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Jul 21, 2017
"This tower is full of criminals, murderers, and sexual deviants. As an ordinary person, you're the weirdest among us all."
I’ve just finished re-reading Yuureitou, and its entertainment value for me still remains at a 10. Everything, from the art and insane characters to the way the story is told amazes me. Yuureitou is not just a mystery revolving a clock tower; it’s also a story on gender identity and how sexual deviants (transgender, homo) belonged in ‘50s Japan.
There’s the main overarching story: the clocktower mystery. Then, there are multiple arcs that consist of intriguing adventures
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the main characters go through. These mini adventures are quite unique in the sense that they’re not something you’d expect from a manga. They fit so well with the setting that you can tell the author has done his research thoroughly. There’s always an awareness of time and history with each adventure.
While Yuureitou showcases many dark issues that characterize this society, it strays away from the typical overuse of violence. We get to see the mindset of the criminals, and their background + motives don't fail to entertain.
After the main mystery is resolved, the rest of the manga dedicates itself to flesh out its main characters and resolve their loose ends. It’s a sharp 90 degree turn in the mood, as the topic of sexual deviation overtakes the story. It gets a little whacky and wild, but these last chapters don’t disappoint, since they accomplish the job of closing in what has been built up throughout the manga.
Before I re-read Yuureitou (after one year), I was able to vividly remember two characters because of their uniqueness: Tetsuo and Marube. Here’s what I think of them + others:
-Our MC, Tetsuo, is the star of the show. He’s the guy that’s interesting right from the get go. Tetsuo’s cunning, intelligent, and charming. Just like the overarching plot, many mysteries surround him. He appears flawless at first glance, but as the story transpires, you see his weaknesses and insecurities clearly.
-Marube is one of the baddie characters. He’s perverted and downright mad, but the way the author presents him and his story makes it hard to hate him. While difficult to empathize with the crazy side of him, Dokurou is still an intelligent character whose reasonings behind his actions make sense.
-The other MC Amano is the typical wussy that ultimately changes for the good. The readers see how he, a “normal” person, perceives social deviants and his acceptance of them. Most of the story is seen through Amano.
-Mystery killer ‘Shibanmushi’ is the main antagonist of the clocktower mystery. Nothing about him intrigued me much, but we do get to see his character developed with his frequent encounters with Tetsuo. Even though Shibanmushi is the antagonist of the overarching story, imo Marube’s perverse character overwhelms his presence.
The art: There’s no cringey over exaggeration of facial expressions that plague a lot of anime and manga, so that’s an A+ from me. Putting that aside, the first thing you’ll notice when you begin Yuureitou is that the backgrounds and semi-realistic art style are fantastic. The author really knows his anatomy; this fact is particularly important as the story often showcases some grotesque display of corpses, humans in the wake of death, and after failed plastic surgery
I suggest you to give this a try if you’re looking for a more serious mystery to dwell upon, or if you’re curious to see how a manga approaches the transgender topic.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 12, 2015
My Heart is Beating definitely has an outstanding story and setup that can relate to many of its viewers. From strict parental expectations to a deluded interest for their boyfriend, the characters were built based on the lives of real people. As eccentric as the synopsis may sound, the swim suit fetish develops the story into a 3-dimensional dilemma.
Don't be turned off-- the usual use of genres such as cross dressing and perverted fetishes were changed into something more serious and plausible, and definitely does not meet your usual expectations of these types of stories.
As far as the art goes, the
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artist definitely manipulated the use of tone in their scenery. You could be seeing blues one chapter and vibrant hues the next; it really sets up the proper atmosphere. Personally speaking, I really liked how the eyes were drawn in a semi-realistic way.
Within these thirty chapters, the author did a good job on selecting a few characters and giving his/her best on developing them. They had me emotionally moved, since as I had said before, the characters were very close to life. Even the personalities of all the members of the Water Polo team were just like your usual pet peeves of group projects-- incompetent, fussy, and bossy.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 25, 2015
*I should point out there is really no romance in this manhwa even though it is tagged as romance.
Peter Panda is a nice, short manhwa is about growing up and overcoming internal conflicts. The characters go through a phase, as represented by their personified dreams.
The story is rather nice and heartwarming, albeit melancholy at times. Sometimes I find myself expecting a little too much out of the story, and left disappointed. There is quite a few ounces of comedy in here, but I feel that it can be very light-heartening at times, and sometimes unnecessary. The characters have
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generic personalities and traits, but with a little traumatic twist to them, which in my opinion makes them more interesting.
My overall opinion of this manhwa is positive. The story is really nice, and outstanding in its own way. Definitely deserves more praise.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 24, 2015
Joou no Hana is a nice read for those who want a rather intelligent heroine, diligent in their martial arts, and willing to act up against the norms of their position and standing. For people who like young, adventurous shounen, you'll probably like this. I dropped pretty early on, so I will be reviewing what I have read (mainly the exposition).
Overall enjoyment: I couldn't come to enjoy the manga right from the get-go, probably because of my preferences of philosophical josei/seinen for this type of setting over comedy and shounen/shoujo. If you enjoy the latter more, I assure you you'll be glued
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to this manga.
I personally enjoy this sort of set-up, however some of the genres embedded in the manga do not mingle very well. The story is rather predictable, and the atmospheres do not flow very well into the reader. The scenes that are supposed to describe a feeling of tension are very weak, and many reasons for certain actions and relationships between characters are dull. The settings at the beginning are sort of changing like a roller coaster for me and the events are not really leaving an impression on me.
The romance fan service was nice to go over, though, and the comedy sparked small, small gags in me.
The characters are pretty likable-- their personalities and roles are rather delightful. Some of them were not introduced at their fullest potential though. Many of their appearances were a bit too convenient for the story, which was one of the ultimate killers for me. If you like supposedly cunning and justice licker MCs then have fun with this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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