18 Jul 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Monster]
Tenma's journey enters its third instalment as the trail left by Johan takes him to Verden, the old East Berlin and idyllic villages in the German countryside. More fascinating supporting characters are added and a few details surrounding Johan's past are revealed. The most chilling clue of all is that of the orphanage where he was raised: 511 Kinderheim.
I remember seeing this story unfold for the first time on fansub but even now the sense of evil and foreboding that hangs over 511 Kinderheim still gives me the chills. It is amazing to think that, with all the supernatural types of horror and shocker around these days, realistic human tragedy and exploitation make for the most unsettling entertainment of all. The phrase 'human experimentation' and other stories surrounding this place only hint at the cruelty and suffering that the children must have endured, yet Urasawa's storytelling delivers by what it doesn't show as much as by what it does. In one particularly frightening showdown, Johan is described as a 'monster': not by someone who is terrified of him (as everyone who has seen his true colours invariably are) but someone who is in awe of what he has become.
The question of "Are monsters born or created?" is asked once again, with some semblance of an answer beginning to emerge; only when we learn more about Johan's past will we get a clear answer however. The inner battle that Tenma himself is experiencing is also portrayed very effectively: as he continues his search that he intends to end with a cold-blooded murder, he saves lives and helps others in need. Quite a paradox, which is not lost on the story and the people who meet him; it is the succession of complex ethical questioning as well as the chiller/thriller aspect that has made me so hooked on
Monster. Stirring stuff indeed.
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07 Jul 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Lament of the Lamb]
Kazuna's life becomes progressively more miserable as the focus of the story shifts a little towards the situation of his sister Chizuna. The slightly, well, unsettling vibes that were lurking below the surface are much more obvious now: Chizuna is one troubled lass and no mistake.
I don't just mean the life-threatening illness that she is suffering from: the feelings she shows towards her brother are really quite unsettling. He's obviously a replacement for the affection she lost after their father died, even though he saw so much of his late wife in his daughter. I'm reluctant to use the term 'incestuous overtones' again in case it puts you off reading further (or reading the manga itself) but that's what is portrayed here. Fortunately it's not thrown in for shock value: the, how should I put it?, 'unhealthy closeness' Chizuna and Kazuna feel is perfectly in context with the story and can be justified by their circumstances. Sure, it's bizarre and evokes feelings of unease that I can't put into words but Kei Toume has built up a background for his characters that make such themes work in favour of the plot rather than against it.
Kazuna's increasing withdrawal from his normal life is shown to great and painful effect through some emotional exchanges with his classmate Kinoshita. In order to protect his would-be romantic interest Yaegashi from his potentially dangerous attacks, he's avoiding her which hurts her deeply but makes her all the more intent on meeting him. This situation was explored in the last volume and explored well so I'll leave that for now and concentrate on another new development: Chizuna's condition.
In addition to having decidedly mixed feelings about her younger brother, Chizuna's emotional and physical state is cause for concern for Minase who seems powerless to give her the comfort and treatment that she so desparately needs. We learn some more details about his relationship with Chizuna as well as the more general background to the Takashiro family.
Highly unusual emotional ties aside, this volume provides well-written drama and the unusual approach to the vampire myth: instead of the horror aspects, it focuses on the effects of the sufferers' condition on those around them. In
Lament of the Lamb it's not a supernatural gift or curse but a very real and tangible physical condition and portrays the results accordingly. This volume rates highly on the angst-ometer scale and has some gritty artwork to match but crucially it gives a very human take on how a painful and life-threatening illness affects ordinary human lives. As both a manga story and a vampire tale,
Lament of the Lamb makes for a very different and very interesting read.
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01 Jul 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Monster]
The second volume of
Monster introduces more of the series' immensely varied supporting cast, most notably Johan's twin sister.The story shifts to the town of Heidelberg, where Tenma is convinced that Johan is trying to contact her. She turns out to be a bright young law student who has grown up as Nina Fortner, living with adoptive parents and unaware of her past.
It is clear very early on that behind the outward appearances of normality Nina feels the effects of the severe trauma that happened years previously: she is seeking counselling for terrifying nightmares and even a seemingly innocent lecture concerning certain criminal case studies brings about unpleasant flashbacks. For all this, Nina is a pleasant, intelligent and engaging character who is very unlike the calculating, psychopathic twin brother that she can scarcely remember. Considering the significance she has later on, Nina's character is introduced very well and the reader can quickly build an impression of what sort of person she is.
