a uniquely nostalgic atmosphere comes across really well; the kind that reminds you of your own childhood and all of the things that felt endlessly important at the time (and things that you don’t really think about anymore). I’ve always liked passion as a theme in storytelling, it feels universally relatable and I feel especially tugs at my heartstrings when portrayed in children. For that reason, I think the “childlike” problems in this story suddenly become just as endlessly important to the reader as it is to the characters themselves. A part of a successful story, in my opinion, connects with its readers in that way. I might also have a bit of a soft spot for things that make me nostalgic of childhood, lol
relatively boring concept of revenge and infidelity is turned into something surprisingly interesting and captivating. I feel like there’s something very natural about the thought processes and patterns of the characters, and though it makes some of them unlikeable, it’s a lot more realistic than clear-cut boundaries of morality (that is to say, morally gray characters are much more interesting than black or white ones). I find revenge to be an uninspired basis for a story, because authors rarely define a logical pattern that leads characters to revenge - but I can’t really say the same in this case. The interpersonal impacts that the characters have on one another make for a very compelling and believable desire for revenge. It can be a little far-fetched, but it’s ultimately very understandable (though not commendable, lmao). It goes to show how boring concepts can be elevated by commitment to realism and developing the psychologies of its characters. Though not a great symbol, I like how Mina’s script foreshadows the events to come and how it implies the different ways that the ending of the story might play out. There are a lot of great qualities in the narrative that make it surprisingly good storytelling.
uniquely melancholic atmosphere that isn’t overloaded with cliche. I love the comic-book style inspiration and pop art colours, there’s a really masterful use of lighting and composition that adds to the storytelling even when there’s no dialogue. There’s a very cool contrast between the flashy colours and the story itself. I normally find 3D backgrounds very obvious and unappealing, but there’s clearly nothing lazy about this story, so I find that it (literally) fades into the background. I love the dialogue and its interpretative qualities. Ultimately, a lot of these types of stories end up as pornography with surface-level embellishments, but I don’t get that feeling from this at all. There’s a genuine desire to tell a good story, develop characters, and create a very visually compelling experience. I’m not very interested in Jo as a character at this point, but there’s a lot of potential for him to become significant in a way that isn’t just ‘the other woman,’ lmao. There’s obviously a lot more to the story, so I’m looking forward to his development into something a little more than what is (relatively) a flat character.
so pretty! I don’t have much to say about the characters or plot, they’re not bad, just relatively typical and two-dimensional. I can appreciate the commitment to aesthetics, though. Almost every single panel clearly has a lot of time and care put into it, and makes a very visually appealing story. Seeing as this is marked as ongoing, I’m assuming there’s potential for further development that can make the direction it’s taking a little more interesting. I find that I’m a lot more forgiving towards mediocre plots if they have pretty women in them…
a version of Sherlock Holmes I can get behind. It’s a little fast-paced and predictable, but I don’t really mind. I’m hung up on the nickname Pieta, which means pity/compassion. I’m hoping there’s going to be some sort of reference to La Pietà by Michelangelo, maybe by the end when/if one of them dies. I feel like it would be more interesting if Transi is the “Mary” by the end, it would make a nice parallel and really well written execution of the ending. Just speculation, but I’d be so disappointed if that isn’t how it ends, lol
I normally find metacommentary to be redundant, but I feel like this is a refreshing way to point out overuse of cliches. It’s pretty funny and manages to comment on how ridiculous some plotlines can be, without taking itself too seriously.
reminds me of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I’m grateful it took a different direction, I’ve always liked the idea of a creator that loves his monster more than a creator that hates it. The ending is sad, but the parallel between this story’s and Frankenstein’s is too good for me not to be appreciative. I love how you get to experience the unwilling death of a ‘monster’ whose creator loves him, and the willing death of a monster whose creator hates him. Alternatively, Victor dies of illness and Mamiya appears to kill himself (if I interpreted it correctly). I like the comparison and the contrast, the story is really attentively written and you can really appreciate the development of its characters. I’m not sure if it was inspired by Frankenstein, but I’d be completely shocked if it wasn’t, lmao
It’s good, but there isn’t really a major conflict resolution. I feel like it would’ve really benefited from something to add a little bit more depth and development for both characters, cause by the end I just found myself a little bored and surprised that was all. Of course, there isn’t anything wrong with it per se, I just think it could use something to make the plot a little more interesting.
