Monochrome Factor
Nov. 9th, 2009 07:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mllelaurelI've just finished all the scanlations available on Manga Fox, and now there isn't any more. Wiiiiiibble! I wish I was fluent enough in Japanese that I could go after the raws, but at this point, I've forgotten most of what I did know, and that wasn't much to start with.
I picked up this manga onbranchandroot's recommendations, and blew through it in less than three days. She describes it better than I could, so here's her entry: http://branchandroot.dreamwidth.org/906104.html
Why do I love it so? Let's start with the characters.
I think Aya's my favorite.branchandroot described her as 'non-token' and I think that nails it. Aya's very clearly a girl, but she's soooo not The Chick. She kicks ass, she takes names - and when she's frightened or confused, she's allowed it. With most female characters in manga, the second they show a moment of weakness, it's over for them. They've undergone irreversible Chickification. But Aya's allowed to be awesome and kickass, and girly in her own way. And if you have a problem with her being terrified of ghosts, she'd tell you to kiss her ass. Basically, she's allowed the dignity and diversity of character normally reserved only for the guys.
Also, the crush Lulu develops on her is adorable, especially after the previous antagonism between them before.
The fact that the anime apparently wimpifies Aya makes me flat-out boycott it on principle.
There's Akira, the protagonist, who's so teenage boy it hurts. He can be both annoying and wonderful in that very adolescent way. His scuffles with his best friend, Kengo, remind me a bit of Ban and Ginji in Get Backers, though I often found myself wishing Kengo would take a page out of Ginji's book and fold less, giving back as good as he got.
There's something weird - and very likely traumatic for the poor dude - going on with Kengo, but we don't know the whole of it yet.
Then, there's Shirogane. Oh hai thar, you manipulative-but-ultimately-benevolent (so far as we know) smiley man of doom. How you doin'?
And then, there's Kou. Oh, Kou. He seems like the stereotypical shounen manga perverted older guy, at first. ...For a couple of pages, before we learn of his devotion to his fallen king, the certainty that he'd failed him, the need to atone and protect Akira, the king's current incarnation. It took me record time to give up and fall in love with Kouand his bondage gear. (And really, it's hard not to read wonderfully loving kinky subtext between Kou and Ryuko, his king. The fact that Lulu refers to Kou as 'Ryuko's puppy' does not hurt.)
Oh, yes, and there's plot. I like the plot. Sorano's very good at maintaining pace and tension, so that you have to turn the page and find out what happens next. (This short endorsement isn't a backhanded compliment, incidentally. I'm just bad at talking about plot.)
It's worth mentioning that the scanlators have included some 'gag reel' translations, some of which I find in entirely bad taste, but that really shouldn't be held against the mangaka.
Seriously? Read it! Just be aware that it's coming out at a fairly slow pace. Even so, I think it's worth it.
I picked up this manga on
branchandroot's recommendations, and blew through it in less than three days. She describes it better than I could, so here's her entry: http://branchandroot.dreamwidth.org/906104.htmlWhy do I love it so? Let's start with the characters.
I think Aya's my favorite.
branchandroot described her as 'non-token' and I think that nails it. Aya's very clearly a girl, but she's soooo not The Chick. She kicks ass, she takes names - and when she's frightened or confused, she's allowed it. With most female characters in manga, the second they show a moment of weakness, it's over for them. They've undergone irreversible Chickification. But Aya's allowed to be awesome and kickass, and girly in her own way. And if you have a problem with her being terrified of ghosts, she'd tell you to kiss her ass. Basically, she's allowed the dignity and diversity of character normally reserved only for the guys. Also, the crush Lulu develops on her is adorable, especially after the previous antagonism between them before.
The fact that the anime apparently wimpifies Aya makes me flat-out boycott it on principle.
There's Akira, the protagonist, who's so teenage boy it hurts. He can be both annoying and wonderful in that very adolescent way. His scuffles with his best friend, Kengo, remind me a bit of Ban and Ginji in Get Backers, though I often found myself wishing Kengo would take a page out of Ginji's book and fold less, giving back as good as he got.
There's something weird - and very likely traumatic for the poor dude - going on with Kengo, but we don't know the whole of it yet.
Then, there's Shirogane. Oh hai thar, you manipulative-but-ultimately-benevolent (so far as we know) smiley man of doom. How you doin'?
And then, there's Kou. Oh, Kou. He seems like the stereotypical shounen manga perverted older guy, at first. ...For a couple of pages, before we learn of his devotion to his fallen king, the certainty that he'd failed him, the need to atone and protect Akira, the king's current incarnation. It took me record time to give up and fall in love with Kou
Oh, yes, and there's plot. I like the plot. Sorano's very good at maintaining pace and tension, so that you have to turn the page and find out what happens next. (This short endorsement isn't a backhanded compliment, incidentally. I'm just bad at talking about plot.)
It's worth mentioning that the scanlators have included some 'gag reel' translations, some of which I find in entirely bad taste, but that really shouldn't be held against the mangaka.
Seriously? Read it! Just be aware that it's coming out at a fairly slow pace. Even so, I think it's worth it.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-10 04:05 pm (UTC)Ooh, note to self!