Johan's mechanations behind the scenes are also evident, as we see the extent of his influence on the actions of those around him. It appears that he can manipulate other people as he sees fit: not even the police are immune from his mysteriously persuasive nature. What is not at all clear however is the larger plan that he has in store. Like a skilled chess player, seemingly random moves on Johan's part give no indication on the big picture beyond the fact that he is both evil to the core and frighteningly adept at everything he does.
Following Johan as always is Tenma, who will need every ounce of the determination he shows in this volume in order to get closer to the truth. Lunge is following him with an equal amount of tenacity, his conviction of Tenma's alleged guilt blinding him to any other possible explantations for the strange events that are unfolding. Urasawa once again shows his ability to spin a twisting yarn that delivers dark, frightening shocks and a meticulously crafted story. It's just a shame that there isn't anything else around right now that can compare with
Monster's realism, moral questioning and all-round intelligence.
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23 Jun 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Death Note]
Ok, my fansubs are on CD in a room where other people are sleeping (such is the nature of my chaotic home life right now) so screenshots for Haruhi ep 12 will have to wait until tomorrow...instead I'm turning to the latest volume of
Death Note. It just so happens to continue the trend of every volume being better than the last - excellent stuff.
With Light desparate to prove his innocence and Misa with her memories of her own Death Note adventures erased, both are imprisoned on L's orders to find out if either of them are responsible for the 'Kira' murders. They are kept under 24 hour surveillance and numerous gruelling tests are carried out to confirm their explanations. It then becomes evident that there is a third person who may be exhibiting Kira's power...
Firstly, if you haven't been collecting
Death Note you'd need one heck of a good reason: as suspense thrillers go, this is as good as it gets right now. The sharp deduction, tense face-offs and mental grappling between Light and L make for exhilerating reading that goes far beyond supernatural entertainment; you need to keep up with what's going on to appreciate the intelligence behind it. The artwork's as sharp and striking as ever so no complaints there either.
What is most surprising about
Death Note is that the plot continues to climb to progressively greater heights: the twists of each successive instalment raise the bar above what has gone before which leads me to wonder how the next one can improve on the one I'm reading at the time. This volume introduces a third Kira figure: a possible one of several men who are using the powers of a Death Note to further their aims in climbing the corporate ladder. It stands to reason that not everyone shares Light's (initial) sense of justice or Misa's innocence: the power of the Death Note is more fully realised with the dual motivations of human greed and ambition.
All in all this makes for another superb helping of
Death Note. We continue to follow Light's exploits, now as he uses Misa as part of his own deadly game against L, while L begins to suffer from doubts and fears that are quite alien to him. It also introduces new characters and situations, which manage to build on the themes already present without the pace slowing or the story losing focus. If you haven't read any
Death Note already, buy it. Now.
[2 Comments]
08 Jun 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Lament of the Lamb]
Blood, as they say, is thicker than water. I've always thought that it's a nonsensical saying but it neatly sums up a central theme of
Lament of the Lamb. In the past I've used words such as dark, brooding, angsty and the like to desribe Kei Toume's vampire tale and the third instalment is no exception.
Kazuna has begun to sever ties with his family and friends to protect them from the terrible disease that has gripped him; don't expect any fast plotting or much graphic violence here, this is strictly character-driven stuff. His classmate Yaegashi now knows the reasons behind his strange and worrying beaviour but her reaction is unexpected and highlights how difficult it will be for Kazuna's self-induced withdrawal from his present life.
His departure from the Eda household throws up old issues, thought to be long since buried, and more details surrounding his family's past are revealed. These scenes are especially powerful and painful to witness: I have no knowledge of what will happen later on in the story since I haven't read that far yet but I just
know that it can only end in tragedy; interestingly this hasn't put me off reading further.
His sister Chizuna is now oficially weird. I don't just mean her matter-of-fact, fatalistic outlook or the fact she is after all a vampire, but she just creeps me out. There are a few scenes in which there are some unsettling incestuous overtones - nothing obvious enough to be shocking or distasteful but enough to suggest that Chizuna has some serious emotional baggage with Kazuna being the one who has to carry it. They are alone in their suffering and the only one who can understand the situation, the only one they can turn to, is each other. All the same, the lines that divide devotion, obsession and dependence are all beginning to blur.