It’s so charming and deeply romantic I find it hard to criticize it for anything. I like that there is effort into all the right places - the attention to historical fashion, architecture, and interior design makes every scene that much more interesting. I also like how many characters that aren’t the main couple look very different from each other and aren’t the same carbon copy mob characters, yan chu’s father actually resembles an older person and I really like the way he’s designed. I think the chemistry between the main characters is definitely there and comes across really well, developing feelings feel so natural and really warms your heart instead of happening all at once. Have a lot of respect for the author and this work which clearly has a lot of time and care put into it
I’m not entirely sure why so many manga about high-school kids refuse to make their characters actually look like kids, but whatever. Apart from finding it hard to believe the protagonist isn’t in his (late) 20s, it’s fine. I like the art, and even though I don’t find the plot very compelling, it’s not something I’d necessarily call bad. I just find it uninteresting and doesn’t have anything that makes me care enough about the characters to keep reading. My complaint about characters in high-school not looking their age isn’t really specific to this manga, I just find it funny that a student is supposedly in peak physical form you’d see in a bodybuilder. Though it IS possible, I think it’s extremely uncommon, which is why I start getting bored when so many mangas about students have these absolutely jacked protagonists
not entirely specific to this manga, but I’m so sick of women being used as plot devices and possible sources of conflict in these type of romances. I can’t imagine feeling sympathetic for someone marrying a woman he doesn’t love entirely. A lot of romances between men can perpetuate some crazy misogynistic ideals. This is just me overthinking it because I’m certain the author didn’t intend anything beyond a conflict in the plot, but man. Justice for women in mlm mangas everywhere
To be honest, I don’t like it. The storytelling is fine, the pacing is pretty good, and I like chang-il as a character. It can be funny at some points, which I find out of place, because the plot is horrific. There is absolutely nothing appealing to me reading about a prostitute that hates his life - if that were the author’s intention (that is, showing the reality of being forced into prostitution), then I feel like this shouldn’t have elements of romance or humour at all. I think that if it were supposed to be a more serious-themed story, then the parts that are more “lighthearted” are out of place and diminishes it as a whole. I also don’t like romances where the relationship is sexual before it is romantic, and I especially don’t like it because chang-il says extremely often that he only likes women. For that reason the “developing relationship” feels unnatural to me, and I grow weary of seeing chang-il get assaulted every other chapter. I dropped it at the end of s1, so I’m unsure if my criticisms hold up afterwards; in any case, I’m disappointed in how the plot was executed. I find no enjoyment in watching a character I like be miserable with no resolution, and I resent the idea that the author suggests a romance would fix everything. That’s just my opinion, I won’t be reading any further but I hope for the sake of everyone else who will keep up with it that it gets better
I think it has the potential to live up to steel ball run, which is already a bold claim, but some of araki’s biggest successes were those with a physical journey involved. stardust crusaders, golden wind, and steel ball run are probably the best parts, both thematically and the way they were written - I personally find that I’m not as invested in the parts that take place in virtually one spot, such as morioh or the green dolphin prison. Though the theme of steel ball run is pretty much unmatched and I doubt there’s going to be something even better, I can see jojolands outshining the other parts that have a lack of diversity in setting already. The premise is already interesting and I’m looking forward to see more of Hawaii through this manga :)
really a rare find - it’s such a well written and beautiful story. It’s difficult to create believable characters while taking into consideration their flaws and past, as well as how it affects their words/actions. I feel like the author does this masterfully; Joe’s character isn’t exactly likeable to me, but she’s incredibly realistic and I find it hard to find fault in that. I may not like her personality all that much, but I understand how it’s shaped by her insecurities and past, and that’s really successfully shown and developed throughout the story. It’s heartfelt and hits close to home - the theme of a woman’s struggle in any industry, wanting to live up to a legacy, desperation for acknowledgment, it’s all very human. The artistic choices contribute really well to an already great storytelling. I love the attention to the psychology and internal struggles of the characters. It’s always nice to read something that clearly holds a lot of value to its author, and is made with such care.
