Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Llevaba un tiempo queriendo meterme en el mundo de Chihayafuru y ahora que ha finalizado la historia me parece ideal.
Este tomo se lleva cinco estrellas porque para ser el comienzo de una trama que ocupará cincuenta (cincuenta!!!!) tomos la autora me ha metido en el bolsillo al instante.
El dibujo me parece muy nostálgico, de un estilo de shojo que ya no se lleva. Tengo muchas ganas de seguir con esta serie.
Este tomo se lleva cinco estrellas porque para ser el comienzo de una trama que ocupará cincuenta (cincuenta!!!!) tomos la autora me ha metido en el bolsillo al instante.
El dibujo me parece muy nostálgico, de un estilo de shojo que ya no se lleva. Tengo muchas ganas de seguir con esta serie.
The book: Chihayafuru #1 (bilingual edition)
The author: Yuki Suetsugu (trans. Stuart Varnam-Atkin and Yoko Toyozaki)
The subject: Chihaya and her friends take part in a card game called karuta and strive to become champions.
Why I chose it: I didn't, actually; my Japanese penfriend sent it to me on her recommendation.
The rating: Four out of five stars
What I thought of it: This is the first manga I've read; I hope it won't be the last. The premise might sound quite dull – a story about some kids playing a competitive poetry-themed card game?! – but it's actually very compelling. It makes me want to play karuta at the very least.
The characters are painted well, in such a way that you care about them and their journey (at the risk of sounding like an "X Factor" contestant). While there are hints that romance might be on the cards (pun stumbled across unintentionally, but thoroughly enjoyed) in future volumes, this is more a story about friends, discovering and chasing your own goals in life and how our priorities change as we grow older, which makes it a refreshing change from a lot of Western YA literature. The art and composition are also good and really complement and enhance the story. Most of all, though, I never imagined I'd get so engrossed in reading an account of a card game competition – it was as if I were watching a sporting event.
I definitely recommend this, though I'm not sure exactly how to categorise it in order to recommend it to a specific type of person. I suppose it's a coming of age story at its heart. I haven't read any further in the series yet so don't know if that's going to be a disappointment, but hopefully it won't.
Just one more thing: At the end of this edition are translations of fifty of the one hundred poems used in karuta. Here is my favourite one, number 35:
The author: Yuki Suetsugu (trans. Stuart Varnam-Atkin and Yoko Toyozaki)
The subject: Chihaya and her friends take part in a card game called karuta and strive to become champions.
Why I chose it: I didn't, actually; my Japanese penfriend sent it to me on her recommendation.
The rating: Four out of five stars
What I thought of it: This is the first manga I've read; I hope it won't be the last. The premise might sound quite dull – a story about some kids playing a competitive poetry-themed card game?! – but it's actually very compelling. It makes me want to play karuta at the very least.
The characters are painted well, in such a way that you care about them and their journey (at the risk of sounding like an "X Factor" contestant). While there are hints that romance might be on the cards (pun stumbled across unintentionally, but thoroughly enjoyed) in future volumes, this is more a story about friends, discovering and chasing your own goals in life and how our priorities change as we grow older, which makes it a refreshing change from a lot of Western YA literature. The art and composition are also good and really complement and enhance the story. Most of all, though, I never imagined I'd get so engrossed in reading an account of a card game competition – it was as if I were watching a sporting event.
I definitely recommend this, though I'm not sure exactly how to categorise it in order to recommend it to a specific type of person. I suppose it's a coming of age story at its heart. I haven't read any further in the series yet so don't know if that's going to be a disappointment, but hopefully it won't.
Just one more thing: At the end of this edition are translations of fifty of the one hundred poems used in karuta. Here is my favourite one, number 35:
With people you can never tell,
Will they have changed when next we meet?
But here in my dear old home at least,
The plums still smell as sweet.
I love the friendship between the characters. The author also portrays childhood (the characters are in 6th grade) very well.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
fast-paced
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
***USING NEW RATING SYSTEM***
Story: 2/4
Story: 2/4
- The story is simple and somewhat engaging, but it lacks enough originality or depth to make it a memorable read.
Characters: 3/4
- The characters are well-developed and have clear motivations and growth.
Setting: 3/4
- The setting is well-developed, with nice details that create a clear atmosphere.
Writing: 2/4
- The writing style is clear and easy to read, with some interesting elements.
Art: 3/4
- The artwork is well-done and enhances the storytelling.
Vibes: 1/4
- I read it and liked some parts of it.
- Might not recommend it to a friend, but I enjoyed reading it.
Overall Score: 15/24
Star Rating: 3/5*
*- Rounded Down from 3.12/5
informative
tense
medium-paced