Sometimes, a one shot (a single, standalone volume of manga) can cover all its bases in terms of adequate art, story and writing. It can work within the limitations of its length, and use conscision and minimalism, techniques neglected by longer series, to create a cohesive experience for its readers. This is the case with … Continue reading Review: Aosora
Showcase: Vérité Magazine
Within manga, the prolific work of the gekiga movement diversified the medium by bringing adult entertainment to the forefront of graphic novels. Identifying a need to separate from the dominant, childlike themes of mainstream manga, the gekiga discipline unionised cult followings attached to highly innovative pieces scattered along the fringes. Gradually, what was just an … Continue reading Showcase: Vérité Magazine
Review: That Miyoko Asagaya Feeling
The alternative manga movement, pioneered by the likes of Yoshihiro Tatsumi and Yoshiharu Tsuge, has produced some of my favourite manga of all time. Titles like A Drifting life and Screw style freely explore profound topics through autobiographical structures and surrealist imagery, deviating from the cartoony aesthetic comics were (and are still) driven by. While … Continue reading Review: That Miyoko Asagaya Feeling
Review: Dokudami Tenement Volume 1
When exploring the struggles of young adulthood, it’s often tinged with romanticism. The idea of slumming it out, living alongside financial and social constraints seems an enriching experience to a modern audience. Maybe its links with escapism assist in this positive portrayal, but you’d be hard pressed to find a work of manga in which … Continue reading Review: Dokudami Tenement Volume 1
Ryuko: Hard Crime
Story and art by Eldo Yoshimizu Published by Titan Comics (2019) Length: 2 Volumes Even the term “frenzy” wouldn’t suffice in describing the turbulence of Eldo Yoshimizu’s Ryuko. The first manga in Titan Comics’ “Hard Crime Series”, Yoshimizu’s tale of tragedy, betrayal and redemption is filled to the brim with abstract motion and unnerving violence. … Continue reading Ryuko: Hard Crime
Literature in Manga: The Poe Clan Volume
Story and art by Moto Hagio Published by Fantagraphics Books (2019) Length: 2 Volumes When reading manga, rarely do you find a title with writing resembling literature. The marriage between art and narrative requires a harmonious balance, which is often strained with the inclusion of dense, sophisticated passages. Moto Hagio’s The Poe Clan attempts to … Continue reading Literature in Manga: The Poe Clan Volume
The Enigma of Amigara Fault: Classics of Horror
Story and art by Junji Itou Originally publisher: Shogakukan Length: One Shot While horror has been a genre present throughout the history of manga, it was only with the rise of alternative/adult manga that a diverse range of titles aimed to terrify became prevalent in the mainstream. Contemporary authors like Kazuo Umezu (The Drifting Classroom) … Continue reading The Enigma of Amigara Fault: Classics of Horror