We also learn the emotions motivating Minase, the doctor who takes care of them both through all this, which adds yet another dimension of sadness and misfortune to the whole affair. Make no mistake, this is heavy stuff emotionally but it's also very, very intriguing.
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02 Jun 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Lament of the Lamb]
The first volume was quite an intense experience: it introduced virtually the entire cast of the story and the general themes. The second instalment slows the pace down a little to look more closely at Kazuna's new situation and how his condition affects both him and those around him. Volume 2 of Lament of the Lamb paints a bleak picture.
The first main problem is the condition itself: Kazuna is struck down by painful and terrifying bouts of blood-lust that he can neither control nor understand; the second is that as a result of his mysterious disease he has to keep it secret from his friends and adoptive family.
The Edas are unsurprisingly worried for him and show every bit of concern that you would expect from someone's real parents; his classmate/would-be romantic interest Yaegashi is taking it badly too. Kazuna is pushing them away but what they can't possibly know is the reason why: he is afraid of the dark desires and nightmares he is suffering from and the possible repercussions. Suffice to say that there's plenty of teen angst in this volume, what with our unfortunate hero plunging rapidly into painful isolation as he leaves his loved ones behind in his old life.
Chizuna is turning out to be a very interesting character - she seems to be using Kazuna as a replacement for the company of their departed father; after all, her brother is the only family she has now. As you might expect from a vampire, she is beautiful yet outwardly cold, calculating and dangerous: I can't help but think that she is using Kazuna and Minase-sensei for her own ends. Still, she does reveal more about their father's past and his untimely death, which gives plenty of food for thought later on.
Kei Toume won't win any awards for accuracy or polish in his artwork (at least, he hasn't received any as far as I know) but the layout of the panels works well in progressing the story even with the ambiguous speech bubbles. What he does excel at though is his flair for character designs: their haunting and almost creepy appearances are vaguely reminiscent of Yoshitoshi ABe's works. I mean that in a good way.
Lament of the Lamb continues to be an engrossing and powerful drama that takes the viewer down an angst-filled and quite unsettling path. The themes and artwork convey quite strong feelings of isolation and claustrophobia:
Fruits Basket it most certainly isn't. As depressing as it is, I can't help but continue reading.
[1 Comment]
19 May 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Lament of the Lamb]
I'm not a very prolific manga reader (as you might have guessed from the number of entries in this category) but I have a soft spot for vampire stories. For this reason Lament of the Lamb seemed to be a logical choice to add to my modest manga collection.
There are quite a few vampire tales in anime and manga, such as
Hellsing,
Vampire Hunter D and
Blood: The Last Vampire. However, while the action-orientated ones are good in their own way I've always been more interested in the emotional drama rather than blood-soaked action. Arcueid from
Tsukihime and the iconic D are good examples of vampires who have human emotions and show the condition of being an immortal from the inside; while this is often downbeat and tragic it is often the most interesting. This is where
Lament of the Lamb comes in.
Kazuna Takashiro leads a normal life but has a mysterious past. His mother is dead, he has lost touch with his father and has been brought up by Shin and his wife Natsuko, old friends of his father. He has a fateful chance encounter with a strange girl when he visits his old home after being plagued by strange dreams; the girl turns out to be his long-forgotten elder sister Chizuna. She tells him the truth about his early life and the terrible secret of his family: they are both descended from a family of vampires!
The idea of vampirism being some sort of genetic or medical condition is hardly new, but
Lament of the Lamb focuses more on the effect that it has on Kazuna's life and relationships with those around him; it has more in common with
Tsukihime and Ann Rice's
Vampire Chronicles novels than more action-packed horror fare. Upon discovering that he has not been spared from the family curse Kazuna has to come to terms with losing his normal life with the devoted Natsuko and Shin, with a life of blood-lust and suffering ahead of him. He finds himself pushing his friends away, particularly classmate and potential love interest Yaegashi.
