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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
My Rating : 4
I have never read any Japanese classic literature and reading this book as a Manga definitely heightened the experience! The artwork is so whimsical and flowing, the story is really captivating and the way the storyline is portrayed is wonderful. It took some time for me to figure out the pattern of the illustration to read, but after that, it was really good. The character summary at the end really helped me understand the overall picture. Since the artwork is similar, it might get a little confusing to identify the individuals, but I don't think it hinders the reading experience though. Definitely going to read more of Japanese classics now !
Thank you so much Netgalley for the review copy. Detailed review will be up soon !
I have never read any Japanese classic literature and reading this book as a Manga definitely heightened the experience! The artwork is so whimsical and flowing, the story is really captivating and the way the storyline is portrayed is wonderful. It took some time for me to figure out the pattern of the illustration to read, but after that, it was really good. The character summary at the end really helped me understand the overall picture. Since the artwork is similar, it might get a little confusing to identify the individuals, but I don't think it hinders the reading experience though. Definitely going to read more of Japanese classics now !
Thank you so much Netgalley for the review copy. Detailed review will be up soon !
Free copy supplied from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
It's obviously difficult to make a long and complex story like the tale of Genji comprehensible and unsurprisingly as the comic went on I became more and more confused. Even though the source material is large and unruly, I felt that this comic could have been a little better done. The art style was beautiful and I really enjoyed it, but it felt a little flawed; facial proportions were off a lot of the time, which was quite distracting. In addition to this, many of the female characters looked the same and there wasn't much there to distinguish them. The dialogue often didn't help matters either. Though it was delicate and pretty, it was just as confusing as the art.
Still, the overall impression of the comic was enjoyable and delicate. It just felt unfinished and in need of some editing to me. I think this would be a well suited read to those more familiar with the source material and in fact, those who are probably would enjoy this a lot. It's just not very beginner friendly.
It's obviously difficult to make a long and complex story like the tale of Genji comprehensible and unsurprisingly as the comic went on I became more and more confused. Even though the source material is large and unruly, I felt that this comic could have been a little better done. The art style was beautiful and I really enjoyed it, but it felt a little flawed; facial proportions were off a lot of the time, which was quite distracting. In addition to this, many of the female characters looked the same and there wasn't much there to distinguish them. The dialogue often didn't help matters either. Though it was delicate and pretty, it was just as confusing as the art.
Still, the overall impression of the comic was enjoyable and delicate. It just felt unfinished and in need of some editing to me. I think this would be a well suited read to those more familiar with the source material and in fact, those who are probably would enjoy this a lot. It's just not very beginner friendly.
*Arc provided by Netgalley and the publishers*
As someone who generally loves manga and Japanese myths, I was a bit conflicted with reading this. Due to the character art style it was really difficult who each character was and what role they played in each chapter.
I enjoyed reading the manga, however it was quite difficult as there were no time frames and the characters would jump age ranges, Genji would be a small child one moment to being a teenager the next and I found it really confusing as some of the other characters didn't look as tho they have aged as much.
As someone who generally loves manga and Japanese myths, I was a bit conflicted with reading this. Due to the character art style it was really difficult who each character was and what role they played in each chapter.
I enjoyed reading the manga, however it was quite difficult as there were no time frames and the characters would jump age ranges, Genji would be a small child one moment to being a teenager the next and I found it really confusing as some of the other characters didn't look as tho they have aged as much.
Warnings: coercion, nudity
Rep: It is a Japanese classic, and is adapted by a Japanese mangaka!
The reputation of the Tale of Genji precedes it, having being (questionably) considered the first novel written and a record of life in the Heian period in Japanese history, and has been adapted/translated by many. At its heart, though, it is a story of a man whose problems in love arise from his longing for one particular woman and his search for a woman who could take her place in his heart. Now, I wish I could be entirely serious considering that this a classic novel and deserves every amount of gravitas, but this particular adaptation is a shoujo manga which was perfect in a way because of the Romantic nature of the story, and I cannot get by with just a perfunctory review of the book. I'll tell you why.
First of all, let me just be clear - I don't like Genji. The author also makes a similar remark in her notes, saying how she had to make herself like Genji because he is the protagonist, but I disagree mainly because protagonists don't always have to be liked and this is not the 80s anymore. Genji is the shining prince (it is literally his name, too!) and the story starts much before his birth, with his mother, who was a low-ranking lady in court who caught the eye of the Emperor and became his consort. There are some supernatural elements involved, but anyway her health declines and she dies when he is quite young and his father remarries, some years later, a young girl called Fujitsubo who resembles his deceased wife. Fujtisubo is close in age to Genji (14 to his 9) and close to him in a motherly/sisterly relationship. However, when he comes of age (at 12, like WTF) he cannot see (like, physically see, not meet) her anymore and as the years pass, his childhood adoration turns to romantic love.
