Book Review: Eden Volume 1

Title: Eden: Volume 1

Author/Artist: BASH

Publish Date: June 2, 2015

Rating: ☕ ☕ (2)

Let me be blunt. This was a mess. There are so many things wrong with this manga that I don’t even know where to start. The biggest problem is that the entire project is disjointed and lacks focus. I’m not even entirely sure what the premise is supposed to be.   

The story begins with a boy named Touru wandering the forest. Monster-like creatures called Red Crosses are watching him and trying to prevent him from finding the village of Jinrou. Which would be bad, according to an angel named Vanguard. After that, I’m not 100% sure what’s going on. There is too much happening and there is no explanation as to who anyone is or why things are happening. I get that the mangaka is trying to project an element of mystery around Touru and the people in Jinrou, but that only works if you give the reader a clue to the bigger picture. He tries to do this toward the end of the book when Touru is led to an epitaph that tells the story of Jinrou, yet even that serves to confuse the reader further. 

The art was the only thing about this book that kept it from getting a 1. The art isn’t spectacular, and it doesn’t really stand out from artists working in similar genres, but it wasn’t bad. The artist might benefit from working with a circle where someone else is creating the plot and doing the writing.

In manga the point of the first chapter, the first volume, is to hook the reader and make them interested in what is about to happen. That didn’t happen here. I didn’t connect with any of the characters enough to care about what happens to them, and I was so relieved when I finished reading this. I have no desire to read volume 2 when it is released in July. 

**NetGalley provided me with an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

Book Review: Sorako

Title: Sorako

Mangaka (Author/Artist): Takayuki Fujimura

Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ (4)

Yay! It’s been awhile since I've had a manga to review! This is a bit different from the mangas I normally read for review because before Sorako was licensed with an English language publisher, it began as a doujinshi. Simply put, doujinshi are independent books created and distributed by the managka at doujinshi conventions and other anime/manga fan events. Artists use this method as a way to share their hobby, create fan fiction, get noticed in the industry, and build their brand. Since doujinshi is often overlooked by Western readers (although this is not the case with BL readers), I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered Gen Manga Entertainment – a publishing company devoted to bringing independent manga to English readers.

Sorako is comprised of a series of one-shots, all of which feature young women who have left high school behind and have joined the adult world. While all of the stories have a slice of life flavor to them, the main characters give off an aimless feeling – they have vague goals, no goals, missed opportunities, and are uncertain about the future before them.

The title story is about a young woman named Sorako who is fresh out of high school and looking for a job. She dislikes her town and lacks enthusiasm toward anything – except her dog Toma. She seems content to just live her life day by day without putting too much effort into anything.

Probably my favorite story from the book is “A Boring Breakfast”. It’s about a young married woman who befriends a boy she meets at the library. She is dissatisfied with her mundane life and the separate lives she and her husband are leading. The boy is shy and self-conscious but manages to open up to this young woman. It’s a lovely platonic relationship between two awkward people who encourage each other to make changes in their lives.

You can’t talk about manga without saying something about the art. Well, Fujimura’s art is beautiful. The lines and panels are clean and simple. The backgrounds add to the atmosphere but don’t distract the eye. Because this is a doujinshi, some panels have a rough, almost pencil drawn look to them, which can sometimes be a little distracting but overall it adds to the slice of life vibe.

I really wish I could do half cups because I feel this is a solid 3.5 but I rounded up to a 4 for simplicity's sake. Ultimately what prevented me from giving this a solid 4 was the length of the stories. This is an issue I have with a lot of one shots. I feel like the main idea of each story would be clearer if there was another 2-3 pages between the climax and the end. Overall Sorako was a quick and enjoyable read. Fujimura is a very talented artist and promising storyteller and I hope to see more of their work in the future – independent and mainstream. 

**NetGalley provided me with an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

***Note: Japanese manga is read right to left***