopes, Serenity pulls an Arnold Schwarzenegger and takes a major tumble, breaking her leg and seriously bruising her ego (I don‘t think Schwarzenegger was roughed up so badly when he took his tumble though). Anyway now that Serenity is down and out who's going to care for her wounds-both physical and spiritual? Guess that is going to set the stage for her not stalking Kevin/Kimberly anymore.

I won’t tell you that Realbuzz assures you that this is “Written especially for tween and teen girls“, mostly since that’s the target audience and go figure. However another promise is that “Serenity shows how God's love can change hearts and make the world a better place.”… well, how about the love of someone in the prayer club which finally gets Serenity a real boyfriend who she doesn’t have to pry out of the arms of another prayer club member (aka Kimberly)? That’s love too.

Serenity Volume 6
Well whattya know? The power of the writers won’t heal Serenity between volumes!
Serenity is still down and out after her misadventure last volume injures her leg (setting it into a cast), which is not a good thing becaue the power has just gone out and Serenity is bored out of her mind… you’d be too if you were disabled by a fall, there was no power and -- well -- you’re one of the living.
Sadly this final volume of the series is mostly a gimmick to get Serenity to pick up the bible she was issued by her prayer club member pals at the start of the series, where she suddenly is prompted to manga-ize the bible’s major events for you to see… sad, but true, the end of Serenity had to be a gimmicky bible issue.

Pray for her bible study pals though, because before too long Serenity is stalking them with spiritual questions as it looks like Serenity may finally be ready to totally be one with her friends and join the gang fully for the first time in the series. Guess that makes sense since, in the sequel Life! Camera! Action!, she is a full fledged member of the team when they start their independent film project.

I am still disappointed that this issue uses a gimmicky premise to finally get Serenity onboard, but hopefully I find the way it is played out works better than the way it is described in text.

Well, the series is… I guess near it’s end as we open up three new titles of the franchise’s first gen titles. How long Life! Camera! Action! will run is anyone’s guess, but if this is any indication of how it’ll be received… well… there’s abit of concern here but I’m hoping we’ll see solid scores once the titles start to get reviewed. But that is a question for the future as I look forward to seeing what comes next.
Now if only Realbuzz would finally contact me already!