But he is also married off (at 12, which again WTF) to Aoi (who is 16), who is cold towards him mainly because she doesn't know what to do with a young groom (this is a warning against child marriage, if anything) and he finds his 'joy' elsewhere in affairs with other elegant ladies at court, building a playboy reputation with his brother-in-law. He begins an affair with an older widow (and by older I mean she is 25 to his 17) Rokugo, and then a woman from other side of town, Yugao; the latter dies due to a supernatural case of jealousy in the former (IDEK it was so weird but I'll take it because its the 11th century and ayakashi are a thing). He then finds a precocious 10-year old, takes her under his wing, and names her Murasaki (future bride I guess?) while searching for the Next Woman, even going so far as to woo a woman he has never seen just because he assumes she is an highly elegant lady. He also slips up and has a night of passion with his original crush and love, Fujitsubo.
Basically, it is a series of affairs that Genji has, while cheating on his wife (try wooing her for a change, dude!), and him falling in love and out of love, while yearning and hiding his feelings for Fujitsubo. It is as melodramatic as Genji deserves, and he single-handedly removes any need for drama from womanly jealousy because he is providing all of the drama this novel needs. Maybe the original tale was supposed to engender some compassion for Genji because of the yearning, but I am cynical millennial, so I am just vicariously enjoying all the 'romance'. Genji's one move is basically to charm the woman and then suddenly rip the blinds aside, so I don't know if I could ever like him, either.
But it is a fascinating view into the life and customs of that time, and Waki Yamato does a great job of bringing it alive in her artwork. The character design is retro, obviously, but the background, the dresses, the glorious hair, the posing of the characters like they are in a woodcut artwork - it all fits the storytelling style and the era well. The art is brimming with beauty and romance, and I loved it for it. It also brushes aside and romanticizes all the things that Genji is doing wrong, but hey that's what the story is about.
Overall, it is a great manga adaptation, especially if you are someone like me who always wanted to read it but balked at reading some dry translation of it.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Kodansha Comics, via Netgalley.
Rep: It is a Japanese classic, and is adapted by a Japanese mangaka!
The reputation of the Tale of Genji precedes it, having being (questionably) considered the first novel written and a record of life in the Heian period in Japanese history, and has been adapted/translated by many. At its heart, though, it is a story of a man whose problems in love arise from his longing for one particular woman and his search for a woman who could take her place in his heart. Now, I wish I could be entirely serious considering that this a classic novel and deserves every amount of gravitas, but this particular adaptation is a shoujo manga which was perfect in a way because of the Romantic nature of the story, and I cannot get by with just a perfunctory review of the book. I'll tell you why.
First of all, let me just be clear - I don't like Genji. The author also makes a similar remark in her notes, saying how she had to make herself like Genji because he is the protagonist, but I disagree mainly because protagonists don't always have to be liked and this is not the 80s anymore. Genji is the shining prince (it is literally his name, too!) and the story starts much before his birth, with his mother, who was a low-ranking lady in court who caught the eye of the Emperor and became his consort. There are some supernatural elements involved, but anyway her health declines and she dies when he is quite young and his father remarries, some years later, a young girl called Fujitsubo who resembles his deceased wife. Fujtisubo is close in age to Genji (14 to his 9) and close to him in a motherly/sisterly relationship. However, when he comes of age (at 12, like WTF) he cannot see (like, physically see, not meet) her anymore and as the years pass, his childhood adoration turns to romantic love.
But he is also married off (at 12, which again WTF) to Aoi (who is 16), who is cold towards him mainly because she doesn't know what to do with a young groom (this is a warning against child marriage, if anything) and he finds his 'joy' elsewhere in affairs with other elegant ladies at court, building a playboy reputation with his brother-in-law. He begins an affair with an older widow (and by older I mean she is 25 to his 17) Rokugo, and then a woman from other side of town, Yugao; the latter dies due to a supernatural case of jealousy in the former (IDEK it was so weird but I'll take it because its the 11th century and ayakashi are a thing). He then finds a precocious 10-year old, takes her under his wing, and names her Murasaki (future bride I guess?) while searching for the Next Woman, even going so far as to woo a woman he has never seen just because he assumes she is an highly elegant lady. He also slips up and has a night of passion with his original crush and love, Fujitsubo.
Basically, it is a series of affairs that Genji has, while cheating on his wife (try wooing her for a change, dude!), and him falling in love and out of love, while yearning and hiding his feelings for Fujitsubo. It is as melodramatic as Genji deserves, and he single-handedly removes any need for drama from womanly jealousy because he is providing all of the drama this novel needs. Maybe the original tale was supposed to engender some compassion for Genji because of the yearning, but I am cynical millennial, so I am just vicariously enjoying all the 'romance'. Genji's one move is basically to charm the woman and then suddenly rip the blinds aside, so I don't know if I could ever like him, either.
But it is a fascinating view into the life and customs of that time, and Waki Yamato does a great job of bringing it alive in her artwork. The character design is retro, obviously, but the background, the dresses, the glorious hair, the posing of the characters like they are in a woodcut artwork - it all fits the storytelling style and the era well. The art is brimming with beauty and romance, and I loved it for it. It also brushes aside and romanticizes all the things that Genji is doing wrong, but hey that's what the story is about.
Overall, it is a great manga adaptation, especially if you are someone like me who always wanted to read it but balked at reading some dry translation of it.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Kodansha Comics, via Netgalley.