Kazuna is a likeable enough character: initially the typical laid-back teen with no clear idea of his future before the sickness takes hold. His sister Chizuna is an interesting individual, showing coldness towards her classmates that is in great contrast with the fact that she is very protective of the brother she hardly knows. Her condition is more advanced than Kazuna's, and requires medical help from Minase, a doctor and an old friend of her father's - ultimately though, the condition is terminal. Because of this her attitude towards their fate is very matter-of-fact and she is deliberately quiet and distant.
The artwork conveys the feelings of foreboding and unease with slightly sketchy-looking characters (reminiscent of Otomo's
Akira manga) that steer clear of 'cute' or stylised designs to heighten the dark and mature themes. While there are no exaggerated gestures or movements the characters are very expressive and convey deep emotion and meaning - after all, this story is very character-driven and action scenes are nonexistent. My only criticism here is that it is hard to work out who is speaking and when: for a story as reliant on dialogue as this it would be helpful to have clearer labelling for the speech bubbles.
In summary I'll certainly be picking up the next volume of
Lament of the Lamb: even at this early stage it comes across as intriguing, bleak and atmospheric with an interesting cast of central characters. The artwork is hardly pretty, but that is precisely the point: the world that Chizuna and now Kazuna inhabits is a pitiless and lonely one but it is no less compelling for it. Crucially it approaches its subject matter in an unusual fashion that more than makes up for the slow pacing, which is fine by me.
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07 Apr 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Monster]
As you might have guessed from my fansub series review, I'm quite a fan of Monster. Personal bias aside, Naoki Urasawa's original manga story starts off in spectacular fashion - I'll spare the details of the synopsis that are found in the aforementioned review but suffice to say that it is every bit as good as the animated adaptation, covering the first four episodes or thereabouts. The character designs and events are similar to the point of being pretty much identical: that is, they have an air of gritty realism that graphic novels rarely have and the pacing is spot-on.
If you have seen the anime version already, there will be no surprises to be had here: it stayed so faithful to the source material that you could follow it from the manga scene-by-scene. That said, it is the only English language version of Monster currently available so if you don't have the software or inclination to download the animated episodes the manga is your best bet.
Viz have done well with the presentation, with the glossy cover, decent quality paper and binding. Urasawa's art style lacks the polish of some other manga artists but considering the quality of the story and cast I can't really hold that against him. As it is, Monster is an intelligent and thrilling read that sucks you into its cold, dark world and never lets go - it is quite difficult to find in high street shops though, so you might need to go online to buy yourself a copy.
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04 Apr 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Death Note]
Unknown to humans there is a separate world in which the shinigami, the death gods, live. They decide how and when people die by writing the names in Death Notes, notebooks that give the shinigami their powers to take life. One shinigami by the name of Ryuk is bored so drops his death note into the human world, just to see what will happen. It is picked up by a high school student named Light Yagami who is also bored and, initially skeptical of this mysterious notebook and its strange owner, decides to use the Death Note to kill off notorious known criminals and make the world a better place. Not surprisingly the authorities get a bit worried about murderers and rapists dropping down dead left, right and centre without their intervention so enlist the help of reclusive master detective known only as 'L'. Soon a deadly game of cat-and-mouse begins between L and Light, whose faceless vigilante persona becomes known as 'Kira'.
Right from the outset Death Note is a real departure from the usual Shounen Jump fare: it is relatively devoid of action but has suspense and intelligence by the bucketload. Light is doing what he perceives as 'the right thing', but the possibility that is he playing God is not lost on the author and as the story progresses we see him lose sight of his noble goals as the battle of wits between himself and L escalates. With every volume more twists and turns are added as more of the Death Note's powers are revealed and numerous characters become caught in the crossfire.
Tsugumi Ohba proves himself to be capable of weaving a delightfully complex story but Takeshi Obata's artwork also contributes greatly to the manga's appeal. The art is detailed and realistic with both the backgrounds and characters being full of life and emotion. His past experience with Hikaru No Go undoubtedly helped with portraying Death Note's blend of real life and the supernatural and the collaboration between he and Ohba is a winning combination.
Overall Death Note is a fast-paced, cleverly written and visually superb supernatural thriller that combines the fantasy and detective story elements effortlessly. A word of warning though: you will not be able to put this down, and the wait for volume 5 in May will be a painful one!
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