I find it a little strange that so many people are complaining about Mamiya’s receding hairline. He is such a complex and dimensional character, really unique compared to the carbon copies of leads in stories nowadays - which are all based on one out of a handful of cliches and stereotypes. It’s not like his personality is entirely revolutionary, but it’s different. It’s generally disappointing to see so many people ignore how interesting he is just to complain about what he looks like. The plot is interesting, the atmosphere also feels new and it’s a cool combination of an unsettling sense of “wrongness” with a slice-of-life. I actually like that Mamiya doesn’t look like a perfect pretty anime boy, his character becomes a lot more believable that way. It’s kind of ridiculous and shallow to want him to look like a teenager, and does a disservice to him and the story itself. If you prefer to read about two perfectly attractive dudes in a relationship, it’s whatever and that’s your preference. I just feel like people aren’t acknowledging what’s actually good about the story, and how his appearance suits his character. To each their own!
The story is cute, the characters and dialogue are sweet. I find the plot itself is unsuited for the art style, however. I feel like all the women look like children, or at the very least underage - I don’t get the sense of maturity from people that look like schoolgirls, especially since in the past they look exactly the same (except for different hairstyles). For that reason the sexual aspect makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I totally understand that’s the authors art style, but I feel there’s a certain difference between having cutesy adult characters and adult characters that just look like children. I like it apart from that, but don’t think I’ll be able to look past the things I don’t like so much.
There are a lot of good things about it; I’m a personal fan of the theme, I like the fact that Calahan’s character design matches the type of person he’s supposed to embody. There’s often a lack of diversity in romances that include men, and it gets extremely old to see the same beardless pretty face over and over again - which is why I liked the novelty (the bar is low). There’s respect for and commitment to the setting, I feel like the “Wild West” atmosphere comes across well. The concept is pretty cool too, but I eventually find that I don’t like the romance well enough. I personally never seem to find a sexual relationship before a romantic one to be all that interesting. Sex that is just a product of physical attraction between two people doesn’t feel that special in a story that’s supposed to be more than that, if the sex is just a precursor to a romantic development. I might come across as old-fashioned or pearl-clutching but I just didn’t like how quickly the relationship developed. I don’t feel chemistry between the two all that much, either. I would’ve liked it a lot more if it were slower paced and developed the characters a little more as individuals before introducing a more personal relationship between them. The theme and the way it’s executed is still cool, though. I’m reminded a little bit of Steel Ball Run, which I like. I’m just not that interested in the romantic/sexual aspect between the characters as much as I am the characters themselves. It’s definitely not bad at all though.
it really took me several years of reading manga that made me realize there is such an aversion towards depicting the female experience. It took me aback to see the word period be mentioned, because I realized that a woman’s period had pretty much never been mentioned in all of the romances I’ve ever read. The only thing I can think of was in Berserk, which isn’t even a romance. There’s something so deeply misogynistic about the depiction of women across all genres, and I was just pleasantly surprised to see something so commonplace and normal being spoken of in a casual way. It’s a weird thing to be happy about, but I can’t believe it took me so long to realize how stigmatized a woman’s bodily functions are (so much so that they’re not even mentioned in mangas with female lead characters). I actually really like this, it’s heartwarming and I rarely see women get this kind of depth and development in fiction, even in yuri. Something so simple as a period makes me feel closer to these characters, seeing them as real individuals instead of the fantasized cute girl trope propagated throughout every romance.
There are just so many things that make it cliche, too convenient, or just uncomfortable. I find it hard to view their relationship as anything but familial, the characters lack a lot of depth apart from some trauma, and being fifteen years over the age of someone you practically raised and not completely shutting them down feels morally wrong. There are small things that make the story unnatural, I thought it was weird for se-hee to be too busy with work to attend her close friend’s grandma’s funeral (?), but that’s really just nitpicking. Overall it just feels fundamentally off; I don’t like the age gap, the characters seem very flat to me, and the plot is uninteresting to me. Just my two cents, I’d love to hear the opinion of anyone who disagrees and why.
I thought the art style was too simple and lacked effort at first, but the story itself is much more complex than I could’ve imagined. There’s so much focus on psychology and the effects of physical and mental illness that the characters feel very unique and well rounded. They each have their own ideologies and I like how that can be a source of conflict apart from external reasons. I ultimately don’t care about the result of the romance, I’m just looking forward to all the interesting developments in character and personality. I’m curious about the plot as well, I find it hard to imagine everybody can be saved after all.